as good as it gets.

i really should be studying for my algebra final, but i'm not. my mind just isn't in school mode any longer. good thing the semester is technically over and, once i take that algebra final on thursday morning, i'll be left to my own devices until the spring semester starts in january. what will i do to fill my time? i plan on reading, knitting {go buy a scarf!}, and pretty much nothing else. kidding! i'm sure i'll be just as busy while on break as i usually am while slaving away in grad school.

i know i'm not the only person out there who is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that christmas is less than two weeks away. with our budget being what it is...i'm not even close to being done with christmas shopping. even more upsetting? i was in joann's today & they already have valentine's day crap on display. what the what? bah humbug!

speaking of christmas, i ordered stockings from pottery barn. adam flipped out about the price of each stocking {yeah, that's the last time i leave a packing slip laying on the counter}. as for me? i flipped out about this bullhonkery:

{gotta love a cell phone pic on the fly}

seriously, did somebody hit up happy hour before their shift? pottery barn is sending me two new stockings with the embroidery done properly. at least i hope they really are...the feedback on their facebook page is not good. {and, yes, i posted this pic there as well.}

last week, malia went with my parents to say goodbye to nono. she insisted. i let her go. the vet's office called to make sure malia was doing okay. good gracious is that office filled with compassion & love or what? we pick up nono's ashes on wednesday. {this past sunday, my mom said she woke up and said, "i need to let nono out." broke. my. heart.}

if my christmas tree gets peed on one more time, i'm going to do & say things i'll regret. well, no, not really. i'm using a pet deterrent spray, but apparently one of my boys LOVES our $15 martha stewart faux tree. {yes, $15...how's that for an after christmas clearance blue lights special??}

since i seem to be on a christmas kick, let me share a favorite christmas song of mine. it's not traditional in any way whatsoever and that is why i love it.

{i love robert earl keen. yep, whoever posted this vid on you tube spelled his name wrong.}

and, i'll leave you with that. why? because my brain is fried, it's nearly 11pm and i need sleep. don't fret, however. i'll post more meaningful stuff soon. maybe tomorrow. promise. {my fingers may or may not be crossed behind my back.}

tiny prints - a giveaway & a freebie!

THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED & THE FREEBIE OFFER HAS EXPIRED, BUT PLEASE CHECK OUT TINY PRINTS!!

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

remember how i professed my undying love for all things tiny prints? well, i have some exciting news for you...although i'm sure you already know since 99.9% of the blog-o-sphere seems to be running the same giveaway. but, hey, that's additional opportunities to win, right??

tiny prints has graciously offered one of my lucky readers 50 christmas or holiday cards! 

who doesn't love free?? this would be an amazing giveaway to win, too, considering custom photo cards can get pretty pricey! {not that you have to worry about that at all with tiny prints}

here's how to enter:
take a look at tiny prints' christmas and holiday card offerings & leave me a comment stating which card design you would choose. that's all! of course, be sure to leave your email address just in case you are the winner.

{the merriest time in margarita}

tiny prints has cards to suit all styles, tastes, budgets, etc. trust me. you will find something you like. and, i can vouch for their customer service...it's phenomenal.

you have until friday, november 11th at 11:59pm {eastern time} to enter. i'll choose a winner on saturday morning & will give the winner's email to tiny prints who will contact them on how to obtain their free cards.

and, if the possibility of winning 50 free cards wasn't enough, then how about something free??

today - and today only - tiny prints is having a santa card promotion. go check out tiny prints' facebook page to find out how you can send a personalized card from santa to your child...for free!  here are the two card choices:

{santa's scroll}

{checking it twice}

remember, the santa card promotion is only good today, november 9th, until 11:59pm {pacific time}.

if you're interested in the tiny prints holiday campaign, click here. if you sign up & post by the end of the week, please let me know in a comment.

psst...tiny prints contacted me for the giveaway. i am being compensated for this post with 20 free address labels. if any of my readers sign up for the tiny prints holiday campaign, post by the end of the week & notify me of their post, i'll be compensated with 10 more address labels.

