Bliss Happens

a new year - a new website!

2012-01-13T23:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for following me here on Blogger the past 4 years. I have transferred my blog to my new website Amy-Richardson.com.

Don't worry, all my posts came with me! Please re-save me to your favorites, as I will not be updating this location any longer.

Thanks!!
Amy

Sippy cup leashes

2011-12-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

I'm always keeping my eye out for useful and unique baby gifts that are fast and inexpensive to craft. So when I saw this on Pinterest, I knew just had to make some for my little niece Mary Frances.

The original directions are on the wonderful blog Make it - Love it. But of course, I had to give it my own spin since I didn't like how the elastic was seen on the back side of the ribbon.

I made these from strips of Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. (yummy, yummy fabric line!) The finished strip is just over 1 inch wide.

I followed the exact dimensions of the Make it-Love it pattern, only the strips are sewn down both sides with the elastic ends tucked safely inside. (reinforce that seam every 1/4 inch a couple of times so the elastic stays put)

I sooooo wish I had some of these when my kids were little. They used to throw their cups on the floor of the car, and I wouldn't find them for days! We'd leave bottles all over town because they'd chuck them out of the stroller when I wasn't looking!

Vintage Lilly

2011-12-23T17:00:00.003-05:00

I have been the benefactor of some pretty awesome pants in the past, and recently I was given a pair of Lilly Pulitzer, circa 1965 citrus pants. I let them sit for a couple of months on my sewing table and day dreamed about what they would become. What could be equally as awesome as these pants, yet be useful at the same time?

Alex made me promise not to show his face, while I forced him to model!

From hot pants to hot pads, I give you...vintage Lilly Pulitzer lemon-lime pot holders.

For the hostess with the mostest (and former wearer of the loudest pants I've ever seen)

Teacher gifts

2011-12-18T12:59:00.001-05:00

If I haven't said it yet, Pinterest is a wonderful wonderful place. I don't think I've come up with one single original gift idea yet the season. Why expend that energy? Isn't life mostly about taking an idea and improving on it anyway?

I saw these customized sanitizer bottles, which originally came from The Idea Room. Genius!
Cheap, easy, cute, practical, and did I mention GENIUS?!!
This whole project comes from people who pinned the idea on Pinterest. Monogram from The Red Kitchen , labels from Monika Wright. Go to the Idea Room for directions, because my camera has disappeared, and I'm recording life with my phone.

I'm thinking of slapping some velcro on the back of our bus drivers bottle so he can stick it to the dashboard.

Each teacher gift cost me less than $1.50.

$1.05 - sanitizer at Dollar Tree w/tax
$0.12 - 1/6th cost of color photocopy onto transparency
$0.10 - paper & ribbon already on hand.

Happy Sanitizing :-)

a math lesson from the principal

2011-12-14T09:38:00.001-05:00

We arrived early last night to the 5th grade winter concert, in hopes of a good seat. We'd been redirected to the gymnasium, as the state-of-the-art cafeteria with stage and special acoustic ceiling was too small for the event. This is the first year in the new school, with the largest enrollment in the state of Maine at just over 900 kids. And apparently they've already outgrown the 39 million dollar facility after being open just 4 months.

So Amanda and I took our spots in the bleachers, reserving a spot for Dad, which was later confiscated by a smelly old person (not like cookies-from-the-oven-Grandma old...this was "I've been sitting in a curry bath and am wearing my favorite wet dog sweater" old). So I started to feel a little claustrophobic. People just kept coming in. and coming in. and then it was standing room only.

And then the principal got up. She made a funny little laughing sound and joked about the seating arrangements and pulled out math figures stating the gym could seat 600 people. Meanwhile I was scoping out the emergency exits and praying there would be enough oxygen for all of us to breathe.

Thankfully they'd handed us each a program...for the sole purpose of fanning oneself...and I happened to notice the amount of children listed for tonight's performance. 80 band, 160 chorus. I'd say about half the band kids also do chorus, so lets just estimate 200 kids. hmm... average family of 4, not including curry breaded grandparents, puts us at 800 spots needed for the gym. And I'm starting to think the partial sums math method isn't working so well after all.

Dad arrived and was standing safely against the wall, breathing his own air. I was jealous...and trapped.

We suffered through the band concert (the band was actually quite good!), and at the re-set, we made a break for it. I've never been so happy!

Alex made it through his stage fright without throwing up or wetting his pants (every mother's fear), the chorus sang their hearts out under the direction of the Maine Music Educator of the Year, and we all made it out safely without incident.

I can bet they will be re-evaluating the set up for the spring concert!

and sorry, no pictures :-(

DIY mousepad

2011-12-06T20:17:00.004-05:00

It's holiday time, which means things have been crafted, pictures have been taken, and I can't show anything online for 3 more weeks!
Thankfully, there's an early December birthday present that has been crafted, mailed, received and now shared!

I love that my 87 year old grandma loves her computer. I made her a new mousepad with all the great grand kids names on it. This actually forced me to communicate with several cousins because I couldn't remember the names and spellings of all their kids.

1. If you're like me, finding the perfect font will the most time consuming part of this project. I started with really fancy, but it just didn't print well. So I ended up with a simpler font in a pretty blue on blue color that I thought would go well with Grandma's room.

2. I used a blank mouse pad (purchased here), printed the mirrored image onto iron-on transfer paper, and followed the instructions for ironing.

3. Make sure you iron around the edges well, and make sure you peel slowly, or you'll end up with this. And now your 15 minute project turns into an hour.

4. Be advised: heat transfer will change the color of your paper. For example, I started with the perfect shade of blue, and ended up with this lovely shade of purple.

5. All 15 of Grandma's great-grandchildren right where she can think of them everyday!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday to my most loyal reader!

2011-12-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful grandma Evelyn Carpenter!

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you!

Thank you for letting me use your name for my daughter!

...and I love this dress...what color was it?

What's a cool new gadget without a cool new gadget bag?

2011-11-11T22:49:00.002-05:00

My brother and I got our parents each a Kindle for their 40th Anniversary this summer.
And after trying it out for a couple months, Mom decided she wanted a zippered purse to hold it.
So that's what I made!

Artemis really enjoys being a menace

I made 2 different length straps. A long cross-body strap, and a short handle strap.

I have now closed the sewing room.
Packed the embroidery machine. Packed the serger. Packed most of the fabric.
It looks like a non-creative space with a table and one sewing machine.
(you know...for emergencies)

a little something for the wall

2011-10-06T16:11:00.001-04:00

A couple of years ago I was looking for an interesting way to make pretty the insulated covers that I put on certain windows every year. I was a brand new Photoshop Elements owner and had a package of printable fabric just dying to be test driven. I played with pictures of the kids and printed out the sheets and then in to the drawer they went.
3 years later...we are no longer frozen Arizonans covering our windows. So I made the sheets into a wall hanging for grandma's sewing room. Happy Birthday Mom!

The kids have grown a little!

quilts for cousins

2011-09-23T17:22:00.000-04:00

I've worked on these two quilts for awhile now. And last week they finally went in the mail to our west coast cousins Grayson and Windsor.

All using fabric that was left over from this one...which we got to deliver in person to baby Sean.

hooray for finished quilts! I may need to take a break now, and pack my sewing room. (more on that later)

The cat went up the tree and then came back down again.

2011-09-10T22:39:00.003-04:00

the real dirt.

2011-08-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

Shocking, it's only been 6 days since my last blog post...what can I say...I'm (not bored, not motivated) guilted into posting since this seems to be my family's preferred method of knowing what's going on with us.

First of all dear family, I must apologize if you've tried to call and have been interrupted by Amanda the Screamer, or Alex the Questioner. It's summer and they are starving for attention/entertainment. Second of all dear family, please excuse my typical response of "we're fine, just plugging along", because quite frankly after listening to all that's going on with everyone else, my life seems kind of boring.

Since we live way over here, and you live way over there, the daily happenings with us just don't seem important enough to convey over the phone. But maybe they are, in which case I'll try to do better at communicating the mundane:

I did not break my foot, according to the xray, but don't tell my foot that, because it still thinks it's broken. Same foot as the surgery, hence the sweaty walking boot, with re-evaluation next week to determine if there's ligament damage in my toes. I'm used to the boot, it's like a member of the family. We take it on field trips and buy it accessories.

