Caps Off!

     Friday Isabella and I headed out of  town for Ohio.  Just she and I and a car full of stuff.  We were going to my sisters' house to attend the graduation party of her oldest daughter, Allison.  I had been asked to make six centerpieces for the tables but had run out of time to make them, so I had decided to bring all of the stuff with me and make them when I got there.  I was going to have a lot of help as my sisters (3 of the 4 of them) were going to be in attendance.  Allison had actually graduated back in May, but the party was put off until June for various reasons and as it turns out, it is not at all unusual out there to do that.  The guest of honor had spent the previous day going to several parties and on Sunday, the day of her party, many of her guests spent the day party hopping as well. 

Allison is the oldest of my sister's two girls, and they moved to Ohio the summer before Ali started high school.  Prior to that they lived in North Carolina for several years and before that, Singapore.  Ohio was quite a culture shock for this familly! (Most of them anyway, my BIL is originally from the Buckeye state.)  The girls had never lived in a neighborhood before and now could go out their door and meet up with friends, walk or ride their bikes to school (if they were in for a bit of a hike), go to the local pool, gather at the lake, etc.  Things have been quite different for them in Avon Lake.  And they party a little differently too.  In N.C. a party meant a few lawn chairs, a BBQ grill, a picnic table and a cooler and potluck.  Boy,  how times have changed!  This is a little what the graduation party looked like from the fron of the house:

Two huge carport tents that covered the entire driveway.

Inside the garage, a 'shrine' set up to honor the graduate.

This was just the front yard, the back was just as 'wow'.  Another huge tent with six tables that they rented with chairs (these are the tables that got the centerpieces that we made), a large patio with their table and chairs, plus their neighbors borrowed table and chairs, various chairs scattered throughout the yard.  It was quite lovely.  Not to mention the fact that despite the rather rotten weather the area had been plagued by ugly weather and the day of the party the clouds parted, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.  My one sister joked that it was like visiting Wisteria Lane.  The houses are all beautiful with beautifully manicured lawns, beautiful children, perfectly dressed, even the dogs didn't bark! 



This is Belle-Still don't know why this is sideways!

Anyway, it was a nice party with a lot of people.  Good food.  It was nice to see my sisters and their kids.  My father and bonus mom were there too, so that was nice.  Got to take Bella to see Lake Erie, they are only about a mile away from the Lake.  The kids all wanted to go over, so we went on Saturday.  After we were there for a few minutes they wanted to go back to the house and get their bathing suites on, the girls anyway.  So, I took them back to the house even though I thought they were nuts!  We got back to the lake and two of the three went in, Bella-no way.  Too cold!  She went in up to about her knees and when they started knocking together, she wanted to be wrapped up warm in a towel.  Can't say that I blame her.  Course, she wasn't too cold for ice cream.  ha!

On the bank of Lake Erie with the Cleveland skyline behind her.

Too cold for this little chickie!

We left for home early on Monday morning.  I wanted to get a jump on things and be ready for the work day on Tuesday.  What was to be an easy five hour trip turned somewhat less easy when I was on the Pa. Turnpike and found out that it was closed for quite a long stretch.  I had to take the scenic route (read:long) through Garret County that added over an hour onto my trip.  Fun.  But we made it home.  Bella is a good traveling companion.  She just sits in her car seat and talks to me, sings, reads, snuggles her baby doll, or sleeps.  She doesn't complain or ask to stop.  I had to stop more than she did!

So, that's a wrap up of our trip.  Not much else going on right now.  Don't know yet what we are doing for the 4th.  Might make some star cookies.  Mmmm!  

New cookie cutter set I saw at JoAnns or somewhere.  Want it!  That's all I'm saying.  Too cute! 

So, what's up on your planet?



Pin Up Girl

I have many interests and my interests seem to keep growing.  Some say it is due to a lack of focus, but I like to think it is because-I totally want to drive the new Focus!  Did you see the commercial on TV about the way it parralel parks itself?  I so need a car that can do that!  I hate to parralel park.  Not that I have to do it all that often, but when I do have to do it I hate it and it would be a fun feature to have on a car. -I like to think it is because I like to diversify.

