December 4, 2012

Holiday porch


From over sized trick or treat shutters to garland and potted evergreens.

Tis the season.









bought extra garland to make three small wreaths.  
hung them on the door with suction cups to adhere on the glass.  
used christmas ribbon to connect the three.  



November 28, 2012

photo shoot

look.

i  found the 'post' button.

too long since my last post.

decking the halls.
picking out photos for xmas card.

what do you think?

more to come...


July 28, 2012

every four years


welcome welcome

my home is giddy 
you are finally here

we vow to watch you daily,
cheer for you at every turn, 
celebrate each and every victory.

go
red
white
and blue


June 6, 2012

wardrobe wednesday

you thought i forgot about wardrobe wednesday,
didn't you?
fat chance...

here is a brief photo diary
of the latest wearables

 
dress: f21, necklace:, f21, shoes: targ
dress: gap, scarf: american apparel, bag: coach, shoes: targ

pants: banana, top: gap, scarf: nordstrom

pants: banana, top: f21, bag: gap

hope you enjoyed.


May 28, 2012

memorial day 2012

let us never forget 
those who have fallen
in honor 
of our freedoms.

one nation under God

May 26, 2012

san luis obispo modern

ever want to move to 
a coastal college town
once the kids flew the coup?

well check this out.
you might fall in love.

 1470 sq feet
3 bedrooms
2 baths

 floor to ceiling remodel

hard flooring throughout

 
 concrete counter tops
high efficiency appliances

 indoor-outdoor living

 low maintenance upkeep

 
 slated fencing

 i have a one in three chance
that one of my daughters

 will want to become a mustang 
like their dad

do you think the girls would mind 
if her parents moved into the hood?

  not likely.

$629K
and it's yours.

 thanks for stopping in.


May 13, 2012

mother's day 2012

happy mother's day
2012


May 7, 2012

sixteen

sixteen
sweet sixteen

 
believe you me


your little girls grow up on you


before your very eyes

my beloved little girl
turns 16 today
she is
more than i could 
have hoped for

she is self disciplined 
she loves to watch TLC's: life in the ER
she is a newly certified lifeguard 

she runs a 5:50 mile

she puts up a fight 
(when she believes in a cause to fight for)

she is in the national honors society

she is not afraid to sing in her room 
to the latest jb songs
on repeat ad nauseum

she sneaks spoonfuls of peanut butter 
when she's craving a snack

she can open any jar you put in front of her, 
which is why we call her 'man hands' sometimes

i love who she is every single day
(even when she is feisty)

she's my girl.

she stands tall
and knows who she is

she is my girl

i love you,
madison pie

happy 16th birthday

April 17, 2012

ready. set. vacay.

destination 
charleston
orlando

psst.  
this post was supposed to go out 
2 weeks ago. 
better late than never


this is what i do
as i ready myself for 
fun filled family vacay
spring break style

1.  PACK SUITCASE

 here are two of my suits
for poolside d-world.

blog
confession:
i try on every outfit before it goes in 
the suitcase.
little did i  know not everyone 
does this ritual.
call me cray cray.

 2. NAILS READY

this time i tried a new fan dangled nail process:
shellac

what do you think?
i'll let you know if it lasts through
1 road trip
2 theme parks and 
2 water parks...

 3. TICKETS

thanks to many military discounts
we can make a trip like this.
go navy!

 4. PROMO LUGGAGE TAGS

might have gotten some big sighs
from the teens when i tried to put 
these bad boys on their suitcases.
too old for that?
perhaps?
but not me...

 5. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

too regimented?
naaaaah

 6. CAR SNACKS

we always get each car traveler
one salty
and 
one sweet
for the car ride.

can you guess who picked
raw almonds and red wine?

7.  LOAD THE CAR

good thing mr. man has good
spatial awareness.

he is able to pack multiple carryon bags,
one dog,
one dog pillow,
three teens,
two parents and
even a grag
in one 14 year old 
ford expedition.

stay tuned for more destination photos.
yes...
this is just the prep.

tell me how you prep 
for a family getaway?

March 28, 2012

debt diet and replacing cars: how to pay cash for a car

it has been 6  months 
since i celebrated this day
the day we could officially
declared at the top of our lungs

that we
had
no 
more
credit 
card 
debt!

i swear i never ever 
want to be in that place again.
ever. 


we now pay off everything monthly,
sometimes sooner
and we
prefer it that way

(again, thanks to
this man and his book
can't say enough about it)


so with 6 months of 
dutiful financing underneath our belt
we must think about the
inevitable

it is time.

it is time for us to upgrade the vehicle.

now most sane, normal, everyday americans 
go through this process every 3-4 years.
some wait even 6-8 years.
die hards will make it 10-12 years.
(the average is about every 5 years)

not sure what category we fall into.
we have been driving our beast for
14 years.  

crazy?
i know.

this is us the year we  bought our car.
the twins are 5 months old and big sis is just two.



it truly has been the greatest car ever.

many treks to our beloved disneyland
back in the day.


this was the girls
all geared up for a dad's-only
camping trip.


not sure where the time goes but it has gone

so now the search has begun.
let me add,
after we paid off our last car
(probably in 2008)
we continued to pay our car payment 
to ourselves.

**this is the key, peeps.
continue to pay yourself 
allowing at least 4-5 years of this 
and before you know it.
your pile of car payments to yourself 
is now equal to writing a check for your next car.

i know you want to celebrate
when you make that last car payment 
with a big steak dinner and 
more moolah for you.

but instead, 
start that 'car fund', 
stash it away
and watch it grow.


not a bad gig
really


lo and behold,
 we have a small stash of cash
ear marked just for that.

mamma needs new wheels.
so i must ask myself,
what do i want to still be driving 
in at least 14 more years?

i have some ideas...

hint, hint...

ever pay cash for a car?

would love your thoughts, strategies, car ideas.

all of it.


March 23, 2012

bracelet love

been stalking bracelets lately

of all kinds:

silver
gold
beaded
pave
bangles







even stainless steel

i think you could
say it's my new obsession

what do you think about stacking bracelets
and clinking down the street
with your wrists all 
blinged out?

well, apparently,
it's my new thing...


March 15, 2012

trending: what i learned from my teenage daughters

you all have probably 
already discovered this
new trend

creative 
nail polish 
patterns

isn't pinterest
dreamy?


so my three, 
ever fashion forward girls 
have been all over this 
latest nail trend


ssshhhh,
the girls get a ton of inspiration from
ahem, i mean,
style icon.
check her out for even more 
fashion trends

 
 here is my 
43 year old 
soccer mom
version

verdict?

tell me about your latest fashion trend?