whimsical creations

Wordful Wednesday - Lucky Kitty

2012-02-01T05:26:00.002-05:00

{St. Patrick's Hello Kitty bow center made out of polymer clay by me.}

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Flashback Friday

2012-01-27T05:37:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some folders on my laptop and stumbled upon this old photo I took last night.

This was taken at the Thomas the Train ride we went to in 2006. I remember it being a VERY chilly day and not feeling very well (I was pregnant with Lily). Ian & I went with my friend and her 2 kids. The kids had a great time. (even though Ian was not really into Thomas...actually he pretty much hated that show) I remember the train ride itself was overrated (the train ride was really boring & lame and the train smelled really musty...not good when you are pregnant), but the rest of the activities were pretty fun. Ian was only 4 in this photo....where does the time go?

Wordful Wednesday - On Ice

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

One week ago today we went to see Disney On Ice - Treasure Trove on opening night.

We had a magical evening.

After running around and checking out the souvenirs...Lily decided on an Alice in Wonderland wand.

Ian decided at intermission that he wanted the shaved ice in the blinking cup. I couldn't believe they wanted to eat that....it was FREEZING!

It was beautiful watching the ice skaters perform.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Today

2012-01-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Today...
it is really windy and chilly.

Today...
I am missing the sun. (I am over blah, rainy gray days.)

Today...
Lily woke up and went back to sleep. She had her 5yr check up yesterday and got 2 shots, now she doesn't feel good. :(

Today...
is going to be a cuddling day.

Today...
Ian had Art Club. He had to be at school early. He loves going to Art Club.

Today....
I will be going here for a mom's panel.

What are you doing today?

Wordless Wednesday - Hearts

2012-01-18T05:05:00.001-05:00

{Conversation Hearts made by me out of polymer clay.}

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Sunday Citar - Moments

2012-01-15T13:30:00.000-05:00

"There are no ordinary moments." ~ Dan Millman

I was dumping the photos from my i-pod touch the other day and stumbled across these. On the way home from going to see the Muppet Movie and santa we stopped by Anderson's (a local restaurant & custard place) to have dinner.

While I would much rather use my regular camera, it is nice to capture unexpected fun.

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Mini Marshmallows

2012-01-14T05:54:00.004-05:00

When we went on our walk last week, the sun may have been shining but it was chilly. After walking around for a while, our faces were cold. It was perfect to come and have a large cup of hot chocolate.

Last Friday I found these perfect mini marshmallows at Target and new the kids would get a kick out of them. Have you seen them yet? They come in Vanilla and Chocolate. They are those mini mallows that you find in the packets of hot cocoa....the ones you never have enough of and they melt quickly.

I let them sprinkle as many as they wanted in their cups.

The kids had a blast eating them.

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-13T05:56:00.002-05:00

It's no surprise that we LOVE Disney movies in my home. Beauty and the Beast is one of our favorites.

I am NOT a fan of 3-D though. It usually makes me feel like I want to hurl. But I really want to go see Beauty & the Beast in the theaters with my family really bad. Besides LOVING the movie and the musical score, I really wanted to see the new Tangled Ever After short. Tangled is another one of our family favorites.

After reading this blog post by Liz, where she reviewed the new movie, I decided that I should be fine and we are going to see it tonight. YAY!!

Winter Walk

2012-01-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

I live in Buffalo and we have had a very mild winter this year. Other years we have been dumped on, but most of the time that type of snow stays south of where I live. We do on the other hand usually have some sort of snow. This year we have been getting lots of rain instead. (I am sure we will pay for this mild winter...but I am enjoying it while I can.)

Last Saturday the sun was shining and the kids were getting that cooped up craziness that is typical for this time of year, so Jeff & I decided that we should take them to the park and explore.

The kids had a great time, exploring.

It was nice to get some fresh air.

Wordful Wednesday - Fashion Show

2012-01-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

Lily walked by me while I was working on Sunday night and shared that she was going to the fashion show. From what I gather, Ian & Lily were putting on a fashion show for Jeff in the basement. It was hilarious to watch Lily scurry by me with new outfits on every so often on her way back into the basement (her dresses are all upstairs in her room).

When she wears this Belle costume (santa left her under the tree), she leaves a trail of glitter everywhere.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Hi!

2012-01-06T07:06:00.006-05:00

How are you doing today?

Me, you ask?

I think the picture just about sums it up. I am sooo excited it it Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!! :D

Valentine Frame

2012-01-05T06:51:00.002-05:00

When my family came up a few weeks ago, my mom & sister went through all my containers of little clay pieces and snatched a bunch. It was fun to watch them go through what I had made and pull out their favorites. My mom kept asking me if it was ok she took more as she kept adding to her pile. I had to keep reassuring her she could have anything she wanted, I can always make more. :)

While they were going though making their piles I was laughing asking them what they were going to do with them all. I knew they would come up with something fantastic, but I was curious. They are both really creative in their own right.

My sister grabbed a whole set of Angry Birds and after going back and forth with what she wanted me to do with them (she originally wanted some sort of ornament) she settled on magnets. I can still remember her telling me last year to make Angry Birds.

So with them in mind and the cute little bird I posted in the last post, I made this little frame yesterday.

I started out with a dollar store frame and a few of my Valentine's flat back clay bow centers.

I preferred the frame to be white instead of the silver, so I spray painted it. Then I added the little clay pieces to the frame with hot glue. Typically I would use E6000 because I find it has a better bond with the clay, but I wanted to take photos before the sun went down today. And here it is....my cute little Valentine's frame with my little man in it.

Now I just need to make another one and put my other sweetie in it.

Linking to these parties, here.

Wordless Wednesday - Tweet

2012-01-04T05:15:00.002-05:00

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Grandchildren

2012-01-02T18:18:00.000-05:00

For Christmas we gave my husband's mom a frame. A frame that had a saying about grandmas. I typically would give a frame with a photo in it. This time I put a post it note where the picture would be. I wrote, "This space is where a picture of all your grandchildren go." While I have LOTS of photos of my kids that I could put in the frame, there are no photos of all of the grandkids together. I decided to rectify that this year.

Here is one of their silly takes.

Thank you guys for sitting for the photo. (I know how much you ~~LOVE~~, ~~hate~~, tolerate my camera.) Your grandmother will love it.