I'm ready to hang a rider on the real estate sign at the bottom of driveway that says "NO GARAGE", because I'm tired of wasting my time cleaning this house. You know me, cleaning every couple of days is just not my style. Me and the boot struggled through it Sunday while the window air conditioners sent our electric meter spinning into overdrive. Same result: loved the kitchen, but sorry, no garage.

I picked a perfect zucchini today, like a model for a grocery store commercial. It was delicious raw sprinkled with Herbamere. We also have one tomato plant that survived, and enough mint to supply the Kentucky Derby.

Artemis got tangled in the straps of my bra that was hanging from the bathroom door knob. It was really hilarious at 4:30 in the morning, and I actually let him try to get out of it, but he kept sling shoting around the back of the door and screaming in his little cat scream. I finally untangled him before he woke everyone up.

Amanda has a wart on her foot in the weirdest spot. It's snuggled right under her middle toe...not on the ball like normal foot warts. She's fascinated by it, and insists that other girls don't get warts. I keep reminding her that I had them all the time, "but that doesn't count because I'm not a girl, I'm a mom".

I killed the biggest bug I have ever seen. It ran across the floor in our bedroom, and I am just racking my brain as to where it came from and what kind of bug it was.It looked like a giant Texas roach...but we don't have those up here! I still have the heebie jeebies over it and it haunts my dreams.

This week I conquered CSS flyout navigation, password protecting pages in .php and several other geeky things. I'm hoping some of our clients will pay their bills so that I'll have money to send the kids to camp next week.

Alex unloaded the dishwasher without being asked or told. I'm not sure what got in to him.

I've read a couple of good books this summer, Seaglass, and The Reliable Wife. I'm currently reading The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. So far, pretty good.

I have 2 quilts ready to be bound and mailed, but haven't had the time, energy, or proper room temperature to finish them. My mind is full of ideas ready to explode out, which usually happens in the fall. What's that? you'd like to invite me to a sewing retreat with no kids and no computer? Count me in, I'd love to.

Other than that, we're fine, just plugging along...

blah blah blog

2011-07-26T11:28:00.000-04:00

I sit in front of a computer all day, you'd think I could come up with a blog post every now and then. But no.
It's not that I don't have anything to say, or any pictures to show off, it's just one more thing I have to do. And quite frankly, sometimes I don't have enough energy to write coherent sentences, let alone be clever and witty. But enough about me.

At the risk of incredibly redundant, we've been pretty busy. June was packed with Little League games and end of school activities. The kids did a week of sports camp (even Amanda with her broken arm), then spent a week in South Bristol, then did another two weeks of camp. I worked, Andy worked.

We've had splashes of fun here and there, trips to the pool with the dog when we have showings, a scorcher of a day at the beach, and several fun boat rides out in the ocean.

We got a new kitty for Andy's birthday, his name is Artemis. He's got tons of energy and sharp claws.

I spent many wonderful hours sitting right here, reading my book. I have plans to do more of this!

an unintentional solo

2011-06-07T20:25:00.001-04:00

A long hiatus in blogging usually means I'm so busy I'm spinning, this spring is no exception. And for some reason, I don't carry my camera around like I used to. BUT...tonight was Amanda's concert, so the camera made it into my purse.
It was a typical 2nd grade concert, colonial America themed, so they wore red, white and blue. I even made Amanda a cast cover for her broken arm to match.

While another class does their dance number,
Amanda captivates four surrounding boys with her awesome cast.

Amanda did the Irish Jig in the middle of America the Beautiful, and the next three songs.
The teacher had to pull her off the back of the risers so I could rush her to the bathroom.
(we're totally pulling this out when she wins her Grammy)

The special recorder ensemble. She did quite well considering she can't bend her elbow!

The kids in a rare side-by-side photo op

Amanda will be in a regular cast next week...hopefully a Gortex one that can get wet
(or it's going to be a long summer)

another season...another cup story

2011-05-03T23:27:00.004-04:00

Baseball season started this week, and my little star is on the Braves this year. After a disappointing end to the season last year, when he didn't get to pitch at all, he pitched 2 innings on opening day and retired 6 of 7 batters! Way to go Alex!

He also plays 2nd base and right field.

As I was taking this picture of him, it reminded me of two years ago, when he yelled across the field that his wiener was hurting, just weeks after we had this conversation.
We continue to pull out the nutty buddy video and show it at dinner parties.

This year seems to be going a little smoother in the cup fitting department. I let him be in charge of it, since we have 3 sizes to choose from. He's taken the responsibility to make sure all his gear is in his baseball bag, and his uniform makes it to the laundry room.

It was, however, surprising to me when after returning home from tonight's game, I rounded the corner to the kitchen and he was scrubbing his cup with my new dish scrubber in the kitchen sink.

He said it smelled funny. (well, yeah, you just played baseball for 3 hours!)

I guess I should be happy he didn't put it in the dishwasher! Tomorrow I'm going to buy a new dish scrubber.

quilt-o-rama

2011-04-25T09:40:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Whew! Business is good, and I've been so busy creating websites that I haven't had much time for anything else. So during Spring Break, I took the opportunity to redirect my creative energy and make a few quilts. Only the tops are done right now.

I drew this on the train across the west last summer, bought fabric for it while on vacation in Minnesota, and this week I finally made it into a quilt. The blue fabric is ocean waves to give it that sailboat feel. Of course, I bought too much fabric, so I was able to get 2 plus quilts out of it.

This next quilt is modeled after one my friend Sarah made, and a pattern by Camille Roskelley.

Although, I didn't use a pattern. (just good old fashioned graph paper)

And this one, I copied from my mom's "to do" list. Using up fabrics from a quilt I made last year.

I think I will donate this one to the nursing home in town.

I love the craziness of the pattern, and would like to try it with pastels.

Believe it or not, I have another quilt drawn out, using more scraps from the sailboat quilt.

I post it when I'm done :-)

7 years, 11 months and 10 days later

2011-03-25T09:29:00.000-04:00

Today is a monumental day!

Amanda for the very first time in her entire life is wearing a pony tail!
It's tiny, and probably won't last through the first hour of school, but she is so excited.
She's been talking about having long hair the whole year, as she is the only girl in her class that can't wear a pony tail.

Hooray Amanda!

what a pair!

2011-03-25T09:22:00.002-04:00

What happens when you take a lazy dog who adores her master,

and the master who finally gets a day off,

and put them in front of a Star Wars marathon on cable?

You get a snoring dual.

For Sale

2011-03-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

This month I:

scrubbed finger prints off every wall of our 3700 sq ft home. (and have the triceps to prove it)
painted the floor and baseboards in the basement
painted the small master bath, walls and ceiling
vacuumed carpets with really powerful vacuum. (which is a really big deal)
sewed closet curtain and matching pillows for Amanda's room
quilted a Hawaiian pillow for Alex's room and hemmed store bought curtains
made 2 pillows and curtain ties for master bedroom, craft room and office
made a chair cover for ugly chair in living room
redecorated guest room
ran the stairs 4000 times
packed tons of stuff
took 10-15 trips to the dump and Goodwill
oh...and I work 35-40 hours a week.

We are officially FOR SALE. So....if you know anyone who wants a dream home of their very own, they can purchase ours. www.57hurricane.com

what's in an hour?

2011-02-26T21:50:00.003-05:00

We're winding down our mid-winter break from school, and I was sitting here at the computer playing speed Mahjong, thinking about how bored I was and it occured to me that I could be doing something really productive.

Dishes?
no.

Vacuuming?
no.

Laundry?
no.

I decided to pull out from the back of the sewing closet, Amanda's quilt. I started this quilt 30 minutes after I found out I was having a girl, over 8 years ago. I bought yards and yards of fabric from Joann's, even ordered a whole bolt of the purple (because I was insane). I have since learned 'sew' much about fabric quality and yardage!

