Feeling Creative

Scrapbooks Etc (my fabulous place of employment) decided to start carrying fabric. Not just any fabrics, but the most beautiful designer quilting fabrics EVER. I decided I had to have some, so I found a cute little project online, called the Buttercup bag, on www.madebyrae.blogspot.com. It is a free pattern (if used for your personal use, not to sell) and I have made 6 of them! It takes a just a little bit of fabric and time. I have fabric for 2 more color combos. The girls have really liked them!

I added fabric Yo Yos to these:

And removable flower clips to these:

So fun and easy!

Ridin'

We had an awesome day today. It was my first Saturday off in I don't know how long, so we took the quads out for a spin. Believe it or not, with all the riders in my family, this was my very first time riding a quad!

OK, so I do kinda look like a dork, but it was pretty fun. I felt like I was being pretty brave and riding fast, but Tony informed me I was not going that fast.

Celeste sure was! She even caught some air:

She's pretty brave. She definitely takes after her daddy on that one. Here he is doing some donuts:

Sophie is more like her mommy, pretty cautious and nervous on her own:

She was getting more comfortable towards the end.

And one more of Celeste. She would have kept riding all day had we let her:

I think she may be ready to hit the dunes next Halloween with her daddy!

Long Time, No Blog

I can not believe it has been over a month since I blogged! I always feel so busy around the holidays. This year we (I) scaled way back on Christmas related busy-ness. We did not do our usual Christmas goody baking for neighbors and friends. I also did not do a Christmas card/letter, but may still get a new year one out, who knows?!?! I had less shopping to do as well because everyone but Sophie got cell phones as one of their gifts, and we did a family gift for the family we exchange gifts with, as opposed to 7 individual gifts. Alexa helped with all the shopping and wrapping, as she was not getting presents due to her Europe trip. We were able to surprise her with some trip related items (watch and travel alarm clock thanks to my friend Denise, and a small point and shoot digital camera from Santa).

Sophie would not see Santa for pictures, but was willing to sit with the grinch ( as long as Celeste promised to sit between them)!

Christmas morning before the kids got up:

And after:

New Years Eve day we spent at the zoo with friends. They had fake snow and a sparkling cider toast at noon. It was really fun and it had been so long since we had been there.

And, for the first time ever. Tony and I had no kids on new year's eve! We were supposed to go to a party, but it got cancelled. We went to a fabulous restaurant in down town Tempe called House of Tricks. I have been there a few times with lady friends. It is NOT a "Tony" type of place, fancy food, usually small-ish portions, etc. He agreed to go, even with my warnings. And you know what? It was GREAT! Tony ordered prime rib from the new year's specials menu, and it was the best we have had in a long time, and it was huge! Tony renamed that special menu the " fat guy" menu. They said they must have seen him coming. We ate Ceasar salad with olive croutons, spring salad with cranberries, pecans and goat cheese fondue, roasted yellow tomato soup with artichoke, vegetable lasagna with portabella mushrooms and squash puree, and wood fired prime rib with wilted spinach, mashed fondant potatoes with shitaki mushroom glaze. Tony even ate the spinach. AMAZING!

Fundraising Update and Shoutouts!

Alexa and I have been fundraising like crazy to make her trip happen as painlessly as possible! Here is an update of what we have been up to:

OCTOBER:

-sold old SU! stamps sets to Pat, Megan, and Barbara (who included an extra $20)

-Sold hair clips to Alexa's friends (thanks Jenaye for the ideas and being so cool about us doing this!)

-Sold hair clips at a McClintock game (thanks Judy)

-Halloween Carnival through city of Tempe Parks and Rec

NOVEMBER:

-$30.00 from Robin and Denice's Pampered Chef Party (thanks Robin!)

-Amazing Amber got $42 in clips, and counting, Thanks!

-Sold clips to Denice, Robin, and Amber for $55 (thanks Denice for the extra 'tip')

-Alexa did a market research study for $75

-Alexa babysitting for Kimberly, who pays really well! Thanks!

-Selling suckers at Tempe Paintball and at New Moon Premier, thanks to my wonderful bosses who let me get them at cost from them!

UPCOMING:

-more suckers to sell

-more hair clips to sell

-4 dates to do gift wrapping at Barnes and Noble for tips

-remember, Alexa is a fabulous babysitter!

-Amber and Joanna have offered their amazing talents to help, I just need to figure out how to utilize them (raffle?)

If I forgot anyone, I am so sorry. We have been so busy with all this! And a shoutout to Alexa, who is forgoing all Christmas and 16th birthday presents to allow us to put $ toward her trip. And, for getting the free phone that she will be using for the next 2 years, instead of a cool phone. Your "sacrifices" will for sure help!

We're Ready!!!!!!!

We're so ready for the premier of New Moon. Alexa and I will be going to the midnight showing this Thursday. We got our tickets about two months ago and have both reread the book:

We've got our New Moon gear, Alexa got an official T-shirt and I have a special Twilight watch and necklace:

{Thanks Doodleedoo}

And we will attempt to sell suckers as fundraising for Alexa's trip:

So as I said, we are totally ready to see this movie!

And, go team Jacob!

Birthday Fun

Celeste just turned 12 years old. It is hard to believe that our little girl is almost a teenager! We spent Sunday celebrating her birthday. We started out in downtown Tempe to walk around and enjoy the weather. Of course I had to do a photo shoot while we were there. Here are 2 of my favorites:

While downtown we went to Coldstone for a birthday treat:

We finished our night by going to dinner at Logans Roadhouse. That was a good time, and another rare instance that all 6 of us were together. These days that is a gift in itself. Happy Birthday girlie!

Halloween

Every Halloween my family and I help do a cake walk at the Tempe Halloween Festival. It is an awesome event put on by the city as an alternative to trick or treating. It also provides a fundraising opportunity as all of the booths are run by non profit organizations. This was our La Leche League group's 12 time doing the cake walk there. We really enjoy it. This year Alexa ran a booth for her P2P trip and made $113.00. Goooo Alexa!!! I was so busy the whole night that I did not get any pictures of our booths or the event, but here are the little girls in their costumes {they are the only ones that dress up anymore :-( }.

Sophie was a zombie. Yes that's her real hair. We love making our own costumes from items we find at the Goodwill. Sophie's dress was Celeste's from her vampire costume two years ago. Alexa provided the hair and makeup:

Celeste also got her dress at the Goodwill and went as a masquerade lady. She made the mask herself: