what i learned this week when the littles got their adnoids and tonsils out...

Mackenna's got her own clothing label

here is her first design...


{click on collage to enlarge photos*}

total design process?  5 mintutes - give or take

total cost? $36.50

seeing my 5 yo beam with pride as she demands

"get a picture of my crystals,

get a picture of my peace sign,

get a picture of my label"? 

 priceless.

 

swapped. magnets...

i love participating in swaps and recently signed up for

i was paired up with

Moriah Betterly,  Artist 

i told her how i was loving aqua, red, orange,

and lime green in my kitchen this spring.

this is what she created for me...

three super cute (mixed media!) magnets 

 the picture does them no justice at all.

i am not worthy.

 i ordered hers from an etsy shop,

of course.  :)

i hope she likes them because

she rocks.

on my spring soundtrack...

    what's moving you today?   

prayers appreciated.

three out of four of my ladies are girl scouts.

two out of three of them are undergoing surgery today.

i'll give you a hint...

brielle had her tonsils removed when she was five.

so it's not her.

needless to say,  i'll be taking a break from here.

you wanna a piece of me?

well, then you're in luck...

& { Friday Night Leftovers}

The other day, I mentioned I'm not Irish, but left out the awful fact that all of my girls and my husband are all a wee bit Irish.  Like 25%. Which means I am forced to tolerate get to enjoy lots of green and top o' the mornings to ya on the 17th. 

This year I played along, baking pot of gold at the end of the rainbow cupcakes for classroom parties and a rainbow cake for home. 

But

I .  did.  not.  wear.  green.

And I never will!

They should just be thankful I've stopped wearing orange.  ;)

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. ~Adrienne Cook

                              

Without further ado...

('cause I'm sure this what you all really came here for, NOT.)

me:







mackenna:

her entry and
our her acceptance speech* for last week's

*what?!?? we won cheese?!??

FAN FAVORITE AWARD:

score?  1974.

but boy, can that girl move.

as you can hear by her dad adding an unwelcome voiceover from down the stairs in mantown.



remember this "dance" VLOG of her, almost two years ago?!??



shaye:

 posted her entry on her blog this week.





THIS WEEKLY MADNESS  IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

the woman who makes me want to be funnier, have a better blog design, and develop mad video editing skillz and  the woman who makes me want to be better at this game.  And blonde and skinny again.  Yes, I used to be both. One may have been a lapse of judgement.  Hindsight (aka seeing my almostblack eyebrows in the pics) is 20/20.

THANKS LADIES- YOU ROCK.

I WANT THIS RUG... so bad I can taste it.

my desire, not the rug.

  Although the rug is "yummy"!

I want it!

Pretty please, John?

With a cherry on top.

Pul-leezzzzzzzzzz...............

AND HERE's A FUN FACT*:

(*another reference to Euro Trip - i sure did love that movie. not even ashamed to admit it. apparently, i like cheesy** things.)     


**reference to Mackenna's acceptance speech.***


***apparently, i like referencing things.  and the word apparently.

TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING !!!

CAN I GET A WOO WOO !?!!!  (the shout out, not the drink. although...) 


WHICH MEANS ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER OF THIS BLOG IS GOING TO WIN BIG !!!!! (remember this prize?)



WILL IT BE YOU?!????

The Magic Tree House: Ghost Town at Sundown decorations, props, and activities

For this theme,


I immediately thought of Nikki's idea and got to work...

I made these bulletin board size,

and I added some tombstones and tumbleweed afterwards,

but

 if I can get my hands on a LARGE box-

I'm so going to make a Ghost Town playhouse.



Also found tons of things to do-

by googling Wild West, Ghost Town, Pioneer days,

rattlesnakes and cowboys.



Including rattlesnakes you assemble by skip counting

by either 2s, 5s, or 10s.

perfect.




You can totally get into this theme -


making hard biscuits and bitter coffee

wearing cowboy boots and hats...


GO FOR IT!

FashionPlaytes.com - the perfect "playce" for my wannabe designer!