Either way, the Internet has a site that has made it so easy for people like me to have fun.  To browse, window shop, and save your finds for later.  For those of you not in the know,  I am talking about Pinterest.  Pinterest is a site where you can create boards about different things that you are interested in and then 'pin' pictures to your boards.  Today's version of a bulletin board, only way cooler.  It's got lots of features that I haven't quite figured out yet, and might never figure out to be quite honest with you, 'cuz let's face it, I like he pretty pictures!

Not into reading directions.  At all.  Don't wanna hafta.  Directions and I don't get along. So I play the 'lets try it this way' game and if that doesn't work then 'hmmm, well then we'll try it this way'.  So much more my speed.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I can't follow directions, I can.  Very well in fact.  I just don't like to READ directions.  Mostly because the people that write directions don't know their audience and think that we all know how to read German or think in terms of a computer.  We don't.  So, I don't get along with reading directions.

But, I like making my little boards.  I can just browse pictures of my latest obsession and stick a pin in what interests me.  Like a pretty sugar cookie for example.  Have I told you that is my newest obsession?  It sorta is.  I love to look at pictures of these little beauties.  I've dabbled a little at making my own.  Twice to be exact, both for Bella's birthday parties.  Last year and again this year.  It wasn't a complete disaster. 

These are from last year's sweet shoppe party and here are the one's from this year's spa party.

Not bad, but not the best either. 

I love the idea of  the decorated sugar cookie.  The possibilities are endless and they are so much fun! 

It's edible art, so you don't have to worry about finding a place to store the finished product.  Just finding someone to eat it.  Ha! 

So, one of my Pinterest boards is appropriately titled 'Cookies', original, huh?  What's really neat is that I can click on the site the picture came from and often get more information about it too.  Like how it was made, or by whom, the materials, etc. 

Look at these beauties!  Isn't the owl just gorgeous?!  Love it! 

And don't those drinks make you think of summer?  The colors are fabulous. 

I'd really like to get better at making cookies, maybe take a class or something.  There are so many different ways to decorate and things to decorate with.  Color mists, disco dust, shimme dust, fondants and gum paste, sprinkes, jimmies and pearls.  I know it sounds crazy, but I'd love to sit down with a good book on cookie decorating (but it must have lots of pictures.)  And cookie cutters!  Where to begin!

They are not your momma's cookie cutters anymore.  Well maybe they are, who knows.  But my momma had the little plastic variety with the impressions molded into them. Remember?  No, you don't want to use them.  Metal cookie cutters are the thing now.  Not sure why, but they are.  They do cut well.

I have only a few but I can see that a collection beginning.  I bought three last year (candy, ice cream and cupcake) three this year (sunglasses, flip flop and martini glass) they all came in sets of three.  Then while at M's one day I saw a nice star and picked that up figuring it would be usefull and also saw the grad set on clearance for $1.99 so I picked that one up too.  I was given a reindeer as a gift and a dogbone too, but that might be about it.  So, do I see a shopping trip in my future?  A day of baking and decorating?  Such cuteness I can't stand it! 

So, are you a pin up girl too? What peaks your 'Pinterest'?  Share and maybe I'll be the next one to repin or follow your board, you never know!

Karen

Birthday Palooza!

As expected, the weeked was a flurry of activity!  I was up until 11:00 on Friday night prepping for the festivities on Saturday.  Bella and I made a trip to the grocery store when I got home and when we got in the car it started to rain and within minutes, the skies opened up and it was pouring to beat the band!  We pulled into the parking lot and Bella said that she thought it was going to  hail and lo and behold, it started to hail. Golf ball    hail stones!  It was something unbelievable, but luckily we didn't seem to sustain any damage.
Anyway, I made the cupcakes, made a huge fruit salad, made the chocolate face mask-which smelled good enough to eat!  Set up the desert table ad made the table skirt, ran the dishwasher, and cleaned up a bit.  Then on Saturday morning I iced the cupcakes, and set up the rest of the decorations and put out the rest of the food and the put dinner in the oven so after the party I'd have dinner ready to go for the adults who were staying.

