The correct substance for the occasion.

So, I have been crafting crafting crafting...then saving saving saving. This has been my life as of recently. I've complained to Doug recently that EVERYONE does what I do, and they do it better than me. Well, I've been trying to carve the sewing slice from the crafter's pie as my own. Its going, slowly and artfully, pokingly and swearingly...


Diapers/Wipes case-Razorback.



Fabric Flower Necklace.



This was a recent transaction at Walmart with my deal swiping I've been doing. The total price (before tax!) was $74.20. The price below it, $43.46 was my actual bill!! So technically, because tax hadn't been added on the first price, I can say I pretty much paid half. I used BOGO coupons on shampoo/conditioner, $10 off rechargable toothbrush coupon for Lil, and several other simple coupons...after swiping my walmart discount card, of course :) The WM discount card was used first so I could take full advantage of the 10% off before using my BOGO and major coupons...basically if I hadn't, my discount would have been smaller if I had taken those off the receipt before I could discount it all because those items wouldn't have been on there.


Here was one of my recent deals. I first bought the Schick razor blades first, which was $7.99. I used $5 in Register Rewards (Money manufacturers give to customers for buying their products at Walgreens, they work like cash, except they can only be used at Walgreens) from a previous visit, which brought it to $3. Then I used a manufacturer coupon from the newspaper, which was $1.50 off and my total cost for those razors was $1.50. I know, right?!?! Originally $10, combined with store deals and manufacturer deals, I paid $1.50. That's an 85% savings, folks. And by buying them, I earned $4.50 in Register Rewards for my next purchase. Which happened about 30 seconds later, I broke up my order into two transactions specifically so I could use the Register Rewards to save again. The Excedrin was a Buy One Get One 1/2 off, any count. I bought a medium sized one, and a small sized one. The big one was $8.99 and the small was $4.99. Buying the medium brought the small to $2.50, so $8.99+$2.50=$11.99. There was a coupon in the newspaper for the small one for $1.50 off, and I found a coupon on the large one for $3. $11.99-$1.50-$3=$7.50. Considering both combined at normal price is $17, I saved nearly $10. Using my Register Rewards from my transaction just before brought it to $3. Amazing! The oatmeal was 2/$3 (uhm, I eat a LOT of oatmeal. Like, every day. So I was excited, hush!!) and normally $3/ea. Total so far: $6. Deodorant on special 2/$4. Coupon in newspaper for $.75 off one. $1 in Register Rewards. I had to buy another item because you must have more items than coupons in your order. So I found nail clippers 2/$1 (actual deal on those too, haha) and it brought my total to $10.25+tax, with $1 in Register Rewards for next time. BOOM. Yes, it really is amazing. Don't let this overwhelm you, once you get into it its actually fun :D It overwhelmed me for a long time and I didn't want to try it because it seemed difficult. But looking at this and seeing how much money I'm saving for us is such a huge reward! If you follow Money Saving Mom you can learn how to too. She also has a facebook fan page, she posts deals on there regularly!!



Here's some beef and deli meat from Bentonville Butcher and Deli. I bought the Living Social deal for it, which was $10 for $20 worth. I had deal bucks in my LS account, and I only paid $5. So basically I received $15 in beef for free. I bought ground beef to get more bang for my buck since everything there is premium priced, and then of course tried a little pork sausage and deli turkey. This is 5.5 lbs of beef/turkey I bought for $11.25, saving $15. Sweet. I also found a $10 for $20 at Gusano's pizza I will be using this week. All this free money laying around these parts and I never tapped into it. WHYYYY?!?! Allen's in BV has a facebook page and they post daily deals. This past week was $1 on any bratwurst or frankfurter. These are normally $3.50. I bought 5, saving $17. So if anyone wants to grill soon :D Now, you know all my secrets. Go my child, save more money...but don't clear out the shelves if you get a deal, that's just scrappy. I'm taking the hippie approach of "SAVE AND SHARE".



Check this out. Doug and I really sat down and looked at this specific nursery rhyme. It reads: "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Had a wife but couldn't keep her, He put her in a pumpkin shell, and there he kept her very well. Peter Peter pumpkin eater, Had another but didn't love her, Peter learned to read and spell, and then he loved her very well." What?! From this, I deduct Peter was a polygamist. And maybe kidnapped his first wife, holding her hostage in a pumpkin shell. Who writes this crap? And why is it a nursery rhyme? Many old nursery rhymes are actually crazy. Like Three Blind Mice. Everyone knows this one. Hardly anyone would know its thought this particular nursery rhyme is about Queen Mary I, daughter of Henry Tudor (the one that cut off all his wives heads when he was tired of them). She supposedly had a vengeful temper, and an adamant catholic. England was going through hard times battling for catholic and protestant queens (queen Elizabeth would later be the protestant queen of England) and when her half sister Mary was queen before her she beheaded three protestant bishops who were in her way of returning the country to catholic following. They weren't blinded, but she's the farmer's wife and they're the mice. "Seems crude, but have sweet dreams dear child!!" hahaha...Ring around the Rosie was debunked, or I would have included this. I totally believed it had referred to the black plague in Europe, "ashes ashes we all fall down" about the cremation and deaths, but apparently that's a myth. Its on snopes, or I wouldn't have believed it. Whatevvv....



Look at this sick baby :( We're better now, but she was still very stylish for being sick!!



Ladies, never underestimate how much people appreciate your tweezing/makeup globbing/hair smoothing. Making an effort on presentation truly does make everyone's day better. My trash man has seen me a total of TWO times looking decent, and today I caught him slowing WAAAAAYYY down to see if I would come running out after missing last week. Which I did. I swear he comes earlier and earlier all the time. Maybe he just likes to see a damsel in (trash) distress. Perhaps its more because I had night shorts on, and no bra so I was bounding and leaping freely after HIM. hahahaha...gross, I knew that was too much even before writing it. He happily turned his truck around in my cul-de-sac (after a few spurts of backing up and maneuvering) and did me great service. Of which I rewarded him with this hair and menstrual blemishes on my face:



Hey, I didn't say he made a good investment...


Two old men in the same day at different grocery stores both replied cheerfully that I could (accidentally) "run" into them any time I wanted. Which makes me giggle in girly delight. After reading Captivating by Eldridge, I am invincible. You should be too, because you are beautiful and captivating, a stunning reveal of God's beauty and grace. Ahh, I love...

