Bodacious Bits

Keeping Things Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:54:00 +0000

So, I'm all about simplifying my life right now. I have cancelled silly subscriptions and memberships, organized closets, pantries, etc, cleaned out desks, drawers, and cabinets, thrown away years worth of magazines and other junk and donated trunk loads to Goodwill. I have made new filing systems both for home and work. And now, I'm taking it a step further with my business and with blogging.

Bodacious Bits started at a time, I thought I was going to change the name of my clothing company to Bodacious Kids Apparel. Well, I never did and it seems kinda silly for me to have a blog built around that concept. So, I'm bidding farewell to Bodacious Bits and am also bidding farewell to co-blogging (made that word up)about my personal life and my business life. I would love for you to follow me over to our new family blog,

http://www.blueeyesandblueskies.blogspot.com/

And if your so inclined (which I hope you are) I would love for you to also follow me over to the new business blog

http://www.marymichaelclothing.blogspot.com/

I have been working on both of these new blogs for the past few weeks and although they are far from perfect I am ready to make the move! I hope you will add them to your reader, blog list, etc. and hope to see you over there! :)

Bunny Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 03:11:00 +0000

I have been baking all evening for this little bit's easter egg hunt and party tomorrow...

she was enjoying a cupcake before they all got decorated. If you can't tell, she thought they were really good. :) Anyhow, these are the cutest bunny cupcakes and easy to decorate, although it does take a little time. First, bake a batch of cupcakes and ice with vanilla icing and dip in shredded sweetened coconut...yum!

You could stop there and still have a hit. Or, if you want to get all cutesy, take a bunch of this stuff...

and top it on the cupcake so you end up with something like this...

They are much cuter than they look in this picture...my photography skills are definitely lacking in food close ups. :) Anyhow, I have a couple dozen packed up to send with Lucy tomorrow, and I wanted to share the idea in case you need them for a desert or treat idea for Easter weekend. By the way, they are not my idea...I saw them somewhere and remembered making them last year. Enjoy!

Ingredients
A cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
White icing
Shredded coconut
Pink decorators’ sugar
mini marshmallows
large marshmallows
jellybean, m&m's or other candy to decorate

1.Frost a cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing and sprinkle on shredded coconut fur.

2. Cut a large marshmallow in half widthwise. Squeeze each half slightly to give it an oval shape, then decorate the sticky side of each one with pink decorators’ sugar or icing and set them in place for ears.

3. Add blue m&m's or jellybeans for the eyes and place them with a bit of icing on the back to hold in place

4.Add a jelly bean nose (I forgot to buy jellybeans at the store) and mini marshmallows for cheeks. For a finishing touch, draw on decorators’ gel pupils or whiskers if you like. You can also use twizzlers (the kind that peel apart) if you can find them. Just cut them down to size.

and Again...this time Nashville

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Last weekend we packed up again and headed north to Nashville. This was an even shorter trip, leaving Saturday morning and coming back Sunday afternoon but we made the most of our time and squeezed a short visit in with more family. So off we were.

Ash's dad had called months ago asking if we would like to see Boz Scaggs in concert. Well, I said sure even though I had no idea who Boz was, so I did a quick google search and recognized a few songs. My parents were so excited for us, so obviously Mr. Scoggs is a little before my time. But none the less we were in and that was the main reason for our trip. We arrived Sarturday around lunch and ate and visited with Ashley's grandmother. And around 6, we made our way to the historic Ryman Theatre.

I didn't think camera's were allowed so I didn't bring mine in, so unfortunately, I don't have any pics of the show. In fact the only pic I have of the night is of Ashley's sister, Jessica and her date for the night, Jennifer.

Well the show was fun, but I think I had the most fun watching Ashley's dad. :) I think it's safe to say he was having a great time. And we did too. Thanks JD for the tix!!

After the show, we made our way to 2nd Avenue to have a drink and hear some more music, but somehow ended up at the Palm, which was dead.

But we enjoyed each others company and another drink before calling it a night. And thank goodness we have sense to call it a night when we did, because these girls of ours get up pretty early. We enjoyed the morning with Ashley's grandmother before packing up to head home. We made a quick top to catch cousin Jackson's baseball game.

Lucy mucked it up with the team for a while...

before making some other friends...

and then we were on the road again, back home for Birmingham. We are staying put this weekend, thank goodness. There is a ton to do around the house and Landon has a lacrosse tournament this weekend. Hopefully, the bad weather will push on through today and the sun will be back again tomorrow! Have a great weekend!

On the Road Again...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:36:00 +0000

In the past month we have been out of town every weekend. Ash and I start whistling Willy Nelson's "On the Road Again" every Friday as we pack the car...it has become our theme song. Anyhow, after our Memphis getaway, we headed up the following weekend to Paris for a trip to grandaddy's. We decided to surprise him (April fools styled) although we broke down an hour away and told him we were on our way. We knew driving up it was going to be a quick trip arriving Friday night and heading out Sunday morning but we realized it had been six months since we had been up last and we were overdue for a visit. In usual grandaddy style we were non stop the entire time. The minute we got there, the grill was lit and the kids played outside...

These two couldn't quite climb the tree so they found the next best thing...

Lynlee just sucked her thumb and took it all in...

The evening was spent playing, eating, visiting, movie watching and enjoying the awesome weather. At one point I spotted this!

It was a late night, but that didn't seem to matter...everyone was up and adam on Saturday ready for the day's activities...

Lucy is obsessed with stickers lately and somehow found some that morning...

We ate a quick bite and packed up and headed out. Lucy and Landon got an extra treat and got to ride in grandaddy's new convertable...Landon thought it was pretty cool and asks us daily if we can get one...hmmmm. :)

Our first stop was the skating rink. Landon got the hang of it quickly....

Lucy tired quickly...

but nothing a snack couldn't take care of...

even Ash gave it a shot...

and got into it :)

Afterwards, Lynlee and I headed to my sweet friends house so Lynlee could meet her new friend.

they were so funny sitting there...not sure what they are looking at...

We can't wait for more playdates with B!!!