Here is the desert table:                                                                                                                                    

Printables courtesy of: http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/

The girls arrived and we got right to it with the facials, they were messy, but fun! 

It was quite hysterical!  When they were laughing and just having a blast!  When they were given the cucumbers, they knew just what to do with them.  They needed no coaching at all.  Then they were each given a microfiber towel  and told to go rinse off their faces with warm water and dry with the towel.  Well, they all went together and the bathroom was about under water when they were done!  The one little girl was totally soaked from head to toe and we had to give her a change of clothes until hers could dry.  But they were having fun.  Then it was on to the mani's and pedi's.  I had picked up about 6 different colors of nail polish in 'fun' girly colors and they picked what they wanted, and they all wanted a different color for their nails and toes!  Next we gave them the flip flops that I had tied with balloons for each of them.  Here they are putting their best foot (feet) forward!

I saw a pinata that went with our theme in a catalog called Birthday Express, so Michelle ordered it and filled it with some candy, but mostly fun jewlery, and hair clips, a few little tiara's and the like.  I filled an apothacary jar with little toy rings and had a sign in front of the jar that said 'dress your fingers'.  So after presents were opened, they worked on the pinata and they dazzled themselved out!

It was really a lot of fun.  Bella said it was the best birthday party EVER and that is all the praise I need!  I took individual 'Glamour' shots of each girl and printed them out an individual 5 x 7 and a group 5 x 7 and sent them home in their goody bags along with all their other stuff.  

 Bella's shirt courtesy of: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mauldinfam6?ref=pr_shop_more

Friday!

I love the feeling that Friday brings!  The whole weekend seems to be laid out before my feet like a beautiful sandy beac.  It's just up to me as to whether I want to lie on the beach sunning myself or bury myself in the sand.  Unfortunately I seldom choose to sun myself, even in the figurative sense of the word.  One of these days I will,  though.  Promise

Somehow, I always seem to loose my head!

Just not this weekend.  This weekend I'm busy.  Again.  Tomorrow we will be celebrating Isabella's birthday with her little friends and some of her not so little ones too!  It's her 'spa' party.  Oh, and she is soo excited!
The plan was to invited 5 girls so that if they all showed up with Bella that would be six and we thought that would be a workable amount of girls.  So, as I was working on the invitations, Michelle began to mention it to some of the girls moms that she knew.  One of Bella's good friends mom said that they had plans that weekend and Zoe would not be able to attend.  Scratch her off the list, so we invited 5 others.  Her other very good frien RSVP'd that she'd be out of town as well an would not be able to make it.  We got 2 yes responses and the rest of the girls we haven't heard from.  Some have told Bella that they were coming, but have not called Michelle, so we don't know for sure.  In the meantime, Zoe's Mom who is a friend of Michelle's told Michelle that their plans had changed and they would be home and could Zoe come to the party after all-well YES!  Thank goodness that she felt comfortable enough to ask, Bella is going to be so surprised as Zoe asked us not to tell Bella she is coming.  Anyway, who knows how many we will have!?  Could be 3-4, could be 7.  We'll just roll with it!
I am almost ready for the party too.  Not quite, but almost.  If I told you what I had left to do you would thing I'm nuts, but I'll get it done.  Ha!  Maybe I am nuts!
My father and Marlena are coming into town for the party too.  And our neighbors from next door 'V' and Sabina will be there as well, like every year.  Bella loves them! 

Sunday is Father's Day and I haven't quite gotten to plans for that yet.  One day at a time.  Luckily Jim has to work in the morning, so I have the morning to figure things out.  Nothing like waiting till the last minute or anything.  I do have gifts for all the Dads, bought and wrapped and cards too!  So I do have that much, just nothing beyond that.  Any suggestions? 