I have a bachelorette party I'm attending this weekend in Little Rock. I am sure there will be tons of great girly incidents to report on my next post. And yes, Kestan has been here, but I've shut her up with a good amount of cookies and a promise we wouldn't run again just yet. She is mildly entertained in a sugar coma, watching Fantasia for the 60th time even though I told her I really don't think sugar is the correct substance for the occasion. Of course, she wouldn't listen.

-Kesolyn

I swear I'm not borderline psychotic.

So here I am sitting here finally relaxing after a hugely draining few days, Kestan beside me drinking a vodka cherry diet dr. pepper concoction, watching Wanted.

"This is amazing." Kestan purrs.

"We've seen this before." I mumble.

"But the ridiculous effects every adrenaline junkie could want, and Jolie looks hot. It's the essence of how I feel when he finally blows up on everyone, they get me." she continues.

"Yes yes, you just think it's amazing because you put too much vodka in your disgusting drink and you're too relaxed." I snap.

"I asked you'd if you wanted one. I thought that was why you put your kids to bed early. I'm glad you did, that cupcake after dinner was a stupid idea. The big one was a Donnie Darko miniature, the sugary cupcake was the white rabbit tonight who tumbled down the hole and started controlling her thoughts. Didn't you even hear her divinely evil laugh? I could swear she's my blood."

"I didn't put them to bed that early." I mumble, defensively.

"An HOUR early?!?!?" she yells, obviously exaggerating with her stupid mocking tone.

"You told me to do it. They've had a long weekend. You're so freaking full of oxymorons tonight, aren't you?! Why can't you just stay at the Double Tree?" I grunt.

"It's called a metaphor. Sh*t it's a good thing youve got me around, people might think you're actually raised in Arkansas, not just born here. You're lucky, you might remember that. I chose YOU. Who would have yelled at the kids earlier when they didn't listen the first time you told them to do something? And yet there you were apologizing ten minutes later. You're ridiculous, such a sucker for those..."gremlins." You're going to confuse them you know, we need to be on the same page. Go hard or go home, pansy. Grow a backbone. And go buy us a cigarette."

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It's been like this All.Freaking.Week. Okay, maybe just the past few days. She's been hanging around especially when I'm tired, or rushed for time. She made a surprising appearance Friday night at the Murder Mystery party. You could really tell she was having a great time playing the mouthy family tramp. She stayed afterwards for a couple of (large) glasses of wine and poor Borat imitation out on the back deck. It was such a blast! We were the dysfunctional southern Sugarbaker family, wealthy from a few businesses in Atlanta, GA. I married into the family money, my husband a gambling sleazy liar, Big Daddy on verge of keeling over and coincidentally bestowing gobs of money upon us, while we fight over who deserves it with the drunkard uncle, overly sensitive younger son, his yuppie Yankee wife, the nut job ex wife, and loyal upstanding nurse. We all dressed for the part and had the audience participate, when we didn't get carried away mouthing off to one another anyways hahah...such a blast! I definitely suggest it if you haven't gone or participated in one before-you can order a script kit online!


I actually ran half a mile this week before stopping to walk. I realize runners and wives of runners think that's hardly a taste, but BIG accomplishment for me. And then I did it again. The last mile wasnt quite so easy, however. I was in the ZONE, thinking positive thoughts and not doubting myself...

"You know, it would be easy to just quit now. Nobody would know!!" I hear.

"Shut UP. I'm doing this and you won't be talking me out of it."

"Well Jesus, slow down a little...it took me the whole first mile to catch up." she slithers with her two-pronged tongue. Wheezing, obviously exaggerating her planned death scene. Interrupting the peaceful and tranquil rhythm I had going, promptly throwing it on the ground and stomping on it, all the while telling me there's useless baby kittens in it. Treating it like it was hers to ruin. Witch.

"Let's say I just throw one of these your way, you turn around slowly like you're fighting it, and we talk over a cigarette from the pack you pretend you don't know are on the counter..." she continues. I practically double over from jogging position in the side PAIN she promised, cursing and yelling a throaty and aggravated (AHHH!!!) while I continue trudging forward.

But I power through it. Keep running, keep looking up and letting Adele sooth my mind and pain away. My throat is fairly dry like it usually is the second mile. Small acidic belch flees...

"You're getting better, you almost threw up but you turned it into a hairy burp. Your face was really disgusting when you did it though. Too bad you're not one of those who is photogenic ALL the time, cause that face will be burned in my mind when you tell me you're running again. I have a photographic memory, which is usually a good thing except you were like this" (double chin, mouth corners pointed down, lips bared, eyes half closed and crossed obnoxious burping noise that sounded nothing like me) "and it resembled Jabba Hut. You sounded like the wookie though. Like maybe they slept together once at their after party and later birthed you out their va..."

"OKAY, I freaking get it. I REALLY hate you sometimes. You're extremely crass and overly abrasive today, even for you." I seeth through tight lips. And then I can't help it, even though I'm extremely irritated my curiosity gets the best of me and I ask--"Why a 'hairy' burp?"

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Here's a random couple of pictures from some yummy recipes we've tried!



Stuffed Meatballs. Stuffed with what you ask? Mozzarella!




Stuffed chicken prosciutto. Yum. Stuffed themed week I guess.




My poor babe fell asleep on her mini pillow pet while momma shopped. She's obsessed with the bee.




And again randomly after she hurt her foot and needed a minute to chill from hardcore playing...




I made bows. Sick of paying bookoos for bows we always seem to lose. Boys have it so easy!




I stole a tiny baby...for about 20 minutes...in her own home...




Made a family tree painting for a baby shower I co-hosted! The "leaves" were guests thumbprints and they signed by their thumbprint.





Added pretty fabric border for pizzazz. You are free to pin this to Pinterest. Fabric glue, super sharp scissors. We had such a blast, I looked up the tree idea and some super fun games! Hoping to see more pictures soon?

That's my weeks in pictures :D I haven't read in about 6 weeks, pretty mixed feelings about that. Happy to be busy, sad to feel I'm losing momentum in that area! I'm off to do whatever it is I do between posts.

-Kesolyn


Editor's Note: If this is the first post you are reading, I swear I'm not borderline psychotic if you don't know what the 'Kestan' biz is. It was a joke that has really taken like fire. She "comes out" when I'm tired, hungry, cranky, PMSing, or had one too many choice beverages. She's my skinny, big headed scape goat. And after watching The Beaver with Mel Gibson, I seriously reconsidered my act...

So the word 'firehose' has been tainted.

"I'm going to go to sleep now."





Within 10 seconds I looked back and saw her literally crashed out. She wasn't lying. haha! I wish I could switch off like that.



