Buffy Sunshine

pretty city, pretty day

2012-02-28T20:10:00.000-05:00

We buckled the kids into the car this morning at 8:30am and rolled north to Savannah. We had our second appointment at the midwife center. Today was ultrasound day, and we thought it would be fun for the kids to actually see Baby Quatro. As soon as the lady squirted the ice cold jelly stuff onto my belly, Stella Belle declared, "EW! I'm never going to the doctor when I grow up." And Dean kept making sure with the lady that this was NOT the kind of jelly that people eat. Other than that, it was a beautiful experience and I cried tears of joy at the sight of this little life.

Other highlights of the day included: coffee shop full of art and cool people, Mellow Mushroom, perfect weather, tears of joy, hugging.

snap shots

2012-02-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Sunday! It's cold and rainy in Georgia today. We've been finishing projects and starting new ones to make way for Baby Quatro. Why don't you take a look at Baby Quatro. Take a good long look.

I snapped a few pics with my not iPhone phone while I was getting dressed and Stella Belle was begging me for lipstick. I don't remember what getting dressed was like without people begging me for lipstick. Hope you all had a refreshing weekend!

number seven

2012-02-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Little Dean turned seven on Wednesday. That's right... SEVEN. We had a few of his favorite friends over for lunch. (Beauty of homeschooling #462... birthday parties at lunch on a Wednesday). He requested one thing for his party... STAR WARS. I'm not sure if I can express with mere words Dean's obsession with Star Wars. It's disturbingly adorable and weird and cool and not cool and fascinating and... well... like I said before... no words.

Anyhoo, the party was super fun and lunch was delish. Happy Birthday, Dean! You are a treasure of personality and joy. May the force be with you.

date day

2012-02-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

Saturday was so much fun! Charlie's parents kept the kiddies all day... that's right ALL DAY! We usually do night time dates so we only have time for dinner and a movie. But a daytime dates are the BOMB! We did everything that we never get to do with the children in tow. Date day included: trying on clothes in a fab clothing store, quiet conversation and laughing at adult things in a coffee shop, book stores, museums, more laughing, bicycle stores, dinner, dessert, driving with the windows down.

Date day did NOT include: children's menu, taking kids to the potty, interruptions, movies in the car, Target. Our children are the coolest and cutest... but date day was much more fun without them.

valentine's day

2012-02-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

Our Valentine's Day was filled with sugar and chocolate and more sugar... and dancing and cards. I told a friend that I'm going to start calling it "I can't believe my kids just ate that" day. We had gluten free vanilla donuts for breakfast, then some chocolate then bags of candy at a Valentine party then lunch then cookies then... you get the idea. So they basically had the best day ever. Charlie and I did too. We'll do more romantic celebrating this weekend. We have a date planned. Hope your Valentine's day was sugary sweet!

the one i love

2012-02-13T20:47:00.000-05:00

On the eve of lovey dovey happy heart day, I would like to declare this: I LOVE CHARLIE TURNER. My goodness. I've loved him ever since the first week of my second year of college. He was in the lobby of my dorm playing a guitar and he smiled at me as I got on the elevator and I fell in love. The end.

I sing/rap this song by Maroon 5 (My Love is Like a Stereo) to him daily. The words make us laugh really loud. Our kids just look at us. True love.

If i was an old school fifty pound boom box

Would you hold me on your shoulder wherever you walk

Would you turn my volume up before all of the cops

And crank it higher everytime they told you to stop

And all i ask is that you dont get mad at me

When you have to purchase mad D batteries...

Keep myself inside your head like your favorite tune

And know my heart is a stereo that only plays for you

make your own tortillas

2012-02-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to make my own flour tortillas for a while now. I put it off because it takes a long time and makes a big mess... until today. I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe (find it HERE). Her recipe calls for lard. LARD, people. I couldn't bring myself to use lard, so I used organic coconut oil instead. Fact: I did go into a grocery store and look at lard. Then I saw someone coming around the corner and I put the lard back on the shelf really fast because I was embarrassed that I was looking at lard. It just felt wrong... and nasty.

I also replaced the all purpose flour with rice flour. The first few crumbled and burned and I may or may not have whispered a few curse words. They got better as I went along. While I was verbally abusing the gluten free, lard free, crumbly tortillas, Charlie picked the meat off a rotisserie chicken and heated some black beans. We topped it off with fresh avocado, sour cream, green salsa and pepper jack cheese. It was so good. There are not even words.

So get to work! Make yourself a dang quesadilla.

belly

2012-02-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

Baby Quatro is growing! I'm feeling lots of kicks and movement. I'm also rearranging everything in our whole house. Call it nesting... call it what you want, but if I don't get some new knobs on the cabinets in our laundry room I'm going to loose it! O.k. maybe I've already lost it. Anyway, pregnancy is fun this week and very exciting. Happy Thursday!

how to make a necklace

2012-02-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

The girls wanted to make something with clay, so I thought homemade beads for a necklace would be fun. I was right. And since the process took a few days, it taught them (and my "them" I mean "us") a little about doing things orderly and patiently. Here's how...

Step one: Choose your clay. We chose air dry clay because we had it on hand. Baking clay may help speed along the process.

Step two: Roll small amounts of clay into a ball. I stuck the end of a paintbrush into each ball to create an opening for our necklace.

Step three: Let the clay dry and harden for three or four days. Again, baking clay might dry much faster.

Step four: Paint your beads. We used acrylic paint and clear fingernail polish for a shiny finish.

Step five: Keep an eye on your painted beads because your son might load them up on the back of a truck and try to haul them off.

Step six: Cut fabric into strips and slide your beads on. Tie a few knots in between if you want to space them out.

Step seven: Finish your necklace. I sewed my fabric scrap to a stretchy jersey knit fabric (like t-shirt fabric) and tied a pretty bow. Since the necklaces are for my girls, I wanted something they could get on an off easily without my help. Stretchy fabric is perfect.

Step eight: Wear on your birthday.

stella belle and her big birthday

2012-02-02T13:53:00.000-05:00

We named our third child Stella Belle which means "beautiful star." (That's Belle... with an E on the end... not an A like Stella Bella... some people say it like that. Rude.) Since the day she was born she has truly been a bright and shiny little star in our world.