So, plan on a photo  heavy post on Monday.  Maybe Sunday, but it's highly doubtful.  If we are being totally honest, it'll probably be Tuesday, but who's counting?! 
Anyway, stay tuned! 
Have a good weekend....Till next time.  Oh!  And if you are so inclined, please send Bell a postcard at school.  Her class is doing a thing and they're trying to see where they can get cards from.  Don't have to be wordy, just tell her what it's like where you are and send it to Bell R. c/o La Petite Academy
2150 Old Farm Drive
Frederick, MD. 21702
Thanks!

Birthdays and Dances and Concerts

Oh, My!!! 

 So, Friday this little girl turned 7!  I can hardly believe it, seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating her birth.  Michelle went into school and had lunch with her and brought cupcakes in to share with her classmates.  She was so happy.  Then in the evening, Shawn and Aiden and Shawn's parents came over to the house and we all had a simple dinner of pizza.  Then it was time to open presents and of course, she was overwhelmed!  So much stuff for one little girl.  Michelle had ordered an ice cream cake (Bella's favorite) and then a girl that Michelle works with made Bella some of her specialty cupcakes-strawberry cupcakes w/strawberry creamcheese frosting.  The decorations on the top were what made them special though, there were ballet slippers and little ballerinas and even one that spelled out 'Bella', so cute!

And delicious too!  (Click on pic to see a larger version.)

Saturday was another big day, recital day.  Bella had to be at the high school where it was being held at 12:00 so we left the house at around 11:30 AM.  We loaded up the car with her costumes and shoes, hair spray and hair nets, leotards, and shoes, books, a snack or two and we were on our way.  The first recital was at 1:00 and Bella was in two dances with the 'company'.  That is the competitive squad that she dances with and the 'Petite Company' did their two dances at this recital.  After that was over, we went into town and grabbed a bite to eat for dinner at about 3:30 before heading back to the school to get ready for the next recital.  That is when she would dance with her other classmates that she had taken classes with all year.  They would perform three dances this time.  So, if your following, she had 5 costume changes, four pair of shoes, three hair styles, two recitals, two intermissions, two curtain calls, lots of time waiting and one very long, long day!  I left after her last dance and I got home at about 9:30, Bella got  home about an hour later and was a wreck by then!  The senior girls who had been the assistants in her classes for the last couple of years were graduating and there were lots of tearful goodbyes on stage and Bella joined right in.  She is sooooo emotional.  Wonder where she gets that from?! 

Getting her hair curled in between performances.

Dancing Between Raindrops

Needless to say, Sunday included sleeping in a bit for all of us!  That is until I started to work on baking and decorating sugar cookies for her birthday party on Saturday.  What a job.  I really like doing it though, it is fun and I'd like to start playing with it a bit more.  I used to hate sugar cookies, but I am learning about decorating them and now I want to experiment with them and learn more and just get better at them.  Now mine are extremely juvinile looking, but they were fun to do anyway and will add to the theme of her party.

Michelle and Bella went to a party to celebrate the end of the dance year, but didn't stay long because of the late nights that Bella had been putting in and she still being in school. 

I was pretty beat and thought I'd be in for the night, but Jim had really hoped to go to the park to see the first in the Summer Concert Series at Baker Park so we had decided to go on down.  He wanted to take the dogs with us to show me how well behaved they could be in public too.  So he was getting them ready and I was talking to the kids and he disappeared and I was wondering where he went, but didn't think too much about it.  Then the phone rang and Bella answered it.  She always answers on speaker for some reason and me and Michelle and Shawn hear her talking to someone she says hi,  how are you.  And I'm wondering who is that?  Sounds like Tim, but I know it's not him.  Not Jim 'cause he was  just here.  Then he says to Bella ' Well, tell Gaga I'm leaving if she wants to come with me'.  We all started laughing!  It was Jim, callilng from the car!  I wondered where he was.

