Feeling somewhat introspective today....
(Honey/Hubs, if you're ready this I know your frustration with big words.  Dictionary.com defines introspective:  to practice introspection; consider one's own internal state or feelings; to look into or examine one's own feelings) ... love ya... mean it!!  I realize this is possibly foreign to someone of the male persuasion.  So, bear with me.

You ever feel a little knocked down, defeated and beat up?  These last 3 months have left me a little "beat-up", if you will.  In February I watched my grandpa take his last breath here on earth.  I can't even tell you the role this man played in me and my family's life.  He is irreplaceable and I miss him daily.  It breaks my heart to watch my grandma grieve for the man she spent 65 years loving.

In March I had an unexpected surgery.  In two days I will have a major surgery to correct the complications from a previous procedure.  Whewwww!

Remember Lord that my daughters getting married in 4 1/2 months???  This gal needs a little break!!!!!

May is absolutely my FAVORITE time of the year.  Not only because it is "Birthday Month" but my biggest excitement is the Kentucky Derby!!!!  (For those of you who live under a rock, the Derby is a horse race)  I have been watching it since I was ... ummm....  I believe 9. Thats a loooong time!!  I love to make Mint Juleps and watch every little detail of the horses to run, the owners, the trainers and the jockeys.  I love to see the pomp and circumstance fill the stands.  I love to watch the ladies in their fancy, schmancy hats.  I just love EVERYTHING about it.

This is what I'm wearing to the Derby this year.... my Virtual Derby Attendance.

Good day, friends!

For The Easter Parade

For The Easter Parade by dvonahaws featuring aldo heels

Marni zipper dress
€725 - farfetch.com.br

Aldo heels
$62 - zappos.com

Kate Spade floral handbag
$448 - katespade.com

Aqua yellow bangle
$28 - bloomingdales.com

Martine Arm Chair
$279 - homedecorators.com

1930s Vintage Style Desk Phones Chrome Crosley Telephones...
$70 - retroplanet.com

Set of 3 Eliza Mini Frames
$17 - crateandbarrel.com

1STDIBS.COM - Cest la Vie - Large 19th Century French Clock Face
1stdibs.com

Best Spring Looks

Best Spring Looks by dvonahaws featuring a pink sweater

Burberry trench coat
$1,195 - parkandbond.com

Current/Elliott low rise jeans
$185 - stylebop.com

Kelsi Dagger wedge heels
$129 - kelsidagger.com

Burberry tote
$1,295 - saksfifthavenue.com

Peonies Glass Vase 13'' Artificial Arrangement Decor | eBay
ebay.com

Spring Romance

Spring Romance by dvonahaws featuring a straw fedora

Denim shirt
$55 - topshop.com

Lace shorts
$35 - kohls.com

J.Crew ballet shoes
$250 - jcrew.com

ASOS slim watch
$36 - asos.com

Round sunglasses
$369 - lagarconne.com

Love Quotes Scarves linen scarve
$95 - calypsostbarth.com

Madewell straw fedora
$58 - madewell.com

Reindeer Moss in Christmas Decorating | Crate&Barrel
$8.95 - crateandbarrel.com

Wedding Planner/Organizer... Every Bride Needs One.

I know EVERY single one of you are sitting on the edge of you virtual seats with anticipation of how the wedding plans are proceeding.  I hafta say it is crazy fun!!!!  I absolutely LOVE to plan something that requires so much creativity AND opportunity to decorate!!!  My love language:  Decorate!

When the daughter's boyfriend made the telephone call to my husband asking to meet with us my husband knew right away what he wanted.  Me, on the other hand, thought he wanted to buy our old pick-up truck we were going to be selling.  I had no idea...

From that second on, I have been "pinning" ideas on Pinterest and endlessly searching online, and anywhere else I can, to gather wedding ideas.  I am careful to just "suggest" ideas and not be too insistent.  (So far, I'm doing ok with that plan)

I put together this planner to present to my daughter at the engagement party.  It was so much fun to make! I'm not a scrapbooker.  I really despise that kinda thing.  But, I had a lot of fun with this project.

I purchased this three-ring binder at my local Target.  I girlied-it-up with some blingy stickers from the scrapbook department at Hobby Lobby and Archivers.

I DO... (now what...??  lol)

I downloaded a free planning guide from pashweddings.com.  I included page protectors for each sheet, dividers with pockets for business cards, receipts etc.  I "blinged-up" each divider with stick on rhinestones etc.  

Here are a few other pix of the party table:

The large white tub was used to hold sodas. 

