our trip to redneck las vegas

So like I said,

we took a week long Thanksgiving trip
to Branson, Misery...ahem, I mean MISSOURI. ;)
We had a great time.
I mean, hello, we were in Redneck Las Vegas.
It doesn't get much better than that. ;)
I'm sorry, you just can't help but make fun of Branson.
The shows. The people. The hair.
We were in Target on Black Friday,
and I saw some of the biggest hair I have EVER seen in real life.
Times THREE!
Either 3 sisters or a mom and 2 daughters...couldn't tell for sure.
And they had so much makeup on my husband said you could probably
shoot them in the face and they wouldn't feel it.
A little graphic but I bet you can picture it now, huh? ;)

We stayed in Jeff's grandma's super nice time share
and had plenty of time to hang and relax {I took a nap almost every day}
but we also managed to do a TON while we were there.

One day we drove out to Springfield
and went to the biggest {or first or best, one of those...}Bass Pro Shop
(my husband's suggestion, go figure) and went to Lambert's for lunch.
Lambert's is a restaurant where they seriously throw hot rolls at your head
and serve gargantuan amounts of fried homestyle food.
Gotta love the midwest.

We had a girls day and a guys day.
Us girls went shopping and had lunch at a quaint little tearoom
and the guys went golfing for their day.

We also had a "parents night out"
which did not include Nana and Papa who volunteered to babysit - score!
So Jeff and I and his sister and her husband went to the Dixie Stampede.
I mean, you haven't lived unless you've been to
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. ;)
I highly recommend it.

Thanksgiving Day we needed to kill a little time
before dinner so we took the kiddos on a little nature walk.
We threw rocks into the lake for like 30 minutes
and they were thrilled. :)Have I mentioned I'm on Instagram?
Oh wait, you have to have an iphone to use Instagram...?
Wellll...whatdya know?
A little {gorgeous} early Christmas present for mama. ;)
{Ok people, just to clear the air, we're not splurgers or credit card users.
Our contract was up, our phones were dead/dying or lost in Mexico
(maybe on purpose, maybe not...
I'll never know the truth behind my husband's tactics)
and I've been pining for an ilove, I mean iPHONE, since the first version.

And we had the cash. ;) }1.) We're only about 4 hours from the big "B"and we left after naps (my kids do not sleep in the car) so dinnertime on the road was unavoidable. And good ol' Missouri had about 2 options for us...McDonalds or Burger King. And when my husband looked to me for a decision I stuck my nose in the air, crossed my arms and "huh-rumphed". Because to me Chick-fil-a is the ONLY acceptable fast food restaurant and that's because their food is made by angels. I think you can guess where we ended up going. At least it was a cute photo opp. ;)

2.) My sister-in-law and I had to run to walmart for a few things (that's an adventure in itself let me tell you... peopleofwalmart.com would've had a hay day with all of our sightings) and while walking down the clothing isle we looked to our right and there was a huge doorway, like into another dimension. We step closer and realize its a mall...that's right next door. Its connected to walmart and there is an actual performer on this stage singing with a small crowd of 80-year-old onlookers that look like they wish they were dead. You know the look I'm talking about. You can't make this stuff up people.

3.) Just chillin' on a lazy morning...while brushing his teeth and wearing my Uggs.

4.) Jeff and I on a little date. We saw the movie "In Time"...it was super cool. And then went to this AWESOME 50's diner for dessert. We seriously ate a funnel cake. Topped with powdered sugar. And strawberry goo. And ice cream. And whipped cream. It was amazing. This diner also had burgers and fries, slices of pizza, pie, ice cream...basically all the things you dream about as a pregnant black hole. :)

And Jaymin probably wins the award for coolest outing.

Nana and Papa took him and his cousin Sierra to the Polar Express.
It's a real train ride, that's decorated for Christmas,
the kids all wear their pajamas and
they get served hot chocolate and cookies
as they drive to the North Pole and meet Santa and his elves.
The tickets were super expensive (thanks Nana & Papa!)
and it was quite an ordeal getting them...
But the kids were on cloud 9 when we picked them up.
What a cool way to kick off the Christmas season!Not sure what the bear claw is all about...
Nana, Papa, Jaymin & Sierra - ready to go!
Santa rides the train back to the station with you
and each child gets a silver bell - just like in the movie!

