junebug, i love you

since yesterday was my birfday, i thought i'd whip up a playlist of some of my fave songs. i can't help it that most of my favorites haven't changed since about 1997, but whatev.

some of these songs are off favorite cds, and I would have put the whole cd on the playlist, but i spared you. if you care to listen to the whole cd of my faves, they are: dave's crash, big head todd 's sister sweetly, heart's bad animals (this tape was on repeat in the tape deck from sophomore thru senior year), sarah's fumbling towards ecstacy, toad's dulcinea, and keane's under the iron sea.

so, if you were to create a list of 20 of your faves, what would make the cut? i love these kinds of questions, so answer up, you, my three readers.

a hoot of a time

when it comes to munchkins, hooty cute owls are a favorite. for this munchkin's third birthday, that was the order. reds, pinks, turquoise, lime green, and owl quotes.

all good parties start with a super cute invite. heehee


then we added a happy birthday banner

a party hat (is birthday girl adorable, or what?!) and, favor tags - with the sweetest quote "i'll owl-ways be your friend"! too cute!

and, seriously? are you kidding me with this cake? done to match the invites perfectly. let me say it again - too cute!

have a kiddo celebrating a birthday soon? let's have a little chat.

take a peek at some past designs in case you need some inspiration.

21 days of gratitude - days 7 - 9 - my girlies

day 7 - i'm grateful for food on my table
over the last few months, i've been volunteering at a food bank. and, man, if that ain't humbling. the first night was a very eye-opening experience, as roughly 200 people pass thru the doors in 3 hours. all walks of life, living below the poverty line, only able to purchase the bare minimum, seeking the rest at the food bank. i'm so grateful we are blessed with the means to put food on our table.

day 8 - i'm grateful for my sweet, sweet nana
this year, my nana will be gone for more years than i knew her sweet heart. this woman. not one for church, she surely embodied my idea of a true christian. she gave, she welcomed the less fortunate into her home, she stood up for what she believed in, she cared for the sick, and she took care of me like i was her own, while my parents worked. holy moly, i miss her every.single.day, and wish upon wish that i could have just one more day with her. the last time i talked to her was thanksgiving 1993, and i was too concerned with getting home to see my friends from high school to even notice her. the next day, she went into a coma in the ICU, and died 3 days after christmas. oh, nana, how i miss you so and i hope you celebrated your birthday yesterday with an iced coffee and a dallas cowboys game.

day 9 - i'm grateful for my girlies (mamacita, middle sissy, and baby sister)

the mamacita has had to pull herself up by her bootstraps over the last 7 years. her overcoming what seemed impossible is pretty inspirational. and, when she's down, i like to remind her she's pretty durn strong! when her marriage ended after 30 years, she went to nursing(!) school, moved her 80 year old father in with her, sold his house, then her house, then packed them up for a new city and state. and, now, she takes care of people all day, and comes home to take care of the pops so he doesn't have to endure nursing home livin'. and, this year, she married off the baby and treated herself to a much-needed vacation in italy! i love you, mom and your heart o' gold! and really, you're kind of a bad-a**.

you know how big sisters are typically supposed to be the strong ones, paving the way for the younguns? so not the case in this familia. ok, maybe i was cool and hip back in the day, but lately, middle sissy has been playing the role of atlas. she takes my crazy on pretty much daily, and never ever says she doesn't have time, or 'seriously, this topic...again?!'. she's creative, smart, an amazing cook, and was made to be a mama. those kiddos of hers are destined for greatness! she's an inspiration, my hero, and i wanna be just like her when i grow up. love you sisty, and i'm so grateful we were twins born 5 years apart!

did you know baby sister came along when i was 13? and, wrapped me around her finger. a carseat the day after i got my license meant carting her everywhere. when people ask me why i don't have kids, i say 'i do...she's 23'. it drives her crazy i'm like another mom, but i'm old, y'all, and i made all the mistakes, so she doesn't have to. not sure why i worried. at 23, she's run circles around the rest of us! she has a wonderful husband, two dogs, a furnished home, a rock solid faith in God, and a job she loves, where she's making a difference! and, that, y'all is all i ever hoped for her - faith, hope, and love! mama loves you, deedle-dee-dee! ;)

you never know what you're gonna get with family, and even though we have more drama than an episode of kardashian, we are family, stuck together like glue. i love my family, and thank God he blessed me with one so darn special!

what are you grateful for today? have you joined 21 days of gratitude?