2 on tuesday: santa, i've been a good girl...

today i'm linking up {for the first time!} with andrea from my chihuahua bites for...



today's question is . . . what's on your christmas wish list? what do you hope to receive from santa? 
money is pretty tight {when is it not??}, so i feel a little guilty about listing what i want. and, unfortunately, my husband is not very good at surprising me with things. i'm not a fan of surprises anyways, but when it comes to gift giving, well, that's a different kind of surprise {i mean, it's not like showing up at my front door while i'm still rocking my jammies & bed head at 3 o'clock in the afternoon}. actually, he's not good at buying me gifts period. i give him a list. he gets what's on the list {within reason}. but, this year i've been dropping hints...a lot.
first on my list:

{longchamp le pliage medium shoulder bag in orange...or graphite}i'm half-tempted to buy this now because bloomingdale's is having their friends & family sale until the 13th which means an additional 20% off of this bag {and i'll get 6% cash back if i shop through ebates}. decisions, decisions...
next on my list:

{small gold pave ring by pandora}i love this ring. i know i won't get it. not right now, at least. it's a bit out of our price range, unfortunately {yeah, a $440 ring isn't possible with our budget}. but, i'll be happy with any piece of jewelry. i still miss everything that was stolen and it's my goal to try and replace each missing piece...even though i know that isn't going to be possible.  
the remainder of my list?
yeah, it's not too exciting. i'm certain i'll receive a pandora charm for my bracelet {from the kids, of course!}. i also want some new baking supplies {new muffin tins, silicone mats, a kitchen scale}. oh, and a new garage door opener would be nice. yeah, totally serious about that. but, honestly, i'll be happy with a few things that come from the heart. besides,christmas isn't about the presents, right?? 
so, what are you hoping for this holiday? let everyone know by linking up with andrea.

it's a tiny prints holiday.

clearly, i've been living under a rock for years. i recently discovered the greatness that is tiny prints. creating & sending greeting cards will never be the same for me. never.

i was once that girl who spent a lot of money at that well-known greeting card chain {you know, "when you care enough to send the very best"}. now, i'm that girl who doesn't have much money {thank you, grad school} and, well, if i can get something done within the comforts of my own home, why not?

here's where tiny prints comes in...

i can upload, personalize and send greeting cards from my computer! i'm not talking e-cards either. tiny prints takes all of the guess work & frustration out of sending greeting cards. why is this important and ah-mazing at the same time? because the holidays are rapidly approaching and who likes to stand in the ridiculous lines {at the last minute} at the post office?! yeah, i thought so.

tiny prints pretty much has every occasion covered {you can also order wedding invitations as well as business stationery from them, too}. i've sent birthday cards from tiny prints in the past, but i'm most excited about their holiday collection. in true tiny prints form, their collection is phenomenal. the designs are unique and there is clearly something for every taste imaginable. tiny prints prices are affordable.  and, they also offer address labels, newsletter inserts, gift tags & thank you cards in holiday themes!

{via}

i've ordered from similar companies in the past - and have always been satisfied - but one thing that makes tiny prints stand above the rest is their superb customer service & their fast shipping. trust me.

now, about those holiday cards...

it's a decision that i dread making every year. and, considering i did not send out holiday cards last year {the shame!}, i feel like i need to come up with something super special for this year.  i love, love, LOVE photo cards and i feel like i can share so much of our year if more than one photo can be included.  i also like fun & whimsical designs. with that in mind, here are some of my favorite designs from tiny prints:

{fun fair isle}

{what a delight}

{international color}

{fun filled}

{be merry}

so many choices...like i said, the holiday card selection at tiny prints is amazing. the hard part is choosing the perfect card, but at least sending holiday cards won't seem like a chore after dealing with tiny prints.

take a look at the tiny prints holiday selection. which would you choose?

if you're interested in participating in the tiny prints holiday campaign, please click here.

disclaimer: in exchange for a blog post showcasing their holiday collection, tiny prints is giving me 50 free holiday cards of my choice. all opinions in this post are my own & tiny prints did not influence my opinion or the wording of this blog post.

