i scary

 Happy Halloween!!!

downsized

When we were 5  it was candy necklaces. By junior high we'd graduated to hulking watermelon Ring Pops.

Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, sucking on our jewelry has become much less socially acceptable.

These new beauties of mine, though not edible, nevertheless give me a simple way to spruce up even my scuzziest of looks.

I am determined to simplify the things that clutter my life and therfore my mind. How will buying something else will help me achieve this?? 

Well, the short answer is...it won't.

Buuuut I am cutting mindless spending, mindless eating, aaaand tossing much of the crap in my closet, but not forgetting to add a few new simple pieces of course {because these cost me less than your morning coffee}.

my new gems  

{tiny and feminine}

{simple and sweet}

{would love to buy more}

find others like them here .

**p.s. they are earrings

we hoped for Nie....

...and it was another HUGE success!

The Mesa Nie sale was enormous, and many of you came to support the cause. Thanks for all your heartfelt generosity.....this sale raised almost $5000 more dollars for the sweet Nielson family !  That brings it to a grand total of about $10,000 raised between the two sales !!

For now i hang up the fanny, satisfied from a job well done :]

**get involved, there is always something you can offer, even if it is just your time :)

Daveyyyyyy, Dave Sedaris....

...King of ho-li-day good cheer!

And boy did we kick off the holiday season right. For an anniversary surprise...last night i took adam to a reading by Mr. Sedaris himself for his latest book tour.  He's hilarious. He's tiny. He signed my book.....aaaaand he gave me a candybar {I love him}

get dirty for NIE.

We need Nie volunteers the 2nd Nie community garage sale Saturday the 25th!  If you are interested in being a part of this great cause , and don't mind looking like a dirty scumbag for two days {see above picture from after last Nie fundraiser }...leave me a comment.

Thanks friends :) 

boo favorites

With each new child I birth, the more obsessed I become with buying/searching for all things kid.  This isn't to say that i don't have my own interests, but with kid stuff i find its easier to be a little more carefree {and we can all afford to be a little more carefree}. I have so many things saved as bookmarks on my Mac and i figure if i can't buy them, i can at least share them with you.  So here are a few of my favorite {kid} things....


1. Anything quilted, particularly this pillow i've had my eye on from Anthropologie 

2. Kid art possibilites are endless {i found this in an empty closet of a house i was helping clean} 
3. I have a weakness for Robots, the tin toy kind {just incase you assumed i was talking about the Victoria "posh" Beckham kind} 
4. Simple graphic Tees 
5. Nesting Dolls of which my daughter can't get enough. She might not like this Being John Malcovich one as much as i would, but it just goes to show the variety out there, cause you know there is a nesting doll lover in all of us 
6. Fingerprint charm {i did break down and buy two of these beauties} 
7. Nostalgic books {or just books, but why are they so expensive? they're just paper!! okay and art, aaaand a good story you can read five hundred times to your dear children...k fine it makes sense} 
8. Kid art poster, the second i figure out my Adobe Illustrator i am making this {in lieu of the several dozen 8 1/2 x 11 drawings taped all over my house} 
9. Heart shaped mugs {the inner well forms a liquid heart...awwww!} 
10. Colorful kid's room decor 
11. and I believe no childhood is complete without a cape!


**also, be careful...it is a fine line between browsing for kid stuff and being sucked into the yuppy mommy vortex...before you know it you'll be buying vintage flash cards, buying them wooden pull toy ducks and considering home-schooling. No matter how much you like it, kids know better than to play with most of that crap {and you know better than to deprive your children of the social skills they'll learn with a good 'ole public education}

calling all NAY sayers!

Say yes to being positive.

Am i? aren't i? I suppose it depends on the day... 

{have i've showered? how many times has my babyBoo has crapped his pants? is the ground outside going to burn my feet each time i throw those poopies away? how many flicked boogers have i found crusted to the wall? did my husband just plop all the new bills on my desk? did i just eat 6 chocolate chip cookies right before bed last night?}.  