I sewed and ironed while watching Trading Spaces and season two of American Idol. I finished the crib size quilt and realized that I had so much fabric that I might as well just make a twin. I still had so much fabric left over, that I needed to use it for curtains and in a fabric border around her room.

For 4 years in our Flagstaff house, the curtains and fabric border were adorable. I had the top to the quilt done, but never had it quilted. Then we moved to Maine.

So last year, I dug it out, and decided to have it professionally quilted for Amanda's 7th birthday. It turned out awesome! All I had to do was bind it. (and back in the closet it went)

There have been 8760 hours in the year that's past since the quilt was ready to be bound, but for some reason, on this day, Feb 26, 2011 between 8 and 9pm was THE hour for binding this quilt. And that's exactly what it took, an hour.

With that, I give you Amanda's baby quilt. She'll be 8 in April. The pattern is called Basket Weave, page 26 from Quilting for people who still don't have time to Quilt. touché.

Amanda's garden gate bed with basket weave quilt

so happy to have spent the $90 having it quilted. I could not have done anything this nice!

as usual, her room's a total disaster!

I have finally used up all of those purple flowers!

the first first

2011-02-24T09:11:00.000-05:00

We drove down to Newport this week to visit new baby Mary.

Alex and Amanda's very first first cousin with similar DNA.

They have several cousins from my exchange student brothers and sisters (Mike, Esther, Denis), and oodles of second cousins, the children of Andy's and my first cousins, most of whom we don't even know the names of.

I'm not even sure where the whole twice removed thing fits in.

Welcome Mary Frances Richardson! We are so excited to have you in our family!

Alex, Amanda, Aunt Kate, baby Mary

Congratulations Kate and Carter, she's so perfect!

winter break

2011-02-24T08:48:00.001-05:00

The kids are on mid-winter break right now.

Something I'd never heard of until we moved here.

Yup, New Englanders have such a long winter, that it requires a break, in which half the people leave to support Florida's economy.

We're in the other half that stay and enjoy the winter.

Alex snowshoeing in the front yard

We've had a typical winter here,
unlike last year when we had no snow at this time.

the snow is up over his knees!

Or like a couple of years ago when we had so much snow we were doing this.

I'm cool with typical!

will you be my Valentine?

2011-02-14T08:45:00.001-05:00

I think Valentines is probably one of the funnest holidays for kids at school. And this year we got a little clever with the valentines.

I printed them on whole sheets of paper, and then folded at the design edge,
creating an envelope for the cocoa packet.

I taped the back and then added a heart sticker.

Amanda also has a matching sock monkey valentines box that we whipped up last night {so cute!}

For the iPod valentine, I folded the cocoa packet a bit, to make it fit to the design.

Hot cocoa packets + photoshop = cute valentines!

91 years

2011-02-03T09:13:00.001-05:00

Happy 91st Birthday Grandpa George!

Flight training - 1942-43

mid 1920's

with his HOT wife (hi Grandma!)
1943

George, Jeannette, Evelyn
Rick, Dave, Paul (hi dad!)
1952

I hope you have an awesome day!!!

It's an Aries kind of day

2011-01-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not a follower of horoscopes, or do I even understand the correlation between personalities and signs. But I can tell you this: I am an Aries, Amanda is an Aries, and we Aries girls fit this clearance Walmart t-shirt description perfectly.

flirty,

with a side of silliness.

puppy love

2011-01-22T18:11:00.000-05:00

I finished a quilt for View. I bought the fabric while she was here and intended to make it last year for Christmas. When that didn't happen, I aimed for her birthday in July. Well, I finished it last week. Hey, at least I finished it! It's not girly, because that's just not her style. She loves dogs, and has a whole pack of them at home. Her bedroom is orange, so hopefully this will fit right in.

I'm mailing this off to Thailand with a box of graham crackers. She really misses smore's and can't get grahams there!

Aspen

2011-01-06T19:19:00.001-05:00

Our dog Aspen is a wonderful dog! She is always happy, willing to please,

and totally loyal (a daddy's girl, if you must know).

she loves running and jumping and fetching, and sleeping on the couch!

not for the squimish

2010-12-31T12:39:00.002-05:00

Time to post pictures of my ankle. I got the cast thingy off yesterday and am delighted to be able to flex a little bit. My calf muscle feels like a tennis ball, and hurts tons, but that'll calm down once I get moving more.

Pre-op Tic-Tac-Toe

actually he wanted to draw out where my tendons and veins are.

Happy Toes painted by my friend Debbie.

(Dr. O thought they were pretty awesome)

10 days after fixing my anterior talofibular ligament, and all looks good.

Now I get to learn how to walk again. Yay!

(and I promise there will be no more pictures of my ankle)

o Christmas tree

2010-12-23T10:41:00.000-05:00

This year will surely be a tree outing the kids will not forget! We waited until the 2nd weekend in December, hoping for snow because our favorite tree farm has sleigh rides and hot cocoa. But the snow never came into the forecast so we headed down there anyway.

And it was closed.

So we headed back home and cut a tree down from our neighbors yard up the street.

We forgot to bring rope!

Merry Christmas!

basketball star in the making?

2010-12-22T10:48:00.003-05:00

Well, we may need to give her a little time.

Amanda clearly has issues with her jersey!

hands stuck in jersey!

jersey over head!

jersey over ears!

I'm going to get her a yellow shirt, so next time her team has to wear the jerseys,

she can just put the yellow shirt on!

beloved pants refurb (refab)

2010-12-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

Every year I am gifted a pair of pants. These pants are very well worn and sometimes stained, but they are famous (or should I say... infamous.) They come from Rox, a dear family friend, and are special because they're Madras pants.

One year I made a teddy bear out of his pants and sent it back to him for his birthday. (do you think I can find that picture? no.)
Last year I made a purse by sewing the legs shut at the crotch, adding a liner and looping the strap through the belt loops. Super cute! (think I could find the pic of that one either? nope.)

This year I made coasters, toasting Rox and 2011 (not sure if this year is the big 7-0, but we'll toast him anyway). And I have pictures!

supplies:
$1.00 for 6 cardboard coasters, Michael's
Ultra heat and bond
iron
well loved madras pants
sticky printer labels

Cheers!

Seasons Greetings

2010-12-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

In honor of my weekend of cooking before my weeks of recuperation from ankle surgery (Tuesday), I give you the spice girls.

Anatomy of a family portrait

2010-12-13T22:47:00.003-05:00

Since my husband is never on vacation with us, and my brother avoids attending family events, I added them both to the Carpenter family portrait from this summer.

All I needed was photoshop and the right pictures. Here are the originals:

Kevin exiting Orchard Crest elevator
visiting Aunt J. in Spokane

Andy and my friend Deb from Arizona
at Cavis Point, Maine

found legs for Andy in another shot, had to lighten Kevin because he was so tan

Bada Bing...Bada Boom...

jump shot

2010-12-06T23:12:00.002-05:00

Alex had his first basketball game on Sunday. He made this outside jumper that was so awesome!!
Even more awesome is that I caught it with my crappy little camera.

And incase you can't see it very well, here's a close up!

Amanda had basketball on Saturday, but all her shots turned out blurry.

It might be time to get a camera that can keep up with my kids.

whoops, back up.

2010-11-17T10:05:00.001-05:00

It occured to me that I never posted our Halloween pictures...and here I've been babbling on about Christmas.

This picture says it all.

Alex has worn his soccer uniform every Sunday for the past 2 months, why would Halloween be any different? In fact, he played 3 games that morning.

Amanda's dream of being a white sheet ghost came true. However, she didn't anticipate not being able to see very well. She tripped and fell before we ever left the house, so I cut a slit through the eye holes so her whole head could fit through and then we wrapped a white scarf around her head. It sort of worked.

Christmas wish list #2-5

2010-11-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

It occurred to me this morning that my Christmas wish list sounds more like a supply order from Lowe's.

I've been blessed with the DIY gene, and I'm gearing up for a long, cooped up winter, or mid-life crisis; which ever comes first.

Things I like:

Some women like gift certificates to the spa, or to have their nails done, or maybe their hair. Some like receiving clothes or purses or shoes. And some like a night out on the town to eat at an expensive restaurant and maybe see a movie.