best christmas gift ever.

i know, i know, valentine's day is monday so why am i talking about christmas?  

malia made this 'snowman' in school.  i think it's pretty damn awesome.  i especially love that it's made out of a brick.  y'all did know that adam is a bricklayer, right?

it currently sits on the hearth.  i don't think we'll ever use it for it's intended purpose - a doorstop - but, instead, we'll keep it on display year round because we're in love with our daughter's creativity and thoughtfulness.  it really was the best christmas gift ever.

beantown.

aidan: "mom, christmas day is jesus' birthday."

me: "sure is! do you know where he was born? 

i'll give you a hint...it starts with a b."

aidan: "boston."

{1st row: dim sum on day 1, boston as we drove in}
{2nd row: snowy chinatown, boston common}
{3rd row: the view of downtown boston from our hotel room, dim sum on day 2}
{4th row: malia & aidan with their new bogs boots, a random chinatown pic}

with an impending blizzard creeping up the east coast, we decided to go full-speed with our post-christmas vacation plans and visit my sister who lives in boston, massachusetts.  originally, we were going to leave on sunday, december 26th, but after hearing that boston was expecting up to two feet of snow we decided to get on the road.  the kids & i packed up and loaded up my parents' van.  the five of us were on the road by 8:30pm on christmas day.  adam & frisco stayed behind.

it was already starting to snow as we were leaving virginia {virginia beach got over a foot of snow while we were gone!}.  fortunately, there was no traffic...i mean, who would be road trippin' on christmas?  only us.  we stopped for the night somewhere in new jersey after driving on the jersey turnpike for a while.  we all needed sleep.  sleep & a yummy cracker barrel breakfast.

although the drive was fairly uneventful, the weather quickly deteriorated once we hit the new york-connecticut line on sunday.  as we approached the city limits of hartford, we knew the rest of our journey would be slow & pretty damn difficult {in a front wheel drive vehicle}.  there's nothing like having a two hour commute {the normal distance between hartford & boston} turn into a five hour fiasco that involved:
1. unplowed highways {the plows were out but they were barely keeping up with the snow!}
2. numerous stops to beat ice off of the windshield wipers
3. driving at the top speed of 30mph on a stretch of road that has a normal speed limit of 65mph
4. witnessing several cars on the side of the road with their front ends totaled because they thought they could go 65mph
5. answering the question "are we there yet?" about fifty gazillion times

but, we made it. and boston was so beautiful as we drove across the charles river.  the city was quiet.  there was no traffic.  just snow.  praise the lord there was a whole foods behind our hotel because we were starving!  my sister met us at our hotel on her way home from work {she is a pathologist at boston children's hospital*}.  and, so, our three day adventure in boston had begun!

we spent our time eating dim sum in chinatown, riding the t, walking in blizzard-like conditions, wearing dirty jeans thanks to slushy snow, shopping at copley place & prudential center, chillaxin' in my sister's apartment in fenway & just loving every minute of each other's company.

aidan told me that he wanted to move to boston.  he is in love with riding the t.  he also said he wants to be closer to his auntie monica.  bless his heart.

after three days in boston, we loaded my sister in the van and drove to andover, new hampshire to visit with her husband, do a little more shopping, eat more food & play in the snow.

{tomorrow's installment will be about our time in new hampshire...}

---

*remember how i mentioned that my sissy works at boston children's hospital?  well, a few days before christmas we were g-chattin' and she said, "i just heard joey mcintyre singing with the boston pops here at work!"

seriously.

check it:


{source}

holiday snail mail.

i suppose there's no better time to start thinking about the upcoming winter holidays than now.  as you sit there eating leftover halloween candy, i'm sure you're thinking about who you're going to send holiday cards to, right?  no?  well, perhaps you should be because right now shutterfly is offering 20% off of all holiday cards. {and, no, i'm not asking you to send out your yearly family update to friends & family before thanksgiving...please, nobody likes an overachiever.}

instead, i want you to think about YOUR family's holiday card.  is it usually just some random folded card from the nearest discount chain?  is it impersonal & filled with some preprinted sentiment?  why not jazz things up a little this year? 

