Royally Spoiled...

We were hanging out playing and the kids heard the ice cream truck..
How could we not go after it?





They were so happy...

Officially A Soccer Mom

Luke had his first soccer practice the other night and he loved it!
We were getting ready to go and I was helping him get ready and I realized we just purchased his soccer uniform(which we hadn't got yet) and I bought the shin guards and ball, but I didn't think to buy some extra soccer shorts for practice. So I was contemplating out loud what he should wear to practice and Luke said, "mommy remember when Auntie Melissa and Mike (my sisters fiance) bought me the soccer uniform from Peru".. and I was like "Oh Yeah..where is that and how did you remember that?".. He finds it with his make believe things (he is a boy.. so we can't call it dress up) and puts it on and it fits perfect..
So at practice he represented for Peru! He looked so cute.
The pictures are a little grainy because we were sitting so far away.
Then like any good soccer mom, I took the kids to McDonald's!!
Let me tell you, I guess I have not been there in forever because I was surprised that they have really stepped it up in the toy department.. Hailie squealed with delight when she saw that she got a Barbie and Luke thought it was cool that you got a REAL Hot Wheels car with stickers to put on and when you crash it into the wall it makes a noise... guess we have been out of the loop.
So Kudos to McAdees...

Super Excited..Go Take A Peek!!

King Of The Pond

which is my son's school's version of Student Of The Week..

So we started off the week by making a collage of all of his favorite pictures of people he loves and things he enjoys to do... He was pretty excited that it was in the shape of an L and he got to put the foamie letters on it that he loves.. Then he had to bring in something that he likes and put a bunch of them in a guessing jar so his classmates could guess how many were in there... I had been dying to try these "edible crayons" that I saw someone post about on Tip Junkie so I went to the store and bought the supplies..
Pretzel Rods..Dipping White Chocolate and Food Coloring..

Luke had fun helping me dip each pretzel end in the chocolate.


Then Kyle helped me make labels that looked like the crayon wrappers and I found a clear Tupperware container at Walmart for $1.99 that looked like a crayon box

They turned out to be a hit and one of his favorite girl friends was the one who guessed the closest... so Luke told me she got to eat two crayons and everyone else got one!

Look for some new skirts to be added to my Etsy Shop this week

I Heart Make Believe..

While I was working on these...


I went to check on Luke and Hailie and they informed me they were playing picnic.. I swear they had taken EVERY pillow in the house and completely covered the floor in Luke's room...

Then a little while later I heard singing and popped my head in to see what was going on and they told me they were dancing and singing in front of their fort...I had Y..M..C..A.. stuck in my head for the rest of the day! (hehe)

In Love With

I remember the first time I visited my sister in Chicago, a long..long.. time ago (before her move to New York) she told me I had to visit this one store that she KNEW I was going to love..and boy was she right.. I have been hooked ever since on Paper Source...

I got their new catalog in the mail and I am definitely putting these items in my shopping cart and hitting the purchase button..

Last year I gave these super cute Letter Press Desk Calendars out to some of my family members and they loved them..this year I am buying one for myself..don't you think it would look cute laid out like this and pinned to a corkboard. I want to hang it on the wall my computer desk is facing.

I also am getting this Robot Dog Pencil Sharpener for Luke as a Christmas Present.. I just know he will love it and it will be nice with all the homework he is doing now to have one in the house.. I am bringing the pencil's to work right now to sharpen them!Of course their decorative paper and stationary is to die for.. and this year they also have really cute mailing labels.. I make my Christmas cards every year and I was thinking about putting one of these labels on the envelope..

They also have great craft kits and DIY projects that I have used on more then one occasion and received rave reviews..especially their paperflowers.. I could go on and on... Paper Source if you are reading this.. oh when... oh when..are you going to put one in the AZ?!

Que the music for scarred children for life

So I got one of my new Parenting magazines and I see this in it....

Are they serious?

You CAN protect your young child from germs in public places
You can't always avoid taking your child into public places where germs lurk - restrooms, medical facilities, mass transportation; even the handle of a grocery cart can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
gLovies® Disposable Sanitary Hand-Covers put a protective barrier between your child's hands and dirty surfaces. They're easy to use, fun to wear, and they can help keep your young child safe from germs.

Okay, I have been known to be a bit OCD on cleanliness and germs..especially in the beginning first mommy stages.. but fast forward two kids and five years later I have definitely relaxed in that area.. You are almost forced too, I mean kids get into everything and it is impossible to guard them from it..

I just imagine some poor little child walking into a public restroom when the mom whips these puppies out and puts them on..the stares, the whispers.. I mean what about boys here? We all know what they are touching when they pee.. Can you imagine the scarring for life with boys thinking they have to put on gloves before they go to the bathroom.. And then how do you take them off without you getting all nastified..with a piece of toilet paper in each hand slip them off their hands and then walk out of the stall and throw them in the trash before you wash your hands.. (I can only imagine the looks)

Then to take it to another level they actually tell you to put them on your children when they are riding in the grocery cart.. We already have grocery cart covers.. at least those are more protective,when you put these gloves on your child they are still exposed to the bare cart (gasp) I just picture said mom putting a grocery cart cover over the cart..putting child into cart and then slipping these puppies over their hands as well... People will part like the red sea thinking your child has some horrid illness( yet another scarred child for life)

Okay, I am done... think I will pass on this easy to use, fun to wear product.

The Great Pumpkin....

So I found a pumpkin tutorial off a great site called Schosser Designs...

I decided to mix it up a bit though, instead of using a fabric stem I decided to use a real one and I also liked the idea of using rich fabrics, so I picked a shantung silk and a couple of soft velvets..

