10/29/10

friday fun

so, this week was not our week.  the babies got a respiratory infection and had fever, runny noses and bags under their eyes at the beginning of the week (after jeff had been working all weekend).  wednesday night, after giving them motrin for their fever and putting them to bed, avery woke up throwing up every thirty minutes all night long.  and then it came out all ends the next day and brought fever with it.  and jeff worked thursday night...so i am a little bit tired and hoping that it all passes so we dont have to miss halloween!!
hope yall are getting ready for a fun weekend with a fun costume and great friends (and lots of candy!).  we always spend it with aly and matt and allison and bob in denver, but  aly and matt recently moved back to dallas (from denver), so we are all going to dallas.  its great because we can see lots of family and linds can come too.  so we are hoping for some good medicine and for the virus to avoid the little ones.
here are a few things that have brightened my week and i hope yours.

thank yall so so much for the comments about the cowl neck/circular scarf!! the advice goes a long way for me and i am just so excited that yall liked my crazy creation.  keep up the advice and critiques!! i love all the ideas!  and i saw a few ideas over at luvinthemommyhood.  love her.  she always cracks me up and i love the knit vs sew idea!!

love this idea!

just found the blog for dianna agron who plays quinn on glee.  she's so cool.

did yall know that the last 10 designers on project runway do a show for bryant park and make collections????  i just read it on grosgrain!  i dont know that i understand why, but i loved looking at everyone's collections.

can't wait to use this idea for christmas decor!

love this crafty idea on p is for party (and her awesome new layout!!)

i love all of this organization!! kinda makes me want to organize...but that thought kinda makes me want to go to sleep...

hope you all have a fantastic halloween weekend, eat way too much candy and have to lay down.  that is my wish for myself, anyway...

10/27/10

circular scarf...again.

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i know yall are sick of the scarf but you know me-i get on a kick.  so now this is my newest kick and i cant stop making them.  this one is much smaller than the other one and (maybe looks like a neck brace...) i used more neutral colors and moved the stripe.  what do yall think?  do you like the bright stripe in the middle or up high?  bigger or smaller? neutral or bright?
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 which would you wear?
a couple of people have contacted me about making them so i thought i would ask...

giveaway winner

Do y'all remember when we did our first (and only so far) giveaway? 
Allie was the winner and we just received a sweet email from her saying how much she is enjoying it still.  She is an RA at a college and throws parties for her hall each month so all the party supplies come in handy for her. Here is a party she threw last month. So glad you are enjoying the giveaway package Allie!
Maybe it's about time to do another giveaway...any ideas?

10/26/10

Caris Foundation

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My mom and my party planning cousin, christopher, work with a foundation called the Caris Foundation.  Together with their team, they are doing amazing things all over the world.  they are amazing people and i am so proud to know them, and be able to pray, and in a small way, be apart of their work for the Lord.  they are truly glorifying God by practicing James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress..."
my mom and christopher go to all parts of the world to support, encourage and just see how every part of their team is doing.  they are very hands on, and a huge part of why this foundation is able to do the work that it does.  their job requires so much wisdom, self sacrifice and true love for the Lord and His people.  
some parts of caris include:
-people who live in haiti and work with babies who are contracted with AIDS when they are born
-a school for single moms in africa (where we sent headbands earlier this year)
-they do dental work, cleft palate, cataract, and general surgeries all over the world
-they have an orphanage in china
i could go on and on but, i feel like i can not begin to do justice ecplainging the way that God is glorified and working. So, check out their newly vamped website and see for yourself.   you will be moved and amazed as you watch the work they are doing and the lives they are changing.
Caris Foundation at www.carisfoundation.org

