Ode to Big Daddy...

Ten Important Life Lessons My Daddy Taught Me 

(and yes, I still call him Daddy... it's a Southern thing, y'all)

1. To have an appreciation for "Saturday Night Live", MAD magazine, the movie AIRPLANE, and anything to do with The Muppets (I have been accused by certain members of my family of sharing a few of Miss Piggy's better qualities).
2. How to tie and untie a knot in a cherry stem with my tongue... you have no idea how handy this little skill can be in some social situations.
3. To read GOOD books.  Ok, so he sort of forced me to do this (and give a book report back to him), but I guess his plan worked because The Good Earth is still my all-time favorite.
4. How to drive a stick shift... even though I didn't get my license until I was almost 17 because I couldn't get through an intersection without stalling out and ending in a hysterical crying fit because he yelled at me.  But whatever, I love to drive a stick!
5. The importance of knowing how to play a good hand of poker (and yes, he makes you bet money even if you are his elementary school grandchild).
6. That you must not be a fair weather fan... even if your team NEVER wins when they should (because there's always next year) because you never know when they just might surprise you (how 'bout those Commodores in the College World Series!).
7. That no matter how busy or important you think you are, there is always time for a good vacation... preferably by a beach, close to a golf course, with seafood involved.
8. To appreciate ALL genres of music... HELLO Rolling Stones, Keb Mo', Dwight Yoakam, and BB King. 
9. That sometimes there is nothing wrong with going to the movies by yourself (because I don't have to share popcorn or laugh at things I don't think are funny).
10. That no matter how much they can make you crazy sometimes, family is the best thing in life and loving and being there for them unconditionally is the most important thing you will ever do as a person...

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Label Love...

In my ongoing  losing battle to achieve better organization, I recently purchased a label maker.  My sweet friend Anna is the queen of label making... her kitchen is so flippin' organized, oh my gracious I have a serious case of Pantry Envy (I don't even COOK) and that is about all I have to say about that.  While my kitchen will never remotely approach the beauty of Anna's perfectly labeled and alphabetized rows of staples, I decided to give it a go...

Label Makers have come a LONG way since those little punch out kind we had back in "the day".  Who didn't have one of these?

After some searching I found this brand new and still in the package (for a steal) on ebay.  It can do all kinds of fancy stuff I have yet to have the time or patience to figure out, but I did achieve a basic label and so set to work labeling my life...

P Touch Stylish Labeler

Don't you just love these adorable Paula Deen Cookie Tins?  Found them on clearance at Michael's and thought they would make great storage containers for some of my craft crap supplies.. except I got TONS of them ($2 each, do you blame me?) and had to pull every one out of the shelves to find what I was looking for... enter the Label Maker!

Then one bright and early morning I'm standing ironing Sweet Son's shirt for school (shhh... don't mention to Handsome Hubby, I never iron HIS shirts), staring into space and notice this on our utility room fridge...

Hmmm... odd, I didn't do that. Glance down and I see this... 

Apparently someone is trying to tell me something.  Considering a certain person in my house once wrote this ODE TO PIE... I have a feeling I know our Label Fairy.  Just a guess, but I think it might be someone who is basically a shorter, cuter version of me.

Jumped in the shower and then grabbed my favorite robe, only to find THIS stuck to the shoulder...

Ok, now I kind of LOVE my label maker.  

I Don't Want to be the Mommy... At Least Not Today.

Room Decor Art Print

Posting late today... actually, I wasn't going to post at all.  My mind has been swimming with those thoughts parents have when they just aren't sure they made the right decision regarding their child.  No reason to bore you with the details, but I am having trouble focusing on anything because all the negative "what if's" are streaming through my head like a bad reality TV show marathon.  

Our family is having to make a decision regarding Dear Daughter that I wish we didn't have to make... it's nothing earth shattering, but it IS something that is very important to her and the chain of events and decisions that have finally come to a head are haunting me.  I wonder if we could have done something different, made a better or smarter choice so that she wouldn't be put in a situation that has had her in tears and made her so sad.  