We started her birthday with presents and breakfast cupcakes (also known as gluten free blueberry muffins with homemade whipped cream on top).

Then we braided ribbons in our hair and she played babies in her super clean room... cough, cough... while I set up for our picnic.

We ate lunch outside. Homemade pizzas, waffle fries, fresh squeezed lemonade and chocolate chip cake. Best day ever.

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to you, Stella Belle! You are a remarkable, adorable, endearing little star.

it's stella belle's birthday!

2012-02-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

We're busy celebrating the fourth birthday of our beautiful star! Much more blogging about our day of birthday happy time very soon. Hope your house smells like chocolate cake!

one more time

2012-01-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

Isn't family photo time fun? Why yes, yes it is! Enjoy these few snippets from our Sunday afternoon...

week sixteen

2012-01-28T10:43:00.000-05:00

Baby Quatro is growing! I'm feeling much MUCH better than I felt a few weeks ago. My "bump" is starting to look like a "belly." All I want to eat is baked potatoes.

things i like today

2012-01-27T15:32:00.000-05:00

1. Mondo. Project Runway All Stars is a very wonderful thing and Mondo has been my favorite for a long, long time. He was robbed of the title a few seasons back. I like him. Do you watch Project Runway All Stars? Well you should. The end.
2. White kitchens with outdoor lighting. Photo courtesy of Cottage Living.
3. Vintage Dolly Parton tshirt. I want it bad. Like really bad.
4. Dear, Mary Kate and Ashley, please come over and help me pick out my clothes every morning. Love, Me.

hello out there

2012-01-26T20:01:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! We drove about an hour north of where we live to Savannah, Georgia yesterday. We embrace any excuse to visit this dazzling little city. We are planning to deliver Baby Quatro at a Birthing Center in Savannah with the cutest little Midwife that we ever did see. We'll be visiting often for my check ups and birth preparations.

We stopped at a hip and cool coffee house before heading back home. The kids sat so still and quiet at the birthing center, so we promised them a huge iced chocolate milk. They totally earned it.

O.K. happy Thursday!

library day

2012-01-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

We like to go to the library on Tuesdays. Yesterday we finished school a little early and headed over to art day at our local library. A nice lady read a few books about art and artists then the kids got to make a painting.

The nice lady encouraged the kids to paint an animal with bright colors. Thanks, Dean, for painting a Star Wars battle scene despite the nice lady's suggestions...

We walked down the street and had pizza for lunch then headed back home with our new library books for this week. I love taking my kids to the library.

cleaning up

2012-01-13T18:13:00.000-05:00

Finally getting a little bit of energy going around here. One of my goals for 2012 is to keep the laundry clean and get rid of stuff that we don't use or love. So far the laundry is still piled up and the clutter is still everywhere... but I'm slowly making a dent in the mess.

What are your goals for this year?

four crying out loud

2012-01-11T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hello! I have a little news to share on this second Wednesday of two thousand and twelve. I'M PREGNANT! That's right, friends! Baby number FOUR is on the way! We are very, very excited about this little/huge addition to our family. Here are four facts about my pregnancy so far...

1. I'm not sure exactly how far along I am... somewhere around 13 to 16 weeks. I'll have an ultrasound at the end of this month to get exact numbers.
2. This is my first time being REALLY super sick during pregnancy.
3. I'm not showing yet, but I haven't done ab ripper x in about 2 weeks so we can just call the "flab" a "bump" until it becomes a real bump... or until i do a sit up and make it go away.
4. We are planning on NOT finding out the gender of the little sweetie until it is birthed. Until then, we will call the baby "Baby Quatro." OK? Now we all know that Baby Quatro is not the baby's real name... it's just what the baby will be called while he/she is in the oven.

Stay tuned for lots of pregnancy blogging!

a little more new year's rockin eve

2012-01-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

My family in Mississippi is pretty much wonderful. Here's a little recap of our time there...

Horses. My brother (who just kicked cancer's butt like a ninja) bought some horses. We saw the horses and MeeMaw and PeePaw and sweet cousins. We hugged them and ate candy canes.

Sisters. Oh my sisters. They are my favorite.

And baby Nolan turned one! He was born last New Year's Eve (click HERE to read the story). His party was our last stop before heading back to Georgia. I painted a banner and served as the face paint lady. Nolan is adorable.

Hope you've had a productive start to the new year!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Let's pretend like this is New Year's Day and not almost a week later. OK? ok. So we made it back to Georgia from Mississippi and we've had a very terrific start to 2012. I can't wait to bloggy blog about goals and exciting surprises for this year. Fun things happening around here. Fun things.

we got that boom boom pow

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-05:00

We're in the middle of a very festive New Year's Eve! Club Turner is getting crunk. Club Turner is when we turn club music up very loudly and dance and eat mexican food and stay up late. It usually happens on Valentine's Day and Birthdays and New Year's Eve. All kids should be exposed to club music every now and again... right? Right. Anyway, here are some highlights of our New Year's Eve photobooth shoot...

Happy New Year's Eve! Light a sparkler.

quick hello from mississippi

2011-12-30T11:17:00.000-05:00

Hello! Mississippi Christmas is perfect and exactly what we all needed to end Christmas 2011. I know I've said this before, but my mother is the BEST Christmas gift-getter in the whole wide world. She should get some kind of award. Hope all of you are having a fantastic week and getting ready for some New Year's hoopla. We've got big plans... BIG plans.

silly christmas

2011-12-26T17:41:00.000-05:00

FUN FACT! This is my four hundred and first blog post. Anyhoo, Christmas happened here in our little house by the lake. This Christmas was really funny for me and different... and maybe a little strange. But the kids were smiling, the movies were playing, the lights were twinkling and the True Message of Christmas was spoken loud and clear.

After church, presents, donuts, chocolate milk, and lots of hugging... I would say that Christmas 2011 was nice... and a little silly. We're traveling to Mississippi later this week so we can hug my family in Mississippi. Christmas isn't over yet... happy!