I can't wait to share more details with you all!  I know....!!!!  You're biting your nails with excitement ;)  

It's January in the Midwest!!!  What else do I have to do?!?!  It's like 12 degrees here and all I want to do is hibernate until the temperatures reach 65 degrees and the sun is shining.  (This could be hazardous to my health, I'm quite certain)  This routine of eating, sleeping and movie watching is sure to impact my waistline.  Probably not a good idea since I have already purchased my Mother-of-the-Bride dress.  Which, by the way, I did in less than 5 minutes thanks to Nordstroms and the girlfriend.  Praise be to God!!!

Until it gets warm... I'm re-doing something.  I just don't know what that is yet.  

Hunker down, my friends.

The Good Ole Days??

 

Another Christmas for the books.  2011 has been a year of changes in our household.  Some happy, some sad.

It was soo good to have my family under one roof this Christmas.  I will cherish those times, Lord.  I promise!!

I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I ran across this in my local Target parking lot:

You may be wondering why....???
Well, in probably 1979, my family drove across the US in a car JUST LIKE this... a brand new, burnt orange Thunderbird.   My mom, dad, brother, 70 yr. old grandpa and myself saddled up our "horses" and drove out to the Wild West.  Can you even imagine doing that today!!!????  I can't!!!  Three adults, an eleven year old and an eight year old!!  What the heck were my parents smokin'??
Ok, grant it, this car is the size of an army tank but not so roomy on the inside.
I can't even believe I survived this trip.  The only thing I remember is that my mom kept me heavily sedated on dramamine.  And for that, I thank her.

Wedding Planning and Caramel Making

Well, hellllooo!  I dropped off of the face of the earth for about 6 weeks but I have found my way back to my computer and have a LOT of "randomness" to spill.  Betcha glad, huh? *wink, wink*

First off, my daughter got engaged on November 18!!!!

I'm certainly, positively, without-a-doubt NOT succumbing to the pressure of a two-piece-accordion-pleated-sequin-laden-mother-of-the-bride-suit!!!  That being said, I can't tell you how excited I am to have a new career as a wedding planner for the next 8 months.  Now THAT fits me perfectly!!!
I will try to chronicle the planning so I can be reminded in about, say, July....that this was suppose to be FUN!!!
So far, so good!!
Church.  Check.  Reception venue.  Check.  Hair appointments booked.  Check.  (priorities!!)  Guest list refined and limited to only the people we like.  Check.  Save the Dates designed and printed.  Check.  Realized budget was needed.  Check(s).  Bridal party chosen.  Check.  Mother-of-the-bride dress ordered, received, tried-on and returned.  Check. Check and Check.
Yeah, that's about all this girl can handle and still have Christmas gifts for my family.  Check back for updates.  We are going to do this "thang" with all the penny-pinching one can muster up.
Here is my first tip for saving money:  Etsy has beee-U-tiful, graphic-designed invitations, as well as "save the dates",  that you can download and print off yourself.  Who knew!!!

I know better than to do what I am doing right now but, I am doing it anyway.....
I made caramels this week and they are soooo yummy I can't resist.  Give them a try!!!
They do literally take 6 minutes, therefore, the name.

Six Minute Caramels
Five ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Directions:
Combine all ingredients
Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes
Stir and pour into lightly greased dish
Let Cool
Cut, wrap in wax paper.

Give them a try!!!  Super easy!!!

Hope you all enjoy this time with your family and have a blessed new year.

I'm dragging my lazy self up to the laptop to do a little blogging.  My Pinterest addiction and life has gotten in the way of putting complete sentences together.

The weather is getting waaaaay too cold around here for me and I tend to hibernate in my cozy little house when that happens.  Anything below 60 is frigid to me.

Yesterday, I got a wild hair (hare) and found myself doing a little organizing.  That's definitely NOT my gift.  After $--- and a trip to Target or Tar-Jaaay, as my daughter and I like to call it, I feel like a freakin' Organizing Ninja!!!

My hubs has shoe "issues" see this post for a better understanding.  I give him AMPLE closet space for this little problem of his but, apparently that is not sufficient.  I'm not complaining!!  I love my sharp dressed man!!!  I really have no right to pull out the cocky attitude.  Ya'all have see my "issue" here in this post.

Tar-Jaaay (in my best French accent) was my resource for over-the-door shoe organizers.  I bought two.  I hung one inside my husbands closet door for all of his flip-flops, Sanuk's, and shoes that would squish down flat. The organizer holds 24 shoes.  He has room for 3 more pairs!!  The rest reside on his closet floor or anywhere else you might find them laying throughout the house.
I proceeded to continue this little organizing spree and hung another shoe holder on the back of my laundry room door.  I inserted all of my cleaning supplies, light bulbs etc.  Whoop, Whoop!!!!