Here's a picture of my awesome cousin who awesomely badgered the Fort Smith store until they gave her the Charlotte Russe posters for me. Awesome! My mother in law thinks I should make a hat out of the poster and wear it to my ten year reunion. hahahahah...I'm seriously considering it.




I've been pretty excited lately because a friend of mine invited us to story time at the Bentonville library, and its AH-MAZ-INGGGG. So SO much better than that crummy Bella Vista Library, with the crummy frumpy grumpy judgemental volunteer workers who hate children and possibly eat their souls. What? Its true. Anyways, it was awesome finding out that this super library has an excellent story time, excellent selection, and excellent online services (of which I have learned to say 'Bonjour, comment allez-vous?' and 'Salut, ca va?' I'm so hoity-toity now that I will not be telling you what that means, I am fully immersed as a stuck up french woman. I feel I should have a long cigarette thingy attached at my hand. They still use those, right?) but they are federally funded, which means they serve ALL of Benton county. What does this mean? Free library card for mwah. Ho ho HO!! (my best throaty french exclamation) It feels good to have resources at my disposal, and inspired me to start "school" with Lillian. At Starbucks. Starbucks will be making a few appearances in this post, reader beware. She now knows her colors and will point to them when asked, counts like "Free, Foe, Go! Un, Fee, Fo..." You get the point. I'm thrilled.



I have recently discovered that I have not lost my problem solving skills after birthing two children, having survived pregnancy hormones, and post-natal ups and downs. Prime Example: My swiffer stopped spraying. I have been so frustrated before when they have all seemingly STOPPED working, then once you throw it away you feel obligated to immediately buy another or your floors will never be clean again. And who washes their floors by hand? I'll be the lady that washes her floors by hand. Sick. Having decided to look at this perplexing situation as a man would, I checked for 'mechanical failure'. Having decided then that I have no idea how this works other than pushing the button makes it go, I decided a different route. I looked up online other intelligent peoples who have had simmiliar dilemas. I had a thought that maybe the spray nozzle was gunked up and possibly just needed some CLR to help it flow freely. Turns out, I was exactly...wrong. One likewise intelligent person had such a problem and it was suggested to change the batteries. Oh.My.Gosh. Do you know how many Swiffers and Clorox Mops I have thrown away in the past because I felt it simply stopped working?! Well 3, but that's beside the point. What a waste! It works like a dream now, first use out the gate it was like a firehose shooting far and wide. ('Firehose' makes me think back to my first boyfriend. I was 16-shut up, I was a severely late bloomer-and my boyfriend was 21. This sounds horribly scary, and I would never allow my daughters to date such an older man, but he literally acted like a 15 year old. So in one sense I was the older between us. Plus he wasn't into anything, drinking drugs smoking or otherwise. Picture painted? Okay. It was my first makeout experience (again, no judging that at 16 I had my first real makeout session and kiss in general) and he looks over at me grinning, laughing he smacks his pants lightly and exclaims "Firehose." I was horrified. First off, major corruption happening. I had no idea what he expected from that, other than nervous girly laughter. I was scared, not for my safety, but for literally having no knowledge of anything sexually saavy. Needless to say, nothing happened, ever. He was my first boy yo-yo-ing experience, poor guy. Maybe a few of you remember him from having been my junior year prom date. hahahah. So the word 'firehose' has been tainted for me from that particular experience. I think he later became a fireman. Strange coincidence. That is my swiffer story.



I belive I literally have ADD when sleeping. The dreams I can actually remember make me feel like I'm on crack, because they are such a big freaking mesh of daily experience, one thing never has anything to do with the other, but they are combined in one. Example, you chant?



I was swimming in a bean shaped pool filled with salt water, because its the newest thing these days, at least on a show I saw some time ago. Suddenly there are baby seals in this beautiful blue water, laughing and playing together. It was really very charming and relaxing. In a moment the dream changes to me being in a bar with two men, I am intoxicated and laughing, my arms around both walking out. They are gay, and fancy my shoes and choice of dress. I am walking with them down the street, then into a coffee shop/cafe, it is morning. I remember with a jolt that my girls are still in my car waiting for me, possibly all night. Sudden dread, I have to make it to them!! How could I have forgotten? There is a large dispute by a train yard I am apparently walking towards to find my car, and I have a feeling around the corner out of sight are my babies in a car. They are gang members, and start firing at one another, and as this is happening there is a narration I hear. I literally feel like I am watching a crime show. There was narration like "All of a sudden, they started shooting at each other," (then they start shooting, like I was directing what was to happen) "and everyone started fleeing," (men start fleeing) "and I turned round quickly and slid down on my hip like a baserunner." (Keslyn turns quickly and sliding down hurts hip.) Boom. Just like that. Then I am awake, because for the third time that night Doug tries to sleep diagonally and his head is approaching my bubble zone, threatening to bash mine. I am being attacked not only in my dream, but in real life too. I sleep tensed and ready to duck...and I wonder why I'm tired during the day? ha!




I have been people watching at Starbucks, and I find these people are the most ridiculous personalities. I can't help but laugh, and sometimes I do. I am an awful people watcher, because I think when you do it you are supposed to be incognito. To be an invisible spectator. I gawk and laugh, looking two or three times. There was a man yesterday who walked with such a twist in his hips he was sure to be gay. Groomed to the max, two cups he was cheerily swiveling his was out with. The thing I couldn't figure out were the jeans. Totally not matching with his demeanor. Wranglers...or Levi's, I couldn't be sure, my eyes were bewildered by his jazzy like saunter out of the building. Laughing. More laughing. Another man comes in with sunglasses, a bluetooth ear piece in his ear, spiky blonde-ish hair, and what I can only describe as a snakeskin like look about his clothing. Obviously very self important. My laugh does not escape my mouth, but rather out my nose, I tried to suppress it but it found a way out anyways. He was on the phone, naturally, and what I think his Posse trailing behind. Poor girl. I get all of what's coming to me from the judgement by knocking over my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season all over my table, chair, wall, floor, and jeans/shirt arm. So very embarassing. The guy who works there and thinks he's friendly with Lillian and I because we "bonded" over our love for different names (he liked my name-that I did not pick-and how he named his daughter something different, I don't know, Potpourri or something. He continued to tell me his friend named his daughter 'Caspian'. Major eye rollage.) asks me what kind of coffee I had. I tell him, thinking maybe he feels bad for my stupidity and will surprise me with a new one! Not so. I never see him again. I spend 20 minutes thinking any minute now he will bring out a yummy goodness. Why would he get my hopes up like that?! I should have told him Caspian and Potpourri were amazing names!! Dammit!! Sigh...oh well.