have you ever thought about ordering your holiday cards online?  there are many sites to choose from and we all have our favorites, but for the last four years i've exclusively used shutterfly for my holiday card needs.  the assortment of cards that shutterfly offers is amazing!  you can order folded cards, flat stationery cards or flat photo cards and even cards in spanish!  and, if that wasn't enough, shutterfly also offers personalized gift tags & address labels, too!

i love a personalized holiday card that shares photos of the past year with the recipient.  here are my family's holiday cards from the past four years:

{2006}

{2007}

{2008 - this particular "theme" has been discontinued}

{2009}

for the past two years, i've become quite a fan of the flat stationery cards.  they are a great size {i usually get the 5"x7" cards} and they are so sophisticated.  and, for the price, they are quite a steal compared to some of the other personalized photo card companies.  i think the hardest thing about creating a holiday card is choosing which one to use.  there are so many wonderful colors, themes & designs to choose from! 

here are some of my favorites from shutterfly's flat stationery line for the holidays: 

{family wall red}

{dotty holiday monogram}

{framed with love}

{2010 wishes}

oh, the decisions that i'll need to make...and soon!  remember, shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards for a limited time.  get started on your holiday card list now!!  and, if you want to participate in a promotion for 50 free holiday cards, please click here & share this promotion with your friends on twitter or facebook by simply sharing this message:

50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010 #SFLY

now go...start sorting through your photos & get those creative juices flowing so you can get started on your holiday cards with shutterfly!

disclaimer:  shutterfly contacted me to write this post after responding to a request from the mom blogs.   these are my opinions.  i will receive 50 free holiday cards from shutterfly as compensation for my testimonial and time.  i blog with integrity.

forget gumdrops & sugarplums...

i've got cookies, cake balls & marshmallows!

i went on a little baking binge last weekend. it was nuts.

i baked a batch of coconut macaroons:

{the photo is crackberry-licious}

the macaroon recipe is courtesy of ina garten {you know, the barefoot contessa} from the food network & you can easily follow along to the recipe by clicking here. it is, by far, the easiest cookie {?} recipe ever...the hardest part is whipping the egg whites & even that's not too difficult! try them because if you cuckoo about coconut {like we are} then you'll love these!

i also made snowballs, er, mexican wedding cookies again. this time, i added an almond hershey's kiss to the center of each cookie for some added oomph. you can find the recipe for the mexican wedding cookies here.

and, i made chocolate chip cookies done the nestle toll house way. yes, i took the recipe straight from the back of the bag of chocolate chips. they were crispy & perfect. i omitted the nuts because i was out. i plan on making more tonight...this time adding pecans and using both semi-sweet & white chocolate chips. mmm! click here for the nestle toll house chocolate chip cookie recipe.

yeah, that first picture is sideways. just tilt your head to the right. i'm too lazy to edit the photo so you'll just have to make do with my crackberry pics.

okay, so onto the next portion of my baking binge...homemade marshmallows. i have been wanting to try making marshmallows for a while & i finally did last friday. they were so easy to make & they taste so. much. better. than the store-bought kind. trust me. we loved them so much i made a second batch last night. i have yet to attempt to flavor them {i'd like peppermint flavored marshmallows} but i will try that soon. promise.

i used alton brown's {♥ ♥ ♥} marshmallow recipe & you can get it by clicking here. like i said, it was super easy. i didn't use a candy thermometer {because something bad happened to it on thanksgiving...i mean, really, why are you going to use a candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature in a turkey fryer. silly boys.}. i timed things by the recipe & it was perfect. some advice, though...don't smell the marshmallows while they are in the mixer 'fluffing.' it is stinky. like "i can't believe i'm actually going to eat that" stinky. once you add the vanilla and spread it in the pan, it will smell fine. trust. it's still...good eats.

remember, don't sniff while fluffing!

it's going to be hard, but it's best to let them sit overnight

hmm...somebody was up past his bedtime, but i suppose it was alright because it was a friday and momma was making homemade marshmallows. how could you pass up licking the mixer's whisk?

