Semi-Wordless Wednesday... March Photos of the Day

So, I left off at WINDOW... I can't promise I did these in order but I did them.

RED... ZZ Top /?concert at the rodeo

LOUD... New York City

Someone I talked to today...

FORK... in the road.

SIGN... and yes, that's THE Mystic Pizza.

CLOUDS... and beach in Glen Cove, NY.

Car... and Miss LuLu, the GPS that steered us all the way through the Northeast last week.

Sunglasses... and an awesome friend I hadn't seen in 20 years!

Green... Sweet Son on the United States Naval Academy Campus

Leavin' on a jet plane...

At the time this posts I will be on a plane with the little cutie-pie in this pic... except the little cutie-pie is now almost 6 feet tall and carries the luggage.  Yep, I'm heading off with Sweet Son for CollegeTour-A-Palooza... four schools in five days in a part of the country I have never seen.  

Just me.

and the boy.

and a rent car.

and 100's of miles.

FAR FAR away from home.

Did you catch that FAR FAR away part? 

Have I mentioned he's not seriously considering one single school in
the great state of Texas?  

NOT.ONE.SCHOOL.

Didn't I mention something Monday about my children perhaps being a "tad" too freakishly independent?

Heavy.

Sigh.

I guess I'll always have the pictures.

And Handsome Hubby... with whom I am not celebrating my TWENTIETH wedding anniversary today, because... well, I'm on a plane with SS.  No worries... HH and I have a BIG trip planned with FIVE WHOLE DAYS of celebrating our 20 (TWENTY!!!  Did I say TWENTY?!) years as a pretty darn happily married duo on the most amazing beach in the world... one month and counting.  WOOT! 

Monday Mom Moment...

I'm having a moment... see that cute little smiling face on the left?  That's Dear Daughter... it's Spring Break (woo hoo!) and she's spending the week with her awesome Aunt Kim and her cousins at "Camp Aunt Kim".  Today they are at the Texas State Capital celebrating the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting.  She and her aunt are kindred Girl Scout spirits, and they were beyond excited for this little adventure.  This is the first glimpse I've had since she left yesterday, and I won't get my hands on that cuteness again until Sunday.  SUNDAY people.  That's an entire week without my little mini-me, my partner in crime, my joyful little ball of energy and hilarity.

Here's the deal... I have prided myself on raising independent, self-confident children.  Mine were the toddlers who skipped happily into Mother's Day Out without so much as a glance over their shoulder.  I pitied the moms with the clingy, screaming psycho-separation anxiety kids.  Now it has backfired on me and I am the one with psycho-separation anxiety... they go, and they WANT to go, and they smile back at me from photos I'm not in, from adventures I only maybe share virtually (Sweet Son is anti-facebook, so I don't even get that little luxury when he's gone).  This is our goal as parents... I know, this is what we are supposed to do... raise them to be self sufficient, happy and well adjusted.  I'm good with that most of the time... except when I get no sleepy, squishy cheeked kisses first thing in the morning for an ENTIRE WEEK.  Ok, I will stop my pouting shortly now.  Back to your regularly scheduled Monday...

Friday Photo of the Day...

View of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Carnival  from Reliant Stadium

Jumping in a little late, but I've decided to try this Photo of the Day Challenge... join in if you feel like it!

Yesterday was WINDOW... took this last night at the rodeo, and HH could not figure out why I WANTED a pic with the window bar showing.  Now he knows.

A few more from another fun night of pretending to be a cowgirl...and yes, I finally got to wear the outfit.

Chuckwagon Races

ZZ  TOP!!!

Every cowgirl's got to have a cute cowboy... 

Million Dollar Monday...

Handsome Hubs and I had a date night (woot!) on Saturday... we were gifted (more cheers for the work perks) tickets to see the Broadway Across America production of Million Dollar Quartet.  

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time..  Here they are on that night in 1956... 

And here is the cast of the show... 

What a great time... my problem?  I hear awesome live music and can't keep still, took every ounce of self control in my body not to get up and start rockin' out in the aisle.  Ummm... not exactly welcome by the "premium seat holders" at the Hobby Center.  It is beyond me how all these people could sit and listen to "Great Balls of Fire", "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Walk the Line" without so much as a HEAD BOB.  

Come on people, loosen up!

Afterwards we were invited to a special post-show party where we were able to meet the cast... HH said he felt a little like he was at Disney taking pics of his wife with the Mouse.  

Funny man he is... but hey, I'm not proud.  

With Jerry Lee Lewis... who happens to hail from Manchester  England.
WHAT THE HECK?

Johnny Cash!  Love that man in black...

And finally... that hunka, hunka (20 year old) burning love... check it out, he even has the lip thing down.

Semi-Wordless Wednesday...Naughty and Nice Nieces

If only I knew what scheming is going on in that pretty little curly head...

Cook-Off Recap...

HH and I had a wonderful time on our annual date night to the HLSR World's Championship Bar-B-Que Cook-off on Friday... I know, I am clearly NOT wearing the planned outfit.  Again with the $#%& Texas weather, that awesome Lunar Cycles top would have had me freezing my lunar cycles off.  

