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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Camp Pick Up

Our summer came to a screeching halt last week.  Chris went into work to take care of a few little things and came out knowing that he was booked for preplanning days and had massive amounts to prepare and so ended our summer with Chris home.  This also meant me+kids+end of summer=many fights.  Just sayin.

And a lot of it came down to missing Chan.  We were all missing Chan.

She is kind of our swing state.  She can hang out with Casey, she can play with Quinn and mostly she is just really, really good at her middle child position - she helps to keep the peace between the other two.

We received letters from her throughout the week - mainly about port-a-potties and caribbean bacon - and we were chomping at the bit to pick her up on Friday.

Here's Casey at the Closing Celebration at camp...she looks like she's chomping at the bit, doesn't she?  But I promise you, she was.



Finally re-united!  {Do you see how tired she is???  And did you notice that she is wearing her shirt backwards?  She liked the tie dye on the back of the shirt better than what happened on the front and now she is insistent that it is ok to wear the shirt backwards.}


We asked her if there was anything that she wanted to show us at camp...this was first on the list...


...there was a litter of kittens behind the dining hall that she visited everyday and couldn't wait to share them with Casey and Quinn.

We also went to the chapel (where, according to Chan, they had two hours of Jesus everyday).   When you leave the chapel, there is this sign...


...and I am pretty sure that it sums up everything that Camp Glisson is about.

Chan had an amazing week!  She made great friends, tried all sorts of new and awesome things (zip line, archery, kayaking) and a fabulous camp counselor....  She wants to go back again and again and again and one day be a camp counselor there.  (Which was exactly what we were hoping for - that this might become her thing.)

I loved the conversations that night over dinner...they would go a little something like this...

Me:  So what was the worst thing about camp?
Chan: Um, probably having to use the bathroom at the camp out.  Either pee in the woods or use the port-a-potty.
Quinn:  Well if I went to camp I would love to use the bathroom at the camp out.  I love to pee outside. (pause) Is that cool?

It is good to have all of us back together again.

And I won't have to go through that again until next summer.

Friday, July 27, 2012

What the what??? That's a HUGE sale!

So every summer, right before going back to work, I have a Back to School boutique night.  And then I give a coupon code to online buyers...

Well, this year I decided to try something a little different.  I went into my shop and ran an etsy on sale update to automatically change all the prices to SALE PRICES!!!  Yay!  So, no coupon code needed.  :)

Everything (I repeat, everything) is on sale in the shop from 20% to 50% off regular prices.  The sale started late last night and runs through July 31!

{just a sampling...}








Thursday, July 26, 2012

Summer Days + Underwear

Quinn has a hard time keeping his underwear on.  I think he feels that since he is potty trained that he should be able to strut around in the nude.  (I hope this isn't a glimpse into his college years.)  We are continuously telling him, "Put your unders on!  Cover your penis!"  But he really doesn't care.  And while he doesn't care, the girls are mortified on a daily basis.

Last week, he came down from playing in his room dressed like this...


He proudly announced, "Look, Mama!  Two can walk in one!" He had both legs through one opening of his boxer briefs - which was then twisted around his waist so it was full frontal nude.  The other leg?  Yep, that's the flap over his hiney.

He was pretty impressed with himself.  He had his underwear on and his penis was not covered!

And then there was this...


That is his actual pair of underwear.  He's comando under his shorts.  I guess he he just thought the underwear worked better on his head that day.

Big sigh.  I hope this is a short lived phase.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bad Blogger {and here's the longest post ever to try and make up for it}

I have no excuses.  I have been a bad blogger this month.  Horrible, really.  And the sad thing is, I have had a lot to say and just couldn't find the words to say it all.

So perhaps we should just jump right in...

Here's a few pictures from Chris's phone from the week of the 4th...  At my mom's house we all sang Happy Birthday to Quinn {I love his sweet little face in this one}


And here's the aftermath of a day of swimming and eating and running and playing...


That picture is also part of what made us think that perhaps the boy should have a full size bed.  He pretty much sleeps horizontally across the bed exclusively these days, so we put the extender on the bottom bunk, moved Chan's bed in there and are getting a new mattress for her.

We also took one of our favorite people, Dr. Ayers, out to dinner one night last week and had a marvelous evening with him.  He's 94 years old and AMAZING!  Our children (and us) absolutely adore him (and I am pretty sure that he feels the same).


Speaking of last week...It was a crazy whirlwind!  Casey had dance camp every day and it was a lot of back and forth driving.  But she loved every minute of it!  At the end of the week they had the opportunity to audition for mini company, but after much deliberation on our part, we decided that she needs to wait another year.  This year she starts three hours of dance a week (up from one) and I think she needs to make that adjustment before adding more to it.