little bo peep model

Does anybody read the blog SYTYC (so you think your crafty)?  If you are following along with the contest this month then maybe you recognized Ella as she modeled one of the Halloween costumes!
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 Our friends Jordan and Kirstin over at Kojodesigns made the cutest little bo peep costume. Here are some more pics of Ella in it and a little tutorial. One of the rules for the contest is that you can't have your own children model your crafts so Ella was asked to model the adorable costume for them.  Ella is not one to always cooperate when it comes to smiling for the camera but she did surprisingly good when Jordan came over to take her pics. It might have been because Ella loved the costume so much that she would not take it off. For real. Jordan had to leave it with us because Ella wasn't ready to give it up quite yet. Jordan and Kirstin are still in the contest and each week is a new theme so head on over to SYTYC each week and vote for your favorite craft.  I just know that they are going to win the whole thing, they are amazing!

10/25/10

felt board and a pumpkin patch

i realize that this puts me (even more than i already am) into dorky, crafty mom category, but we made felt boards today.  they were super dorky and ghetto, but the kids loved them!  ben had a dragon and avery & sass had a princess, a castle and even a handsome prince.
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i just stole some cardboard from a box out of my neighbors trash and covered it in felt that i have so much of.  and then we cut out all the people and their clothes.
it was a fun project, but we didnt get out of our wal mart halloween pajamas all morning.
this weekend jeff was on working friday night and sunday night and sleeping saturday, so we found out everything fun in tyler to do on our own.
we found a pumpkin patch (that took us over an hour to get to because we got so lost...thats another story...) and the kids loved it.
they had one horse that they loved.
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and a train that sass was scared of and cried so much that they stopped so i would let her off :/
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they had fish you could feed.  ben's second favorite part.
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and face painting.  everyone's fave.
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over all, it was a great day.
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monday playlist

after coming back from the wild weekend that was jeff's birthday, i got to ride in the car for a little bit by myself.  i dont get to do that a lot and i love it when it happens.  i LOVE listening to music in my car.  i sometimes go sit in my car to listen to a new cd just because the car is the best place (besides a dance party) to listen to music.
so, i thought that i would share with yall my favorite things to listen to right now.  (pretty random, i know.  but i like to know what people are listening to, so i thought maybe i would share).  what i am listening to changes like, every week, but since i am usually listening to glee and steve green with my kids, its super fun to get to listen to what i want to, even if its just for 10 minutes.
***just to forewarn, this is not cool music.  this is not a cool mix and i wish i was much cooler, but i tend to vier toward cheesy.  dont feel like i am promoting the latest band on the indie charts.  i wish i was, but i dont have enough time to find new people and see them live or search through their songs (though that is my dream life).
i tried not to be swayed by songs that might seem cheesy and put them up even if they are kinda embarrassing.  here goes...
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the new sara bareilles cd is on repeat but my favorite songs (if i have a limited time) are 
-hold my heart.  its about trying to let someone love you but not knowing if they are ready for it.  but wanting them to be.  and wanting them to know you and love you and be ready to love you.
-say youre sorry she just wants this guy to say hes sorry.  she says "words are no use. you dont need them like i do" but she just wants to hear them.
-king of anything about working with her labels and how they want to get her famous and dont really listen to her
-let the rain talks about how she wishes she was pretty and brave and fearless.  and then she would tell the world what she thinks.  how, if she was fearless then she would want to feel everything and let the emotions just fall.  its kinda empowering.
-uncharted i think this is about how hard it is getting what you want and how she has never been in this place before and is really scared.
-machine gun is hilarious.  she feels sorry for this person that hates her and tells him to put down the machine gun and stop being mean.
-gravity is on her other album, but its the best break up song around.  and i love that cd too.  but i have kind of worn it.
-comfort by deb talan was a big one for me when we first moved.  its one that i reference back to frequently.  
-better than a hallelujah by amy grant is def one of my new faves.  cheesy, i know, but i often love a good cheesy song :)
-come back by pearl jam is a returning fave.  i dont know why. 
-devil town by tony lucca is on the friday night lights soundtrack and i def downloaded all the songs i could get off of that show while i was under its spell (like im not still under it...)
-gravity by lucy shwartz (gravity is clearly a theme).  its got a nice, easy rhythm.  
-here comes your man by meagan smith.  quirky and upbeat.  nice on a nice day with the windows down.
-ive got a rock n roll heart by eric clapton.  super into this one.  just makes me happy.  even though none of those things he likes, i like.  but i like to think i have a rock n roll heart.  (even though, clearly, i dont.)
-idlewild blues by outkast (again, fnl soundtrack)
-sympathy by goo goo dolls is kinda my fave of all time. clearly, i can not pick a favorite song so it is crazy to say that, but i think that its definitely one i always stop on.   i assume its about becoming famous and how its harder than they thought.  how, sometimes you want something for your life and it comes true, but you end up focusing on the difficult parts and looking back on who you were back then when you wanted this dream, and you were someone who you didnt know very much about much.  and their new one, notbroken, is good too. "time wont ever steal my song". (and if it says "soul" instead of "song" dont tell me.  i want to believe its "song")
-oklahoma breakdown by stoney larue.  just super fun. reminds me of high school and going to the lake and hanging out with my friends in the summer.
-rock n roll by eric hutchinson.  also super fun. and its always more fun to rock and roll if you are in   control, or feel like you are.
-you and i by ingrid michaelson. love her.  and this is also, can you guess, super fun and quirky and light            hearted and weird.

