title shmitle

heart:

christina applegate's hair during her guest judging on SYTYCD (seriously love it so much)

hate:

mary murphy's weird, long cleavage from same episode...ooooh, gross.  

maui in pictures...

today (the wind and rain) had me thinking of better times...

the end

to the moon and back

I wish I could deliver something sweet for Mothers Day to all of the amazing women that I know.  

But that would be  a lot.  

I am blessed to know so so many!

"Few of us will reach our potential without the nurturing of both the mother who bore us and the mothers who bear us."-Sheri L. Dew


I am honored to be privy to the influence of great females!

Mostly, I feel such gratitude for those close to me whose hands have shaped me into who I need to be for all the roles womanhood entails. 

Happy Mothers Day!!!

And she wore an Alexander McQueen dress...

I had no idea I would be so into the Royal Wedding.  Up until today I have paid little attention to all the hype.  But once it was on this morning I couldn't stop watching.  Guess it makes sense, I am sort of in the wedding business.

I've felt a little bit giddy and day dreamy through it all.  Perhaps reminiscent of where we come from and forthtelling of where we end up.  I thought a lot about Elder Uchtdorf's talk Your Happily Ever After.  Fitting.  

Also fitting for a Royal Wedding?  Our Easter bonnets and bowties:

This Royal Wedding Brunch would have been so fun!!!

Saint Peter Port is a real place and I want to go there...

I'm in a reading phase.  Yes, reading on a regular basis comes and goes for me.  This latest juncture has included the following, in no particular order...

This one was cute and sweet.  A light, fun read...

This book was unexpectedly compelling.  A great story. A little bit of history. Can't wait for the movie...

This book is my new favorite.  I loved it!!!

I was completely enthralled with the inspiring and unique characters and I laughed out loud numerous times at the hysterical  and clever back and forth correspondence.  Perhaps a tiny bit predictable, some disturbing historical info but a novel I will cherish for sure... 

I am definitely not a critic of literature.  I just like a good story.

We're going to Hawaii in a week and I'm hoping to get through a couple more while relaxing at the pool.  I need some suggestions...

Two that I've been wanting to read:

Jane Eyre

{recently re-made as a movie}

&

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Any good reccomendations, please share!

i lie...

 I st-a-hink at this! And the funny thing is, that I often dismiss my non-extravagant activities as simple and not worthy of report. But let the truth of the matter be known, we have been up to some fun fun stuff! So next time someone asks me what's new, I won't fib and downplay and say the usual "oh, nothing too exciting", I will let them in on the happenings. 


 And I won't lie and say that I'm going to be really good at blogging and then not be. It is what it is though.

Check out A Little Bit of Whimsy to see some of the HAPS!

Yesterday I hauled the kids up to Fashion Place mall with me to get some make-up at the most awesome Sephora.  

Not the most kid friendly joint. 

(South Towne rocks for kids but is lame for me)

Nor is shopping their most loved activity.

So to keep them happy we lookded at the Nemo fish is Nordies.

Then rode the elevator a few times. 

Worked like a charm.

We also enjoyed some choc nilk and cookies at the little cafe.

(Choc nilk is Sadi for chocolate milk.  It used to be anyways.)

I really like my new phone and it's capabilities!

          

I really like my little kiddos too!

mwah!

five of the fabbest i know

i have been fortunate enough throughout my life to have some pretty freaking amazing friends.  

last night i chatted it up with some of my oldest partner's in crime.

oldest meaning we go waaaaaaay back.  we're not old!

there were 5 of us...

the fab five:

 they were all there for me through one of the most challenging times of my life. 

this picture {above} was taken 10 days after my mom passed away. 

we've each had trials and struggles and hard things and

i wish i could say that i've always been there for them.

but time has created imaginary boundries that have kept me, personally, from reaching out.

but we have always been aware of each other and each individuals journey.

and they have always always always been in my heart.

because no matter how much time has gone by, our shared childhoods forged bonds that are unbreakable.

cheers to the sleepovers in the camper, the dancing, the singing, the predictions, the late summer nights, getting caught sneaking out and sluffing.  Cheers to SHOOP and HARD HABIT TO BREAK, among many other awesome 1990's songs.  cheers to mother nature and training and padded bra's. 

cheers to all of the memories.

cheers to the husbands and babies.

cheers to lifelong friendships.

and cheers to amazing women i am proud to call mes amies. 

monday blue who?