Anyway, we went to the concert and it was really good.  A Beatles cover band. 

This is one of the guys, don't know which one, from the early years.  They changed costumes and looks throughout the show.  It was really a good show and a nice evening and the dogs were very well behaved. 

 So, that's what I squeezed into one weekend.  What did you do?

Karen

I Need Help!

     Hello My Name Is Karen....
                        And I have a secret to tell you.  I am an addict.  It's true.  It's something that I am not happy to admit, but they say that admitting you have a problem is the first step in dealing with it right?  And, well,  I have a problem.  I can't help myself.  I crave it.  I want it.  I desire it.  I dream of it.  What is the object of my desire?  This thing that keeps me seeking more and more, never satisfied constantly craving? 
                                                        

                                                      CHOBANI GREEK YOGURT

Sound crazy?  I know, it was to me to.  I kept seeing those commercials on TV all the time about this yogurt and couldn't  understand the hype.  I mean,  yogurt is yogurt, right?  WRONG!  Oh, so wrong. 

I've had yogurt, lots and lots of yogurt in my time.  As a matter of fact, I eat yogurt for lunch almost every day.  I snack on yogurt, I eat it plain, with fruit, with granola, I use it as a dip, with vegetables, on my burger from time to time, and I've even been known to eat it frozen!  I am not a yogurt virgin.  I've been around the yogurt block-hell, I've been around the world!  And now these Chobani people come on TV telling me that they have re-invented yogurt.  I am supposed to believe that it is so good that someone would ride their bicycle to Vermont to see where it is made?  Right!  Like that is really going to happen. 

But, everywhere I went someone was eating the stuff.  I couldn't take the pressure.  I had to try it, just to put to rest the rumors.  To find out for myself the truth of the matter.  So I bought one container and at work one day, I took a bite.  Hmmm, not bad, I thought.  Then I took another.    And suddenly

I swear I heard angels singing!  It was like the gates of heaven opened up.

Okay, that might be a slight exageration, by only a slight one.  OMG, the stuff is sooooo good.  I couldn't get enough of it.  And the worst part of it is that my husband thinks it is expensive.  Like you can put a price on such golden goodness.  Huh!  So, I was sneaking it.  I'd go to Target, or Wal-Mart which were near to my work and store several containers at work.  Then I'd go to Bloom and get a few there and put them in the downstairs refrigerator.  I was secretly stashing Chobani in every refrigerator I could think of.  Jim would go to the grocery store and buy me 3 Chobani's and 30 Lite n' Lively because they were 10 for $10 or something!  The only way I could get more of my beloved Chobani was to get rid of the other stuff, which I had now grown to hate.  This is a real dilema here.  And to make matters worse,  I didn't have any coupons for Chobani and Jim will not buy without coupons.  The only way around this was to do the shopping myself and if I do the shopping that would mean I'd have to do the cooking too.  Now, I may be desperate, but I'm not stupid!!

So, I went online and joined the Chobani fanclub.  I got coupons!  Then I sent Michelle to Sam's Club and she found it there-a case of 12 for $11.78.  Now I'm no mathematician, but even I can figure out that that is less than $1. a container!  Heaven!  Does life get any better than this I ask you?

If you have made it this far into my post without pulling your hair out, you are truly amazing.  So for that I have a surprise for you.  A gift really.  You have to check out another blog.  Design Dazzle.  If  you like designs, party ideas, craft projects, DIY's, all kinds of great ideas, you will love this blog.  I visit it nearly every day.

Oh, and if you haven't seen it http://designdazzle.blogspot.com/ is hosting a great give away!  Go on over and check out their site.  It's a great chance to win a beautiful one of a kind Lisa Leonard Design and if you don't win that, you will LOVE their site, so, it's a win all around!! 

So, that's all for now.