Sunday Citar - New Year, New Adventures!

2012-01-01T16:59:00.000-05:00

"The secret for success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." Benjamin Disraeli

On December 1st my husband started a new adventure. He COMPLETELY changed career paths. It was a scary and exciting time for both of us.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may already know my husband is an optician (he dispenses contact lenses and glasses). He has worked for a few optical companies since getting his license (you have to be licensed in NYS) and had worked for 8yrs at his last location.

So instead of being an optician, he is now a Jr. Developer for a company out of Tennessee. Yep, couldn't be any more different than being an optician. Over the last 8 months, there were lots of late nights and weekends, his friend (who works for the same company) taught my husband computer coding. I could not be more proud of my husband & grateful to his best friend since childhood for teaching him. Jeff worked really hard and he picked it up quickly. Because the company is out of Tennessee, Jeff gets to telecommute every day. It has been an adjustment on all of us having him home every day. This job has been such a blessing, I have not seen Jeff this happy in a while. He is beaming every day when he goes to work...in the basement. :D

My favorite part of this job is the kids & I get to see more of him. When he was an optician he worked more than 40 hours a week and there were at least 2-3 late nights where he come home after the kids went to bed. Now we get to eat dinner with him every night and can pop downstairs and give him a hug if we need to.

Here's to a New Year and new adventures!

Valentine Sneak Peeks.

2011-12-29T21:47:00.000-05:00

After cleaning up all my Christmas decorations (I usually wait until after the new year....but really wanted to take them down while I had time),
Spending way too much time on pinterest,
Catching up on tiVo'd tv,
and dealing with sick kids,
I decided it was time to break back out the clay.

Here are a couple sneak peeks of what I made today...

{these are bow centers made out of polymer clay}
They are all baked up now (along with lots of conversation hearts) and ready to have a photo shoot tomorrow. :)

Linking to these parties, here.

Bliss

2011-12-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

While I was working on my "project" this holiday, I came across these 2 photos.

They make me happy & melt my heart.

These were taken on our vacation at the Ohana character breakfast in the Polynesian. We did lots of character meals on our trip and this was my FAVORITE! The funny thing is when I booked this meal (for the day we left), I did it because I didn't know if we would see stitch and wanted to guarantee my son his wish. He is Ian's FAVORITE and was one of the only characters he wanted to see. Ian saw him many times during our trip and this was by far my favorite "Stitch".

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

mermaids...

2011-12-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

About a week ago, my family came up to visit from PA. It was so nice to see my parents and my sister's family.

While they were here, I asked my nieces if they would like me to make them a mermaid lala ornament.

First I sat down with the youngest and she picked out her colors and hairstyle.

Then I took the my other nieces order...she picked alot of sparkly clay.

When Lily saw me creating the one above she decided she wanted one of her own...with what she called a bun bun on her head.

Christmas Memories 2011

2011-12-26T09:30:00.000-05:00

The kids always have so much fun Christmas morning. They both woke up and pulled everything out of their stockings. Santa leaves the stockings on the foot of their beds in our house. Our kids are not allowed down stairs to check out what santa left them until we go down first. It is a tradition my parent's started when I was a child. I can still remember going into my sister's room and comparing what santa left us in our stockings waiting until we could go wake up our parents to go downstairs and open the presents santa left under the tree.

The kids patiently waited for us to wake up...LOL...not sure how patient they really were. Then they tore through the wrapped gifts in nothing flat.

Sadly after Lily opened her presents, she asked Jeff to open one of the boxes up...played with it all of 2 minutes and curled up on Jeff's lap. Unfortunately Lily got sick Christmas eve (she had a fever all day, her voice sounds terrible, she threw up around dinner time & ~~had~~ sill has a stuffed up nose).

She spent most of Christmas day with fever and a box of tissues close by. Poor little girl. Her nose is so sore.

We had to rethink our Christmas plans (we usually spend Christmas with our friends) and stayed home instead. We ordered Chinese, built legos, played ponies, watched tv, played video games and relaxed. I took the time to organize & order the prints for Ian & Lily's autograph books from our Disney trip and create a special scrapbook with pictures from our trip.

Last night Lily hardly slept at all. Her nose was & still is so stuffed and as soon as she would blow her nose it would fill right back up again. Poor kid looks terrible. Looks like she is going to spend her Christmas vacation recovering. Crossing fingers no one else gets it. :(

Sunday Citar - Christmas

2011-12-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

Hope everyone has a magical day!

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T05:42:00.001-05:00

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!

Parties

2011-12-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Today was the day for school Christmas parties.

Over the last couple days, I made owls for Ian's class and gingerbread girl & boy heads for Lily's class.

Lily came home from school yesterday with this ADORABLE t-shirt the teachers made for each kid. Everyone wore them to the party today.

It was TOO cute!

She was super excited to go to her party.

I missed taking photos of Ian before he went to school. (My eyes were not quite working right by the time he walked out the door.) I did take some when he got home this afternoon. Glad I waited.

He was proud of his gingerbread house. I have been told that is Santa and his sleigh to the right.

And because I am a sucker for close ups.

Tomorrow we are off to another family party. Do you go to lots of parties during the holiday season?

Lily's Birthday

2011-12-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about how it took us almost a week to sing Lily happy birthday and have cake. We didn't make her wait for her presents though. As soon as my son came home from school last Wednesday, Lily ripped open her packages.

She told me weeks before she wanted Bizus, Suzette Lalaloopsy and clothes for her Lalaloopsy.

She was super excited when she opened all of her packages to see she got everything she asked for along with a new mini Lalaloopsy doll (the halloween one named Candy Broomsticks).

(GO MOM...yes, I am patting myself on the back for getting everything she asked for.)

Wordful Wednesday - Better late than never..

2011-12-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

Lily's birthday was a week ago today.

But we had cake and sang her "Happy Birthday" yesterday afternoon.

Because we went to see Ian's Christmas concert on her birthday, we had planned on doing the cake thing on Saturday with my family (they came up this past weekend to visit), but completely forgot. Lily reminded me on Monday that we didn't have cake....oops! So yesterday after school we went to the grocery store and Lily picked out an ice cream cake.