21 days of gratitude - day 2 - that man o' mine

day dos - i'm thankful for mr man

since it's mr man's birfday, is it not perfectly fitting that i be grateful for him today? why, yes, i think it is!

now, if you know mr man, you know he is the kindest, most open-minded, happiest man you might ever encounter. and, boy, does he love his football. it might border on obsession. he maybe might love it more than me. harumph. i try not to get a complex.

on this, his b-day, we're headed to the city of angels to - guess what? - watch football. back-to-back games, might i add. you're shinin' up my wife o' the year plaque, aren't you?! i know - i'm a saint.

wait, that is so not true. if you had any idea what dude has to put up with from me, you'd be thinking 'serves the chick right she has'ta feign interest in game after game'. seriously. i can whip out the crazy.

in celebration, here are 36 things about mr man i'm grateful for:

• his patience
• his giant heart
• his loyalty
• his silly jokes
• how much he loves me
• his friendship
• his hand in mine
• he's my biggest fan
• his support
• he'd do anything for me
• his compassion
• he makes me feel good about myself
• he takes care of me
• he loves me just the way i am
• he always kisses me goodnight...and goodbye...and hello)
• his passion
• his laugh
• he listens when i talk
• he likes my cookin'
• his blue/grey/green eyes
• his big bear hugs
• he lets me steal the covers
• he indulges my crazy
• his trip planning skills
• he asked me to be his wife
• he keeps me warm when it's cold outside
• he takes me to church
• his witty conversation
• he rubs my feet...if i say please
• he can fix anything
• his good-nature
• his kindness to my family
• he's way cute, maybe even a hottie
• he doesn't care about 'the joneses'
• hearing 'how was your day' every evening
• he lets me put my cold feet on him

and, the list goes on and on and on. i love that man with every ounce of my being, and i pray each and every one of you feels love like this at least once in your life.

happy birthday, loverboy. i'm excited to see what the next 36 years have in store for us. i love you more than one tiny blog post could ever portray. thank you for showing me what unconditional love is.

pretty in pink

after years of wishin' and chickenin' out, then wishin' and chickenin' out, i finally pulled the trigger and dyed my hairs. it's atomic pink, and i'm in love. little nervous about getting it out of pillowcases, shower curtains, and clothes, but i'm in love.

it seems the higher the climb toward the big 4-0, i feel the need to do something drastic to my hairs around mah birfday. last year i chopped it off (much to mr man's chagrin); this year - COLOR! see for yo-self...

for the old (yes, OLD) birfday this year, our best pals joined us for some booty-shakin', fist-pumpin' 80s cover band nostalgia. it.was.awesome! rebel yell. fight for your right. jump. just like heaven. hungry like the wolf. melt with you. man, i love a show where i know the words to every song.

i wasn't planning on dressing up, but when i stumbled across some pink skinny jeans, i knew they must be mine. my 16 year old self is so rolling her eyes right now... and, if i was sporting pink jeans, then you know mr man had to break out the crue tee. straight outta the 80s, dontcha know!

hmmm, pink hair, pink jeans...i think i'm seeing a trend, because my new tennie-runners are pink, and my latest pedi is bright pink! whoa, maybe rosita needs to change her 'signature culuh' from red to atomic pink.

i'm gonna need to sleep on that one. whatchoo been up to??

