Casa de Crazy...

Grammys!

2012-02-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

I have recently realized I missed my calling in life....Yes, I know, shocking that housewife/mother is not what I always intended to be. I was supposed to be...wait for it....a STAR!! Let me explain....

This past weekend, I had a fabulous surprise! For Beck's 60th birthday this year, my Dad got the two of them tickets to the Grammys. To say I was a tad jealous would be a colossal understatement. Actually, I felt the trip was slightly wasted on them when little ole me would appreciate it SO. MUCH. MORE.

Imagine my surprise and delight when Friday my Dad called and said, "okay, hop on a plane..I got you a ticket!" Yippee!!! While I was thrilled to go, I was sent in a tailspin. I needed to spray on a tan, mani/pedi and figure out WHAT TO WEAR. Basically, I had one day to get fabulous. Because I am me, I MIGHT have had a dress dry cleaned in the off chance that Dad would come through and invite me. You can never be to prepared...

I left Saturday and after being stuck in Dallas traffic for 2 hrs I had to valet (because that was the fastest option) RUN in the terminal and by what was a small miracle, I got to upgrade to first class. You may be wondering why this is so important? WELL, after being in the car for 4 hours and then having another 3.5 hr flight...that would be 7.5 hrs without eating...this prego would STARVE! Basically I was thrilled because in first class you get a meal.

Sadly, my luck seemed to go slightly south when I was seated next to a professor who was only to happy to talk my ear off. During the flight he had 2 Bloody Marys', and FIVE glasses of red wine. Awesome. His topics of choice included, Obama and why he loves him, weather patterns in the US and his upcoming conference in Australia....oh. my-lanta...shut up...please! I finally arrived at the hotel at 11:45 pm. What a whip!

The next morning (GRAMMY DAY!) Dad, Mom and I went to breakfast then went on a walk to get a little exercise. We walked to the Beverly Hilton where there was tons of media due to Whitney's passing as well as Clive Davis's party the night before. We then walked through the neighborhood and I immediately called Slade and said we needed to move HERE. The houses were amazing, the flowers were blooming...basically it was my happy place.

We had to leave our hotel at 2pm to head to the Staples Center for the show. The Grammys start at 5:00 sharp and you have to be in the building by 4:30. First, we went to the Ritz/JL Marriot which is right next to the Staples Center. There were people all over the lobby and in the hotel bar having a drink before heading over to the show. Since I am with child, I did not partake, but we sat down, had a drink and people watched. I thought the airport was good people watching....ohhh how wrong I was. LA during the Grammys brings out ALL kinds!

Originally, my ticket was not very good. Due to the diverse group of performers, tickets this year were even harder than usual to get. However, in true Tommy fashion, Dad found the only guy scalping that hadn't been arrested and got me a MUCH better seat! It was when we were waiting for Dad that Mom and I were approached by a Chinese News Station and asked to give an on camera interview on our thoughts about Whitney's passing.

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. The three of us begin to be interviewed by the nice lady and when they get to Mom, she starts to get a little emotional talking about Whit. Oh dear...
The follow up question is can we possibly sing a few lines of our favorite Whitney song? Am, I being punked? Talk about feeling like you are in the twilight zone....We politely declined. I wonder if it would have made me a star in Shanghai?

We make our way into the Staples Center and immediately I realize that this is where I belong. The beautiful people in beautiful clothes, the stars, the cameras, all of it...it was like the mothership calling me home.Those stars who gripe and moan about the red carpet and "fame" in general...Puh-lease! Walk on a red carpet while people yell at you how fabulous you are and how beautiful you look...SIGN ME UP! What, Ryan Seacrest, you want to interview me....sure! You want my picture? No prob! How would you like me to pose?

outside staples center

Dad and I

Mom and I

Red Carpet

Anyway, back to reality. We went into the Master Card suite before the show and it was fun. A bunch of cast members from the Bachelor were in there...

The show was AMAZING. So cool to see so much talent in one room. I sat next to my new bff Sona. She is about 50 and from Atlanta. She has her own company and does charity events across the country. She did an event for the Grammys and now is a member of the Grammys so she has been coming to the show for years. She was a wealth of knowledge and so much fun to sit by!

