LoveTubs -- in the news!

Just kind of a fun thing: my LoveTubs made it to the December issue of Birmingham Magazine!

Where Lost Socks Go... at Christmastime

I've always known that our washing machine and/or dryer "eat" our socks. I can't count how many socks have just disappeared over the years. But with a baby in the house, socks now disappear on a daily basis!
Usually, Iain pulls his socks off and leaves them on the floor. But I guess he got a bit more creative of late! The other day, I noticed that he had pulled his socks of and was carrying them around the house. And when he got tired of them, I started looking to round them up.
I found one on the rug in the den, under the table. The other one, however, was nowhere to be found. Nowhere! I mean, I went all over the house, checking under furniture, in his toy basket, in the dog's toy basket, etc., etc.... I had almost given up.
Then a friend stopped by... and I discovered the sock's unique hiding place.

I guess Iain dropped it off there on the Christmas wreath (on our front door) when I was saying "goodbye" to a friend who had left earlier in the day! Hey - it matches the decor.... right!?!?

Santa pictures: 2010

So... I'm thinking that Iain is NOT a fan of Santa Claus! Can you tell from this picture??!!!?!?!

Jaiden's picture turned out perfectly lovely! And she was VERY excited that the "real" Santa Claus came to our neighborhood this year for pictures! She even looks like she's matching the Santa look, with the red top and black belt! GREAT picture!

But... Iain was just not a happy camper. He was already tired from taking our first, official family pictures before the Santa visit. It was also about an hour past time for his afternoon nap!

Oh, well! It's a memory! :)

Thanksgiving poem

It might be a bit cheesy, but this little poem won me a family 4 pack to enjoy the day at Desoto Caverns! Yay! :)

OUR THANKSGIVING
Turkey, potatoes, cheesecake and dressing,
good times with family (all who are a blessing!).

Watching the parade… and a game or two,
taking a nap, enjoying “nothing to do!”

Visiting more relatives, ‘cause our family has grown,
enjoying traditions… and making some of our own!

Planning strategies to shop ‘til you drop…
on Black Friday - and every day… ‘til Santa makes his stop!

Relaxing, reminiscing, playing some Wii,
because “together” is a wonderful place to be!

All in all thanking our Father above
...for an abundance of blessings and His perfect love!

Etsy Things That Make You Go, "HUH?!?!

Oh, yes... It's back! I have another fun, little collection of oddities from my beloved Etsy. So if you truly are looking for that really UNIQUE Christmas gift, well, then... it does not get much more unique than the rare -- and sometimes awkward -- doo-dads and what-nots you'll see here!
ENJOY!

1. First up, we have something that's just ideal for potty trainees in training or perhaps for those folks who might be a *wee bit, uh... irregular?!? (*pun intended!) It's a perfect little pair of "I poop" and "I tinkle" buttons to display proudly on a sweater, a vest or a purse strap, to share with the world, proving how regular you are... or to wear proudly after completing the task! What 2-year-old wouldn't want to proudly showcase their newly learned accomplishment?!?! (Of course, these buttons don't include the words: "in the toilet," so there are some major assumptions happening in that last scenario!)


2. Second, since we already have some potty talk happening here, I figured I would toss this one in the mix. If you've been looking for the perfect way to store and display your toilet paper, then I have found the item for you: a set of 3 devil bath tissue tissue cozies! According to the devishly odd listing, These "hand-painted cozies make the search for extra toilet paper a fun one." As well, "these friendly creatures can be used in a group or one at a time." YES! That's great, because you know that you can't just have ONE devil toilet paper cozie!


3. Next up is a great addition to your holiday wardrobe: an unhappy-looking cat-dressed-as-Santa pin! If I were wearing those tight, pointy shoes, I'd probably have a scowl on my face, too. Oh, and good news, if you don't wear pins, this can be a magnet OR a Christmas ornament! Unhappy cats, all around!


4. I certainly did not want to overlook the Thanksgiving holiday, as it IS coming up next week. So here is a fun, little something or other that's sure to please! It's a LIMITED EDITION 8x10 photo of a GUINEA PIG, uh Thanksgiving Turkey... ummmmmm, Pilgrim! And each print is signed and numbered! What a keepsake! :) Hey, I'll admit: it is pretty darn cute! AND... we even know that the "model's" name is Ava! (And the artist seems to genuinely enjoy her guinea pig pics. She states, "All guinea pig prints are natural. No Photoshop techniques are used. My goal is to represent the true nature and personality of my furry companions. What I hope the viewer is left with is a sense of the warm relationship humans & animals share.")


