Baby Riley 21 Days-Photography…

Hello all!!!  I would like to share little Baby Riley with you.  My bro and sis-in-law’s new little person!  He is the most precious thing ever…right next to my princess!!!! 

As you know I have been working on this photography thing.  Well…he was my first official model.  Aaaahhhh the pressure!!!  Not really just kidding…he was great!  And I did what I could with what I had.  We were working in about a 4×6 area right next to the back sliding door to get some sweet natural lighting.  I thought it was perfect and didn’t feel a need to move any furniture around.  The first three pics are SOOC (straight out of camera) with absolutely no edits!  I am so excited to FINALLY share the results with you and of course the new little guy!

 

Something About Skirts…

I am back!!!  Sorry I have been away for so long!!!  I have so many excuses but not one is excusable!  I hope to share a couple of them in the near future…maybe…maybe not.  I guess you will just have to wait and see.

Last month Mr. Loves and I went to dinner…alone!!!  Kiddo is visiting Grandma…wootwoot holla.  Yes, I miss her dearly, but oh how I love mommy daddy time.  We don’t get much of it so we are living it up!  Initially it was a huge adjustment but I think we have figured things out.  Back to my story…so last month we went to dinner.  He wore his usual jeans, polo, and boots…and I wore a skirt, tank, and sandals and brought along a cardigan.  Well I hopped out of the jeep and up went my skirt. 
ME:  (shriek) aaaaahhhhhhhh
HIM: what happened!?!?!
ME: my skirt flew up
HIM: (head shake side to side) unh unh unh woman
ME: I didn’t do it on purpose the wind blew it up when I hopped down
HIM:  uh huh sure
ME:  (big grin on my face) I really didn’t!!!
And then we laugh!
We ate our meal, talked about how much we miss our princess, what we are going to do in her absence, work, family, friends, and life.  On the way out a big gust of wind blows my skirt up again!  I laugh and I twirl and up it goes higher!  And that was the end of my high flying skirt.

Or so I thought…it happened to me again!!! Yesterday!!!  At work!!!  I am the only chick in my office!!!  What had happened was…
I took a break from my work to go see the nice clean shop and really just to stretch.  We were talking about all the things the guys picked up and equipment they cleaned off.  All you folks living in Texas know about the heat and humidity.  I mention how hot it is so they turn on the big shop fan.  And that is how it happened!!!  Embarrassing!!!  Thankfully my skirt has a lining and didn’t make it as far as it did in the picture shown above and the guys were distracted by the fan blowing other things around in the shop.  I took off running back to my office not to be seen by anyone again!

There is something girls love about the their skirt blowing in the wind.  That is why you sometimes little girls in dresses or skirts twirl to watch their dress fly up as their mommy or daddy yells at them to quit showing their underpants.  Any mom with a little girl knows what I am talking about.  Heck some of you ladies still do it!  cough cough blue dress GP!!!  I can’t explain it but I know you chicks know exactly what I’m talking about!  It’s a fun feeling!

I guess it all goes back to Marilyn Monroe! Now that chick knows how to fly her skirt high!

Ladies, today I say “fly your skirt high”!!!

 

Memorial Day 2011…

Thank you to the men and women of America for all you have done and all your sacrifices. 

Today I give thanks for you and I pray for you and your family!

All I Ask…Please read!!!

I haven’t posted in a while, but today something caught my attention that I just had to share with you.  We all know how happy I am that my child is compassionate toward others, but not everyone shares this same trait.  Katy has reminded me of the things that we don’t always know, or we do know but sometimes forget, and the things we need to be sure to teach our children.  Please read her post All I Ask and be sure to leave her a comment.  But if you have nothing nice to say in regard to her post then keep it to yourself!!!

The Royal Kiss…

OMG!!!!  I missed the wedding because I totally slept through my alarm.  But I totally saw “the kiss”!!!  I didn’t know when exactly it was going to happen because I left my timeline printout on the printer.  In an attempt to document my princess watching the Royal Wedding festivities I caught it!!!  I had just snapped a picture so I could gauge and adjust my camera settings and lighting (which was horrible) and in the background is the prince and the new Duchess of Cambridge being all kissy kissy. 
OMG!!!!!  They kissed!!!  We both squealed with excitement!!!  You see we are total romantics at heart.