Karen

901

Lots and lots of activities are on store for us in the coming weeks.  We have a lot going on and the preparations have begun.  I have been working hard both at home and at work and barely have time to update. It has been a real whirlwind of activity! 
For instance, I know that I had something going on Friday but for the life of me right now I can't recall what it was!  I'm sure it was something though.  I did get a few pom flowers made for Bella's party made though, so that was good.  Saturday morning Michelle and Bella had to go to dance class and Home Depot so I was home alone for a bit and took the opportunity to get caught up on the ironing, cleaned up in Jim's den, vaccumed and cleaned the tile floor and cleaned the kitchen as well as got my bed linens changed and picked up around the house a bit.  When they got home we were right out the door because Michelle had gotten tickets for the Way Off Broadway production of the Three Little Pigs.  They were for she and Shawn and the two kids, but Aiden had a baseball playoff game and they couldn't go so I went instead.  It was very cute and Bella loved it!  It's a 'dinner theatre' and the food leaves much to be desired, and this was a lunch production, but the actors are also the waiters.  I must admit though, it was a bit odd ordering a hot dog from a pig.  But leave it to Bella as the pig is serving said hot dog she asks him if he feels funny serving hot dogs and he admits that is its somewhat strange and she says 'Yeah, because if you mess up you might become bacon, or ham or pork chops!'  The kid has a good grip on her pork products that's for sure.  Ha!

Bella and 'Ellie Mae' Pig

From Left: Virginia Wolf, Elmer Pig, Ellie Mae Pig, Bella, Frankie Wolf and Homer Pig

Notice her hat still hasn't come off?  She choose her dress based soley on the fact that it matched her hat.  I asked her what her favorite thing about her hat was and her reply?  'It dazzles!'  She's my girl!

After the show, we had some errands to run and I wanted to get those over with then it was back home.  Walked in the door and Jim said 'Ready to go?'  So we turned around and went downtown to the Arts Festival.  It was fun and I'm glad we went, bt we didn't get home till almost nine so the day was shot for me in terms of getting anything done. 

Sunday came along and it was a day that we had been looking forward to for a while.  We all piled in the car and headed into DC.  Me, Jim, Michelle, Shawn, Bella and Aiden.  We were going to have dinner at 901!  DC's newest fine dining experience.  Although their Grand Opening isn't until Thursday, they had celebrated a 'soft opening' a week or two ago and have been open since but have not advertised it.  Anyway, we went and had an absolutely wonderful dinner!  The place is very chic and modern, with clean lines and lots of black and white-a very 'in' look.  They are still waiting for awnings to be installed on the outside and the outdoor seating and a few minor thigs, but it looks good.  Our waiter came over and began to tell us a little about the menu and the chef and said that our chef for the evening was 'Red' and he was really Excellent an I said that I knew because he was my son.  He said 'Oh, Oh realy. Ok. Ok. Well, then, I guess you do know.  Maybe I should let Red tell you about things.'  Michelle said that I spooked him, but he did a great job.  Then Tim started by sending out an Amuse-Bouche for each of us.  (read: a mouth teaser of the chefs selection-bite sized, sample of chefs cooking)  We were 'amused' several times!  Mmmm-good!

I ordered the Muscles as an appetizer to share with Shawn and boy were we glad I did.  They were to die for!  Served in a marinara sauce, there were 20 of those beauties that were done to perfection, not a tough one among the bunch.  The sauce was so delicious I was delighted that it was served with toast so that we could sop up every last drop of that red, garlicy deliciousness!  Mom and Dad, you gotta try these you are going to ask yourself where he learned to do that!  Sooooo good!  I was in heaven.

I didn't even care if the entre came-until it did and this was put in front of me:

That would be crab cakes on fried green tomatoes, with a corn relish and some green stuff on top.  Shawn couldn't decide what he was going to get and he loves seafood, so I told him that if it helped him to decide I was going to get the crabcaked and it came with two and I wold eat one and he could have the other.  He was good with that.  So, I took one off my plate and gave it to him and after he ate his scallops he thought he couldn't eat the crab but he should have at least a bite to be polite, then he took a bite, and well, suffice it to say, there was nothing left.  You can't leave a crabcake like that sitting on the plate.  It would be a crime!