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas weekend.

five things i love about christmas

2011-12-21T15:52:00.000-05:00

1. Christmas lights
2. The smell of things baking
3. Christmas music
4. Memories
5. Our Wonderful Counselor coming to earth

christmas around our house

2011-12-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

Sharing a few of our Christmas decorations today. I love little trees and colorful things. Hope you are busy wrapping gifts and drinking peppermint tea!

it's the most wonderful time

2011-12-19T19:35:00.000-05:00

Our house smells like sugar cookies! I'm busy making a few last minute gifts for some special little people. We're watching Christmas movies and eating candy canes. Hooray for the holiday season!

tacky sweaters in the warm december weather

2011-12-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

We had a little Christmas party at our house last night. It was very fun. We looked ridiculous... especially Charlie.

I made brownie cakes and marshmallow treats and cookies and dips and other fun things. We played games and laughed for a few hours. I love having people over at Christmas!

Anyone else eating a candy cane this morning?

hot chocolate is good in the afternoon

2011-12-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

How do you make hot chocolate? I use vanilla almond milk, a scoop of pure cocoa powder, some sugar, and a pinch of salt. Sometimes I even make homemade whipped cream to go on top. We've got lots of hot chocolate going on around here! Happy Weekend!

9 years down... 100 to go

2011-12-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Our 9th wedding anniversary was this week. We had a very very special date last night. We ate dinner at Sal's Pizzeria on St. Simon's Island. Sal's is owned by Sal... an ex-pro boxer from New Jersey who stands in front of a brick oven all night throwing pizza dough into the air while singing christmas songs along with the loud speakers. He's the cutest. Please support local restaurants... you'll find much cooler people there. OK back to our date...

So we ate pizza and talked about which years of our married life have really been the best, most fun, etc. We laughed about the years when we thought we had everything all figured out, then we almost cried about how this past year we realized that we really don't. After dinner and deep conversation we went to the movies then home to eat ice cream and hug each other.

I love Charlie! He's handsome and smart and a true picture of how the Lord Jesus Christ can snatch up whoever He wants and use them for His good and perfect purpose. Happy heart!

attack that big mac

2011-12-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

When it comes to food, I've been called quite a few things... picky, snobby, healthy, hippie, tribal african, rabbit, weirdo... you get the idea. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE food, just not any foods that come out of a can or a chemical factory or a fast food window. Our family eats mostly organic, fresh food, and since I have a gluten/dairy allergy we eat lots of things that are fresh and green. However, sometimes I think about a Big Mac. So here's what I did. I went to the market with a list straight out of a 1985 McDonald's commercial... 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

Since we all know the "special sauce" is nothing more than Thousand Island dressing, I picked up a small bottle with some delicious pickles.

I found some shredded iceberg lettuce and organic cheese.

I cut one all-beef patty in half and let the cheese melt in between. I slathered the Thousand Island on each bun and O MY GOSH. It was everything I've been dreaming of without all the guilt and chest pains that follow a "real" Big Mac. Empty plate!

christmas on a budget... busy wreaths

2011-12-01T19:10:00.000-05:00

Hi! Perhaps you are trying to save a few of your dollars this holiday season. So am I. Here's a project that I finished recently (and by "recently" I mean "the first of November"). I call them BUSY WREATHS!

I call them "busy wreaths" because they are... well... a little "busy." I had these garland wreaths in the attic from years past and I added ribbon, fabric, holly berries, sticks from the backyard dipped in green paint, swirly stick thingys, ornaments, spray paint, and some $2 glitter bows. This Christmas happiness project cost me exactly four dollars.

One cannot have too much stuff sticking out of one's wreaths.

family, turkey, clearance racks

2011-11-29T08:24:00.000-05:00

We're back from Mississippi. Thanksgiving with my family is always super special. My mom had lots of fun activities for the kids to do.

We ate and ate and laughed and ate. My sisters and I went shopping at 10pm on Thanksgiving night and stayed out until the next day. PS... Banana Republic practically gives clothes away at 10pm on Thanksgiving night... valuable bit of information.

Favorite moment from Thanksgiving 2011... PeePaw's vest. This black satin piece paired perfectly with his flannel shirt and stone-washed jeans. He worked it. Here is PeePaw posing like Mr. November...

the hunter and the two turkeys

2011-11-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there were two beautiful turkeys.

The turkeys were very sneaky and they always got away from hunters with stick guns.

However, one day a very good hunter saw the two turkeys. The turkeys were afraid.

The hunter said, "You'll make a fine Thanksgiving feast for my family." Then he got the turkeys with his powerful stick gun.

The end. Happy Thanksgiving!

a matter of interpretation

2011-11-17T15:10:00.000-05:00

I was so busy putting up Christmas decorations that I didn't notice little Dean writing this on our chalkboard...

Now this could be interpreted one of two ways. Interpretation #1...

maybe he just forgot the "E" on the end of the word "here" and he's very very excited.

Interpretation #2...

Maybe he meant exactly what he wrote and he thinks I'm a little out of control with the music and the garlands and the glitter. But I doubt it. I'm a cool mom... right?

shack update!

2011-11-11T13:30:00.000-05:00

If you don't follow us on twitter (@snowshacky), you probably haven't seen the shack in a while. The outside is done except for a little trim painting. The inside is nowhere near finished, but it's slowly coming along.

I love it. I get really excited when I think about all the different kinds of people will walk up to that door and order delicious treats. Hope your Friday is full of painting and sewing and pumpkin spice soy coffee creamer!

promises in my head

2011-11-07T15:25:00.000-05:00

Raise your right hand an repeat after me...

I...

promise with all my heart...

not to put up any Christmas decorations...

or dress up the kids in Christmas clothes and take any more pictures...

until all of my unfinished projects are finished...

Glad we got that cleared up. Project finishing underway!

buffy's guide to christmas music

2011-11-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

I start listening to Christmas music on November 1st. Call me a fanatic. Whatever... I don't care. I like Christmas music. I used to start on Thanksgiving day, but I needed more. Four weeks is not enough for a true Christmas music lover like me. However, there is a science to not getting tired of all the festive jingling music before the big day. Here are my rules...

Don't listen to all your Christmas music in early November! You'll never make it until December 25th by cramming it all in at once. Take a deep breath. Chose one or two Christmas CD's and listen to them only in the car. The WOW Christmas CD's or a Starbuck's mixed CD is perfect for this phase. Don't over do it and remember... it's o.k. to turn on the non-Christmas radio every now and then if you're just starting out.