It was nice sitting with people who sound like they actually finish conversations and such. Maybe they're older and have already gone through the stage I'm at now, where conversations are ended by our own choice, not because your child is crying because her sister won't share a toy, which spurs on another crying bout when you make the other child give the toy up, then you can't hear and can't remember what it was you were talking about anyways. I envy those people just a little bit. Especially when I am at home and have the urge to relieve myself, and my posse feels the need to join me. Everyone in the same bathroom, fine. Its the child who needs to hug me while I'm sitting on the toilet, and the smaller one pushing me forward so she can see the potty going into the pot because she's curious, and the dog that just has to sit as close as possible to all three of us and is just THERE, that is a little MUCH.



Here's a crappy picture to help illustrate what I mean:




I'll end with a funny phrase Addie has been throwing around lately. There are boys at her preschool that chase her at the playground. I think she's exaggerating when she says she does NOT enjoy it. She has a funny serious face going when she talks about it. She also watches Phineas and Ferb, and this line from Candace she has applied to her life: "Mom, I'm going to BUST those BOYS!!!" hahahaha. Such a comedian and she doesn't even know it!! Life is screaming at me, literally. More later!



-Kesolyn


p.s. >HERE is the French Onion Dip Pizza recipe a few of you said you'd like to have. Its SOOOOO yummy, gruyere cheese is a little pricey, but definitely worth it. I love this recipe, and it was definitely a delicious homemade recipe! :D

"So yes, you can in fact eat raccoons."

I think this past week has truly been a blur from my imagination. Like maybe it didn't really happen, my mind is playing tricks on me and mirages of events have been placed in my mind. Truly busy. Truly.

Let me address one of the more important questions I've had recently: YES, you can, in fact, EAT a raccoon. Yes, I've said it. Why do I ask such things? Like to see a train of thought? Okay...

"Man its chilly this morning. I should have run with a light jacket on...WHAT is that? FUDGE raccoons are SO much bigger than I imagined! $!$%#, he sees me...make a loud noise to scare him...(loud and scared cacaws escaping from my mouth, paired with clapping. Shut it, do YOU know how to scare off a raccoon?!?)...sticks. You can spear him with a stick from the side of the road...I wonder if Bear Grylls would use a stick to kill him...he would probably eat him too...can you eat raccoons?...I wonder if they have rabies or something...I should look that up when I get home..."

So yes, you can in fact eat raccoons, and it was at one time considered a delicacy. Over 100,000 raccoons are killed each year for their fur as well as having been sold to locals who actually roast them and prepare them as a meal. Its supposed to be amazing. President Calvin Coolidge had actually ordered a raccoon to be prepared as well as a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. You should always eat locally from trappers you can trust that will clean the body properly. The RULE is to leave a left back foot on, so as to prove that it is indeed a raccoon and not some other animal they are trying to pass as one. Of course, that must be removed before you start making it. Sick. There's your useless piece of information for today. You.Are.Welcome.

Why running? Because its free. And does not involve childcare. Adele is amazing for running your emotions out. That girl knows hurt.



Check this baby out, complete with crappy power point. For the first time in my adult life I crawled into the fetal position and cried and rocked after this beauty graced my head with its presence. My wooden rolling pin is evil, pure evil I tell you. Though, I can say that I was certainly not mad any more...it did work for that. I mean, who hits themselves with a rolling pin?!?

I was going crazy trying to finish Lillian's 2nd birthday cake, complete with homemade Marshmellow Fondant (delicious by the way) and growing frustrations mounted as the girls began fighting. And screaming. And tattling. I was about to roll the pretty fondant off my pin and onto the pre-frosted cake when it started to melt off, and anger doubled as I pulled it off and some of the cake came with it, ruining the fondant. You can't roll that away once the chocolate is in there. So I tried salvaging it by pulling some of the chocolate coated pieces off, which ended up beign half the fondant. Big nostril flare, teeth grit, yelling grumbling in the back of my throat, I threw that piece back down. I decided to further take out my anger by pulling it all so I could squeeze it to death with my fingers and show it just how it had ruined my afternoon, and didn't realize the top of the pin still had a good chunk of fondant rolled onto it, pulling the pin into the air in my wild movement too and smacking me right in the forehead. At first I could not believe it had happened, I took a few steps back, then the pain seared its path all the way to my brain in which I immediately went fetal womb position to comfort myself. Throbbing. Knife-like jabs to my brain pulsating over and over. Here I come into the room where Doug is doing his homework, not wanting to use the girls' bathroom because I didn't want them to see me crying when I always tell them to shake it off. Doug looks up and big giant blue german eyes stare at my forehead, "What the hell happened? Are you bleeding?!"

"No, am I?" I say.
"Oh, its dye on your hands. What did you do?!"
(Notice how it changed to what did I do. I guess things don't usually just happen to me, I always invoke these situations upon myself. Sigh.)

SuperDoug comes to save the day, helping me, fixing the girls lunch, asking me if there's anything else he can do before going back to the room for more Book Time. Book Time is like another woman, I hate her. I had a good few months with him before she came back, that skank. She just can't stay away, sinks her claws into him with the promise of more money and better positions for management opportunity. Whore.

Anyways, 16 kids and 17 growed ups later, I am exhausted. It has been a day. Oh, and another teeny incident: Addie took the scissors to her lovely locks. Cut a big chunk out so "she could put it in the switch pot." Someone has been watching too much pretty princess and bad WITCH, haha "switch", and thought up a game where she could come up with her own potion with her own hair. Awesome. I had fun trying to fix that mess, hahaha. About an hour before the party I discovered someone's little fingers had gotten into the six hour cake I had just slaved over. It was quite noticable, with the half eaten owl babies I had made for toppings, and finger holes. Luckily, it was one side, I just cut that side off and served the rest. I'm not going to lie, I cried twice that day...




Thank you Pinterest for thousands of projects and ideas! Now I'm making these crazy things, like a pillow that has piping all around it. Have you ever tried making piping with a zipper foot? NOT easy. It was an ambitious project. And now I'm leary of making a second, which of course I have to make because there is fighting over just one. But I now have a floor pillow!



I totally get this. It is the title of my life book. The whole picture is stupid and cheesy, and awful photoshop, but the quote is golden. Because if I didn't laugh, and let others laugh at the things that happen in my life, I would probably cry!

