Guess what, I'm FIVE!

Becca turned five in January!  I can't believe what a big girl she is turning into.  It almost takes my breath away.  It seems like just yesterday I was bringing her home on an unseasonably warm Saturday in January!  She was so excited to be Five.  She told me she felt older, and she was pretty sure she was taller too!

Daddy and I surprised her with first bike!  It's a Barbie Bike, all girly and pink.  It's PERFECT!

A little Catching Up to Do.

I'm a little behind in my posts lately.  There have been a lot of going-on's, but nothing bad, just a busy day to day life.  Since my last post, we've had Halloween. That was a fun night.  We went to my sisters neighborhood for trick-or-treating.  The girls were little butterfly-fairy thingies.  Jackson was a zoo keeper and Brody a Monkey.  The funny thing was, everyone thought Jackson was Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter), He totally looked like that too.  Pretty funny!

 There was also a wedding for my friend Summer at work.  Travis and I got all dolled up for that!  It was fun to get all pretty and dressed up, but Missie drank to much champagne, which didn't go over very well in the end=)

 The girls has a little class trip to the Pumpkin Patch that I was able to go on.  I met Jillian's little friend Faith.  OH MY GOODNESS!  Those two are such a kick together.  I've never heard so much giggling and silliness in all my life.

 At EVERY turn they were being so silly!

 Jilly and Faithy, BFF's

 We got to ride on the bus too!  It was a really fun day.  It's been making me think a lot about what the next few years have in store.  The girls are just getting so big.  There is nothing babish about them anymore.  Becca will be starting Kindergarten next year and Jillian is right behind her.  I still look at them and see my sweet babies, but then, I take a few pictures of them and see such grown up little ladies.

 Both of my parents thought this was Becca.  Nope.  This is my baby who just isn't a baby anymore.

Up next, all things Christmas.  STAY TUNED!

Pumpkin Time

It's Pumpkin Patch time.  I love this time of year.  We headed up to Bates Nut Farm on Sunday to pick pumpkins with the Family.  I love the traditions of this day.  We always end the afternoon, 'picinicing' in the back of Grandma's car with blankets and picinic baskets stuffed with Fall goodies like Pumpkin Bread, Carmel Corn cookies, cider and hot coffee.  It's the best!

 She loves Jackson more than anything!

 Now that's a Pumpkin!

Ringy Dingy

The summer just Zoomed by us.  Grandma was lucky enough to have two knee surgeries, I'm not be sarcastic, she really really needed them, but maybe lucky isn't quite the way to describe it.  However, she has two NEW knees now, and is diligently working at getting them back up and going!  Funny story about that, she mentioned to the girls that by Christmas she would be able to dance, which quickly turned into the girls being very excited about the Christmas Dance they are going to this year!  Yay!!!!!! {insert, oh crap look on my face, need to figure out how to finagle a 'dance' of sorts at Christmas time} Yay for that!  We can do it!  Anyway, back to summer, and the fact that it's pretty much gone, which for me is okay because that means I get to decorate for Fall and Christmas!  So I'm good with that.

My babies are a whole year older.  They had their first day of school on Tuesday, and were so excited.  Becca is in the Lighthouse Room and Jillian is in Noah's Ark.  Trust me, you do not get this bit of information wrong!  The room your in, and who you with is very important to the daily lives of my 3 and 4 year old.  This is part of their identity, even if you are the checker at Vons and have no idea what they are talking about, they WILL tell you.

 

We took little treats to our teachers.  Got a really cute idea on Tip Junkie's Blog.  I couldn't get the free printables to print out right, so I used the wording and made it my own.  Pretty cute and it put a smile on the faces of the teachers at preschool.  

The teachers are angels.  I don't like dealing with my own kids poop, much less some other kids poop.  Now that I think of it, lotion was all I gave them.  Nothing says 'Thanks for taking care of my brood, wiping their bottoms, noses and faces, and kissing their bobo's, like a bottle of lotion'.  Should probably rethink that at Christmas time, right!  Gift Baskets, gift cards, Cash!  Get it together Marissa.

I'm working on a few fun projects at home.  Here's a little sneak at the girls' bedroom. 

I made this:

  into this:

We got some new bedding that has prompted me to get their room a little spiffed up.  Always changing it up.  What can I say.