On Saturday, I talked my sweet friend, Anna, into coming to the monthly antique place for a look around.  My mom and her friend met us up there and it was a blast!  They also have a lot of handmade vendors and I fell in love with this...


I'm saving up for it.  I love it on the burlap and the rustic wood...the yellow and gray and red.  So, so cute!


I have two boutiques this week - one at my mom's (success!) and one at home tomorrow night and have been in full swing getting ready.  Quinn has even taken part.

{just kidding.  he was making patterns...not necklaces!}

And then came the day when we took Chandler to sleep away camp.  Oh, you have no idea how hard this week has been (on all of us)Early in the summer she decided that Camp Glisson was for her.  She was ready.  She wanted the chance to go somewhere where no one would know that she was an identical twin and where no one would know any embarrassing stories about her.  I was hesitant about it until she put it that way.  And then really, how could I deny her that???

We drove up to Dahlonega on Sunday.  She was doubly excited because not only was it camp day, but her hair was finally long enough for a halo french braid.  {a good mom moment} We arrived a little early, which ended up being a good thing, because there was already a long line to get into camp.  My children spent some time hugging on each other in the car...



...and I must say, when the line of cars started to move and we made our way into camp, where counselors lined the road in yelling "Welcome to Camp!" you couldn't help but get excited.  

We parked.  Unloaded her luggage and hiked up to her cabin to meet her camp counselor and get her settled in.

Now, let me take a minute to be honest.  I had no idea what to expect.  I never went to sleep away camp.  And when we walked into her cabin and there were beds made up with comforters and throw pillows, rugs on the floor and pictures on the wall, I had a bad mom moment.  I mean, as an after thought I threw a fitted sheet in her bag (the packing list said sheets were optional) and aside from that she just had her pillow and a borrowed sleeping bag. 


We then walked around camp a bit, she and Casey stopped for pictures....




...and then I said, "Show me how you feel about camp"...



And then we took her back to her cabin and left.her.there.  Do you hear me?  I left my child.


I have eight more years to prepare for leaving her at college and I am not sure that it's enough time.

She told me as we were leaving (in a serious voice),


Mama, I'm gonna miss you.  I mean, who's going to tell me to put on extra sunscreen and to put my dirty underwear in the hamper?


Oh, Lord, please don't let that child leave her dirty underwear all over the place.

Quinn was kind of a bear the whole day (although that seems to be everyday any more) and wanted it to be about him.  He desperately wanted to see the waterfall.  So we walked there.


 Onward, Daddy, onward!

And then once we were there, he wanted to go in.  But that was out of the question.

On the way home we stopped by Dunkin Donuts.  Quinn could "sniff it out" for us, so we let him.

Sunday night was hard.  Really, really hard.

Casey cried.  A lot.  And made the "other Chandler" - pillows covered with a blanket with a picture of Chan at the top, but the "other Chandler" wouldn't snuggle her and so she sobbed.

And then we caved and let Q sleep with her.

It was the one thing that we had accomplished this summer...keeping Q out of their room and now that's ruined.

Big sigh.

I have never gone this long without talking to her and it is killing me.  Seriously.

We'll pick her up on Friday and then *gasp* I go back to work next Wednesday!

How in the world did that happen???

But I promise to be a better blogger between now and then.  Pinky promise.



Friday, July 13, 2012

Odds and Ends

I feel like I just keep writing these posts that are made up of a bunch of random information.  I don't know why that keeps happening. 

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We've been watching our neighbors load a moving van all day today.  I realized that I have no idea how long they've lived there, where they are going, or really even, how many kids they have.  Talk about being a recluse!  Me, not them! 

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CB and I went to see Magic Mike last night.  Every ten minutes or so, I would lean over and say, "Oh my gosh, my Gram saw this!" And then ten minutes later she would lean over to me and say, "Oh my gosh, your Gram saw this!"  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either.  I think it would have been more fun to watch with a packed theatre of women - you know, that crowd mentality.  It was just us and about 6 other ladies and one man.  He was drinking...we could hear the clink of the empty bottles as they rolled across the floor.

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Chris made this for me recently - fresh mango, fresh mozzarella, fresh mint (that we grew!).  While it wasn't bad, I think I'll stick with a regular caprese salad.  Just in case you needed my opinion on that.

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We've had some serious heart to heart conversations lately {chris and I} about our lives and where we want to go/do, our hopes and expectations {dreams} for our children.  It has felt good - like a weight has been lifted - this feeling of being ok...living realistically.... and going from there.  We have both had crazy mixed emotions about this past year and it feels good to be able to move away from them.  These conversations have been a relief {for both of us, I think}. 