I went to a Couple's Shower yesterday, I didn't even know they did those. Loved it! It was for my best friend, the people there were the best. I haven't laughed so hard or been entertained like that in quite some time. I am truly certain I have the best variety of friends!!

I'll close with a quote from my little two year old dolly:
"Addie, EAT!!"

Hahaha, that definitely sums up what she thinks. Its the three of us (Daddy Mommy Lillian), and then Addie--in her frame of mind. She's the midget adult of the family, because every family has one!! :D

Kesolyn

"BUTT CLENCHING screams."

I'm sitting here very conscious of the fact that Kestan is looking over my shoulder, watching what I am writing, not caring to close her mouth when she snaps her gum even though she knows it's the worst pet peeve of mine. This time I feel I have cheated her a small victory by anticipating her arrival. Scent without the actual smell. That makes sense because I'M writing and I say it does. My first sign was laying in bed, checking out the latest amazing Pinterest craze, and I realized I hated EVERYTHING. Who hates everything on a single page of pinterest?! It's practically impossible. Thats when it hit me, I could sense she was coming. It was in the several octaves too high voice I was using lately. Some might call it yelling. It was in the sharpening nails motion. Kestan always chuckled and stepped back enough to crane her head sideways at me while letting her "OoOooOoo kitty has claws!!" line sliver out. I could literally sense my body setting up for a bloody and maming battle as she started her march to my castle. Little surges of Kestan style lines came spilling out of my mind; "I should totally make a 'WTFrick Were You Thinking' folder for Pinterest. And 'This Is Lame and So Are You For Liking It' folder." and "Idiots are surfing the web at this very moment pinning things other idiots would like in their Things Ugly Idiots Would Love club." after that brief moment it was like I had stopped and came up for a deep breath of reality check. I've been liking several short hair cuts, which is certainly a Kestan move, to sway my mind into whacking off my hair I've so painfully been working to grow out. I am also fairly certain the third time I awoke last night it was Kestan pulling her stupid lumpy self into bed, noisily to announce she had arrived and would surely be staying for a few days. I wonder if she had possibly already been here, and just waiting to reveal herself because she needs that sort of grandeur and notoriety. Thats why she chose a night I really needed sleep because I'd had very little the night before. It was definitely her that had turned the flame up under my temper, then pushed the vacuum over on top of me while I was sucking at the tiny crevices in the bathroom. It hit me square in the head. I attacked it with profanity and punched it. It danced around like it hadn't even hurt it, because it didn't have feelings, but it certainly had the personality of a little pompous FROG (you can look up what the slang for FROG is). Thankfully since the vacuum was on, and I was downstairs, no little ears had heard mommy's strange outburst. Just as a precaution, I ask that nobody bring around a cute fluffy puppy. Kestan might pop out and squeeze it a little too hard with cold calculating fingers because it's "so freaking cute". It might be accused as Criminal intent because she would throw her head back and cackle wildly, filling the air with her sinful being. Just no puppies, please. No puppies or cute THiNGS.
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I have recently attended a GROWN UP party at a friend's house. It was so much fun. One of the ladies there commented to another that I must have girls because I walked in with a sense of calm on my face. Apparently ladies with boys are a little more high strung?! I laughed when she told me, then replied with this:

"Well don't forget about the shrieking, that can be pretty intense sometimes, especially when they start shrieking together attempting to out-do each other. Both of mine had started doing that the other day while I was vacuuming, and I could HEAR them OVER the vacuum! I looked over and saw Lillian facing away from me in just a diaper, and it was one of those BUTT CLENCHING screams. Ya know? REAL heart felt howling."

This was complete with one of those re-enactments where I stood feet in stout stance, pelvis forward, fists clenched, arms bent slightly upward so fists could have full power, mouth open praising sky, eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed. Full out scream mode. On mute of course. Quickly remembering I was at my first ever adult party, I blurted out an apology for being so abrasive and ridiculous.

"Ahh, I'm so sorry. That sounded bad, me talking about "butt clenching". I don't even know you!"

To which she replied: "Oh no, that's totally okay! It was nice to have some REAL talk here!"
Ok so it was cool, because she has kids too and knows what I mean.

I just forget that not everybody knows my personality or that I live for shock value lines. Or that I'm sort of abrasive and loose lipped when I have more than TWO drinks. Which is usually fun, if you're 19 without kids and tons of responsibility. But I'm a grown up, at a grown up party, and having to deal with grown up after math. I'm just so glad I have friends with good personalities and sense of humor. I would be a bored bored girl if I couldn't add pizzazz to my world with little commentaries!

I could tell I was having too much fun because I was going overboard on my high five limit. Later confirmed by Doug telling me I was 'possessed last night', I sat up, mumbled something, laid my head back down. He said he asked me what I said, I replied "Nothing." Then I repeated what I had originally said more clearly:

"Shake that dupa, thats a niiiice dupa. Shake that dupa, that's a NICE dupa!!!" and threw my head back into my pillow back to la la land.

Hahaha, Whaaaat? Dupa is Butt in portuguese, and I've opted to use that instead of "butt" simply because it sounds nicer when you're in public and you have to say "Sit on your dupa, NOW." And I know we didn't sing about shaking dupas. Duuuude...




This is how I found her one afternoon after nap time. Preceded later by diaper and paci for both naked girls. Man I wish I would make the time to upload pictures from my camera. Silly girls, ammo for later ;) She asked me if she looked like a baby Mowgli. To which I of course answered yes, laughing to myself.

She says the funniest things and has great comedic timing. I pulled out fast into traffic and a little voice behind me said "WHOAAA!!! Let's see how fast this baby can go!!!" hahah.




Here's my little rockstar, who will be TWO this weekend. Tear!!

-Kesolyn

P.S. Recently I've read Sarah's Key, which was great and I'd definitely recommend it. Room by Emma Donoghue was also good, hard to get into at first because it's written in the words of a five year old. I'm reading The Queen's Fool right now, but it's a cheat because I've loved the other books I've read by Philippa Gregory. She's written The Other Boleyn Girl. I read The Virgin's Lover too, and this is the third book that involves Queen Elizabeth in some way. It's interesting to me to really feel how it must truly have been in those days. So much deception, mind games,"virgins", heresy, death by orders. She's an amazing writer, and although her books are thoroughly researched before writing and contain some truth, it's still considered a novel, because shes written it as a story with obvious exaggeration. Even if it hadn't taken place long ago, I think she's pretty close to what it must have been like. I'm looking forward to reading Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series next! I like a little of everything, obviously! Something Borrowed is on my list. I feel so behind on that craze!