ok, so this is so random and out of no where, and i am sure that i am forgetting like 5 of my very favorites right now, but thats what i have so far.
i love music, but i definitely dont know that many people to listen to and am really bad at making time to find new music, so my list is pretty limited.
so, now you can imagine me, in my car after i drop my kids off at school, feeling free and easy and jamming to my favorite songs....i know.  youre welcome.

10/22/10

WORLD SERIES is coming to TEXAS!!

well said michael young.
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is everyone crying??? playing "i like texas" by pat green after striking out a-rod looking??!?!  SHUT UP!!!! 
here comes the gingerale.  how awesome is that?  so cool.
Rangers are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!
i just can't believe it.  i have been a fan forever.  we almost bought our season ticket seats at arlington stadium.  and went to a million games at the ballpark in arlington.  saw nolan ryan's 7th no hitter!  and now he owns the place.  really cant get over it.
the rangers have been the underdogs for a while.  they have tried for a long time, had great talent and great guys, but just never made it.  even with the tbs announcers being clear yankee fans this whole series.
and now josh hamilton is our ACLS MVP!! giving all glory to God and his team.  unbelievable.
this is our year.  our freakin' year.
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congrats rangers.  love you guys.  cant wait to watch four more wins.

lets go rangers!

Bob and I went to game 1 of the ALCS last weekend and it was so fun! (even though the Rangers lost)
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We went with Matt and Aly and had such a great time cheering on our Rangers. Matt won the tickets through his work and we were SO excited to go with them to the game.
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We made sure to try everything on the menu and finished it all off with a 10 dollar bucket of popcorn. We wish we were going to be at game 6 tonight but we will be cheering on the Rangers from our couch this time. Hopefully along with some supreme nachos, chicken quesadillas, cheeseburger, potato chips, hot dog, pretzel and a bucket of popcorn. (told you we tried everything on the menu!)
Lets go Rangers!!!

10/21/10

TGIT

here is a fun pic of al and i when we were working construction for her dad.
we definitely thought we were awesome (and clearly my face is the size of a planet so i hope i didnt think i was that awesome)...
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it has been a little bit since i have shared what i am loving around the world wide web, so i thought that i would throw around some love.

just discovered mod cloth. love it.  so many options!

 big scarfs are, clearly, all the rage.

love this halloween decor! and this!

loving shorts over tights.  and my sister in law can rock them!

love this rainbow party!!

i have never made homemade brownies that i liked.  i think i may have to try these.  they look amazing.

so cute!

just got into bsf and love it.  this is my second week and i am realizing how lacking i am in intelligence, as well as zeal, and, really, just overall curiosity.  i hope to be a different person by the end of this year.  thank you, Lord for your willingness to change us and give us second chances.

loving the looks we love at crew cuts.  and think ben and sass should share this.  or this.  yall know my love for denim.  too bad i really only shop at old navy (which we love).

i totally want this book.

hope everyone has a great almost weekend!!  we are going to a game night that i am stoked about.  love a game and a game night.  just too much. (fun, i mean.)