Dad got us FAB seats

The show was 3.5 hrs long but didn't really seem like it. I only got up once...that's how enthralled with it all I was. After the show, we went to the official Grammy after party. Supposedly, the nominees are all supposed to go, but if they were there they only stayed for about 20 seconds. The party itself, however, was great. There were concerts by One Republic and Kenny Loggins and the food was crazy good. It was a Rio De Janeiro themed so women in bikinis and elaborate headdresses danced on stages while shirtless men pranced around passing out drinks.

After Party

Mom and I at after party

All in all, it was an amazing experience and I feel so lucky to have gotten to go...now I want to go back next year!! My one regret is that I didn't take enough pics!

Guess WHAT!?!

2012-02-15T23:21:00.000-06:00

Its me Knox and guess what....I'm gonna be a BIG BROTHER!!!! I am beyond excited about this. From what I gather, my new sister (I keep telling Mom it's a girl) is inside Mommy's tummy. I like to lift up her shirt and point to the baby but Mom said I have to quit doing that in public.

The major bummer for me is that I have to wait until SEPTEMBER before I get to play with my little sister or brother.

Supposedly, it takes quite a while for Mom to grow these babies. Ever since Mom started growing the baby my life has been pretty cush! I get to watch the ipad pretty much whenever I want because Mom is really sick. I also get to play with Gan and LoLo a lot because Mom has been baby sick as well as got my RSV....let's just say Mom's been pretty agreeable to whatever I do as long as I let her lay down while I do it. Like yesterday, Mom put a blanket on the grass in the front yard and I mowed all around her.

Basically this is a big deal for me, I am very excited to teach my little bro or sis about very important things like the mailman, mowing, the moon, choo choos, diggers and my favorite song, The Wheels on the Bus! I am going to need all these months until September to prepare! I have decided I would like to name the baby Bob Santa or Bubbles... Mom is not as fired up about these suggestions as I because she thinks that if a girls name is Bubbles Hodges then she probably will end up being a dancer on the main stage....I don't see why this is a bad thing? Dancers are great!

Christmas 2012

2012-01-30T16:52:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pics from our amazing Christmas with Bebe and Grandad!!

Knox was so excited to "hold bebe yak" (Hold Baby Jack)

Santa!

he found the sparkle santa hat and LOVED it

the cutest trio ever!

Bebe playing with the toys

how many kids can you fit in a jeep

watch out ...Caroline's driving!

this picture makes me VERY happy

Grandad's light extravaganza

Grandad and the kiddos watching people from behind the lights.

So long Rizzle and Steve-O...

2012-01-29T16:15:00.000-06:00

Up to this point, Rizzle and Steve-O have been Steve and Sharon's "grandparent" names. In true Knox form, he decided that he would like to put his flare on things and has changed them. So they are now Bob and Bebo. Sharon is Bob and Steve is Bebo How did this get changed you may ask? Well Rizzle wasn't really working for Sharon because Knox couldn't say it, so in his "everyone and everything including himself is Bob" phase, he must have called her Bob and she answered to it. Thus, Bob stuck. His cow is also still Bob so it gets slightly confusing at times but for the most part he's pretty clear to which Bob he is referring.

Bebo took a little longer for him to come up with. This past week he kept saying, "mamma call Bebo" I had NO idea what he was saying. Then he pointed to a picture that was taken at Steve and Sharon's and said, "Bob and Bebo home" ....ahhhh I get it....Bebo is Steve-O! Actually this works a little better for me because I was wondering what interesting looks I was going to get when he said he was going to visit his grandparents, "Bob and Steve."

Knox with Bob and Bebo

Mommy

2012-01-02T22:07:00.001-06:00

Knox has decided today that I am no longer Mamma but Mommy. I don't know why but I kinda love it.

Lights!

2011-12-26T21:40:00.000-06:00

I am totally a Christmas light snob. I like them a certain way but really I just like to see that a little effort went into the effect. I also dole out points for originality. That's why this year, our Christmas lights are really just God's reminder to me that bad lights happen to good people. I wish I could blame it on Slade, I seriously wish I could, but alas... he had nothing to do with it.