Recently,  we were  given a $25 FashionPlaytes   gift certificate to try out this fun new sight for girls.   I knew right away I was going to share the opportunity with Mackenna, my five year, my fellow Project Runway obsessor (is that a word? we do obsess- we analyze and critique every step and decision of every show together, EVERY week),  my "I want to be a designer when I grow up", my until you buy me a sewing machine, I will continue to staple and tape  create clothing for myself and my dolls out of tin foil, wax paper, wrapping paper and ribbon scraps girl. 

Fashion Playtes is a website were you (your child) can design their own clothes, one item or a whole collection, and you have the option of buying them too. Seriously. They will create the item of clothing your child designed and send it to you (them).  How cool is that concept?! 

Before visiting the website,

I was a little leary for two reasons:

1) cost

2) technical difficulty

Both of my fears were put to rest immediately.

The sight was so easy to navigate that my 5 year old started the design process while I was getting my camera!

And the prices are extremely reasonable for this type of activity.

Shirts and skirts start at $12 and dresses at $14!!

Mackenna started with a $14 dress

and added an underlayer...

as you add each design element,

the price tag of your garment readjusts

and you can add, take off, and re-add elements as many times as you'd like... so it's super easy to prioritze your choices if you are designing within a budget. (you know, like  on Project Runway)

Though I let Mackenna go all out today,

 since I only had to pay the difference,

she was initially happy an emblem back for under $25!

This design (and price tag) includes
a personalized garment tag sewn on the back.


Mackenna is counting the days until it gets here,

and now I am counting the girls that I can gift with a Fashion Playtes.com gift certificate- it will definitely be the coolest gift at  parties!! Not to mention great for Easter and, like us today, a sick (or rainy) day surprise.  And I'm already planning ahead for Christmas too. I want to give every girl I know a chance to design and own one of these garments- they are "sew" cool.

I was even playing around with the designs and I signed up for their newsletter because I noticed that they hold fun design contests for the girls and I don't want my girls to miss their chance to enter the next one. I'm telling you, you've got to check out this website - with or without your daughters. ;) 

lol

This is the outfit Shaye was wearing the other day...

So when she asked me to put her hair in a ponytail for her, I said, "Sure, I can do a side pony so you'll look totally 80's".  She looked at me with utter "UCK" on her face and said...

"The 80's ?!??   I want to look like I'm from this century."

Apparently, being born in this century,

she misses the reference her clothes are making.

Anyone else feel  "totally, like, old?!??"

*********

I get all of the comments left on my 3 ladies' blogs sent to my email- so I can moniter, ya know?

A while back,  Brielle wrote a post about helping Shaye do her Brownie Quest. 

The other day, this showed up in my inbox...


[forever UltraViolet] New comment on Me & A Brownie.
SHAYE to me    show details Mar 10 (2 days ago)


SHAYE has left a new comment on your post "Me & A Brownie":


Thanks for helping me with this quest. By the way you spelt quest wrong.

Posted by SHAYE to forever UltraViolet at March 10, 2010 7:12 PM

Yes, she is for real. She often corrects me and Gianna too. In fact, Gianna no longer lets Shaye reads her papers before she turns them in because one time she found a typo that John and I had both missed and Gianna had to fix it and reprint the page.

*********

and this quote...

Family:

A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space,

the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar

reminded me of this post:

this is how we roll... 





*********

 and because I love need  to laugh daily,

I am going with that theme for my first

movies that make me laugh-
no matter how many times I watch them

(and I watch these a LOT!)


in no particular order...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (are my husband and I the only two people on the planet who can quote this movie word for word?) Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation (a CLASSIC!)  Euro Trip (HERE's a FUN FACT...  not for kids or the faint of heart/those easily offended THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE TOTALLY GOT THE OPENING REFERENCE.)  This movie made four grownups CRY we were laughing so hard!) Armaggedon (genius wit but just as sad.  I am either laughing or crying hysterically through this whole movie- John even cries.)  Speaking of Bruce Willis...  The Last Boy Scout (I am a HUGE fan of clever one liners and this movie is built on them!)  The Cutting Edge (toe pick.  'nough said.)  What Happens In Vegas (it took me a while to get around to finally seeing this one, but i LOVE it.  watch it whenever it's on.  it's a modern mix of funny and sweet.)  And added to this list after seeing it for the first, and second, time this weekend...  Old Dogs  (Laughed so much, and so loud,  the first time we watched it, we had to watch it again.  Plus, it was nice to get to see Bernie Mac one last time.) 

*********

what's making you laugh today?

 

WANNABE my blog friend? don't make fun of my fat cheeks.

My arms and rump? The double chin that makes a brief guest appearance? My doing. But my face? Ever since my face was CRUSHED and built back together, with metal plates and pins, when I was 16,  has looked flat unless you are looking at it straight on. (which in the video - you are not.)  When I gained weight, my cheeks did too, but not the lower (like 99% fake) part. So my face looks oddly distorted from the angle you are about to witness it.  However, it was Brielle 's high score, so I posted it...  because I'm a mom.

Here. we. go. 








Mommy and Brielle...







Shaye and Mackenna...







Gianna and Shaye...

HIGH SCORES

Brielle... 8763

Gianna... 8149

Shaye... 6091

Mommy... 5200

Mackenna... 3316

Don't forget to go vote for fan favorite!



MY FAVORITE THIS WEEK? 

ONE OF THE HOSTS: SupahMommy!
The funniest 5min. and 59 second clip I have EVER seen.
She has outdone herself!!

thankful thursday. {cheerful}

 i often write about my fabulous friends  and  family.
sometimes, those two labels overlap -

in a confusing(to explain), yet comfortable way.

last month,

we had my BIL and my sister, my BIL's  brother (also one of my oldest and dearest friends) and his wife and daughter (since that visit, they have added a daughter!) and their parents (like second parents to me, but I'll call them the Mr. & Mrs. for sake of their privacy) --->Yes, if you followed that, you figured out that my sister married (one of) "the boy(s) next door" from our childhood.<--- over for the day. 

After dinner, I was apologizing for my lack of mugs, saying since i didn't want a matching set, i wanted lots of color, it was taking me a while to grow my collection. 

This week, we received this gift.... 

from the Mr. & Mrs.




We are so blessed

to have such loving and thoughtful people in our lives!!



and those mugs are so cheerful,

that every time i look at them, i smile.


~


who are you thankful for?

friday fragments

don't go checking your calendar or refilling your coffee,

it is only Wednesday.

however, i have lots of random thoughts today,

so i though i'd get a jump on it.

1. i finally created a new header that i am happy with. i think. for now anyways.  almost 24 four hours and four blog headers, posted then pulled, later.  whew.  i deserve a piece of cake for that. be right back....

1. apparently i've been gone so long, the list made me start back at one.
2. shaye's GI doctor suggested that gluten-free products might be eaiser on her digestive system because of her fructose intolerence.  looking at the ingredients, i don't see the connection, but hey, my MIL found a  Betty Crocker line of gluten free mixes that include chocolate chip cookies and devil's food cake, so it's worth a try right? (thanks pat!) 
3. i must admit, i was a little leary when i made the cake mix and it looked more like chocolate milk than cae mix and filled my round cake pan to the rim.
4. the results? a very dense and moist cake and none of the girls noticed a difference. (i didn't tell them ahead of time, so they wouldn't be prejudiced in their opinions.)
5. my only complaint? value, of course.  one (kind of expensive) box makes just one round layer (or 12 cupcakes.)  but i suppose if it helps shaye enjoy treats without pain, it's priceless!

1. i like starting back at one for new subject matter, it appeases the ocd  organizer in me.

1. it is wonderfully warm this week in our town.  40's! some days making into the 50's! this is sweatshirt weather for us new englanders, and i couldn't be happier.
2. oh, yes, i can. saturday, we turn the clocks forward - more sunlight - hooray!!

1. the Trendy Owl, where i bought our spring headbands? they are selling the cutest notecards now too.  i ordered two thank you cards like 2, maybe 3, days ago. did i mention how fast she ships?  i'll probably get them today!

1. i can't believe season 4 of Big Love is already over.  just when it was getting good, i mean they are OUT now!!  can't wait until season 5.

