beach bums {again}.

it's technically not summer, but, to us, it's close enough!
we took advantage of the weekend's warm {dare i say hot?} weather.
we packed a cooler, covered the kids in sunscreen & headed to sandbridge.

the water was freezing, but that didn't stop the kids from frolicking in the waves.
we got to the beach shortly after 9am & enjoyed some quiet family time before
other friends & their kids showed up.

we're so thankful that we live in an area that is so close to the ocean.
i don't think we could ever be land-locked. 

psst...

be on the lookout for a review & giveaway for a great beach product, sand-off, later on this week!

so berry much fun!

strawberries are at their peak here in southeastern virginia.  

{our area's annual strawberry festival is next weekend!}

over the weekend, we went berry picking.  

we drove by a few different "u-pick" fields before we reached our destination:  cullipher farms.

it was hot & we were still scorched from our day at the beach {post to come!}, but we were determined to fill our buckets with big, red, juicy strawberries!

while we were picking, we listened to the hum of the airshow that was taking place nearby.

i'm slightly ashamed to admit that this was the first time i have ever gone strawberry picking.
i've lived in virginia beach for nearly 23 years & live within minutes of MANY "u-pick" locations, so i don't really have an explanation as to why i've never gone picking before.

i'm not going to lie.  it's back breaking work.  you get dirty.  you get hot, sweaty & stinky.

and, you do see quite a few of these guys:

{aidan & i seemed quite popular with the teeny, weeny grasshoppers}

but, the payoff is so sweet {literally!}.

we came home with more strawberries than we knew what to do with.
now our freezer is stocked with bags of whole, frozen strawberries.

i also made strawberry coulis {to be enjoyed over vanilla ice cream} AND

i dove head first into canning by making four jars of homemade strawberry jam.

{photo credit goes to my seven year old son, aidan}

i'm already looking forward more picking, but next time we'll be on a mission for
blueberries, blackberries, peaches & scuppernongs. 

ladies night.

blogging & social media is pretty damn fantastic, isn't it?  

when i started my blog back in 2007, i was writing for me. i didn't think it would lead to some amazing connections & friendships.  seriously, i have been blessed with perhaps the most awesome group of girlfriends...ever.  and, i owe it all to my computer.  ha!

{picture hijacked from the workaholic momma - thanks, j!}

bottom row {left to right}: how i met my edo, diary of a domestic failure, jim & katie plus baby, in no simple language

top row {left to right}: c'est moi, beach bum & baby, whitney caroline designs, naturally caffeinated family & the workaholic momma

aside from beach bum and baby & the workaholic momma {who are bff's in real life}, we all met thanks to blogging & twitter.  katie is the newest gal in our circle & she is the cutest mama-to-be ever!  

as usual, we had a great time.  lots of laughing, lots of chit-chat and even some rapping courtesy of whitney {who knew she could recite every. single. word. to rappers delight??}.  we all lead such busy lives & don't get to see each other often, but i truly cherish the times when we do get a chance to get together.  i've said it once and i'll say it again...i'm truly blessed to have these gals in my life.  they are everything a friend should be...and more. 

to relive our first date, click here.

to relive our anniversary dinner, click here.

bamboopink.

{source}

i'm sure you've seen the tweets, blog posts & emails about this exciting opportunity.  who doesn't want a chance to earn beautiful jewelry, cash & other prizes {did someone say ipad}??  although there isn't much information about bamboopink just yet {jewelry sales start in less than a month}, now is the time to sign up for this great opportunity.  the more registrations increases your chances of winning prizes!

{source}

you have until march 15th to sign up for free!  

why don't you join & help spread the word about bamboopink??

to join bamboopink & learn more, click here.

the granite state.

first of all, i find it very intriguing to know that at this particular rest stop in new hampshire, you can buy booze {tax free!} & lotto tickets...after you pee, of course.

