twinklebee

Baby Shower part 1

2012-01-26T13:47:00.001-05:00

In December, the ladies at my counseling office threw me a surprise baby shower! I haven't gotten pictures from everyone yet but here are a few that were taken.

They ordered olive Garden (which I had been craving :) ) and we had a luncheon, played games and opened gifts.

I have always wanted to get a diaper cake when I had a baby, so I was SO excited to see this adorable diaper cake.

We didn't get a group pic till the end when several ladies had already left. I'm so lucky to have such great friends at work who are so caring and thoughtful!

I've worked at an HR company for 5 years with all women. They did a potluck luncheon and celebration for baby as well! It was so nice and thoughtful!

They all chipped in to get me a really nice light weight stroller. So excited. Thanks ladies!

Dinner with Grandma

2012-01-19T16:55:00.001-05:00

Grandma had us over for dinner. On the menu: Chicken pot pie, fresh pear salad, homemade ginger cookies and...

Fresh Florida strawberries with whipped cream. YUM!

We tried out the timer to get a pic of all three of us. Pardon my 8.5 months pregnant, fresh out of the shower, no makeup, hair not done look :)

We love visits with Grandma (Kev's maternal Grandmother) who is an amazing cook. We never seem to get pictures of our visits so we thought it was about time.

Alphabet Craft

2012-01-13T16:04:00.000-05:00

I finally made a pinterest craft! I wanted some sort of alphabet in the nursery, but didn't want to spend $20+

Soooo... I turned to pinterest, and used some supplies I already had. Scrapbook stickers on cardstock. The blue I used stencils to trace and cut out.

Orange Crop

2012-01-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

We picked our very first orange off our little tree and only orange of the season. Kev was very greatful to the little bee that worked hard to polinate and provide us this single orange.

Our tree was a gift about 2 years ago from his brother. It is a Tangelo Honeybell tree (Honeybell because the orange pokes up at the top forming a bell shape). They make the best juice and are very sweet.

Very juicy and perfect texture, but not very sweet this year. We are hoping as the tree matures this will change.

This guy was a like a kid at christmas. He watched that one little orange grow for months, keeping a close eye.

Hoping for more oranges next year!

Bed Rest

2012-01-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

I'm 34 weeks!

I went and got an ultrasound. Good News is the baby is normal size 5 lbs.- right where he should be. More good news according to the Husband who dreams of having a tall sports playing child- He has long leg bones. They have no idea why I am measuring so big.

Not so good news- I have Oligohydraminosis- Which means VERY low amniotic fluid. I have been put on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. (not my bedroom but wish it was :) )

I am excited to have some down time. I have been working till late hours of the night, climbing to 3rd story apartments, and driving around in my car all day for work. Interesting note. My Dr. says that you dehydrate twice as fast if you are in a car all day. So when pregnant I should be drinking even more then the typical pregnant lady. PLAN: I was sent home with instructions to stay off of my feet and drink a minimum of a gallon of water a day. (I feel like a camel, and there is no room with the baby for the water to go, so good thing I'm home with easy access to the comode :) I have another ultrasound scheduled for Thursday to see if my fluids have gone up and another glucose test -bleh! Pray for good news!

Here's a glimpse of the little guy. He wasn't cooperating for the photo op. Here's a face shot. top of the head is to the right. See the light blurry fuzzy on the top of the head? The ultrasound tech says that's hair!

LOVE HIM ALREADY :)

Brutus

2012-01-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

It's time for an update.

Baby Update:
When I was 28 weeks pregnant I measured like I was 31 weeks pregnant= 3 weeks ahead of schedule.
I was 30 weeks pregnant and measuring like I was 34 weeks pregnant= 4 weeks ahead of schedule.
I went to the Dr. Friday Dec 30th- at 32 weeks pregnant and am measuring like I am 37 weeks pregnant= 5 weeks ahead of schedule. They keep saying there is only one in there...

A debut of my new mom haircut- easier :)

Each time I go my midwife asks me questions like- Is your husband a big guy? Does your husband have a big head? How much did you weigh when you were born? I let her know I have 2 brothers who are 6'5" and I'm the short one in my family at 5'7". I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week to see why I'm growing so fast. I joke with the husband that we need to name this kid "Bruiser" or "Brutus" or maybe even "Tank".

So not sure when this kid is actually going to arrive, I'm thinking he's not going to wait to his due date of 2/22/12.

I think Cosmo senses changes are coming in the family... avoidance is the answer :)

Other News:
I Passed my Social Work Liscensure Exam! It's the board exam for social workers. It's the highest goal to reach in my profession- career wise. Talk about stress preparing for it- my life has been on hold for the past couple months. I wanted to take it (and pass of course) before baby came and I wouldn't have time to study. Now I have to get 1 more year of clinical time with Clients and I will become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

We had a great Christmas, time with family, lots of laughs.
Some treats we made for neighbors- "Christmas wreath" rice crispies with "holly berries"- always a hit with kids.

We went to Kev's parent's house for New Year's Eve for games, homemade Pizza and good times.

This handsome young man got a fancy haircut for christmas:
(I CANNOT get this picture to rotate, it will only upload sideways)

27 Weeks

2011-11-20T16:28:00.002-05:00

Almost 7 months!

At my last Dr. Appt I was down 20 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight- Good news! I think I just might have 10 kids...

blanket

2011-11-04T14:39:00.000-04:00

I've been Sick and at home all week, so I decided to sew a little blankey for baby. I'm a sucker for cute puppy prints.

Friends

2011-11-03T16:14:00.009-04:00

The Fascination of looking out the window at squirrels and lizards. They are two peas in a pod. At moments like these I'm so glad there is 2 so they can play and entertain each other. Love these little puppies!

30 Year Old in the House!!

2011-11-02T15:19:00.027-04:00

This cute guy had a birthday in October! The big 3-0... Can't believe it!

He's the most easy going guy I know. His only request was to go to bucca di peppo. I've never been. It was Delish!

We were so glad that Kev's parents and Grandma could join us. (The baby bump is a growin!)

This boy Loves a DQ Ice Cream cake, so that's what he got- especially since he wanted nothing else for his birthday- like I said, easy going.

Dessert at his parents.

Happy Birthday to an amazing guy! Still can't believe he's 30....

Salsa Making with Dad

2011-11-01T17:05:00.001-04:00

Dad flew into town on Friday Oct. 7th to make Salsa!

We bought 100 pounds of tomatoes from a local stand.

Tomatoes were the size of softballs.

Dad and Kev boiling and peeling the tomatoes.

Preparing the Jars.

I was on Veggie duty- onions, peppers, celery, tomatillos.

Boil it all together add some seasonings

We made 77 Quarts (almost 20 gallons) of Salsa. Yum!

Also while he was here, Dad cooked us some tasty Stir fry

Dad Made Marion Berry Jam

And Berry Crisp- My all time favorite Dessert!

Thanks for coming Dad we loved having you here!

Kev is a Master!

2011-09-13T15:06:00.006-04:00

I'm a little late in posting this. Kev Graduated in June with his Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

We drove down to Ft. Lauderdale to Nova for his graduation ceremonies. I'm so proud! He worked so hard!

They had a live orchestra.

Trying on the Graduation Gear the night before. We got a good laugh when we realized he had a shark fin/tail on his hood. We tried to tuck it in for the ceremonies but the officials popped it back out- so I guess they are all supposed to have tails like their mascot- Go Sharks!

First on the Agenda was Kev's Honors Ceremony were he was inducted into the Honors program Sigma Beta Delta. He graduated with Honors because he had such a high GPA- Yep I'm SOOO proud!

His favorite professor presented his honors cords.

Walking off stage.

The business building.

Kev's parents came with us for the ceremonies. Kev and his Mom.