Happy Birthday sweetie! Thanks for being so patient.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Proud Moments

2011-12-16T20:13:00.000-05:00

Last year was the first year that Ian was able to play an instrument. Ian along with every other 4th grader wanted to sign up to play. I have to admit, I personally was against Ian playing an instrument. Not because I don't like band or that I didn't think he would do well. It was because I did not want to fight over anymore homework. Most of the time I felt like was pulling teeth for him to do his normal schoolwork and didn't need any more aggravation. My husband agreed to be the bad guy with this one and we were the proud renters of a Jr Tuba. A few months and a couple band teachers and he was playing a jr. tuba and doing really well with it.

Fast forward to this year. He is still in band, playing a regular tuba instead of the jr one & joined chorus (along with every other 5th grader). He is also in the Jazz Band and is going to be in the District Band. I am very proud of him.

Wednesday was his holiday concert. His first concert. He was soooo nervous.

Before the concert I took some photos of Ian with his friend and few of the girls...

Lily looked so grown up...

First he sang.

Then he played...LOL, the instrument is so big you can't see his face!

There he is....

Such a proud moment seeing my baby up on stage.

Wordful Wednesday - Happy Birthday

2011-12-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday to Lily!!

How time flies by.

5yr old Lily...
-Love going to preschool. Enjoys going to library and centers. The bean table center is her favorite. Already have words on her key chain.
-Loves to play with My Little Ponies, Bizus, Dolls, stuffed animals, lalaloopsies and dress up.
-Love to "give daddy a haircut".
-Loves anything sweet.
-Loves to play with mommy's ipod touch.
-Favorite tv shows are Sesame Street (abby's flying fairy school & bert and ernie's adventures), Cat in the Hat, Spongebob, My Little Ponies & Winx Club.
-Loves to draw and color. She is really good with staying in the lines. She could do crafts all day.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!! Hope your day is wonderful!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,, The InfoMouse & Fresh Mommy.

Tis the Season

2011-12-12T19:06:00.000-05:00

For mounds of ornaments like this...

and this...

I have been one busy elf.

Off to go make more....

Wordful Wednesday - Lily's Drawings

2011-12-07T07:25:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I was shopping at Target and bought some really cute Christmas POP by Funko Vinyl dolls. They had 2 for a "Year without a Santa Claus" (my husband's FAVORITE Christmas movie) and 3 for "Rudolph". My husband and kids LOVE them.

Lily has been drawing and coloring alot lately. Those vinyl dolls inspired her to draw Rudolph. OH MY, HOW CUTE!!

Once Jeff came home from work as saw her ADORABLE Rudolph he asked her to draw the Heat Miser for him.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

Wordful Wednesday - Pirates

2011-11-30T08:05:00.003-05:00

Tis the holiday season. My house is all decorated and I have been really busy working on orders.

A while back I was asked to made Jake and Izzy Ornaments...

Last week I made Scully...

And then this weekend I posted sneak peak of my newest addition to the gang....any idea of who I was making?

Here is a better look at him on my clay table...

Yep...I am loving how Captain Hook turned out.

{You can find these ornaments here.}

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

I am also linking up to these parties, here.

Family

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago my husband's Aunt, Uncle and cousin were in town. It was great to see them. This was the first time we met little Ethan. He was born one day after Lily's birthday last year.

Lily followed him around and played little mommy. She read to him and even helped feeding him.

It was wonderful seeing everyone again.

Wordful Wednesday - Swedish Tomton

2011-11-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

Been a busy little elf in my studio. :)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

The Grinch Stole Christmas

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Narrator: As the Grinch took the tree, as he started to shove, he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who. Little Cindy Lou Who, who was no more than two. She stared at the Grinch and said...

Cindy Lou Who: Santie Claus, why? Why are you taking our Christmas tree? Why?

Narrator: But do you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick, that he thought up a lie and he thought it up quick.
Grinch: Why my sweet little tot...
Narrator: The fake Santie Claus lied...
Grinch: ...there's a light on this tree that won't light on one side. So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear. I'll fix it up there, then I'll bring it back here.
Narrator: And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head, he got her a drink, and he sent her to bed. And when Cindy Lou Who was in bed with her cup, he crupt to the chimney and stuffed the tree up. Then he went up the chimney himself, the old liar, and the last thing he took was the log for their fire. On their walls, he left nothing but hooks and some wire. And the one speck of food that he left in the house was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.

Wordful Wednesday - 2011

2011-11-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

This is what going to grandma & grandpa's house looks like in the year 2011.

All of the grandchildren on some electronic device. (My other nephew, not in the photo, is in the opposite corner with his cell phone out.)

Funny how things have changed since I was a kid.

I can still remember my cousins bringing their Nintendo with the original Mario bros with them to my grandparents house and watching him play it in my grandparent's family room. Am I showing my age? ;P

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

Wordful Wednesday - Peas

2011-11-09T05:03:00.001-05:00

{Peas in Pod Ornament can be found here}

I have been so busy with orders lately. I really loved how this custom order turned out.

How many peas are in your pod? :)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

Halloween

2011-11-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

I know I am a week late posting these photos. Time seems to be getting away from me lately.

Ian and Lily were Anakin Skywalker and Cinderella for Halloween this year. I took a few photos of the kids before we left to met up with friends for our annual trick or treat tradition.

Thankfully it was warm this year. The kids only needed a few layers under their costumes. I was grateful that the time change happens after Halloween now...it was nice to have some daylight while trick or treating.

Here is a group shot of all the kids together before we went out...my friend's kids were the circus...(ring master, clown, tiger & strong man)

Holiday Season 2011

2011-11-07T15:34:00.001-05:00

The holiday season has arrived in my house.

Did you know there is only 47 days until Christmas?

****A little service announcement about my shop****

I am going to stop taking CUSTOM orders the 1st of December until the new year. So if you have anything special in mind please contact me ASAP and I can let you know if I can make it and how much it will be. (Please note; custom orders are items I have never made before. I can change colors and remake things you may find in my Facebook albums.)

Other than that, I have no plans on a cut off for all regular orders. (This may change.)
You can purchase my items through my website here; http://www.whimsicalcreations.bigcartel.com/.