I have received much criticism on my excitement for the Royal Wedding this week.  And most of the fuss from those people has been…”why is this such a big deal”, “who cares”, and “that wouldn’t happen here”.  The big deal is they are royals and it is a part of history!  And I care you jackwad!  And the reason that kind of order wouldn’t happen here is because there are jackwads (yes they do exist everywhere we go) that ruin stuff for everyone!!!  They can’t control themselves. 

Regardless of what others do or don’t think about it, this is a part of history.  And I am happy to have witnessed the little bit that I did get to see of it with my daughter.  Catherine’s dress was absolutely beautiful!!!  Simple, elegant, and classy!  She was a beautiful bride!  And I must say that Prince William looked very dapper in his getup. 

Did you see the Royal Wedding?  What were your thoughts?  And yes, jackwads can leave comments too, but be nice!

Southwestern Lasagna…

Last week, in an effort to keep from going to the grocery store during after work hour and being forced to stand in the LOOOOOONG lines I hit my cupboards.  I came up with a dish that we ended up absolutely loving!!!  It is so easy my princess can make it and so darn delicious both my Loves loved it!!!  As a matter of fact they requested it again this week.  This recipe can also be made in advance and refrigerated to be cooked the next day. 

Southwest Lasagna

1 can black beans
1 can Nibblers corn
1 large can of chicken
1 can Rotel or chunky salsa
1 tub of Philadelphia Cooking Creme
1 package of tortillas
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
taco seasoning

Drain liquid from black beans, corn, can chicken, and Rotel. 

In bowl mix together the black beans, corn, chicken, rotel, 1/2 tub of cooking creme, and taco seasoning.

Lightly spray pan.  Layer tortillas to cover bottom of pan.

Layer meat mixture and then generously sprinkle cheese on top.

Repeat layers.

Once all the layers are complete you can cover and refrigerate for later enjoyment.  

If you just can’t wait to get a taste, heat oven to 350° and heat for 35 minutes.

What are coed playtime rules these days?!?!

There are several kids in our neighborhood…and they all for whatever reason want to play at my house.  Our next door neighbor is a frequent visitor.  She is 4 and bossy!  We all know how female 4 yr olds play…or any female for that matter.  They boss, tell you what to say, what you can and can’t play with, and what exactly you need to do to play out her little scenario.  And of course my sweet sweet girl goes along with every bit of it.  As I sat babysitting every stuffed animal in the house until the girls returned from their exotic trip (what is a 4yr old doing taking my daughter on an overseas trip?!?!) another little 4 yr old came to the door.  This wasn’t just any 4 yr old at the door…it was a male!  I let him know before he came into the house that the girls were playing with babies and bears and vacationing and he said it’s okay and proceeds through the door and up the stairs.  I’m working on my laptop and I hear him yell in the manliest little four-year old voice “babe I’m home” and can’t help but laugh uncontrollably and a “honey I’m on vacation” response.  My daughter runs downstairs laughing her head off as I ask “what is going on in my camp?!?!”.  She said “nothing mom we are on a trip”, but can’t stop laughing.  ROFLMAO!!!   They both come running downstairs to see what all the commotion is about.  And my kiddo suggests they work on crafts or something.  Lol!!!  I’m also messing with my camera trying to retrieve pictures off of it to post here and the little guy wants to see my pictures.  After flipping through all of my pics he calls the girls together for a group photo…which I guess he is expecting me to take.  So I do!!!
He asks to see the picture so I show him.  I look a little closer.
Wait.  Are those?  I think that little dude has my daughters platform sandals on. 
He does!!! What the heck?!?!
I feel like I need to go to his mom and tell her your son was at my house, and he was playing house with the girls, and they went on a mini-vacation, and he had my daughter’s platform sandals on, and, and…IIIII dooooon’t knoooooooow!!!!  You know you have to be really careful what goes on in your house these days it can be misconstrued.  Holy heck! What do I do?!?!  This kid has never played at my house before!!!  I don’t know how to handle coed playtime.  So I just shut it down.  Unh unh…until I can talk to other parents and get the okay, we are only playing in the backyard with the dog or in the front with our bikes.  I tell the kids to get their shoes on because it’s time to go.  He brings me his shoes and asks me to put on for him.  I can’t even keep from laughing as I type this because it just gets better.  As I’m putting his shoes on the little dude is totally checking out my cleavage.  Are you freaking kidding me?!?!  I tell myself he’s not.  Oh but he so was…he says “I like your shirt”.  ROFLMAO!!!!!  Oh my greatness!  Now I really feel like I need to talk to his mother before we have another coed playtime.  I don’t want to be the inappropriate mom that lets the neighborhood kids play in my daughter platform sandals (which BTW she isn’t allowed to wear), play house/mini-vacations, and shows her cleavage!!!  Which honestly this time I wasn’t showing much of anything but what there was he was trying his darndest to get a look at it. 
These are the shoes he came with and these are the shoes he is leaving with!!! 