scenes from a snow-filled week

unless you were under a rock last week, chances are you're aware that mother nature gave good ol' seattle the smack down. and, since our fair city is quite ill-prepared for weather-related smack downs, mr man and i were stuck on our hill. it was pretty romantic. a blanket of white outside. me baking cookies and spiking hot chocolate inside.

i quite enjoy the occasional snow, and have no problem being cooped up for a few days, but mr man got the cabin fever. so, we set out with some cardboard for a little night sledding and a walk to the neighborhood bar.

we thawed out with a little pizza, vino and etta james. (RIP). and, capped off the weekend with a gal pal's birfday celebration.

what'd you do last week? this weekend?

i linked up to:

What's Been Goin' On...

did you run, go turn on amos lee when you read that post title, too? sometimes the titles come easily, sometimes not so much. it was either this, or 'round here (which woulda had me groovin' to counting crows). more often than not, i scroll through song titles in the ol' brain card catalog to come up with the titles. anyhoodle...TANGENT. (my specialty!)

these days, the workshop's been open late, and these hands have been working overtime. and that, my friends, is a very good thing. here's a little glimpse into what's been flying off the press.

announcing babies (yep, another boy!)

parties for 5 year olds

parties for 40 year olds (amazing race/scavenger hunt, no less)

parties for the corporate folk

and, tons of folding

for parties for graduates

can i just say, i love me a tri-fold. and, if they weren't so dang time-consuming and cost-in-effective (just made it up), i'd pitch 'em to everyone. check out the real estate: 6 whole pages! i tried to talk baby sister into one, but she wanted nuthin' to do with all those pics. party pooper.

and, lastly, the goods went mobile again last night.

there wasn't a huge turn out, but i hear as the summer (what summer?) goes on, the crowds get bigger. so, i'll be out there again august 18th and 25th, if y'all are out and about. baby sister will be here and i'm putting her to work, but shhh, don't tell her!

p.s. it's middle sissy's birfday today, so head over to her blog or her facebook and give her some love. she's heavy and hot with bambino, so she'll be extra excited to hear from you!

p.s.s. i inhaled a leaf last night, and now i'm certain a tree's gonna sprout in my lung, ala grey's anatomy. (let the eye rolling commence.)

another year bites the dust

today's mah birfday. and, if you thought i had a hard time jumping into thirty-f*cough*ive, all squinty-eyed, 'this-can't-really-be-how-old-i-am', boy howdy (we do too say that where i'm from) thirty-s*blech*ix is gonna be a da-hoo-za-ie. y'all, i'm trying to put the skids on. toepick. pie wedge. nine. alto. i want it to stop! seriously, THIS CAN'T REALLY BE HOW OLD I AM!

i really hoped i could go to beddy-bye last night, and wake up tomorrow. which, those of you who know me and my birthday celebratin' ways, is a bad sign.

so, i got mah hairs cut yesterdee, and had every intention of doing this:

Source: ukhairdressers.com via Raeann on Pinterest

but when i got there, there was no colorist. what tha? well, to be fair, when i want mah hairs cut, i want mah hairs cut, so i go to rudy's. anyhoo - it's prolly a good thing, cuz someone was all: what? huh? red? wait? what? huh? and then: you already did it, didn't you? heeheeha! can you imagine? going that drastic without getting an ok, sure? as if! i'm still reeeeeeeally tempted to do the color. so, stay tuned.

alrighty - i'm off to enjoy the rest of my day. i have a rare sun break luring me outside. i'm also thinking about a mani/pedi and maybe a little retail therapy. and, you know i'll cap it all off with a cocktail. mr man's in charge of the festivities this evenink, so i'll have a recap next week sometime. wonder who's surprising me this year!

