A Southern Accent

Just wanted to send a quick shout-out of thanks to Clemsongirl for the ADORABLE monogrammed flip flops I received in the mail this week! I was one of the lucky winners of her recent giveaway. You can buy yourself a pair or just about anything else with a monogram from The Pink Clutch, here !

The little guy and I were feeding the birds Friday evening when the botton fell out and the rain drenched us. I forgot to pick up the bag of bird food from the deck, so we had some furry visitors Saturday morning . They weren't afraid of us, so the little guy sat in the sink and he and I both watched them from the kitchen window. There were five total and they were have a fun time in the sun. Sometimes it's the little things that can bring special moments to the day.

Dear Mother Nature, Hi there, it's me. Just wanted to "drop" you a quick note to chat about the weather. I know, we've been in a drought the last couple of years, and I TOTALLY understand where you're going with all this, but really, we've had enough rain. My hair is frizzy, my dog and my son are stir-crazy and I'm just waiting for the mosquitoes to start hatching. Hubs teaches golf for a living, and come on, no one can play golf when the ball disappears in the mud when you hit it. I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I love getting my Dansko's soaked just walking 10 feet into the office and the fact that my son has the ability to find every puddle within 20 feet to jump in. Just asking for a little bit of relief. Looks like we have five more days of rain coming in the forecast and just thought I'd send you a little shout out. Thanks, Sometimes I Think I'm Sleeping in Seattle

Disclaimer: If you're a vegetarian, you can skip this post. I get so confused at the grocery store sometimes. There are a gazillion cuts of meat and I can never remember what to use for which type of cooking. Is it just me, or do there seem to be a lot more different types available than there used to be? I went on a Google mission to find something I could print out and keep in my planner and purse to reference when I'm at the store (yes, I'm that person). So, found one here , and thought I would share! It includes suggested ways to prepare different cuts of beef and is a great resource! 2009 IS the year of the cow!!! If your birthday is before February 4, then your astrological sign is Rat, not Cow. Cow people should have a nice Rat year in 2008. Many things end up with their expectation. However, it won't be the same in the year of Cow. Many Unlucky Stars are coming to Cow people and there is no strong Lucky Stars coming to help them. Therefore, the fortune of 200...

Sunday afternoon, I went to the grocery store, came home, left the car unlocked for hubs to get the groceries out (hey, I buy, he puts them up) and I forgot to lock the car back . Monday morning, I get into the car and everything has been pulled out of the glove compartment, middle console and backseat pockets. Unfortunately, the little guy left his Nintendo DS Lite in the back because he was playing it at the yard sale this weekend. It's the only thing of value I left in the car and they got it. It just makes me so mad. Now I feel like an idiot - I haven't reported it to the police yet because I don't want a lecture about locking my car doors at night - I know I'm supposed to, just forgot!!!! Hubs is now obsessed with catching the criminals, sleeping with one eye open at night . I'd heard that the economy has caused more crime, but why did they have to steal from us, from my little guy?

I have no idea how I came across this blog, guess I got on the blog highway of clicks and kept clicking until I landed here. Meet the Youngs, a fabulous couple with design know-how and skills out the wazooo - and all done on the cheap. They have renovated their adorable ranch house and documented it online. They were just recognized by CNN last week for one of their renovation projects (taking an old piano stool from a thrift store and turning it into a lovely bench) and they've even been on HGTV's Rate My Space. Here are just a couple of my favorite things on their blog: Pimp Your Laundry Room Create a Hidden Cabinet Corkboard How to Get Yard Work Done For Free A Complete Before and After Tour of Their House Sherry actually even visited my site and commented on which pink I should choose for my office closet ! How cool is that???? They also offer design consultations and advice and have great giveaways! Check them out at http://www.thisyounghouse.com/

To walk in the upcoming 39 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Research, each team member HAS to raise $1,800!!!! Thanks to all that have donated so far! There's still time to donate! Click here to donate to my walk. We had our bake and yard sale to raise money for our Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this past Saturday and had a great turnout! Here are some pics from the event. We had a blast! Since 2006, the Pink Pacers have raised $87,505! (and we're just getting started!)