On campus at the student center.

Had to get a picture of the "hood"

Shots from the cheap seats

The Cap and Gown Mug Shot.

It's official! On paper and everything!

On a side note, He started his dream job a week before graduation. He works at a travel company doing all the company finances and managing of employees. We are so blessed!

Carseat Cannopy

2011-09-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

When I found out I was pregnant I wanted to sew something fun to prepare. I looked up a tutorial for a carseat canopy. The tutorial at Make it Do was easy to follow and it turned out great!

I already had this fabric, and at first thought it would work great for either boy or girl, but now it looks a little girly so if I find out I'm having a boy I'll have to go for round two of making this.

Underneath is Green Polka Dot and the edges have the red fabric. Love these Amy Butler fabrics.

The view when you flip up to get in the carseat.

Guess What?

2011-08-19T09:36:00.001-04:00

Mama of the baby has been fairly sick and therefore has checked out of the blogging world but is hoping to be back soon :)

TOTES BY HANDI ANDI! GET YOURS TODAY!

2011-06-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

CUTE, DURABLE, LARGE Totes. Reusable. Great for the farmers market, library, or the beach. A perfect way to take style and flare with you.

Dimensions: 16 inches wide, 15 inches tall, the strap is 32 inches from side to side and the pocket is 8 inches by 8 inches

They are made from trendy, printed, duck cloth (light-weight canvas) and have triple stitched sides and bottoms to make them extra durable. The ruffles and ribbon add a fun, feminine, flare that makes it more than just an ordinary tote.

The Tote can be worn on one shoulder or across your body for hand free ease, and feature a large, easily accessible, pocket for smaller items such as keys and phone.

MY FAVORITE ONE

When not in use the pocket can be turned inside out and the bag will fold into it so it is more compact and can fit in a purse or diaper bag with ease.

VISIT HANDI ANDI'S ETSY SHOP

They are listed for $22, but if you email her and let her know twinklebee sent you she will sell them to you for $12 plus shipping. Also check out the HANDI ANDI'S APRONS in the Etsy shop as well...

Ft. Lauderdale Part 4- The Beach

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

Mountains or Beach? Always, always the beach. Few things are more relaxing or more beautiful.

We watched the sunset while lying on the beach- the sun dropped right behind the marina.

We took a stroll and gathered some shells.

The sand in Ft. Lauderdale is more course then the sand in the beaches up here.

We talked about framing this one and putting in our beach themed bathroom.

We layed on the beach and talked till sunset.

Pardon my wild hair, we drove around with the windows down.

And a little more sunset...

We determined we like the beaches up here best overall. Nice to know my favorite beaches are the closest!

Ft. Lauderdale Part 3- CAMPUS

2011-04-18T11:02:00.000-04:00

I want one of these what I call "fluffy" palms in my front yard!

This campus was GORGEOUS! I couldn't get enough, and I only saw the outside of the buildings. Kevan Loved having a class on campus.

The Business building

Go Sharks!

Ft. Lauderdale Part 2

2011-04-15T12:17:00.001-04:00

When we arrived we asked the hotel desk what local food places were on tihe must visit list. She recommended Las Vegas a Cuban restaurant. It was SOOOO good.

You can see the paintings in the background.

Best cuban sandwich I've had. Also delicious pulled pork, blackbeans, rice, plantain chips and fried sweet plantains.

This Carrabbas had palms and all sorts of tropical plants growing on the roof.

We saw this advertised alot, so we stopped in for a slice. Ok pizza, delicious garlic rolls.

Kevan's Professor in class on the first day listed local places that were Must Eats. One of them was "BIG CITY DOGS" voted best burger 2 years in a row.

They support Kevan's school which are the "Sharks"

I think this is the only time in my life that a burger looked just like the picture advertising it. In fact, it was even better in real life than the picture. That never happens! This burger was DANG good! It is bigger then it looks- I could barely hold it with both hands and struggled to get my mouth around it.

I heard raves while we were there about the Hot Dogs too. I heard We asked the owner where he was from. He and his family were from "Little Italy" in New York. He stated he imports all of his product from New York and Chicago. Definitely recommend.

Another place his teacher recommended was "Rocco's Tacos". The design of the place was REALLY awesome.

Entryway chandelier

I forgot to take a picture of the food we ordered. Chips and Salsa and a couple tacos. We ordered take out because the place was packed and at 8:45 PM there was still a 45 minute wait. It was good. We weren't blown away, but we also weren't able to order their famous guacamole. I guess they make it fresh tableside.

Just driving along the main streets by the beach there were alot of really neat restaurants, fun night life.

And of course we stopped at Jamba :)

Ft. Lauderdale Part 1

2011-04-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

Kev had to go to Ft. Lauderdale for a week long class to finalize his Master's Degree. Since he had to go down anyway, and book a hotel whether I was there or not, I decided to go for a few days too!
He got this Suite at the Sheratan- like a small apartment for only $60 a night. After we arrived I wished I was staying the whole week! I got a $9 flight back from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando so I could come back for work. It was so nice to get away.

And we hot tubbed, and pooled it up while we were there.
Next post- great places to eat in Ft. Lauderdale.

Carnival Carnival

2011-04-13T18:41:00.003-04:00

I heard from all the middle schoolers I work with about "The Carnival" in town. So husband and I went. I don't know what you would call it, but it was tiny, with no big kid rides and no fair food. We took a few pics together and left. I was sorely disappointed. I grew up going to the county fair that was bigger then the state fair. Husband has NEVER been to any sort of fair or carnival- I know I was shocked beyond belief! Everyone has to experience a fair or carnival! We were out and about and stumbled on another carnival, and it was GREAT!

Husband had his first Ferris Wheel ride.

Had to have fair food. It's not a fair/carnival without the "so nasty it's good" greasy fair food.

Kev was shocked that I kept pushing for the corndog. After his first bite he understood. Corndogs at the fair are the best corndogs around.

Smoothie

The alluring games, no worries we didn't get sucked in- They are next to impossible to win!

Good Times. Now we have to find a full fledged fair to get him to, so he can experience the real deal.

The Randoms...

2011-04-08T16:12:00.001-04:00

Random Pictures I've meant to post...

Rooting for the Cougs and Jimmer, with none other then our own "Cosmo" Mascot and a BYU snuggi (Thanks Holly!)

Celebrated my neices birthday

Kev went on a 20 mile hike with the all the boys.

Testing out his mummy sleeping bag the night before the trip.

Sewed this blanket for a babyshower.

I put my little helper to work, she was wiped out and found the softest thing in the room to take a snooze.

Played Monopoly on a Rainy Tornado filled day, nice and dry at home. (I won :p)

Kev got stung by a wasp. Think he may be allergic?

This handsome boy got a "new do"

We've had some beautiful sunsets lately...

View from my window in January. This guy needed to get out of the house and take a walk around the block. He walked all the way down the street on the sidewalk. Gotta love January in Florida.

Burp Cloths for a new baby

2011-04-07T17:53:00.000-04:00

I sent these burp cloths to my friend Allison. She had her first little baby, and as a thank you for letting me visit I whipped up these for the little guy. Any excuse to craft!

Another Side of Nappanee Indiana

2011-04-06T19:19:00.002-04:00

Last September Kev and I went to Indiana for a few days to see my parents.

I took the opportunity to get some pictures. I love just driving down the country roads and snapping pictures of the day to day life.

The Amish are Fascinating. Such good, kind people.

Miles and miles of soybean and corn fields.

I drove by 4 or 5 times trying to capture a picture of this adorable sight. There were 3 little kids "mowing" the lawn. It was a miniature pony attached to a sleigh with a manual metal mower attached on the back of the sleigh. They were giggling and having a ball.