My turn around is 7-14days from payment on orders right now and I am hoping to keep it that way for the next 5wks. Once orders are shipped, I can not guarantee the post office times. With that in mind, if you have something you would like to purchase, I would do it sooner rather than later.

Here is to a happy holiday season!! :)

Wordful Wednesday - Beauty

2011-11-02T15:14:00.000-04:00

Good to see my dad taking photos again...
LOVE it!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse.

One of those days...

2011-10-27T05:04:00.000-04:00

{I found this photo yesterday while looking through my external hard drive. Totally cracks me up and sums up how I felt on Tuesday!

If you follow me on facebook, you already know all about my Tuesday. :(

I busted butt in the am to get all of my packages packed up and ready to go to the post office. YAY for holiday shoppers. After dropping Lils off at school I was going to return videos (watched all of season 3 of True Blood...wishing I had HBO, but it was really cheap to rent. Can't wait to finally see Season 4!) and go to the post office. Well after I dropped off the movies I ran over a piece of metal and ended up with this large hole in my tire...oh crap! I pulled over, watched my tired drain slowly of air and called the Hyundai Roadside assistance and waited.

It was only supposed to be 50min. Well, it wasn't! I waited and waited and called and waited some more. Finally someone came in time and I was on time getting my daughter. I pretty much spent the entire 2.5 hrs she was in school getting a flat tire and having my donut put on.

Thankfully the day wasn't totally a wash. Once I got home I waited a few minutes for Ian to get home and then I ran to the local tire place (btw, Reid's Tires ROCK as usual) to get a new tire and made it to the post office before they closed.

By 5:30pm I had finally gotten to the post office, fixed my tire and bought Wendy's for dinner which put me in my happy place trying to forget that Tuesday afternoon ever happened. :)

Ever had "One of THOSE days"?

Wordful Wednesday - 3 Months Ago

2011-10-26T08:57:00.000-04:00

3 Months ago today I was looking at this...

And buying one of these for my son...

Wanting to buy one of these, but taking photos instead...

And having a wonderful time walking "around the world" with my husband.

We had so much fun on our last minute adventure. Dreaming of the day we can do it again. :)

Do you remember what you were doing 3 months ago today?

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse

Sunday Citar

2011-10-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

"If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." ~ Steve Jobs

The day before Steve Jobs passed away a few weeks ago, I got my first I-Pod Touch. It was an early birthday/Christmas preset from my husband. Such an amazing piece of little technology. I had been wanting one for a while now. We have now joined the masses in playing Angry Birds and using Instagram. My kids love all the fun games I uploaded for them. I took the above photo of the Botanical Gardens with it while driving through the park the other day. I even made a stand out of clay for it, so I can watch Hulu Plus while going through my e-mails. ;D

Pssstttt....here is a sneak peek of another Angry Bird ornament I made for a customer last night...

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Wordful Wednesday - Buzz

2011-10-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

"To infinity ... and beyond!"

{Buzz can be found here}

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse

Sunday Citar

2011-10-16T15:12:00.002-04:00

It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes. ~Sally Field

My daughter has a birthmark on her face.

Most of you already know that.

I don't really tend to talk about it much. Mostly because I completely forget it is there. I typically am reminded that it is there when people ask about what we are planning on doing about it or I see a little girl or boy walk up to Lily and ask her what is on her face. Lily responds to the inquiries by stating it's a chocolate birthmark. The kid usually looks at her and says ok and they go about their business. I asked Lily if it bothers her when people ask about it and she just tells me that it's just annoying. (Got to love she even knows what the word annoying is....10yr old older brothers...gotta love them) I explained to her that the person asking probably doesn't know what birthmarks are and were just curious.

I can understand everyone's curiosity but, adults pushing their ideas that we should "do" something about her face...not so much. It is actually really RUDE. I don't mind people asking questions, what bothers me is when people tell me that I have to fix it. WHY? Does it bother you that much?

Don't get me wrong. As her parents, her father & I are concerned about her self esteem as she gets older. There is hair on her birthmark and we am waiting for that 1st kid to make fun of the hair on her face. I know it is inevitable, kids can be cruel and mean.

Over the last 4yrs we have taken Lily to see 2 dermatologists and a few weeks ago we took Lily to see a plastic surgeon. Jeff & I just wanted to see what he had to say and our options. Turns out that we can not have the hair removed or the mark lighten it at all. We would have to have the whole birthmark removed, which would mean they would surgically remove the top layer of skin and the layer underneath it where the hair follicles are. Long story short, she would have 2 surgeries and we would be trading a birthmark for a scar. Not a huge scar & it would be in the natural contour of her smile, but a scar non the less. Right now the surgery is not right for Lily, she has expressed that she likes her birthmark and does NOT want it gone. As for the hair, we were told we can shave it. She does NOT want to shave the hair either. Personally I would like her to let us shave it, but we are respecting her feelings.

She is happy just the way she is.

And so are we. :)

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Wire Pumpkin Tutorial

2011-10-15T10:58:00.006-04:00

I found this tutorial and had to make them.

Each pumpkin is $1.00ea and so simple to make. First you start with a package of floral wire from the Dollar Store and a round container. Anything round will do. The larger the circumference the less loops and the larger the pumpkin, the smaller the circumference the smaller the pumpkin and more loops.

Wrap the wire around the container, leaving a bit at the end so you can make a curly.

Take the curl off the cylinder and use twist tie that was on the package of floral wire and twist it in the center like so....

Then fan out the coils, twist the stem and presto....you have a pumpkin.

What a fun and simple craft to do with the kids!

Lily took these to school and gave them to her teachers.

Linking to these parties, here.

Missing...

2011-10-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

Last night I got a weird e-mail from Project Wonderful stating that they suspended my ads on my blog....I went huh? Went to check my blog and it was GONE!! I about had a heart attack. I had such a lump in my throat and felt nauseous.

Not sure what happened...spam bots were at it I guess. Not sure what they considered spam? I have read over the last 3yrs this happening to people, but never had to deal with it.

THREE years of content flashed before my eyes. All that work and time spent, GONE. I clicked the help button and they directed me through a few steps and called me with a verification code and then my blog was back up. THANKFULLY!

I have created blog books in the past through Blurb, but really need to catch up with the last few.