I like those things, but I'd rather be looking at paint swatches*, or doing figure drawings and math equations while sitting on the piles of 2x4's**, or deciding which new power tool I'm going to add to my repertoire***.

This winter I'd like to work on some house projects. I painted color samples on my office wall 7 months ago, so it's time to finally see that project through. I'd also like to replace the nasty toilet in the kids bathroom, and move the master bedroom door out about 6 feet.

I'll also be buying lottery tickets again, in hopes that we'll win and be able to build a garage (which requires buying the lot next to us).

The source of my latest inspiration is Young House Love, a totally awesome diy design blog, that made me realize how boring my house is.

*4 gallons Valspar 5003-3b Frosty Grass for the office

**riser for couch, stadium seating in basement

***scroll saw, just because

Christmas wish list #1

2010-10-31T10:52:00.001-04:00

After sweeping the floor multiple times this weekend, and filling...FILLING...a garbage can with dog hair, I've decided that I want a Roomba for Christmas. Even more than I want a new upstairs toilet.

I almost have enough pet hair to build a whole new dog.

I'm in LOVE

2010-10-26T21:29:00.000-04:00

Today I started as a consultant for Thirty-One. I'm in love with their bags and luggage and kids backpacks and thermal totes and zipper pouches...everything! But I am especially in LOVE with these purses. Buy the base purse, and get interchangable covers to change the look of your purse...without dumping the whole thing out. Brilliant. Plus they come in two different sizes! Plus they can be embroidered! OMG!

I can't wait to show everyone! and the prices are VERY reasonable and shopping can be done right from my website: www.mythirtyone.com/arichardson

I'll be sporting that cute little ruffled number as soon as my box gets here!

short lived...post script

2010-10-25T10:08:00.004-04:00

This is the tale of my short lived career as a Starbucks barista, and the lessons I learned while working there.

Once upon a time, I thought it would be fun to work at Starbucks. I would learn to make fancy coffee drinks and meet lots of new and interesting people. I would work while my kids were in school, and nothing would really change in our family dynamic. But life is never like the fairy tale.

As previously blogged [then deleted], I've already had some issues working at the store in Falmouth, and seeing tons of people I know. I seemed to get over that after several women (who I had previously thought to be snobbish) asked me about working there, and if they were hiring. One woman told me I was inspiring (huh?).

Well things started heading downhill a couple of weeks ago (and since the Starbucks is at like 10 feet above sea level, it didn't have to go far to hit bottom.) After working two weeks of 4:30 am and 5:30 am shifts, I achieved a level of exhaustion similar to postpartum and found that I couldn't function in the evening, when the kids needed me most. I wasn't able to pull it together to make dinner, which resulted in my kids new found love for Hot Pockets. Staying awake through the kids homework was unbearable, and my lack of patience resulted in many screaming sessions, lots of tears, and several incomplete assignments.

The kids started reporting the chaos in the morning routine. And Amanda's choices of attire were questionable. I started to wonder about my employment and the risk to my family for minimum wage. And on the same day that I was strapped into a immobilization boot and told I might have to have surgery on my ankle, my daughters teacher emailed and said she'd like to have a conference with me.

So the choice was easy really, I had to quit.

I planned to give a two week notice, but after my 8 hour shift on Friday, while in constant pain and wearing my storm trooper boot, I was ready to go Jet Blue on them, pull the escape hatch and jump out. I did not however, I waited until the next day and quit outright. I have only walked off the job once (Curlys-Missoula), and for some reason this just felt like the right way to handle it. I could have given a 2 week notice, and then gotten a doctors note excusing me for 2 weeks. But what was the point? I worked there 6 weeks, made $7 an hour and they treated me like crap. So I'm done.

What did I learn? Hmmmmm.
*Well, when I say I can't work before 8 am or after 3pm, I mean it.
*The average Starbucks customer spends over $1000 a year, and I'd say it's higher in Falmouth.
*I will never order a caramel macchiatto again. (over 300 calories)
*I will never again work at an establishment that has a drive-thru.
*I will only work if it is to the benefit of my family.

Fortunately, I was able to learn these lessons in 6 weeks. The kids were so excited when I told them I quit. I guess it was having more of an impact on them than I thought. I tucked them happily into bed last night, and I woke them up this morning by snuggling with them. I helped Amanda pick out her outfit, which is weather appropriate and matches! And Andy fed them breakfast while I packed their backpacks. It was a normal Monday morning, and we all lived happily ever after.

POST SCRIPT: The silver lining to this whole thing is that this week Amanda came home from school with the Chicken Pox. I'm so thankful I don't have the stress of trying to cover shifts at work to stay home with her! And Alex will likely have the Chicken Pox next week. Sometimes blessings are wrapped in messy packages.

product review

2010-10-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

If you haven't gotten your hands on one of these babies yet, you are missing out.

I bought ONE bar back in April to give it a try. It is still in my dryer and still has life in it.

My clothes smell great and I don't have dryer sheets flying all over the house anymore!

This is me today...the queen of laundry

A Gourd-gous Day- part 2 because it wouldn't let me add more pictures

2010-10-19T15:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the finished pumpkins...

(and the front door with another broken window...3rd time in 6 months)

And these adorable mini gourds that seem to complete my fall table runner.

(pattern from Grandma GG, that will someday be on my website)

A Gourd-gous Day

2010-10-19T14:56:00.003-04:00

We passed up the $40 pumpkin attractions this year for a trip to a local farm.

The pumpkins were bigger and cheaper than the much hyped Pumpkin Land.

Plus, there were no problems parking, no crowds and no kids begging for this or that.

They had these amazing gourds.

A gourd called "Bliss" should be prettier than this.

the winners!

my loves!

hiding

2010-10-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the previous {now deleted} post that was

fueled by PMS, exhaustion, and raw emotion.

I promise it will happen again.

and please enjoy this picture of me hiding behind this giant maple leaf...{and my issues}

let the teeth brushing resume.

2010-09-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

Downstairs bathroom refresh...complete with new toilet, new faucet.

Time frame: 20 minutes spread out over 2 months (with 3 weeks of sink sitting on floor).

Number of trips to Lowes: 9

Number of band-aids used: 40-50. Range of motion in thumb 85%, numbness still present.

Nasty old copper faucet, with broken porcelain bases and

the newly broken "hot" handle that triggered this whole project.

The injury

The kids can now brush their teeth before school again!

rollercoaster

2010-09-26T12:20:00.001-04:00

Last year I rode Bizarro at Six Flags New England. It has been voted the best steel roller coaster in the world five times. I was terrified! I simply could not get enough air in my lungs to scream and basically went 3 1/2 minutes at 77 mph without breathing. (Experience for yourself via Bizarro video)

Although what my kids built in the yard last week didn't have the vertical drop of Bizarro (221 ft), it kept them busy for hours. And they had a blast!

mother mucker

2010-09-14T10:15:00.002-04:00

my friend Debbie is a mother mucker. you see, there is a whole lot of work that goes in to having a daughter who rides horses and competes in Equestrian Eventing.

She hauls trailors...

She carries hay, shavings, saddles, tack and other gear to and from the barn. She mucks the stall (scoops the poop), cleans the tack, and assists Emily in preparing the horse for competition.

Debbie walks the cross country course with Emily...all two miles of it! While trying to remain calm about the fact that her teenager will be sitting on the back of a large animal who's attempting to jump over these giant obstacles.

on the walk through, Amanda jumped almost half of the 28 jumps. This was a "fairly easy" one.

Emily in the Dressage

I now have a deep appreciation for not only what Emily does, but what her mom does to support her.

Thankfully, after this weekend at the King Oak Horse Trials in Massachusetts, my own daughter is not begging for a pony!

gratuitous first day of school pictures

2010-09-05T09:05:00.000-04:00

Amanda's not crying because it the first day of second grade,

she hates the outfit I picked out. (simply because I picked it, not her)

she threw a fit in the front yard which included the phrase "I'd rather be naked than wear this"

*drama queen*

So rather than risking her ripping her clothes off on the school bus, I allowed her to change.

my handsome fourth grader

Treasure Hunters

2010-08-26T23:02:00.003-04:00

an afternoon of treasure hunting at low tide

Amanda, Ellie, Dylan, Alex

summer fun

2010-08-12T10:56:00.003-04:00

The kids are finally home from their 6 weeks in Minnesota.

