Happy Holidays!

Look who was at the Diva this weekend! We had a very special visit from Santa who obliged us by taking some pictures with the kids. It was a very fun and exciting day for us and we had so many adorable kids come by to see the big guy. Including Nancie's sweet little grandchildren.

Kieran was the only one of my boys brave enough to sit on Santa's lap and he was so thrilled that he took the time to listen to him. So sweet.

And in between the crowd we got this great shot of DeAnne and I telling Santa what we wanted for Christmas.

Busy as usual. Between work and taking care of the boys there's not much time left to post on here but I am really trying. Unsuccessfully as you can see. But life is good, the kid's are great, I love my job and our homelife is fantastic. Of course, if we came into a fat amount of cash that would be great but otherwise, we're happy as clams.

Kieran had a music recital at school and I was so thrilled. He memorized 12 songs! I was so impressed. Afterwards his teacher had hot chocolate and cookies in their classroom. Jim and I were so proud.

So what's going on in my world? Work is great and busy and everyday I walk in there I am grateful. The customers are wonderful and so is my boss who has become so much more than that. She is a great friend and so smart. This job has also put a fire under my butt to start creating again. I didn't know how much I missed it until I actually sat down and started scrapbooking. I've also been taking a lot more pictures and trying to venture outside my box and try new things.

We actually made it out to the Alameda Antique Show a couple of weekends ago. It was freezing but so much fun and HUGE. We were there for almost 4 hours and barely made it halfway through. So much fun and unique stuff.

We saw a ton of vintage dressforms. This was one of my favorites. It had all of these vintage looking tags on it. It was so pretty. And then there was this: All kinds of ugly. I mean, when was this ever a fashion must? And what freakin' backwoods hillbilly was sitting at home while her husband swilled Pabst Blue Ribbon and thought, I could make a fine hat outta that there can.' I can only guess.

Overall, there was some cool stuff but it was pricey and then there was downright c r a p. But well worth traipsing through the freezing cold.

Ok, I'll leave you with this little angel. This is Lily, Nancie's sweet little granddaughter. She has the sweetest little face and the teeniest voice. Love that girl. Gabriel was there also but Gabriel was having nothing to do with Santa because he 'already saw Santa twice'.

Last but certainly not leaset, little Miss Kelsey who is the perfect image of her pretty mommy. This was one of the funnest (is that a word??) days I've had working at the Diva. Seeing their little faces light up and so sweet. Makes you forget all the bad in the world.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and everything else that is celebrated. Enjoy your family, be grateful for all you have and don't waste a minute because it's over before you know it.

Slacker

Yes, I'm a slacker. But not in every part of my life. Just posting on my blog. It's bad, I know. But it was all for a good reason. Like this. Up there. That's me and some of the gals from the new store I'm working at. We had a huge Breast Cancer Benefit Crop a few weeks ago and it was a blast. Throw 30+ women in a room to scrap for 16 hours and see what you get: lunacy. By 1AM we were getting punchy and silly but we had so much fun.

That being said, I have been completely consumed with expansion and move of the store. And it was well worth it because we are all moved in and I have to say, it looks fab-u-lous. It's all pink and black and just so warm and comfy. We added the photography studio and it is all coming together. I am completely in my space with this job. I am so in my element and that makes a huge difference in my life.

So we took the kids out to the Liberty Homecoming Parade last night and then trick-or-treating. The got a TON of candy. And they had so much fun they passed out in the living room. And check out the fancy pumpkin Jim and the boys carved. Love it.

The 2 Batman's are mine and the little lion is Bradley, DeAnne's son. Kieran was doing his best Sean Penn imitation and running from the camera. He was Batman also. Original aren't they? And can I just ask, what the heck happened to making your own Halloween costumes? We spent $60 on costumes! I remember when we used to rummage around my mom's closet and put a costume together. Boy have times changed.

Speaking of times changing, check out my boy:

DeAnne talked him into getting in front of the camera and he looks so handsome and big. I couldn't be any prouder.

OK I will do my best not to let this go for so long again. Really. Have a great weekend and stay dry!!

Busy Little Bee

I have been busy busy busy buy it's all good. I started my new job at Scrap Diva last month (was it only last month??) and I am loving it. The owner is a sweetheart and I just love the people who come in there. Plus it's like 2 minutes from my house so that is great.

Between the new job and the kids starting school I've been running like crazy. They started at the end of July and I am still trying to get used to their schedule. And for the first time, my Jamie is taking the bus home. He has been bugging me for the last couple of years to take the bus but I'm overprotective and kept telling him that mommy is home to taxi his butt back and forth. But this year Jamie and Kie got out of school at different times and it was just impossible for me to pick both of them up. So this little yellow bus is what I wait for everyday. Enzo the bus driver is sweet as heck but if he ever forgets my kid I will go postal. Yes, I am officially psycho mom. But am trying to let go. Just a little.