I bought this magazine holder for under my bathroom sink to hold my curling irons and such.   I will find many more uses for these little guys.

This really is my first EVER attempt to organize my home.  I might have found a new addiction.  I owe all this to Pinterest.  It's totally changed my life... and I'd like to thank the Academy :)  lol  Not necessarily all good but, nevertheless!

But, seriously you have never seen organization like THIS!!  You gotta check out my lovely, talented and sooo over-the-top friend who could decorate a bed-pan and make it look oh, so cute.  She has made a Christmas Organization Binder that will make you gasp.  I'm serious... I did... out loud.  Check out this bad boy.

I'll let you know how far my addiction takes me.  If I blog about my Christmas Binder.... Please, someone call  for back-up and alert my doctor you are admitting me to the "you-know-what" ward.

Have a great weekend.  I am leaving on a business trip in 12 hours and haven't even retrieved my suitcase from the storage closet.
I LOVE flying by the seat of my pants!!!

I'll Take a Chocolate Dream Over This One!!!

Do you????
The Lindor commercial asks do you dream in chocolate?  Umm.... not so much!  BUT... maybe that would be a welcome change from the buh-zarrrr dreams I have had recently.
Here is just a disclaimer:
I do not do crystal-meth!
I do not drink anything stronger than Starbucks Grande Green Tea!
I do not would like to do pharmaceuticals!

OK, here's the latest bizare-ness (my blog, my words) I have dreamed:
I had a dream.... not like the Martin Luther King kind, either.......
but that I was pregnant with twins............BUT, not in my abdomen.......in my calves!!!  Yep, you read that right, (like the ones between your ankles and your knees).
I told my doctor that I couldn't feel movement.  My calves had grown together.  Once he separated my calves I could feel movement!!  
(Does this have any connection with the fact that I feel like I have an issue wearing some boots because I have thick calves?????)

I still haven't delivered yet.  I'm due in four weeks!!! ;)  I'll post pix's!

I have to create my own entertainment people.  My life is less than calm right now!

Red Bottom Shoes

I might be in the wrong career field with these little numbers...

I made 27 cents doing the laundry today.  This down-turned economy is killin' me people!!!  At this rate....I will be 162 by the time I'm able to purchase these:

Hubs and I spent a quiet, restful weekend shopping the Magnificent Mile.  Three days of shopping until I could no longer look at ANOTHER cute H & M window display.  I am thankful that I am married to a super-masculine man BUT... He can shop like a girl!!  I mean that in the most respectful and honoring way.. *wink, wink*
However, this was the weekend score:
HUBS:
Shoes.......3 pairs

THE LITTLE WOMAN:
Shoes.......O..... ZERO

What can I say?  If he ever decides not to continue in his current career there is hope as a personal shopper!!!!!

My Tribute

Today we said our final good-bye's to a man who was larger than life and a real-life gentle giant.  My father-in-law was laid to rest today.  We grieve the suddenness of his death and regret that we were unable to say some final words.  If I were given that opportunity I believe this is what I would want to say to him:

Thank you for welcoming me into your family, at the young age of 19, and loving me like a daughter.  Thank you for seeing past my immaturity as a young wife and loving me anyway.

Thank you for raising your son to be the man he is today.  He is a kind, loving, sensitive, caring man and I thank you for instilling those qualities in him.  You impacted his life more than you will ever know.  You were his hero, mentor, boss, coach, teacher, coffee buddy and sports re-capper.  He admired you for your hard work and success in everything you did.  I am truly grateful and consider this a gift.

Thank you for being an awesome pa pa to our kids.  I wasn't sure how your big ole self would handle being a grandpa to a little baby girl.  But, you were amazing!  You called her your princess!!!  You spoiled her with a huge Little Tykes playhouse before she could even crawl.  You picked out the nursery bedding and bought every matching piece.  In her sixteen years of dance lessons... you never missed a recital.  Whewww!!  THAT'S LOVE!!!
When you learned we would give you a grandson I, again, watched you love that little guy like only an pa pa could.  You watched his baseball games since he started playing at 4 years old.  You gave him piggy-back rides just to hear him giggle.  When he got older he, like his daddy, followed in your foot steps by playing the catcher position in baseball... and becoming "a decent little catcher" at that.

You will be missed "Big Dave"!!  I am thankful that you made a decision several years ago to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.  This is not the end!!  We will see you again in heaven!  We thank God for that.  However, we selfishly grieve our loss but rejoice for Jesus' gain.  As our daughter said in her tribute to you, "Thank you for the great man you were.  Whistle tunes for Jesus and keep your mansion yard nice"

Fall Wreath from Burlap

I write this post from Rehab.... Pinterest Rehab.  It is a virtual Rehab that those who are addicted to pinning pretty pictures of objects we will never buy, clothes we will never fit into, crafts we will never make and recipes we will never try.  We open our meetings with, "Hi, my name is ____ it has been ___ minutes since I've pinned".   But, lucky for you, I have been crafting because of my Pinterest inspirations and am delighted to share this project with you.  