Sundays are probably the day of the week that I look forward to the most.  Chiefly because Clint is home and we get to spend the whole day together 
{more or less}. eeeeerrrr, something like that. 

BUT...

at heart, I really like Monday's.

i have no where to go.

i have nothing to HAVE to do.

it's like my weekend.

my day of rest. 

{Sadi loves Monday's too}

you know how the majority of the masses are more likely to work out at the beginning of the year?  new years resolutions and all?

I'm more likely to workout on Monday's.  

so, I'm up and going early and tend to be more productive on my clean slate of a day.

today I'm wanting to work on a couple of Valentines day projects I've been lovin...

p.s./sidenote - I know I've mentioned it before and I know I'll mention it like five hundred thousand more times, but I love the 

WWW

{world wide web}

the inspiration is endless.

for example, said inspiraton has lead to some entrepreneurial aspirations amongst some chica's and myself...

{not up a running yet, but will be soon}

but back to the day of lovers stuff,

here is some cleverness I found and have been fancied to try:

{Crayon hearts linked from nienie to martha}

and

{d.i.y. felt ruffled wreath.  tutorial and photo found here}


also feeling the love, Sadi made this with mimi Suzy yesterday during the superbowl...

me showing some love to a sick little boy...

it's in the air

{sickness & love}

happy sunday

oh. ok. nice try, mom.

The other day, in an attempt to add some nutrients into my kids diets, I pureed some stuff.
Not to feed it to them like baby food mush. But to add it to real food.

They are pretty picky eaters.  Well, one of them is, that's for sure.

I've had Jessica Seinfelds Deceptively Delicious cookbook for some time now.  

And after reading through it's pages and feeling super sneaky, I finally decided to try it.  

Pureed beets make the most beautiful color:

And the smell reminded me of my grandma Hunter.  She didn't smell like beets, she bottled them.  And served them.

Here, they still seems like a good idea:

The final product, Pink Pancakes, made with 1/4 cup beet puree, ehhh, not so much.

Although, Colin, bless his little heart, scarfed up two of them.

And I made Sadi eat all of hers.

Then I tasted one for myself. 

Not totally disgusting.  You could just really taste the beet.

Go figure.

I'm hopeful these will work out better:

it was. and then it wasn't.

I really wanted to post about my day today.  Because it was a good one.  

But I am feeling incredibly tired.

And sort of sorry for myself. 

I shouldn't though.  I am so blessed.

I'm just really jealous of those who are attending Alt.

I wish I was.

And I am frustrated in the hunt for a home.

I don't think our expectations are ridiculous.  

Just a few minor details that we are looking for.

It's hard to find them all in one place.

Patience, right?

Right.

And...

big gulps, eh?

Not an extrememly productive day.
It was a holiday though, right?  Yeah!  I'll go with that. 

First thing this morning, I asked Sadi what she wanted to do today. 

She thought for a moment then announced that she wanted to blow bubbles.  

So that is what she did.  For about thrity seven minutes.

And I took a picture with my Hipstamatic app on my new iphone.  

Then with Photobucket, I added arrows pointing to the actual bubbles.

After blowing bubbles we went to lunch with "the girls."

That would be all the girls in my family. 

I LOVE my girls.

They are the bomb dot com! 

And now it is too late to make a real dinner for my kids so they will end up eating something cheap and easy (and not so healthy) like mac & cheese.  When I am better at managing my time I will be better at making real food for them.

Tomorrow I am going to dinner with my hospital friends.  

Some lifelong pals I made during my stint in x-ray.

We are going to the Blue Lemon.  I love love love this little urban cafe!  

Everything is amazing, but, the Southwest salad with chicken and the Butternut squash soup are to die for.