I went to get new lights and thought I wanted LED due to the energy saving benefits and they are brighter. In my haste I grabbed "cool white" as opposed to "warm white"...we get them all up and turn them on. Knox yells, "BLUE!" Well, he would be correct because it seems they are so "cool" the look blue. Awesome. So in an effort to debunk any rumors about us converting to Judaism, I added some greed LED lights to my garland on the bannister. That just looked ridiculous. Next, I added some colored lights...I am usually not a big fan of colored lights but I can't very well have two shades of white, now can I?

Needless to say, our lights this year are abysmal. They do not bring me the joy I sought when the process began. They do, however, cause Slade and I to laugh every time we pull in the driveway because they are just that bad. It looks like a colorblind toddler put them up. Oh well, there's always next year.

In what I can only say is the yin to my yang...my Dad and I decided to totally go "Griswald" on their lights this year because all the grand babies will be home for Christmas. It's not super hard when your main goal is to impress a three yr old and two 2 yr olds. Dad went balls to the wall and ordered 300 strands of lights and hired a crew to put them up. After three days of a bucket lift being in my parents front yard, they are complete. I would say I was more a co-designer on the project since I did none of the labor and paid for none of the lights. It didn't turn out exactly as we planned but this was our maiden voyage... so by the time the kids are say, ten, its going to rock your socks off. Dad wanted to do lots of blow up's etc. but in her true 4th quarter quarterback style (comes in at the last minute and thinks she's in charge) Mom nixed that. I tried to impress upon Dad that the true art of being over the top is to make it seem as though you don't realize it's too much. To be overtly tacky is just to easy...it takes more finesse and planning to make people question just what the heck you are doing.

A small fortune later, it looks amazing. Dad is a little bummed because he thinks it's too classy and not "Griswald" enough. Well hell, next year he can just have my "blue" and colored lights and shake things up a bit. He did decorate the kids playhouse in lights and it's really cute.

in process...

finished!

Bob Santa...

2011-12-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

Meet Bob...he was formerly Knox, but I guess that was just a little to "out there" for him. After naming his bounce cow "Bob" Knox has decided that he likes the name and has adopted it. If you ask him what his name is...Bob. What? We don't even know a Bob that we regularly see, so I have NO idea where he got this. This morning I realized I didn't know Bob's last name. When I asked him, he thoughtfully looked up and after a moment responded....Santa. Meet Bob Santa ...(formerly Knox Hodges)

I have no idea where he found his sunglasses but he just walked in as I was typing this morning dressed like so

Update!

2011-12-20T18:04:00.000-06:00

Here's an update. I really thought I would be a regular blogger but once Knox became a toddler...that became a pipe dream.

Lets see....
For Thanksgiving we packed up and headed to Hereford. Knox loved getting to be with Rizzle and SteveO and his aunts and uncle. When we are all together Knox is not in need of attention. Since he's the only grandchild right now...he is the center of attention...constantly. Let's just say he doesn't hate it. He spent the weekend dancing for all of us...riding Bob (his blowup cow that HE named?) and sitting on the brick ledge eating crackers watching the rest of us put up Christmas lights. He is still working on everyone's names but a while back we were working on Cody and I suggested CoCo...he adapted it to Dodo. It helped that Dodo sends him postcards for his mailbox about once a week...He had Christy's name down but it was a little hard for him to say because he would only whisper it. One day over Thanksgiving I guess he thought to heck with that and just yelled across the room, "DoDo..DeDe" and so Cody and Christy were christened DoDo and DeDe.

his British guard PJ's I got in London...they make me really happy.

ready to go

he loves Dodo's beard... (yes, they were twins and no, it wasn't planned)

He is going to school and he LOVES it. His teacher is Mrs. Elizabeth and he loves her. Seriously, he gets a little ticked when I show up and promptly tells me, "No, Mamma. No, Bye Bye"

He is ALL about the Fantasy of Lights and the "Choo-Choo" that is in the front. It's going to be a sad day when the holidays are over and they take all of that down. He doesn't really get the whole Christmas thing just yet, but loves all the lights and loves Santa. I don't think he thinks Santa is going to bring him presents and all that just yet... he just likes the old guy with the beard that seems to be everywhere these days.

Knox loves the elderly.. I think that's why he's so into Santa. It's crazy. When we are at the grocery store or anywhere, really, if he sees an elderly person he goes right up to them smiles this big cheesy smile and says." HI!" It's really cute.