Now I, like many other people, are contemplating jumping ship from Blogger and going over to wordpress. Have you made the switch? Do you like it better?

And because I feel the need to share a random photo that makes me smile.....

{flying Halloween Fairy}

Wordful Wednesday - Hello Beautiful!

2011-10-12T04:06:00.001-04:00

Last week when I left to take Lily to school, we had a beautiful surprise. This beautiful butterfly in our flowers. The kids have been waiting patiently to see if the flowers we got from Disney would in fact bring butterflies like the butterfly exhibit where they were passing the package of seeds out.

The beautiful butterfly was there when I went back to pick Lily up and when we got home. These Zinnias have been the free gift that keeps on giving. My husband & I cut off a bunch of heads so we can replant them next year. They are so beautiful and are still blooming new flowers.

<-----------Please click here and vote for my photo. Today is the last day to vote. Thank you soooo much!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse

Magical Moments

2011-10-06T05:03:00.003-04:00

It is not a surprise I like to enter contests/giveaways. When I read about Funjet's Fairytale to Adventure contest on Facebook, I HAD to enter. Now all the entries are in and the voting has begun. The top 3 photos will win a vacation to Disney with a chance to stay in Cinderella's castle. Can you imagine?!?! That would be AMAZING!

Please click here and vote for my photo. You can vote DAILY until October 12th.

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!! :)

Wordful Wednesday - Siblings

2011-10-05T08:12:00.002-04:00

Ian & Lily are like any other brother and sister.

They act like this...

and not more than 10 min later they are getting on each others nerves and fighting. *sigh*

These photos were taken a couple weeks ago when we went Apple Picking at Watt Farms. Lily & I were waiting for Jeff & Ian to get back from going to the bathroom before we got on the train to go out to the orchard. Evidently they missed each other for those 5min?

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, & The InfoMouse

Angry Birds

2011-10-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

I have been busy lately creating all sorts of new items the last couple weeks.

Angry birds and Evil Pigs made their way onto my clay table...

Here are a couple of sneak peeks of them...

The blue bird was my son's request.

They are for ornaments...

{Angry Bird Ornament can be found here}

Which Angry Bird is your favorite? Or do you like a specific Evil Pig?

I have a confession to make. I have only played angry birds a couple of times. I know the horror! I do not own a smart phone, i-pad, or i-pod touch. I played it at the Apple Store in the mall last spring. My kids have played the game before with my sister's i-pod touch.

Linking to these parties, here.

Miss Ladybug

2011-09-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

One day last month while playing outside, we stumbled upon a ladybug.

It had a wing that would not go back in.

Lily and the ladybug became fast friends. For almost an hour Lily giggled watching her new friend crawl around her hands.

It was fun to watch Lily's amazement while the ladybug traveled over her hands.

She kept walking around the yard talking to her new friend.

It was sad when we had to say good bye. We put our new friend in our zinnias and went in to have dinner.

Right after dinner Lily ran outside to see if her friend was still there. Sadly she wasn't. I had to tell Lils that her friend had to go home to visit her family.

Wordful Wednesday - Fast Forward

2011-09-28T05:00:00.000-04:00

When we drove to Florida a couple months ago, we stopped about 1/2 way down in Statesville, SC and stayed at the Red Roof. We stopped at around 10:30pm.

Since my kids are early risers we never need to set an alarm. I woke up at 6:30 and started getting ready. But strangely enough everyone else was still asleep. Anyway I kept getting ready and woke Jeff up. Then we woke up Ian and lastly Lily. Once everyone was ready we gathered our belongings and opened up the door. Much to all our surprise it was still DARK outside. Jeff looked at me and said "Don't tell me it's 4am!?!" HUH? The clock by the bed said 7:30am...I had made sure it was the correct time when we checked in. That is when I pulled my watch out of my purse (I had left my phone in the car)....it was 3:45AM. I couldn't stop laughing. Needless to say we got to Disney early, but TIRED!

Lily just keep staring into space....even when her brother started to bother her...

It was flipping hilarious.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Not Feeling Like Fall

2011-09-26T16:42:00.000-04:00

{you can find Pumpkin Mickey here}

If you walk outside today in WNY it doesn't feel much like fall, it feels more like summer. It is hard to get into the fall mood. We went apple picking this past weekend and we went to look for 'fall' items for Lils to take to school. We did find a bunch of red & yellow leaves. What is the weather like in your neck of the woods today?

Flashback Friday

2011-09-23T07:16:00.004-04:00

November 4th, 1997

My 24th Birthday

Tops Markets Inc.

The people I worked with ROCKED! When I came to work on my birthday this is what they did to my cube. It totally made my day. They were so sweet and even had a cake for me. It's wild to look back at these photos. I was so young.

I had started this job of August of that year. I was an Office Supervisor for the Demo Department at Tops Markets Inc. in their Corporate Office. Tops Markets is a supermarket chain that is based out of Buffalo. I basically billed vendors for the demonstrations (those ppl who hand you food to try at the stores) along with other duties. After a couple years of working there Tops sold the department to another company, but I stayed with Tops doing the same thing but only I moved to the accounting department. The last day I worked there was the day I gave birth to my son on July 18, 2001. When I was pregnant the company had decided to move our accounting department to another location....I was to be 'laid off' the Friday after I had my son so I ended up laid off after maternity leave. While I love being a SAHM, I do miss that job.

Designer Princesses

2011-09-22T06:58:00.000-04:00

I absolutely LOVE the new designer princesses. Love the look and feel of the the drawings.

Not that I am a doll collector, I personally love the artwork that was created for this designer line.

I am having a hard time choosing a favorite. Which one is yours?

Wordful Wednesday - Sweet Pumpkin

2011-09-21T05:20:00.006-04:00

{you can find her here}

I am thinking Lily needs one of these as a necklace or a clip. :)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Lily's Necklace

2011-09-19T06:22:00.000-04:00

While my kids love the clay pieces I make, they typically do not ask me to make things for them. It is just second nature for them to see me sitting at the table playing with clay.

When Lily walked over to me while I was working a few days before school started and asked for me to make a necklace for her first day of school, I felt like I needed to do something special just for her.

She gave me direction....telling me exactly how she wanted her lalaloopsy dressed and all of the colors.