They are exhausted because Grandma and Grandpa kept them so busy!

they did:

lots of swimming...

and camping...

(many, many fond memories in that old tent!)

and playing in the sand...

and kayaking...

and biking...

and more kayaking...

and more playing in the sand...

and more camping...

(my parents new tent is bigger than the RV behind it!)

and lots of fishing...

and even more kayaking!

They had a great summer at Grandma & Grandpa's house!!!

the 28th day.

2010-07-26T23:16:00.002-04:00

Alex and Amanda have been in Minnesota for 28 days. That's right, I have been kid less for a whole month. It's weird. I miss them!

And although I thought of a zillion things to do while the kids were gone, since I didn't win the lottery, I had to narrow the list down quite a bit. I did manage to get my bathroom completely remodeled, sew a few things, relax, eat out, take boat rides, and watch gushy romantic movies. I leave tomorrow on my two week transcontinental journey to take back ownership of my children. I'll try to blog along the way...but honestly facebook is easier.

for your viewing pleasure...my month with no kids...

before- 1980's wallpaper, lights, toilet (with giant kitty cat sticker) and really nasty tile floor

after-sea glass inspired paint, new light, toilet, floor, towel bars, shower curtain rod, etc.

total paid to outside labor sources= $0

Fourth of July cruise in Casco Bay

Sunset at Cavis Point

getting ready for a morning cruise on the Damariscotta.

Done...part two

2010-06-22T08:46:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day with no kids in the house.

Saturday, View left to go back to Thailand.

Saturday, Alex and Amanda left to go to South Bristol for the week.

Sunday, Denis left to go back to Germany.

I took me all day yesterday, and will take all day today to get their rooms clean, and all the bedding washed. I have vacuumed up 6 months worth of crud, and the carpets look a whole different color.

So what did I learn about having exchange students.

they are expensive.
they are fun.
they are busy.

But they each contributed to our lives in amazing ways, and we learned about their cultures and languages. We also introduced them to our culture and some really new things. View had never seen snow before, or eaten lobster, or smores, or cheese whiz. Denis had never learned how to throw a ball, but he practiced and joined the baseball team. This year of firsts is what made our house so fun. We were truly blessed to get such great kids in our home, both with great academic talent, good common sense, and a bright future ahead of them. Their parents should be proud that they had the courage to come to America and try something totally different.

And although it was a long, crazy year, I'm glad we went through it. I'm glad I had the opportunity to parent teenagers...a practice round, for when my own get to be that age. I will miss them very, very much.

Denis, Andy, Amy

Amanda, Alex, View

Maine 2010

Done...part one

2010-06-17T08:47:00.001-04:00

Today I reclaim the title of stay-at-home-mom. YEAH!!!!

I finished my little stint as a temp for CIEE. It was a great experience, not only working for a great company, and working downtown in Old Port, but working period. (and I don't want to do it again any time soon!)

How I feel about working: March 17th...June 17th

I love getting up in the morning, showering and dressing in nice clothes.....I really just want to sleep in, showering everyday dries my skin out, and I have been wearing the same 8 outfits for 3 months.
I love working in Old Port...I love shopping in Old Port.
I love sitting at my computer, the days go by fast....I hate sitting at this stupid computer, my butt hurts and I never get up because there's so much work to do, the days drag on forever.
all my coworkers are all really nice...most of my coworkers are really nice, but none of them have kids, so I feel guilty when I have to leave early for something.
our company has a free (and very nice) workout facility in the basement, I'm going to work out everyday!...I wish I could go down and work out, but there's no time because I have so much work to do.
I'll totally lose weight working outside the house, because I won't have access to the kitchen all day...I gained 10 pounds working because all I do is sit.
I really have no idea how to pack myself a lunch, I guess it's cup-a-soup again....I've mastered the art of turning leftovers into a gourmet salad for lunch.
I'm bored, I think I'll go get a job...I'm so busy, I don't have time to work.

So what am I doing with myself today? not showering. running errands by myself, picking up my children from their last day of school, and spending the evening ocean-side steaming lobster over seaweed and roasting marshmallows. Summer is here and I'm ready to relax!

olfactory overload?

2010-06-03T21:34:00.001-04:00

today I smelled:

disgusting mystery smell in the car resembling feet, farts, wet dog and barf all rolled into one. Source unidentified.
wafts of wet leather/stinky feet, strange deodorant/aftershave, rubber ball, nitrous oxide, rain forest nut coffee, sourdough bread, mint snickers bar, baked red bell pepper, smokers clothes masked by gross perfume, tropical air freshener, polar ice gum, and freshly cleaned carpet...all without ever leaving my office chair.
revisit car smell, maybe identified as playground ball that sat in the mud, but now sitting in back seat.
Sam's club sensory adventure through floral arrangements, tires, baked goods, laundry soap, free samples of meat, rubber of grocery belt, freshly baked pizza, onions, relish, and the weird smell on my hands.
revisit car smell, halted by rolled down windows and salty ocean fog with a hint of sea life. Then raining. rolled up windows. maybe it's the chocolate milk that spilled last week. gagging. driving with windows down in the rain.
finally home: the nose doesn't lie, I need to clean the house: gross garbage, smelly couch, stinky dog, odorous refrigerator, something peed somewhere (but I can't find it), and the lovely smell of dirty laundry.

I think I'm going to get a clothespin.

God Bless Sam's club cafe, where you can feed a family dinner for $12.

and just like that...

2010-05-25T21:27:00.002-04:00

Another month went by.

Alex and Ellie, best friends in new matching Team Moo jackets and pajamas.

(left over from a bike race my office did a couple of years ago)

(all the neighbor kids (and moms) run freely in their pajamas)

Denis and Amanda having snuggle time.

She's sucking her fingers, he's twirling her hair...everyone's happy.

Foggy beach pictures

Denis and View 2010

and as always...silly pics with awesome facial expressions

(can you tell which one is left handed?)

On the last weekend in April...

2010-04-26T22:08:00.001-04:00

Alex turned 10!!!

And finally got the rollercoaster thingy that he wanted...

along with some other awesome stuff including

a custom Red Sox shirt with his name on the back and #10,

and honorary bat boy at the Sea Dogs game on June 15th,

which also comes with a customized Sea Dog jersey.

***

Minjee came back to visit!!

She's finishing up school in Buffalo

before heading back home to Korea in June.

Then it's back to the states for college

(NYU or USC, she hasn't decided yet!)

***

Denis' first baseball game

Go #12!!!

He's really enjoying learning about baseball,

and brings comic relief to his teammates

(intentional and unintentional)

***

View ate her first Smores

roasted on the open flame of our kitchen stove.

We found extra jumbo campfire marshmallows

that are honestly too big for smores.

(two stacked on top of each other is the same size as a coke can)

Messy...gooey...delicious...

View later that night "my belly needs more marshmallows!"

on the third weekend in April...

2010-04-19T19:26:00.000-04:00

AMANDA turned SEVEN!!

Birthday dinner-her choice: chicken fingers and smiley fries.

Smiling food makes me happy :-)

as does baseball in April

(baseball in any month, really)

on the second weekend of April...

2010-04-13T00:05:00.001-04:00

I turned 37!

After a week jam packed with school activities, Alex and I drove down to Boston for our much anticipated overnighter. We went with his cub scout pack to the Boston Museum of Science where we joined other groups for a total of 500 campers. On my birthday I woke up to a symphony of snoring from mostly dads sprawled out next to their little cubs. It was awesome. My blow up mattress deflated in the middle of the night, but who cares...sore backs/hips/necks and ice cold butts is what camping is all about, right?

this is my favorite picture from the museum!

