Ombre

You need to do something for you. This was the advise my therapist gave me amongst all the divorce chaos and stress. So I decided I wanted to start getting my nails done. Except I didn't want acrylics. And I ruin most manicures withing 72 hours. Enter Shellac. Two weeks of pretty, shiny nails. Sometimes longer if you can stand the length and don't abuse your nails. I fail on both counts. Long nails annoy me. The clacking on the keyboard, the interference with texting. Plus, I have crappy natural nails so the longer they get the weaker and more likely to split or crack they become. So, I started getting Shellac manicures wherever was convenient. I found places I won't go back to, some that were okay, but never one place or person I would commit to, or specifically recommend. Then around Christmas I decided I wanted to add some fun to my nails to help get in the celebratory mood. I asked around and one name came back. Melissa Finch at Estilo Salon. Destiny. She is awesome. I don't have a photo of the manicure she gave me then (red with gold glitter swirls) but I am so in love with what she does, and the experience of just being with her for that hour that I haven't looked back. I see her every two weeks. Usually it's just a basic Shellac manicure, I pick a color (or colors because Shellac can be layered to create new colors) and just sit back and enjoy for the next two weeks. This last week I decided I wanted to try something new I saw on Pinterest. The ombre manicure. You can do this two ways, a fade on each nail, or a fade from nail to nail. I chose the nail to nail. We went with grey after discussing purple and red possibilities. It's awesome. Love it. Love her. (FYI, we added glitter to the pinky nail because I didn't think I wanted an all white nail. She has a glitter the color of my thumbnail that I think would look cool just faded in towards the tip of the pinky instead of all over the nail.)

The Painted Pumpkin

The tradition we decided to start last year was painting pumpkins instead of carving them. (Yes, I'm talking Halloween on Thanksgiving Day.) Due to various reasons that didn't happen before Halloween this year. The kiddos had picked out their pumpkins and were adorable and Uncle LeRoy's Pumplin Patch, and were even more adorable as a bumble bee and Captain America on Halloween, but we hadn't gotten to the most fun part. Yet. So, last night, Thanksgiving Eve, I decided to let the kids paint their pumpkins. Figured they would get 30-60 minutes of fun, I'd get quiet, and we'd have pretty pumpkins the last weeked of November. You know, just in time to put away the fall decor and bring on the Christmas. Ya'll didn't know I was a procrastinator? Oh COME ON! 

Any way in which it came about, the kids DID have fun. Painting their pumpkins, themselves, and the tub. Yeah. There was no containing the creativity juices once they were flowing. That's okay, we were able to get some practice with being responsible for your mess that way. Cause I'm trying to teach them that. You know, clean up your own mess and such. Cause I'm a responsible parent like that. Hahahahaha. Okay, because I'm tired of cleaing up the mass of messes they make every damn hour. I'm lazy like that. Didn't know that either, did ya ;) 

It all started out clean and tidy....sorta.



E painting her pumpkin



...and M painting his.



Moving on to body art.



Full body art I should clarify.



And then to tub art.




I think her theme was TRIBAL.




Max's completed pumpkin. (He was fascinated that combining all the colors made BROWN!)



E's final version.



Final Step, Operation CleanUpChildren

Snip, Snip....Snip

Miss E. had her first haircut Satuday (11/19/11). She didn't do as well as I hoped, but I guess I should have expected that. I wanted her to sit by herself on the booster in the chair. You know, how you're supposed to. But she wouldn't. For anything. Each time we tried she turned into a boneless mass of scream. So, in my lap she went. And sat perfectly still, thankyouverymuch. All that to explain why I don't have in-progress pics. Just the final version :)  We didn't really change anything, just cleaned it up.  I thought maybe her hair would lose some of the curl with the lengh shortened, but instead it seems to have made it curlier. Yay! Curls are here to stay!

And for my future Miss E (from your 21 month old self), see girl. You were ahead of your time ;)  Long sleeve red shirt, blue striped pajama pants, red plaid swimsuit, grey socks, and brown shoes. Such a trend setter.*

Oh yes. I definitely let her leave the house looking like this. Always making sure to have photographic evidence. She's too stubborn to let me change her into something she didn't pick out.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

People are funny.And stupid. Never forget society as referred to in general is STUPID. But, the peeps who made the following are exceptions. Because they made me laugh, and not through their stupidity.
So, today I bring you the funnies that saved my days this week. Enjoy. Happy FRIDAY!

I guess that was the problem with Mike and I. Not enough wine. Did you know? We've filed for divorce. No pity please; none needed.

And finally, the answer to the title question:

My 18 month old Fashionista.

My 18 month old Fashionista.

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Max Draws Himself with a Rocketship

Max Draws Himself with a Rocketship

Max Draws Elly

Max Draws Elly

Max Draws Daddy

Max Draws Daddy

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Max Draws Mommy

Max Draws Mommy

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I'm in Love!

I'm in Love!

Earning her keep : )

Earning her keep : )

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Party Time!

Make your own invite

What her bday should have looked like!

What her bday should have looked like!

Book It!

I was (am!) a voracious reader growing up. It is my sincerest wish that my children continue to share my love of reading. But, this isn't about them.

I am a series reader. I like singletons just fine, but I love finding and falling in love with characters and following them through multiple adventures. This love of mine started early. As in, EARLY. Here's a smattering of what I read growing up:

Baby-Sitters Little Sister Books

Baby-Sitters Club

Nancy Drew

Sweet Valley High

Do you know how many books are in each of these series? TONS. I'd have to google it to know for sure, and I really don't have time for that. I may have read the Little Sister books to completion, but I want to say I had matured and moved on in my reading with the other series' before they reached their conclusions. But every once in a while I would think back on them and wonder where would the characters be today? I grew up with these books, I think it only natural to wonder ; )  And, surprise surprise. I'm not the only one. What I love about Blog-land is that you inevitebly find somebody who has the same intersts/questions you do. And they've answered them! Woot!
So the creator of Sweet Valley High (did you know most of the books were ghost written?) wrote the sequal, Sweet Valley Confidential. No, not interested enough to read the book. The twins lost their appeal long ago; but I did have fun reading another blogger's play-by-play review :D  That left me wondering about...The Baby-Sitters Club. What happened to that beloved bunch of girls? Were Logan and Mary Anne together FOREVER? Kristy and Bart ever hook up? Is Dawn still a tree hugger? These are the questions people! And thankfully, there are answers! Go! Read! Be amused! Wonder no more!

In case you, too, love series, here is a current sampling:
Twilight (you know you wanna), Stephanie Meyer
The Belgariad and The Mallorean, David Eddings
Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
Venus Prime, Arthur C. Clark
Merry Gentry, Laurell K. Hamilton (warning: graphic)
Bride Quartet, Nora Roberts (my FIRST Nora Roberts read ever! Can you believe it took me 29 yrs?!)

It's All About the Bab-ehs

Making it Pretty

Here are some detail shots of E's party decor, and a little of the prep work too ; )

Besides the fresh flowers, and the cupcake arrangement, the other flower decorations were "hand-made" flowers.

Petals = Lemon cake and Raspberry frosting, Stem and stamen = Banana cake with chocolate frosting. YUM

(final product for our "hand-made" efforts)

A Little 'M'

He picked out the jacket and hat all by himself at Kohl's :)  "I a cowboy mommy. Giddy-up, yaw!"

(note, he was properly fastened in the seat before we actually went anywhere in the car)

Max loves Daddy's new iPod Touch. He's really good at using it and has his own games on it. It's become a special treat to play it after dinner if he eats well.

Par-tay

So we finally celebrated Elly's birthday a couple weekends back :)  We were originally going to celebrate in early March, but my grandmother passed away and her funeral happened to be the day of the planned party.

I planned most of the deets with my girl Chibiko months ago. Location (an awesome heated pavillion) and food (cake and lemonade anyone?), decorations (cake and flowers/balloons) and activities (slide, tunnel, and coloring).  Since the original plan was for early March, and, you know, we live in IOWA, we planned for indoor activities :D  Then we have the party in April, and fate shined down on us and gave us an absolutely beautiful day. Sunshine and warmth and(maybe a little too much) wind. So we upgraded our activies to playing at the park and bubble chasing (E got a bubble machine as a gift on her ACTUAL bday). I'd like to think everyone would have had fun with the original plan, but I think we (parents) all appreciated the condition playing outdoors at the park left our kids in!  Early bedtime anyone?

So, what you really want here are some pictures, right? Right? Here is a run down of E celebrating her big day a fat 2 months after the fact ; )

Starting her day off annoying the cat....

Doesn't everyone like to read sans clothing?

A daycare buddy had a birthdy party that morning. So here she is having some fun at Monkey Joes!

(she LOVES this place!)

Snuggling with Poppo at the beginning of the party.

CAKE TIME!

 She did better than Max on his first birthday, but not by much.

The cupcakes were more of a success :)  A huge hit all around (no leftovers!!).

Then she moved on to the gifts.....

Then home for more playtime.

(Hi! Thanks for coming everyone! I had fun playing with you and being smooched on!)

And at last, bedtime. Happy Birthday Party Sweet Girl!

(please excuse the state of disarray I display...it was a long day!)