What a beautiful time of year in the Midwest.  I am inspired to put out the pumpkins, candles, and all things "fall-ish".  (I just made that word up... my blog... I can do that)  I found a wreath similar to this on Pinterest and decided to tweak it a little to my liking.  (ok, really just to fit the items I already had on hand)

HOW TO:
wire wreath form from Hobby Lobby $3.99
burlap (free, already had it)

Cut strips of burlap, thin works better.  Tie onto the wire wreath form until you reach the desired fullness.  Add bow.  I added an animal print bow because that's ME.

Fall Wreath

Well, boys and girls... that's all the time we have for today!  Tune in next time when we learn how to make a monogrammed pumpkin!!

Happy Fall!!!

WHY??

I got nothin' except for this little question:

Why would a health website send me an email entitled, "What your belly button is saying about your health".  I can't make this stuff up people.  That is a marketing degree in full use.

GOSH!!!!  As if my last two days haven't been enough of a blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!!!

My comment to that email would be:

I already friggin know what my belly-button is sayin' and I don't NEED an email to remind me of our tumultuous relationship.  MY belly button is saying, "you must have worn a fuzzy shirt today".  "I haven't seen sunlight since 1987".  And I also hear it muttering..."You may need to cut back on the donuts since you have one growing around your middle".  The words, "thank you for not getting that navel ring back in 1985" might also have been heard.  

What tax dollars have been spent on the clinical research to find out "What your belly button is saying...blah, blah, blah".  MINE, you say... (or was that my belly-button I heard??).

Tell Them Kids to Go Out and Play While You Do Your LIPS!!!

I am a "Reality" TV junkie!!  There!!! It's out!!
My latest fascination is Big Rich Texas.  My jaw drops regularly when the characters Bonnie and her daughter, Whitney, exhibit their acting skills.

Well, Botox Bonnie was a true delight last night ;)  She has evidently become the spokesperson for the sparkly shade of lips she was sportin' last night.  In her spare time Bonnie has a ph.d and is a scientist!!  No joke!

Here is a little tutorial for how she gets her Ridiculips!!  Its really quite fascinating... if I do say so myself.  I'm always a sucker for a tutorial.


Add some humor to you Monday!!!

Transformation Tuesday!!! Is a no show...

Blog reader world.....I couldn't transform anything today if my life hung in the balance.  Ok, well, maybe if MY LIFE but, yikes!  (Say "yikes" in your best Scooby Doo or Shaggy voice.  I dare ya)

I had a little surgical procedure Friday (novasure) and today is the first day I have really felt like myself.  I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or if there is room for improvement in that area.  But, I'm full of energy, appetite has returned (kinda wish it hadn't returned quite so strongly) and I am baaaaack!!  That was free of charge and thank you for asking about my well-being ;)

I have had the opportunity to do a little magazine reading and tv watching in the past 3 days.  At each change of season I like to look at Lucky, People Style and Style magazine to receive some inspiration.  Because, quite honestly, I am completely happy in yoga pants and a t-shirt and I need a little inspiration now and again.  Seeing how we are in the throws of NY Fashion week I was prompted to entitle this section as:

Would You Wear This?

WELL.....would ya??

I can hear her whistling "I'm a yankee-doodle-dan-deeee"

How is this for accessorizing??

I am sooo in love with the graduation cap as an accessory for this ensemble.

A day at the beach, maybe???  ;)

I ordered two of these
just in case I get asked to the prom.

I can sooooo see myself in this little number.  Meow!!!

Just can't wait to wear these little numbers to church.  But, in the meantime...

just give me a hoodie and skinny jeans and I am happy!!!

Transformation Tuesday!!! My fall wish list

Transformation Tuesday!!! My fall wish list by dvonahaws featuring aviator shades

Striped top
$40 - topshop.com

Belstaff zipper jacket
$1,525 - net-a-porter.com

Dorothy Perkins cigarette pants
£15 - dorothyperkins.com

BURAK UYAN studded booties
$925 - net-a-porter.com

Proenza Schouler army shoulder bag
$1,995 - kirnazabete.com

Miss Selfridge stone jewelry
£13 - missselfridge.com

Mulberry feather shawl
$1,200 - mulberry.com

Ray-Ban aviator shades
$139 - nordstrom.com