P.P.S. The second time I had woken up last night was because Addie had gotten into bed with me. I groggily looked over at her and heard a small plop noise, and she laid all the way down. The ceiling glowed blue. "Addie, stop playing with my phone!" It was like 3 in the morning!! Ahh!! Little terd!!

Just HIT HER BACK!!!

The dog has assumed her usual lazy disposition, and I decided I should blog about that. You wouldn't know that unless I wrote about it, as with most personal things that really don't matter. The thing is, it's on my favorite pillow that she's laying on. Let me phrase that differently, she's laying on my esthetically appealing beautiful white piece of heaven that gets it's own chair. Which wouldn't be a big deal, except I have ingrained in my head the special nickname Doug has adoringly come up with for her: PoopStain. Because she IS all white, except her back is a creamy yellow tint. So now there is a poop stain on the pillow nobody's allowed to play with. ARRGGHHH!! She's going to stink it up, I just know it. She's already tainted my sun worshipping expience here on my side walk just by being a dog. Have you ever smelled sun baked poop? (I know, I know, poop again. Turns out we did NOT cover ALL the ways poop has weaseled it's way into my day in the last post.) I think each person I add to our little family is going to continue to take little pieces of me until I'm a breakfast making, poop wiping, particle removing robot. But a QUEEN robot, nonetheless. Then when my youth is gone and I'm slightly pruney I'll be allowed to have myself back. Then I probably won't want myself and have an identity crisis because the kids will be grown and the best dog long dead, my husband still thinking I'm a ridiculously hot mess who is a nut case during "my time". (which by the way he also thinks I brood pure evil the days leading up, then bleed that evil out and return to normal. Psssh, thats a lie. I just don't take any crap from anyone and have no patience and need to be left alone for long periods of time so I don't start yelling again...that's ALL!!)

Where were we?

My baby has started preschool :( I just put a sad face, but I'm really happy about it and so is she. Her teacher adores her, says she can tell Addie will have her heart this year. That girl just be collecting EVERYone's hearts!! I think sometimes she pulls them out just to count and then puts them back in her lock box and hides them under her bed where she thinks nobody knows about or has ever thought about hiding any such secret things. Just for fun. So she gets to come home with new stories, and there're just a little less of "MOM! Lillian blah blah blah tattle tattle tattle..." to which I respond: "Well just HIT HER BACK!!" I think they need that break from each other sometimes. Lillian thinks about her the whole time, and about how much she actually likes having an older sister and how she should appreciate her more and hit a little less. Maybe I'm just putting words in her premature mouth.

Look at this bum:





She just COULDNT go on riding any more and even tried to con me into pulling her bike WHILE pushing LILLIAN in the STROLLER. Sure kid!! I told her not to be whiney and buck up and do her part. Do children always think of their ME? Yes you say? Ohhh okay, well that makes sense. After play time at the park, which was the prize for finishing her walk, the last bit was blocked off due to flooding damage. I could see my car!! It was a mile back the other way around the loop! NOOO!!! Tired, cranky, hot, hungry kids for a MILE that I didn't want to walk again?! Let me paint you a picture of what actually happened: A very lovely sweaty Keslyn pushing a red jogging stroller with two bumps on the logs who were fighting because Lillian didn't want Addie sitting at her feet. But Keslyn, where was the bike? ON THE DRINK/HANDLE BAR SECTION. But Keslyn, isn't that where your hands go? You had to hang onto the bike which was threatening to teeter your babies off balance and lift the stroller up if you didn't watch it carefully for a whole mile back? YES I said already! Gah! Don't you listen?! It makes me mad just talking about it...shut it already!!

Freezer meal swap!













I made chicken pot pie and blackbean turkey burgers. Except I made them both in one day, placed the chicken pot pies on the not yet frozen turkey burgers and it squished blood out, then froze that way. Negative presentation points for that. It took me an hour to just cut pretty leaves out as slits and flute it because there were six to make. That was the day I made a mistake in letting the girls sleep (yikes, til 5) so I could finish it in silence that was too loud. Let's just say bedtime was a little rough that night.

The other day things were pretty quiet too in the sun room, where Lillian was. When it's quiet and there's no destructive noise it can make a mom pretty suspicious. Why DO people choose to be silent when doing naughty things? It would make it a lot less suspicious if one were faking fun noises. I walked stealth mode with light feet and found she was shaking the pepper and salt shaker like a gluttonous foodie who enjoyed too much salt and pepper and was about to eat the TABLE for dinner. Lillian!!!! She jumped so big she almost fell off the chair, to which after I stabilized her I chuckled to myself because it's always funny when I surprise her. Hush-it's not mean to surprise your kids and laugh hautily afterwards!! Apparently that didn't shake her enough because she did it two more times even after getting a spanking and me deeming the whole act "Naughty", which is a word I KNOW she understands. Have you read the book If You Give A Cat A Cupcake? If you haven't read that to a child, you should. Really the whole If You Give A blah blah blah series is VERY adorable, especially the pictures. Anyways, Lillian was like the cat in that book. But instead of sprinkle shaker it was the salt/pepper shaker.




Ha!

I will finish with informing you how much I am needed around here. How absolutely vital I am here. How the world stops turning for 3 people if I were to simply stop existing. You get the point. The following are true stories about what Doug has truly said to me recently. Truly.

1.) "So I guess I'm fending for myself tonight?" he says.
"Sorry babe, I got caught up with dinner and the girls' plates so I didn't have time to make your lunch." I WARMLY reply.

2.) "I made you coffee." I sticky sweetly say.
"Let me guess, it's still in the pot?" he replies.
#=%49+^*8!!!!! My mouth agape. Mean eyes. Really?!?

"Yes Keslyn, you IS kind. You IS smart. You IS important."
(I am quoting The Help for those that don't know. And yes I know how to correctly use linking verbs!)

-Kesolyn

P.S. I feel it is VERY important to inform you I do NOT ever encourage to my children to hit!! Strictly for shock factor was that added!!

"Shut UP brain!" I yell, defensively.

I have been defeated once again by yeast.



As I sulk away from the kitchen to retreat into the path of shambles remaining from hurricane Lillian, I am slightly more depressed and frustrated. It is 3 pm and I am still in my now soiled pajamas...powder, crisco, and chocolate handprints cover everything I can see looking down, I don't dare turn around to see what my incapable hands have tried to hide back there. A baby cries in the distant, "Could it be mine?" I wonder. Only time will tell...