1. i'm already rethinking this new header.  do you think it looks cluttered?  i'd love some feedback. 
2. would you like a new header? for free? i love making these things, and maybe if i had yours to focus on, i could let mine be for a bit.

what's on your mind today?

sick day.

in the pink. a very rockin' par-tay...

After months of planning,

Shaye's big day was finally here.

Brielle "worked the door"-

making sure all persons attending were in possesion of their VIP invites...

As soon as all of the guests arrived, the girls got to work creating their own I SPY bottles...

I was able to purchase a collection of the itty bitty things - enough for all 11 bottles! - for under $13 from Crackalackin.  (How fun it that Etsy shop name?!) 


 FYI: I chose to super glue the tops on, I'm guessing all of the moms were super thankful. ;)

Next, Shaye opened her gifts...

EDITED TO ADD:

Gianna wanted it noted that she styled Shaye's hair...

very cool.

and then we played a game:

a fun way to distribute party favors...




FYI: the new iPod nanos do not play music very loud
with the headphones unplugged, still more just for personal listening.



it did take a turn or two,
but once everyone caught on-
the game went very smoothly...

After that, it was time for cupcakes...

everyone loved the custom napkins, custom cupcake liners and cupcake toppers...

They were pretty fabulous!

Afterwards, the girls played (what else?) "Just Dance" on the Wii

and with some of Shaye 's presents.

It was a great day.

The other girls have already begun planning their (summer!)birthday parties...

girls just wanna have fun - and we've got lots o' girls in the houuuuse....

 

before we start, let's address 

 the pile of unfolded laundry we ignored

to tape and post our entries

before the deadline...

yup, it was THAT big.

Now, that get this  party   dance off  started!

shaye and mackenna...

brielle and gianna...

me (and mack with an encore)...






I'm kind of  disappointed  humiliated  that this was my best score,
 because I thought it would be funny to wear my hair in a side pony,
ya know- eighties style - but after seeing the video, I cringed and changed it.
But my score was worse for the second round, so lame-o ponytail it is.

HIGH SCORES:

l-r

top-bottom

Shaye - 2989

Mackenna - 2720

Brielle - 6838

Gianna - 6300

Me - 6002

Now since we've  only ever owned/played Just Dance for one week (yes, Wii, we bought it just for Shell's  game - so you should reward her!)  I am not crazy enough to think any of these scores are going to be the top score. However, there is a FAN FAVE category!  All you have to do is go to the "Just Dance" Yer Bloggy Off main post  and tell Shell and everyone else that we were your favorites. Come on, I tried to rock a side ponytail for this!!  And we are the POSTOR BLOG for GIRLS just wanna have fun!!!  I am, not above begging-

please, please, PLEASE....

TELL 'EM WE WERE YOUR FAVORITES.

ps.

My sister is going to be po'd she missed this, she wanted to do it.

but she'll be here Saturday, so we can tape her for week 2.

If there is going to be a week 2.

Is there going to be a week 2?!??

WE WANT A WEEK 2!!

HOORAY!! There is a week TWO. 
 Wannabe. By THE Spice Girls.


Next Friday.


Be here. and there.  and  BRINNNNG IT!

modern cottage.

fresh. fun. mix it up. vintage. new. a splash of color.  comfort.  family friendly. welcoming. personal. cozy. smart use of space.  thinking outside of the box.  using what you have.  using what you love.  making the most of everyday moments.  it's all about how you live.  try something new. spaces you use.  being authentic. that's modern cottage.

it's how i define my style.

How do you define your style? 

a birthday post: shaye

loves

to read. the color pink. science. blogging. girl scouts. riding her bike. taking pictures. writing. vanilla more than chocolate. laura ingalls wilder's way of life. asking questions. googling stuff. going to the library. shopping. drawing. flashcards. history.  sugarless gum.  braids. barnes and noble.  playing the Wii.  zebra print.  grilled cheese.  her friends.  her family.  her birthday. the fact that she no longer needs a booster seat as of today.  baking.  poetry.  whales. sharks. dolphins.

and we love her!

happy 8th birthday !!

and, as a special gift, if you could leave her a comment on her blog or better yet, follow her blog, you would make her day  year!