Isabelle's Christmas List

I have been asking Belle(3 years old) what she wants for Christmas from Santa and here is her list!

1. The perfect Brownie pan
2. The giant cupcake bake pan
3. The Touch and Brush
4. The Busy Ball Popper

The previously commercial free Noggin has changed to Nick jr., where the commercials are endless...

More Christmas pics...

Some Christmas pics

Chloe sent me an email...

I'm five years old, it's getting cold, I've got my big coat on

I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you,

I run and run

Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold

I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall

But I know you're not scared of anything at all

Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away

But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm twelve now and don't know how my friends could be so mean

I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys

And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away

And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school

But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you

Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay

But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger

God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run

And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three

You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me

It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs

And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall

I know you were on my side even when I was wrong

And I love you for giving me your eyes

For staying back and watching me shine

And I didn't know if you knew, so I'm takin' this chance to say

That I had the best day with you today

...Taylor Swift

I LOVE YOU MOM!!!

Chloe sent me this song and I cried and cried...

Time goes so fast, especially at this time of year!

Enjoy your children, make them feel special and loved!

They are only little once.

Merry Christmas!

My little white tree

This is "my" tree. The girls get to decorate the big tree and I get this one. I love the similar tones of all of the ornaments, it looks so pretty! I have this in my dinning room on a buffet table. Then I add a collection of paper cottages all around the table. I just love it!

The hunt for the "perfect" tree

This is where we get our Christmas tree every year. We are lucky to have this right in my moms back yard. O.K., it's actually a field behind her house. This is where I grew up. I ran through these fields when I was little and my girls get to do the same. They get to play in the same stream my sister and I did on hot summer days and run around the big yard in only their undies. Sled down the big hill on the side and ride the go-kart up and down the lane. There is something to say about living in the same house for forty years. There is always a feeling of comfort in my mom's house. Everybody who walks through the door says the same thing, boy I love it here! I am always on the look-out for a new house, but I never seem to find one that is quit right. I think it is because I am always trying to find my mom's house, but it is already taken!

Belle so excited about this giant(this is actually the smallest tree we have ever gotten) tree in the house!!!

The tree with all the decorations, clumped all at the bottom where someones little hands keeps moving them!

Thanksgiving Day

Holiday paper decorations

This is one of the decorations I have been working on. I really like the way it turned out. The pale color is just what I wanted, vintage inspired. The letters are glitter from the craft store, the circles are card stock and the fluff is crepe paper. It was pretty easy, and cheap too!

Hiking this weekend

This weekend we went hiking at Old Dry Road Farm. I know I have said this many times, but I really love being outside with Chris and the girls. We try to go hiking every Sunday and it is really a good way to connect with each other. The girls are so far apart in age sometimes its hard to find something for all of us. So being outside together is great!

Large pics below!

The pictures below are a little large, I have just figured out how to add pictures from the web!

Pretty pics that make me happy!

Here are some pretty pics just to get everybody in the mood for the holidays! I have been away for a while (I was very sick), but now I am back! And no these are not pictures of my house, I can only dream that they were.

We have been busy painting, O.K. I should say Chris has been busy painting. I have been busy keeping him company while he paints! We have a big Christmas party every year and this year I really wanted to make everything look fresh and clean. I will post pictures of my house all decked out in Christmas splendor very soon!

Tinsel Trading Co. NYC

Chris and I had a great time in NYC! We drove up in my Jeep and we made it out alive(ha ha). We had a really great time, these are some pics of Tinsel Trading, it was so awesome! They had the most beautiful things, I can't imagine living close to a store like that. I would always be inspired to do something creative. On the way to NYC we stopped in Montclair N.J.. It was a small "up and coming" town, a little on the artsy side. We went in Parcel(cute shop) and then as luck would have it, right across the street was a brand new Anthro! So needless to say this day was really for me, even though Chris says he just likes to see me shop...what a sweetie pie.

So as I was making these cupcakes for Chloe and her Volley Ball team when I saw Belle looking awfully suspicious of something. She was laughing and running in and out of the kitchen. I asked her what she was up to and she said "nothing giggle giggle giggle". Then I heard some crinkling noises when she ran through the next time, and then her hat feel off and guess what? She had taken some of the Reeses cups I was using for the cupcakes and hid them in her (Chloe's) hat!