Plan B, same jeans, boots and jewelry (sheesh, what's up with me and the BIG earrings lately), old brown cardi (from Kohl's, and I do really have a hand under those bell sleeves), paired with funky little embroidered tank found on clearance at my local Ya Ya Clothing Company boutique, belted with wide belt with turquoise buckle, also from Ya Ya.  Lunar Cycles top will now be attending the ZZ Top rodeo concert in a couple of weeks... $%&# weather better cooperate.  

Now, on to the FUN stuff... COOK-OFF!  For those of you non-Texans, or Texans who have never attended this Cowboy Mardi Gras, I snapped a few pics...

These are from the Holy Cow Cookers booth... one of a 100's of teams that compete, and then put on a huge party with free food., drinks, bands... 

and yes, this is all set up in a giant TENT.

 

Did I mention free mini CRAVE cupcakes?  Nothing like a Bud Light and a cupcake... 

Ran into some of our best friends and neighbors...

And then we discovered the free photo booths.

Uh, yeah... we went a little bonkers overboard.

More Cook-off action...

And just in case you're unsure which Porta-potty to use...

What's Up Wednesday... and a WINNER!

What's up?  Valentine's Day is what's up here... turned out to be a lovely day.  Started my day volunteering at the junior high getting 2400 (no joke) carnations labelled and ready for delivery to a bunch of eager middle schoolers... funny, funny to read what they write to each other.  My fave? A shy looking little 6th grade boy who was filling his order out for me last week and quietly asked

"how do you spell anonymous?"

After Carnationpaloooza, had lunch with some of my favorite friends and then came home to find this surprise sitting on my kitchen counter...

Ahhhhhhh... tulips, my fave!  My mama knows me so well.  

A dozen roses and tickets to see Million Dollar Quartet from Handsome Hubby. 

Date night on the horizon!  Woo hoo!

This yumminess from my babies...

And finally, from all of my loves... 

WOO HOO!  Not a bad day for an old mom...

And here's what I wore for a long day of hearts and flowers...

Cardi - White House/Black Market (2 seasons ago on sale)

Tank - Target Micro Rib Tank (best tanks EVER!)

Jeans - Anthropologie Holding Horses Cropped Jeans 

(I'm short enough that when I roll down the cuffs, they are the perfect length NON-cropped jeans...

and FYI, got these WAY on sale, because I will NEVER pay $200 for a pair of jeans!)

Red Patent Flats - Payless American Eagle (old, old, old but great shoes and I think they still sell this style)

Sliver Heart Earrings - Target

Bracelets - clearance at Target and American Eagle

Black Bling Belt - Target clearance ($5.98!)

So, how was your favorite Hallmark holiday?

Lest you think I forgot, fear not... we have a WINNER!  OLGA you are the winner of the Blog Birthday Giveaway!  Congrats and I will be contacting you soon...

Friday Finds...

So, I've been on a thrifting kick lately.  Perhaps it has something to do with those two words that are looming larger and larger in my future... COLLEGE TUITION.   Or maybe I'm just cheap.  Whatever the reason, I'm having some fun finding things both for myself and the booth.  Check out my latest treasures...

Just adore this cute little rattan and bamboo side table... it was marked "not for sale" but was sitting in an area of FOR SALE stuff, so I took it up front and asked and YIPPEE, it was in fact mismarked and mine to take home for a whopping $4.00!  Yes, please!  This little sweetie is booth bound.

I can't get enough of shabby old artwork... this one is very old and very sweet.  The bird?  Just loved his colors and doesn't he look so regal?  Also booth bound!

These chickens make me happy... two of them are salt and pepper shakers and two of them are just plain cute.  Off to the booth they go...

Now, a few things for ME!  What I'm finding about thrifting for clothes/accessories?  There are things I would probably never pay full price for, but would love to have if the CPW (cost per wear) were low.  BINGO!  

What's in my cart?

The corduroy leopard print jacket was in new condition, and only $9.00.  Animal prints are the new neutral and I'm a little obsessed.  SCORE. 

The giraffe bag... so cute!  I love to change up bags every now and then, but this is not versatile enough for me to justify a big purchase.  But at $5.00?  

Yep, I can justify.

The NEW red Coldwater Creek peplum jacket/blouse.  Not something I would wear too often, but perfect for substitute teaching or those times when I need to look a bit dressier/more professional... and at $6.00 it's a steal.

Check out those rockin' red Laredo Ropers!  These are actually for Dear Daughter, as it's coming up on Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo time... her feet are still growing and I am not spending $100 on boots she will wear for a week and then outgrow.  These?  Leather, name brand, excellent condition, and only $20. 

YEE-HAW!

That's all I got for now... 

don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY, last chance this morning!

TGIF!!!

Wordless (at least as close as I will ever be) Wednesday...

Fatbooth Fun

Super Bowl Jello Jigglers

High School Swimming DISTRICTS

Happy girl got the part! "High School Musical" Wildcat Cheerleader...