He is still working on his vocab but is talking ALL the time and follows most questions and statements with "Mamma".... "What's that, Mamma?" "Choo-Choo, Mamma" "Eat, Mamma" "Night Night, Mamma!""Look Mamma, Mailman!" you get this point. Why it's adorable and I'm thrilled he doesn't want me to miss anything ....it can make for a long afternoon sometimes.

He is very into The Wonder Pets on my ipad..awesome. Thomas the Train or any type of Train for that matter. He loves LoLo and has christened Lindsey and Cuatro...Ninny and Tah-to.

He LOVES his Elmo hat that Dodo and DeDe got him for his birthday and wears it ALL the time..he only takes it off to replace it with his "golfer hat"

He is very busy. He loves to do laundry. He takes all his dirty clothes to the laundry room and puts them in the washing machine. He also does this with my clothes. Sometimes it makes things a tad tricky when I find my coat in the washing machine...

He is OBSESSED with his shoes. He wants to pick out what shoes he wears and he can't stand to NOT have shoes on....how so very much like his father he is!

He is also very into his Blue Jeans which he calls "Blue" He likes them because Daddy wears blue jeans.

He LOVES bubble baths (thank you LoLo for introducing them) and he HAS to have bubbles whenever he bathes...He points to his tub when he wants to take a bath and says, "Buh-Bels" I love it.

He has also learned to turn on and off the light switches...I now live in a constant night club with the lights going on and off. He has a turtle that projects the stars and the moon on the ceiling so I have walked into his room a few times in the middle of the day to find him laying in a dark room looking at the stars...whatever keeps you happy!

Rizzle, SteveO, Dodo and Dede all came in this weekend and then Knox is getting to spend a few days with his Grandparents in Hereford...hence, my having time to blog. I get him back tomorrow and I'm ready! I miss my little booger!

I told him to get dressed for school...this is what he picked out. Apparently he's very serious as well.

showing Dad the Christmas ornament he made at school

headed to school

reading Goodnight Moon with Dad

so sweet

his FAVORITE... The Elmo hat

His Perm O Green Sweatshirt that Ninny gave him...he loves it.

"So Santa....define Naughty"

apparently he passed

he talks to Santa ALL THE TIME ... I think it's because they are eye level

All in all he's just the sweetest, most wonderful things ever....we will definitely keep him!

My BIG Day!

2011-11-15T21:24:00.000-06:00

It's me, Knox and today I had a Big day! It was the greatest!!! I started out playing with Baily and Molly and we got to paint turkeys at their house. We also played in their new playroom and ran around the back yard. They are so silly and I love them. So fun.

We went to lunch then I had to go down for a nap because I was REALLY excited about my afternoon date and Mom said I had to nap first.
LoLo (Lauren) was taking me to see a FIRE TRUCK!!!! In an unexpected and exceptional twist, Lindsey joined us as well!! I got both Scholl sisters AND a fire station. Pay-dirt. LoLo and Linny's dad is a fireman and he showed us the ropes...literally...and the hoses. I mean...I miiiight have been a little intimidated by the fire trucks AT FIRST... throw me a bone most fire trucks I see are kid sized. Actually, I wasn't really scared at all, I just thought the girls might be so I hung back a little...for them.. in case they wanted my mom to protect them as well. This amazing day was followed up by dinner with Lindsey and Tonto (Cuatro) and a little bath time face-time with Dodo and Christy... so needless to say I was spent!

LoLo put on the fire pants and I put on my hat!

Are you sure about this LoLo?

looking at the pics I took of LoLo in my hat.

MY LADIES!

kids, don't try this at home

Knox's Par-Tee!

2011-10-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Knox had a Golf themed 2nd birthday Par-Tee Saturday and it was a smashing success! He LOVED the bounce house and getting to play with all of this friends. It also helped that all his family was around to celebrate with him!

Golf Theme

The cake

"Sandtraps" (rice crispie treats) Knox had about 17

"water hazard"

golf clubs as party favors

Olivia came in town!

Is this not the greatest! I LOVE bouncing!

trying to give Charlotte a smooch in the bounce house...she wasn't buying it.

making sure that everyone sees that he's bouncing

so excited "Non-Non" (Nonnie) came!

Hanging with Rizzle

Slade with Charlotte and Knox

Olivia and her dad in the bounce house

Hutch, Elizabeth and Maggie

Sweet Molly

Baily was rocking a band-aid as an accessory

"Mom, I'm hanging with older ladies...give me a minute"

I wish I knew what this conversation was...