Alas my proverbial glass is usually half full, but sometimes it has a fat crack in it cause i bought it from walmart and my husband keeps putting it in the bottom of the dishwasher {but he did do the dishes...you see...positivity, eh??}

Sunday i trimmed my bangs with my mother in law's kitchen scissors....now all i need is a little glue on my face and i am "Miss Lippy".  I could be embarrassed, or i can braid two pony tails and be a "swedish fraulein" for halloween...there was a problem. yo, i solved it.

On our trip Adam, in an attempt to hold his breath across the whole length of the pool with his eyes closed, lost track of where he was and swam full speed head first into the side of the pool. The blood gushed and naturally he felt like a fool.  But even he saw the humor in this.  He even took it one step further and told his family an elaborate story about a drunk guy on the beach in mexico breaking a bottle over his head after stumbling into the children at which point adam gave him a knee to the face and sent him to the ground.  Kids unharmed, and Adam is a hero.  Way to turn a negative into a "positive" honey! (even though this makes you a liar ;)...he plans to tell them the truth eventually and claims that will make it even funnier...we'll see my dear, we'll see.

In high school i complained about having to eat out almost every night for dinner {what a brat!} These days its all about self preservation, and whining does nothing to preserve my spirit.  I am by no means a beacon of positive light, but i find that with humor and a lot less pride i can love life, even when the future seems so uncertain.

Things i am thankful for this monday morning: {besides my weird husband}

-were home from our trip alive, sunburn and nick knack free
-more importantly I am no longer a victim of "vacation poo sydrome" {or lack thereof}
-for those who help control the pet population {thats you bob barker} stray dogs = I scary.
-Sheamus has all his costumes and super heroes back
-being done with the life sucking Twilight series {and still preferring my lover to Edward, but just barely}
-i don't start training until tomorrow {ok...maybe the next day}
-the sun is shining and i can finally open my blinds to enjoy it

-the Nie sale is near, meaning i still get to get rid of more stuff {i love it}
-and, of course, my friends and family who rock!

for like ever

"FOR...LIKE...EVER?? what does that mean?" they'll ask {and they all do}

This is where I always fight my first thought, which is shaming them for not realizing how self explanatory this statement is.  Then I briefly explain to them "you know...a forever family...'i love you forever'...FOR-LIKE-EVER...get it?"

"Okkkaaay" they'll say, but only to humor me {and then i'll make a exaggerated mental note of how incompatible we are and how we can never be best friends...buuuut usually its a male who asks, so by default they are off the hook}.

My husband gets it {now} and has even let me display this giant hot pink poster in our boudoir {one reason i like him so much...he never questions my decor :) cause aside from it's quirky modern appeal, it holds special meaning to me. I truly believe that there is no higher reward than an eternal family.  However, since i can't bring myself to actually display church 'enrichment night' crafts, this poster is my substitute for the scrapbook-ish mod podged wood block with cursive lettering adorned with silk flowers {silk, i gather, is the new dried rose??}

So why the discalimer?? Well, today marks the sixth year of marriage to my handsome man...and here, i'll count the ways i love him so...

I love how he is itching for another baby, way before me :)  I love that he is folding laundry right now (and always does) and frequently does the dishes without prompting.  He made a special trip with me (twice) this week to go cut branches off a dead tree I spotted on the side of the road that was practically calling my name {"tis the season for all things twigs!"} and after 6 years of marriage Adam has finally come to terms with this. He knows the "cure-all" for any of my flustered moods {tacos+clean house = happy wife}  I love the way he turns down the bed almost every night {so he's not completely unromantic...don't tell him i said so}.  He is the best tension breaker in any extended family gathering, is spontaneous, distinguishably innovative, kinda dorky {but just enough to match me}, light hearted, so loyal,  funny, and disgustingly affectionate {amongst many other more gushy and private reasons that i will spare the reader of this blog}

Because of him, i have no doubt he is crazy about me.  And even though i typically have a total void of sympathy when he's "sick" {to which he accuses me, only in his weakest moments of suffering, that i have an "ice heart"}...I am adoringly in love with him too.  

So today my pink poster gives every wooden sign a figurative "high five" in peace, because i know no matter how I declare it, I love my family and the life we have.... and Adam and I promised we would love and support it and each other unconditionally, and that is exactly what we plan to do......for like ever.


(oh, you knew that was coming ;)

**and how will we celebrate?...a day of driving to Mexico, which is actually a step up from last year when we forgot it was our anniversary since he was sick, and {naturally} i was annoyed with him....in mexico

halloween '07

How do you choose just one??   

Last year, we couldn't....

{Uzi Tenenbaum}

{Elyott's choice for mommy's costume...}
"Mexican Witch Prostitute"??

ward halloween party = no prostitute costumes allowed

 ...that BLACK frosting that still haunts my crafting urges.

"eets a no noo, but you like eet"

what gives?

Cluttered garage?? It's not too late to donate to NIE!!!

There will be a follow up garage sale in Mesa to carry on the success of our Gilbert sale {contact me csdike@yahoo.com if you still have things you want to give}.  Don't be fooled, we had way more than just "junk"....Like the last one, there will be raffle items, baked goods, and tons of good stuff that people have generously given away for this specific event.

Be honest with yourself now, have you used it the last year??...i didn't think so.  Go fetch your neglected goods and help this fantastic cause. Even if you aren't a big "garage sale person" this fundraiser is still for you!


Mark you calendars!!...for OCT 25th from 7am to 1pm.


**find other ways to give here.

won't you be my neighbor?

we have new neighbors. we had extra birthday cake...a seemingly perfect recipe for making a friend, right? After all, I could always hide behind my daughter's adorably friendly personality (and wouldn't even have to make a stitch of conversation) just incase they were nut-jobs. 

They weren't. 

In fact they trumped our leftover cake with a freshly made caramel apple for us to take home ('oh no, you shouldn't have....OKAY!') Thankfully (cause that apple was goo-oooood) that was before Elyott asked the very un-pregnant female if she had a baby in her tummy (simultaneously taking the liberty to give it a few pats) I spewed out some nervous laughter, and babbled something about her being in pajamas blah blah blegh! My social skills, or lack thereof, did not bail me out of this introduction to say the least.  

Now who's the nut-job?

(to top it off: i can't remember if i explained the content of this note either...)

Sweet Elyott...overflowing with charm, but still working on tact :)

*UPdate- the neighbor WAS expecting, but didn't know yet!!  HA...how's that for a sixth sense ;)

bossa nova

This is for Carly, and anyone else who shares my love for Alec Baldwin, the comedic actor...{not to be confused with my love for his real life unbridled divorce rants. wink} 

first excuse the {non-optional} commercial...

halloween 06

Me with the daunting task of decorating a basketball court for a church party

wig fun. 

This marked the 2nd to last year we could dress baby up as whatever we thought was funny.

who knows what we were...sadly we pulled these costumes together with clothes we actually wear on a regular basis. Speaks volumes for our floundering personal style
{plus adam with his dream fu man chu}

**also there's only one more year of Halloween reminiscing...don't worry about it guys, you love it.

look ma, no Elmo!

It's a nationwide pandemic, and it needs to be stopped (grandmas are you listening?).  Like some urban mommy snobfest, we didn't want to have to register for our baby shower, but you've almost forced our hand (although, rest assured, we still won't be teaching our kids sign language...pshew!)

Character clothing must be destroyed. I can't bring myself to buy tinker bell overalls for my daughter any more than i can line the back of my car window with neon carnival teddy bears...i just won't do it.  There are just too many cute things out there (and someday i just may be able to buy a few of them).  Until then, our family will stick to our uber conservative daily attire of pajamas, diapers and costumes.