all you need to add is cocoa! be sure to use some restraint...it's way too easy to pop one {or five} of these bad boys into your mouth. i took a few of them & dipped them into melted chocolate almond bark & holiday colored nonpariels. delicious.

cake balls. oh, yes...cake balls. earlier this week i made two batches. i'll be making cake balls again today. i am a sucker. i know.

cake balls are super easy, but really time consuming {and, kind of frustrating sometimes}. for some really great cake ball & cake pop ideas, please visit bakerella. she's fabulous. also, my friend, lis, is just plain awesome at making these and she's got a great tutorial on her blog...here.

here is the rundown on making cake balls:

• bake boxed cake as directed. let cool.
• crumble cooled cake in a large bowl & add up to one jar of frosting.
• mix well until you get a 'doughy' consistency.
• form into balls & place on parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• freeze cake balls for up to an hour.
• melt whichever candies you prefer {i prefer using almond bark} using whichever melting method you prefer {i use the double boiler method}.
• dip cake balls.
• decorate.
• gobble them up.

below are the cake balls i made for malia's third grade class holiday party:

we gave out ten teacher gifts this year & each teacher recieved an ornament, four cake balls & four marshmallows:

and this...this, my friends, is the platter of misfit cake balls. i had every intention of making santa hat cake balls like i saw on bakerella's site. yeah, that didn't turn out so well. i resorted to making balls...so. much. easier.


whatever holiday treats you make for santa, i hope you have fun in the kitchen! be sure to share the recipe, too...i'm always on the lookout for a yummy new treat to make!

happy holidays, y'all...and remember to brush & floss your teeth really good after eating all of these sweets!

merry & bright.

momma's got her holiday groove back, i think. ask me later on this afternoon when i'm pulling my hair out & i might say otherwise. perhaps a trip to trader joe's for some el cheapo {but absolutely divine} vino is in order. why not, right?

anyways, and i'm ashamed to admit this, but i haven't made any more topiaries since this one. cranking out topiaries is on my list of things to do today...along with painting four wine glasses. should be easy enough. the kids are home & they can help me with the pup while i get crafty {they had BETTER help...it's still not too late for me to cancel christmas}.

even though i haven't accomplished my entire list, i am very proud of the few things i have completed - ornaments & shirts.

not all of my ornaments turned out absolutely fabulous. this always happens. but, even my "bad" ornaments turned out semi-decent. i think a little glitter on the outside will make it all better & soon they will have a permanent home as they will be added to our ornament collection.

however, let me share with you the successful ones. they turned out even better than the ornaments i painted last year. they are all decked out in red, green & white christmassy fabulousness. all but two of them were handed out to teachers yesterday...i hope they all liked them:

the last two photos are a bit on the dark side...whoops. the lighting in my kitchen isn't the greatest at o'dark thirty. i'm quite please with these lil' guys. i didn't adorn them with any additional ribbon & i think they turned out quite perfectly!

in addition to ornaments, i made three monogrammed shirts done in a reverse-applique style. the shirts were purchased from wal-mart & target and the fabric i used came from a contest i won over at lauren nicole gifts. all of the stitching was done by my own two hands with embroidery thread. i am making one more to give as a gift {another 'm' monogram because their daughter is named malia...just like mine!} and then i'll create two more for my malia. she already has one {made with scrap fabric from gussy}.

here are the three i made - one for my sister's niece & two for my little cousins - they turned out soooooo cute {if i do say so myself!}:

i'm actually thinking about opening an etsy store and possibly selling these shirts as well as my topiary items. i'm not 100% certain just yet, but it's one of my goals for 2010. i'm doing what i love, i love what i'm doing...so why not try to make a buck or two, right?

anyways, if anyone IS interested in a shirt, just let me know what size you want, whether you want long or short sleeves and what the initial is. the price is $15. pretty reasonable, i think.

so this is the crafty side of me...the baker in me will appear in the next post. promise.

red & white swirls.

i participated in an ornament swap hosted by katherine at just lovely and i was paired up with a really fun gal, pammycakes.

she is a doll! if you're not already following her blog, please do so. she's gorgeous, she's sweet, she's a fashion inspiration {trust me, i'm a mom of two...i need all of the fashion inspiration i can get!}. just go visit her blog, you'll see.

anyways, pammycakes gifted me with a lovely glass ornament from pottery barn. swirls of red {my favorite color!} & white. it fits right in with our {very fake} tree. i love it...thank you, pammycakes!!