My mouth is watering already. 

If you are ever near one, don't hesitate, JUST GO IN, and try the cake bites.  

I promise.  You'll be glad that you did!

eleven o'clock and all is well

So, I'm back.  Back to blogging.  I've missed it. 

I've been far from absent on the scene, choosing to read and follow and stalk - nay, chase - others cool blogs/websites instead of contributing to my own. {My list of favorite reads is ridiculous long.} 

I love, love, love the internet as a resource to the beauty, inspiration, creativity and link to shared passions and intrests that sometimes feel a tinsy bit out of reach. 

I do. I love it.  And that is why I am back.  

Not that anyone cares that I have returned.  Although I have had a total of like five people ask me where I went.

Now it's time to talk about new year's resolutions.  

Come on, it's only natural... 

{image created by and found at webblog}

First of all, AU REVOIR twenty ten! {Almost two weeks later - NICE!}  Highlights of ours will hopefully {no promises} come later.  
You know, for those five people who might give a dang.

Alas, I have one, yes 1, resolution for this year.  **Side note - I have never ever once in my life made and followed through with one of these things.  But I am hoping with this one, in all of it's broadness and generic-ness, I can find a cozy fit for myself, resulting in increased happiness and less stress.


My all encompassing resolve for the year two thousand eleven...
MANAGE MY TIME BETTER.  
This opens the door for everything else I want to do. And there is a lot that I would like to accomplish. A LOT. Dreaming big.
So far, I'm failing.  It's taken me all day to change up my blog face a titch and write this post.  But that is why I have 348(ish) days left to improve.  

Here is the most recent picture of the Curtis family.  It looks like we don't really like each other.  But we do.  We like each other a whole bunch.

fresh tomato sauce

I made this today.  With tomatoes ripe off the vine from my generous neighbors.  They are elderly and they do way more for me than I do for them.  I am lame.  Besides bringing in my garbage can every week, clearing the snow off my driveway in the winter, and helping me with sprinklers and what not, they give me lots of homegrown goods.  I recently came across a this recipe for DIY red sauce and immediately knew the fate of said tomatoes.

Here is what it looks like in the pot simmering{photo via smitten kitchen}:

Here is what it looks like just before being devoured {photo via smitten kitchen}:

Go here to get full recipe, via Smitten Kitchen.  If you appreciate it for what it is, fresh and kinda chunky monkey, you will find your pasta and your mouth begging for more.  I REALLY REALLY really loved it.  The flavors carmelized and, well, the essence that in and of itself infused made my spaghetti dreams come true.  Clint, not so much.  Not a fan of tomatoes.  Unless it's pureed.  Or Prego.  I don't take it personally.  More for me.
Oh, and, I didn't think it was too tedious.  Sure, it takes a little more time than opening a jar of store bought.  But nothing crazy.  And it's worth it.  I promise.

Some firsts for us all.

Today was Sadi's first day of pre-school.  

It was my first day of sending a little piece of my heart out into the world by herself.

It wasn't mine and Colin's first time hanging out, just the two of us, but it was nice to do so.

We've been anticipating this event for days and days with excitement and anxiety.  Although Sadi is young and probably won't remember the hours before her embarkment on formal education, we wanted to do something special to let her know how proud of her we are.  

 A new tradition, if you will.

(inspired by nienie)

The first day of school eve: a FEAST fit for royalty

(or in the case of children who rarely actually feast on anything because they eat like birds...)

...pre-school pumpkin pancakes with buttermilk syrup.  

mmm mmm mmm.

eaten while adorned with a crown fit for royalty.  

After breakfast for dinner, we gave our first born a gift.

Something to encourage her throughout the year.

I had a poster made up of all the things we think (and know) that she is...

smart/kind/beautiful/loved/a child of God/unique/special/brave/a cool cat/funny/free to dream etc.

It was our first day of a new routine.

Sadi's first time riding a big yellow bus.

She boarded the bus with only slight hesitation.  

As I watched her being taken away from me, I thought of two new things that I think she is...

CONFIDENT AND COURAGEOUS.