We have a big yard sale tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM to raise money for our Avon Walk (I only have about $200 left to go yeah!!!!). I've been cleaning out more closets to get rid of "stuff" and I came across some poetry I wrote after college. This must have been during my "finding myself" phase...the struggle of adulthood and learning how to make it on my own (wow, I was pretty deep back then)...not so much now, sometimes I just have to laugh at life. I thrive on hopes of tomorrow, lessons from yesterday and breath of today. I drink from the cup called life and take it in one gasp at a time. Sometimes it is all too much to handle, to grasp, to hold. I let it go. I swim in the sea of sadness, dance in the light of laughter and wander in the maze of madness. I pick from the garden and nurture until death. Sometimes I can't handle the pain, the torture, the stillness. I let it go. I listen to the words of the ages, follow the footsteps of my fathers and pass my ...

Last night, before bed, conversation between me and the little guy: " Mommie , why do you have so much hair?" "Because I like long hair and I'm a girl." "You need to cut it all off, like mine." "Then I'd look like a boy, not a mommie ." Pause... " Ok , don't do it. I need you to be a mommie, not a boy." It's nice to feel needed.

For some reason I've always been infatuated by terrariums - weird, I know. I remember someone's house we used to visit had these mysterious little structures with plants and dewy glass and I always thought there was something mystical about them. Maybe it's because it's a complete little world behind the glass, basically self-sustaining and hey - they thrive on neglect ! I'm not known for my green thumb and can't seem to get an indoor plant to grow in my house ( maybe it's because either the cat, the dog or the toddler always seem to be swatting, chewing or breaking them, in that respective order ) so I thought I'd try my very own first terrarium this weekend. I picked up a great apothecary jar from Michaels, using my 40% off coupon ($8.00). I also grabbed a styrafoam W (my initial) and a ceramic bird to add a little color and interest to the terrarium. I painted the W a bright yellow and pulled some small ferns out of the yard along with some sedum. ...

I posted this earlier in my blogging days, but in honor of "being green" this Saint Patrick's day, I wanted to share again! One of my girlfriends is a fabulous mompreneur with several successful businesses under her belt. Her most recent endeavor reaches past general consumerism and takes a creative and fun approach to the impact we make on the environment. Meet Happikins: There are 18,760 pounds of unnecessary lunchtime waste generated by the average elementary school each year. Paper napkins contribute to this waste — and they're also a drain on expenses. Did you know most kids use $200 worth of paper napkins a year? Happikins are reusable cloth napkins designed specifically for kids. They can even be used as place mats for children who have food allergies. Happikins™ are a fun and easy way to teach your child the importance of making smart environmental choices. Oh, and wiping the crud off the corners of their mouths. You can choose from 3 sets of Happikins: Each...

I realized this weekend I may have a problem. I'm addicted to magazines. And hubs has a problem too. I was straightening up the house and noticed the stack of magazines on our coffee table is getting rather ridiculous . I think I've always been a magazine addict - I used to spend hours pouring over the pages of Teen magazine, then I graduated into Cosmo in the college years and gave it up for Martha Stewart once I was married and had a house. Right now we currently subscribe to the following: Oprah Cookie Newsweek ESPN the Magazine Martha Stewart Domino Self Vanity Fair W Vogue GolfWeek Sport Fishing Magazine and I just signed up for Garden & Gun ! (BTW Right now you can subscribe to W & Glamour together for $35 a year ! I love the pics in W - it's such a cool magazine!) We also frequently pick up copies of the following at the grocery: Cottage Living Coastal Living People US What's your favorite magazine? I think I'd have to go with Vanity Fair.

Here's a header I did recently for muffin and I loved the way it turned out! My list is getting shorter as is the wait time, so let me know if you need a new header - only $25!