Phase 2 starts on Thanksgiving day. I like to mix up the kinds of Christmas music that I'm listening to during this phase. I have three different Christmas playlists on iTunes. One list is only Christmas songs about Jesus. I love Jesus so the old Christmas hymns are my favorite. The second list is "old classic" holiday music. The third list is new Christmas songs or funky renditions of old ones. I listen to Handel's Messiah on Sundays and while we are driving home to Mississippi for Thanksgiving. I always watch White Christmas while I'm putting up my Christmas tree. You get it...Mix it up.

Most important rule! Just because your local "all Christmas" radio station is playing Feliz Navidad or Blue Christmas by Elmer Fudd does NOT mean you have to listen to it. Have a CD or iPod nearby incase of this kind of situation. Only during phase three (the week before Christmas) is it even a little bit o.k. to listen to stupid Christmas songs just because they are Christmas songs. Also, don't be a loser and keep listening to holiday music after Christmas. Be better than that. Put it up and save it for next year.

Happy toe tapping!

cardboard and duct tape

2011-11-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

Charlie got his hands on a few enormous pieces of cardboard over the weekend. So of course we gathered all our various colored rolls of duct tape and started assembling the coolest clubhouse EVER! It is really the coolest... and the biggest. It pretty much takes up half of little Dean's bedroom. That's all boys need in their room... a bed and a clubhouse... and a plastic container full of legos right? Right.

We put his little t.v. inside and a rug to make it cozy. All three kids slept in the clubhouse Saturday night. So much fun. Hope your kids get to play in a cardboard box someday... it's what all the cool kids do.

polaroid sunday

2011-10-30T16:32:00.000-04:00

ten words to describe our weekend...

clubhouse

movie party

football

breezy

cloudy

list

organizing

reading

snuggling

cinnamon

thursday night

2011-10-27T19:57:00.000-04:00

Hi! Let me share a few moments from my sister's wedding rehearsal. Little Dean was having a hard time waiting for his turn... so I distracted him by telling him to pose for a few pictures. I have at least twenty different photos, here are my favorites...

Charlie has a meeting very early in the morning so he's in bed a little early. What does that mean for me? Project Runway finale, people! You better believe I've got a cup of hot peppermint tea and a bowl of kettle corn in my lap. Project Runway is the best.

polaroid sunday

2011-10-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

Ten words to describe our weekend...

sweaters

boots

soccer

candy

blankets

coffee

learning

rejoicing

collection

hugs

mornings at our house

2011-10-21T13:27:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend!

stella belle on thursday

2011-10-20T14:50:00.000-04:00

Millie g. and Stella Belle wanted to play dress up in their flower girl dresses from the wedding. I decided that would be fine, but NOT until we did a photo shoot by the lake. Stella Belle wanted Blankie in her picture... and (of course) her cowgirl boots...

Dear 60 degree weather, please stay for a long time. Love, Me.

sweet

2011-10-17T15:03:00.000-04:00

O my goodness! My sister got married on Saturday. The whole weekend was breathtaking and adorable and gorgeous and sweet. I have tons of pictures that I'll be sorting through during the next few days. For now, here are a few highlights...

Click HERE to see highlights from my other sister's wedding (3 years ago). It was wonderful too. I love my sisters. They are fantastic.

polaroid sunday

2011-10-16T14:31:00.000-04:00

Ten words to describe our weekend...

Wedding

Laughing

Hairspray

Wedding

Lanterns

Sisters

Candy

Dancing

Driving

Wedding

blogging from the car

2011-10-11T15:35:00.000-04:00

Three more hours to Mississippi! We left our house very early this morning. Whole Foods for breakfast and coffee. Tacos for lunch. 12 (or so) bathroom stops. Two movies. Three coloring books. John Mayer on Pandora. Happy car trip. Happy wedding weekend!!! What are you doing today?

polaroid sunday

2011-10-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

Ten words to describe our weekend:

Rain

Movies

Tacos

Salsa

Friends

Boots

Shack

Hugs

Clean Floors

Books

i'm going to a wedding next week

2011-10-05T13:08:00.000-04:00

My sister, Amanda, is getting married to a cool guy named Jared. Feel free to feel a little queezy in your stomach when you look at how beautiful they both are. Rude. I had the honor of snapping a few photos of them back in July. Again, gorgeous. I canNOT wait for this wedding.

Hope you are happy today!

shack update... again

2011-10-03T12:51:00.000-04:00

Hi! If you are one of our Mississippi friends and you sent us a very nice card with a very nice gift inside... THANK YOU! We're not sure who sent it, but you know who you are. Your generosity could not have happened at a better time. Thank you. Here are a few shack updates from this weekend...

We're excited about getting close to finishing this thing. It's gonna rock! Lots more changes coming to the shack menu too! Can't wait to share soon. Happy October!

dinner picnic

2011-09-30T08:35:00.000-04:00

If you ever decide to build a big green snow cone shack, you could possibly have a big pile of scrap wood in your driveway. What should you do with that pile of wood? Good question. You should take the wood out by the lake and burn it up. And that's exactly what we did last night.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on the big fire. I made some onion rings and lemonade. Food tastes better when you eat it outside. And yes, we ate hot dogs on my white Wedgewood China plates. We use the good china on special occasions... like campfire dinners.

Take some advice from the top of Charlie's Jones Cola bottle. It's good advice.

shack update

2011-09-28T12:19:00.000-04:00

The Snow Shack got a roof and walls and a wobbly window! And some green paint. Very exciting. I am working hard this week to get a few products ready for purchase. I've gotten several emails about shirts, stickers, pictures etc. Hopefully we can set up a way for you to support the shack even if you don't live nearby.

we finished alice

2011-09-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

Every day after lunch we have reading time. I set the timer for twenty minutes and I read a book without pictures to the kids. First, we read book number one of the original Mary Poppins series. Then we started Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. We have a copy that was designed by Helen Oxenbury. The illustrations are breathtaking. There aren't many pictures in this book, but every now and then the kids would do a collective "gasp" when we would get to a picture page.