5. Since the cold weather is, well, sort of here, every once in a while in good ole' Alabama, it might be time to consider THIS handy little NOSE WARMER!?!?! What? I don't know.... I would feel pretty darn stupid if I had this on my face. Is it just me? I see that and think stuff like "horse," and "feed bag" and "weird." Really, people? Is this a fad up North somewhere!?!? 'Cause it has NOT yet hit the South! :)


6. Next on the list is an odd little trinket. Perhaps this will be that perfect gift for someone... someone who likes real moose poop! Yes, indeed. It's poop. On a keychain. And I, for one, just would not be too happy with doo doo on a chain. Of course, you can get it on a necklace. Wow. Moose dookies hanging around my neck. Charming. Is this a substitute for coal? What's Santa thinkin'?!?! Oh, never mind....I guess if it were his doing, it would have been reindeer poop. On a keychain. My bad.


7. Please explain. Please. Am I missing something here? Really? Is this a joke that I just don't get? Is this bad? I mean... these are whales. Hand embroidered whales. One has a beard, or some barnacles growing on its mouth. And I just don't understand. I don't even get the name of this thing. It's called the "whale break up hand embroidery." Y'all still as lost as I am? Hmmmmmmmmm....

The Fridge is FUN!

Like a moth to a candle... Iain is drawn to our refrigerator.

Every time I open the door, he scrambles over to take a peek. I'm not sure, exactly, what the allure is... except that the door is usually closed, so it's just a big, boring black box most of the day.

Then again, there is that bright light... and all that food! :)


Of course, it's not enough to be outside looking in.... it's MUCH better to be INSIDE looking in! :)

Halloween Bunco Fun

Several of the girls in my neighborhood and I have been playing Bunco for over a year now. And this October 19, was MY night to host. So, we decided to have a little Halloween fun!

I dressed up in pirate garb, and for decorations, I used black tablecloths and Halloween-themed napkins, cups and plates. For our snacks, I made brain goo salad, putrid punch, monster fingers, mini mummies and eyeballs! (AKA known as: strawberry pretzel salad, citrus punch, cheese sticks, pigs in a blanket and chocolate covered Oreos.)




Sean LOVED the eyeballs! :)


My neighbor, Season, came dressed as a hippie -- complete with armpit hair! EEEewwww! And Cathryn sported a crazy fun witch's hat!



We played several rounds of the fast-paced, dice-rolling game, while munching on all the ghoulish goodies! But in the end, Brandi won for "most Buncos."

Christy and Cara tied (and shared) for "most wins."


And our fearless leader, Paige, did not leave empty handed... she took the title of "most losses.

I love my Bunco girls! :)

Uppercase Living GIVEAWAY

A friend of mine has a WONDERFUL blog, entitled, Southern Hospitality, and she is currently hosting a special Uppercase Living giveaway for me, since I am a sponsor!
Please stop by and check out her inspirational and creative posts, and feel free to enter the contest!
Just click HERE!

But... Jesus doesn't like cake!

When Jaiden was about 3-years old, we decided we'd bake a "birthday" cake for Jesus as one of our delicious Christmas desserts... and possibly as a new family tradition. My aunt had actually done this before, and I thought it was a cute idea, especially for Jaiden, so she could learn more about the true meaning behind our celebration of December 25!

Of course, I wasn't quite prepared for my daughter's response when I asked her if she'd like to help bake the special birthday cake. With a very sincere look and quite a thoughtful tone, she informed me, "Jesus doesn't like cake."

You know... I may beg to differ on that one! I bet Jesus would like cake! But for some reason or another, my silly little Jaiden got it in her head that the King of Kings is just not a big fan of cake! :)

Then again... if we had made THIS cake, I may have agreed with her!

Anyone have an interpretation of this? Anyone!?!?!? Right now, I have a version of a popular old Sunday school song in my head... "Jesus loves the little dinos... all the dinos of the world..."

Revvin' For Research

Sean and I had the privilege of participating (as sponsors, not riders!) in the 2nd annual Dixie Divas "Revvin' For Research" on Saturday, October 9.