The thing I appreciate most is the slower pace of life. You feel as though you can take deeper slower breaths while visiting this town. The motto is "Embrace the Pace".

A beautiful day on the farm.

Visited the local quilt shop/ fabric store in this old Victorian home. Would love to have a quilt shop like this.

Visited the Amish bake shops down town. The best food ever. Homemade with fresh ingredients. Bread, Peanutbutter- Amish Peanutbutter is made with peanutbutter and marshmellow fluff.

Homemade noodles, fudge, any baked goods you can think of.

We visited the local craft malls. I have memories of my Mom having a booth at this craft mall when I was a little girl. I recall going with her to restock her booth with crafts. This visit to the craft booths was far different from my memories. The economy hit this area hard. Many booths are empty. I was silently cheering on those who still have a booth, working hard to keep the love of crafts and handmade goods alive in the area.

Kev and I visited Amish Acres- Does Kev cut it as an "Amish" man?

Being "touristy"

A "barn mouse" from the fudge shop.

"Downtown"

Picked tomatoes from my Dad's Garden

The gnome in his garden did his job well, a great growing season.

Looking forward to the next trip already. I usually like to go in the Fall- beautiful, and not freezing cold yet.

Wipey Case

2011-04-05T17:15:00.001-04:00

Remember my crafty friend Ally Kat that was mentioned in a previous post? She made this wipey case cover from a tutorial. How cute is that?!?!

"I Love You Baltimore"

2011-04-04T16:00:00.004-04:00

I went to Baltimore mid March to visit my "bestie" Allison. I like to call her Ally Kat. She's at the time was pregnant with her first baby.

pic from here

and here
Us heading out for a day of shopping. Confession: we ended up at Target almost every night I was there :)

I went for many reasons...

I went to support her at her baby shower,

I was the official "Camera Man" and followed her with the video recorder and a camera.

My gifts:

Onesies I made...

I also went to help. We organized her nursery.

And helped her make freezer meals so she wouldn't have to cook for a week after the baby came.

I cooked her and her hubby some Carribean food. I learned the recipe from a Jamaican Client of mine (see I can cook, just don't like taking the time :p )

I enjoyed her cute decor- of course we visited hobby lobby. She is a fellow crafter- see why we're kindred spirits?

And of course I had to have a crab cake for which Baltimore is famous.

Everything on that plate was YUM!

Other things we did...
We played hours of Dr. Mario on the Wii-a past time from when we were roomies in college. Not to toot my own horn, but she is the only person that can beat me- regularly. She's good!

Watched lots of NetFlix
Laughed and Laughed and Laughed until we cried.
Talked for hours.
Relaxed, oh how I needed the relaxation.
I loved Baltimore- I would live there. I thought it was beautiful in the dead of Winter.

In the end, this framed stitching on Allison's wall says it all.

Thanks to her husband for sharing her for almost a week!

A "Price"- y Birthday Extravaganza

2011-03-25T11:24:00.003-04:00

The Price Family had a birthday. Not just one birthday but 5 birthdays. Cohen turned 4 on March 8, Mama Price (Andi) March 18- will not divulge age- (You're welcome mama price) Caden turned 7 on March 19th, and the twins turn 1 on April 5th. And I couldn't leave Kenna out so she got some of the goodness as well. Talk about a cluster!

So a package must be sent!

A gift for Mama Price- who is beautiful and has the tough task of raising 5 kids ages 1 to 7. And might I add does a great job. You go girl! P.s. It was hard to part with these earrings- Soooo my style- hopefully hers...

For the twins- made in the twinklebee lair :)

The rest of the kiddos got random toys from princess slap bracelets and puzzles, to a whoopie cushion, ninja figurines, and of course Pop Rocks for some fun times.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANDI ANDI and the Gang!

THE COOKING ARRANGEMENT...

2011-03-23T11:16:00.000-04:00

And this, ladies and gentleman, is why I do not cook.
I told the husband that I would be home for an hour to swing by and grab some lunch on a break from work. So he said he'd "whip something up real quick". When I pulled in the driveway I saw the grill, and knew good things were coming my way. The master chef that I call husband- "Whipped up real quick" some honey glazed, Parmesan, garlic, grilled wings- non greasy, crispy outside, seasoned to perfection wings.

And some Olive Oil, rosemary, basil- perfectly seasoned and baked Red potatoes.

You see why I don't cook?! You see now?!

Story of the wings- My husband Loves wings. I mean LOVES. He probably dreams about them at night. Problem: They are so expensive, and we have yet to find the "Perfect Wing". So, being as creative in the kitchen as he is, he set out to make the perfect wing. I think it has arrived. He got it on the first try. Grilled perfectly, seasoned to perfection, and so much cheaper to make ourselves, he can eat them to his hearts content. I'm along for the ride and enjoying every bite.

Seeing as how he has been unemployed for a year and a half, he has had the time to perfect his cooking skills. I ask on a regular basis- are you sure you don't want to stay a house husband forever?!, cause you're amazing at this cooking thing. He laughs like I've gone crazy at the idea of being stay at home long term. A girl can dream right?!?

Yep, it's true...

2011-03-22T10:42:00.003-04:00

I actually baked. It's rare now days, me cooking or baking. I just don't have the time with my new job. Mr. Lowe is also an EXCELLENT cook, so I let him take the reigns. He leaves the baking to me usually. When I find the time to cook or bake, he stops short of doing a happy dance. We had some unsuspecting victims in the fridge...

And a neat device we inherited from a friend, that Peels, cores, slices all in one step.

So, the plan was made...

The best recipe in the world for crisp from master Chef Jones (my Dad). It's the only crisp I like, well because it's the best of course- none of that brown sugar and oats stuff. We're talking real, crumbly crunchy sweet toping to mix withthe tangy sour taste of the apples. A perfect marriage...

Fresh from the oven.

Yes, seconds were had by all. (pardon my dixie plate, nothing beats not adding additonal dishes to the to do list) My mouth is watering just looking at the picture- it was that good.

Stampin Up Class

2011-03-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

Went to a stampin up class a few weeks ago. LOVED IT! A few of the cards we made...

The bookmark Card

Straight from the Kitchen

2011-03-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

What's cookin at our house?

Tortilla soup made with all veggies and broth. Delish! Add cheddar cheese and sour cream as toppers. Made the whole thing in the Vitamix blender- that thing is amazing.

Kev has mastered grilling. His burgers are better then most at restaurants. Yum!

Not-so-Sloppy, Sloppy Joes...

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-03-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

He's the cutest

Chocolate and Flower

Love Note...

Hung by the fireplace with Care.

2010-12-24T09:32:00.007-05:00

I have been busy as a bee. Auntie Mary and I made stockings on a Saturday craft day. She had already made 2 for us a few years ago.

The two Auntie Mary made for us a few years ago:

We decided we needed to go ahead and make more while we had time so I could have a full set. We made 4 more in one day.

A closer look-
"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree..."

Rudolph- My personal FAVE-

Mr. Frosty- He even has button mittins--

Can't do Christmas without candy canes and holly.

2 Green, 2 Gold, 2 Red, we have a full set as long as we don't have quintuplets one day.

Cloudy Day

2010-10-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Just a cloudy day in Florida. I love the big puffy ones. I also love my camera, this point and shoot takes AWESOME Pics.

Have a Beautiful Day!

P.S. Having a Garage Sale this weekend with Aunt Mary- It will be nice to de-clutter! Wish us luck!

The Zoo QB Page

2010-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

I love this page!
Welcome to the Zoo! Unzip this page, and you find a purple lined pocket full of...

Zoo animal finger puppets! I got these puppets at Ikea for a few bucks. They tuck neatly inside.