We just finished this week. Next we'll read Indian in the Cupboard. What are you reading these days?

week in review

2011-09-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

egg paint

2011-09-12T14:36:00.001-04:00

We did an art history lesson today about artists from the 1200's who made their own paint. They mixed berries or minerals or dried insects with egg yolks to make a bright tempura paint.

Here's how we made our own paint. I mixed three egg yolks (I ate the the whites for breakfast and kept the yolks aside for this project) with 2 teaspoons water. I "forked" it (which is what little Dean calls whisking) until it was frothy. Then we went outside and found two good rocks.

I filled an empty egg carton with colored chalk and let the kids crush the chalk with the rocks.

Then I spooned small amounts of the egg yolks into the crushed chalk and the kids stirred with a paintbrush. Then they painted pictures on newsprint paper.

Little Dean made a family of dinosaurs and Millie g. made flowers. Egg painting is fun.

they wanted beaks

2011-09-09T21:33:00.000-04:00

The conversation went like this...
Me: (unloading the dishwasher, kids run in)
Kids: "Mommy, can you make us some beaks?"
Me: "what kind of beaks?"
Kids: "bird beaks."
Me: "YEP." (left the dishwasher open, went to get construction paper and tape)

Me: (cutting, taping) "So why do you guys need beaks?"
Kids: "because we made a nest out of all the pillows from everywhere."

Take a break from the dishes and make a beak. Happy weekend!

back to ballet

2011-09-07T14:16:00.000-04:00

Warning! REALLY adorable pictures in this blog post. O.k. Millie g. started her second year of ballet. She got "promoted" to the 6-8 year old ballet class even though she's only 5. She likes dancing better than anything else...

And Stella Belle started her very first year of dance class. She is the funniest, sassiest child in all the land...

I hope my girls start a new ballet class every August for the rest of their lives. Happy dancing in this cool September weather!

play dough

2011-08-30T23:22:00.000-04:00

We made play dough today! I thought it would be fun for them to measure things and do a little scientific experiment. After the dough was made, I sneaked a few drops of food coloring into the middle of each dough ball. Then I said, "If you were really great students today, your play dough will change colors when you squish it." And so the squishing began...

Laughing and giggles followed. Here's how you make play dough... 1 cup water, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 Tbs. oil, 2 tsp cream of tartar. Heat all ingredients in pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until dough begins to stick and take shape. Form into balls. Add food coloring. Store in ziplock baggies.

geography... sort of

2011-08-27T15:03:00.000-04:00

Week two of homeschool was very fun. Maybe one day I'll share more about our curriculum and projects. We started traveling around the world with Mouk this week. We love the Mouk books. This week we learned about Finland. We made a flag and learned about the food and language. Little Dean and Millie g. loved it.

Homeschool is so cool!

too busy to blog... excuse #5

2011-08-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

It's been almost one week since I thought about looking at the computer... please see excuse #4 for more details. So anyway, every afternoon (after homeschool, before family runs or kids lessons/activities) Charlie works on "his precious." It's got our whole life in a tizzy. It's... THE SNOW SHACK TRAILER! And it's the fifth reason why I am way too busy to sit and blog about my happy, crafty, artsy life.

It's coming along quickly and beautifully. Charlie is very creative and handy... and he has no idea. He totally underestimates himself when it comes to that sort of thing. Instead of buying lumber for the trailer, he's using pallets. They're free and we collect them from the hardware store around the corner.

We will post a video about the whole building process when he's completely finished. So exciting. Also, if you ever want to keep little Dean out of trouble for an hour or so, just ask him to hold your pencil and give you nails or tools every few seconds. He loves it.

too busy to blog... excuse #4

2011-08-17T22:02:00.000-04:00

Ok... WAY too busy to blog. I have no business sitting with a computer in my lap right now, but I need to share this thing that has taken over our house and our world... like completely taken over. Excuse number four... HOMESCHOOL.

Let's talk about it. On Monday morning, Little Dean started first grade and Millie g. started kindergarten. This is my first time for real homeschooling my own children. Basically, I spend the whole day feeling nervous, happy, crazy, content, discontent, organized, coo coo crazy, strong, weak, then back to nervous. That's normal right?

I hope you all are very neat and organized and having a lovely Wednesday evening.

too busy to blog... excuse #3

2011-08-12T23:05:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be fitting that excuse number three represent these three little people. Excuse #3... ADORABLE LITTLE CHILDREN WITH LOTS OF ENERGY WHO DON'T TAKE NAPS ANYMORE. EVER. When I started blogging a few years ago everything was... how can I say this... a little more quiet. At one o'clock every afternoon, all three would sleep peacefully for a few hours and I would blog, watch movies, read books, sew, blah, blah, blah. Not anymore. Rude. So now if I want to blog it must be done early in the morning or late at night or in the middle of the day while the kids practice what only sounds/looks like a flying trapeze act from your average every day traveling circus.

Let's not forget that 2 of them will be homeschooled as of this Monday. But that's another excuse entirely.

straight from the chalkboard in our kitchen

2011-08-10T11:26:00.000-04:00

Lots of excitement coming up this Monday! This will involve mucho cake making, present wrapping, lesson planning, paintbrush washing, shoe finding, hugging, and furniture rearranging. Yes, I rearranged my whole house and may or may not have painted the piano and the back door... it's how I cope with overwhelming situations... don't worry about it. What's on your schedule for Monday?

too busy to blog... excuse #2

2011-08-08T20:03:00.000-04:00

Hello! I'm back for a minute to share another reason why I'm too busy to blog these days. Excuse number 2... HALF MARATHON TRAINING!

Four nights a week we do a "family run." On Mondays we go to a local track. Charlie and I take turns running a mile while the other keeps the kiddies entertained. Other days we run around the campground (which is across the street from our house) or around the neighborhood. It's nearly impossible for both of us to run in the morning since our runs are getting longer and we aren't even close to the same pace. Charlie is just a teeny bit faster than me... or a lot. Anyway, so I spend most of the day with the kids and most evenings running (or icing my old lady-ish back and knees after a run).

That's excuse number two.

too busy to blog... excuse #1

2011-08-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

Hello! Since I've received several hate mail messages via email, facebook and text regarding my infrequent blogging as of late (you know who you are)... I shall now address the issues of craziness in my life one by one.