Like I said we had a great time.
But after being gone for another week is was nice to get home,
back in our routine, and start thinking about Christmas!
Thank you Nana & Papa for a great trip
and thank you Granny Lucy for gifting us your timeshare!! :)

***************
While in Branson I turned 27.........weeks. ;)
27. I wish!
I'll turn the big 3-0 in 2012 so trying to prepare my heart for that. ;)
I'm 28 weeks today!
Lots to do before this little girl takes over my life for a bit! :)

fall gathering 2011

The night before we left town for our week long Thanksgiving trip
we had our annual fall gathering.
This tradition started 3 years ago when we first moved into our new place.
It was the fall season when I was ready to have a little open house
with friends so we celebrated with a glass of wine
and some yummy fall snacks.
And now my friends hold me to it every year. :)
We like to keep it small and intimate,
with just a few couples we are really close with
and whom we do not get to see often enough.
My husband and I look forward to this kid-free,
uninterrupted night of food, drink and conversation every year.

Even though its a casual night, I always do invitations because
there's just something special about being invited to something
with an actual paper invitation, and handmade is even better.

Here is what I did this year...
I was inspired by birthday invitations by Emily at the jones design company.

I wanted to go with a turquoise and copper theme this year,
something different from the traditional oranges & browns,
so of course the color scheme needed to be tied into the invites.
After getting the inspiration I needed,
I looked high and low for copper colored tissue paper I could fold and stitch.
When that was impossible to find I decided copper colored fabric
gathered into a ruffle and sewed onto the cardstock would work just fine. :)
I am always TERRIBLE at taking photos
of these gathering, especially once the party starts,
so this is all I have of my table this year.
It wasn't amazing by any definition of the word,
but again, once the party starts all I care about is eating good food
and chatting with good friends. :)
One of my favorite treats I make every year is Chai Spice Cookies,
recipe given by this sweet lady.
And something else a party {or "gathering" in this case}
must have is favors.
This year it was the homemade chai spice tea
that I can't seem to get enough of right now.
{delicious recipe from my sister-in-law}
I scooped it into mini mason jars
(jam jars maybe?)
cut some paper for the tops and tied with a ribbon
and tag with instructions.

2009

2010

Almost through all of my fall posts!
December will officially be here on Thursday!! :)

living room revamp

Well, hello.

I took an unintentional blog break this past week.
We were out of town for the week of Thanksgiving
and I planned on blogging my normal days
but I had limited access to a computer and I forgot blog photos.
So prepare for post overload - I'm over the fall season
and ready to start talking about Christmas!! :)

We've lived in our home for a little over 2 years now
and I've always been unhappy with our living room.
Its a nice size, much bigger than our last townhouse,
but an awkward shape.
And I could never figure out how to arrange our furniture.
I have tried every possible way and have come to the conclusion
that I'll just have to be happy with the current arrangement.
But a couple of months ago I decided I could change a few small pieces
of furniture and get the living room I really wanted
(which is warm & cozy without being too crowded).

The first item on the agenda was the tv stand.
We had a ghetto tv on a ghetto tv stand
(like from wal-mart or kmart, mkay).
It did pretty well for awhile
(and was actually a step up from the CHAIR
we had the tv on when we first got married...)
but over the years and with 2 hoodlums as children
it started to get VERY wobbly
(especially since the tv it held
was a 2 ton box rather than a sleek flat screen ;) ).
So a couple of months ago my mom was at an estate sale
and bought a tv stand for 10 bucks.
She sent me a photo and I thought it just might work for us
so I asked if I could buy it from her.

So here is our setup before...Seriously gross.
I can't believe I lived with this for so long.

