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..

We Will Never Forget..

Angela Shall Forever Be Our Angel..

Angela Cara Pancrazio

On June 4, 2007 my Aunt Angela was diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma, a rare form of brain cancer. Almost exactly a year later on June 19, 2008 she passed away.

My Aunt was an inspirational, beautiful, successful woman and photographer.
She worked for the Arizona Republic and was a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Her photographs were amazing.

I remember the feeling of helplessness as I watched her struggle with this disease.
So many memories flooded me of the times that we shared.

One of my earliest memories is when my mom would say that Aunt Angela was coming to visit us and ultimately we would end up going on a road trip somewhere that we were all wanting to explore (Grand Canyon, Sedona, Prescott..) and my sister and I would always moan that we didn't want to have Aunt Angela come with us on the road trip as a 2 hour car trip turned into 5 hours! We would have to pull over every 2 minutes so that Aunt Angela could capture something she found fascinating with her camera...

Or the time that my mom and I visited her in San Francisco. We woke up that first morning to a breakfast she made for us that I will never forget. Huge bagels topped with cream cheese, fresh spinach, tomato, and a fried egg.. That was forever ago and for some reason the smell of that breakfast, her glowing smile, and that loving gesture still stays with me.

As Christmas gifts she would give us her photographs, that was the one gift I would look forward to every year. It was so exciting to open it up to see what she had chosen for us.
My favorite were her pin hole camera prints.

Her photographs surround my family on our homes walls. They bring me comfort as I feel the memory of her exudes from them.

It is a painful realization that we will no longer have time to create memories with her and
so I am participating in the Phoenix Brain Tumor Walk and Angel Adventure On Saturday, October 11th.
My hope in participating in this inspirational fundraising walk is so that it will help other families to be able to have the opportunity to create memories together.

I am blessed with a very close and strong family.
My mother, Mary Jo (the most independent beautiful woman) and my Aunt Bonita (Angela's sister's) along with my Uncle Lance (Bonita and Lance are also my Godparents and two of the most amazing people) will be joining me on this walk.

Please take the time to visit our fundraising page at
http://www.firstgiving.com/caraarrowsmith

Putting Daddy In His Place

Hailie came into our bedroom to give Kyle a kiss goodbye before we left for school the other day and Kyle said, "Hailie you look so pretty in your dress!"
Hailie looked at him and said, "No..No..No Daddy this is not a dress, it is a skirt!"
Hilarious

Love..LOVE..my kids

Apparently I have my own laundry folding service and I am speechless...I was changing out loads and threw the clean laundry on the couch so that I could fold it and went into our bedroom to get another load to throw in the wash and when I came around the corner this is what I see.... My jaw dropped to the floor.. I quietly walked backwards and ran to get my camera and then peeked around the corner to take this picture... I mean can you believe it...
You can bet that night their "treat" after dinner was extra special..

Mixed Feelings..

The Calendar says September, but the temperature thing in my car says it is 104 out... still...

Oh how I love summer.... The kids have had a blast swimming in the pool... running after the ice cream truck... and perfecting their kennonballs! (Hailie's cute way of saying cannon balls)

I am excited about the upcoming holiday months though and love the thought of all the warm sweaters that we will be able to cozy up with and baking that will be done..and Kyle and I are obsessed with Williams and Sonomas Hot Chocolate.. I even buy their handmade marshmallow's.. ridiculously expensive, but totally worth it (I am thinking about trying out making my own marshmallows this year though)..Who knows maybe we will even get motivated and go cut down our own Christmas Tree this year! I have Always wanted to do that.

What are you looking forward to?

How Cool Is This?

Papa and Grandma Kathy this Treepee is just begging you to buy it for the grandkids!

A tent you hang in a tree. (You have the Perfect tree for this)

And it swings and bounces to boot!

I see Colton, Luke, and Preston having a blast making it into a spaceship or clubhouse..and Hailie and Sydnie making it their special place for playing princess or My Little Ponies!

Perfect timing for the winter months too!

It can be yours for a mere $411...

Why is the cool stuff always so dang expensive?

Oh well..maybe Papa can come up with a DIY!

Congrats GB and Steph!!

Wishing you both true wedded bliss!

ps..shouldn't be that hard after spending 3 weeks in Bali!! (jealous)

Thanks Auntie Melissa!

We love you!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes..

My sister in laws were coming over for craft day so I decided to bake us a treat (Amber made an adorable dress for her daughter, Sydnie... butI am not ready to unveil yet what Becci and I spent the entire time trying to figure out..we did end up figuring them out though and they turned out super cute)
Anyways I thought I would try out this Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. They are off this fantastic Blog called Bake or Break.
I stole her picture. I hope she doesn't mind because my food photography skills stink.


I was intrigued as we all know my obsession with cupcakes. I was a little skeptical though because a cupcake without frosting is like a turtle without it's shell.

BUT..They ended up capital Y...Yummy!

I attempted to take a picture ... I know..keep trying Cara...

What the heck?

I guess the the Smurfs have moved in..

Does anyone else ever get these in their yards?
I know it has been raining quite a bit, but still..what causes these