Issue number one... CHARLIE'S BLOG. Many of you might be tickled to find out that handsome Charlie has a blog now. Charlie loves teaching people about the Bible, and he's very good at it. When we joined our new church back in February, they wanted Charlie to help start a college ministry. (This is why we started the snow cone business... so he could volunteer his time to this ministry). The college students come to our house every thursday night and eat cookies and learn about the Word. They are funny and they ask good questions.

Our pastor thought it would be good for Charlie to do a little blog each week about our meetings and other things that will help the college students grow. Since I didn't want Charlie's blog to look like a microsoft word document (it was headed in that direction, people... seriously), I've been working hard on "dressing up" his little space. You can click HERE to see Charlie's blog. It's very interesting and challenging. I love Charlie!

More excuses coming soon... if I have time.

saturday morning

2011-07-30T10:15:00.000-04:00

They were asking me if they could have a "breakfast feast." I said sure. I suppose all you need for a breakfast feast is a brand new box of gluten free rice krispies, and a few of the biggest bowls and spoons you can find. I said they could pour the cereal themselves... which I guess is more easily done if you are actually on top of the table. It just kept getting more hilarious.

Happy feasting!

millie g. has major style

2011-07-25T12:36:00.001-04:00

Ten facts about Millie g.

1. In love with ballet dancing

2. Constantly writes lists

3. Makes her bed every morning

4. Wants her ears pierced

5. Wants a kitty cat

6. Almost runs faster than her older brother

7. Picks out her own clothes

8. Has a deep scratchy voice when she talks

9. Loves coffee with chocolate almond milk

10. Beautiful

happy bathroom

2011-07-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

We got to see MeeMaw and PeePaw while we were in Mississippi last week. They are so cute. Let's break down the adorableness of their bathroom...

1. Wall color... perfect.
2. Crochet cozies for extra toilet paper rolls... o my gosh.
3. Turkey feather with a hummingbird painted on it (right behind me)... chic.

I love visiting them. It is special that my kids get to pick blueberries and dig in the dirt with their great grandparents. It is wonderful.

Happy weekend.

my sister is getting married so we had a shower

2011-07-18T21:38:00.001-04:00

My littlest sister, Amanda, is very beautiful. She is getting married in October. You can go ahead and prepare yourself for some heavy wedding planning blogs in the near future. So anyway, like I said... Amanda is gorgeous and we had a brightly colored bridal shower for her this weekend. It was delicious.

I'll share a few more details of the shower later since I just got back in town and I need to hug Charlie. He is handsome.

did i mention my sisters?

2011-07-11T12:16:00.000-04:00

Hi! Allow me to share a few more moments from last weekend when my family came to visit. It was glorious.

The kids and I will be driving to Mississippi see all of their sweetie-pie faces tomorrow. That's right...nine hours in the car with my three very energetic children who have suddenly all decided that they cannot sit still or quiet for more than ten seconds. It should be a fantastic trip. Really. Happy Monday!

fireworks, flags and baby cousins

2011-07-05T13:13:00.000-04:00

Hello! We're taking today to recover from the busiest weekend EVER. The fourth of July is a good day to be in the snow cone business. For reals. My mom and sisters and their guys all came to stay with us for a few days. I love them. And I REALLY love baby Nolan!!! My sister, Val, birthed him 6 months ago. He is very squishy and dapper. I kissed him probably about seven hundred times (give or take).

Hope your fourth was very festive!

chalkboard in the kitchen

2011-06-28T19:16:00.000-04:00

We have a chalkboard in our kitchen. I usually write some scripture on it and a weekly menu or upcoming events. Occasionally the kids draw important things on it like robot ballerinas...

Have a great day.

highlights of 31

2011-06-27T08:37:00.001-04:00

My birthday was so much fun! The celebrating went on for about 3 days... and will continue this weekend when my family comes. Happy. Charlie started giving me "clue gifts" a few days early which consisted of a lantern, flashlight and small ax. Yes, I said ax. On my birthday he gave me a HUGE camping tent that our whole family almost slept all night in on my birthday night. We also went out to eat with some good friends and came back to a surprise party that involved a Mexican Pinata and an ice cream cake made with York Peppermint Patties. Yes, I said York Peppermint Patties. It was a fun birthday. Happy Monday!

my birthday happened

2011-06-23T10:22:00.000-04:00

Hello pals! My birthday was Tuesday. It was fun-filled. I will share more photos very soon of all the celebrating. It involves a tent, an ice cream cake, mexican food and a humongous pinata. Have a nice Thursday!

a dollar well spent

2011-06-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

Little Dean lost another tooth. He took his dollar to the store and bought himself a mustache.

And two more for his sisters.

And a clown nose.

Here's to knowing how to stretch a dollar!

kick kick kick

2011-06-13T22:03:00.000-04:00

The kids are doing swimming lessons every day this week (and last week). They like swimming very much. I like reclining in a chair by the pool while some paid professionals take care of my children for fourty-five minutes.

Swimming lessons are super fun! Super fun for everyone!

just a regular busy saturday

2011-06-04T20:56:00.000-04:00

AND here's a picture of little Dean. When he builds sand castles he gets into what we call, "mad scientist mode." Nothing can break his focus when he's building a town of volcanoes and donuts... just regular things that towns are made of. He's a nice boy.

Have a nice day.

shack shirts

2011-05-30T13:40:00.000-04:00

Three days a week, I parade my children around St. Simons Island wearing Snow Shack shirts. They are truly the best way to advertise our delicious snow cones. People stop and tell them how cute they are and they proceed to tell the people about where we are and what we sell.

If you're ever wondering, Memorial Day Weekend is a great weekend to be in the business of snow cones and corn dogs. Keep telling friends about our KICKSTARTER PAGE. Post a link on your facebook and twitter pages!

Laundry and grocery shopping for me today while Charlie is rocking the Shack. Happy Memorial Day!

millie g. is five now

2011-05-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

Millie g. is five. She told me she likes being five. Order of the day...

Wake up and eat vanilla donuts while wearing a crown.

Make cupcakes with pink icing and pineapple flowers.

Head to the beach, order a large snow cone, swim for hours.

Family birthday dinner!

Happy Birthday Millie g.! You are so precious and I love you more than I could ever explain with words. You are smart and clever and you have great hair. Shine on!

keep it together

2011-05-23T14:05:00.001-04:00

Hello! This happened on Saturday...