And here is the after...
I painted it an off white,
distressed it a bit,
and put on new knobs.
I'm quite obsessed with mercury glass
(and have been since I was a little girl)
and found these beautiful knobs at Anthropologie.
It's sooo nice having everything packed away
inside the cabinet and out of sight.
And the lighter color really helps to brighten the room.
We still have the ghetto tv on it but hey, it works.
And that's our current requirement.
When it stops working we'll venture into the flat screen world
with the rest of the people in the 21st century. ;)
Which speaking of, did you hear about that crazy Black Friday sale
Best Buy had going?
A 42" Sharp flat screen tv for $200!
Yeah, my hubby totally went at midnight
(they started selling the tv's at 10)
but they were sold out. We took it as a sign. :)

Next on my list was a short & shallow bookshelf for right here...
{You'll have to forgive my blurry & not great photos...
most were taken when I was still trying to figure out my new camera :) }

I really wanted a place to put another lamp
and this wall just needed something.
So I started looking on craigslist and under "bookshelves"
found a 2-piece hutch lookin' thing for $30.
I thought with just a few modifications,
I could use the top part as my bookshelf and the bottom
by our front door - 2 pieces of furniture for 30 bucks, not bad!
Turns out,
that actually worked out perfectly.
{And of course I forgot to get a before photo...
see chest below for original paint color}My dad sawed off the bottom for me so it would sit flat on the floor
and I painted it the same off white as the tv stand
and distressed it a bit as well.
Then I filled it with knick-knacks from around my house.
- I had the lamp - bought a new shade
- Bought the little blue owl for 50% off at Hobby Lobby :)
- Had the frame, spray painted it gray with paint I already had
- Had the basket, filled it with all our remotes
- Had the books and pumpkin
- And had the brown metal basket, which is used for toys.
Now that I moved it to the living room its where we toss all the toys
that migrate there and once its full we unload it in the playroom.I have to say, I LOVE the warmth
this small piece of furniture adds to our living room.

And finally...
my favorite piece...

We had an old (like handed down 3 times) end table
next to our couch
that has gone from a yellowy oak color to black and then to white.
{photo taken 2009}
The glass has broken once already and was replaced
with a much thinner piece and I was constantly terrified of it breaking
and slicing my children (okay, child...the youngest child...the wildest child)
to death as it was always being climbed on and under.
Plus, Jett would push and slide it all over our hardwood floors
and knock the lamp off.
Not an awesome set up.
So I pitched the table {aka. sold on craigslist}
and started contemplating what to paint this little beauty...I loved the way my off white pieces lightened the room,
but I was ready to make a commitment to color.
I have always wanted a fun entry piece painted a bold color,
and now was my chance to make that happen.
I had this picture from Pottery Barn saved in my home ideas stash
and found that I also kept gravitating towards the color
Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy used on some of her living room furniture.
Which is called Mermaid Net by Behr and it = love for me.
I spent a little money on a new lamp...
YES.
It's mercury glass as well.
I saw it in Target's new holiday catalog and had to have it.
I moved the mirror down a tad,
picked up a super cute frame for half off at Hobby Lobby,
and added my candle warmer and some fall decor.
Something else I was super stoked about with this new piece of furniture
...extra storage!
That's 3 new drawers of whateverness that I want to put in there!
Which ended up being diaper changing gear in the top drawer
and hats & gloves in the bottom two. :)

I honestly love my living room now
and it only cost me $40 for 3 pieces of furniture,
2 quarts of paint,
a lamp and a frame.
It finally feels like a grownup room and it's so nice to say goodbye
to the poor-college-student look. ;)
Seriously, that tv stand??
I looked at that for SIX YEARS??
It's amazing what motherhood blinds you to...
stains on the belly of all your prego shirts,
crumbs covering the floor of your minivan,
and dirty faced children in your shopping cart.
I mean, these are things I've noticed about OTHER moms... ;)

wedding wrap-up

I made just a couple of crafts for the never-ending wedding.

Their colors were ivory, gray and eggplant.
Ang bought these basic garters at Michaels
and asked me to embellish them with some purple flowers...

Before:

After:

Simple.
She also asked me to make some door hangers for the goodie bags
she was handing out to all of their guests in Mexico.

I did a quick design on the computer,
printed them on cardstock (3 per sheet),
punched a giant hole at the top & rounded the corners,
then glued purple punched out flowers & pearls in the corner.
They were super simple!
Seriously.

I also made larger flowers like the ones on the garters
for the flower girl dresses & hairbows but I didn't snag a photo.

***************
And here's 26 weeks for ya...

BAM!

