Tuesday, May 31, 2011

My Big Fat Obsession...AGAIN!

Oh, the joys of summer...swimming, freshly squeezed lemonade, sunshine, and...NEW TV SHOWS!!!

TLC just aired a new show this past Sunday, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. The show documents that weddings of Gypsies, or Travelers, in the UK. Typically, the average age of the bride in this culture is 16-17. The first episode that I watched followed 17 year old Sam as she prepared for her wedding day to 20 year old Patrick. While their outfits tend to be scandalous, their morals and ethics are very strict.

Her dress weighed more than she did and had lights that lit up with battery packs attached to them. Girls want bigger and bigger dresses. Some dresses cause their hips to bleed...in their eyes, the bigger the scars on their hips, the better the marriage will be.



Don't forget their bridesmaids...


Gypsies are devote Catholics so even first comuninions are a major milestone. This little girl's first communion dress weighed double her weight, but she LOVED it!


If you missed the episode, you can catch them on YouTube...here is the beginning of the UK version...



If you aren't hooked, I'll be surprise! Have you seen it? What do you think?

post signature

Monday, May 30, 2011

True American Heroes

Thank you to the true American Heroes.





On this day, we salute you.




post signature

Friday, May 27, 2011

Signs of Big C and Baby C

I can always tell where Big C and Baby C have been by the way that they leave their toys.

Big C always lines up all of his toys...exhibit A.

Baby C always leaves her toys like a tornado has gone through them...exhibit B.


They may look like brother and sister, however their personalities couldn't be more different. I am so very thankful for their differences and that they love each other so much!

post signature

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

It's Homemade, Straight from the Box!

I made this "Semi-Homemade" meal for my family on Friday and was so happy with the way that it turned out!

Ingredients:
  • 1 can (21oz) of apple pie filling
  • 1 box stuffing
  • 6 pork chops or 6 chicken breast ( I actually used 3 of each!)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Grill or bake pork chops/ chicken, while that cooks....
  3. Prepare stuffing per the directions on box and let sit

3. Spread apple pie filling on the bottom of a baking pan

4. Place cooked meat/ poultry on top of apples, then add stuffing on top and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

Here is the final product (pork chop) paired with asparagus...delicious!



This was equally as good reheated the second day too!

post signature

Monday, May 23, 2011

SURPRISE!!!

This weekend, I was excited to get to spend some girl time with my Mom and sister. We were going to go get "mani/pedis" and then do a little shopping. If you know me, you know that even though I love to hang out with friends and have some time away from the kids, I thoroughly enjoy being with my children and don't like to be away from them for very long. As our 'girl time' was nearing on 4 hours of being away from my little ones, I was starting to get anxious to get back home to them.
On the way home, my wonderful husband calls me to tell me I have one more birthday present that is outside. He wanted me to be blind folded so that I wouldn't see it since Big C had something to give to me inside the house first. Not wanting to disappoint Big C or my husband, I willingly put on the blind fold. My sister and Mom guided me into the front door where they took off my blind fold and yelled SURPRISE!!!!
My wonderful, amazing husband organized, planned, and brilliantly executed a surprise 28th birthday party for me along with 50 of our closest family and friends. Yes, I was completely surprised...which I think shocked is the better word! I was so surprised that I didn't even take any pictures during the evening....which I usually carry my camera on my where ever I go for surprise moments like this...how ironic! The pictures I did take were from the remenants of the party the next day, which there aren't many because my wonderful, amazing, brilliant, and caring husband CLEANED up during and after the party so we didn't wake up to a party mess!!

These are the candles that were on my HUGE cake! I had mentioned to hubby that on my actual birthday, I didn't have cake and no one sang to me. I was all little bummed. However, it worked into his plan because as soon as I walked in, everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'...

...and there was CAKE!!!! (and special red velvet ice cream for me!)



Hubby has been planning this surprise party for over 2 months...I'm still in shock and disbelief! He got all of my close friends' phone numbers and addresses to send them text messages to coordinate. He also had my wonderful, amazing friend Betsy help him by making these adorable invitations to mail out...real paper invites, not evites...I'm so impressed!


Left over pop/soda from the evening...along with adult beverages, but there were no left overs!


I have never felt so utterly flabbergasted to the point where I was speechless before or overwhelmed with all of the love. I am truly honored to have so many take time out of their lives to celebrate my birthday. Thank truly to all of my family and friends for making me feel so special and blessed. I love you all!


post signature

Sunday, May 22, 2011

The Cast of The Hunger Games

Have you fallen in love with The Hunger Games Trilogy yet?

I read these amazing books back in October and have been telling people about them ever since! The sixth graders at my school just finished the trilogies and are just as equally obsessed with them! It is so wonderful to see these young teens falling in love with books and wanting to discuss them. The Hunger Games movie will begin filming this week and I found the cast! Without further ado...

THE CAST OF THE HUNGER GAMES!!!

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen


Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne

Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen


Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket


Woody Harrelson as Haymitch
Alexander Ludwig as Cato

Amandla Stenberg as Rue
Jackie Emerson as Foxface
The remaining Tributes from each of the districts
What do you think? Are these actors who you pictured for these characters?

post signature

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Home Movies

Here are a couple of home movies for your viewing pleasure. The first one is of my most favorite part of my birthday...my 3 1/2 year old son singing 'Happy Birthday' to me.


Baby C doesn't crawl the conventional way...(sorry it's upside down...)


post signature

Friday, May 20, 2011

Butterfly Bow Holder

I had so much fun making Baby C's bow holder that I offered to make one for a friend of mine. Her daughter is getting her "big girl" room and every little girl needs a place to put her bows! I asked for a little bit of the fabric that will be in her room to match the bow holder to that.

The fabric has butterflies, dragonflies, and lightening bugs on it. I found this adorable butterfly that matched the fabric perfectly!


A little bling was the perfect touch for this little princess!



I got the most adorable voice mail from the 'big girl' thanking me for her bow holder!

post signature

Thursday, May 19, 2011

We'd Like to Welcome to Our Family...

Our 2 new pets! (Did you think I was going to say I was pregnant again?! GOTCHA! Haha!) I have been waiting for these to come for almost a month!! A teacher friend of mine had gotten them for her classroom and thought that Big C would love them.

They arrived from South Carolina on Monday....

Packaged tightly to survive their long trip... (the suspense is eating at you now huh?)

Big C got their home ready for them by putting in the live and decorative rock...(Baby C wanted to eat the rock, so she was being entertained elsewhere)

He added a little bit of character to them with the big rock and the bamboo stick for oxygen...



While we waited for their body temperatures to get familiar with the new water, we pondered names...we needed only two... (OH, you think you know, but you have no idea...)

Big C and the new pets see eye to eye on their new names...


Big C and Baby C are the proud new owners of 2 African Dwarf Aquatic Frogs!


Welcome to our family Sir Hops-A-Lot and Sir Goofs A-Lot!



I was hoping that they would have a 'southern drawl' to their ribbits, however with them being completely submerged under water, they never make a peep...or I guess in this case...a croak.

Baby C wanted to test their swimming ability by beating on their habitat, so once again, she had to be entertained elsewhere....at least she didn't try to eat them!

post signature