Millie g.'s very first dance recital. I cried... but not like "I'm sad because my little girl is so big" crying. It was more like, "I'm so completely happy to be a mom, this is my dream come true" kind of crying. And maybe a little of, "my child is the prettiest person in this room" kind of thing. Either way, I was a mess.

It was a sweet and precious day. Looking forward to many many more dance recitals!

hi hello

2011-05-20T23:11:00.000-04:00

Baby Stella Belle will wear anything I pick out for her... as long as it includes her cowgirl boots and a completely useless bandaid. Sorry about the crickets over here this week. We're trying to settle into our new family routine. Our first week of business was action packed and pretty much everything we expected (frustrations and rainy days included). Thanks for all the love through facebook and texts and emails. We are looking forward to this weekend. My mom is on her way in town tonight for Millie g.'s big number 5 birthday. Hope your weekend is adventurous and dreamy.

day two at the shack

2011-05-14T18:32:00.000-04:00

Today was a rainy Saturday on St. Simons Island. We did sell more snow cones than we expected on a stormy day. And we had lots of hilarious moments.

Hope your weekend is well and you are taking time to cook soup or write notes with a Gelly Roll pen.

grand opening

2011-05-13T16:24:00.001-04:00

Eleven o' clock p.m last night seemed like a nice time for Charlie and I to express all our anxious thoughts about opening a snow cone business. We've been talking about this for almost six months and we've been dreaming of opening a business for years. Our grand opening was scheduled for 10am. At 9:52 a few people were outside the window so we opened 8 minutes early... yes, we put the first dollar on the wall. At 3pm Charlie informed me that I need to make more pineapple, lemonade, and georgia peach syrup. We used up almost 2 gallons of each!

Selling snow cones is fun. Thanks again for all the kind words and "likes" on the Kickstarter page. More syrup making for me! Happy weekend.

our house smells like a pineapple

2011-05-11T17:40:00.000-04:00

So we got permission to move our grand opening up one week. That means we will be opening THIS FRIDAY (like 41 hours from now). I have been slaving away (well, not really slaving... just dancing around to music with the kids and stirring every now and then) making syrups. Charlie was in the concession stand this morning getting things ready and someone bought two snow cones! They took one bite and informed Charlie that "we may be on to something here."

Thanks to everyone for "liking" our kickstarter page. Please give a dollar, not just a hollar! Our friends are wonderful and we love all the kind words we've received through email and facebook. Happy lime snow cones!

kickstarter

2011-05-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

Good morning friends! We have exciting news!!! The Snow Shack is now on Kickstarter! Please click here to visit our page. You can donate as little as one dollar if you want. I'll be answering many of your Snow Shack questions over the next few months... starting now. One thing we are frequently asked is WHY we are going into the snow cone business at this point in our lives. Here's the simplest version of the answer...

My husband, Charlie, is a Minister. This line of work has moved us many places over the past few years (we've lived in five states during our eight years of marriage). With each move, we have become more and more passionate about using our God-given gifts to spread the love in smaller, "more needy" communities. This past January, Charlie gave up a comfortable position at his parent's church and we joined a small church in Downtown Brunswick, Georgia. We live in the same town, but we are loving on a completely different group of people. Since our new church is small, they are unable to pay Charlie any dollars. He is volunteering his time teaching and starting a college ministry with our local community college. We have never... i repeat, NEVER... been happier or more content. HOWEVER, we need some income... enter, Snow Shack. We are praying that our Snow Cone business will support us financially over the next few years so we can give lots of happiness back to this town.

So please donate a dollar or two if you can! And tell all of your friends! Your donation will do more than help us make yummy Snow Cones, it could possibly change the world.

and now a poem

2011-05-07T22:01:00.000-04:00

My mother, my mother, she is like no other.
She raised me and praised me, until I almost smother(ed).

I call my mom "Mama" my kids call her "Mimmee."
If you say "MeeMee" she says, "NO. It rhymes with Jimmy."

My mother is funny and she has nice dance moves.
She love wearing jackets and she used to have lots of red shoes.

She brought me to church and taught me to sing.
I used to ask her to braid my hair just so I could hold her big ring.

Her heart is more gorgeous than anything else on Earth.
She cries every time she watches a childbirth.

My mother is wonderful and amazing and swell.
Maybe next time I'll go earlier to put her card in the mail.

I wish I could give her a Mother's Day hug.
But she's visiting soon. Better vacuum the rug!

I love you Mama! Happy Mother's Day!!!

snaggle dazzle

2011-05-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we realized that little Dean had his first loose tooth! Such a big kid. On Tuesday, we were eating sushi at Fancy Q's and he took a big bite and we thought his tooth came out in a sushi roll... but it didn't. He told our waitress (who speaks mostly Japanese) that if his tooth came out he would get "some cash." She laughed.

When we got home, Charlie reached in to wiggle the tooth and it came out. Screaming and giggling followed. He got a dollar.

Little Dean is getting big. Happy Friday!

spoon straws and mop buckets

2011-05-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

As of 10:00 this morning, we are the proud owners of six thousand spoon straws in assorted neon colors. Sometimes we laugh thinking about what the UPS driver must think about us. He's been to our house every day for the past five days delivering heavy boxes of cups, straws, machines... you know, usual things that people order in large quantities. We are so excited about this business adventure!

the shack is taking over

2011-04-29T19:33:00.001-04:00

Exactly three weeks until our GRAND OPENING! We will be selling delicious, organic, homemade, fruity, snow cones from the East Beach Concession Stand here in St. Simon's Island, Georgia. That's right, everyone! The big, busy concession stand at the coast guard station... we own it! At least from Memorial Day till Labor Day. We are still building an actual "shack" to sell the snow cones from, but we need a few more dollars before we can finish. Until then, we will be at the beach serving up happiness in a cup. If you live in the area, please come see us at the beach! If not, please stay tuned for ways you can help us get dollars to finish the shack.

a few more easter pics

2011-04-28T11:29:00.000-04:00

Good rainy morning to ya! I wanted to share a few more pictures of our super fun Easter weekend...