The back cover or "THE END". That is all for now. I have some ideas, but the book is getting huge :)

What Page is your favorite?

Ladybug, Ladybug...QB Page

2010-10-19T10:00:00.001-04:00

My favorite page-

Ladybut Ladybug fly away home...
This page has snap on shapes. the "spots" or shapes on the lady bug are removable and there is stitching under each shape. It becomes like a puzzle, and teaches kids their shapes (well four of them anyway) as well as how to use snaps.

Flower Garden QB page

2010-10-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the Flower Garden quiet book page. This page teaches kids how to button and unbutton. The cloud, flowers, and sun all unbutton off the page. Even the ladybug and butterfly are buttons. One of my favorite pages...

Pelican Gone Fishin' QB Page

2010-10-17T10:00:00.001-04:00

This page teaches kids how to use hooks as they go fishing with Mr. Pelican.

Liberty Flag QB page

2010-10-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Have to teach kids about Patriotism right? This one is a texture page. As this page gets washed it will become raggedy around the edges and on the stripes. Which One's your favorite so far?

Lion QB Page

2010-10-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

This cute lion teaches kids how to braid on his soft tail. He looks like a cowardly lion :) Aunt Mary sewed this page for me.

Fishbowl QB Page

2010-10-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

The fishies have magnets on them so they cam move around the fish bowl.

I've been asked if there is a pattern. The actual page comes from a vogue pattern from the 1970s. A couple couple of the animal pages are from the patterns but the rest are pages we made up. This fishy page I saw in someone else quiet book- a little different.

Giraffe QB Page

2010-10-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

The ribbons untie. This page teaches kids to tie a bow. His mane of hair is fuzzy for good texture.

The Alligator and the Ice Cream Cone QB page

2010-10-12T10:00:00.002-04:00

His tongue comes out to lick the ice cream cone :) Aunt Mary sewed this page for me.

The Quiet Book Series

2010-10-11T10:00:00.009-04:00

I have spent buko hours on this project- it's now time to present! It's a QUIET BOOK.
A quiet book is used to keep kids entertained and quiet in church. I am going to post a page a day- so stay tuned.

THE COVER

I have to say, I couldn't have done this without Aunt Mary! We worked on this together and she did most of the heavy lifting. It was great bouncing ideas off of each other! She made one at the same time- We love the results- Thanks Mary!!

This is the cover. The L is for our last name- that way it works for each child we have.
Stay tuned for a page a day!

Wonderful Birthday!

2010-10-05T23:39:00.006-04:00

I had A wonderful birthday! Another year gone by- SO FAST!

This man made my day wonderful!

I took the day off

Kev decorated the house, including homemade confetti.

A crown Kev made me- Queen for the day :)

An awesome friend surprised me with a gift and balloons already at the place Kev and I went for lunch. Thanks Kacey!

Kev:
Made me breakfast
Cleaned my car
took me to lunch and a movie

Kev took me to dinner

He coordinated with girls from church and had them come over for a surprise. I had no idea!
Girl time's always great!

AWESOME PIE- peanut butter, cream cheese, chocolate chips, chocolate graham cracker crust0 Thanks Lindsay!

Kev got me a plane ticket to go visit my parents in Indiana- we just got back- will post soon!

I've got great people in my life! Thanks everyone!!

Tag Blankie Recipients

2010-09-21T12:59:00.004-04:00

Two of the Happy recipients:

Mommy (my sister) sent these pics to my phone as a thank you :)

Tag Blankies

2010-09-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

I had seen these once, and thought I'd tackle them as a baby gift.

I made 2 for my sister who had twin boys-

They have super soft Minky Fabric on both sides-

And two for my sister in law who had twins- a boy and a girl.

I Made a mini long skinny one that's a perfect fit in the diaper bag for my sister in law who just had a baby girl. I almost liked the small strip tag blanky best!

Quick- Have a baby and you might get one too!

I had adults that I showed these to, comment that they want one to snuggle with- They're so soft!

P.S. Minky is not the easiest to sew with...

Bread Cooking

2010-09-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

I actually cooked the bread dough I made last week (it's good up to two weeks in the fridge). I pulled a chunk out, let it rise, and baked it. It was Delicious!
Grabbing some out of the container...

Rolled it in a ball and let it rise...

my only mishap was I forgot about the hazards of glass pans. I put a glass pan to warm up with the stone. When I was ready to bake, I poured a cup of water into the hot glass pan ( Putting water in the oven creates steam while baking- this is what gives the bread a crisp crust). When you put cold water in very hot glass, it makes the glass shatter.... Yep, all over inside my oven...Dang!

The finished product. I snapped a picture before it was completely gone.

A slice with homemade marion berry jam... The same stuff I made in a post last fall when I went to Indiana.

Best part is, I still have more dough in the fridge to make more!

The Art of Bread Making

2010-09-09T12:54:00.006-04:00

**This fabulous loaf was made by Melinda last night ( See below)

TWO out of the three Craft Nights we've had (See previous posts), Melinda-who is super crafty and talented at MANY things- has brought fresh baked homemade bread. MAKING BREAD SCARES ME! It just seems like a bear to tackle. Lo and behold she introduced me to this book- I can't say enough good things about this book- laid out nicely, easy to read, great tips, quick easy recipes with minimal work. She let me borrow it, and gave me a bread stone to keep, to inspire my bread making skills.

3 weeks later, I still had not made bread... So, because Melinda's so great she offered to show me-I know, I'm a wuss-"It's bread, it's only bread" All I had to bring was a plastic container with a lid that holds five quarts. (see picture below- Target 97 cents) So we made bread!

Me and Melinda- After we made our batch, she whipped up some beautiful tastey sandwich bread (pictured above)- AND sent some home with me :)

Why this bread is so wonderful:

It's artisan bread- VERY Tastey.
It literally takes 5 minutes to make the dough in your little plastic container.
It only has about 5 ingredients.
You make one Batch of dough in your container and put it in the fridge. When you want fresh baked bread, you grab a hunk of dough out of the container and bake it- the The dough is good up to 2 weeks in your fridge, the flavor gets a more sourdough flavor.
This basic recipe- can be added to, to do make dozens of recipes- just through in herbs etc.

I'll post pics of the actual baked bread once I bake it. It's sitting in my fridge- and I have 2 whole weeks to do it! Watch out People, Rachel's making bread!

AU NATUREL- Confessions

2010-09-07T10:26:00.004-04:00

***Disclaimer: This is a random post...

Confession: I do NOT dye my hair. There, I've made a public announcement. It's the truth.

I am asked at least every other day by men, women, teenagers, friends, strangers, family, coworkers, Grocery store clerks, "Did you die your hair?" "Is that your natural hair color?"

It's all me. It's in the genes. My hair has gotten darker as I've gotten older.

I really throw people off when I switch between doing my hair curly and straight.

There's a project in the works....

2010-09-03T08:36:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm starting a new job that I am very excited about, but which I believe will be a time suck which means I'll have no time to get anything done. So I'm trying to do all those projects I've had lying around, planning to get to some day.

I've had friends/family have babies lately and at the rate I'm going their kids will get their baby gifts at age 5 :)

A sneak peak at my current project...ribbon...Minky fabric.... Finished Project coming soon!

Cards

2010-08-31T14:21:00.000-04:00

Product of Our most recent Craft Night. Thanks for being such a great teacher Melinda!

P.s. Melinda also brought homemade bread fresh from the oven and I supplied some homemade Marion Berry Jam... YUM.

Home Makeover- Florida Style

2010-08-30T13:43:00.006-04:00

Kev and I helped someone landscape the front of their house to prepare for the house to be sold. It was an all day Saturday project. 9 AM to 6 PM. I am so sore I can barely walk...