{taken through the van's window as we drove down the highway}

after three days in boston, we drove to new hampshire.  

my brother-in-law lives & works in andover {while my sissy finishes her fellowship in boston}.  my b.i.l. works for the prep school that he attended, proctor academy.  he's also a dorm parent so he lives in the bottom half of the boys dorm...so cool.*  

anything & everything our family does revolves around food.  food & shopping.  we met at famous dave's in manchester.  after some bbq, we went shopping.  first at the l.l. bean outlet, then to eastern mountain sports & finally to the tanger outlets in tilton.  the lady in the coach store tried to entice me with an extra 20% off clearance prices, but i resisted.  i do love my banana republic jeans, though {$30 for $90 jeans?? yes, please!}.

if there is anything to be said about life in rural new hampshire, it's that you have to drive {and i mean d-r-i-v-e} to civilization.  we learned that the hard way one night around 9pm when we needed children's tylenol for malia.  note to self:  next time, bring some...huge mommy fail on my part.

other than eating & shopping, the kids got to play in the snow and spend time with the dogs.  moxie, the bernese mountain dog, and bruin, the newfoundland, are two of the sweetest dogs on the planet.  they also both believe they are lap dogs.  bruin & aidan became fast friends.

we watched "how to train your dragon" & aidan and uncle james played a little lego harry potter on the wii.  we also did our christmas with monica & james.  it's so hard living so far away from family {they used to live in virginia}, but it was lovely being able to share a portion of the holidays with them.

on our last night in new hampshire, monica & james took us to dinner at lui lui.  oh. my. word.  the food was ridiculously delicious and the portions were ridiculously huge!  after dinner, we drove to see christmas lights at a shaker village {the name escapes me & i didn't have my camera on me}.  that very same night i also managed to pass up on a pair of uggs that were 20% off and tax-free.  i'm both proud & ashamed of myself!

we left new hampshire the morning of new year's eve.  after six full days together i think all of us were ready to get home & sleep in our own beds.  we walked through my front door at 11:15pm...just in time for me to get settled and see NKOTB rock out with BSB {priorities, priorities!}.

---

*my b.i.l., james, is a phenomenal lacrosse coach.  phenomenal.
don't believe me?  then read this.

the ladies.

in october 2009, i was fortunate enough to meet four of the most wonderful bloggers friends.  we got together over halloween weekend to celebrate the one year anniversary of our friendship. 

{from left to right:  me, whitney caroline, beach bum & baby, naturally caffeinated family & rachel}

we went out for dinner & drinks. 

{one of the special halloween themed cocktails at a bar we went to. not only did it "smoke" but it also bubbled & popped.  trust me, there is something to be said about a drink that "spits" at you...}

there was lots of girl talk & giggling. 
we had so much fun.

i'm telling y'all...i'm lucky & quite blessed to have these girls in my life. 

sunday service.

this is where we go on sundays.

{well, at least adam & the kids.  last sunday i took advantage of the quiet time and napped at home.}

sandbridge is our sunday morning {or late afternoon} hangout spot.  we go with a friend & his kids. 
frolicking in the surf.  chasing sand fiddler crabs.  finding seashells & sand dollars.  catching a glimpse of a pod of dolphins.

there isn't a better way to end the week.  there isn't a better way to begin the week.

hair today, gone tomorrow.

well, that was yesterday's saying.

my last haircut was in january.  i never, EVER go that long without so much as a trim.  as for color, i won't lie.  i use box color to stretch out the time between salon quality dye jobs.  my stylist knows this {and she's okay with this}.  highlights, on the other hand, are something i haven't had in a long while.  a long, long while.

on wednesday, i did it all - all over color, a fun cut & highlights {or as my stylist says, "some perky around the face."}.

before {hair fresh from the shower}:

after {just a bit wind-blown}:

if i was smart, i would have taken a picture of the back {i'll do that this weekend}.  it's short.  it's fun.  i've had a short, choppy bob cut before.  i love it.  and, best part of all?  i got to share my fun day at the salon with this wonderful gal {she got her hair cut, colored & highlighted, too}!

versatile?

that's me.  at least that's what mrs. molly lou thinks!  {seriously, go check out her blog & her store.  she is a doll.  you'll love her personalized plates & platters.  trust me, i own three.}

i've been awarded this:

and, because i've been dubbed "the versatile blogger" i must now share with you s-e-v-e-n things about myself.  why seven?  i don't know.  this could be very easy to do or very difficult to do.  and, knowing me, i'm certain it will be the latter {because i'm stubborn like that}.

anyways...

no sense in beating around the bush...here are seven things about me that you may or may not want to know or need to know...but now you know.  ha!