I need to figure out this coed playtime thing!  Oy vey!

Eva’s Kitchen-Cookbook Signing…

OMG!!!  I can’t even begin to tell you what a wonderful day today was!!!  One of the best!!!  I have two very special people to thank for that. 😉  You know who you are!!!  My day started off with laundry, dishes, more laundry, and my beautification process.  I was on my way to the big city…ALONE!  Yay!!! Not that I don’t love my two people but I already knew all the places I wanted to go and what I was going to do…all the things they would be bored with.   I was meeting Gena P and Ray P at Williams Sonoma for a cookbook signing.  It wasn’t just any cookbook signing…it was Eva Longoria!!! 
I was on my way to town!!!  I couldn’t be happier!  And yes my JS Aviators are a little crooked!!!  They have been sat on, bent every which way they aren’t supposed to be, shoved in the bottom of my purse, in the bottom of a beach bag, and you name it they have been through it!  I got an early start so I could have time to walk around and do some shopping.  And of course after much walking and shopping I needed to re-energize with some grub. 
PF Changs babay!!!!  I started with some scrumptious pork dumplings…
and finished with some sesame chicken!!!
By the time I was done eating the line for the cookbook signing looked like this…
Oh but that is only the front of the building…
It wrapped all the way around the other side of the building…
and into the garage past that building!  Crazy!!!
It was hot, and humid, and hot!!!  And we all know how I feel about heat.  But I wasn’t going to let that dang heat get to me in my cute black sheath dress and gladiator sandals…unh unh.  Thankfully Ray P found us some water and an umbrella and there was an occasional breeze. 
After about an hour waiting in the heat in the long line…I saw the front of the store!!!  I didn’t mind the wait I had good company and it was great to catch up on life. 
Once inside the store we were given strict instructions…ONLY ONE CAMERA PER GROUP AND ONLY ONE PICTURE AND WE WILL TAKE THE PICTURE FOR YOU!!!
Wait?!?! What?!?! 
I snuck a picture.  I didn’t come all this way not to get more than one picture of her!  Unh unh, no mam!
Oh my gosh!!!!  She’s so dang pretty and she was sooo sweet…and I was speechless. 
She said “you are so pretty”…and all that came out of my mouth was

BIG FAT NOTHING!!!!  I am not kidding when I say I was speechless!  It took me several long seconds to reply with “no, you are prettier”, and scurried off.  Are you kidding?!?!  My one in a lifetime opportunity to meet Eva and all I can say is “you are prettier” and like a shy little girl skip along.  Ugghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!  I am just so happy that I had the opportunity to meet her.  I am really excited about some of the recipes in her cookbook because they remind me of my grandmother’s home-cooking!

And to top my day off I indulged in some Sprinkles Cupcakes!
They didn’t make it home the same way I got them…but they tasted just as good!