I talked Lily into the bare feet and I am glad I did....they are too cute!

Sunday Citar - Girls

2011-09-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.~ CoCo Chanel

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Back to School Time

2011-09-17T11:20:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks have been a whirl wind.

Over Labor Day weekend we went on our annual camping trip and right after we got back, the kids went back to school.

I am still trying to get into a routine. I am wondering how long that will take.

Ian started 5th grade on the 5th of this month. We are looking forward to a new year and a new experience, long story I should share someday. He got the teacher he wanted (the first time he has had a male teacher) and he couldn't be more excited.

He is getting so big....I can now fit into his shoes. *sigh*

Lily had to go outside and watch her big brother get on the bus.

Because Lil's (I have now taken to calling her that) birthday is 14 days past the cut off date (Dec 1st) to start Kindergarten this year, she started UPK on the 7th. UPK (universal pre-k) is a free program provided to all pre-schoolers in our school district. Ian went when he was that age and he LOVED it. It is 2.5 hours, 5 days a week.

She picked out her special outfit and asked me to make a special necklace to match.

She was excited and a bit nervous.

She got in line, listened to instructions and walked away to class.

I knew she was ready to go and I thought was ready. I knew she would love it and would be fine. I could not be happier with her teacher, she had been Ian's Kindergarten teacher. But...after I dropped her off, I cried a bit in the car as I drove away...I was a bit sad to she her all grown up and so ready for school. It is strange to have the house to myself for a couple hours alone.

Miss sassy pants had a fantastic time!

Here's to a new school year. :)

10 years ago

2011-09-11T14:47:00.003-04:00

Remembering everybody that lost their lives 10 years ago today.

Such a tragic event that changed the world.

Like the rest of the world, I remember that day like it was yesterday. On Sept 11th, 2001, I was a new mom. Ian was not quite 2 months old yet. We were living in a 2 bedroom apartment on Walden Ave. I remember turning on the tv only to see the images on GMA of thick smoke coming out of the world trade center and they did not know what had caused it. I went back into my bedroom and woke up Jeff and told him what was happening. At that time I went down to our laundry room to put a load in the drier. When I came back upstairs Jeff looked at me and said a plane had hit the tower. Then he clarified...a second plane hit the second tower and he watched it happen on live tv. It was like time stood still. What? Huh? I remember uttering the words, "those poor people that were on the plane". My husband quickly added, "those poor people in the building". Never would I imagine I would sit and watch those towers fall. The following week was such a blur. I spent MANY hours just glued to the tv watching all of the coverage and crying. I just could not get over all of the horrific images.

About 5 months later we moved from that apartment on Walden Ave. to the town we currently reside in.

Shortly after the attacks I found out that the same architect who designed the World Trade Center (Minoru Yamasaki) also designed One M & T Plaza (1967) in the city of Buffalo. It is the building in the center of the photo below. It looks like 2 towers side by side attached in the center.

Where were you when you heard the news?

T'was the night before school started

2011-09-05T18:00:00.001-04:00

T'was the night before school started, and all through the town, the parents were cheering a great big riotous sound! By nine the clean kids were all tucked into bed where bad memories of homework filled them with dread! New pencils, new folders and new notebooks too! Thoughts of new teachers, new friends as their anxiety grew! The PARENTS just giggled when they learned of this fright and shouted to all
"GET YOUR ASS BACK IN BED, IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!!

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Wordful Wednesday - Dress Up

2011-08-31T09:12:00.000-04:00

Over the last few weeks this is what Lily has been doing with all of her hair accessories. She has been making her stuffed animals look fabulous.

When I asked to take photos of her masterpiece she was super happy.

This unicorn she won at the fair and the wings she bought herself at the fair.

Can't leave out "sherbet guide" and "U-nie" (her mini unicorn pillow pet). Yes, she named them all by herself. :)

Gorgeous!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Neverland Pirates

2011-08-26T21:07:00.000-04:00

They're jolly buccaneers.

Lily loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The mermaid & princess episodes are her favorite.

{Jake and Izzy ornaments can now be found in my shop.}

Bloom

2011-08-25T10:29:00.000-04:00

When we went to Disney they were having their flower and garden show going on at Epcot. When we walked through the butterfly exhibit they were giving the kids a packet of butterfly flowers. We finally got around to planting them when we came home. The zinnias are blooming now. They are soooo pretty. It's such a nice reminder of out family vacation.

Wordful Wednesday - Jack

2011-08-24T08:42:00.000-04:00

"Its not the destination so much as the journey." - Captain Jack Sparrow

I know it is no where near Christmas, but I have had many requests....

I have started to add ornaments to my shop.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Thank you for stopping by my entry for this weeks letter. This blog meme was created by Heidi. You can stop by her blog to see more entries for the letter of the week.

Boots

2011-08-18T16:27:00.001-04:00

{you can find these boots here}

Love when I can bring a smile to a customer's face. These combat boots were a pleasure to create.

Wordful Wednesday - Fair Time

2011-08-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. The Erie County Fair is here. We went once last week as a family and yesterday I took my kids & nephew for a few hours to walk around.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Eek...

2011-08-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

I can not believe Fall & Halloween is just around the corner!

{These are the Halloween/Fall bow centers I have listed in my shop.}

Computers

2011-08-11T08:24:00.002-04:00

Have you ever spilled anything on your keyboard? Yeah, I know we all should be more careful. No drinks near electronics. I know, I know...but crap happens.

Well, about a month ago I spilled my full glass on Diet Coke on the side of my laptop. Yes, it got on my keys and at first I thought everything was fine. My laptop worked ok or so I thought. Later that night I had 'sticky keys'. My control key was stuck. Soooooo frustrating. I popped off the keys and cleaned them with alcohol and the next morning it seemed all was well. I seriously thought I was going to have to purchase a new laptop.

Fast forward a few weeks. We went on vacation and I took my laptop with me. While downloading my photos one afternoon while on vacation my laptop started acting strange. I tried typing and it certain keys would not work. Sigh. Once I got home, I quickly realized that the control key was stuck again. Cleaning it was not working. Half the time the keyboard worked properly and the other half the control key was stuck. You know how frustrating it is typing when all of a sudden new windows pop open along with other things? I really thought my laptop was a goner.