I met back up with Ash and headed to another sweet friends engagement shower. It was a blast from the past and I got to catch up with a lot of friends I havent seen in years.

The couple (plus one :)) T and B have been dating since high school and finally bit the bullet. I am so happy for you two and can't wait for the wedding!

Ash and I had a late night but were again up bright and early along with everyone else...

some were harder to get moving than others...

We had a quick breakfast and hit the road by 9...we had a game to catch for this cutie

he is pretty awesome at this game and is loving it!

And we all love watching him...

look at this sweaty baby!

There he is #17.

He had 10 attempts that game and not one shot went in...however that all changed the next game! But I am running late so I will post about Landon and Lacrosse another time. I am off to get our day started...have a good one!

Our Days Here Lately...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:59:00 +0000

...are nothing too exciting. We have been in and out of town on the weekends which are always fun. But our weekday is more or less the same. Lynlee pretty much hangs out here...

...at least for the hour after she eats. Otherwise, she's on her tummy playing. But she spits up so much after eating that I force her to play in the exersaucer. She doesn't love it, but in her sweet Lynlee fashion doesn't give me a hard time about it either. :)

Lucy has decided she wants to start using the potty. But, I have no interest in potty training now, so what to do!? Well, we keep a diaper on, because she's not really interested in potty training either...only if she wants to. But for the past few days, thats all she wants to do. So, she pretty much hangs out here...

And Landon stays busy doing this...

or playing this...

And I pretty much hang out here...

...getting clothes sewn and out the door. If you placed an order, it should be arriving any day. We have been shipping them out daily for the past week and should have them all out the door by the end of this week! But for now, I'm off to get us out the door for Landon's game at 5!

Her Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:43:00 +0000

My morning routine usually consists of me feeding Lynlee and then leaving her in her highchair with some toys while I grab a shower. Yesterday, when I went to check on her, this is what I found...

Lucy was feeding "my baby" as she kept telling me.

It was too cute not to capture and Lucy did a pretty good job of feeding her baby.

Lynlee was a trouper...

...but kept looking at me to make sure I was aware that her 2 year old sister seemed to be in control of her breakfast. :)

Sweet girl!

Giving thanks today for all my babies!

An Aha Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:06:00 +0000

This past week has been such a poweful and enlightning time for me. I have been struggling lately, and couldn't really put my finger on it. I couldn't name exactly what I ws struggling with. It has taking me six months and this book to figure out that I have been struggling with TIME!

Not necessarily managing my time or running late, but there just wasn't enough hours in the day. I know that anyone reading this has felt like this at some point or another. I would wake up and almost instantly get in a bad mood when I would start to "plan" my day. It was really affecting me. So I started working out thinking I needed a stress reliever. Well that only made things worse. Although I feel great physically, it was just another thing to do in my day and one more thing added to the calendar. Anyhow, time has been getting the best of me.

SO, I started this online bible study based on this book by Ann Voskamp.

My sister asked me to do it with her and relunctly I accepted another item on my ever growing to do list. You may be thinking I need to learn how to say "no" and you could be right. However, last week I read chapter 4, and the answer to this problem was staring me right in the face. So I wanted to share with you with some excerpts from the book and this partiular chapter, chapter 4 'A Sanctuary of Time'

"Time is a relentless river. It rages on, a respector of no one. From the time the alarm rings and I stir on our pillows touching, stretch over his bare back and check those relenetless hands keeping time on that clock. The time, always the time, I'm an amateur tring to beat the time...We race. The barn...and hurry. The breakfast....and hurry. The books, the binders...and hurry. In a world addicted to speed, I blur the moments into one unholy smear. I have done it. I do it still. Hands of the clock whip hard. So I push hard and bark hard and I fall hard and when their wide eyes brim sadness and thier chins tremble weak, I am weary and I am the thin clear skin, reflecting their fatigue, about to burst, my eyes glistening their same sheer pain."

{A little side note, so some of the above makes since, Ann Voskamp is married to a farmer and they have 6 children. }I can't tell you how the above excerpt hit home for me. I have been noticing my patience dwindling faster than usual at my kids and always always when we were pressed for time.

"The hurry makes us hurt...They say time is money, but that's not true. Time is life, And if I want the fullest of life, I need to find the time...I don't really want more time, I just want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You the glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done...I just want time to do my one life well"

How many of you are shouting "Amen" right now!?!? I know I am. :) She continues...

"In Christ, don't we have everlasting existance? Don't Christians have all the time in eternity, life everlasting? If Christians run out of time - wouldn't we lose our very own existance? If anyone should have time, isn't it the Christ-followers?"

Okay, that does make sense!

"When I fully enter time's swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here. I can slow the torrent by being all here. I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment"

I know, I know. We have all hear this a million times from one another, in songs, poems, books, etc...But here is the rest of the answer and my aha moment...

"[the present] This is where God is. In the present. I AM - His very name...I AM so full of the weight of the present that time's river slows to a still...and God himself is timeless."

WOW! I can't tell you how powerful those words were and are to me.

"Giving thanks...is ultimately an invitation to slow time down with weight of full attention. Thanks makes now a sanctuary...Thank God for the time, and very God enter that time, presence hallowing it. True, this, full attention slows time and I live the full moment, right to outer adges. I awake to I AM here. When I'm present, I meet I AM, the very presence of a present God. In HIS embrace, time loses all sense of speed and stress and space and stands so still...and holy."

This struggle that I had been dealing had such an easy simple answer...Enjoy and relish in the present, the only time I have. Notice the smallest of things and give thanks to Him for every bit of it! By the way, thats the premise of the book, hence the title...One Thousand Gifts. I highly recommend getting a copy for yourself and taking part in her same journey! I am very much enjoying the book and journey myself.

Anyhow, I'm off to lay down with these sweet girls of mine...and giving thanks for sunny afternoon naps!!

Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Ummm, yeah. So my sister texted me last night to inform me that none of my pictures were showing up on my last post. Instead of clicking save I clicked post, hence the crazy post from yesterday. Anyhow, the pictures are now up and the post should make a lot more sense!! :) Sorry!