And now I would like to think of this past year as the lost year.  You know, like how John Lennon left Yoko for awhile and it was referred to as "the lost weekend" ?  That's what this past year was to me.

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I've listed a bunch of new stuff in the shop lately!  Have you seen it all?????  Here's a little peek...


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Lots to Say

I try not to go too long without posting because then I feel like I have a million and one things to talk about, but don't really want to write a mile long post.  But, last week I just knew how crazy it was going to be around here and I wanted the giveaway to stay at the top so that people could find it easily. 

But now I have a mile long post to write.

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My mom comes from a good Irish Catholic family...six kids, 19 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren...you get the picture...  Well, last week, my mom had 16 people staying at her house from Chicago + Chris and I and the kids + my brother and his girlfriend + my mom and stepdad = 25 people throughout the week.  Crazy right?  The girls stayed out there the whole time (my youngest cousins are only a few years older than they are) and Quinn, Chris and I made several day trips.  (Which is not the most fun thing in the world - it's an almost 2 hour drive one way out there.)  But, it was fabulous.  My children are smitten with their great aunts and uncles.  I think one of my favorite things was my mom calling me after she, her sister, my cousin and my almost 82 year old grandmother left Magic Mike.  Yep, you read that right.  My grandmother went to see Magic Mike.  And when it was over and they left the theatre, she said she needed to find a church, go to confession and began penance.  :)

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We spent time with Chris's family over the weekend to celebrate all of the summer birthdays, swim in his sister's pool and eat fantastic food.   I think the girls might have little crushes on their middle school cousin.  :)

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Sunday was our anniversary.  I forgot about it.  As Chris says though, it's ok because we celebrate our love everyday.  Cheesy, right?  That's why I married him.  We tried to have a jammie day, but by mid afternoon we were itchin to leave the house.  We decided to tackle the list of things that Chan needs for sleep away camp, visit the bookstore and Trader Joe's and then, with all 3 kids, ate an anniversary dinner at Loco's. 

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On Monday I served at Our Daily Bread.  And then ran errands to get us ready to go to the Laser Show.  I stocked up on glow sticks, capri suns, little waters, snacks.  We packed up the cooler, got blankets ready.  We left the house around 6:45 to pick up Molly and got to her exit a little earlier than expected, so Chris took my phone out of my purse to call her to ask if she wanted a coffee from Starbucks...and found that we had missed calls from her...she was stuck at work and wouldn't make it.  Boo.  So then we continued on our journey, paid our $10 to get into the park, unloaded the car, hiked to the lawn in front of the mountain, got everything all set up and then the storm came - complete with lightening - which is when they call the show.  We packed up and made it back to the call without getting too wet.  But by then it was late  - too late to find something to do with kids - so we did what any great parents would do - stopped and got Dunkin Donuts to eat on the car ride home.

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Of course there is more to share, but I think I'll just stop for now.  :)  And the worst part about these mile long posts...no pictures!  I am so terrible about stopping to take pictures and then when I do, they're on my phone and then I am terrible about loading them onto my laptop.  Ugh.  What kind of blogger am I???  :)


Monday, July 9, 2012

Hello Monday!

Last week was jam packed {I'm sure that you'll hear all about it in a later post!}!  So I am looking forward to having a slightly slower paced week ahead of us...before two camp weeks for the girls and then we head back to work...but really, I don't want to talk about that yet.

Hello to crossing some things off our summer list!

The girls want to work on some missions...giving to others...helping in the community...

So they've decided to donate some dog food and supplies to Athens Animal Control.  They desperately need puppy food...to help feed little ones...like this guy...


Seriously, this guy is there right now.  If you haven't ever been to the animal control website (click on the source link under the picture) you need to.  

I am serving today at Our Daily Bread in Athens.  Our church...

...serves as the area soup kitchen which provides breakfast and lunch to those in need.  Our Daily Bread is run by Action Ministries which partners with churches throughout the area to provide volunteer teams to run the kitchen.  (If you're local, you should look into volunteering here...it really is a great thing.)

We're hoping (fingers crossed) to make it to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain this week!  So fun!  The girls haven't been in several years and Q has never been - I can't wait to see his face!


We usually stock up on glow items before getting there...bring along snacks, some card games and a big blanket.  It's just $10 to get into the park - perfect for a family outing (and Aunt Molly is hoping to join us!).  

Hello to two days of work this week - an accounting meeting (blah!) and a moving classrooms day.  (I'm in the media center, which typically doesn't move ;) but I do like to help when others change classrooms - always a big job!).

{linking up with Lisa}

Winners!!!

If you didn't see the rafflecopter update in the giveaway post, here are the winners...

The BIG Prize...
#183 Anna M

Winners of $25 gift certificates to IKE & CO
#86 Colby
#438 Shanna

Hooray!  I will get an email sent out to you tomorrow!  Yay!

Thank you so much to everyone that participated.  I truly {truly} appreciate all of the support that you have given me and my little shop. 

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

SUPER CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY!!!

Last month I hit 2000 online sales and I promised that we would do something huge to celebrate...something HUGE!

And here it is....

I spent the month of June collecting some of my favorite things (go ahead, think Oprah) and am GIVING THEM AWAY  (yes, allllllll of them!) to one lucky winner!




1.  $25 The Pleated Poppy gift certificate  2. Clementine Earrings from Made By Jewls

3.  $25 Pen & Paint gift certificate  4.  wild flower necklace by lisa leonard 

5.  millie bracelet by twillypop  6.  all is well necklace by crystal b  7.  list taker by knitty bitties

8.  $25 Ike & Co gift certificate  9.  coffee spoon by Jessica N Designs

10.  Collage Hair Comb by Tied Up Memories  11.  Grapefruit Strawberry lip balm by Orange Thyme

12.  surprise gift from Pam Garrison 13.  Red + Khaki medium zip pouch by Gussy Sews

14.  Clementine Soda Lip Balm by Orange Thyme


No, really, it's true!  I am giving alllllll of those things away to one lucky reader!  And because I love giving things away and feel bad when people don't win, I'm also going to give away $25 shop credits for Ike & Co to 2nd and 3rd place winners.  

Winners will be announced on Monday, July 9!


There are 9 ways that you can enter....Here you go.... And good luck {may the force be with you}...
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, July 2, 2012

Hello Monday!

I have been waiting to share this week with you for, well, the whole month of June!  Ha!  But today is just an introduction...tomorrow is when the real magic happens!

Hello to sharing with you some of my most favorite people and things!


Hello to Crystal B!  Do you know her shop?  Really, I cannot even begin to tell you how I love this lady.  This necklace - the All is Well necklace - was the first purchase the Pendley family made off etsy.  And then I began reading her blog and then we bonded over our mutual love of books and so on and so forth.  Over the past 2+ years she has been one of my biggest supporters and I will never be able to thank her enough for that. 


Hello to Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy!  Such cute, cute things and such a sweet, sweet girl!  We've been in cahoots lately and I was so afraid that she wouldn't remember who I was or my little shop...but she did!  I am so inspired by her - her work, her home, her parenting...I love that about her blog.

And speaking of inspiration...these two ladies...

Hello to Lisa Leonard...absolutely fabulous!  Her jewelry is outstanding, her blog...so lovely.  


Hello to Maggie at Gussy Sews.  I swoon over her shop.  I don't know what I would do without my Gussy Sews pouch in my purse.  Love.It.


Hello to Knitty Bitties!  Seriously.  Andrea creates the most fantastic things.  And she is soooooooo amazingly nice.  We recently became internet friends and I think she is amazing!  I am hoping to add some more Knitty Bitties to my current collection!


Hello to Sara at Twillypop!  This bracelet is one of my most favorite things.  I love it.  Seriously, I have one and wear it all.the.time.  And, to top it off, Sara is such a nice one too...which makes me love the bracelet {and my other Twillypop pieces} even more!


Hello to these adorable post earrings from Made By Jewls!  Her shop was built to raise funds for the adoption she and her husband are hoping for.  And I, for one, am more than happy to support that cause!


Hello to my favorite lip balm from Orange Thyme!  So magnificent {and such cute packaging}!


Hello to one of my favorite print shops!  ANNNNNNNDDDDD, get this!  Lindsay lives in my state!  ANNNNNNNNDDDDD I think I might actually get to meet her LIVE and IN PERSON this fall!  Super excited about that!


Hello to hand stamped coffee spoons from Jessica N Designs!  This is one of my favorite gifts to give...she has such great things in her shop!


Hello to Pam Garrison!  Such an inspiring artist...every time I read her blog I wish that I saw the world the way that she sees it...so full of color and design...  I am determined to finish the sampler that I have been working on this summer - a sampler that she created!


Hello to Tracy at Tied Up Memories!  I love her collage pieces!  So very beautiful.  I own two of her collage bracelets and oh how I love them!  She is another one of my internet friends (but she lives close by) and she is so kind...one of these days we are going to meet for lunch {it will happen!}!

Hello to knowing that I am not alone in this crafty/blogging world!  So glad to share it with such wonderful people. (And believe me, this is just a smattering of the people out there that I admire.)

And I am so glad to be able to share those people with you!  Trust me, this week you are definitely going to want to hang around my neck of the woods!

ps - And Hello to the 4th of July...a week of family in town from Chicago...the start of Q's dental work AND a busy week in the shop!