almost a YEAR with no posts - that's truly sad.

I'm a little surprised I knew the password.  Just read my last post - funny thing - I went to Return to Oz yesterday.  If your a bargain shopper - I highly recommend it!  Now that I have a 2.5 year old, I like it more, yes the great clothes - but there are toys in every room!!  Coloring books and crayons, and just little toys so your kids aren't in the next room. 

Which brings me to what is on my mind now - the adventure of life with a 2.5 yo.  Last night, at about 9:15, (we'd had a very late dinner) Daisy, decides to climb up the outside of the stair railing - so she is about 6 feet off the ground - saying "look at me, Mommy, look at me".  I come out of the kitchen and look up to find her.  My blood pressure instantly rose.  It ended fine.  Please Lord, watch over her and me. 

Yard sale season has begun!

This past Saturday was the first Saturday we hit the Sales!  Of course, we got a later start and had to drive to Arlington to attend the Tossed and Found Sale.  We bought NOTHING.  It was very light on children's items, very very dark (my Mom thought she accidently had her sunglasses on), Daisy was not happy in her stroller, and prices were high.  There was a pile of jeans marked $10.00 per pair, but not seperated by size so I was going to be digging for a while and the first pair I picked up were from Old Navy meaning they retailed at the bright clean store for what 16.50?  My opinion was definately the minority as people were leaving with bagfuls!

Next I headed to the Wee Sale in Annapolis.  Again I bought nothing but only because I only need a few things for Daisy, really looking for toys.  I did find a Gap embroidered jean jacket that I loved but $27.00 and no willingness to discount turned me off a little.  They did a really cool thing and seperated out all of the gymboree clothes but when I walked in did not mention it, so I could have easily missed it. 

Since we were in Annapolis, we headed to Return to Oz Consignment store.  This store never disappoints.  I found 5 great pieces for Daisy including a mini Boden beach cover up - so cute!!  Since I am not a single digit clothing size, clothes for me can be tough but I found a great pair of Seven jeans for me - for $15.00 and a pair of ferragamo shoes too!

Photos coming soon...

What I miss the most

On April 7, 2006, (I still have my confirm email!) I signed up to attend the inaugural Creative Escape.  I loved Heidi Swapp.  I spent the next 5 months first working to get the money to pay for this trip (a LOT of babysitting) and second participating in a yahoo group with swapps (weren't we clever!), circle journals, and matching t-shirts and hats and tours and trips.  It was a day that forever changed the course of my life and the event was better than I ever thought possible.  The friends I made, I still keep in touch with (Hi Peg! and of course Mel! and Julia English, CFE (who I miss soooooooo much), kathleen L, Kristin, ).  I traveled to see some of them.  When I plan a vacation, I make an effort to get together with some.  Many sent gifts and cards and emails when Daisy girl was born.

And lately I have found myself missing those friends, and the swapps, and just my whole scrapping world.  Peggy blogged about it too.  We had no idea when we signed up, what we would become a part of.  How women from around the world would meet for a weekend and connect over a love of paper and glue.  I had been a SU demo for years and never made friends like that (even my fellow demos and I weren't all that close). 

The next two years we went to Vancouver, and then CE again (where I added the shopping tour and I have to say that was one of the most fun days of my WHOLE life), and then Scrap Etc in Nashville and then I got pregnant (we did do a NYC trip that was smaller but still lots of fun!!!). 

But nothing has ever compared to that first event...

way too long

after 6 months of not one word, this could either be a novella or super brief.  The long and short is Facebook, blogging fell to the FB side.  But FB does not allow me the freedom to just drone on and on...  so maybe I am back. 

all is well, I have some great stories to share.  But it's late - I'm only even up this late cause of DST. 

Upcoming blog posts are Things I hate, Gearing up for spring yard Sales,  my very deep and symbolic dream, royal wedding(or am I the only one who has contemplated taking off April 29 from work to watch it in all it's morning suit glory?).  If anyone is actually reading this comment about which one you would like to read first. 

UH oh - I have 8 more books on my summer reading list -

 I would like to tell you about something kind of fun that I did this summer.  A gal I work with has a daughter going into fourth grade.  L is just about the cutest kid, you see - big brown eyes, little curls and she has spunk.  She tells you stories that crack you up but she is sensative - I like this kid.  Well, she shared her fourth grade summer reading list with me and I ended up reading about 10 books on the list over the course of the summer.  Some I found at garage sales and some I requested from the library.  They were all easy reads usually only took a night or two to read.  But all great books. 

They were in case you want to check them out too!
The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
Bunnicula: a rabbit tale of mystery by James Howe (I actually had already read this one)
The Doll People by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin
The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming
Fourth Grade Fuss by Johanna Hurwitz
Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
Honus and Me: a baseball card adventure by Dan Gutman
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Graighead George

Everything really is as good as you want it to be!!

Today is my birthday - boatloads of people over on FB have told me so.  So I woke up in the middle of the night and do what midle aged people do went to the bathroom.  I thought to myself - 30 Freakin 8.  (Yes I don't even cuss when I talk to myself.)  But then I started to wake up a bit and I thought wait I was born in '73 and this is 2010 so that's only 37.  Wow 37 - that's young.  That is the new 27!  I have lots of life left.  And at that moment, I realized that is pretty much how I look at my whole life.  37 is good because I could be 38.

I spent the next two hours from 1am to 3am, thinking about all my problems and then finding the bright side.  Not married - ah no dirty socks to pick up.  Small house - ah less to clean!  Old car - ah low insurance! Rambunctious child - ah happy and healthy!

Speaking of child, Is she not the most adorable girl you have seen?  Oh and I spent the rest of my awake time picking out birthday gifts for myself on Etsy.  I can always spend time there finding great stuff. 

Happy Birthday indeed! 

51 weeks!

D's birthday is one week from yesterday.  A whole year.  Of firsts.  Not only first holidays but first June 12ths, and December 10ths.  Even though I took about 1000 pictures - there are thousands of shots that I missed. 

I adore my child.  Being her mother fulfills every dream I have ever had in my life.  And she is a little spitfire, she is strong she drags some heavy toys around the house, already wants to help carry in the bags.  She would walk a mile to touch paper - hoping I have a future scrapbooker on my hands.  On sunday mornings when I want to read the ads, I let her have one to tear up.  Cleaning up that mess allows me 15 minutes to read the paper in peace. 

her latest cuteness is saying Hi.  it came out of nowhere. 

I could blog every day about how sweet and cute and fun she is.  And she has some beautiful blue eyes.  And she looks at lot like her momma.  her little hair around her neck has just a touch of curl to it. 

I love her more than I ever knew I could love anything.