These are the days that I wish I were not the Mommy... there is no easy way to handle your child's disappointment.  EVER. EVER. EVER.  It makes my heart hurt.  Of course, the greatest thing about kids is they are able to move on so much quicker than the adults... here she is headed out for Nerd Day at school this morning.  If I look at this picture long enough... at her big goofy grin and sassy strut, it starts to drown out that nasty marathon episode of "Loser Mama"...

Mourning My Microwave...

This lovely BIG GAPING HOLE in my kitchen is the place where my microwave normally lives.  It is sick.  NO. BUENO.  I am not a cook... or I guess I should say, I do not ENJOY cooking.  If I have to do it, I am more of the Sandra Lee variety.  Sadly, I come from a long line of great cooks... Aunt Orangie's fried chicken could make a grown man cry.  It's just not my thing, and thankfully for my children, Handsome Hubby put himself through college by cooking in restaurants.  He is good at it, AND he enjoys it.  He cooks dinner for my book club and bunco group.  He and my mother (a.k.a. Mimi) plan and cook all of our holiday dinners while I set a BEAUTIFUL table.   And yes, most of my friends and family hate me for it and remind me regularly it is NOT normal.  

But it is, happily, MY normal.

That said, I am in charge of breakfast during the week.  Mimi worked full time for most of my childhood, but RARELY put a bowl of cold cereal out for breakfast.  Even if it was just a bowl of oatmeal or grits (my personal fave), we usually had a hot breakfast.  Wanting to be an equally good mommy, I continued this tradition with my kids... which is great, unless you are a Sandra Lee cook with NO MICROWAVE.  I can make a mean microwave scrambled egg taco IN MY SLEEP (with a competitive swimmer who leaves most days at 5:30 a.m. for practice that is truer than you know).  Because I have spoiled my children with my stellar taco nuking skills, if I put a bowl of COLD CEREAL in front of them I get the "mom, you have just grown a third head" look... complete and utter disbelief and disgust.  SO, I have been getting up for a week now and actually COOKING breakfast. ON.THE.STOVE.  

Just asking, and I know it is beyond shallow... 

could we all say a little prayer for the a speedy recovery for my dear friend, Mr. Microwave?

This Sandra Lee Wanna-Be Mommy is getting crabby.

Fridge Magnet

The Tooth Fairy...

Needle Felted Tooth Fairy Pillow

Didn't come last night... Mama was not feeling so hot and went to bed at 7:00 and was informed by a long faced Dear Daughter this morning that somehow the Tooth Fairy failed to make her magical appearance.  AHEM.  I mean, I know Mama is not supposed to get sick, but is it really possible for the Tooth Fairy to be sick on the very same night?  And on the off chance that the Tooth Fairy is too sick to rise from her tiny little fairy bed, don't you think the Tooth Fairies' husband could have helped her out for just one night?  I'm sure he would make a handsome and capable replacement... just sayin'...

Mr. Tooth Fairy

Dang it, I blinked again...

Sweet Son and his BFF were inducted into the National Honor Society last night... watching them walk across that big stage all dressed up it hit me HARD that they truly are young men now.   I know it is such a ridiculous cliche, but for those of you with little ones, do yourself a favor and DON'T BLINK.  Holy cow, these two man children were just in first grade LAST YEAR.  I swear.  Chubby cheeks and crooked teeth are long gone and now we have these  wonderful smart, funny, handsome, kind MEN.   

Why on earth did I blink?

They are still not quite finished, not quite ready to release into the big, wide world... but they are so close, it nearly breaks this mama's heart.  A heart that really couldn't be any prouder of a couple of chubby cheeked little boys... 

When I Grow Up Print

Never Grow Up Print

If you're lucky enough to be at the beach...

Two Surfers

Sweet Son and his BFF just took off on their first BIG ADVENTURE... an hour and a half drive to the beach to spend the day hanging out with their toes in the sand and their souls in the surf.  Letting them go on the BIG ADVENTURE was a BIG DECISION for the parental units... but we have to let go sometime, and they ARE so convincingly cute. Now the mama's are holding their breath until that little blue Murano pulls back in the driveway tonight... praying they make it back in one piece and that my credit card doesn't end up in the bottom of the deep blue sea.

Wild Air Print