I can't help but smile...

...when I hear this song. I like the Montgomery Gentry version of it, but nothing beats some Robert Earl Keen.

Feliz Navidad, y'all.

Psst...don't forget to get on my Ho Ho Ho list. You have until Thursday, December 10th because I plan on putting my holiday cards in the mail that weekend. If you're lucky, you just might get a little gift with your card {I'm going to have my children pick two names out of a hat!}.

Whew.

Thanksgiving came & went and now I'm reeling in the aftermath of leftovers, cleaning {again!} and bouts of laziness. I'll blame the laziness on the leftover turkey.

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving. We celebrated with friends whom we consider family. This was the first year that Adam & I did not spend any time with our own families. Everyone was either out of town or working. It was nice to have friends {and even some family of friends} stop by for some food, fellowship & fun. Even better was the fact that our meal was sort of done "pot luck" style...we just split the responsibilities amongst ourselves. Everything turned out great. Naturally, we got stuck with the leftovers & Thanksgiving dinner {round 2} took place this evening. Fortunately, the hubs & I have built up a tolerance to the tryptophan and are still up & running {although, the hubs DID pass out - face first, I might add - in bed shortly after 7pm last night}.

Today was a long day. I was awake by 3am - much to my dismay. Between my son's coughing & the wind howling, I had a hard time falling back to sleep so I decided to bite the bullet and head out for some Black Friday fun. My goal was to zip into & out of Target. Zip in, I did...it just took a bit longer than I expected to zip out of Target. I managed to get the items I intended on buying {thank goodness for doorbuster deals!} and I scored a few more great finds. All in all, it was a very successful Black Friday trip for me especially considering this was the first time in a l-o-n-g time that I've ever gone out in the early morning hours the day after Thanksgiving.

I had to work today. The hubs did, too. But, our employer was gracious enough to allow the both of us {we work together, remember?} to only work a half day. That was a blessing in disguise considering I had two kids with me at the office! Fortunately, it was quiet and we left shortly after lunch. Adam took the kids home and I went....wait for it....back to Target. Yep. I am a glutton for punishment! I managed to get a couple more gift items & some things we needed around the house.

We've got a busy weekend in store. The Christmas tree & all of our holiday decorations came down from the attic this evening. The kids have matching holiday pajamas {thank you, Target, for the $5 deal!} and we will attempt to take our yearly "kids looking all cute & matchy-matchy in front of the Christmas tree" photo. I'm hoping to order our holiday cards this weekend, too. {Can you believe that I already received a Christmas card in the mail?? I'm impressed.} I am also hoping to wrap up our holiday shopping. I did some shopping online & I'm anxiously awaiting to see what Cyber Monday brings.

How was your Thanksgiving? Are you already over the leftovers?

Gassy Gus

My sister and brother-in-law gave the kids a game for Christmas. It's a real hit in our family. Adam and Malia are playing right now and all I hear from the living room is nothing but laughter (well, and Anthony Bourdain, but he's on the T.V. and NOT in my living room playing the game).

What are they playing?

Yes, you read right -- Gassy Gus. Everyone is dealt food cards and you basically "feed" Gus and pump up his gut until he farts, uh, bursts. It's really not as gross as it seems...it's actually quite fun and produces more giggles than flatulence in our household. :)

More ornaments!

And, hopefully this time one doesn't have a va-jay-jay mysteriously appear on it...damn paint has it's own mind!

So, here they are...12 more hand painted ornaments in all of their glory. These are smaller ornaments than the ones I previously painted and, again, the photo quality is crappy because I still haven't put batteries in my camera and my camera phone is obviously crap. Enjoy!