Well, you get the point. Ahh!! My beautiful rolls are hard as a rock! The dough I madly threw together for a second try promises to be lumpy. The only thing that seems to have gone right out of my kitchen today are the amazingly awesome granola bars. (insert cheesy grin and giant pat on the back



HERE is the recipe for those bad boys! Maybe not highly nutritional, but homemade deliciousness.

I am still trying to make sense of who I am now, as if bread troubles dictate my character and achievements. "Who are we? A 26 year old non-bread maker who sleeps next to a half man/half machine (sleep mask, very sexy), and still can't keep her almost 2 year old from throwing food on the floor in tantrum?"

"Shut UP brain!" I yell, defensively.

"Well? Did you make bread so you didn't have to go to the store? OH excuse me, I meant EATABLE bread...did you whip up roast beef for Doug's lunch too while you were at it? Or grow a fruit tree in your front yard so the kids wouldn't get constipated? Maybe if you concentrate really hard and chant a spell you can magically replace all of those ingredients you used the rest of today also. Take a shower while you're doing it, you're starting to ripen."

"I think your perseverance and will power are amazing! I just know you'll get it right one of these times!"

"Shut UP heart! Nobody even asked you!" I hiss. All because I wrestled with bread today!!


I have realized I am addicted to Glee. I mean, I have always been a Gleek since I've began watching it, but it's sort of getting out of hand. They've come up with an app for Glee where you can sing songs from the show...all for the low low price of 99 cents per song!! What a DEAL! I have spent probably close to fifteen dollars on the stupid app alone! We do NOT share that with Doug (sorry babe if you're reading this!). I can't explain myself, I truly love using all of my bandwidth each month belting my heart out to short clips. It's ingenious as far as money making goes. AND you get to sing with other suckers (I mean gleeks) if you want, how cool is that?! I get to ignore SO much that way every day while recording and re-recording...





How cute are they? Waiting outside Red Lobster (the crabfest is Ahh-mazing by the way!) to get in, she fought LilliBill to sit next to daddy, tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and settled right in. So sweet are little girls and their daddies!

I wish I could stare shamelessly like Lillian does. Countless times out in public she catches someone's attention by casting her doey eyes their way, with an intense "Everything is still in this perfect moment" sort of way. She literally has no shame, a simple sweet little unaffected mind. Until she hits you in the head with a bag of pancakes she found on the floor while mommy was cleaning out the fridge. "Lillian! Stop hitting your sister with the pancakes! Throw them away, goofus!" Aye, some things I thought I'd never say!

I'm off to pretend I know what I'm making for dinner and that I didn't just fail and break down because of bread. Haha! :)
-Kes

Dramamine that I so tenderly ministered...

It's been a while since my last post, I know this because the number of saved notes on my phone is pretty long. Laugh all you want ladies (and few brave men in the blogging world), but I now have subjects on ammunition ready to go!!

I will start this by the most obvious big event since last post-trip to Florida...without kids!! This was the biggest trip and first one we've taken alone since being married. Biggest and alone you say? Why yes, yes I did go there. I went there, stuck my feet in the sand/kelp mixture and came BACK!! I realize this has no pizazz whatsoever without the visual of my flamboyant head bobbing up and down, as I "Whip my hair back and forth" (Willow Smith, anyone? No? Ok.)

I don't feel like I even need to say how awesome the trip obviously was (except that I just did). The first day, however, Doug got seasick and Dramamine that I so tenderly ministered knocked him out for a good four hours. So momma planted her pasty butt on the beach and READ a book, by herself!! This was a dream of mine, nearly as dear as MLK's was to him. Except I didnt speak of equality and civil African American rights with my dream, but I did people watch. Have you ever people watched on a beach before? I almost feel theres a judgemental quality to it, and I know there's no such thing as a "perfect" body in the real world of real working people, but try telling my brain that. "Oh dear, does nobody love you enough to tell you you shouldn't wear a bikini any more?" And "when I'm a hundred like that, I hope I'm as carefree as that, just not caring and letting it all hang out, flapping in the wind." When I finally got my brain to shut up, Doug was feeling well enough to come down and he remarked "Look what grandma's doing with her new hip replacement!" except it really was so, you could tell by the scaring on her left thigh. We liked to make voices, pretend we were speaking for them about their life stories. Aye, such bad habits!! Hahaha.

I am dedicating this section to POOP. Theres really not a good way to fancy this subject up, and if there was, i still wouldn't use it, because poop doesn't deserve to be fancified. Even as a mom, I feel like I deal with it too much. I swear I'm not exaggerating when I say Lillian had a pooey diaper, as I was changing it Addie hopped on the pot and did her thing, after I took care of both and was on my way to throw away the diaper Addie exclaimed very loudly (because there's two volumes with this child, loud and extra loud) that Meelo had pooped behind daddy's favorite recliner. Awesome. Sick. It's as though all three of them are on the same bowel movement schedule. "That's all I have to say about that..."

I have had a few hearty laughs lately at Lillian, she's been SO opinionated and naughty lately, probably that terrible twos thing rolling in early...hanging over the house, casting an ugly and impatient shadow. I swear there's a Kestan in that child too. For real, Kestan's temper and patience...for those of you who didnt have the opportunity to read that post, Doug nicknamed my alter ego (who is a hairier, scarier, maltempered witchy version if myself when I'm tired/hungry/PMSing) Kestan. Which is Keslyn+Satan. You get the idea. This is the point where I should also interject the " We have a strong, witty, teasing relationship" and coming up with such banter is the equivalent of a big hug to us. Plus I am usually amused with such things. Back to the point! She was being particularly trying one day and giving me the daringly fierce stare, so I breathed "Get down and go to time out." very heavily into her face.



She did it! Hahahah...I didn't even know she knew what I meant, but shes seen Addie pay that price before! I so underestimated her! It took a few timeouts before she truly understood to STAY there.

Addie sang into a microphone her cousin had made for her out of tinker toys a very familiar song, tOhe lyrics were a little different! I wish I could upload it!! Her version was:

It's the corner after one
I'm all alone and I need you now
It's the corner after one
I'm having trouble with my phone
And I need you now

Over and over! I laughed quietly while filming it!! Ammunition for her wedding reception? Ha...

Since being home, little pieces of FL have been peeling off of me :/ This reminds me of the week before when I had decided to exfoliate and put.on a thick layer of clear facial mask. When it had dried, I walked into the living room and stood in front of Addie's cartoon and started to peel it off screaming "Ow...OW...OWW OWW OWW!!!" as I pulled off bigger pieces walking toward her, big painful eyes. Bahaha aha....I've never seen her wig out in an intense situation, but now I know she'd freeze in terror just like I do!! She reared her whole body back and up like she was climbing the couch like a mutated slug descendant, flipping her little hand up and down at me "OH!! Mom I don't like it! Don't take your face off!"