A Better Spring Break and Baby Swim Suit Bottoms

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:52:00 +0000

So after a disasterous Day 2 of spring break, I am happy to report that the rest of the week was great. We went to the park and the zoo and ended our week with a weekend trip to Memphis. I had lots on our to do list and was able to do most of it. It was nonstop from the moment we arrived. We left Friday around lunch time, took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up driving the back roads of Alabama for a while, but still made it on time arriving around 4 to our hotel...

we unloaded, unpacked, freshened up, and headed here...

We met some dear old freinds and their daughter at the restaurant and enjoyed their company. Ash and Jason have been freinds since they were 10 years old...

The kids played in the alley during our suprisingly short wait...

and then, Yum, Yum, Yum. They have the very best ribs in the whole wide world and as soon as the food got to the table, there was silence...

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, visited a while longer and headed to bed. Did I mention, that we were on the 25th floor!? I'm not a big fan of heights and was freaked out to be up so high, so I spent half the night figuring out every possible escape route from the 25th floor for every possible situation requiring escaping! :)

Saturday we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, had breaksfast at the hotel and then ah-uh headed to see the King!

or his house at least. Landon is on an Elvis kick so we paid the hefty price to see his digs. All I can say is that I have been there and done that. Here are a few pics of his plane and his house.

A few facts for you...did you know Elvis was a twin?? Unfortunately his twin brother was stillborn at birth. And did you know that Elvis is buried at Graceland?

Anyhow, I can sleep easy at night, knowing I have seen Graceland! :)

Later that night we went to see the Memphis Grizzlies play.

This was Landon's first NBA game and he had a ball...no pun intented.

We had pretty good seats and Memphis won!

After the game we headed here for a bit...

we got there and then remembered we had Landon with us (ha!) and instead went to the Peabody for desert.

It was late when we got back to the hotel, so we all went to bed and slept in until 9 the next morning...unheard of for my clan!

Sunday morning, we ate breakfast again at the hotel, packed up, checked out and made our way to the Memphis Zoo.

This zoo is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

We were there a good 4.5 hours and still were not able to see everything. We all had a blast and were sad to leave, but had to get on the road. Within minutes, both girls were asleep and we were back on the highway headed back to the ham. So, spring break '11 ended with a bang!
Swithcing tunes, at one of our shows, a customer ordered our bloomers without the ruffle as a swim suit bottom for her 18 month old little boy, which is perfect for babies! So we now offer swim suit bottoms for baby boys...

Since, my model cannot walk and can barely sit up we had a hard time displaying these cute bathing suit diaper covers...but you get the point...

At only $15, you can't beat it! Contact us to order yours today -sales@marymichaelclothing.com
And we are working on a little something for all the baby girls out there...so stay tuned...

Spring Break (only 2 days in) ...help!!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Ummmm, what exactly do you do with an 8 year old, a 2 year old, and a baby?? No, really! This is not a hypothetical question. I'm really stumped. And, since the rest of Birmingham is out of town there is NO ONE for Landon to play with, which leaves him hanging with me and the baby girls. I thought about McWane, but then quickly remembered how crowded it is during any school break and just as quickly nixed the idea. Thought about the park, but with all the rain yesterday and last night, figured the equipment would be wet. Almost went to the zoo, but have a play date scheduled Thursday for that and are planning on hitting the Memphis zoo this weekend. So, we ended up doing absolutely nothing! It is almost 4:30 and Landon is still in his pajamas and has pretty much been parked here all day...

The baby is still in her pajamas, although we changed into a new pair after breakfast. She is all over the place lately...

And no, shes not all beaten up, the marks on her face are from all the fun she had getting into the mess Lucy made with her crayons and markers....

and Lucy is well, just a mess in general...

She has been dressed today and we are currently on outfit number 4!

And I have had the most productively unproductive day! And even though I feel like the worst mom ever today, I think they have enjoyed doing absolutely nothing! They better enjoy it now, because we will be making up for it tomorrow and I have have been working on our itinerary for Memphis this weekend and its nonstop the entire weekend. Alright, I'm off to go attempt to at least cook for my children today! :)

The Dentist, Warm Weather, and a Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:25:00 +0000

I bet you have no idea what this post is about! What, with such a clever title and all. :) ha So, its no surprise that I'm not the most dedicated blogger...I always have great intentions, just not enough time. My excuse this month was the fact that our second home was at the pediatricians office. I may have to take a second mortgage out to pay for all the doctors office visits and co-pays. I feel like we lived up there in February and I really think our co-pays added up to equal our mortgage payment! In addition to all the doc visits we also paid a visit to the dentist. We were all overdue for a visit and Lucy is now 2 and has never been, and well, I really don't care to ever go back with her! Whew! Well, you know he did just fine...

...no cavaties, straight teeth, needs to work on the flossing, but other than that, perfect!

He let Lucy watch so she wouldn't be scared...

But the poor girl had a cavity and I'll leave you guessing on how that went. Here's a clue, I have no pictures of Lucy at the dentist! :)

So, now we are all over the flu, strep, ear infections, crazy rashes, etc, etc, etc and we also have clean and healthy teeth and gums. And hopefully the warmer weather will keep it that way.

Speaking of, we have thoroughly enjoyed the warmer temps and sunshine. We have enjoyed playing outside with trips to the zoo and park...

and taking morning or afternoon walks.

Looks who is sitting up in the stroller!

Lucy is really starting to conversate and loves to point out all she knows...literally!

And finally, lil man had a birthday. He's really not so lil anymore as he informed me "I'm not really little anymore because I'm like 8!" Oh lordy. And instead of toys and video games this year he asked for a pair of shoes "all black with a red rhino on them" So, I googled that and ummmm no! I went looking for a comparable pair that were still cool but not gangster and ended up with a pair of All-Stars and he loves them!

He is such a laid back and easy going boy! I love him for that! I also love what a ~~good~~ great brother he is...

and for that smile thats always on that handsome face!