The kids got in on the action as well.. I decided to not stuff them so full and to make them have a bean bag bottom.. so Hailie put the beans inand Luke put in just the right amount of stuffing... they had so much fun doing it and they were really helpful!I was happy with the way they turned out.

I was having fun decorating the house for fall and I was thinking these could be out all the way through Thanksgiving. This was a fun project and I didn't really have anything "fallish" ever to decorate the house with.. so now I do, and these also make a great gift too!

My Little Pony Party

Happy 3rd Birthday Sydnie!

A little carried away..

I adore my niece Sydnie... Hailie and her are only 2 months apart and they are so darn cute when they are together.

For Sydnie's birthday I decided to make her a doll. She just started dance so I thought it would be fun to have her wearing a tutu and ballet slippers.

Then I thought wouldn't it be cute to make Sydnie ballet slippers to match the doll...
Then I thought..oh well Sydnie needs a tutu to match the doll too...

Then I was thinking... I need something to put it all in and wouldn't it be cute to make her a dance tote...

Tutu Cute!

Makeup Chit Chat..

I am not a huge makeup wearer (Is that even a word? oh well it is my blog!)

I have a few staples that I feel like are a must for me though... I am the type that when I find a product that I like I usually stick with it forever..

I.D. Minerals Makeup is my go to for summer.. then I use a mineral liquid foundation for the winter months..

NARS Blush in orgasm is absolutely my favorite blush ever, it creates this natural glow... amazing Everything else..shadows,mascara, bronzers, highlighters..blah..blah..I play with sometimes depending on my mood, but I don't have any that I am addicted to. As far as lips go though I am a gloss girl all the way and I have a million!!

So this brings me to the point of the post... awhile back my mom and I went to a beauty event that was to showcase all the new beauty products coming out and they had famous makeup artists there doing makeovers and makeup fashion shows. It was a fun event but as I said before I am not a big makeup fanatic.. now shoes..that's a different story completely!

But one product that caught our attention was the Smashbox Photo Finish..

At that time it was brand new, so it didn't have the success and the cult following it does today..

I like the one with SPF 15 with Dermaxyl Complex. A makeup artist that does Jennifer Lopez was the one who sold me on it.. He even suggested to mix it with your foundation and then apply it to your face..instead of putting the photo finish on first and then your foundation.. when you mix them, he said it creates a smoother airbrush like effect. (his words..not mine..and hey since I don't have my own personal airbrusher following me around.. sounded good to me)

At $42 it is not cheap.. but it does last a long time, as a little goes a long way, and I do definetely notice a difference when I don't wear it...

So this leads me to the other day I was in Target (I know shocker) and I was wondering past the makeup section and on the end cap they had the new line of Jemma Kidd products.. I had heard some buzz about her in some of my fashion magazines so I stopped for a second to have a looksey...

One thing caught my eye.. The Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer ($24.00)

I seriously had just run out of my Photofinish (to the point the cap was off and I was using a Qtip to get every last drop!)and the packaging promises that the illuminating perfecting base and primer will brighten your skin resulting in a supermodel complexion..

Well then sign me up.. in the cart it went..

So I was anxious the next morning to try it. I opened up the package and squeezed a bit in my palm..the first thing I noticed is the smell..not pleasant... I was put off a bit, but decided to go for it.. It is not clear like the Photofinish, it is a nude color with a pearlized look to it. I mixed it with my foundation and applied it to my face. I have to say that after a couple days using it I really do like it. I got past the smell (I don't notice it after I put it on my face, just when it comes out of the tube) I feel like it gives me a bit of an extra glow that the Photofinish doesn't do..( I would have had to use highlighter) and I feel like it creates a smooth finish and fills in all the little lines nicely and by the end of the day it still looks pretty fresh..

Has anybody else tried any of her new products from Target?

Cooking Project

So I made these this weekend along with a Rosemary Chicken Penne Pasta Casserole..both from Rachel Ray.. The casserole was okay, nothing special... but these fudge bars I have one word for..RICH..
The whole jar of peanut butter it calls for should have been a clue that these puppies were going to be major..
Kyle and I liked them, but decided in the end that they were just too much... I brought them to work.
On a side note our family is really enjoying the new project I have of coming up with a new receipe for a main dish and dessert once a week. It has been fun and has introduced the kids to a lot of new things. It really hasn't been that challenging and has made me fall in love with cooking a bit more.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Crunch

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
One 16-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
3 cups crispy rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, melt half of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter over low heat. Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 2 cups rice cereal. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan; refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Wash out the saucepan.2. In the saucepan, combine the remaining 2 sticks butter and the salt; melt over medium heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar. Spread half of the peanut butter mixture over the cereal layer. Top with the remaining 1 cup cereal.3. In a small bowl, microwave the remaining chocolate at medium power until melted, 1 1/2 minutes. Stir into the remaining peanut butter mixture. Spread evenly on the cereal-topped peanut butter layer; refrigerate until set, about 45 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces. (MORE like 32 pieces!!! Seriously one little bite is all you need..or maybe it is just us..try them and let me know what you think!)

A Day In The Life Of Layla

So I decided to try making a Black Apple Doll using the tutorial on Martha Stewart's website..



Hailie anxiously sat and watched me make her, to help Hailie be patient we were trying to think of names for her new baby.. I asked her what she thought about Layla.. She loved it.. so now we have Layla as part of our family.
Kyle and I were actually thinking of that name for Hailie, as we both really loved it but I was worried... Luke and Layla.. too close to Luke and Leia (starwars) I couldn't get that out of my head... so Hailie it was

As soon as I finished, off Hailie went to sing and play with her.. Her look is priceless here.. when I went to take this picture .. she actually said "Mommy, please.. I am singing to Layla"Layla riding in the car with us..Layla on her way to Preschool..

After a long day of playing..