But don't worry.
No twins.
According to my midwife I am measuring right at 26 weeks.
And when I gave her the
skeptical "you're just trying to make me feel better" look,
she looked up my records with Jett and it turns out
my weight gain is identical so far, to the pound, to the week.
And this was scary...
I start going in for checkups every 2 weeks now!
And you know what else is scary?
The fact that the next 2 months are jam packed with
traveling, holidays, parties, family events & who knows what else.
Which means I'm going to blink and she's gonna be here.
Crazy!

Have a great weekend! :)

the wedding.

My baby brother is married.

He's my baby brother because he's 4 years younger than me.
Because I fed him pureed peas.
And sat with him during bath time.
I forced him to play house and we always had a pair of unusual pets...
hamsters {Lacy & Lucy, Bill & Ted}, newts,
african dwarf frogs {what were my parents thinking?}.
Anytime I see any photos or videos from his wedding,
tears come, unwelcome and unexpectedly.
He's a man.
He's a man with a wife, a house & two dogs.
But to me, when I look at him, my heart will always recognize him
as the 2-year-old he once was...

The bride & her mothers, watching the storm roll in.
Their wedding was not a fantasy wedding.
Hurricane winds & rain can do that to a special day.
But it was honestly so fitting for my brother.
Wild & unconventional.
And the couple took it all in stride, smiling the whole way.
Long story short,
the ceremony began at the gazebo
and quickly turned into a mad dash to the hotel lobby
where the "I do's" commenced.
I had my sister take this picture of the chandelier
swaying in the gforce winds.
It wasn't what they had pictured,
but in the end, they were united in marriage before God
{cause he's everywhere you know, even in hotel lobbies ;) }
and their loved ones.
And that was enough to make them glow with pride & joy.

Afterwards,
the annoying little brother I once couldn't STAND
hugged me so tight, telling me he loved me.I love this photo of my dad's hands taken during the ceremony.
These hands could tell the story of his life.
Of his trials & tribulations.
Joys & successes.
These hands are the symbol of an amazing father.
The beautiful wedding video...

Colby + Angie - Cancun Mexico Highlights

from Robert G. Weddings on Vimeo.

About a week after we got home from Mexico,

the happy couple had a beautiful reception downtown
at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center
to celebrate their union with all their loved ones & friends.
If you have not been in the brand new, incredible facility yet
I highly recommend taking a peak sometime.
It is breathtaking.Being that Colby & Angie don't have children yet,
they wanted all of their nieces & nephews at the reception.
I say this because I am expecting a written apology from them
as soon as they have a toddler of their own. ;)
Oh yeah, and I was husband-less that night.
And in heels.
And a dress.
Pregnant.
But I survived the evening
...sort of.

My children in dress clothes of course
meant a quick little photo shoot...Why are there so many of Jaymin?
Oh right, cause Jett was a blur
from the moment we stepped foot in the building.

Family photos.
Hey, who's the single mom with 2 kids?... ;)
The bride & groom with all the kiddos...
They have made it quite clear they'll be waiting
a few years before adding to the chaos. :)
You can sort of see my outfit here.
Allyson was a fashion lifesaver once again and let me borrow this dress.
I wish I had a better shot of it.
It is a BEAUTIFUL purple-ish gray vintage looking dress.
My sister-in-law was pretty swamped that day
styling the bride & bridesmaids so I was on my own for hair.
I did a really simple style with 3 mini buns at the back of my head.
It wasn't as cool as my beach 'do
but I liked it a lot and will probably do it again!Jaymin enjoying his salad...in a martini glass
{as I watched in anticipated horror}.
This picture cracks me up.
Look at Jett in the background getting the royal treatment...
I love this picture for a couple of reasons.
One, its a great photo of my dad and baby boy.
My dad is who Jett is named after (Jettison Charles).
{By the way, Jett's saying "sheeee" (cheese). :) }
And because after taking the photo and showing it to them,
Jett identified "frampa" (as always) and himself for the first time. :)Jaymin breakdancing the night away {with cousin Lane}. :)

Overall it was a fun night.
A beautiful party with lots of friends & family.
I missed out on a lot of the special events of the evening,
but that's to be expected with chasing a toddler alone all night.
We stayed as long as the boys could hang on,
and I finally called it a night when Jett was trying to dance
on the dance floor...while laying down.

Ok, ONE more wedding post to go.
Just a few crafts I made to help out the bride-to-be.
Then I SWEAR I am moving on to another topic. :)