Then I searched keyboard and my laptop info on you-tube and it turns out replacing the keyboard on a Dell Inspiron 1545 is EASY!! I ordered my keyboard off of ebay for $14.00 shipped and once it arrived it took me less than 10min to replace. I was very proud of myself. YAY!

And YES, I have learned my lesson. I am now drinking out of this....

Perfect use for my Disney Cup. :)

Wordful Wednesday- Destination

2011-08-09T21:28:00.001-04:00

Last week I wrote about how my husband & I went on a getaway.

We flew out at 6am and arrived in Orlando, FL 2.5hrs later. Not sure if I have ever said this before, but I HATE flying....love getting to our destination quickly, but hate take-offs and landings. I have gotten better, but I am still not fond of it.

Once we arrived we hit the ground running...we checked in to our hotel went straight to the park.

Yep, we went back to Disney, just the 2 of us. Our Anniversary was on the 11th of July and we had decided to celebrate by going to Disney. At first I felt a bit guilty going without my kids, but that feeling wore off quickly. We had a great time just hanging out trying new things. Our goal this trip was to eat at different restaurants and go on some rides we had never gone on before and we did just that. We also decided to go hotel hopping and see what they were like. You know, things children do not like doing. We had a blast.

Cheers!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Flying

2011-08-02T21:00:00.000-04:00

WOW, it's been a while since I posted. That's because I was working hard so I could go off and have some fun.

If you follow me on Facebook, you are already aware that I did not have internet access all of last week. What most people (except a small few) knew was my husband & I took a mini vacation with out the kids. It was nice to get away by ourselves for a while.

We saw some birds on our getaway...

Any guesses on where we went? :)

Happy 10yrs!

2011-07-18T21:03:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Ian!!

{bought card here}

10yrs ago today you blessed us as we became 1st time parents. Time has flown by so fast!

We have been celebrating Ian's birthday for the last 3 days and he is also going to be celebrating it again on Wed at my parent's house. On Saturday we took him out for a birthday dinner to his restaurant of choice (Red Lobster) and we all sang him happy birthday over his Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie dessert he wanted. On Sunday we went to grandma & grandpa's house to have cake (he had to have a ice cream Oreo cake). Tonight I made him a dinner of his choice. He chose sausage gravy & biscuits. And then we had another cake....

Ahhhh....to be 10 again! Happy double digits my little man!

(If you would like to read more about Ian's nightmare of a birth story, you can go here.)

On a small note; I started this blog 3yrs ago today!! =)

Goodies

2011-07-15T16:37:00.000-04:00

Lots of goodies are going out tomorrow. =)

Photography Equipment

2011-07-14T15:17:00.001-04:00

Over the last few days between making lots of new items (wow, I have been busy) I have been able to play with my father's new lens. It is nice that he has the same brand camera I have. Here are a few of the photos I took with his 100-300 macro lens.

Thank you for letting me try it out. =)

Wordful Wednesday - Tow Mater Fun

2011-07-12T19:52:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago the Disney Store's Facebook Fan Page had a contest. It was a Car's contest. To enter you needed to upload a photo of a cars character. I entered this photo I took at Hollywood Studios. When I checked back to see the finalists I never saw my photo so I figured oh well, better luck next time. Well, Tuesday afternoon I received an e-mail from Disney stating my photo won second prize! How cool is that! Thank you!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus Parenting by Dummies, & The InfoMouse

Thank you for stopping by my entry for this weeks letter. This blog meme was created by Heidi. You can stop by her blog to see more entries for the letter of the week. =)

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T06:10:00.000-04:00

Hope you are having a wonderful 4th of July!!

Nemo

2011-07-01T05:46:00.001-04:00

You can find him here in my new shop.

Irish Eyes

2011-06-30T05:26:00.000-04:00

Absolutely amazed at their beauty...

Doing a little happy dance. =)

Wordful Wednesday - Kitty

2011-06-29T05:18:00.003-04:00

You can find her here in my new shop. =)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

Sunday Citar - Beauty

2011-06-26T10:15:00.001-04:00

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last year I planted these Irish Eyes and they really never came up. This year the seeds I planted last year decided to grow. I am beyond excited! I fell in love with these flowers a couple years ago when we visited Niagara On The Lake.

Last year I planted these Irish Eyes, and they never really came up. This year the seeds decided they were going to grow. I am beyond excited!

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Getting Dressed

2011-06-25T06:02:00.000-04:00

Lily has taken to getting her clothes out and getting dressed on her own. I looked up and this is what I saw yesterday.

Loving the posing she does.

She was especially proud of her hair.

Army

2011-06-24T12:01:00.001-04:00

Last weekend for father's day we went to visit my parent in PA. We typically spend father's day here. My husband usually goes golfing and then we go and visit my husband's father. This year my husband suggested we go and spend Father's day with my dad. My father's birthday is the week before Father's day and this year he turned 60. We bought him a DSLR camera for his birthday/Father's day. After about a year of being without a camera (his film slr is broken) he is now back in action and not tethered to film.

While I was showing my father all about his camera and photo editing software....I looked over and noticed that Ian had decided to make an army of animals....

He said he was setting them up to have a battle.

For Dad

2011-06-23T06:08:00.000-04:00

This one is for you...

Wordful Wednesday - Marie

2011-06-22T07:51:00.001-04:00

Lily LOVED seeing Marie. After we visited with her, Lily decided she had to go buy a Marie stuffed animal.

I entered this photo in a contest over on facebook. I would appreciate it if you clicked here and "liked" the photo. THANK YOU sooooo much!

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

Identity crisis

2011-06-21T08:21:00.002-04:00

Sunday Citar - 4yr old Wisdom

2011-06-19T06:41:00.002-04:00

"Mr. Tom, Mr. Tom...ya know, if meatballs didn't have any meat, then they would just be balls!" Lily, 4yrs old

Lily shared this info out of the blue while we were out to dinner a few weeks ago with friends after an afternoon of fun riding rides. :)

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Customs

2011-06-18T07:50:00.000-04:00

I have been making lots of customs lately. (thus the lack of posts) Here is just one of them.