He melts my heart with his big heart and sweet demeaner, and he keeps me on my toes with his competative spirit and brains! That combination has lead to a lot of talking back lately, but sometimes his "logic" stops me dead in my tracks! :) He's one smart boy.

Anyhow, we had his favorite, tacos...

and opened up more presents...some more shoes and shorts...

...and some money!

Since he was turning 8, we each gave him eight dollars in the form of one dollar bills! He loved it if you can't tell! :)

Happy Birthday Landon...I love you more than you know!!

I'm headed out now to work in the yard...enjoy your weekend and the beautiful weather it brought!!

Mary Michael Children's Apparel Premier Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:42:00 +0000

So, we have some catching up to do...I mean some real catching up. See, I started this blog to initially talk about my business. What business your asking? Well, about 4 years ago I started up my own childrens line, aptly named Mary Michael. I quickly came up with a line of samples (thats a story in itself since I did not sew at the time) and made my way to Atlanta market and sold the clothes wholesale to children's boutiques. I sold more than I ever could have imagined and ended up having the line carried in over 100 stores throughout the southeast. Well, that "success" soon took its toll and after 18 months I had to take a breather. So the business became idle and has been until now.

http://i745.photobucket.com/albums/xx96/bodaciousbits/mmllclogo.jpg

I joined up with Shanon and we have decided to change gears a little and sell the clothes directly to our customers through private shows, website and catalogue.

We offer whimsicle appliqued playclothes in sizes 6 months through 6X. You can mix and match our peices and you have the option to buy only what you need...each piece is priced seperatly. You can add an applique to anything or take an aplique off, you can add a monogram or choose to leave the outfit blank without any embroidery. You make the item what you want!

We have worked so very hard to get this collection just right and I am so happy with it and so excited to share it with you!

I hope you love these outfits as much as we do...

We will be having a show tomorrow at Soho Sweets off of Oxmoor Road in Edgewood (Homewood, Alabama). We would love to see you there!

And if you are able to make the show tomorrow, there will be an entire rack full of fall/winter items ALL marked at just $5! Can't beat that!

This is just a little sneak peak at the Spring & Summer line, but if you want to see the entire collection, check out our website www.marymichaelclothing.com We are still trying to get our online payment system up and going and are hoping that gets resolved asap. But feel free to call or email us if you are interested in placing an order or if you have any questions or comments...we want to hear from you! :) Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful warmer weather!

Unwintery Weather and a Sneak Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:37:00 +0000

I'm not even sure if unwintery is a word but none the less we had some last weekend. It has been a cold and wet winter but last weekend was sunny and the temps rose into the 70's, so we hit the door to enjoy the day outside. We loaded up with bikes, books, bottles, plenty of snacks and drinks and made our way downtown to the Railroad Park. If you have not been yet, you are missing out!! It is awesome both for kids and adults. So we laid out a blanket, unloaded and enjoyed our morning and early afternoon.

Ash and the older 2 ran off first thing to the playground. So, Lynlee and I laid out on the blanket and got some much needed rest. We also snuck in a mini photo shoot. These pics turned out really good and I may even mat and frame a few for the house. It does help to have, in my opinion, the cutest of baby models! :)

Then the other half came back over for more play...

We took a break to eat a snack and refuel. While doing so, I snapped this picture of Landon while he was drinking a Capri Sun...

and it turned out so good, I convinced him I needed to get a few more to turn into Capri Sun for a commercial (ha!)...he got really into it! :)

Then it was back to more play...

And since, I ended up with so many pics of Lynlee and Landon, I went after Lucy next. She was too busy playing babies though to look my way...no surprise there. :)

After a few hours we were all worn out!

Mission accomplished! :)

We came home and napped. But the weather was still so gorgeous we decided to grill out and eat as fresco and enjoy the outside a little more...

All in all, we made the most of the unwintery weather while it lasted. Today we are back to cold and wet with sleet and freezing rain...boo! I am so ready for spring and its warmer weather!! And to get you in the mood too, here is a sneak peak at our Crab criss cross top with a bloomer!

The entire line will be up for everyone to see on our website www.marymichaelclothing.com next week, if not earlier, so be sure to check it out! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Meet Shanon

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:03:00 +0000

So, I have teased with some exciting changes and news that I have and I'll begin with Shanon!

Shanon is my new business partner! We joined forces in Novemeber in what I could only describe as God's doing. Shanon and I met at church through Sunday School at the beginning of last year and would have described each other as aquaintances, up until a gorgeous fall day at Homewood Park. A mutual friend of ours set up a play date there, Shanon and I got to talking and next thing we know, we are in business together!

Shanon is married and has two daughters. Her youngest daughter is Lucy's age and the 2 of them are our right hand girls! :) Shanon and her family have become great friends of ours. I have more fun working with this girl and more often than not, our husbands question whether these "business meetings" are anything but. But thats why we have so much fun, because while we grab a little dinner and enjoy a little cocktail, we do conduct business and have the best time doing so. She and I compliment each other well and I am so excited to have her on board!!

We have been working non stop on our premier collection and cannot wait to show it to yall! So stay tuned for a sneak peak and details on our first show coming up next weekend!!

So This is Christmas and the Last of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:55:00 +0000

So this post was supposed to be all about Christmas but this is all I got...

the picture for our christmas card...

cutting down a tree with Papa...

and Landon getting to help hang Christmas lights outside...

And thats it. Of course, I have hundreds of others, but you see I got my camera card switched with Ashley's grandmothers and thought I had gotten all of my pics off of her card before I gave it to her, but didn't. So, now our cards are switched back, only all of my pictures from Chritmas and New Years are still on her card with her in Nashville. Whew! So, since January is just about over and I have a ton of new stuff I have been wanting to blog about but didn't because I wanted to blog about the rest of 2010, and well, anyway, I just decided to settle on my 3 chirtmas pictures that I do have. Whew again! I'll stop now. :)

One of my best freinds hosted a New Years Eve party to welcome in 2011 and it was a BLAST!! Ash and I were fortunate that my mom was willing to babysit overnite, so we had the night to ourselves! We enjoyed every minute of it, at least I did. A few of us may have had too much fun if you know what I mean. Anyhow, the pictures pretty much speak for themselves...

the hostest with the mostest...Julie & Steve

the delicous dinner that they prepared,cooked, and served to all 30 of us! It was delicious!!

the men (some of them)

and the women (some of us)

the fun is getting started now...cheers!

lots of dancing...

and oh the heels...these won the prize!