We joined the rest of our gang at the Crowne Plaza and Coco Key Water Resort north of Boston. 30,000 square feet of indoor water slides, pools and pure water fun...at a constant 85 degrees. Perfect! We played, had pizza in our hotel room and then played some more. The next morning it looked like the morning after a frat party (minus the beer). Bodies, clothes, pizza boxes, coke cans and red cups spread everywhere. Really, it was just our family of six...we know how to have fun!

Sunday we headed even further south to Raynham for the Thai New Year festival at the Thai Temple.

It was fascinating!

I was blessed by a monk. poured water on a buddah. ate real Thai food.

took pictures of monks taking pictures.

and learned more about View's culture.

Her mom Siriporn sent us all Thai shirts for the New Years Festival!

It was a perfect birthday weekend!

on the first weekend of April...

2010-04-05T23:28:00.004-04:00

April is a bit nutty around here. We have 3 birthdays, Easter, taxes, spring break, visitors, and baseball. Posts may be sporatic...as is life.

April Fools started with a clankity clank, as View walked through the wall of soda cans that were stacked high in front of her bedroom door. She caught the spirit and told her mom in Thailand that she'd have to pay $9000 to stay in America because of the out-of-district tuition. Her mom almost fainted right there on Skype. (it was actually really funny!)

Dos: I faked a work potluck item. I was supposed to bring tortilla soup for our fiesta, but I simply did not have time. So I bought 6 cans of organic tortilla soup from Whole Foods, threw it in the crockpot and pulled it off as homemade. (this morning someone told me they were thinking about my soup all weekend, and I had to confess out of guilt)

Saturday brought 75 degree temps, baseball practices and baseball paraphernalia shopping. If you think shopping for a cup for your son is awkward...try doing it with your 17 year old exchange student. and that's all I'll say about that.

Easter morning! 9:00 Catholic Mass (exchange student's request), little did we know the entire 90 minutes would be in Polish. We survived, although the smell of candles and old lady special occasion perfume gave me a headache for the whole day. We still managed 2 egg hunts, chocolate, 2 naps, ham, more chocolate, 1st grade homework, and bed. whew!

I'm living in my own reality show

whooosh...

2010-03-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

Where did the week go? Where did March go? Good grief it's going fast...wait...I really need it to go fast. At least until June 18th. Then it can slooooooooooooowww waaaaaaayyyy dooooooowwn.

You see...We have 80 days until school is out. Which means 83 days left of exchange students living with me, and 87 days until my kids are off to Minnesota for the summer.

let me say that again. My kids are going to be gone for the summer. I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

anyway...

It's going by really fast, which is a really nice side effect of having a full time job. My day flies by, over and over again, and pretty soon the week is gone, and 2 days later I do it all over again. Now I know that sounds horrible to some people, but to me right now, it's awesome!

We are having an adjustment phase though, like: 8 days of mail piled up on the desk, 2 weeks of laundry in the hampers, juggling afterschool schedules, and the constant lack of food in the refridgerator.

Freshly cleaned!

Our chickens have stopped laying eggs. We are kind of bummed, yet not really.

I think this phase of our existance is over. We're just too busy.

We had the pine derby race this week, Alex did not win.

But his USA gold medal bobsled car was awesome!

in fact, all the cars from our house were awesome!

All in all, a good week.

spring is in the air

2010-03-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

Spring is here!

I'm still not completely convinced that winter is over, but the signs are looking more and more like Spring is here to stay. We haven't had measurable snow since January....weird.

Exactly a year ago, Amanda and I were sledding.

Two years ago, we were buried in snow and I thought it would never leave.

Yesterday it was 70 degrees and we broke a record.

To me springtime is not only a change in temperature, but a change in attitude.

Every year, I seem to come out of hybernation with a new outlook. This year, it's a new job, that will dramatically effect the daily operations of our home, simply because I won't be here all day. I'm excited for the opportunity to get back to work, especially since it's a temporary position until June 1st.

40 hrs a week, for 10 weeks. Perfect!

so, Happy Spring everyone. May you bloom with the possibilities of a new season!

Lucky

2010-03-17T09:17:00.004-04:00

A Leprechaun turned our milk green.

Amanda Kelly enjoyed it.

Alex was grossed out and refused to eat breakfast.

Andy and I both come from Irish heritage.

So our kids have feisty passion flowing through their veins!

To all our lucky family...

Happy St. Patricks Day!

yes...it's a bribe

2010-03-13T08:41:00.012-05:00

The house lately has been filled with bickering between Alex and Amanda.

They just seem to be at each other all the time. So in an effort to curb the madness,

I offered them a reward for good behavior.

I got the idea from NieNie back in January,

but waited on implementation until absolutely necessary.

(that time is now)

For one solid week...

7 days...
168 hours...
8880 minutes...

532,800 seconds...

The kids are NOT ALLOWED to:

talk mean to each other;

hit, kick, punch, pinch, poke, smack, slap, trip,

sit on, spit on, throw things at...each other;

fight over: food, toys, DS games, TV channels, spots on the couch, seats in the car;

argue with mom about: getting dressed, getting undressed, doing homework,

eating breakfast, eating dinner, getting in the car, picking up messes, or going to bed.

They ARE ALLOWED: unlimited hugs and kisses, compliments, smiles,

snuggles with mom, healthy snacks and outdoor exercise.

If this can all happen...for 7 whole days...

They will each earn a goldfish.

I am bribing for some peace around here.

And it will cost me less than $2.

Sore Winner

2010-03-05T11:35:00.012-05:00

We played hooky yesterday and went skiing.

We haven't skied since we moved to Maine...

And boy am I feeling it today!

My calves feel like baseballs and I have boot bruises.
BUT we had an awesome time!

Alex, Amy, Denis, View
Mt. Abrams, Maine
March 4, 2010

Alex did awesome!
He's past the slow learning stage, and can keep up with me.
It was so nice to ski together!
We skied mostly blue runs, and even did a black diamond!

But I will not ski any trail with the word "fractured" in the title.

Marching on

2010-03-03T09:43:00.018-05:00

(This morning)

Welcome March.

Your friend February left us high and dry

(with the exception of the 6 inches of rain last Thursday).

Not a single inch of measurable snow.

Please remind February, that this is Maine, and I am disappointed.

However, you March, tempt us with warm temperatures and sunshine,

yet I know you have a job to do.

You'll bring us snow, when we least expect it,

when we think Spring has finally come.

Well March, I am not fooled.

I will not put away shovels or plant flowers.

I will not pack up turtle necks or mittens.

I will wait for you to unleash your pent-up fury on us and I will be ready.

Please do not disappoint me.

Day 10 of winter break

2010-02-21T19:51:00.010-05:00

We made it...10 days off school. I think whoever invented this winter break just had a lot of money and needed a reason to go to Florida. Maybe they should be cooped up with my kids for 10 days, then they'd change their minds.

It was honestly the most boring week ever! We are all so tired of playing Wii, DS, computer games, watching movies, the olympics, etc, that we all want to scream. It's been chilly, but there's no snow. The ice rink is closed because their refridgeration system is broken. Which means that all the things that are fun to do on winter break cannot be accomplished. Unless...you spend $16 per person to go snow tubing...which we did on Wednesday.

(note temperature...49 degrees!)

Other than that, I did nothing.

Well, not entirely true.

**I finished our flip-flop quilt for Daisy's that we did last year, and took it over to the Girl Scout office. They hung it in the scout shop (cool!).

**I finished the rod pocket on another quilt that has been hanging around for a year.

**I made 2 pairs of pajamas. And one new mini-me.

**I sent out over 15 resumes, and had one job interview (crossing fingers!)

**I got some smokin' deals on kids clothes at Old Navy

**I nearly broke my wrist while pairs dancing with Amanda in the living room. Then I got kicked in the face when she dismounted from her "flying dutchman", her shoe ripped off all the skin above my lip and it scabbed over to look like a Hitler mustache. (by the way, this was the night before my interview)

**I made Snow on the Mountain in honor of our lack of snow. (and the super cheap turkey I bought in November)

**I also played like 40 games of Mahjong Dimensions...addictive!

100th day of school

2010-02-16T19:49:00.005-05:00

100 day journal by Amanda

I can eat 100 pies

I could never eat 100 brocolli

I can make 100 cookies

I wish I had 100 stuffs

I wouldn't want 100 throw-ups

I can lift 100 chairs

If I had a 100 dollars, I would buy a car

short track speed skating

2010-02-14T13:36:00.003-05:00

After last night's Richardson family STSS final, I realized that I may have to refinish the floors.