Clearly there is more to life than buying cute overpriced clothes, but it doesn't hurt to browse. So check out Nonchalant mom for more adorable geddups.

**(and keep Dora on your TV for heavens sake)

my face turned three!

Three years and still no third baby (how could i do that to my little monkey?) To me, my second "baby" is still so small (seriously, he's a bag of bones) despite the following account of his official passage into manhood (well as far as the "world" is concerned)...

...Sheamus has never been one to "fiddle" (or yank, like some kids i know...yowza!) but in a moment of diaper freedom the other day he reached down and declared:

"Mom i'm getting thso big!"

uh er...."Yes you are a big boy now Sheamus" (is this a sick joke? he couldn't be thinking such things already??)

and yes, to clarify, he continued..."No, my PEEP is thso big!!"

FOR REAL??

Yes he's 3...and proud of it.

Happy Birthday Face!

Fun facts of your BIRTHday:

-almost born in the car (my freshly detailed car thanked my water for not breaking in it)

-two weeks early (the nurses made we walk down a friggin' mile long hallway and fill out paper work cause they thought i was...overreacting?? dummies) Turns out i was a 10 upon arrival and ready to push...no time for pain killers, he was out within minutes (baby/reason #2 my crotch will never forgive me).

-The sweetest little monkey I'd ever seen (I was afraid i wouldn't like boys...silly!) and we've been "guggling" ever since...:)  I love you baby.

halloween hoes

Despite complaints that i make too big of a mess in my decorating process, the household halloweening is pretty much finished. 

 Lookie what Elyott did... 
(with just a smidgen of help ;)

What's that? it's inappropriate to refer to my five year old as a "hoe"? (even if just a halloween hoe??) If you saw how much she loved decorating things, you'd understand.

r...eating in bed

kids snug in their beds + Adam out with friends + 4th installment of guilty pleasure vampire love story + ten pound slice of chocolate cake...  

=  a glorious saturday night alone with my vices.

Jekkyl 'n Hyde

Yesterday while getting ready for school my five year old daughter sweetly asked if she could forego wearing her glasses to school.  She said she liked the way she looked better without them.

This sparked our discussion of while it was fun to see her beautiful eyelashes and not have to worry about the "foggies" that the more she wore them now the sooner she'll never have to wear them again.  

Me: "Plus, think of all the people who say how much they looove your cute glasses when they meet you, and your adorable friendliness." i added hopeful.  

Elyott: "thats true" with fondness fogging her forming gloom. She continued "well, when i was playing dressups with (two older neighborhood girls) last week they told me that i wasn't a princess because i wore glasses, and that I wasn't beautiful." tears welling in her eyes.

Now if you have kids you understand the crazy animal instinct that awakens when another kid picks on your innocent child. Holding back my defensive reaction (in a sad attempt to raise a child without this trait as ravenous as mine) I explained that sometimes when people aren't happy inside they try to say things to make others feel sad too (even when the things they say are not true)

...I hugged her and reminded her how BEAUTIFUL she is...and that i guarantee that some princesses do wear glasses, and that other little princesses are caddy little brats, and need to be body slammed. (Okay, so i didn't say that last part...but i soooo wanted to).

It's tough to be a kid, and a mom who is doing every thing she can to not slap those snotty kids upside the head.  Or grab them by the ear Oliver style and gruffly whisper that if they ever hurt my child in any way ever again I will unleash every blood thirsty monster i know to haunt their room at night, or even worse...the scary clown from halloween '05 , promising them in some way that if they mess with my kid they are going DOWWWN!!...(I think i blacked out, what just happened??) 

Now before you form some twisted "Miss Hannigan" picture of me, please know, I do love love love little kids....i just love mine waaaaaaay more :) And Elyott, you are my shining star! (with and without glasses)

"WE LOVE YOU MISS HANNIGAN!"