Waiting on the coutdown...

Countdown is on...5...4...

and the shoes start coming off after midnight...

and then the real fun began! :)whats that now...

Happy New Years!!!

It was an awesome time and a great way to welcome the new year! 2010 was a bittersweet year with a lot of sadness with the divorce of my parents and a whole lot of joy with the birth of sweet Lynlee. I'm thankful for my health and happiness and for the health and happiness of my children and I'm so thankful for this life I get to live! So long 2010 and I can't wait to see whats in store for 2011! And I can't wait to show you what I have in store of 2011...so stay tuned!!

a Birthday and a Baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:07:00 +0000

This post has been sitting in my blogger for a while and just needed some pictures uploaded. So, this one is also a loooong post with some information that I wouldn't have added so late in the game, but like I said it has been written since November. Anyhow, back in mid-Novemeber we had a celebratory weekend for the girls. Lucy was turning two on the 17th and Lynlee was approaching 10 weeks and had a certain gown to fit into. So, we decided to fit the festivities into one weekend. I'm pretty sure our out of town family appreciated one less road trip. :)

And what a fun 2 years it has been! She has earned many nicknames, LucyLu, Lulu, Lucy Goosy, Luigi (don't ask), Goosy Girl, and she has the personality to match up to all of them.

She is the sweetest, most loving, independent, free spirited little girl with a heart of gold and is F-U-N-N-Y! This girl has us and everyone else cracking up all the time. Here she is wearing every gift she could...

We celebrated last weekend with a big circus themed birthday bash...

with plenty of hotdogs, popcorn, and cotton candy....

and the kids ate and ate and ate...

...and played and played and played...

One day, I will learn, that I could simply serve cake and ice cream and let kids jump on the trampoline and call it a party. That trampoline has never failed me at any party...and check out that hair!!??

We had games set up all over and we busted up a pinata...

and we sang Happy Birthday. And would you believe Lucy got just a little shy with all of her friends and family singing to her!!??

Her shyness was short lived and as soon as the singing stopped she went to town blowing out those candles!

The next morning we got up bright and early for Lynlee's baptism. We arrived on right on time and the service went beautifully. Would you also believe that with all the family we had there on both sides, that the sermon was about toxic family members!!?? So funny in my opinion, because you know we all have them! :)I am so appreciative of all of our family and friends who love my children and were there to witness my sweet Lynlee being given to our Lord.

"And he took he children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them" Mark 10:16

There was a program immediately after the service so we weren't able to take any pictures at church. But we were able to take some afterwards at home...

The above pic is Lynlee's godparents or should I say godfamily. :)Its my sister Tiffany and her family. I so appreciate them driving up from Auburn.

The gown was made by my great aunt, Edna Mae, for me as a baby and has now been worn by both of my daughters.

I monogrammed it with all of our initials and the dates of our baptism, and am wondering whether to frame it and hang it in the nursery, or have it preserved for later generations...hmmm.

Afterwards, we had a baptismal brunch at our home that was so easy and delicious!

Because everything with the exception of the macaroni and cheese could be made ahead of time and served cold. I served it all with a honeybaked ham and white bisuits (that my brother-in-law made and brought with them) and an Edgars starwberry cake, which is hard to beat. So here you go...I'll let you in on the best kept secret, when serving a large group on a limited budget and time :) Enjoy!

Broccoli Salad
2 bunches of broccoli - florets only
6 slices of crispy bacon crumbled
1/2 c raisin (I prefer golden raisins)
1/2 c red onion
sunflower seeds

Mix together and toss with dressing - 1 c may, 1 c sugar, & 3TB red wine vinegar. I made this the night before (usually better that way anyways) but added the bacon right before serving because otherwise it gets soggy and not so crispy.

Fruit Salad
1 large can of pineapple tidbits
4 medium bananas
sliced strawberries
red or green grapes (I use both)
blueberries
1TB butter
1/2 c sugar
1 TB flour
1 egg

Drain pinapple and save juice. Beat egg, add sugar, flour and butter. Heat mixture on medium until bubbly and gradually add pineapple juice. Stir constantly until think (like pudding). Cool and store in refrigerator. When ready to serve pour mixture over fruit and toss. I washed and sliced all fruit and tossed in 2 TB of lemon juice to prevent browning the night before. I also made the "dressing" the night before as well. And put it all together aboiut 1 minute before we ate...decicious and easy!

Baby Blue Salad
bag of field greens
sliced strawberries
can of mandarin oranges (drained)
almonds
blue cheese
raspberry walnut vinaigrette
olive oil

Mix vinaigrette and olive oil 2 to 1. Combine all other ingredients and toss with dressing right before serving. Make as much or as little as possible. I made up the salad and dressing the night before. And right before serving I added the almonds and blue cheese and tossed with the dressing.

I'm almost there and caught up on my blogging from 2010, but I still have a few more posts before I can start on the new year. Up next...So this is Christmas...

Rebel Football and A Lot to be Thankful For Recap (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:14:00 +0000

So here's another recap from this past fall. Just a warning that this is a loooong post and I know that the subject is old, but for my memory and this blog, I have to write about it...so here we ago again. Way back last year and maybe even the year before that, Landon started to beg to play football. I know we had a good excuse one year (he was too young) and last year I'm sure I made one up. But this year, we bit the bullet and signed him up for his first season of tackle football with the Vestavia Rebels!

I was pretty nervous about the whole thing, but from day one he loved it and I loved to watch him. It's no surprise that he had some natural ability (and I know some of yall are rolling your eyes, but he is my son, so I can brag a little, okay? :)) and the coaches did take a liking to him immediately. They had him on the line both on offense and defense.