Sunday Citar - Belle

2011-06-12T09:35:00.001-04:00

Gaston, you are positively prime evil. ~Belle

Lily's new obsession is watching Beauty and the Beast OVER AND OVER again. Every morning she comes down and asks for it to be put on again. Once it ends she asks immediately to watch it again. Over the last couple days Lily asks me what Belle means by Prime Evil every time she hears the quote.

Thank you for stopping by my entry for this weeks letter. This blog meme was created by Heidi. You can stop by her blog to see more entries for the letter of the week. =)

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Wordful Wednesday - Faux hawk

2011-06-08T13:03:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Ian declared it was time to go chop off all that long hair. He decided he wanted a Faux Hawk. I wish I would have brought my camera with me to take photos of the hair dresser cutting his hair. It was fun to watch because his hair was so long. So instead when we got home I took photos of Ian rocking the Faux Hawk.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

Wordful Wednesday - Magic

2011-06-01T06:45:00.005-04:00

I received my Disney PhotoPass CDs in the mail yesterday. YAY. Definitely glad I pre bought the CD. I haven't printed any yet, so I am not sure of the quality, but from what I was told when I talked to a customer service rep the photo files are large enough to print large photos. After adding all borders and fiddling with sizes I ended up with 555 photos on 2cd's for $100. (there were about 200 original photos) It's nice that I have some family shots that our whole family are in. No missing mom syndrome.

Not to mention those magic shots. Magic Shots ROCK! If you are not familiar with them....here are the details. What you do is when you see a Disney Photographer you ask them if they have a magic shot. If they do they will do that shot after the signature shot they are put there to do. My kids LOVED asking to do this. The photographer will ask you to pose a certain way and then they take a photo. After when you look at the photos a character will be added to them. {Please note...some of my photos were missing the "magic overlay" so I called when I got back home and they added them within 24hrs.} Here is one of mine...

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T06:14:00.000-04:00

Hope you have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day!

{1946, my grandmother & grandfather before he left for Guam.}

Sunday Citar

2011-05-29T09:21:00.003-04:00

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones

This is a perfect quote for my kids lately. Yesterday was a LONG, challenging day for Jeff & I as parents. Both kids were crabby snots, which made us crabby. This photo puts me back in that happy place I would rather be.

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Family....

2011-05-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

Over the last few weeks I have taken HUNDREDS of photos of my family. Yeah, I know, shocker right!?!? Going to Disney for a week and going to a family wedding will do that. I have sooooo many photos I want to blog along with my experiences we had at Disney.

So let me start here. Last Saturday we went to my cousin's wedding. Before the wedding I took photos of my parents and the kids outside of the beautiful church. Mom & dad, these are for you. :)

So I am a sucker for cute kids dressed up.

So when did my baby boy get so old?

These 3 musketeers are going to get into soooo much trouble. They kept singing friends together, friends forever the whole day.

A few days before the wedding, Lily asked me if she could wear her Cinderella costume to the wedding. She wanted to be dressed as a princess, too. I told her she was wearing her princess Lily dress. Lily was super excited to wear that dress because it has tulle to make it fluffy....like the tutu she puts under her Cinderella costume to make it fluffy. =)

Wordful Wednesday - Pooped

2011-05-25T12:17:00.000-04:00

Lily took a nap on the way to the wedding. Love how her mouth is wide open, LOL! =)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

Sunday Citar

2011-05-22T22:56:00.001-04:00

Let all thy joys be as the month of May,
And all thy days be as a marriage day.
~Francis Quarles

Congrats Keri & Chris!! =)

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Heads Up.

2011-05-19T11:29:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to let you know my friend Deb is having a wonderful giveaway. Remember when I wrote about her awesome creations and had a giveaway here? She is giving away a $35gc. To enter, click here.

I am currently in love with her peonies. Stunning.

Wordful Wednesday - Hours

2011-05-18T09:12:00.000-04:00

Yep, I am one of those crazy people who waited in line 2hrs for my children to see Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder.

The kids went with Jeff and road a couple rides while I waited. It really wasn't that bad. The people in front of us were from Buffalo also. They had twin girls that were 10 days older than Lily.

Funny thing is Lily would have been fine not seeing them...we were going to get out of line and go, but Ian really wanted to see Flynn. Yep, my almost 10yr old son thinks Flynn Ryder is cool.

Ian walked away telling me he now just needs a satchel and a goatee and he'll look just like him. Priceless.

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies.

HOT!!

2011-05-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

It was really HOT in Florida! It was 90+ every day. (On average it is typically 10 degrees cooler than it has been.)

Currently it is cold and rainy here in Buffalo....I am missing the sun & heat.

Sunday Citar

2011-05-15T16:59:00.002-04:00

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life! ~Albert Einstein

This photo was taken on Day 2 at the Animal Kingdom on our way into our character breakfast at the Tusker House Restaurant.

Thank you for stopping by Sunday Citar! This blog quote meme was created by Fresh Mommy. You can stop by her blog to see the quotes and photos that she and everyone else is loving right now.

Wordful Wednesday - Wishes

2011-05-10T20:03:00.000-04:00

My son got his wish granted not once, but twice so far this week!! (actually 3 times, but I don't have those shots yet...we got magic shots with stitch today and they turned out soooo cute! If you are not familiar with magic shots you can check out more info here.)

The first day at Magic Kingdom, Ian first thought he wouldn't be able to see Stitch and was in tears...you see when Ian noticed Stitch was there he went over to stand in line and was told Stitch wasn't seeing anymore characters. Ian was heartbroken. Luckly we noticed Stitch came back out (but in a different spot).

Lily was even smitten with Stitch.

Monday at Animal Kingdom we lucked out and stumbled upon both Lilo & Stitch! YAY!

Mission accomplished!! 3x's out of 3 days with photos that have something to do with Stitch, not bad! =)

For more WW check out 5 Minutes for Mom, Seven Clown Circus & Parenting by Dummies

Legos

2011-05-09T07:55:00.000-04:00

One of the places Ian wants to visit this week is the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. He can't wait to spend his money there.

Sunday Citar

2011-05-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

Who fed me from her gentle breast
And hushed me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother.
~Ann Taylor

Hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day!

I know I have shared this photo and that quote before, but I really LOVE them.

Hope everyone has a Happy Mother's Day!