This little gem is my newest vintage aquisition. It's a fantastic Underwood typewriter that I bought for $5 at a garage sale. FIVE BUCKS! SCORE! And the cool thing is a couple of days later my mom saw one at an antique store for $65! But I'm hanging onto this puppy.

Jim had his company barbeque a couple of weeks ago at this great place called Boomers in Livermore. The kids had a blast riding the go-carts, playing video games and just being kids. They also had mini-golf, bumper boats and laser-tag but there was so much we couldn't do everything. We have been trying to get out and do family stuff every weekend and it is so nice.

We walked to the Farmer's Market this last weekend and the kids loved it. Luckily we went early enough that it wasn't blazing hot. They had a great jazz band playing and tons of local vendors. Check out these grapes. Beautiful! I am on this kick of photographing food and am just loving the various colors and the vibrancy.

Have I told you lately how much I LOVE Brentwood? I swear, it is the best town I have ever lived in. The people are just so nice and it has a great family feel to it. It's a drive out here but so totally worth it.

And have I mentioned the parks? Oh my, we have like a hundred parks out here. This one is called Dino Dig Park. Totally the most awesome park for boys. They have a huge sand pit and if you dig they have fake dinosaur bones buried. The kids loved it because not only did they get to dig for bones but they had permission to get downright dirty. The 5 cups of sand in the van afterwards was proof of the fun they had.

OK peeps, if you haven't come out yet (and you know who you are!) drag your butt out here! Check out my neck of the woods. Call before you come and I'll whip up something for us to munch and drink and then I'll give you the grand tour. We might be small but there's tons to see out here. Plus we have farms galore where you can purchase fresh fruit for a great price.

One for the road....

I hope all your wishes come true baby....

I'm Leaving On a Jet Plane.......

My boy left for Hawaii a little over a week ago. Now I know he's 15 & he's not a baby anymore, but he's my baby. And I put MY baby on a plane by himself to fly across the OCEAN. He was walking to get on the plane & I'm all, 'Don't talk to strangers, don't drink too many energy drinks, don't go too far into the ocean,' & I'm sure all he heard was, 'blah, blah, blah'. Poor kid, he was so scared I was going to cry in front of everyone in the airport. Then I had to watch to make sure the plane took off ok & then sit on pins & needles until I heard from him. So now he's in beautiful Oahu enjoying some much needed time with his uncle. I am so glad he went because he usually has to share his uncle with everyone here.

On the home front, I got a new job here in town. I am so excited but sad to be leaving the cool people I met at MDW (My Daughter's Wish). But it is way closer & a great opportunity for me. It's at Scrap Diva & it's a great store here in Brentwood. Jim & the kids are excited to have me closer to home.

I've finally had some time on my hands so I have made a point of going to some of the local stores here. And what treasures I found! First up is this fantastic store called Maria Neu Interiors & Boutique. This place was amazing to say the least. Her sign alone has been calling my name for months. The owner was really nice & gave me a lot of information about her inventory. She not only has fabulous stuff in her boutique but she also does interior decorating. Just some yummy beautiful stuff. It was very French & had some unique handmade items. Clothes, furniture, art. So here's a peek:

This is a beautiful vintage looking chair. Love it!!!

This was the infant area that had furniture & some beautiful handmade outfits that the owner's friend makes. The designs are called Pixie Bleu Vintage & the designer actually uses vintage lace that she orders from her friend in Paris. Love it!!

I saved the best for last. This picture was stunning to say the least. It was just breathtaking & I fell in love with it. So if you're in the area or even if you're not, stop by, check it out. Drool. It's Maria Neu Interiors & Boutique at 220 Oak Street in Brentwood. She also has a website, MariaNeuInteriors.Com. Good stuff. Oh and look at her window:

Also took a little drive out to the Lafayette reservoir to take the kids for a walk. It was so nice & the weather has been great. Not incredibly hot, just the way we like it. Afterwards we stopped at a little thrift shop nearby & Gavin latched onto the oddest thing. The kid is definitely unique.

We had a great 4th. Spent the day with the kidlets, bbq'd & then we took a drive out to Concord to watch the fireworks. The weather was perfect, just cool enough & a nice breeze. The kids had a lot of fun & so did Jim & I. We did some good family bonding.

Well, I'm off to pack for a crop. God Bless America & remember to thank our service men & women for protecting our country & our freedom.

I'm On A Roll

OK so I've been in a creative funk for like, months. MONTHS. How that's possible is beyond me with all the crap I own. But sometimes you just get funky. Well the funk is gone & I have been a creatin' fool for the last couple of weeks. I have also been taking lots of pictures so I have a ton of goodies to post.

I know I dragged my butt on this but here is the lovely frock I bought at The Vintage House. Isn't it beautiful? And only $14!! I couldn't believe it. It doesn't fit now but it will. I promise!!

I was stumped for a Father's Day gift & was sitting there looking at these little men when it came upon me that they will never be this little again. Someday they will be big, brooding teenagers (right Vinnie?). So I painted a canvas, got their little hands all painted up & made this for Jim. He loved it. I tacked on the most recent pictures I had of them & voila! A work of art.

Anyone who knows me know I can't plant crap. Everything I plant dies. But I am trying to break the cycle & teach the kids to grow stuff. Hopefully they will be more successful than I. Here's a pic of Gavin planting some sunflowers. He was so cute patting the soil down.

I also purchased these cool model kits for $1 at Michael's. Great time killer for the kids on a day too hot to go outside. Like today. They helicopters, tanks, race cars. All kinds of cool stuff just for boys & they had a blast creating their own little projects.

I also got this little gem at The Vintage House. It's an old Kodak Brownie camera & I just love it. It is so cute & while I won't use it, I just love the vintage look of it.

My brother brought this beautiful little perfume bottle back from Kuwait. It is made of brass & the detail is amazing. He is still in Hawaii & we're hoping he'll stay there for a good long time. Vinnie is flying out to visit him next week. He'll be staying there for a couple of weeks & he is so excited to be spending time with his uncle. Plus, he won't have to share him with any of us! When Beto comes home everyone is always competing for his time so now he can spend time exclusively with Vinnie.

And this little beauty is actually a bottle of sake. Jim & I went to our favorite Japanese restaurant for dinner a few weeks ago when I spied this lovely pink bottle perched on top of the sushi bar. I've never had sake but it wasn't bad & we only drank it because I wanted the bottle. It is just such a beautiful soft shade of pink & I loved the name, Sayuri, which means Lily in Japanese. For anyone who has seen 'Memoirs of a Geisha', the lead's name was Sayuri. So pretty.

Last but not least, I scored this pretty at Safeway (Yes, Safeway!) for just $3!! I couldn't pass it up. Not sure what I'll do with it but I'll figure something out.

Stay cool, drink lots of water & spare the air!! It's blazing out there & won't cool off for a couple of days.

Summertime!

Well, almost. Today is the last day of school & I have to admit, I am excited. And aprehensive. Having the boys home all day for the next 45 days will be a lot of work but I am looking forward to sleeping in, going on some outings & just enjoying some time with these little men. My boys are growing faster & faster & I am trying to slow down & savor these moments. On that note, my young man, Vincenzo, just enrolled in some college courses. COLLEGE. Of course, he was kicking & screaming but his dad checked into him getting some extra credits over the Summer & so he's going. Oh, & we're doing this to 'ruin his Summer'. You know, cutting into his sleep, XBox time, whatnot. The important stuff.

So a couple of weeks ago my darling husband talks me into going to a tailgate party at an A's game with his co-workers. Now I've never met these guys & I didn't want to be the only female there but Jim insists, other wives will be there. Right. So we get there & this is what I'm greeted by:

That's a Boston Red Sox shirt. And he wasn't the only one. There were hundreds. The problem? I'm a Yankees fan. I'm wearing a Yankees hat. The Red Sox hate the Yankees. Yes, it's a man thing but this grudge goes waaaaaay back. Like Babe Ruth way back. So I am getting glares, jeers, wiseass remarks from these psycho Boston fans. Then we get to the tailgate & guess what? NO WIVES. Just this:

A bunch of drunken pipefitters. I admit, we had a blast. He works with some very nice guys & I was happy to see Jim in his element. By the way, the A's won. Sorry Boston.

I must brag though. My sweet Kieran received student of the month for May. I am sooooo proud of this boy. This is the boy who cried everyday the first week of school who has blossomed into a boy who loves school. He was so excited & we are so proud of him. We were very lucky that he had an awesome teacher & she was so patient with him. Good job Kie!!

Last note, Gavin is into this show on Nickelodeon called Go Gabba Gabba. One word: SCARY. I mean freaky scary. Like one of those shows that has songs that you just KNOW send subliminal messages. And I just saw Biz Markie on here singing. For those of you youngins' you won't know who he is but for you old folks like me, he was the big fat guy back in the 80's who dressed like Beethoven & sat at a piano singing, Just A Friend. YouTube it. It's so worth the laugh.

GO YANKS!

