silhouettes... the "new" thing

Have you noticed all of the silhouettes around lately? I keep seeing them EVERYWHERE!

I must be ahead of the times... (roll your eyes, b/c I'm never in the "current" style... always just before, or just after!)

Each time we go to DisneyWorld, we have the girls done and keep updating them in the same frames in the living room.


There is just something SO nostalgic about them. I remember going over to my aunt's house when I was a kid and loving the ones she had in her hallway.

This is a print that my friend Vana made from one of the girls portraits that Nikki Spreen took before she went on her summer break. (I say this because I'm crossing my fingers that she doesn't like her time off so much that she decides to not come back!)


Vana is a wonderful artist who is equally as friendly. She's done some really great things for me lately, and I KNOW I'll keep poking in on her blog to see what she's working on! (See there, I like to be the 1st to know! *wink*

We're off to the French Quarter later this morning, so I'll be posting some fun stuff this weekend! Have a lovely day!

ADD Much?

OK, I KNEW I'd be in trouble this morning when looking at Kim's blog... I was supposed to be doing laundry for my trip to the quarter tomorrow when BAM!...

Meet my newest fancy...


Kristen over at Grace Violet has a brilliant tutorial on how to make these fantastic hair clips using scrapbooking brads and the giant no slip bobby pins. GENIUS! The girls will have about 4 dozen of these little beauties in all different colors and materials waiting for them when they come back from Gran's house... I LOVE the sparkle ones that I found! They look perfect for Jillian's little bob and are super girly... yep, even girly enough for Abby! (Which isn't always easy to achieve;-) ) I may just have to borrow a couple of the really cool ones for myself!

My next project is already lined up... but I can't blog about it... it's for Christmas gifts for a couple of my, eh, "dedicated" readers. :-) I'll just tell Kristen thanks again for all of the lovely inspiration, and leave it at that!

but you know me... I have a hard time keeping secrets! (I KNOW I'll have to show one to my sister early.... I ALWAYS do!)

Thanks Kristen!

I just LOVE that my girls LOVE to dance!

Do you know what it means...

to miss New Orleans...

Humid, colorful, decadent New Orleans

While the girls are at Camp Gran's House for VBS, we are making a short trip across the lake to stay HERE!

The Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St.

And have reservations to go here!

Mr. B's is BACK Y'all!!! Hurray!!!!

To eat the best Gumbo YaYa

Man oh Man....

Of COURSE we'll stop by here...

for a Pat O's Hurricane

And enjoy a glass or 4 of wine here

the patio at the Royal Sonesta


Hopefully we'll stumble along into a courtyard as pretty as here!


While we go shopping on Royal Street, before wandering over to Magazine Street for some MORE shopping... And who knows, maybe if I twist his arm really hard, we'll end up at Harrah's at some point. Gotta find a way to pay for all of that shopping you know!

Sisters

OMG!!! Coming to theaters near you!

OK, so I know I'm seriously dating myself here, but can you believe!!!! I LOVED Fraggle Rock when I was a kid!!!! Jim Henson was my hero!!!!! Dance your cares away!

Oh Boy...

I think I'm probably about to open up a big ole can of worms here, but I've got to say it... It's my blog, right? I can say whatever I want!



I want a baby! So snuggly and sweet. With that little newborn breath, and the sweet way their head smells... Those tiny little hands that I could just kiss on the palms for hours... Those little curled up legs to tuck under and pat away on a freshly diapered behind. Those quiet moments when it's just you and the baby, and nothing else matters.

However, what I don't want are sore breasts, another c-section to recover from, the 50+ lbs I seem to always put on... at least 15 of those going directly to my boobs... The rest going directly to my hips and thighs... no sleep, breast pumping, baby gear stacked up to wazzoo... cringing everytime I try to get a moments worth of peace and all they want to do is scream... clinging toddlerhood, potty training, schedule adjusting, no traveling (the big kind at least) and all around chaos that babies tend to bring with them.

That's why they are so cute you know... to make up for all of the mayhem.

We'd have to move or renovate, because quite frankly, sewing is keeping me from going completely insane. It helps for mom to have a creative outlet that doesn't involve the kids. And the last bedroom in this house, just happens to be my studio space. And with the housing market the way it is here, I really do not relish the idea of paying $150/sq. foot for a house the size we would need. (All of those people living on the coasts, you can stop laughing now... I know that's not much compared to California or Hawaii, but it's a LOT for here!)

OK, so that's what I've thought about all week. I think it's because the idea of Hubby getting fixed is just SO PERMANENT... even though technically, it's not. And it's freaking me out a bit. It almost makes me feel selfish to choose travel and fun over a child... even though said child isn't even conceived. So many friends are popping out babies left and right.... some are up over 4 or 5 now. And hey, that's great. If you can handle it, go right ahead and procreate. (I SWEAR I didn't mean to rhyme that ...)

Life here in ADD world like it is, brought me through all of THAT mess this week to this conclusion. I need a project. A big one.



And if I'm being selfish over the whole no baby thing, then why not pull out all of the stops! I want a new studio!!! After talking to a few people, I found out that it would be possible to take in a bit of our huge 1500 sq/ft of attic space for a bonus room. Oh the possibilities!!!

To go from this...

To THIS!


AND, while they are here, and I'm spending the dough... I might as well think about getting rid of that horrible plastic-y shower and have that tiled in with a frameless surround...



AND, we could have our kitchen counters and backsplash done, since they would be here tiling anyway...



and while I'm at it, WHO is THEY? The chick on HGTV is putting up her own backsplash... and if she's never picked up a hammer before, what makes me think that I couldn't do it myself! I would be THEY! (Boy, I really hope MOM doesn't read my blog!!! she'd be having a heart attack by now!)

So now, of course, I have to do a great deal of research, because that's just how I am... and this is probably a project that's months away if not several pipe dreams and arguments, but BOY! Oh Boy! Don't you just LOVE a project!!!

And so it's begun

Well, for a while now, I've been putting off changing out the keeping room's cushions. Today I finally put my big girl pants on got started. I'll put up some before and after pics later, I was just too excited over this pillow to wait!

YUCK.....

That's how I feel... I don't know if it's a bug, or just my body revolting from all of the "healthy" food I've been paying such close attention to... But YUCK.... I hope my friend Beki forgives me for such a blah posting... She sent me the most wonderful tote you've EVER seen... dressmaker detailing and all. She even put a super sweet button pin in my package!... which my 6 year old and I immediatly fought over. I won this round, but looks like I'll be using Beki's tutorial soon... Abby thought the pin would be the perfect thing to put into a cluster on a headband.... (I'm rolling my eyes here.... It would be cute.... if I can get to it!) But on a brighter note, the bag does cheer me up quite a bit. {{HUGS}} to my Artsy Crafty Babe! I {Heart} it!