why oh why...

...can't cupcakes be a fiber-rich food, low in fat and high in protein?

Poor cupcakes. It's just not fair.

tuesday tellings...

1. I'm going to be a cowgirl. I've got boots. I've got bandana. I've got sheriff's badge. Yeehaw.

2. I went. I didn't like it, but I went. YEEhaw.

3. I didn't take my picture, but I looked SO CUTE! Promise you, I did.

4. I watched Charlie Brown last night. And just for the record, I own it.

5. I'm still going to wear my lipstick. YEEEEEHAAAAAW!

6. Still wanting Starbucks!

Kiss and hugs...and a photo of our carved pumpkin. BOO!

monday meanderings...

1. I have no idea what I'm going to be for Halloween. At this point in the week, THAT is BAD. I thought I'd be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (because I have the dress from when I was Wendy from the Wendy's restaurant chain...coach sal was Burger King, we were AWEsome!), but it's too short for school and makes me look *thick*. And it's itchy.

2. I have lost my longing for the gym. I've never learned to like it, even after a year of going. But lately I have been so tired, I have NOT wanted to go. I need to...but I don't want to. But I will- tomorrow.

3. It's going to be REALLY cold here tomorrow- high of 58 degrees! (Don't laugh- for a carolina girl, born and bred, that's cold). But guess what? I found a cute cute cute PINK PLAID scarf to wear with my thrifted pea green coat! Maybe I'll take my picture.

4. We need to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" as many times as we can before Friday.

5. I bought bright red lipstick to wear with my Dorothy costume and I really like it. So what can I be that wears red lipstick?

6. As it gets cooler, I yearn for Starbucks. But not for the gym.

Kiss!

...it rains and rains...

It's been raining here all day; a steady, quiet, drenching rain...

I can't help but think of the song Flood by Jars of Clay on days when it rains like this.

As my body was drenched today with physical rain, so was my heart with the rainsong of those whose burdens are made lighter because their peace is so great, their faith so strong...their blogs I read each day.

Please pray...pray...pray. Our God is an awesome God.

Rain, rain on my face...
Hasn't stopped raining for days...
My world is a flood...
Slowly I become one with the mud...
But if I can't swim after forty days,
And my mind is crushed by the thrashing waves,
Lift me up so high that I can not fall...
Lift me up - when I'm falling...
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying...
Lift me up - I need you to hold me...
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again...

random thoughts at 10:56 p.m....

I'm up when I should be down...

...I'm drinking a glass of chocolate milk and talking to you...

...listening to Mindy Gledhill's "Feather in the Wind". She has a beautiful voice.

You know, when it's very late and very quiet, I can hear the distant train. We used to live by a train track. It's much further away now...but when it's really really quiet, I can still hear it...

It's starting to feel like autumn. It's been so cool that we put the duvet back on our bed. Makes it difficult to get up in the mornings...

October will be over next Friday. November is almost here. Time goes by...and by.

It's now 11:03 p.m.

back in mid-july...

...five girls (three little and two big)...
...and a total of eight dolls...
...went to the second happiest place on Earth...
...in Atlanta, Georgia...



















...and had a girls' weekend like no other...
...these photos just make me smile.

you know you're tired on a friday evening...

when you come home from a full day of writing midterm reports at school and eat a bowl of Lucky Charms...

Yes, I have a box of Lucky Charms in my house...actually, we have a few boxes. Called "couponing made them free".

Sometimes you just need to eat something "magically"...(dare I say it)...delicious??

...ooo, I've had 4600 visitors...

...thanks for dropping by!

halloween is coming...

I think Halloween is a very fun time of year...I know, it gets a bad rap, but why was it an ok holiday 20 years ago, and not now? Why can't it just be dress-up and candy? (Please don't start a debate...just enjoy the following photos...)

I love the fall colors...

...the out-of-the-ordinary decorating ideas...

...jack-o-lanterns everywhere...

...the cool, dark nights lit up with glows...

...the creativity...

...pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere...the only time of year that I like orange...

...the fall table beginning to take shape...

...and the yummy treats...isn't this cake just devine??

back in august...

...ME celebrated her 9th birthday...since we went to the American Girl Doll store in July (that post is upcoming!), I let her decide what to do on her actual birthday.

She wanted to go to the farmer's market (it was Saturday)...



...she wanted a cold, yummy smoothie- strawberry, her favorite...




...and then we went to the downtown shopping market, where she bought a $5 fan and we rode around in a bicycle rickshaw for a 15 minute ride...


...then home to eat cake!


It was a beautiful mother/daughter day...a small moment in time...I'm glad I let her choose what to do, and I'm honored she chose to spend it with me.

look what followed us home...

...from the neighborhood church rummage sale...only $5.00!







Enjoyed by all boys, big and small...

what we saw in the movie parking lot last night...

HUH?!?!

diary of a date night...

This is how my Friday date night with coach sal unfolded...



2:30 pm- children entertain themselves in the rain while we get ready.


2:55 pm- coach sal is ready before me...


3:00- ready except for my hair, which I must let air-dry...


...my favorite scent...


...and my new green ballet flats.


3:20 pm- coach sal fills the gas tank, thankfully at a decent price for a change.


4:45 pm- coach sal has new loafers, thanks to a sale at the Bass store at Tanger Outlet and a coupon. Off to dinner!


6:15 pm- dinner at Outback is finishing up, and we take a quick photo of our friends...

6:17 pm- ...and they take one of us. Thankfully, they humor me and my camera.


6:30 pm- dinner at Outback was de-lish and we head out to our movie...

...in the rain.


7:00 pm- the decor of the Regal cinema greets us.


7:05 pm- while our friends get the tickets, I catch a glimpse of the movie poster.


10:00 pm- with the movie over (it was so good, a tear-jerker) and our friends headed home, coach sal and I head to B&N to browse.


10:10 pm- coach sal waits on our coffee while I start to eat our dessert...warm from the oven. Yum.


10:30 pm- enjoying my coffee, I browse a few magazines and choose two to take home.


11:00 pm- coach sal and I retire for the evening.

The End...
of a very relaxing evening with my hubby.

fall break to-do list...

...thrift...check. (FUN)

...bloodwork done on me and Mary E for celiac disease...check. (NOT fun. More on this later.)

...visit my teacher friend Elliott at her new school this year, where she's teaching 3's and 4's...check. (TOTALLY fun. They were so cute! Go check it out.)

...date afternoon/evening with coach sal and dinner/movie with some of our favorite friends for much needed adult time. (COMING SOON!)

...garage sales on Saturday...

...laundry...{sigh}...

...birthday party fun for our friend's daughter...

I'd better stop, because it's going to make the weekend go by too fast...

thursday thrifts...

Since we are on fall break, I was able to do a little Thursday thrifting, which happens to be the best thrift day (I think) because all the shelves seem to be restocked and selection is good! Here's what I found...



Goodies for the kitchen!


The pyrex bowl was $2.99, I love the blue! The jelly jars glasses were a quarter each- too fun to pass up.


The pyrex lid- don't you love the red and yellow hens???- was only .99. And the find-of-the-day was this unused Pampered Chef baking dish for $5.99- YAH! If you remember my cobbler post from a few days ago, you'll see my very seasoned PC baking dish- and I wished I had another that night so I could bake the other cobbler. Now I do!