1. my ten year college reunion is this weekend.  i considered going, but sadly i'm not.  word on the street is that a fifteen year high school reunion is planned for sometime this summer.  i went to our ten year.  i seriously doubt i'll go to our fifteen year.  it's a little too much, a little too soon if you ask me.
2. my husband & i have known each other since we were thirteen.  we've been together since we were sixteen.  i'll be thirty-three this year.  wow.
3. i'm not an overly confident person.  i really shouldn't doubt myself so much, but i do.  
4. people say i have an evil laugh. i don't think it's evil.  i think it's catchy.  and contagious.  and fun.  okay, okay, it can sound sinister at times, but only if need be.
5. for someone who isn't very confident {in herself}, i sure do like to talk.  a lot.  sit next to me sometime and i'll flap my yap.  your ear will get numb from listening.  on the flip side, i can be very quiet, too.  i'm a good listener.
6. i'm half-chinese and i really can't use chopsticks very well.
7. i don't always wash my hair on the weekends.  i almost never wear makeup on the weekends.  i don't always shower on the weekends.  i'm not gross or lazy.  i'm not stinky either.  i just give my skin & hair a break. {don't worry, i change my unnawears. ha!}

was that too much?  it was for me.  i think it took me over a half an hour just to come up with those seven silly things!  i suppose i should "gift" this award to other bloggy friends out there, but every last one of us is a versatile blogger.  so participate, please!

share seven things about you!! 

*psst...this was my 700th post! holy blogging, batman!

dreaming of the seashore.

soon, adam & i will pitch a tent...

park the truck here...



and enjoy a view like this...

{the pictures are all from our adventure on ocracoke island last year}

#88.

richmond international raceway - that's where i am today.

eating burgers, drinking bud light, playing corn hole.

soaking up the warm sun, laughing with friends, peeing in a porta-potty {ew}.

tailgating. talking smack. making bets on who will rule the short track.

i hope it's this guy:

{source}

GIVEAWAY - tabletopics: girls night out

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED...THANK YOU FOR ENTERING!

• are you a "steel magnolia?"
• if you could do a risky activity once with no risk what would you choose?
• which part of having a baby has been or will be most difficult for you?
• what do you enjoy eating when you're alone?
• what song evokes the strongest memories?

those questions above are just a small sample of what you'll find if you're browsing through the girls night out edition of tabletopics.

{source}

tabletopics - have you heard of them?

tabletopics was founded by cristy clarke who did not want to go to another cocktail party where small talk went absolutely nowhere. tabletopics is a fun way to get people talking. just like their motto says, "great questions to start great conversations." currently, there are many different topics to choose from - family, teen, couples, girls night out, college, decades {60s, 70s, 80s}, etc. and, don't think that you're limited to the tabletopics cube. you can get "to go" versions of tabletopics as well as partytopics {napkins, place cards or coasters} and journaltopics {life, wedding or pregnancy}.

we have the family version in our home & we keep it on our kitchen table. it's definitely a great item to have out when friends come over because someone is going to open up the cube {out of curiosity} and start asking questions.

i was thrilled to stumble across the girls night out version at my local hallmark store and i picked up one for me...and one for you to win!

to enter this giveaway, all you have to do is answer one of the five questions listed at the beginning of this post.

for extra entries, you can blog about this giveaway {sidebar links are fine}, tweet about this giveaway {please include me @maliasma}, follow tabletopics on twitter {@TableTopicsInc} and/or visit tabletopics' website & tell me which product you'd most like to have.

this giveaway will be open until 11:59pm e.s.t. on friday, march 19th & i'll announce the winner that weekend.

good luck & tell your friends...this is definitely something you'll want to have the next time you & your girlfriends get together for some wine & chit-chat!


the fine print:

• i was not endorsed by tabletopics in any way, shape or form - they did not contact me and say, "hey, will you feature our product & giveaway one?"
  
• i purchased the girls night out version tabletopics cube with my own moola.
• this is simply something fun...from me to you...because i love y'all!
  
• international bloggers are welcome.
• winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
• did i miss anything else??
  

say what?

please head on over to kaitlin's blog, life of a busy wife, to participate in her new blog hop...


today is the inaugural edition. you know, the very first one. me, feeling exceptionally lazy & lame this morning, took the easy way out and posted a link to a blog post from earlier this week. i'll get 'on the ball' next weekend. i promise. {i blame it all on the lack of coffee this morning & the serious mountain of laundry that is waiting for me in the mud room.}

anyways, get over there! i know you guys have some 'say what?!' moments you wanna share.