Before
minus the light plants and stone edging on the ground- that is just sitting there for the new landscaping. If you look closely you'll see kev already digging up shrubs.

AFTER

What we did:

Changed broken sprinkler heads
Put spotlights that will shine up on the house at night
Pulled up all the half dead shrubs and evened out the soil levels
Laid gravel to drain the rain runoff from the roof properly
Scrubbed the front planter and the house walls to remove mold and dirt
placed the stone edging
planted flowers in all the planters
placed stone edging around shrubs on the edge of the driveway
stone edging and flowers around mailbox
Bark dusted all flower beds

The homeowner hasn't said if they like it but Kev and I think it has great curb appeal now, and according to advisers that help sell houses- $275 worth of materials will regain $3,000 on return of investment.

Pictures from Home- Salsa Season

2010-08-27T13:06:00.006-04:00

It's this time of year that REALLY I miss going "home" to see my parents. This is the harvest from my dad's garden.
IT'S SALSA SEASON- AND I'M MISSING IT!!

The Salsa Master Himself

Yes, that's a softball...

Maybe next year!

Flowers

2010-08-25T17:00:00.001-04:00

My man surprised me with flowers- just because he loves me :)

Since I was taking pictures of flowers, and I'm totally and completely in love with my little awesome picture taking machine of a camera, I thought I'd show you what's growing along with the weeds in my flower beds right now.

Day Trip to St. Augustine

2010-08-24T17:00:00.002-04:00

One of my All time favorite Cities... A must see when visiting Florida. Some things I saw this trip.
Does it need words? Pics speak for themselves.

Houston Texas

2010-08-23T22:35:00.006-04:00

Went to Houston on a business trip this summer. I'd live there! Never thought I'd say that. It's alot like Orlando. Green, humid, really pretty, alot of cool stores/restaurants. Anyone spent time there? What did you think?

Really liked my hotel...

totally want this rug...

Plumeria on the Porch

2010-08-20T09:35:00.003-04:00

Photo by me- this morning

We recieved this plant a year and a half ago as a housewarming gift. The gift giver said it was a cutting from a plant they had bought in Hawaii, but weren't sure what kind of plant it was. I've been hoping for the last year that it was a PLUMERIA plant.

I have fond memories of picking these off the trees in Hawaii and putting them in my hair.

I have been watching this plant growing for over a year, and this morning I noticed the first bloom... PLUMERIA it is... Right on the front porch.

Five Years Already!

2010-08-17T13:30:00.001-04:00

Our Five Year Wedding Anniversary has come and gone! (June 18th)

Instead of buying gifts, we try to do some sort of getaway to celebrate our marriage each year. Last year was a cruise, this year we kept it low budget and went to the local beach. It was AWESOME to get away and relax.

We are lookin like this after five years...

We went here... (Daytona Beach)

We had a coupon book that gave us a steal of a deal on hotels so we stayed here...
The Shores

Our room looked like this with a fridge and flat screen... with a balcony facing the ocean...

The bathroom rocked- you don't get that from this picture, but trust me- Rockin.

And the skies looked like this the whole trip...

We were right on the beach, and the waters looked like this...

We spent a lot of time looking like this...

The view from our room...

The cool cabanas that cost a bazillion dollars to rent... so we didn't...

really liked this photo...

Other Highlights,

There is a homemade ice cream shop that is delish with a line of people out the door within walking distance called "Cow Lick's"
The hotel served ice cold tropical drinks on the pool deck... yum!
We saw a whole school of stingray in the crystal water. when they started swimming toward me I went running screaming to shore thinking it was a shark coming at me... boy did I look like a goof!

After the stingray swam by thousands of tropical fish swam by us. a HUGE School- swimming in thousands surrounded us.
So many reasons I love Florida! No better state for "StayCations".

Craft Night

2010-08-10T10:59:00.003-04:00

In the past month, every couple of weeks I've put together a craft night and had the young women from church come over after the kids were put in bed for a girls night. Everyone brings their own craft to work on, a treat to share if they want, I turn on some music,and we all craft, talk and of course there's LOTS of laughter going on. The first week Melinda, a pro card maker brought alot of her card making tools and of course her mad skills and we all ended up huddled around her little table, ditching our own crafts. These are some of the cards I made.
Can't wait until the next Craft Night!

Trip to Utah

2010-08-01T23:33:00.005-04:00

I went to Utah in May. My sis bought me a ticket for graduation to fly out and visit the fam. It was a fabulous gift, and I loved every minute of my time there!

The view outside of Costco...mmmmm

Where to begin....

My sister Holly and fam are moving to Oregon, so I wanted to get some quality time in. Oh the good times we had, nothing quite like sisters!
Holly and Brynley

I got ot meet the Twins!! My other sister Andi had kids number 4 & 5... How cute are they?
Then... Collin & Keegan

And now... Keegan & Collin- definiely not identical :) but both So cute!

Of course we are at Bajio, had to sneak some in while I was there :)

Dear Bajio,
Please come to Florida. I beg you! there are cheap imitations here that try really hard but don't come close to your good quality and amazing flavors. The first time we met, it was instant love, and I'd like to continue our happy relationship here in Florida. I promise you'll like Florida. People don't know what they're missing without you, how much happier the Mexican food portion of their taste buds would be.
Hurry Soon!
XOXO Twinklebee

We celebrated my BIL Ryan's Birthday with cupcakes from Dippidy...

Went to visit Phil & Laura- Had great steaks, played games, sat in the hot tub, went to see a movie, and Phil got us tickets to Cirque de Solei.

Um.. It snowed while I was there..? I woke up to a white Christmas, I mean May...

Hung out with my brother Mac and his fam. We got Jamba juice, went to get massages at the massage school, played "The Game" about 30 times, and made apple Crisp.. Yum...

Cute Vienna let me sleep in her "Big Girl Bed".

And well.. Just alot of hanging out...

I also got to go to some RAD fabric stores. I got fabric for an adorable quilt, made a cute bag with ruffles, and am excited for some new projects. I couldn't go to utah and not take advantage of the WAY better quilting stores that were available. Will post pics of projects soon!

What an amazing trip- Hopefully I'll be back next year!

Dad's Visit

2010-07-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

It was so nice having family here. The dogs loved dad, he walked them each morning, and played soccer with them! Dad's cuteset grandkids :P

It's nice to have a handy man come to visit. He he fixed our gate/fence for the backyard, and taught Kev some mad skills in the process!

Dad treated me and the boys to a movie- Iron Man 2. Us Jones' LOVE movies!

Kev, Dad, Brother Mac, and Mac's Friend.

Come Back to Visit Soon!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-06T00:36:00.000-04:00

Hope your weekend was as good as mine, minuse the rain of course!

Graduation Party.

2010-07-05T23:37:00.005-04:00

Balloons, Cake, Good Food, Friends, Family= Great Graduation Party!

Auntie Mary, Made me a Red Velvet Cake as a surprise. It was Amazing and got rave reviews. It was HUGE! Check out that talent!

Dad's Award Winning Fruit Pizza- People buzzed about this for weeks afterwards.

Smorgas Board of Great food- Thanks Dad!

Kev= Master Punch Maker

Family...

Dad and Becky flew in from Indiana to Celebrate and support- Thanks you guys!

At church the nice sisters made me this beautiful cake which was delicious and we all had cake in celebration- so nice to be thought of!

Thanks everyone for the well wishes, cards, gifts, the support has been amazing. Some things I recieved, that will help me look oh so professional... Sharing for all those who love fashion ;)
I love those innitials.. MK... mwha!

Best point and shoot camera I've ever laid my eyes on... Thanks Dad! 14.1 megapixals in this baby. Takes amazing pics! if you're looking for one, I STRONGLY recommend.

My BIL Bryan has great taste! Have to be aware of the time when you're counseling!