And in case you are in need of a pick me up because you might suck at everything and hearing someone else's failure would make you smile:




Aren't these the ugliest rolls you've ever seen? Active yeast and I have a hate-hate relationship, I can never make bread right, of ANY kind...which stinks because I love LOVE homemade bread!!

For those of you that have been following my book search, I read Firelight and The One That I Love. They're decent reads, the first mentioned is a little fantasy-ish and first in a series, I might read the next just to find out what happens to the main character. I hate unfinished series!! I'm off to pick up a book the library just called to let me know they have in, should I be this excited to go read a book on the holocaust? It's a highly recommended and sought after book, Sarah's Key! Pizza/movie night, woo!!




Last one-Doug impatiently waiting for the first batch of ice cream in the new ice cream maker! It's not a salt ice kind, a weird one you can even make gelato with?

-Kesolyn

P.S. Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate my birthday, it always reminds me what great family and friends I have!!

Burlap pillows!

I had a hunch at le Hobby Lobby today to make these cool burlap pillows I saw at an antiquey place. I originally went to see their half off sale on picture frames. Turns out, LOTS of things there are half off today!

I bought a yard of burlap fabric, a whopping $3. When I got home, I immediately used half a yard to make a bigger pillow.




Then used the remainder to make two more by cutting it in half.



Sewed the sides like so, about 1/4 inch from edge.



Leaving one side open for stuffing, I put as much polyfill in according to the plumpness of the pillow I wanted. Polyfill is another whopping $3 for a big bag at WalMart.



Folding the edges just so and pinning, with the remainder facing out, sew it shut.




I picked a few fabric squares out the color I liked. These were left over from another project. A lot of the pieces I used to decorate them were!

Cutting circles, biggest to smallest, I pinned them together as I scrunched using a safety pin, finally pinning it to the pillow as well. Using left over faux pearl strand, I used fabric glue (permanent kind) to keep them on. It's nice because the fabric glue is a fast and permanent adhesive.



The big one with the turquoise pin was easy. That I just had to have straight from Hobby Lobby. Easy to adorn that one, because it was a safety pin back. The faux flower and green leaves were fabric glued on. What an easy project! The hardest part is deciding which pillows I already have on my couch to put away! Such an easy way to add a country living punch to a room!




Close up.




Close up 2.




And third pillow!! Simple. There are fun suggestions of using a stencil print and dabbing a color picture on the fabric before sewing. I might try that next time. Try it!!

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Ahh, my luxurious life!

I'm so sad to begin this post with the realization that my baby isn't really a baby any more. She still pretend cries "WAH" (when I ask her to, no less!) but we've made the transition to big girl bed. I think I was more or less on a productive streak that morning, and I didn't know what I had done. As if from thin air, I'm standing there watching her sleep in the toddler bed, wondering how that moment came to be. I'm not some creepy overly motherly person mind you, I was looking for Addie's Annie from Little Einsteins. She lost it and they had been playing in her room earlier, couldn't of course sleep without it! And no, it didn't make me long for another one...just to make mine STOP growing. I know this is her right course, but I'm thinking of pushing her down and seeing if she'll revert back to crawling (total sarcasm, I would never do that. But she is just SO cute right now. How do I keep her little? I mean, aside from intentionally stunting her growth? Haha. I can't.)








Just look at this beautiful head of hair. Pretty sure that wasn't there last month either.







My best friend is getting married. Had I mentioned that yet? Addie is flower girl. Look at this. Oh yes siree we will have our hands full when she's a teenager. So beautiful and smart. She was VERY upset when we didn't come home with one. It was hard to explain to a 4 year old that she couldn't have any of the beautiful dresses she tried on because it wasn't her choice...







Summer has begun!! Please excuse the ugly chair. It was a thrift store find and I plan to recover. I had a notion to take some pictures of the girls with my new camera, and bought a few props. I would love some practice if anyone would let me borrow your family! I am no professional, but I like it and they would of course be free :D it's the only way to see, to dabble right?







Making macaroni necklaces. She's still waiting for them to dry to make them. Or finally taking a nap, anyways.







It's funny the things that are important to a kid (another tear as I had to erase "toddler" and rewrite KID, she's not a toddler any more. 5 in Nov!) Grandma is on a long trip in Minnesota and Addie needed to show her her new shoes. I love how close they are!

I'm still browsing for vacations. Doug up and decided to take off the next two weeks, and I have NO plans for it. Yikes! Suggestions welcomed!!

And now, Baby Einstein is done and dinner is waiting to be made. Ahh my luxurious life, ha!

P.S. Captivating is an awesome read! I've said that like 5 times, but it's still true. Almost done with Matched, pretty good so far. Not super intense, but a good and easy summer read. I wish I could just update a list on here so I wouldn't have to keep talking like I read every day. Who has time for THAT!!

P.P.S. I've been writing. Not sure if it's something I'll share, but it's been so good to do! AND, this is yesterday's post. Ha.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Where Is That Kid's Mom?!

Doug left early for this thing at work, and I'm contemplating substituting freezer cooking in the place of actual adult interaction. I present Jamie Oliver's Bolognese Sauce. The last time I attempted this, it was a complete watered down fail...only topped off by my sharing it with a fellow Italian lover, and my lunch box quietly delivered back to me with no gushing ensuing. That meant, it sucked-and I shared it :/




The most patient pooch, or so I have decided after discovering Addie making a "receipt collar" for her. Today she had her wrapped in a hand towel in her baby stroller. Where is that kid's mom?!




As we're about a month (give or take) away from seeing what these CR pictures will be used for, I stopped in to get an idea. A hanging ad, like these? A store display in the window? Blasphemous. I still do not believe it, someone is yanking my chain.




Daddy bought Addie her very own fishing pole, and she actually casts and reels like a tiny professional fisher. SO cute seeing both of them off, father daughter time at the lake :) Lillian would rather cuddle goose poop and demand to be taken to the swings at a nearby park...strictly on the hip, NO walking mom!!

I finished Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin. Cute. You get to a point where you're ready to read a different style writer though, and that's where I'm at :)

If you have pictures with me, please upload them...my camera is now broken, and I need a new picture. Ha! Thank you in advance!! There's so much more going on lately, but it's summer-it's supposed to be that way, right?!

Keslyn

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone