mamabear

i'm back

2012-01-25T20:41:00.006-05:00

i havent blogged in over a month! seems like forever. anywho...the holidays are behind me and i think i have fully recovered. :) what am i up to these days:-playing with my kindle fire which i love.-devouring The Hunger Games trilogy.-spending way too much time on pinterest..-still working on getting the house in order....never-ending job there.-started babysitting baby faith next door. she will be 4 months soon and she is a doll.-walking the dog though not as much as i should.-gathering 'stuff' for a booth we are opening in a second hand shop in town. the shop is new and hasnt opened yet.well, that's all i got for now. be back soon. really. :)

O is for Open your presents!

2011-12-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

N is for numbers

2011-12-08T18:42:00.001-05:00

M is for mistletoe

2011-12-07T10:24:00.001-05:00

L is for lavender

2011-12-02T02:47:00.001-05:00

K is for King of kings

2011-12-01T18:20:00.001-05:00

J is for jacks

2011-12-01T10:10:00.001-05:00

I is for illuminaries

2011-11-17T11:10:00.001-05:00

H is for holly hobbie

2011-11-16T02:55:00.001-05:00

G is for garland

2011-11-15T10:39:00.001-05:00

F is for fabric

2011-11-02T10:59:00.000-04:00

E is for e.b. white

2011-11-01T12:36:00.000-04:00

D is for dish towel

2011-10-31T12:06:00.000-04:00

C is for cupcake

2011-10-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

B is for bird

2011-10-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

A is for apple

2011-10-25T11:01:00.001-04:00

apple crisp(serves two)heat oven to 350.butter a shallow 8" square pan. (a pie pan is OK too.)peel, core, and slice 8 sweet tart apples (about 2 pounds or 5-1/2 cups) and heap into pan.in a bowl, crumble together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt. don't mix too long, keep it crumbly.spread crumble mixture in a thick layer over apples in pan.bake 45 minutes, until apples are soft and crumbles are bubbling hot.allow to cool slightly, serve hot or cold whith whipped cream, sour cream, or vanilla ice cream.*recipe from the book how to draw a radish and other fun things to do at work by joy sikorski. (very cute book).

mary blair's 100th birthday

2011-10-21T10:24:00.001-04:00

Mary Blair (October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978), born Mary Robinson, was an American artist best remembered today for work done for The Walt Disney Company. Blair produced striking concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Her style also lives on through the character designs for the Disney attraction It's a Small World, as well as an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort. Several of her illustrated children's books from the 1950s have never been out of print, such as I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss. Blair was honored as a Disney Legend in 1991, one of the first women to be given the honour.to see more of and fall in love with her art go to www.google.com today...they are celebrating her too!

Under my umbrella (Ella ella, ay ay ay)

2011-10-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

rain boots

2011-10-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

and today is a rainboot kind of day. cant say i mind.

i love baby sweaters!

2011-10-15T14:34:00.001-04:00

been dreaming about...

2011-10-10T13:50:00.001-04:00

christmas stockings!

classic pooh bear

2011-09-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

is there anything sweeter than classic pooh? the bear with the big heart (and tummy) always makes me smile.

owl love you forever

2011-09-23T10:27:00.000-04:00

i love owls, and have recently been adding them to my decor. fun, cute stuff.

contemplating a chalkboard wall...

2011-09-20T11:17:00.001-04:00

possibly on my one dining room wall and i (and visitors) could use colored chalk. could i be so bold? i think yes!

my books...

2011-09-16T09:22:00.001-04:00

for the most part, are still packed in boxes! i miss them and i'm pretty sure they miss me. :)

is it pumpkin time yet?

2011-09-14T10:34:00.001-04:00

oh, quilts...

2011-09-13T10:32:00.002-04:00

...how i love thee!

i think i say this every Fall...

2011-09-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

but this time i mean it...i want to learn how to knit. :)

holiday weekend

2011-09-06T12:29:00.003-04:00

holiday weekend highlights:

~kids were in from college.
~went to a bbq downtown. (it was kind of a bust).
~discovered that meijer's sells superman and blue moon ice cream. (big hit).
~i made vegetable pizza...be right back...now i want some...i'm back.
~rented the movie 'the adjustment bureau". it was pretty good.
~lighting storm on saturday night
~chilly weather on monday.
~surprised my daughter will a new floor and antique furniture in her bedroon.
~embarked on a successful shopping trip to the apple store, victoria's secret (undies sale), and my first trip to pottery barn. and for the guys, a stop at a beef jerky store. (we waited in the car).
~safe travels for the kids.

wreaths

2011-09-02T09:56:00.001-04:00

which one is your favorite?

my latest love...

2011-09-01T11:20:00.001-04:00

iv>

french bistro chairs!

love...

2011-08-31T11:24:00.001-04:00

the ladder!

silver spoons

2011-08-30T10:12:00.002-04:00

i love them! (hence blog photo) and i collect them. :)

insomnia...boo!

2011-08-30T07:43:00.003-04:00

i am up early...for me. and i was up for about an hour during the wee hours last night. couldnt sleep. thought i would at least sleep in this morning but no deal. oh, well...maybe i'll get a jump on today as i have LOTS to do around this here palace. :)

have a lovely day and hope you like the updated look of my blog.<3

yikes

2011-08-28T08:51:00.003-04:00

trying to update the look of my blog and i dont like it. out of time, be back soon, dont judge a blog by its layout. ;)

am i really here?

2011-08-28T08:09:00.001-04:00

i have been in michigan (permanently) for 1 week today. all the running, stress, worrying (as far as this transition goes) is behind me. i feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders. it is almost surreal that i am finally here. so much too write about but this all 'i gots' for now. :)

this week...

2011-08-16T23:12:00.001-04:00

we are moving...all of us...in different directions.

my youngest daughter moves into her dorm on thursday. my oldest daughter and her husband are moving from their apartment to a townhouse on saturday. and my husband will finally be together in michigan on sunday.

this week is feeling surreal to say the least.

mason jars

2011-08-09T22:29:00.004-04:00

a few kitchen ideas

2011-07-24T19:33:00.003-04:00

july

2011-07-22T09:50:00.003-04:00

summer....please slow down. i cant believe how fast you are going.

well, it's been an eventful week. my youngest turned 18. my baby is 18! she found out that her college roommate is a friend (family actually-son-in-laws sister)and they got the dorm they were hoping for. my oldest started her first real job. real, as in, that college degree was needed to land it. and good thing, cuz that job is needed to help pay for that college degree. :) and my oldest daughter will be married 1 year tomorrow! and my niece passed her test to officially become an RN! good week indeed.

i am currently back in mi trying sort thru this mess of boxes. it can be overwhelming but slow & steady will get the job done. eventually.

green

2011-06-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

lavender

2011-06-13T13:01:00.001-04:00

pink

2011-06-09T10:07:00.001-04:00

white

2011-06-08T13:18:00.001-04:00

robin egg blue

2011-06-08T07:24:00.010-04:00

red

2011-06-07T07:27:00.003-04:00

sunny yellow

2011-06-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

clever ideas

2011-06-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

kitchen inspiration

2011-06-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

june 3, 2011

2011-06-03T10:42:00.001-04:00

today, my daughter graduates from high school. i can hardly believe it. my heart is overflowing with gratitude for the gift i have been given in katie. she is an amazing, beautiful, intelligent, determined, talented, dedicated, passionate young woman. i am so incredibly proud of the person she has become. she is my doll baby and i love her with all my heart. i am honored and blessed to be her mom.

congratulations dear one!

love,

your momma :)

edit: our parent tribute to katie that was read on graduaton night.

Katie Katitus

Smart, determined, devoted.

Watching you grow up has been a wonderful experience that we will cherish forever.

You have an adventurous spirit and a wonderful sense of humor that make you fun to be around.

Your determination and commitment to volleyball was a source of pride and enjoyment for us. We will miss watching you play.

Listening to you play piano will always be a fond memory for us.

To round out your beautiful personality you were also given the gift of devotion. To see the look on your face when someone you care about is unjustly treated is to know that that person has a strong ally who can and will stick up for them.

To see you interact with young children is very heartwarming. You communicate with them on a personal level and it is apparent that they admire you.

Your strong will, self-assurance, and intelligence make you someone who will lead a full and successful life on whatever path you choose.

You have become a beautiful young lady and we love you very much!

“Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.”
1 Corinthians 13:13

it's here!

2011-06-01T08:08:00.004-04:00

it's june....ahhh! this month has been looming for a looong time.

June brings graduation[s] galore with the most eventful one being my daughter's! next on the list is a gajillion graduation parties. a vacation. and what else? oh yes, we're moving. we're moving!

just breathe.

i can't believe it's june. already!

to do

2011-05-31T08:19:00.001-04:00

lots and lots to do these next 2 weeks. between graduation and moving we will be very busy. we still need to get rid of junk. it will all get done one way or another.

happy tuesday!

2011-05-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

For love of country they accepted death...~James A. Garfield

greetings from michigan

2011-05-24T12:26:00.005-04:00

i am in michigan at the new house for the week while my youngest daughter is at the beach with her senior class.

i live in the city. quite a change from our 3 acre homestead in ohio.
it is noisy. people walk past my house which feels strange but i kinda like it.

the mail carrier delivers mail to my front porch. i love mail. well, most mail...you can keep those pesky medical bills mr. mailman. can i say mailman these days? (no medical problems just crappy health insurance).

i hear church bells. there are big, mature trees everywhere. downtown is 1/2 a mile away. i can walk to coffee shops, bookstores and thrift stores and the cool church i want to go to.

stay tuned for more on 'country goes city'. :)

indiebooknook blog

2011-05-23T09:14:00.004-04:00

my daughter's blog...check it out!

http://indiebooknook.blogspot.com/

so excited!

2011-05-20T09:41:00.002-04:00

my daughter is heading to the outer banks with her senior class for a week and i am heading to michigan for the week. i am so excited! it will be the first time i will be staying in the house. i cannot wait to get to work on it and check out the neighborhood. we are bringing the dog so he can used to place. i will take pictures and hopefully my husband can help/teach me how put them on the computer.

i can hardly wait!

babies

2011-05-18T08:21:00.001-04:00

today is my last day to watch the bambinos. i've been working at a church and helping with childcare on wednesdays and every second thursday. i have done it for the past 3 years and have really enjoyed it. (and i made some cashola too!). i will miss the sweet babies and the lovely ladies i worked with. i have toyed with coming back once a month and tying my trip in with visiting family and friends. we shall see. i like that i have the option. options are always nice. off i go...

edit: drove all the way to babysitting (30 miles) and there was no babysitting. so i went to the local thrift store....couldnt waste the gas, right? :)

wordless wednesday

2011-05-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

happy mother's day

2011-05-08T15:57:00.002-04:00

especiallly for my [super]mom!♥

awkward & awesome thursday

2011-05-05T19:01:00.001-04:00

awkward:

~getting completely turned around in the cleveland airport and having to ask for directions to find my out.

~trying to keep my adorable cute yellow shoes on my feet that were just a tad too big.

awesome:

~my trip to ny with my sis.

~my mom....monday was her birthday and she's the best. :)

http://tandsdaybook.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

wordless wednesday

2011-05-04T08:08:00.002-04:00

happy birthday, mom!

2011-05-02T09:59:00.002-04:00

hope your day is great! i love you!!

late, late night

2011-04-30T19:53:00.001-04:00

last night was my daughter's last formal and she looked beautiful. we hosted the after party which went all night.

i am tired but it was worth it. :)

easter

2011-04-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

hope your easter was glorious. mine was lovely.

kids home

easter baskets

mass

sister in town

feast

family

chocolate bunny

contentment

happy easter!

spring♥

2011-04-23T11:49:00.002-04:00

it is positively gorgeous outside today.

it is energizing.

i have the windows open.

enjoy!

awkward & awesome thursdays

2011-04-21T10:47:00.005-04:00

http://tandsdaybook.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

check out the link above to see what i'm rambling about on thursdays :)

awkward:

*having to use the bathroom at target and hoping no one else is in there...for both our sakes.

*going through the drive-thru with empty bags from that same drive-thru in your car and the drive-thru kiddo noticing.

*trying to return a jacket without the receipt only to learn it is now half price and exclaiming kinda loud 'i paid $30 for that last week'! and the cashier looking a little afraid. (gotta find that receipt!)

awesome:

*finding some fab treasures while thrifting this week:
-hand-made teddy bear for $1
-cute sundress
-glass bottle for my collection
-flannel nick & nora pj's...so sexy...haha.
-cool gloves just like the a pair i wore out for a .25

*having family in for the holiday weekend and going to my mom's for dinner. oh, and ham gravy for robbie. ;)

*learning that both my daughters (katie & kenna) are going to the same university in the fall!!

*my husband is coming home tonight!

have a great day and may it be filled with more 'awesome' than 'awkward' although, awkward can be awesome at times.

wordless wednesday

2011-04-20T08:31:00.002-04:00

happy birthday, brice!

2011-04-18T12:08:00.004-04:00

hope your day is wonderful!

i love you!!

kath

today is...

2011-04-15T09:49:00.015-04:00

three years since we lost my dad. he was an amazing man.

he loved unconditionally.

he was a hard worker, and an excellent provider.

he was intelligent, well-spoken and well-read.

he was funny, kind, compassionate and honest.

he was generous and respected.

he was a marine, a korean war veteran and a democrat.

he was handsome, entertaining, and a booster club president.

he was a plumber, a sports fan of his kids and grandkids and a sand-bagger at rummikub.

he was a volleyball player, an avid reader and a tv watcher.

he was a garage saler, a walker and a tea drinker.

he was irish, catholic and a gardener.

he was a church goer....just in case. :)

he was a son, a brother, a mentor and a friend.

he was a faithful husband, endearing grandfather and a wonderful father.

he made you feel special.

he was easy to love.

and he is dearly missed. ♥

wordless wednesday

2011-04-13T11:19:00.002-04:00

moving forward

2011-04-07T11:35:00.000-04:00

this week has been a big week for housing around here. sold our house on monday and my daughter decided on dorm(s) for school in the fall. i feel greatly relieved yet a little sad too. life is moving forward, ready or not. and as it should.

well, that's a relief

2011-04-05T10:34:00.001-04:00

our house sold yesterday. one week on the market. i am not surprised. it is a fine house, and i will miss it dearly but a part of us will always remain here. my husband and dad and friends have put many 'man hours' into making this house a home. i pray the new family (who has 2 girls as well) will be as blessed as we have been growing up here on haystacks lane.

what a journey this has been thus far. finally my feelings have grown into gratefulness. grateful for the home my husband provided for us here in this wonderful house. this is my girls' childhood home. i was able to stay home with them and homeschool them. we made a lot of sweet memories here. and memories go with you where ever you go. :)

showing #2 today

2011-04-01T08:02:00.001-04:00

this time the dog is going to the kennel.

snow♥

2011-03-31T10:56:00.001-04:00

it snowed yesterday! it made me happy and cheered me as i cleaned my house for a showing last evening.

our house looks so pretty in the snow. i will miss it...very much. but i know i will love my new house. we have been very blessed with some amazing houses to call home.

house showings

2011-03-31T10:08:00.006-04:00

the house listing hit the internet on tuesday and we already had a showing last evening. i wasn't quite ready so i was running around like a nut all day. the showing was scheduled for 5-6 pm so i left the house with the dog at 4:50. i got a call at 5:50 that the realtor/client were running late and would not get there until 6. one car showed up a little after 6 and left 45 mins. later. i have no idea if it was just the realtor since it was just the 1 car. it was quite daunting for me as i had to drive around with the dog for 2 hours and he panted and barked almost the entire time. we have a showing tomorrow and i will need to send him to the kennel. it is a strange feeling to have people in your home knowing that it could be their home someday. but it is still our home....for now. :)

wordless wednesday

2011-03-30T08:50:00.001-04:00

well, it's official...

2011-03-28T15:01:00.002-04:00

our house is for sale. :/

today is...

2011-03-25T08:27:00.000-04:00

our very last day of Hearts. i have mixed emotions about it. My family has met some of our dearest friends through this wonderful group. I will miss it but am looking forward to new adventures for all us as well.

**(Hearts for Jesus Christ). Hearts is our homeschool school that we have attended for many years.

wordless wednesday

2011-03-16T08:38:00.001-04:00

the snowy day

2011-03-11T16:18:00.002-05:00

today was yet another snow day for us. my alarm was set to go off at 7:00 am but at 6:59 am i got a weather text letting me know school was canceled! it was heavenly.

and, happy birthday to my husband.♥

again?

2011-03-10T08:20:00.001-05:00

another snowstorm is on it's way starting late tonight. can't say i mind too much. what a winter.

wordless wednesday

2011-03-09T12:35:00.002-05:00

dentist appt. and a lunch date

2011-03-03T07:57:00.005-05:00

dentist appointment this morning to have a filling replaced that fell out. no fair. :(

and then off to have lunch with my mom. :)

yesterday...

2011-03-01T19:54:00.002-05:00

...was my birthday and i had such a lovely day. :)

glum

2011-02-26T11:17:00.002-05:00

happy birthday, jackie!

2011-02-25T12:49:00.001-05:00

hope your day is great....just like you! i love you!!

p.s. i know your bday is tomorrow but thought you might not see this til next week. :)

bracing for another snowstorm

2011-02-24T21:27:00.001-05:00

it's supposed to hit sometime this evening and keep up until 4:00 pm tomorrow. the local school district has already closed and not even a flake of snow has fallen. we have classes tomorrow in lakewood and i'm kinda hoping for a snow day.

kinda hoping a lot. :)

wordless wednesday

2011-02-23T22:20:00.002-05:00

it's snowing...again

2011-02-20T19:35:00.002-05:00

think spring

2011-02-16T07:58:00.002-05:00

happy valentine's day♥

2011-02-14T11:54:00.001-05:00

brrr

2011-02-09T08:44:00.002-05:00

another senior picture

2011-02-06T10:27:00.001-05:00

simply beautiful.

snow, snow & more snow

2011-02-05T12:10:00.002-05:00

dough bowls

2011-02-04T08:35:00.002-05:00

also known as trenchers. found them at a linky party online. check it out here if you like: http://thenester.com/

i'm getting ideas

2011-02-03T08:56:00.007-05:00

kitchen idea, perhaps? not that i have any of that stuff but i do have a layout like that in our michigan house. doesn't that sound fancy...like we have two homes. ha. well, we do but not for too much longer. and 2 house payments are poopy.

laundry room idea. liking the walls alot.

no window over the kitchen sink :( but this looks promising.

another laundry room idea

more laundry room dreaming

well, enough dreaming for now. inspection is today and i need to get moving. feeling good about the state of the house. for now...

update: inspector canceled this morning. kinda glad but i am looking forward to having the inspection behind me.

AT&T Don't Text While Driving Documentary

2011-02-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

this documentary is upsetting but it is a much needed message.

K-LOVE - JJ Heller "Your Hands" LIVE

2011-01-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

one more inspection to go

2011-01-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

thursday is the entire house inspection. too much work, and i do not like the idea of someone checking out every nook & cranny of my home. it feels so invasive. i'll be glad to have this behind me. time to get to work.

cleaning, cleaning & more cleaning

2011-01-19T09:56:00.015-05:00

trying to get my house in top-top shape as home inspectors are beginning their rounds here in my current home. so far we've had a septic inspection (we passed) and today is a termite inspection and next week is the home inspection. tomorrow's inspection will cover all areas except the upstairs for which i am grateful as it buys me a little more time. next week, however, the entire house needs to be in order. what a drag. such is life but i'll manage. :)