Brooke and Molly

Knox and Vivi

blowing out his candles

The cake!

Knox and both his GREAT Grandmothers

Knox eating his 17th rice crispie treat

Molly and her sampler platter

checkin in with Molls

Knox left to mow the front lawn mid party so this is him checking back in

Knox and Charlotte...the sun was a little bright

Knox and his girl linds

Molly and Slade...I think this is her model sassy face

blowing bubbles

this was a look I captured when someone tried to talk to Lindsey...he was quite annoyed

kids at play

Henry and Knox

it's good friends that assemble a kiddie grill for you.

After the party, Mom and Dad had to go to a Halloween party. I wasn't going to spend any money on a costume so I just wore my high school cheerleading uniform....Slade obviously had another idea...

The giant man child cow

For his birthday Aunt Christy and Uncle Dodo ( Knox tried to say Coco or Cody but it came out Dodo..fitting) gave Knox his very own grill and "SteveO in training" apron to be just like Steve-O! Rizzle also gave him a mail truck.... that and his mailbox from the Clarks are current favorites. What can I say, the kid is obsessed with the US Postal service.

Knox in his new apron with his mail truck

showing Steve O how it's done

posing in their gear

loves cookin with Steve-O

uncle Dodo wearing Knox's apron

Knox is TWO!

2011-10-24T22:54:00.001-05:00

I CANNOT believe my baby is TWO today. Seriously, where did the time go? I can't believe someone that has been on this planet for only a short 24 months could capture my heart so fully and completely....oh, but he has.

Knox's 2 yr stats:

Height: 2ft 11in

Weight: 26lbs

Eats: Everything..ALL the time!

Loves: the mailman (seriously, obsessed with him) Elmo (Melmo) and Golf are his top three.

Favorite people to hang out with: Gangan and Lindsey Lunn

Favorite babysitters: Gangan and Lauren Scholl (Lo-Lo)

Best Friends: Ben Barnard, Molly Clark, Charlotte and Henry Whitmire

He is obsessed with things being put up where they belong (especially his shoes)...he even takes dirty clothes to the laundry room.

He loves going to the golf course with Daddy.

He loves to mow the lawn just like Daddy.

His new favorite word is "no"...awesome.

He loves to sing and dance...all the time. The kid loves music. He sings the tune to twinkle twinkle for everything but has now been using the word "mailman" over and over again. He has recently learned Row Row your boat..but we haven't gotten all that far.

He loves hats...especially baseball/golf hats

He can fully work an iphone and ipad....crazy because I have never "taught" him how.

He is a big talker...don't always know what he's saying but he talks all the time. He can say lots of words but they don't always mean what they are supposed to...these are my favorites that he uses often.

Row Row = Boat

Nan Nan = Gan Gan

Non Non = Nonnie

Bubbles = Goldfish... (because there were bubbles in the goldfish pond..he knew I would make the connection..he also says bubbles for bubbles)

Uck = Truck

Siren Noise = Fire Truck. Ambulance or Police Car

Arms out saying "shhhhh" = Airplane

Meow Meow = Cat

Moo Moo = Cow

Lello (Yellow) = School Bus

Overall, Knox is a happy, wonderful, amazing kid. Slade and I feel so blessed that we get to be his parents. He's our own little nut and we love him!

For is birthday, Bebe and Grandad gave him his own golf cart!! Because of course, every two year old needs their own golf cart. He was BEYOND thrilled. He is also obsessed with Dad's Perm O Green logo, so I printed it off on to sticker paper and put it on the front of his golf cart. Don't know if he was more excited about the cart or the logo.

Helping Dad Mow

Still mowing...

it's his birthday and he's off!

you know you are two when you use your cup holders for your bubbles

TWO cool for school

seriously Mom...how good do I look?

He LOVES his new golf cart!

No, Dad...sorry you can't ride.

This is GREAT!!

This is the video of him getting his golf cart....he was sooo excited!

London...Day 5

2011-10-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

Day 5 started with Bets and Annie taking off for Scotland. We were sad to see them go but happy for Bets that she got to travel to Scotland.