Alex's post

2010-02-11T11:52:00.004-05:00

Alex needed a whole post just to himself!

This is his new shirt, which I think is hysterical!

Milk, I am your father.

Nooooooo!

Happy, Sleepy, and Dopey (we have 3 of the 7 covered)

2010-02-09T21:30:00.003-05:00

HAPPY

Me!

This morning in my bathroom...

Documenting a good hair day.

(in the midst of a string of bad hair days)

It was especially curly today,

which is weird because the humidity level is like 0%

*notice the shimmer reflection on the wall...

I painted my whole bathroom lavender and covered it with glitter paint...

it makes me HAPPY!*

SLEEPY
Amanda
passed out in the car after a night of revelry
(actually just dinner, and it was only 7:15)

DOPEY

Alex, Denis, & View

Playing baseball in the front yard yesterday.

It was 24 degrees.

give a kid a camera...

2010-02-05T16:23:00.006-05:00

You get:

a self portrait

(with food on her face...as usual)

a picture of Alex' s sculpture from last year's art class
from every angle
(its a man lying on a beach)

14 pictures of this one rollerskate

boo boos on toes

(caused by rollerskate)

our friend

(our enemy)

chicken running across the front yard

they are pleased with our lack of snow

we are not.

I spared you the 47 pictures of the dog.

Lost Tooth!

2010-02-05T16:09:00.003-05:00

Amanda finally lost a tooth!

She was so determined to lose it,

she wiggled,

and wiggled it

until she begged me to yank it out.

start to finish

5 days.

tap... tap... tap-tap-tap...

2010-02-03T10:17:00.003-05:00

I finally figured out what that tapping sound is.
It's been puzzling me for the last hour.

Life here is always entertaining!

learning from their mistakes

2010-01-31T09:27:00.004-05:00

Let me set the background for this story:

Andy and my relationship began around food. We (used to) eat out a lot,

we have restaurant management degrees,

and obviously worked with food.

We know the rules of left overs,

and boundaries not to cross.

I think our kids are learning that too.

check

2010-01-29T10:41:00.002-05:00

and there you have it....a new banner....finally.
I can check that off my list of New Years Resolutions.

my new favorite cookie cutters

2010-01-28T10:06:00.003-05:00

I just ordered these cookie cutters.

Aren't they adorable?

Imagine the possibilities!

Hooray for Williams-Sonoma for always having the coolest stuff,

even though I can't afford most of it,

I still get great ideas from the catalog,

and they even include recipes :-)

Order Here!

Mom, watch your mailbox...happy valentines day!

Prayers for Lilliana

2010-01-27T09:23:00.002-05:00

Today my niece, Lilly is having her 3rd open heart surgery. This is the most complicated one yet on her little 11 month old body.

Please pray that she will survive and thrive, and that this surgery will be successful and the last one needed for a while.

Please also pray that Lisa and Denis will have strength, faith and peace about this procedure and outcome.

For updates, visit Lisa's website: http://bourdykinfamily.blogspot.com/

silly girls

2010-01-19T23:01:00.002-05:00

no I have not had an eye brow lift.

Just a silly photo of some silly girls

playing with a macbook photo feature.

It makes me laugh and laugh and laugh.

outlook

2010-01-03T22:03:00.003-05:00

I had no intention of blogging today, as two days in a row might set me up for some kind of pace that I can't keep up with. But I have a little (a lot) on my mind tonight.

It started with a gift last week, given to me in a moment of crisis and weakness. a self-less act that set in motion positive events for both the giver and the receiver.

Since then, I blogged in another realm, discussing my indecision and lack of direction, and received another amazing gift. An offer, from a professional, to help me improve myself. She called me her dream client of 2010.

Last week I had a fortune cookie that read "share your happiness with others today." and it had 2 smiley faces on it. It is now taped to my laptop.

and today in a snowball effect of wandering around Facebook, I came across a quote about wanting, and how it's perfectly okay to WANT things. which led to several comments and another post forcasting the astrological outlook for the month.

Which led me another site that offered me a little hope in the form of my January outlook.

Now I am not a person who normally reads my horoscope for inspiration. And I have given 3 boxes of books away that were purchased based on their titles and the hopes that this book would somehow inspire me. well, I never read any of them. Because why would I stress out over reading a book about How to Relax, defeats the purpose right?

anyway, I realized that I have been given many signs this last 10 days that things are going to change for me. I have now realized that I need to open my eyes to these signs and open my heart to these blessings to move forward.

I have a new plan for improvement this year, and the outlook is good...really good.

better

2010-01-02T18:58:00.003-05:00

I am starting out this year with a promise.
I promise to be:
a better wife
a better mother
a better friend
better at doing what I say I'm going to do
better at not doing what I complain about others doing
better about cleaning my house
better at managing our money
better at managing my time
better at eating healthy
better at exercising
better at finishing the projects I've started
better at keeping up with my blog

I am going to be better...I promise.

"there's a drunk mouse in my car"

2009-12-27T10:43:00.003-05:00

One of the advantages of living in the same town where you work, is a shorter commute. But one big disadvantage is that when something goes wrong, you're the first responder.
The one who can run over real fast.
The one who gets called in the middle of the night when the alarm goes off.
Say...3:00am.

And let's just say that lovely wife (me) was sleeping soundly and dreaming of beautiful things, when the phone (which is on her side of the bed) rings...at 3:00 in the morning.
And it startles her.
Because why would the phone be ringing at 3:00 in the morning? and what kind of horrible news could be waiting on the other end?
You know, all those half conscious thoughts that flash before you in the fraction of time between the first and second ring.
"honey, the security alarm is going off at the club"
Ugh.

So we debated over coffee this morning about why the upstairs alarm was tripped, but the downstairs door was open, and Andy is convinced they had a break in, and the Falmouth policeman was really rude to him. Which is weird, because what else does a cop in a town of 11,000 have to do at 3 am the day after Christmas...seriously, was he awoken from his nap in his car?

And after we said our usual morning good-byes, Andy came back inside and said "there's a mouse in my car!"

I grabbed my umbrella (because its raining) and a towel, and we headed out to investigate. After moving him from the car to the driveway, we realized that this mouse was having trouble. His 3 inch long body was completely bloated and round. His feet barely touched the ground around his belly. He tried to walk, but kept rolling on to his side, and then he'd right himself up again, and roll to the other side. He looked like he was drunk!

As we tried to figure out how the mouse got in Andy's car, he said he picked up some beer bottles outside the club when he was there to re-arm the doors. He threw them in the back of his car to recycle. We figured that the mouse must have been inside one of the bottles, and crawled out.

Such a funny experience, standing in the driveway in the rain, watching this drunk mouse roll around! It was like a cartoon!

the annual Christmas card

2009-12-18T11:44:00.004-05:00

Because mailing an annual Christmas card is totally out of the question this year, I'm recapping our year for you here...in one word.

busy.

But really it was a toss up with fun, and broke came in close 3rd.

If you read this blog at all, you already know what's going on with us, so I don't need to recap it here. If you feel that others should know what's happening with us, feel free to send them the link.

All my pictures are on Facebook, if you aren't friends with me, go here.

Merry Christmas!!
Andy, Amy, Alex & Amanda
Minjee, View, Denis
Aspen, Aurora, Arizona & poultry

Go Elf yourself!

2009-11-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

check out this new thing I came across today! So Fun!

2009-11-23T14:41:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

This pretty much explains my existance right now

2009-11-12T23:01:00.002-05:00

"Kids...can you just keep your hands off each other and smile?"

Here's what the hype is all about

2009-10-24T17:41:00.002-04:00

Okay, for those of you who are sick of hearing me talk about the Blastoff Network...indulge me just one last time.

Blastoff 101

It's FREE.

It's a cool homepage with all your favorite sites on it.