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Dixie Divas are dedicated to making a strong contribution toward a cure.


The event involved hundreds of motorcycle riders enjoying a great ride (with the final stop and party at Heart of Dixie Harley-Davidson), and making an impressive stand against breast cancer! The total amount raised this year for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama was $26,500!!!!


We had quite a fun time! There was live music, great food, pinked-out bikes (and riders) and a host of interesting, uh... characters. Seriously! We saw Michael Jackson, Barney Fife and Elvis, to name a few! :)

How to Land a 9-Month Old

Fishing for babies isn't all that easy. To land that elusive 20 pounder, you have to have just the right lures... and a lot of patience. Nine-month olds, especially, can be quite finicky, and they don't always hit the same lure twice. So be prepared. Do your homework. And have a good crankbait.

That's right: a crankbait!


Of course, the sheer variety of crankbaits is quite astronomical. Some dive shallow; some dive deep. Some have rattles; some don't. Some crankbaits have a lip; others do not. AND each type is available in about 5 gazillion different colors!


The crankbait we found most effective here was a bright green Bill Dance crankbait with a lip ... and rattles, of course! The sound alone was enough to make this baby strike - hard and fast!


Once the baby took the lure, the angler (AKA "daddy") quickly snapped the rod up and reeled the line in, keeping steady pressure on the baby. (This is an important step when fishing in heavy vegetation, or in this case, amongst a thick cover of toys.)




* NOTE: No babies were harmed in the making of this post. And the crankbait used to catch the 20-pound baby, pictured, had ALL hooks and sharp thingies removed and was thoroughly disinfected first!

We "FLASHED" The Galleria Mall Today!

I am so thrilled to say that my sister-in-law and I were part of a flash mob today at the Galleria... in the food court... at noon!

About 200 folks participated, and we danced our little hearts out to "Thriller" as part of "The Thrill of saving a life" campaign for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama!!

You can watch the YouTube video of the flash mob HERE:

As well, check out the BCRFA website for great information and ways to donate and to help fund a cure for breast cancer! (BTW: I am a sponsor, and I made it to their front page, along side Honda! How exciting!)

Uppercase Living... in MY home

Many of y'all know that I am an independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living! I LOVE the products and host open house and catalog parties, make crafts and place orders all the time!

But... I have never shown y'all some of the Uppercase Living products I have in my home.... So, here is a brief tour of some of my expressions and decor.

This is my very first expression. It is a sage green saying that I applied to our fireplace in the family room. LOVE it... and have received many compliments about this one!



This is a fun little design that's over the window in the laundry room!


Jaiden and Iain share a "jack and jill" bathroom, so I thought it would be fun to put appropriate expressions over the doorways to their rooms! The first, obviously, is Jaiden's. The second it Iain's!


This is a very large, beautiful "grand format" expression in Jaiden's room. I put it up after we redecorated her room and painted those blue stripes on the wall! So cute!


This was a plain, old "boring" mirror in the guest bedroom. I spruced it up with a silver "A" monogram....


This is the tiny little hall bath that I recently repainted. It was too small for things to be hanging on the wall, so this was the PERFECT solution!


These are my kitchen stools. I wanted them to be a bit more "fancy," so I applied these black expressions and then sealed them so they will last a long time!

Show your support!

Support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. Buy your awareness "ribbons" now, and be ready for October -- breast cancer awareness month! http://supportthinkpink.blogspot.com

Sean's Xbox 360 birthday cake

I hate fondant. It's aesthetically pleasing, but it's one of those things that you discreetly peel off and shove under your napkin so you don't actually have to eat it. Yuck.

At least, that's how I used to think.... until a friend of mine (and master cake decorator) introduced me to marshmallow fondant. YUM! This stuff is GREAT! Nothing like its waxy, tasteless counterpart! :)

That being said, I decided to try the recipe for marshmallow fondant out myself so I could create an XBox 360 cake (and controller) for Sean's birthday. And I will never - make - fondant - (of any kind) - again! That was the stickiest, messiest most diastrous event in my baking career! I literally had crisco, cornstarch and marshmallows EVERYWHERE! The counter. The floor. My hands. My wedding ring. My hair. My clothes. Even the ceiling!!!

I hope it was worth it...!