#41

tickets for dave matthews band's july 20th show go on sale tomorrow morning. i hope i can purchase two tickets. adam & i haven't missed a dave show in years.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

enjoy the video - it's from the 2007 show. adam & i had 8th row seats. pretty awesome. i'll apologize now for the quality. it's hard to take video with a digicam, dance & drink beer all at the same time. the guys in front of us also made it difficult for me, but at least you'll get some amusement out of seeing their arms pop up throughout the video {and thank goodness i'm not singing along either...trust me, my voice makes nails on a chalkboard sound lovely}.

keep calm...we have a winner!

it excites me very much to announce the winner of my "keep calm & blog on" giveaway...

brittany ann
{a.k.a. my sista from another mista!}
check out her blog by clicking here...

congrats, girl!!

email me with your preferences {color choice & "blog on" poster size} & mailing addy so that i may get this lovely item to your doorstep a.s.a.p.!!

thank you, thank you to all who entered and welcome to some new faces/followers!!

Where in the World Wednesday

it's that time of the week again!! you know - it's time for some fun with classy in philadelphia as she hosts yet another weekly installment of where in the world wednesday.

{i'm on my lappy top & i'm too lazy to download the WITWW icon...please accept my apologies!}

you know the drill. post a pic of you anywhere in the world...whatever you consider to be traveling. tell us a lil' bit about the pic and then post the link over on this week's WITWW post at classy in philadelphia's blog.

---

this week i'm sharing a photo of me & my sweetie. we didn't travel far in this photo...we were simply a few miles up the road from our home at the virginia beach amphitheater.

the date: august 15, 2007

the concert: dave matthews band

memories of the show are kinda bittersweet {wow, my hair was really light back then!}. these were the best seats we've ever had for a dave show {and we've been going since the 1990s} - 8th row orchestra. this was also the last concert that WE saw in which musical extraordinaire, leroi moore, played with the band. he was injured in an accident & was too fragile to play with the band during 2008's summer show and, sadly, many months before the 2009 summer show rolled around, he had passed away. but, don't fret...we're all still dancing with the groogrux king.

we have a GIVEAWAY winner!

thirty-six of you entered to win some pink & green organizational goodness and random.org chose the 32nd entry as the winner.

i'm quite happy to tell y'all that the winner is...

Lisa
of Don and Lisa Osborn

congratulations!! please send an email with your mailing address to me: shell {at} stutteringshell {dot} com

thank you to all of you who entered to win and hello & welcome to some new faces who came over to see what the giveaway was all about!

if all goes well, i just might hold another giveaway next month {and maybe i'll have a small giveaway every month in 2010...who knows}. oh, and keep your eyes peeled because i will be getting my future etsy shop in order this weekend.

GIVEAWAY - Pink & Green Organizational Goodness

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED ~
thanks to all who entered!

as promised, i have a giveaway for you!

in celebration of my 600th blog post {which happened last monday}, i have a little pink & green organizational goodness for you. it will help you preppify your desk, if you will.

it's nothing too exciting or too fancy. trust me on this, folks. i'm on a bit of a tight budget due to this self-inflicted unemployment, so don't be disappointed when i say to you that these fun items came from target. from target's $1 section, to be more specific.

can you believe it??

the lucky winner will receive:

• 2 packs of pink & green file folders {3 folders in each pack}
• 1 pack of pink & green binder clips {various sizes}
• a magnetic list pad {embellished with a cute pink bow}
• a set of sticky notes
• a magnetic weekly planner

so there you have it. nothing fancy. but extra super special, in my opinion. if you're teetering on the verge of being unorganized {like i am} then these little gems should come in handy...especially if organizing your work space is one of your new year's resolutions!

to enter, all you gotta do is comment on this post. that's all. nothing crazy. no silly questions to answer or websites to check out. you can tweet about this if you want. feel free to blog about this or copy the picture to post on your blog's side bar. but remember...to enter, all you gotta do is comment.

i'll leave the giveaway open until 11:59pm EST on january 14th and i'll announce the winner on friday, january 15th. international bloggers are welcome to enter, too!

the fine print: i was not asked to giveaway these items nor was i endorsed by target in any way, shape or form. i purchased these items with money from my own pocket. they were not given to me. nor was i asked to review them or blah blah blah. so on and so forth...

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.