At first he was a little upset about this. This is the first sport he had played were he would not be able to score (and be cheered for) and he started having some doubts about this whole game of football...but then Papa entered the picture...

Aside from Ash and I, he was Landons #1 fan. He was there for almost every practice and definitely every game and he talked to and coached Landon on how important his position was. One of his positions (left tackle?) is what is known as the blind side and according to Papa this is the second highest paid position after the quarterback in the NFL...who knew!! Anyhow, after all the pep talks, Landon was all in it again...

He played nearly the entire games only getting out ocassionally to catch his breath...

And after hearing his name announced on the loudspeaker for making the tackle or recovering the fumble, he really started to embrace the game and his position. His team had a pretty good season and made it to the last rouund of playoffs. This was the last huddle of the year after losing in the playoffs.

Landon was so lucky to get the coach he got, Coach Kevin. He played at the University of Alabama and was know as "Touchdown Turner" and helped them win the 92' National Championship with Stallings. He then went on to play in the NFL for the Philadephia Eagles and the New York Patriots and even played in the Super Bowl (although was on the losing team) However, how cool that Landon's first coach and the coach that taught him the foundations of this sport has such a history and legacy. And let me tell you what an awesome coach he was. Some of the others team's coaches were the type that try and live their own glory days (or lack there of) through the kids and would argue and yell and go completely over board about 8 year old football. Our coach had so much class, never lost his temper and wanted to teach the boys the love of the game which he did. Later in the season, we found out that Kevin had just been diagnoes with ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease and while fighting the fight of his life, was still taking the time to coach mine and other children.

I cannot say enough good things about this man. We are so grateful to have had him as our coach and can't wait to get him next year! :) He is the father of three kids the youngest being on Landons team and he is in for the fight of his life and the prognosis seems grim. But I beleive in the power of prayer and in miracles so please say a little prayer for him and his family! Thanks Coach Kevin for an awesome season!!

The news of coach Kevin hit hard and close to home and seemed to be followed by more bad news and more bad news. This Thanksgiving, I hit my knees and prayed hard for all of our family and freinds who had been struck with one thing after another and gave thanks for all of the blessings in my life...namely these 3!

A lot of the bad news, had to do with little ones, and I will spare you the details, but it made me realize how much I take for granted. So, my thanksgivings for Thanksgiving were no brainers. These three are everything to me and I love them with every fiber of my being...

And if your thinking Landon looks like a conquistadors, well, he does, it was part of a school program! :) Anyways, moving on, I don't have any pictures from Thanksgiving day, sad I know. But we ended up driving north to Nashville to spend the holiday with Ash's family. His sister hosted dinner at her new house in Brentwood and everybody got along and everything was delicious...what more could you ask for!? The day after we loaded up the crew and headed to a japanese steak house (one of our favorites) and ate way to much. The kids had fun watching the chef...

and Lucy didn't know what to think...

After dinner, Ash and I took the boys (Landon and his cousin Jackson) to a Nashville Predators game...

It had been a loooong time since I had been to a hockey game, and I had forgotten how much fun they were!!

We had a blast and I'm not sure who had more fun, Landon or myself!!!

Anyway, my little family has so much to be thankful for and I try to remind myself of that each and every day! Up next, a Birthday and a Baptism!

Hello Again and a Tiny Little Recap (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Hey there my friends! It has been awhile and you have been missed. Life has been a whirlwind around here! I ain't gonna lie...life with three kiddos is super busy and a lot more work, but I have triple the fun and laughs. I'm pretty sure my last post was from way back in October and did not include Halloween...so here is recap part 1. I realize most of you don't really care, but for my own memory, here we go...

This was Lynlee's first Halloween and a good one it was! First, one of our favorite places and a place we seem to spend a lot of time in, had there own trick or treating...

can you tell where we're at? Publix of course...duh! (We are there every other day and my kids beg to go with me for the free cookie, colors, & coloring book) :) Brother and sister had a ball trick or treating grocery store style and I think the pictures are hilarious.

We were a little late doing our pumpkins ~~this~~ errr, last year, carving on the day of Halloween, so I never got a picture of them all lit up, but here is Lucy with her pumpkin...

...and Landon with his...

Lynlee had one too, but I'm sure she was sleeping while we were carving. Anyhow, for Halloween, we had a witch...

with her trusty black cat...

so cute & and happy!

and how could we forget Mario?!

Mario is one of my favorite costumes to date. Every time I looked at him, I was cracking up. Here's another shot with his werewolf cousin...

We went over to my sisters neighborhood which wins the best neighborhood for halloween award over any other neighborhood. They do it right over in Crestline. And we did it right by trick or treating in a California Roadster that Aunt Holley got for her birthday! Even Lynlee was able to get in on the trick or treating fun riding along with everyone!

Little side note, Holley had a masquerade birthday party the night before Halloween. She got a face painter to paint masks on all the girls and we had a cockatail pre party and then loaded up on a chartered bus to Sloss Furnace Haunted House. It was one of the funnest parties I have been too in a while. And I did not want to wash my mask off it looked so good and was so festive! However, it did not make it to Halloween night. :)

So theres my recap for Lynlee's first halloween aka Halloween 2010! Up next, Rebel Football and A Lot to be Thankful for...

You May Need This...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:01:00 +0000

So, I have noticed that I am slowly becoming brand loyal and wanted to share a few products that I can no longer do without. They make my life easier and make me feel good. So, without further ado...

L'oreal Double Extension Mascara This stuff is AMAZING! It does wonders for me. I need mascara...it seems to do wonders to the way I look. As long as I have it on, I am good to go. But his stuff goes way beyond that. My lashes are fuller, thicker, longer, it doesn't run, and comes off super easy with water. Being a mother of 3 kids, I sadly start most of days without a shower, and this stuff makes that sad reality a little bit better! :) Seriously, it is way cheaper than department store make-up brands and works better than any other mascara I have use hands down! Go get you some today! :)

Hav you heard of these Gorilla products. They make glue (any kind of glue you can think off) and I just found they make duct tape. Gorilla Duct Tape is the mother of all duct tapes! I used this stuff to hang Halloween decorations and will be using it this weekend for birthday decorations. I have used it on the back of frames to stick to the wall so they won't slant, we have used it to fix toys, hold batteries into place (we lose that little peice of plastic that hold batteries in all the time) We use it all the time. Trust me, you need this. You can find it at Lowes. :)

Pledge Multi Surface Cleaner has made my life a million times easier. I just cleaned my house for the first time in a long time and I was able to clean it in half the time. You can use it for everything; glass, wood, tile, electronics. And it really works and does not leave any sort of streaks. AWESOME! Enough said.