The Clouds Parted....

and the Angels sang. For on the 18th of May my children actually slept in their beds ALL NIGHT and didn't wake me up! For the first time in EIGHT STINKIN' YEARS I actually slept in my bed all night!!! Yes, I am one of those mothers who gets up when her kids cry in the middle of the night and go sleep in their room. Usually it's Gavin who wakes me up. Or if Jim is snoring like a bear I am like, I need my sleep, and bail out. But 8 years??? Who knew?

Maybe it's a coincidence but on the same day, these two knuckleheads had a birthday:

Jamie turned the ripe old age of 8 and Gavin is now a strapping 4 years old. To celebrate we took them to the dreaded Chuck E. Cheese. And surprisingly, we all had fun including Jim & I. The kids had a blast playing games & even got to see the giant rat do the chicken dance. I can't believe how fast these years have flown by. So we won a bunch of tickets & the kids picked these lovely things:

and the kids had a blast with them. Even got Nana in on the action:

If I had known a cheap pair of Groucho glasses would have provided so much entertainment, I would have bought ten pair.

I am still drooling over the pictures I took at The Vintage House. So have you made the trek out here yet?? Well what are you waiting for???? Time's a wastin'! Jim laughs because everytime we drive by I am craning my neck to see if there's anything new in the window. He calls me the stalker. But it is just such a beautiful store I can't resist.

I loved this red wire dress form but resisted the urge to buy it.

Ain't it perty?

I am in create mode now. I just finished making 22 albums for Kieran's entire kindergarten class. Nothing fancy but it was time consuming as heck. But do you think that stopped me from hording more projects to complete? Heck no! I managed to purchase a dress pattern, an apron pattern and some beautiful fabric to work with. Yes, I am going to try to sew on a sewing machine. So if you see my fingers bandaged up, you'll know why. I am also trying to learn to knit. My mom is showing me & being so patient because she knows I'm the type to get frustrated & give up. And of course, the camera & I are becoming very good friends. Jim is drawing the line at me bringing it to bed (get your mind out of the gutter!) but I am dragging that thing everywhere I go. Which is how I managed to catch this little bugger showing me his muscles wearing Vinnie's old Superman pajamas. I swear, this could would live in pajamas if he could. The best outfit is the Buzz Lightyear pj's with his black cowboy boots. Ya' gotta love it.

Summer is almost here & we can't wait. Jim & the boys are installing the sprinkler system in the backyard & then we can lay the seed for grass. I am praying for a nice backyard by July but we'll see.

I also posted some new blogs on the side. Check 'em out. I am the total blog stalker & have found some amazing sites with beautiful things. Have a great week!!

P.S.

My deepest apologies to those who hated the blasting Bubbly song that came on everytime you visited my blog. I admit, initially I was tickled that I figured out how to do that but then it just got plain irritating. And why was it posted 3x you ask? Well because I am technically challenged and it took me 3x to figure it out & then a day to figure out it posted 3x. DUH! So I have successfully removed the all too cheerful Bubbly song and am now songless. Until I find something else that doesn't make you want to stick an ice pick in your ear.

The Vintage House

Oh my GOD. I have been waiting a few weeks for this place to open down the street from me. There are a couple of antique places out here but this one caught my eye because it is my favorite color of aqua inside. I have literally been stopping in front of this place a couple of times a week and just looking in the window to see what they have. Drool, drool, drool. Practically licking the glass in anticipation of all the loveliness. And today was the day they finally opened and it was well worth the wait. Absolutely beautiful inside and so many goodies!!

I was in heaven just browsing through the store. The owners were super sweet and I scored some cute stuff. I will post pics of those later but in the meantime, here is the beauty of The Vintage House:

It is a beautiful store and the prices were amazing. I can't say enough but I will definitely be returning. So if you're in my neck of the woods, the address is on the door in the picture below. Ignore the reflection of me. I was just so excited I didn't even realize not only was I in the reflection but also that a man was walking out the door as I shot it. I'm sure he was thinking, what is this crazy woman doing and why does she have drool on her chin???

Last weekend was National Scrapbook Day and I was lucky enough to be able to participate with my pals. I haven't cropped in awhile so I had a lot of fun and was so excited to be able to spend the day with Nancie!! It was a long weekend but fun.

This is the super cute wallhanging she made for a class at MDW (My Daughter's Wish). Love it! Her stuff is so amazing.

Busy wrapping up the end of the school year. Less than a month of school and I am busy busy. Love the weather lately because it has been warmer and just beautiful out here. And I have been taking my camera everywhere and getting so many pictures. I would love to post them all but it would be just too boring of a blog. Maybe I should break down and create a Flickr account? If I do, I'll post it if anyone is interested. Have a great weekend!!