Compassion…

Compassion – sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. 

As I write this I am teary-eyed reflecting on the events of my evening.  After picking up my little lady from school today we called Dad as we do every day.  He told us he would not make it home this evening because he was stuck out of town.  Which results in a girls date night.  Yay!!!  We love Dad!  But we love our girls night together too!

We went to a fast food establishment for dinner, ordered our food and scouted a table.  We sat near the front door facing the parking lot just because we love window views.  I asked her how her day was and she tells me of the happenings of her day.  One thing in particular that seems to bother is the lack of respect her peers have for each other and the teachers.  That is not something most kids usually think about or worry themselves with.  Well she is not most kids!  It bothers her to no end.  So I comfort her and give her advice on how to handle these situations.   In the middle of our conversation she excuses herself and walks toward the door.  In slowly walks an elderly woman and her husband even slower walking behind her.  Gasp!  My kid got up to hold the door open for them.  It’s nothing unusual because she does things out of the kindness of her heart.  I mean come on she helps with special needs children at her school.  How many kids do you know willing to do the same?!?!  Rare.  We finish our meal and pick up after ourselves.  As we are near exiting the door the lady that she held the door open for earlier approached and stopped her before she could exit.  She handed her a dollar bill which my daughter refused to accept.  Now all you peeps that know my baby girl know that she loves making some money.  Yes she does chores in exchange but when she wants something she works for that money and doesn’t refuse it.  This time she absolutely refused to accept it!!!  She looked at me puzzled.  She didn’t understand why the lady was offering her the dollar.  The lady embraced her and said “thank you, you didn’t have to do that, please take this”.  My Lydi refused she said “no mam, I didn’t do anything I was just being nice, thank you”.  They both look at me and by this point I am in tears.  I embrace both of them.  And at that moment she looked at my baby and said “please take this, you were so kind and I don’t have my grandchildren here I want you to have this”.  With a puzzled look on her face Lydi accepted it.  Once in the car after I gathered my emotions I explained to her the importance of what she did for this lady and her husband and how much it meant to them.  You don’t realize what a wonderful little person you have raised until you are presented with these type of situations. 

She is a little high maintenance, sassy pants, but boy does she have a BIG heart!!!  Yes it took some swats to the butt, groundation, and a handful reminders.  But really what it comes down to is she was raised with discipline, structure, taught respect and manners, and given endless love!!!  And this is a perfect example of how important those things are and what an impact they have on everyone.

Blooming Cupcakes…

My daughter is mine…every cool kitchen gadget that we see we have to have.  It’s a weakness that we share.  But mr. loves doesn’t say much because everything we buy we use.  And he sometimes finds himself using some of our nifty little gadgets.  His most favorite is my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.  Recently during a trip to our local craft store we came across a “Blooming Cupcake Kit”.  And little Lydi absolutely had to have it.  No matter how far away I walked from the cupcake kit she just wouldn’t leave it. 
How could I say no to those pretty brown eyes?!?!
Of course I bought her the dang cupcake kit!!!  It was something new to add to our ever growing collection of kitchen must haves.
The Blooming Cupcake Kit came with cake and frosting mix so we just needed the basics.  Butter, milk, eggs, butter.  I love butter!!!  Not what it does to my thighs, but the flavor of it.  Thank goodness we are on break from bootcamp and the trainer is not reading my blog because man would I be in big, big trouble.  Back to the cupcakes and butter frosting.

The kit came with silicone mini pots to make the cupcakes.  We baked the cupcakes according to the kit instructions.

While the cupcakes were cooling we made the oh so delicious white butter frosting.

We used the Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator to frost the cupcakes.  Another one of those nifty gadgets I just had to have. 

To add a little Easter spirit to our cupcakes we decorated them with green jimmies (for grass), pastel pearl nonpareils (for itty bitty colored eggs in the grass), and a cute fuzzy little chick to top it off!!!

Voila…you have Blooming Easter Cupcakes!!!  Brought to you by our guest chef of the week…Lydi and her mama!