It has over 400 vendors in the shopping mall, all giving you great discounts just for being a blastoff member.

Blastoff 201

It will make you money.

How you ask? Simple. Watch this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htw3QfKcy3U

This is not a giant chain letter where you send one pot holder and get 12 in return.
this is where you share with your friends and you get a cool homepage. Maybe someday, you decide to buy some airline tickets, are you going down to the airport? No. You'll go through your Blastoff mall to travelocity or priceline, or expedia, or southwest airlines, and buy your tickets. they give you a discount because your a blastoff member, and you get cash back.

Who wouldn't sign up for something that's free, fun and will make you money for doing nothing at all?

Blastoff 301

Like I said, right now it's invite only, you can't just visit the blastoff network and sign up, you have to be invited. So! visit my site www.blastoffmaine.com and sign up for this totally awesome homepage that is FREE!!!

over 1 Million users signed up the first 18 hours. (it took Facebook years to get to 1 million, then they went to 100 million users in the next 9 months) Get in on the ground level before the world knows about it! Pizza Hut just spent $5 million to be the official pizza of the Blastoff network and their commercials start Tuesday during the World Series. Southwest Airlines and Verizon are also official sponsors of the network. Get your friends in your network before someone else does!!

I'm not apologizing for being so excited about this! Stay at home moms everywhere are looking for a way to make a little extra money...this is it. Do you have kids that you might want to put through college? Start now!

www.blastoffmaine.com!

the secret to happiness?

2009-10-16T22:41:00.003-04:00

It's October!

Which means that the leaves are falling, the wind is blowing, the animals are growing new fur and I'm ready to scratch my eyes out.

So my new constant companion is a box of Claritin. (I have one in my bathroom, one in the kitchen, one in my glove box, and one in my purse...yes whole boxes)

**By the way, have you been to the drug store lately? You practically need a medical degree just to decide which box of medicine to buy. Really, it's ridiculous!**

Now I'm not a druggy. I rarely med up for anything. But when it comes to allergies, I indulge. There's just something really unbecoming of a woman who is constantly scratching areas of her nose, or eyes, or has her finger in her ear.

Which brings me to the best invention ever...Clinere.

It's the size of a q-tip, but plastic. The head is made like a little brush to scratch where it itches.

Ahhhhhhhh pure heaven!

Fall is here!

2009-10-09T09:49:00.003-04:00

I like driving up the driveway really fast because the leaves fly up behind me!

Amanda jumping into a big pile of leaves!

Here's Minjee and View cart racing down the hill in the front yard!

we've evolved past jewelry

2009-10-03T21:12:00.005-04:00

Today is our 11th anniversary.

The traditional gift for the 11th anniversary is steel.

The modern gift is turquoise jewelry.

I got neither.

I got a big cock.

Every girls dream, right?

Andy, bless his heart, thought he was buying a chicken from the county fair.

We found out early, that it was not a chicken.

I will be reminded of his love for me every morning.

Big cock every morning?

every girls dream, right?

Marnie is rolling...

2009-09-21T21:37:00.003-04:00

To the horror of every self-respecting New Englander...

Indian Pudding in a can

Don't worry Aunt Marnie, it was disgusting.

(by the way, we're still looking for your secret recipe)

~at the 'ole ball game~~

2009-09-05T08:41:00.002-04:00

I love fall baseball

especially when we have box seats

and free food

and good company!

Blackberry to do list - and subsequent photo montage

2009-09-04T10:15:00.009-04:00

Now that school is back in session, I'm tackling some things on my to do list. Like learn how to use my Blackberry (that I've had since April). Last week I conquered the Google calender app and now my computer and phone remotely sync automatically.

Hooray! I've gone paperless!

The Franklin Covey is off my desk, and no more doctor appointment reminder cards are floating around. I've even synced MinJee's after school activities. Now she can add things to her calender (in pink) and they'll show up on my calender (which is blue) and the whole darn thing goes to my phone!

I will never forget to pick anyone up again :-)

Today I learned how to add more memory to my Blackberry with a memory card, and use the device manager to add student profiles to email from my phone at a moments notice, a feature I never thought I would use, but have needed it three times in the last week.

I also learned how to get my trapped photos off the phone and into my computer.

For your viewing pleasure...

life happening even though I forgot the camera.

May 2008 -Alex, Sarah, Ben - little league opening day

May 2008- Amanda and her super cute haircut

June 2008- Andy and I at his cousin's wedding

June 2008- Amanda and her "power is sexy" fan.
After a very hot June afternoon in DC, we were more interested in the function of the fan that we found, than the fact that it advertised gay pride.

June 2009- our seashore brick grill, steaming lobsters under the seaweed

June 2009 - Alex and Amanda at FAO Schwartz in NYC with a giant Lego chubakka

June 2009 - Amanda on the giant piano keys at FAO Schwartz NYC

August 2009 - Alex boogie boarding

July 2009 - Alex climbing a 30' rock wall

August 2009 - the bathing beauties of Forest Lake

It's the most wonderful day of the year...

2009-09-02T09:48:00.003-04:00

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!

Will Work For Food

2009-08-29T18:20:00.006-04:00

The pictures tell the story...

...of the day that Captain Jerry took 3 exchange students lobster fishing,

and how Roya, Cece and MinJee thought they were going on a boat ride...

...but were really working with stinky fish.

And measuring lobsters...

...and banding lobsters,

and baiting traps...

100 traps to be exact.

the catch of the day...

Was delicious!

posers

2009-08-21T23:22:00.001-04:00

I only promised I wouldn't post this picture on Facebook

the sad harvest

2009-08-18T22:54:00.002-04:00

The beans

(grilled up nicely in the veggie grill basket)

The cabbage

(six heads shredded and fermenting for sauerkraut)

The broccoli
(still sitting in the fridge, wilting)

We produced 3 tomatoes that are the size of my thumb.

that was it.

too much rain.

no zucchini

no cauliflower

no romas

or sun-sugar cherry tomatoes

I am sad.

Snack Wisely

2009-08-15T10:02:00.004-04:00

A recent turnpike potty stop revealed words of wisdom...

We could have used this advice earlier,

when Amanda ate a bag of candy

and then threw it up in the car.

staycation

2009-08-10T23:51:00.004-04:00

Who needs an expensive vacation,

when this is in our backyard?

And this is at our corner ice cream shop?

MinJee (South Korea), Ruth-Anita (Norway), Roya (Switzerland)

And this is just down the road?

no cheap souvenirs needed.

several years in the making

2009-07-29T22:22:00.004-04:00

Alex decided it was time to go off the diving board.

schinkenfleckerl

2009-07-24T08:52:00.002-04:00

I had host family orientation last night and made Austrian food for dinner. We have 3 Austrian girls coming to Maine and 3 wonderful families to care for them. The food was so good the kids even ate it, which means, I'm posting it here. Try it!

Schinkenfleckerl

8 oz. egg noodles - cooked and drained
1/2 lbs cooked ham - diced
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Spoon into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25 minutes.

(I actually doubled this recipe to feed 10 people)

Enjoy!!

Week of Firsts

2009-07-21T19:18:00.002-04:00

we had many firsts this week. and since I just got my new camera, I don't have any of them documented. You'll just have to use your imagination.

1. Amanda riding without training wheels. keeping true to her reckless abandon personality, riding straight down hill, legs out to the sides, squealing with glee the whole way. (She actually reminds me of my brother, and yes, Kevin squealed with glee) I only hope in ten years she'll be a better driver than him.

2. Alex swimming across the pool doing the crawl stroke. Granted, he was in the shallow end, wearing a snorkel and mask, but he did it...all the way across. And for all you people who think it's funny to terrify a toddler by pretending to throw him in a pool, think twice about the repercussions and the child's future fear of water.

3. Amanda jumping off the diving board. "doing a front flip while holding a pool noodle". If you've never seen the movie Big Fish, I recommend it. This describes my daughter pretty well. a true story with a slightly outlandish twist. (there was no front flip involved but that was her version of the events)

4. Alex climbing to the top of a 30 ft. rock wall...6 times. Sports camp fits him well. but not his shoes...his feet grow every time he eats.