The 2009 BEST Award Ceremony!!

The time has come to announce the BEST of 2009 awards!!!

The winners were announce earlier this morning and the recipients are stunned and overjoyed. LOL.

It is truly AMAZING what happens over the course of a year.

Okay, lets start with the most embarrassing award for "The best crazy lady, who must live alone, with cats and has simply no sane explanation for this" which goes to this poor gal:

SO the award for best Scene reenactment from a movie you've never even seen goes to:

(isn't it just like E.T.???)

The best "lucky shot" of the year has got to be this one:

AND the winner for biggest Bruise that was according to him

"totally worth it" goes to:

The best question overheard: "WHY are you following me???"

Best costumes go to my gorgeous Caesar and his Queen. Fun night!!

The best impulse buy goes to : Izzy, who makes us all smile...

even Max who will swear I'm lying to you.

The Best sister moment of 2009 is sharing some tunes:

The cutest pair of matching toenails to make me smile are these:

(the Tatoos are pretty cute too)

The best ice cream cone of the year is always chocolate:

2009's Best epic battle:

*The Sweetest kiss:

(* caught on film)

The most adorable lion impression goes to:

The Best Diva's of 2009 are too serious to be cute:

AND "the best day ever!" award goes to this dolphin

(I doubt it will be a day forgotten anytime soon)

Okay 2010. I'm ready for you.

Merry Christmas to You and Yours

THANK YOU Aunties for the salt and pepper frogs! Aren't they just too funny and cute?

I think my most favorite night of the entire year is Christmas eve.

It is just plain SPECIAL.

The gifts are carefully chosen and wrapped.

We and the kids have just spent a fabulous evening at their Nani and Papa's (who this year, Chloe said was the very best yet :-)). They are tucked into beds glowing with such excitement they can barely muster the energy to even close their eyes.

And I, as tired as I might be, as late as it is, get to tip toe downstairs and conspire with the love of my life. We whisper about the night and predict reactions for the morning. We know we will get little sleep. It is the highlight of my entire day. This is something we have done since our beginning. For lots of years now. And even before we had the kids we filled each others stockings in opposite corners of the room with the same PURE intent of making the next day SPECIAL for a person we love. It makes me feel proud that we pulled it off for our kids and created the magic. It makes me feel thankful for every blessing in my life. And it makes me love my husband even more.
Hopefully you still feel that magic you felt as a child. AND that same magic you felt that first Christmas with your honey. And how cool is it that YOU are the one creating it?
Merry Christmas.

Snow Day!

Where are your coats crazies? "but mom we just wanted to measure the snow!~12"!!!"

We had hot cinnamon rolls this morning and then bundled up for the snow.

Max (our lab) was a bit confused, but then ran around crazily as if he were in a big lake catching fish.

I threw Lily in the sled and dragged her sown the road.

The kids played till their cheeks were as pink as they could handle.

They laughed hysterically when I pretended to fall backwards in the snow and sunk so deep I disappeared :-)

I made the prettiest snow angels on the block.

I threw them back in the sled and dragged them home to throw in a too hot to stand it bubble bath. I made them hot tea with honey.

Daddios started a fire in our fireplace, and we listened to Christmas music and made sugar cookies. I threw all of the wet clothes into the wash :-)

Tonight I got an email that school will be canceled on Monday and they are now dancing around the house singing "Winter break has begun, winter break has begun"....

It was a great day, but we will eventually all get stir crazy LOL.

Scenes from December {so far}

Love Thursday: Gum

Maybe it is the crazy hussle bussle of December that leaves me feeling just about slap happy.

I have 2 birthdays to throw within 5 days of Christmas each year. I have 3 children that my sole responsibility is to create the "magic" and "special" for. I also have family and friends that like you probably, I just can't resist doing a little something for. I am scarily calm this year. And then as I was rushing out from my last stop of the day, just beginning to feel the pressure, I saw this.

Hi it said to me.

It's love Thursday.

Stay happy.

Stay calm.

Stay positive.

I'm a piece of gum shaped like a heart smushed into the pavement just for you.

Smile at the little things and don't sweat the small stuff.

What? I know it's sort of gross, but go with it. It IS a heart AND I didn't do anything but notice it. :-)

The big Guest Designer Reveal :-)

Well, here you go:
I had a great time with this layout for Scrap that Poetry.
The Poem was Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house...
Written by Clement Clarke Moore and originally called "A visit from Saint Nicholas" in 1822.

Wow! This book really has been around all of A LOT of people's lives!
Since I had just snapped these silly advent photos it was fun to scrap them right away using the poem for inspiration! Thanks for letting me play ladies!

Give them a place to stand...

I've been trying to get back my "photo mojo" after being without a camera for a while and was back one of my favorite blogs for inspiration shutter sisters. I loved the quote above and used it for my own take on it. I will admit that for this one they went kicking and screaming the whole way. Eye rolling, what IS she doing now??? Our mom is CRAZY!

BUT I hope I am giving my three a sturdy place to stand so that they can move

mountains if they choose to.

ROCK on Shutter Sisters for the inspiration!!

Maybe this weekend I'll be able to use the timer for that Christmas photo???

Wish me luck.

Happy Friday! Don't forget to play!

Love Thursday: its yarn again...

I love this gorgeous girl.
Can you believe that in less than a month she will be NINE?
So if you can't tell I've been on a bit of a yarn kick.

Decided to try to make a headband/ear warmer and think it turned out super cute.
A fun way to use up those left over bits of yarn balls.
I plan on having fun with the embellishments.
Thought Chloe could handle the big flower on hers with her BIG personality.
If you are on my Christmas list I'll take color requests.....

Have a great day. Love the little things.

happy accidents

ac⋅ci⋅dent

  [ak-si-duhnt]

–noun

1.	an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.

2.	Law. such a happening resulting in injury that is in no way the fault of the injured person for which compensation or indemnity is legally sought.

3.	any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate plan or cause.

4.	chance; fortune; luck: I was there by accident.

So it seems the general consent here is that an accident is no good. BUT the kind of accidents I am referring to are the happy ones. (see definition 4)

Lately it seems that these little accidents are happening more and more. I can not even begin to count them. I'm not sure why. Is it because I embrace them whole heartedly? Or follow my heart instead of my head more than I used to?, and that is what leads me to them? Is it because I appreciate them oh so much? I am not sure why they happen, but I am going to continue to smile from the inside out when they do. {Does it date me that I feel oh so "Carrie Bradshaw" with all these ??? marks? LOL.}

Speaking of happy accidents. I came across a blog recently called SCRAP THAT POETRY. Such a cool concept. This really appeals to my inner english dork. I bet you didn't know I was a MAJOR poet at one point in my life. Constantly writing. Then illustrating them sometimes. Well, I decided to play along and Oh happy day! I won! FUN accident don't you think? They even asked me to be a guest designer this month so you'll have to check that out mid-month.

While I was working on the Layout for this guest spot I needed to get a picture of a mouse. (AND that is the only hint you will get :-)) I had another happy accident. It was way cooler to have my new kitten in the background too. Silly I know. But hey take what you can get. If an accident that simple makes me happy, then life is good people!

When was your last happy accident?

It is Beginning to look a lot like....

Ok. No I have not dragged out the box of holiday decorations just yet. I will not keep up with the Jones's who were all decorated even before Thanksgiving. I won't be pushed by those retailers that set up those displays right at midnight Halloween. (RIDICULOUS!) I will wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend to pull out those decorations. That is when I do it cause that is what works for us.

BUT. I will have the advent calendar hanging up and ready to go on the first eve of December. It is when the magic sprinkles start to come out. Bit by bit. I made this one last year that I was so so happy to see again. And I am not quite sure who was more excited for it, the kids or me. It was not up yesterday morning when they left for school and I could tell they were a bit concerned, so you can imagine the happy faces I saw when they realized it was hanging up on the wall last night. Lily was just told all about it before I snapped these pictures. And I think that the photos say it all!

Happy December!!!!

Now...what to do for my Cards this year.....