It's officially baseball season in our neighborhood. My neighbors are HUGE baseball fans (the RED SOX specifically) and they are out in their yard almost every evening when the time changes playing some sort of ball (typically baseball) and they have even worn a path in their yard from so much playing. My little guy would practically live in their yard if I let him and doesn't quite understand why he can't go over there whenever he pleases. They even have chairs we sit in and we call it the "dugout." You can tell a great dad by the wear and tear from playing on his grass, not by the perfection of his landscaping.

...because he never questions my shoe collection and I never question his hat collection. I found these while cleaning out the soon-to-be-office closet. This pile doesn't even include the ones he actually wears. I laid them out on the bed and asked him to get rid of the ones he doesn't want. He selected three to donate to charity.

Today is Barbara Millicent Roberts' (AKA Barbie) 50 th birthday. Oh how I wanted Barbie's life when I was a little girl. She had the best clothes, the coolest cars and accessories to die for . She could be anything she wanted to be and had the great guy to match her lifestyle. I used to spend hours playing with my Barbies in the basement. I also used to spend hours looking at the little packages of clothing in their bright pink boxes picking out just the right new outfit for Barbie when my mom said I could get one (see picture at right, I had this outfit). Somewhere in my mom's basement is still a box of about 30 Barbies dressed up, hair brushed and waiting to be played with again. I remember the best Christmas I ever had was when Santa brought me my Barbie dream home. I used to arrange and re-arrange the furniture and decor it in over and over again, until eventually the plastic pieces broke and the felt furniture covers no longer stuck. My favorite Barbie was dressed in ...

Sometimes life calls for compromise. This week has been rough because the little guy has been sick and now I've come down with the crud too. In an effort to 1: make the little guy smile and 2: get out of cooking , I let him choose what he wanted for dinner last night. His menu: - Chocolate ice cream with sprinkles - Squeeze cheese with crackers - Peeps (thanks Nana) - Guacamole dip with chips (OK, this was my menu addition) - BBQ potato chips - Milk (his choice, I promise!) Hubs walks in, looks at our buffet spread out on the counter. Him: What's for dinner? Me: You're lookin at it. Him: Dip? We're having dip for dinner? Me: Dude, I'm sick, gimme a break...it IS homemade... Him: I'll fix a sandwich... Me: Fine, more guacamole for us.

Ok , several people asked to see the closet pics so you could see the "before" status of my office space. Here are two pics - the first is the closet is its usual state - of disarray, and the second is after I did some clean up. It still needs work, but I'm slowly making progress. This closet has basically been where I throw everything when I need to clean up quick and store old baby stuff the little guy doesn't use anymore, so it's a mess. And here are some PINK PAINT samples I picked up at Home Depot this weekend!!!! Hubs actually likes the darker one, but I think I should go lighter!!!

My spring/summer home improvement project this year is to turn the walk-in closet in our extra bedroom (Lucy lives there now) into a home office. Right now I basically work on the kitchen bar, the couch or bed. I figure this could be a great little space for just me, so I'm gonna make it pink and really girly ! Here's an inspiration/idea board I put together that I thought I'd share with you all. I managed to put this together for under $200.00 and everything is available online. I'm thinking of painting the walls a soft pink as well (Where else can I have pink walls with two boys in the house????) I have shelves in there already, so that would provide additional areas for storage. Now, I've just got to find something to do with the junk currently filling the space (yard sale anyone?) On another note, Lucy the puppy is doing much better - thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions - they really helped. I think hubs is tired of me saying, "well, ...

As mentioned previously, mama needed to do something about her roots! So, $12.99 and a little bit of time, and they are good to go. Why so cheap, you ask? My new stylist decided he'd do it for free. No, really, I started pulling my hair through the cap, and the little guy decided he wanted to do it too. So, he did the back for me. Check out that intense, focused look on his face. And if he decides to be a hair stylist one day, I'll be okay with that.