Oh, got a new pillow this summer too.  Cute, huh!  There is a new store in Poway called Country Barn.  Sounds like something I'd like, I know.  It was. 

Ooh, and totally scored this 'Martha by Mail Jadite Pitcher' too.  Such a great size for lemonade or ice tea.  Love love love.  Some of you may even recognize the pedestal it's standing on.  From back in my Southern Living Rep Days, this is 'Barely Twist Pedestal' painted with white glossy Krylon spray paint!

And I finally painted these white letters I've had laying around for the kitchen.  Saw some on Etsy for $58.00, so for some reason these for $8.o0, plus a can of paint, seemed like a good idea, right.

That's what life is up to anyway.  I'll be posting some goodies for Fall soon.  Happy Back to School time.  Go stock up on Crayons.  It's a good time to stock pile!

Call Me Crazy {I don't Care}

I know we are ending the month of July, so call me a little coo co, but I'm SOOOO looking forward to the Holidays, especially Christmas!  I've been thinking about it all day, and I've been peaking at past blog posts from other bloggers to get some idea's and inspiration.  

Here's the thing......I know that this time of year will sneak the freak up on me if I don't watch out!  I want to SOAK UP my girls this year!  They are a magical age, and I don't want to be bogged down with the details of the season.  However, I still want things to be missie-fied.  So, I'm just trying to think now....that's all....is that CRAZY?

I love having something handmade, or with at least handmade touches to give as gifts and decorate my house with.  The problem is, Thanksgiving weekend is NOT the time to try and make some of these handmade beauties.    I think this is something that I need to start thinking about NOW=)  

Look at these cute idea's for something simple and sweet!

Yarn Ball Wreaths!  I'm completely inspired for my decor with this look!  Incorporating some snow flakes and some winter white, and for my own personal taste, I'd take away the gray...?  Yeah!  No Gray!

I have a pair of black skate sitting in my garage that most definitely NEED to be painted red with white polka dots!  Oh yeah.....I have visions.

 

This looked like fun and would be an easy quick project to go along with the snowflake idea!  Mine would have red and white buffalo check, with the white ribbon and buttons to hold all my cards from family and friends!  So pretty!

 

I loved this as a gift idea.  I see tea cup saucers at thrift stores and antique stores all the time, missing their 'cup'.  You can usually get them pretty cheap, and those cookies just look so inviting sitting there all wrapped up!  Great little teacher, friend, co-worker type gift....  Hummm.

 This is just a cute idea all the way around.  If it was big enough, I would display my favorite village house and then put a dome over it in the middle of my kitchen table.  

 Just throwing this in, they look GOOD!

 These are TEA TOWELS!!!!!!!  Hello, EASY, Gah!

I love the tree next to the kitchen.  Just thinking I need to do this....

Another simple idea with the glass dome thing...

 

 Covered Button Wreath.  It is just cute cute cute. 

So yeah, I'm just dreaming about sugar plums.  That's all.  The fun part about finding all these pretties is all the blogs that they are attached too!  I found some really great ones.  Browse through my blog roll, or click on some of the pictures to be taken there!  It's all in good fun.

Stars & Stripes and a Funny Story

Finally uploaded the 4th of July pics.  That was a HOT day!  We headed over to She-she and Uncle's house to celebrate in the new comunity they are living in!  That was fun.  The whole community participate in a really cute, FAMILY FRIENDLY parade.  The kids dress up their bikes, scooters, power wheels or golf carts and parade down the main boulevard.  

 Notice Becca and Jackson scooting right along with the other kids!  They were right with the pack when someone said 'GO', but where was Jilly?  We waited.......and waited......and waited........

 Finally, all by herself, and possibly the last one in the group, little Jillian made her way to where we were standing.  She was so dang cute, insisting that she wore her boots that day....  She made it, my little toot.

 Silly picture time was fun too!  We were being kinda loud, trying to get everyone to smile and say cheese, totally forgetting that Baby Brody was asleep in that door right behind Becca!  Opps, good thing he was sleeping hard.

They LoVe Jack! (as Becca likes to call him).

We also went to Maddie's Birthday that weekend, and discovered something very funny and sweet about Jillian.  She loves animals, especially Unicorns.  Let me explain.

There was a pinata and Jillian didn't want to hurt her.  I think the pics will speak for themselves.