10/18/10

Leaving his Roaring 20's behind and Rolling into his 30's

This weekend, jeff and i went to my parents lake house to celebrate his 30th birthday that is coming up next week.  he thought we were just going to be by ourselves, but i had a little something else up my sleeve...
aly suggested a "rolling into our 30's" birthday party where we leave our "roaring 20's" and roll into the 30's.  our 20's were pretty roaring, so i thought it was pretty fitting.
i told my parents and my cousin christopher about the idea and they ran with it.  (christopher is the one who did the cake for the twins party.  the guy knows how to party) together we made kind of a step-by-step surprise party and the birthday boy loved it.
so, here we go.
we went out to the lakehouse on friday after we dropped the kids off at my in laws.
we were free and easy.
then saturday morning he went hunting, and then my brothers and ben took him golfing.
after golf, ben gave jeff a box that had the 20's outfit (do boys say outfits? maybe 20's inspired clothes is better) that he needed to wear that night.
(that allison and lindsay bought at this fabulous costume shop.  they tried it on and everything)
ben had one too.  and, surprise, jeff, so did my brothers.  
they all put it on in the golf pro shop-i imagine laughing, giggling, cussing and getting more and more nervous about what was to come, the whole time.
in the mean time, we were working our tails off at my parents house.
after we had set everything up, we set outside and smoked cigars, drank champagne and waited for jeff in our own 20's attire.
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this is christopher.  he and my mom helped pull this whole shindig off.
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group shot before jeff, ben and my brothers arrive.
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when he pulled up to my parents house, he still did not really know what in the world was going on.
 we had set up candles that led him around to the side of the house where we were all hiding.
and in he came...
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in his full-on 20's suit.
he was pretty surprised to see all his friends and family.
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and here's to the boys that helped pull it off.
we stayed outside smoking and drinking 20's style for a little longer (and of course both were optional).
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and then it was time to eat.
we led him around the back of the house where we had set up a big table for everyone to eat authentic 20's food- on the border.  mexican food is so 20's right?
we made a curved table to fit everyone, and i am sure it was weird looking but we wanted everyone to sit together and eat family style.  like one big happy-birthday-jeff family.
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we ate until we couldnt anymore, and then watched a slideshow that i made about jeff.
then the real party started.
the shades had been drawn in the house this whole time and no one had been inside yet.  after dinner and the slideshow everyone looked under their plates and found a ticket worth $500 (pretend) that they could use in the speakeasy casino we had arranged inside.
we had dealers and a bartender (james we LOVE you) and who ever had the most chips at the end of the night won a prize (TBA).
so everyone got their tickets and hurried inside to play.
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we had 20's music playin', the lights dimmed, the shades drawn and dice rollin'.
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we toasted him, ate some fantastic cake and then found out who the winners were.
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we made these dice out of white boxes and stuffed them with koozies that said "happy birthday jeff" on them (made by hayley!) and they were the party favors for everyone to take home.  you know, "rolling" into the 30's.  like rolling the dice... you get it, i know.
and, not being people to let a party die after the casino and photobooth leave, we started a dance party.
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dance party
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then we all spent the night.
last hurrah of the roaring 20's for jeff and on the 23rd, he rolls into his 30's.
thank you, everyone who came fully dressed and ready to celebrate jeff.  we could not have done it without you!! we love you so so much!!
i really hope our 30's is not a great depression...
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