An oldy but goody. Libby's Pure Pumpkin is, well, just a necessity during the holidays. And if you recall, there was a shortage last year, and I have read that there is a shortage this year too. I haven't paid enough attention to know whether that is true or not, but now I don't have to because I found plenty at the Dollar Store. And its only $1 :) I have stocked up and you should too.

And since I was able to find plenty of Libby's, I was able to make plenty of pumpkin butter...one of my favorites! Since I didn't have to make my own puree, it was really easy. Here's the recipe:

Take your pumpkin puree or can(s) of Libby's and empty into a large pot. Add your favorite fall spices to taste...I used lots of cinnamon, a litte clove, some ginger, sugar, brown sugar, apple pie spice, and a smidge of salt. Heat on medium until is starts to bubble and then let simmer until thick about 35 minutes.

I realize that picture may not be the most appetizing, but once you can your pumpkin butter and "do dad" it up...it looks pretty and yummy! And your house will smell good too!

Happy Fall Y'all!

Happy Owl-a-Ween

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 03:48:00 +0000

If your like me and often wait to the last minute to do things, I might can help you out. That is, if you need a last minute something for Halloween. These little things are pretty cute and they really are easy. However, they take a little time to assemble and it will require a trip to Cracker Barrel. Cracker Barrel carries moonpies and as of Thursday, they are the only place in Birmingham that has them. Again, this one really easy project took me all day because I drove around town looking for moon pies...I just had to have them. :)

Well, luckily I did find them [at Cracker Barrel] and I am glad I did, because these lil' owls turned out super cute. I had intentions of making them both for Lucy and Landon's class. But since it took me so long to find the dagum moon pies, I ran out of steam that night. Come to find out, Landon's class did not even have a Halloween party...say what!? Since when did schools stop having Halloween party's?! Anyhow, start with this...

and then you twist apart the oreos (the hardest part of this project) and assemble like this...

you "glue" everything on with icing or melted chocolate (I used white chocolate chips only because I had them on hand) then you wrap them up in a cellophane bag and tie with a cute ribbon. Ta Da....

Happy "Owl-a-Ween"!

Really Really Cute

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:15:00 +0000

I have a problem. I have a problem with cute things. I really really like cute things! And really, who doesn't!? But I have the bad habit of thinking "oh, I can do that" or "that would be so easy" and a lot of times I think "I can do it myself and save some money". WRONG, WRONG, and WRONG! Rarely, can I do a project without a few choice words thrown out in the middle of it, rarely does it actually turn out easy, and never do I save money doing it myself.

And, then I get to thinking, why on earth do I do this to myself! I mean, can't I just think something is cute without having to try and recreate it myself. I mean its not like I take the credit. I am always the first to admit, that I really am not creative, but I am AWESOME at Googling [for ideas]! :) And do any of my children really care if they have a cute cake or cute treat to hand out to their friends. They might have some fleeting thought that "hey, this is kinda cool" before licking all the icing off to eat and cramming the rest of it in their little mouths. Gasp...those were made to be oooh and ahhhed over not eaten!! :) Are ya with me!!??

Anyhow, you may know where this post is headed but if not, I have been making some really really cute Halloween things the past few days. Landon's school was having a bake sale and asked every 2nd grade family to make a cake. I went about trying to find a recipe and stumbled across this really really cute Halloween cake. Not only was it really really cute but it looked pretty easy. And as easy as it was, it took took me ALL day long to make. Because once I ran to the grocery for all of these ingredients...

I came home to realize I was a couple of eggs short for the cake batter. So don't forget about these staples either....

and you'll defintely need some of this...

Publix didn't have any licorice. So in hopes of saving some time (ha!) I decided I do everything but the licorice part and would go find that on the way to church that night. Well, let me tell you, that turned out to be a nightmare. Because none of the stops on the way to church had black licorice. So that ended up requiring a trip to Wal-Mart after church and after the kids went to bed! Whew! Luckily the cake turned out really really cute even if it was 10 hours after starting it.

So, here is the easy recipe along with some of my notes to make it easier.

INGREDIENTS

Box of cake of your choice (and all the ingredients it will require, usually 3 eggs and vegetable oil)
1 cans of chocolate frosting
1 can of vanilla frosting
red food coloring
4 ziploc bags (whatever size you have on hand will work)
chocolate sprinkles (big tub found at Publix)
black licorice (found at Wal-Mart)

*Bake (2) 9inch cakes according to box directions, let cool.

*Ice the cake with chocolate icing

*Sprinkle top of cake with chocolate sprinkles until covered

*Make 2 circles with vanilla icing for eyes and top with 2 brown m&m's or make 2 circles on top of the white circles with chocolate icing

*Make a smaller circle with red icing for nose

*place 8 peices of licorice (4 on each side) on cake for legs

{Note - You can make these as cupcakes with the skinny strings of black licorice but good luck finding that!! :)}

And there ya have it. A really really cute spider cake!

And don't forget these Lil Piggies....

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:22:00 +0000

...they make my heart melt!

I know I am biased, but I think she's the cutest thing in the world!!

And I think she knows it too. She tends to get a little of a 'tude when she's sporting those piggie tales!

Have a great day!!

This Lil' Piggy...

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:07:00 +0000

...went to the doctor last Friday for her one month check up...

...and this lil' piggy weighs 11 lbs 11 oz!!

She has gained 3 pounds and grown an inch in just 5 weeks. Her one month (5 weeks) stats are 11 lbs 11 oz and 22 inches. That puts her in the 75% for weight and 50% for height. Lynlee is a healthy growing baby girl and we are loving her more and more each and every day!