Canvas the Area

back when i had my open house, i dappled in some mixed media art on canvas. i had some out for sale, and a few sold, but what i really hoped would happen, did - custom orders. and, now it's a common item shipped out of the workshop. i've made them for wedding, birthday and just-for-me gifts, baby rooms, dining rooms.

i LUUUUUV these. LUV. it's pure get-yer-hands-dirty, handmade goodness. and, i can live for days on the high i get when i deliver one, they open it, their eyes light up, and they say I LUV IT! buuuut, the process is super nerve-wracking for me. (cuz i'm a nutjob.) ask mr. man. poor guy's constantly called to the workshop to talk me off the ledge and have (one-sided) conversations like this:

'do you think this should go here, or here? i'm really nervous they'll hate it. it's going on a wall in their house. they trust me to do something they're going to like. does it look like a third grader made it? what if they hate it. they're going to hate it.'

my sweet cousin LOVES horses and barrel racing, so her mama ordered this to match her lime green and zebra print room. (note to self: work zebra print into decor somehow)

this order was for mother's day. a sweet quote mixed with the colors of mama's house.

a bare dining room wall, a list of favorite lyrics and a cool idea led to this triptych. (that's for carrie.) talk about nervous nelly. i mean, it's going on their dining room wall! everyone who comes to their house will see it! a few deets: the door to the house is a map of ohio, where mama's from; mama, daddy, and 3 kiddos = 5 birds in the tree; 3 windows for 3 kiddos.

 

she collects hearts, and she's crazy creative, so she ordered some artwork for her craft room. only criteria: use reds and lots of hearts. success? we'll let her weigh in...

i used their invitation and maps to tie the couple's love of travel into this 'lovebird' wedding gift.

still with me? the possibilities are endless, really. i'll make one for you - order up! don't worry, i'll add them to the website soon - that project is underway.

Husband of the Year

Today's Mr Man's birthday, so I thought I'd wish him happy thoughts here. This will be the 14th time we've celebrated this momentous occasion, and I have to say, he's had some pretty stellar celebrations.

Since his birthday is so close to Halloween, we sometimes have a costume party (are you noticing a theme here?)

Then, for his 30th birthday, I "surprised" him with a trip to see his favorite college team - Notre Dame - play. That trip has created a tradition, and though it isn't always on his birthday, this year, it happens to be.

So, in a few days, we're off to Tallahassee and Auburn, where they eat, sleep and breathe football. Mr Man will celebrate for a week (or longer) with stadium tours, halls of fame, and all the BBQ he can eat. 

But, no complaining here - it's his birthday, remember? And, Lord knows, he's put up with my silly requests all these years. And, he always works in somewhere for me to lay in the sunshine (like Hilton Head, down below); I've seen parts of the country I never would have; and sometimes we meet new friends, or re-connect with old friends.

We've had a running joke lately that I should win 'Wife of the Year' (I might be the only one who thinks that), because I attend all these football games. In the rain. Next to drunkards. Watching teams I have NO idea about.

But, truly, if you knew all the things Mr Man does for me, and puts up with (I'll save you the details. Ahem.), you'd see he is definitely deserved of 'Husband of the Year'.

Happy Birthday, Mr Man. I love you to the moon and back.

Back in the Day

Today's my birthday, and I'm feeling nostalgic. It's a milestone year and those seem to force you to reassess your life, and wonder whether you're on the right path, and what the future holds.

Today I'm reminiscing about:

• Spending my 16th, 25th and 30th birthday in various Mexico locales
• Summers in New Mexico
• Roswell Country Club cheese sticks, circa 1991
• My mom's Strawberry Birthday Cake
• Pillow forts, backyard camping, making mud pies, and swimming at my Nana & Paw Paw's house
• Bad 80s fashion & Big Cheese Pizza
• Slathering on suntan oil (NO SPF, what skin cancer?)
• Running through sprinklers
• Splashing in gutters after a New Mexico flash flood
• Wonderful memories my husband & I have made
• Sunsets on Alki
• Driving into Seattle the first time
• Summer thunderstorms
• The smell of wet concrete

If you're hitting a major birthday this year, what is taking you back?