It's funny, My client's always commented on my jewelry. Anyone who knows me, knows I love to accessorize... Great taste Grandma P.!

Daytona Beach

2010-06-17T12:51:00.005-04:00

After Savannah, it was back to Florida, and off to the Beach!
p.s... I risked my life to get out on the highway to take this pic. Go Florida!

photo by bro

Photo by bro

Cute Vienna- She loved the beach! Wish they had that swimsuit in my size, I'm a sucker for polkadots and ruffles.
She's 3. Doesn't she look 5?
photo by SIL

My brother and V Digging a Hole to bury someone.... who's the sucker who'll get in the hole?
photo by SIL

Uncle Kevan! What a good sport!
Photo by SIL

Life's a beach....

Homemade donuts for breakfast at our resort.
They just built a Red Robin over by the beach!
Went to feed the alligators at Congo River.
Watched the playoffs.
Caught up on my people magazine reading -guilty pleasure.
Boys went boogie boarding
Me & V collected shells
Long walk on the beach at night
Clam Chowder at Boston's Fish House- Yum!

Oh how I love the beach! Florida really does have the best beaches!

More-ah Savannah

2010-06-16T13:20:00.003-04:00

We didn't even make a dent in the places to shop in Savannah.
A few shops that took our breath away...

First, The French Store.
Just imagine us standing there starry eyed and drooling (well the girls anyway- the boys sat at the cafe and played with their Iphones).

(2 whole floors of eye candy)

taken by me

taken by my SIL

taken by my SIL

by me

by me

by me

by me

by me

Did I tell you or what?! Those are a fraction of the pictures.

ZUNZI'S
VERY tasty South African mixed with Italian Cuisine. A little hole in the wall restaurant on a back street that was amazing. It's always busy with a line out the door.

Savannah Bee Company
I wanted to move in and live in the bee tent. Seriously this store was that rad. This store educates everyone who comes in with knowledgeable staff, honey tasting, and a kids section with videos on bees and how honey is made.
taken by my SIL

taken by my SIL

Honey tasting counter...
by me

by me

You better believe that we bought honey. One from the northern part of Italy. I'm not usually a huge honey person, but after doing the taste testing, I was SOLD.
by me

Savannah Georgia

2010-06-09T13:28:00.016-04:00

After Graduation Ceremonies, Me, Husband, Brother and his family headed over to Savannah Georgia. We all decided it was on our list of top places in the U.S. It earned this ranking despite the super humid 80 degree weather. It was BEAUTIFUL!

A little bit of Architecture...

And, yes these big beautiful trees lined all the streets, It was a sight to behold...

Really old churches with gorgeous stain glass windows...

Shops and restaurants along the riverfront...

VERY old buildings lined the river...

A courtyard among the beautiful homes.

The Walk in Forsyth Park was breathtaking. The trees were magnificent, and the fountain so elegant. Recognize this park? This is the park on the movie Forrest Gump, where he sat on the bench and the feather floated down. I would spend all my time in this park...

Sis in law booked the hotel- The AVIA- AMAZING- It was in the historical district(the heart of the city). It was tempting to just stay in the room... :) (pics from hotels.com)

A must see!

Graduation In Tallahassee

2010-05-29T08:55:00.001-04:00

Campus- Gorgeous

Ceremony

I'm on the left side, 5 rows back from the stage, 4th one from the middle- You see me? :)

My rad Brother

My Brother and sister in Law & Mother and Father in law made the 4 /12 hour drive to come for the ceremony, and drove 4 1/2 hours back, that's love! Thanks for the support!

My brother and sis in law and niece came to visit from Utah and support me for graduation. What a blast!

My main man who I couldn't have done this without!

Graduation Weekend

2010-05-02T18:57:00.002-04:00

Internship has come to an end...

Graduation weekend is here!

Beauty with Nature

2010-04-23T11:09:00.005-04:00

Talk about Art! I'm thinking we need to get back to the basics...

These people are from Ethopia's Omo Valley. Taken by German Photographer Hans Silvester.

I cringe...

2010-03-26T16:56:00.001-04:00

What do you get a guy who has it all? How about His alma mater/favorite team memorabilia? Kev and I made this Gator quilt for his brother for Christmas.

Why do I cringe? This is the biggest rival team to the school where I'm getting my masters right now. Florida vs. Florida state= Big deal in the state of Florida.

The back.

The Latest and greatest

2010-03-24T21:45:00.000-04:00

The latest Twinklebee blanket! The request was a University of Central Florida (UCF) Blanket to wrap baby in at the games. Printed logo fabric for this school isn't currently being made. Their colors are Black and gold.

The Back

A day in the life...

2010-03-15T22:37:00.005-04:00

Of an Intern.

May 1st ladies and gentleman, May 1st.
Ive got stories, oh so many stories...

Be Mine?

2010-02-12T16:06:00.005-05:00

A little Valentines Surprise waiting for me on my desk this morning. "Be Mine?" he asks. ALWAYS.

Singing Christmas Trees

2009-12-04T13:05:00.005-05:00

We went to the Orlando's First Baptist "Singing Christmas Trees" Production to support one of my coworkers. It was cool. See all those heads in the tree? We counted around 150 in each tree.

The trees themselves had light shows on them with different colors and lights blinking to the music.

My coworkers/friends. The blonde second from the left is the one actually in the production.

It was Kev and the girls (6 to be exact) What a good sport.

The Girls.

I talked him into posing infront of the Poensetta tree too.

What a hottie! Sorry ladies, this one's taken.

Twinklebee Tags

2009-12-02T23:34:00.002-05:00

Twinklebee has new tags for our products. Embroidered- in pink, black, blue, lime green, and Red.
Lookin good little bee. Lookin good!

A recently sold blanket

Pumpkin Crunch

2009-11-25T09:22:00.004-05:00

Mmmm... Think I'm gonna try this Paula Deen delight.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (15 oz.) can fresh pumpkin

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 c. sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

2 sticks butter, cut into pieces

FROSTING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish prepared with a non stick spray. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over entire top. Sprinkle nuts evenly over cake mix and top with butter pieces. Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Prepare frosting while cake is cooling. In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light. Add in whipping cream and continue to whip until fully combined and thickening. Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.
To Serve: Scoop out a slice of the pumpkin crunch and top with a dollop of the cream cheese frosting, or frost the entire pumpkin crunch with the frosting.
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Servings: 8Prep Time: 10 minCook Time: 1 hourDifficulty: Easy

Relaxation Desperation

2009-11-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

My Friday night...

I don't think I've taken a bath since I was five. Seriously.

I've been working overtime- covering two departments at work, and planning our church area christmas party, ontop of helping a friend with realestate. Desperate need of relaxation.

RECIPE:
Jet Tub
Aromatherapy relaxation bubbles
Jim Brickman Piano Music playing
Dimmed lights
Candles lit
One husband on-call just a text away incase the bubbles took over
Oh- and People/US Weekly Magazines-

All was right in the world again....

Lately

2009-11-23T12:45:00.006-05:00

A cute little piece I added to my decor.

Went to Graffiti Junction Downtown with the girls from work. It was a blast. Karaoke, Great Music, Fun atmosphere, plenty of dancing...

Visiting Ladies from church with My primo partner Renee who had this great cookie idea. Each petal and bee are different cookies. Thanks Renee!

We've begun the painting process in the Kingdom of white walls (aka lovingly... My house).... Boy does it look good! Before and afters to come soon.

A little message from M3

Church Fall Festival that I planned.

Chili/Soup Cook off, Trunk or Treating, Costume contest.

Vote at this table for the best Chili!

Cruise Vacation Part Duece (2)- Cozumel Mexico

2009-11-06T08:03:00.012-05:00

Fresh off the boat. Mexico was BEAUTIFUL!