Ramblings...Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Warning...this is a long post and all over the place. I always have a million things I intend on blogging about, but never seem to find the time to actually blog about all of them. However, I have devoted all of today's nap time to attempt it. Hopefully, I won't bore you too much! :)

This past Friday was Ashley's birthday. So, we celebrated with some friends on Thursday. One of the friends shares a birthday with Ash, so it was double the fun!

We all had a blast, but this was my first night out without kids and with a beverage (or two) in hand in a long time..I think I may have had more fun than anyone else, but I assure you I paid the price later that night! :)

Ash also shared his birthday with Lynlee who turned a month old on Friday. I already feel like time is passing me by...where exactly have the past 4 weeks gone!? She is still sweet as can be and growing way too quick. I haven't taken her in for her 1 month check up (note to self to make an appointment for this week) but she is eating 4 ounces every 3 hours and is slowly getting on a night time schedule, taking her last bottle at 10 ish and making it all the way to 3 am. This is working well for me, because very little sleep was starting to catch up to me. I now know I am getting at least 5 straight hours of sleep, but anything after 3 am is a little up in the air. She gets pretty squirmy and really likes to be held while she sleeps until her next bottle at 6am. That time is bittersweet because while I love snuggling with her and dozing off a bit, I can't help but want to be sleeping laying down in my bed!! But I know this time is precious, so I am trying my best to enjoy every ~~sleepless~~ minute of it. Here is sweet Lynlee at one month...

and just for fun, here is Lucy. I'm pretty sure I can imagine how Lynlee is going to look in year from now!

Ash wanted to head to Paris for his birthday, so Friday morning, we packed up and finally got out the door around 2pm to make our trip up. On the way up there, we had to make a pit stop so we opted to stop at a Dunkin Donuts, where I got the BEST cup of coffee EVER!! I swear it was the best I have had. With the lack of sleep I have had lately, I have become quite the coffee connoisseurs. Not sure if you have ever seen the Dunkin Donuts coffee commercial where people still half asleep are somehow dragged to the store to get their DD coffee fix...do you know the one I'm talking about? Well, anyhow, that will be me, but all on my own! :) I will be making a trip to Costco this afternoon to get my bulk supply of Dunkin Donuts coffee!

I am a little depressed at my post baby body at 4 weeks. I was pretty vigilant about my weight gain with this pregnancy and although I have lost every bit of weight I gained with this pregnancy, I can tell you with certainty, my body is NOT at all even close to what it was before getting pregnant. I must be a at least 2 sizes from what I was...boo!! So begins another diet...hopefully I will stick with it. In the meantime, the only thing I have to wear is workout clothes...no joke. Maybe that in itself will prompt me to actually go work out! :) With the changing of the seasons, that will have to do for the time being. I have a growing list of clothes I want after I get more in shape, but for now, I have to settle on shoes. I am most definitely in lust with these and hoping I can talk Ashley into letting me get a couple pairs...I mean I did just have his baby...right!?!?

Well I heard the baby start crying a earlier and walked in to see this! Lucy woke up from her nap and crawled in with little sister.

Not sure if I think its cute or scary! Didn't get to finish all that I wanted to blog about but will finish up on another day! Until then...

A Quick Trip and Feeling Good

noreply@blogger.com (Mary Michael) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 18:56:00 +0000

I am having a hard time finding time to blog any more and when I do finally find some time, I honestly prefer a nap! :) Thank you to everyone for your prayers and for checking up on us. Lynlee had a nasty little cold but it was nothing too serious and she is finally on the mend. I, on the other hand, unfortunately, confirmed that I indeed have gallstones. The good news is I have not had another attack and there appears to be only 2 of them. The bad news is that they are not going anywhere and the only way to get rid of them would be a surgery to remove my entire gallbladder, something I have no interest in at the time. I have been watching my diet and avoiding fatty foods and perhaps that may be the way to go for the time being. And after a baby, goodness knows I need to be watching what I eat! :) So as long as I have no pain, I am avoiding the procedure for the time being.

Besides, that things are going great around here. So good, that last weekend, we woke up and decided on going for a little impromptu road trip to Atlanta. I was stir crazy to say the least and Ashley thought I was just plain crazy. But we packed up and set off for the city after lunch with all three kiddos. I have to admit that I was beginning to question my own sanity when we were finally making out way out of Birmingham and had a ETA in Atlanta of 3pm! But the minute we got there, all was good.

A big city is good for my soul! Not sure what is is, but I get revived by the energy of a big city. Our first stop was Ikea...

I have had my eye on a Expedit bookshelf for quite sometime. I ended up changing my mind on the style once we were there, but still came home with one and immediatly put it together and accessorized it as best I could. There is just something off about it, but lucky me, my sister is a pro at accessorizing and I am waiting for her to put some finishing touches on it. I am also waiting for her to get up here to meet her newest neice...my feelings are starting to get a little hurt! (hint hint Tiff!) :) Just kidding! This sister has 4 chidren all in school ~~and she~~ ~~was crazy enough~~ and she is PTO president for their elementary school this year! To say she is busy would be a gross understatement. Anyhow, I've digressed.

After Ikea, we went over to the Varsity for dinner.

We were able to find the Alabama game and watched the 3rd quarter of the Alabama/Arkansas game. We had to leave before things got too rowdy. Apparantly, I was the only bama fan in the room!

We had thought about trying to end our day at the Aquarium or the World of Coke, but decided instead to wear the kids out at the Olympic Park.

The weather was perfect and we had a great time doing nothing.

Right before we left, an "artist" stopped us and begged to draw Landon. He had quite a resume drawing all over the world and even 3 presidents and he offered us an out of this world deal for such a well known artist ! Of course, this man was full of bologna, but Landon got a kick out of it.

We headed home around 9 and were all in bed before midnight. I have to say that I am very proud of us for attempting to take all three kids on a roadtrip and for actually making it home in one peice! :) We had a blast and I can't wait to do it again!