Jim got the lamb chops which he loved!  They came with zucchinni and other stuff, but Tim pointed out to him that he should not forget to try the sweet potato.  Shawn and I swung our heads towards his plate and said 'sweet potato'.  Jim gave us both a piece of it and I took one bite and almost died.  Let me tell you it is like no sweet potato I've ever tasted!  Tim loves my sweet potatoes and said that they're good enough to put on the menu, I don't think I can ever make them again after eating his.  It was beyond delicious!  I could eat it for desert with a little ice cream or without.  It was heaven.  

Even the kids cleaned their plates!  Bella ate all of her meal and then moved on to Michelle's! 

So it was a wonderful evening, we ate well and got to see Tim and then went back to see his apartment too!

If you are in DC and want a fine dining experience, visit 901 at 901 9th Street NW, it will be well worth it.  Tell them Karen sent you!  Tom and Tim will cook a good meal for you!

Glamour Girl!

                           Look who got a new hat from Disney World!  Suits her don't you think? 

Ashame that she's so shy, isn't it?!

Thanks Oma and Pop!

(Shawn's parents)

I Love a Parade!

But unfortunately, we don't have one.  Ever!  Our town is a great little town, it has lots going for it, but it never has a parade.  You would think that in a town like ours, a parade would be just the thing to do.  We have lots of high schools-therefore lots of high school bands.  Lots of kids, community, heros, church's, talented people galore.  Why, don't we have a parade?  I can't figure it out for the life of me.  The closest thing that we have is the Kris Kringle Procession and that is in December and you freeze your tushes off, so that doesn't really count.  My kids, who are now adults have never even seen a real parade in real life, only on TV.  How sad is that?!   When I was a kid, we used to go to them all the time.   I was in the parades for years, marching down the main street in town.  It was a BIG deal!!  (To me, anyway.) 

So, can you guess what I didn't do this Memorial Day?  If you guessed go to a parade, you guessed right.  I did not go to a parade. Because our town DOESN"T HAVE ONE!!   I wonder if anyone from the town council is reading my blog?  I seriously doubt it. 

Anyway, what I did do was relax.  It was glorious.  I didn't have an agenda and it was great.  Nothing planned, nothing I had to get done.  I was loving it.  Went shopping on Saturday to the outlets and picked up some bargains.  Everything was on sale, and I love a good sale!  That was fun.  Michelle and Bella went with me, we all got some good stuff.  Later that day, Michelle and Shawn went out to dinner and a movie and then they went to stay at his house for the night.  Gasp!  Bella said she didn't trust them.  Ha!  Thought they might kiss and stuff.  How funny is that?!  I told her I thought she was right so she should stay with me and Grandaddy and we wouldn't have to see them kiss and I'd take her for ice cream.  She thought she was getting the better end of that deal by far.  Sunday we puttered around in the morning, ran a few errands and then I took her to the pool for a while.  She was in heaven!  She had been dying for it to open!  Just couldn't wait.  When Michelle and Shawn got home we were just getting back from the pool as they were on their way down, so we all went back to the house fed Bella and they took her back for another coupld of hours.  This was the result:

Bella was exhausted, and they were all a bit sunburned!

Shawn just looks looped.  Ha!

Bella barely made it to bed before she passed out.

She also spent some time blowing bubbles on the front lawn, waiting to go to the pool.

Green Bubbles!

I spent some time cleaning, reading and working in my craft room.  Pure bliss. 

I want another long weekend, longer this time.   

Aren't those sweet cheeks just so kissable? 

She is counting down the days now.  It won't be long.  In nine short days our little six year old will become a seven year old!  Hard to believe, but true.  Where does the time go?  I'm sure my parents are asking the same thing, her Great-Grandparents! 

Hope you all had a safe and happy Memorial Day! 

Karen