Walking down the sidewalk...This was the view... loved it!

Street Performer- Scared teh bejeebes out of me. I was walking along and thought it was a statue and he leaned in toward me and smiled, I did a nice little jump and grabbing of Kevan.

Spanish Nativity Set- Jesus was in a hammock on a bungalow on the beach don't you know? Duh, the wisemen wore sombraros, and we can't forget little mamacita Mary. Should have bought this.

After looking a little in the touristy area, we took a taxi to the middle of down town where all the native people live and went to a little native restaurant called, "La Choza"

The food was awesome!

It was so tropical that it had an open construction with plants hanging from the ceiling and an open courtyard.

Let's not forget the Mariachi band- Video Below

They thought I was taking a picture, so they were grinning really big, and I just kept holding up the camera cause I was recording, and they kept grinning like "common already lady". You can hear me laughing and trying to explain to kev that I was recording. They were cute. I told the guy in the middle I liked his shirt but he didn't really speak any english.

Paintings on the walls/bar of the restaurant

The people there were VERY religious, there were all kinds of crucifixs everywhere, this was one of the most creative I've seen.

After eating we decided to walk around among the local people. We met people with pictures of Hurricane Ivan that almost destroyed the whole island. We were told stories of how the island used to look, and what the culture was like. Wish I would have taken more pictures. We were the only white people in the whole area. Alot of the areas where the people lived away from the touristy stuff was run down and people poor, but very friendly. We found some neat little shops and even stumbled upon the Flea Market with all kinds of neat goods.

(sorry it's blurry) Got this ring at the flea market. LOVE IT.

Couch in a Boot Shop. They had sea turtle boots that were beautiful. Should have gotten a picture...

Back on the boat, the next day was Kevan's Birthday, I ordered him a cake and he got a big loud singing surprise at dinner. The guy next to him said, "Hey man, get your money back, They spelled your name wrong."

We laughed.

Next day at sea, we did some more of this

We also went to a karioke competition, a comedy show, and laid out on the boat deck.

I'M READY FOR ANOTHER CRUISE- HUGE FAN!

Holy Moly! Watch This!

2009-11-04T08:28:00.001-05:00

I can't even describe the amazingness of this video. The first part is cool, but the longer you watch, they jumprope while flipping, laying down, while doing sommersaults.. watch all the way to the end...Maybe I'm doing the wrong workout :)

Cruise Vacay Getaway Part One

2009-10-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

On the boat and
GRAND CAYMAN ISLANDS

Disclaimer: we were our own photographers, and I failed to take pictures of inside the actual boat... therfore, there are just lots of pictures of US :)

On the boat: Water slides, miniature golf course, pool, Casino, lots of lounges and show rooms. We went to several shows including a juggling show and comedy shows that were a blast.

First night at dinner on the boat.

The first day was a day at sea, which meant the casino, fun shows and relaxing on the boat deck sipping pinacoladas- people looked at us nutso when we asked for non alchoholic-LOVED THESE!

Second Night at dinner on the boat

One of my favorite things to do was to be on the boat deck at night. We lounged on the top deck under the stars, and stood along the railings watching the Ocean below. It was so beautiful and relaxing. Crashing waves, a large moon, a pitch black sky allowing millions of stars to appear, and an ocean breeze dancing around me playing with my hair. Ahhh.. doesn't get much better than that.

First stop: Grand Cayman Island

When we got there we looked in some shops, and got haggled by local people to do excursions and tours. All the excursions if you booked them on the boat were around $100 so we opted out- *Note to reader- always book the excursions on the island, way cheaper!

One guy talked us into a tour of the island. He gave us a history, and inside tips of the local people, more about their culture, etc. It was fascinating. First the tour took us to "HELL". I've been to HELL and Back, Have you?!? No Joke. The town's official name is HELL. We were sad we left our passports on board the boat, cause you can get a passport stamp saying you went to Hell. Here we sent out postcards that were postmarked from hell, to our parents (sorry folks, didn't have anyone else's addresses memorized!)

The Devil's Playground. It consists of natural limestone deposits on the ground (you can see behind us) Under the dirt the limestone is really white. The local people grind it up and use it to whitewash their houses.

We saw huge iguana's in Hell, walking around, laying in trees, they're all over.

This pic from here

They give you a chance to redeem yourself while in hell.

Next stop on the tour was the RUM factory. Grand Cayman markets rum and rum cakes like the orients do rice. It was crazy, they let you drink as much free rum as you wanted while you were at the factory. We opted out of course, but we did sample the Rum cakes...I can't even describe the goodness of the coconut rum cake. (all the alcohol was cooked out :) ) Kicking myself for not bringing some back!

Ahhh rum cake....

pic from here

This was the view walking down the sidewalk...

This was at a restaruant table. I'd eat there everyday for this view!

Next stop was the 7 mile Beach. The beach looks like this for 7 whole miles! There was no one on the beach, couldn't believe it, it was so Beautiful!!

Before we got back on the boat, we stopped at a local restaurant to try the local food.

Apparently the national dish in the Cayman Islands is Turtle stew. We opted for a Turtle Burger instead. It was made from sea turtle meat. Turtle meat is regulated because the turtles are endangered, so you have to buy it from the governement turtle farms. Our tour guide showed us the one restaurant (Above picture)that serves turtle on the island.

People ask what it tasted like. I compare it to lamb. It was different from anything I've ever had. Like Lamb, it has its own distinctive flavor.

We also got some Conch Chowder. VERY GOOD.

The towel animals we found waiting for us in our room every night.

When we left Grand Cayman we sat on the back of the boat on loungers and watched the view of the Islands disappear.

Other places we went not pictured:

The Aquarium where people swim with the dolphins.

The turtle farm where turtles are hatched, raised and released into the ocean.

Next Post: The Cruise continues to MEXICO!

U2 Concert!!

2009-10-28T15:05:00.000-04:00

Kev's Brithday Present- Tickets to U2 Concert, a dream of his.

First we went to...

for dinner. We ate slowly to enjoy every bite. INFO WORTH MORE THAN GOLD: THERE IS NOW A BAJIO IN TAMPA, FL!!! Can't tell you how ecstatic we were when we heard the news! Don't know what we were more excited about, Bajio or the concert :) For those who don't know its similar concept to QDOBA or Moe's, but 10 times better. The food has so much flavor. Mmmmm....

At the stadium. Their stage was amazing!

It was at the Buckaneers Stadium- Sold Out

the Pirate ship

All excited before the conert

A little U2 Love-

2009-10-28T15:00:00.002-04:00

A Beautiful Day- by U2
Better Video!

Home Sweet Salsa Home

2009-10-07T10:05:00.019-04:00

I went home to Indiana to visit my parents at the end of September, my favorite time of year there. Just a weekend trip. It was perfect, the weather, the company, the activities... all of it.

Standing on the parents back patio. (My dad's tornado proof shed)

hydrangeas still in bloom...

The only kids that are still at home.

On the way home from the airport we stopped at the American Countryside Farmer's Market. Beautiful! It's made of beautiful wood and has 3 floors of restaurants and shops full of home made items and home cooked goods (including a lot of goods from the Amish community). We had buffalo burgers for lunch, Yum!

Photo from here

There was a shop in the farmers market called "Sew Cute by Janet Bradburn", where I got this AMAZING purse.

It is machine washable, reversible, can be worn as a satchel purse of regular on the shoulder purse, and the POCKETS ARE TO DIE FOR! There are all kinds of fun prints, I went with a classic look so I could wear it with anything. Seriously favorite purse I've ever owned. When you pick it up, the straps automatically shut the top tight so nothing falls out and no one can see in your purse, when you set it down, the straps loosen and open the top.