As crazy and sometimes challenging as this little thing is, I can't help but laugh! I love her wild spirit and I hope she never changes!

Halloween pic

This is the best Halloween picture I got of the girls. If you have a 3 year old with a feisty personality you will understand. She doesn't "pose" for pictures, and she always makes a crazy face! But anyway, trick or treating went great. Belle had a ball and Chloe got about 4 pounds of candy! Another good Halloween night for the record.
P.S. This is Belle's BFF Niko, he was born 1 day before her in the same hospital, right across the hallway, and they live right across the street! Crazy, I know.

NYC here we come!

Chris and I are going to NYC tomorrow...just the two of us! I am so excited, I can't believe we are actually going! On our way there we are stopping in Mountclair, N.J. to look at a store called Parcel. It looks like paper heaven. Again, I am so excited! The Shabby Chic boutique is open again, so we will be stopping there just for some eye candy. And last but not least, Tinsel Trading Co.. Did I mention I am so excited? I am!!! Trip Report to follow...

Anthro wallet

My mom, Chloe and I went on a little shopping adventure on Saturday. We went to Anthro and home goods and went out to a nice lunch. We had a great day! The closest Anthro is about an hour away, in a cute little town called Wayne. This is the bargain wallet I got at Anthro(only $29.95), isn't it the cutest! Of coarse we got some other things too, maybe a little to much to mention! Oh well, C'est la vie!

Chloe's first big dance

Well it's Wednesday and I think the girls are finally feeling better. We have been in the house for six days of high fevers, bad coughs, and a whole lot of crankiness. Thank goodness they both will be feeling better for Trick or Treating, and yes Chloe is 12 and still goes trick or Treating.

Chloe had her first "boy/girl" dance this past Friday, for the 7th and 8th graders in her school. The past years have been a "daddy/daughter" dance so this was a little different, more grown up. I don't really know if I am ready for this kind of stuff, she still seems so little to me. She is taller then I am, she wears a bigger shoe size then I do, but I look at her and I see this little girl who still calls me mommy. Time flies by so fast, sometimes I don't know if I can keep up...

Chris is taking a half-day!!!

Chris just called and he is leaving work early today! This doesn't happen very often but when it does I love it, especially today! Maybe because Isabelle was already screaming MORE BUTTER for her waffles about 500 times, or because the crazy neighbors were up and in their hot tub until 4:30 in the morning the night before or maybe because it's a real grown up(besides my mom) to talk to on a Monday during the day!!!
Happy Monday to everyone!

Chloe at September Farms, the dreamy cheese place

Hello Monday!

Oh don't the weekends fly by? This weekend was a blur. We didn't really do much. Chloe and I did some shopping on Saturday, I got some pretty old Millinery flowers. Then we stopped at a cheese shop(September Farms) where they make there own cheese using the milk from their dairy cows. It is a beautiful place, I always feel like just hanging out there but I think the owners would start to wonder! It just rained and rained and rained. But today I woke up and it is a beautiful day!

It's a hot cocoa kinda day(can you believe it!)

Today is a rainy, cold, dreary day. The high is 40 degrees, in October? There is snow in the forecast for Saturday! So, Isabelle and I broke out the cocoa mugs. I do not have my own initial mug because I got these for the girls last Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, can you believe there is Christmas stuff out in the stores already? What happened to waiting until Halloween is over? It's just to early to go to Target and see stockings and here the Christmas C.D. sampler! I LOVE Christmas, I really do, but somehow the "specialness" of the season seams lessened because of these crazy stores!

Cupcake boxes

I got these cute little cupcake boxes at Michael's arts and crafts store. They are from the Martha Stewart line, and they were a bargain! There was a large selection of Martha Stewart stuff that was 75% off, including all of the baking and packaging items. Run on over there and grab some before they are gone!

This came in the mail for me from McMaster and Storm, I won a contest on their blog and these are the goodies they sent me! Isn't that so nice? I do love the paper products!

Pumpkin picking

Chloe and Belle posing with the pumpkins, So cute!

Petit Fours Poster from McMaster and Storm

I got this pretty poster from McMaster and Storm at the CL fair. I took their advice and had it mounted on foam core and hung it with a ribbon. I love the way it turned out! I am not a fan of the purchased picture(you know the ones you buy at T.J.Maxx or Target) I never feel like I have a connection to them. So with this, it's a perfect solution. I love the vintage quality and muted colors. Thanks McMaster and Storm for the great idea!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAT!

This is my niece Natalie, she turned 9 this past week! She is shy about getting her picture taken so this is about as much smile as I was going to get! Isn't she so cute? Happy Birthday Nat!!!

Halloween theme

I have chaged my blog to go with the season, and I think it's pretty spooky, don't you? I love Halloween, and everything that goes with it! The candy, the costumes, the excitement, taking the girls trick or treating. I really enjoy all of the holidays, but with Halloween there is no pressure. Just fun!

These are some of the new Halloween decorations I made this past week. I think I am going to put them on some branches painted black in an urn with a ribbon on it?.

Halloween Decorations

I fell like I'm falling for fall...

This past weekend we went to The Brecknock Orchard fall festival. Yes, we do go to a LOT of festivals in the fall! There is just something about this time of year that makes me want to be outside. The crisp air, the falling leaves, the comfortable weather, I just love it! The festival was really fun. We went on a hay ride around the orchard, made our way through the corn maze and then there was a candy drop for the kids. We have never been there for the candy drop before and we were shocked at the whole thing! They actually have an Ultra Light plane fly over the orchard and the pilot drops a bucket of candy out the window. Somehow the candy does not knock you in the noggin, it just floats down in the breeze. Isabelle kept putting her bag over her head thinking she was going to catch the candy in it, so cute! It was fun...

The North Market, downtown Columbus

Pumpkin tower at CL Fair

Oscar Mayer weiner mobile

Hooray for the Country Living Fair!

• This past weekend my mom and I went to the Country Living Fair, and it was awesome! First of all, the weather was great, our hotel was CLEAN, and the people were so friendly! My favorite booth was McMaster and Storm, it was a "paper person's" heaven. Here is the run down...

1. Gold bird decal
2. bird in a cage that tweets when you wind it (ding dong- a door bell!)
3. swan kit
4. laurel wreath
5. hand dyed ribbon-pink of course!
6. petite fours poster
7. sweet treats poster
8. french nesting baskets(big purchase)
9. and I know there is something else, but I can't think of it now!

Mums

Tonight we went to get some mums at the farm stand and we had a blast. The girls were laughing and singing and just being super silly! We actually got lost and it was getting dark, so we ended up with 3 mums and a stack of pumpkins! Is it too early for pumpkins? I think if they are selling em', we're buying em'! Chris is a pumpkin maniac! He would have pumpkins on every corner of everything at our house! I am the voice of reason when it comes to Holiday decorating, we do not need anymore anything! I actually love that about him.

Pretty tablecloth form Hay Creek Festival

Paper love

This is one of the signs I made for Halloween. I have found a new passion, Paper! After all these years of loving paper, ribbon, glitter, stamps, old post cards, I have finally found something to do with it all. This is one of my first attempts, and I think it looks pretty darn good!

Halloween Decorations

On Sunday we went to the Hay Creek Festival, we have gone there every year since Chloe was born! It was fun this year, but Chloe and Reece got stung by Bees. I think Chloe might be a little sick of going, but it's a tradition, and we are all very sentimental people.

The Hay Creek Festival

Country Living Fair, here we come!

My mom, my sister and I are going to the country living fair for the second year in a row, and I am getting so excited! We had a great time last year, there was so much to do in Columbus. We went out to some great restaurants and did a lot of shopping. The Fair itself was awesome, there were so many creative and talented women everywhere. I can't wait!

Hello, it has been a few days since I have blogged anything, my computer CRASHED, and there was nothing I could do about it! I lost everything, my pictures(thousands of pictures of the girls), everything on Photoshop, all off the images I have saved and was using for paper projects!!! Gone, everything is gone. But I am back up and running again, this time I just might think of backing up my computer.

SUPER STARS