Warning... be prepared for large amounts of Snow Shack blogging after today. I repeat, Snow Shack mania is in your near future. Three weeks until our grand opening!

easter sunday

2011-04-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

We were so excited to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord today! Our day was beautiful. Hope yours was too.

good friday earth day

2011-04-22T21:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Earth, happy day! Love, me. In honor of Earth day the kids and I decided to have a "lights out" day. No t.v. or lights on all day. Major fun. We recycled old toilet paper rolls into bunnies (pictures coming soon), had a puppet show, played restaurant, and splashed in the lake behind our house. We had an exciting Good Friday service at church tonight and we cannot wait for "Resurrection Sunday!" Here are a few pictures from my non-iPhone phone of our happy lake time...

P.S. I would like to introduce the new and improved Stella Belle! NO CAST and a new haircut.

spring recital

2011-04-20T15:43:00.000-04:00

Little Dean and Millie g. are adorable. They love piano lessons. They have been taking piano for almost one year. I knew Millie g. would love it since she is the "granny" of our house and she loves all things grown up and serious. I wanted little Dean to do piano because I thought the focus and discipline it takes to play piano would be a nice challenge for the large amount of energy that consumes his little body.

The first of (hopefully) many piano recitals was very exciting for them. Their gorgeous teacher, Hannah, is going to college in the fall. Sad. It will be hard to find another teacher who will keep Dean's attention like she does.

Millie g. doesn't look tiny until she stands next to the big kids. She was the youngest child in the recital. She is cute.

i would walk 500 miles and i would walk 500 more

2011-04-17T15:08:00.001-04:00

We are driving home to Georgia. Our Mississippi/ Louisiana happy time was perfect or maybe a little better. Here are the highlights...

Anyone getting tired of pictures from my phone yet? No? ok great, me neither. If you happen to be driving eight or nine hours today, please have an iced soy latte. It will make you very happy.

traveling is super fun

2011-04-14T22:57:00.000-04:00

So we got home from Missouri last Saturday. I literally dumped our suitcases out into the washing machine and re-packed to leave again today. This time we are going to Baton Rouge for a little visit. Charlie is preaching at his friend, David's, wedding. Here are the top five reasons why I love this trip...
1. We are spending the night with my parents on the way to and from Louisiana.
2. We get to see all the nice people that we miss in Baton Rouge
3. Anthropologie
4. Charlie has given me permission to purchase 20 to 25 packs of jambalaya mix from the Red Stick farmer's market.
5. Anthropologie

Here are a few pictures from our lunch at Big Momma's in Springfield, Missouri. Last blog about Missouri... promise.

Happy Traveling!

elsie flannigan

2011-04-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

I met Elsie Flannigan! We stopped in Springfield on our way home from Missouri so I could take a picture with her. She's been sort of a superhero for me in the art world for a long time. She and her sister Emma are the tiniest, prettiest, nicest gals. And the Red Velvet store was even more gorgeous in person.

I was a little overwhelmed because my children were acting like animals that had just been let out of a cage, cutie-pie Charlie was trying on sweaters in the dressing room, and I was trying to talk to Elsie and Emma like a normal person (as opposed to a creepy super-stalker Red Velvet fan...). So I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, but I did make a few purchases. Millie g. wore these bear headphones all the way home...

Hopefully I will see these two again and we can talk a little more and take a few more pictures. Much thanks to Elsie and Emma for being so nice and inspiring! Click here to read Elsie's blog. It's fun.

date in missouri

2011-04-08T22:53:00.000-04:00

Lots of Charlie's Aunts and Uncles live in Missouri. Last night they decided to split up all the kids in between them and send us out on a date. We ate dinner at a sweet greek place, gobbled up some cappuccino ice cream and went bowling...

We love dates and sexy bowling shoes!

Double dose of sexy on my face in the picture above. Only the Good Lord knows what I was saying or doing. We should be home tomorrow and I will upload all my pictures of today's VERY exciting happenings. Very exciting. Nighty night.

missouri is far away

2011-04-06T09:43:00.000-04:00

We drove two days to get to the great state of Missouri. Since we are traveling with Charlie's parents (who are super cute) and our three kids (who are also super cute), we're gonna call this a "trip" to Missouri and not a "vacation" to Missouri. We are visiting some of Charlie's family. We are having a nice time.

More blogging about the exciting parts of our trip coming soon. Hope everyone is enjoying delicious waffles this morning.

what's in my makeup bag?

2011-04-01T15:52:00.000-04:00

We're packing for a fun-filled family trip! I like packing things into my travel makeup bag... it makes me feel happy all over. My makeup bag is from Fossil and I specifically remember buying it because it looks like Mary Poppins' carpet bag. A perfectly good reason to buy something. So here's what I have in my makeup bag...

Sephora white eyeshadow
EMUgency (I use it on my lips and cuticles at night)
ESSIE nail polish in "Sand" (I'm going through a gray nail polish phase)
Mineral Fusion bronzer
No7 black eyeliner
Mineral Fusion concealer pencil
Armani Code perfume
White 2 Nite teeth whitener
No7 black Mascara
Hot Mama blush (by The Balm)
Tinted Moisturizer (by The Balm)

Hot Mama blush is my most favorite thing in my makeup bag. Anything by The Balm is amazing.

Ok! That's all for today! Happy April!

mucho circus fun

2011-03-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

The circus came to town! I scored three free kid tickets and two adult discount coupons, so we loaded up the kids and headed over to the big top. Charlie had a late meeting so our friend Hannah came along to help me. I like the circus so much.

If you've known me for five minutes or longer, you know how much I LOVE all things Mexico. I love the people and the country and the food and the Spanish language. So obviously I was outside of my mind when I found out the Cole Brothers Circus is a traveling circus from Mexico! The performers were so adorable.

We're exhausted since we got home very late last night. All three kids slept until 8:30 this morning... I haven't slept until 8:30 in six years! Happy lazy day!

date night and good phone apps

2011-03-26T20:24:00.000-04:00

I downloaded a Toy Camera app to my new non-iPhone phone. I like it and I wish I could find a lens that takes pics like this for my big camera. That would be special.

Sushi at Fancy Q's (always). Movies (The Adjustment Bureau... good). Coffee and a crappy band. Desserts with pals. Happy date night!