A look at the inside. (Sorry, Didn't want to empty it out just for a picture) They use a whole pair of size 9 or larger jeans for the inside of the purse. There are pockets all the way around that are super deep. Everything has a compartment, the only thing in the big section is my wallet and glasses, no more digging for 5 minutes just to find my chapstick. Keys can be hooked on a belt loop. I have everything but the kitchen sink in here. LOVE IT!!!!

Then we were headed home to make salsa. Dad's famous salsa! I'm drooling just looking at the pictures.

Freshly blanched tomatoes, ready for peeling and slicing.

The master Chef himself, making some mean salsa.

Me and dad, hard at work. From 12:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Have I mentioned one of my favorite all time favorite snacks is Chips and Salsa- Good salsa.

The Salsa made it home safely on the airplane. Friends family and co workers who have sampled the salsa we made are begging me to share some more. I called Dad the first day back and said, "Well, the good news is, it's delicious! Bad news is, it's not going to last very long at all!"

Next: Can you guess?

Home Made Freezer Jam. Fresh berries. Flavors: Marion Berry, Iverness Berry, Raspberry.

Yum. Stocked up for the year. I'm already getting requests from those who tasted last year's jam we made.

Then we were off to visit Amish Acres! A fun attraction with shops, games, restaurant and theater revolving around the Amish culture.

The Inn at Amish Acres- wouldn't this be the coolest hotel stay?

The Round Barn Theatre. Dad said the shows in here are good.

Of course we visited all the shops at my request :)

I bought an Amish doll similar to this for my house, Notice how they don't have faces on them? Amish don't put faces on their dolls.

Everything was so country. Loved this-

And this-

You have to stand back and toss the ring that's hanging on the string and get the ring on the small hook on the post. Dad did it- I was amazed!

An after church picture. I was told I looked "very Floridian" with the huge-'ol flower in my hair.

Nothing quite like going home...

Paper Goods

2009-09-17T08:23:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine was going to throw away a little collection of these cards including ones for baby showers, birthdays etc., so I claimed them. Love em! I think I'm gonna do a craft night and Make some. Who's in for a girly craft night?

P.S. I think Allyssa made these? She's super crafty :)

Remembering Me

2009-09-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

Pic Via Gillar Girl

Thanks for all the warm wishes, kind words, and nice gifts on my special day :) Hugs to all!
A recap:

I had the whole day off work!
Internship Interview- not so birthday-ish but the only time I could fit it in.
Soup at Crispers for lunch
Transformers 2 movie at the dollar theater (robot heaven?- come on!!!....lame)
Auntie Mary surprised me and bought tickets to fly in and see me for a week- Wahoo!
My main man made me pumpkin Pie instead of cake at my request- what a keeper!

An Oldy

2009-09-11T08:43:00.004-04:00

With a birthday soon approaching I am having conversations that go something like this.
"I better enjoy these years while I'm young."
"Young? I'm on the verge of not young.. wait, I'm old!"
"I'm not Old! I'm only in my Twenties"
And then I have that conversation that starts off like... "I remember back when..." and I feel like an old soul.

As I addressed some envelopes this morning (maybe some of you are the lucky recipients), and put the stamps on, I thought, "HOLY COW! (yes, I still say holy cow :P ) I remember when stamps were 27 cents!" now I'm shuffling through my stamp stack trying to add up to 44 cents. Highway robbery I tell you!

Don't you love REAL mail? Getting the mail is my favorite part of each day (even thought it's usually junk). Make someone else's day- SEND SOMEONE SNAIL MAIL TODAY!! I have a dear family member and friend that sends me snail mail often, and i treasure each peice of mail. What a simple way to say a big I love you.

I ask, When do you cross over the threshold to, "I'm old", the point when you can't battle whether you're still a youngin any more.

LIfe's a Beach

2009-09-08T14:32:00.004-04:00

Literally for this little guy. How was your labor day?

We went to the beach! When we came back to our towels from frolicing in the ocean, as I was sitting down I saw this little guy run across my blanket. I yelped pretty loudly, drawing attention and laughter to our little spot on the beach. The lady next to us said he's been visiting our spot all day when we weren't there.... Wish she had told me this when I first got there and was laying unaware taking a cat nap that I had a little visitor that could sneak up on and pinch me pretty good.

P.s. He was a fast little guy who did not want his picture taken!

Also this lovely holiday our washer died. So we got this puppy

and her fraternal Twin:

You wouldn't imagine the deal at sears! They were 1,000 stinkin bucks off. We were just going to get the washer but it's 350 cheaper to get them both instead of seperate at different times.... So whamo! downside... it was such a good deal, that everyone bought them... they are backordered until Oct. 6...sigh... But boy oh boy I can't wait! It does 5 loads of laundry at once!

Killer Salad!

2009-08-13T07:37:00.003-04:00

Salad. It's what's for dinner.

Southwest Salad

We in the Lowe household were in need of a new salad to get our tastebuds to continue on the treck of eating healthier and lighter. So we have decided to venture into a new arena, experimenting with salad.
This is no easy task. M3 (see sidebar for his mug shot) Hates salad. He likes ONE salad that his grandma makes and I have yet to properly recreate. The above pic is what we had on our plates last night.

Southwest Chicken Salad
washed and chopped romaine lettuce
drained blackbeans
drained sweet corn
diced red pepper
southwest seasoned tortilla strips
diced red onion
southwest dressing
dab of light sour cream
a spoonful of salsa
mexian blend shredded cheese

PS- M3 had Seconds!

No Luck

2009-08-07T16:20:00.004-04:00

Well, he didn't win.... I still think he's the most loveable dog :) Thanks to all those who voted!!
PHOTO: We were playing fetch while I blog surfed on the computer. He fell asleep waiting next to my chair for me to throw the ball. Love this guy.

VOTE VOTE VOTE FOR COSMO!!!

2009-07-30T08:07:00.002-04:00

This little Love Bug has been entered in the "CENTRAL FLORIDA'S MOST LOVEABLE PET" Contest. If we win, We get a vacation at the beach which we are in desperate need of!

THIS IS THE PICTURE TO LOOK FOR! INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Voting is Friday July 31st at 12 noon until 12 midnight.
Follow these instructions, it's super easy!!

1.Go to http://www.magic107.com/

2. Click on The most loveable pet contest on the home page.

3. Scroll down to GALLERY 18 (has a picture of a gray poodle smelling flowers) and click on the link "View Gallery"

4. Cosmo is picture #6 that looks like the picture just above these instructions.

5. The link to cast your vote is on the last picture in the gallery you are looking at.

6. Choose Cosmo's picture and submit!

There is one winner out of each gallery of photos and then the winners battle it out for the position of Top Dog!

Thank you! Thank you! Ruff! Ruff!

Get Ready!!

2009-07-29T09:06:00.006-04:00

This adorable little boy has been entered in the "Central Florida's Most loveable Pet contest!!!" PLEASE VOTE!!!!!!! I will post instructions on how to vote on tomorrow's post. First round of Voting starts 12:00 Noon, this Friday, July 31st. A note from the stud Himself:

" Hi, I'm Cosmo. I'm a Yorkie. Momma says I'm the "cutest little doggy she ever did see". My personality is a spunky as my name. I would give my right paw for a good belly rub, I play dead if you say "bang", and know all sorts of other commands and tricks. I follow momma all around the house in case the perfect chance to give her some snuggles comes along. My goal in life is to catch one of those pesky squirrels that runs around in MY backyard. My idea of a perfect day is riding in the car, windows rolled down with the wind through my hair. Please vote for me! Momma needs to win this vacation, and I'd love to go with her to play on the beach!"
Couldn't have gotten this far without my fans- xoxo Cosmo