Sadly for Bets, Day 5 might have been one of my favorite days. We started out with a little shopping spree to Topshop and Zara. They are British stores that I fell in love with when I lived in Italy. Next, we went to lunch at one of my favorite places we ate. That's saying quite a bit since we spent A LOT of time in restaurants. It was the OXO Tower Restaurant. Granted, when we pulled up.. I was pretty sure our driver was taking us somewhere to kill us. It was in a very industrial area that apparently is up and coming but the facade did not match it's reputation.

We ate on an awesome patio overlooking the Thames. It had really cool grass flooring and we all know how I love grass, so I was highly impressed. The food was amazing and the atmosphere even better.

After lunch we went to Notting Hill and since it was a Saturday, the market was going on. Portobello Road is packed on Saturday! There was so much cool stuff to see and it was actually the first time we could afford to shop since it was street vendor prices.

After a day of shopping it was time to eat. Shocking, I know. However, we had about an hour before we were supposed to be at dinner and Hallie and I decided that we could not possibly eat one more thing without some exercise, so we went to the park behind our hotel and walked all the way to Buckingham Palace...took some pics and just moved our legs! On our way home there was a party going on at St. James Palace (Charles and Camilla's house) so naturally I poked my little head through the gate desperately trying to see a Royal but to no avail....Where are you Will and Kate?!! Pippa?!?..... Bummer.

We had dinner just around the corner from our hotel at The Wolseley. The restaurant and the atmosphere were both great but that was not the highlight of the evening. Right after we walked in, Anna Ferris and her publicist walked in behind us. She is one of Hallie's favorite actresses, so we really wanted a pic with her. She walked outside and like the three stooges...Hallie , SJ and I followed her out. We asked for the pic and she could not have been more lovely or gracious. We chatted for about 10 minutes and I'm pretty sure she wanted to be our new best friend.

After dinner, we had to do what we absolutely did not want to.....pack to go home. It was such a wonderful vacation and while I missed my boys, I was sad for it to end. We woke up at 4am the next morning to hop our flight and then slept the whole way home.

OXO Tower

Great view...Great food.

St. James Park....I wanna sit out there.

little shocked when I walked in and it was covered in dirty magazines...eek!

Knox's future home...if Will and Kate have a girl...

Will? Kate? Where are you?

Headed to Dinner

Anna Ferris!

Knox's Sunday funday....

2011-10-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

Before, I finish my London trip...I have a quick story...

Today, I put Knox in timeout. He kept doing something I told him not to so to his room he went. He gave me attitude (not my baby!) and so he also got a spanking. Needless to say, Mommy was not happy when she left the room. I wait the few minutes to let it really sink in and then go back in to get him. When I opened the door I couldn't help it...I busted out laughing. Excellent parenting, Linds.

Knox was sitting in his rocker, legs strait out in front of him, reading..... the Bible. It was his kids Bible but it was, in fact, the Bible. He looks up at me and strait and solum faced says, "Oh, Mamma." I couldn't help it, I could not stop laughing. The kid was already repenting for his sins before I even came back in the room.

Then tonight as I was putting him to bed, I was rocking him and he kept wiggling to face me. I couldn't figure it out, but then he sat in my lap facing me, clasp his little hands and bowed his head. I guess he and Daddy pray like this. I usually hold him when we pray and snuggle him...Not anymore. Apparently, he wants to pray like a big boy and maybe tonight he thought he needed a little more forgiveness because when we were finished before I could say it, he yelled..AMEN!

ohhh, Knoxie!

London...Day 4

2011-10-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Let's see...as I am trying to get these updates in, Knox and I have both had the pleasure of some super fun stomach bug that causes vomiting and extreme exhaustion...yippee.

Day four in London was probably one of my favorite days. It was our day in the English countryside. We started out at Windsor castle. It's the Queen's residence. She spends about 2-3 days a week in Buckingham and then the rest of her time at Windsor. It is absolutely beautiful so I understand why Liz likes it. Plus, the town of Windsor is adorable.

We toured the grounds as well as the state rooms. My favorite part was Queen Mary's dollhouse. It's amazing. Seriously. It's an exact replica of windsor. It even has working electricity and plumbing. Since people knew the Queen had the dollhouse, instead of bringing random gifts when they came to see her, they brought all things mini (paintings, furniture, etc.) for her dollhouse. Little history lesson for ya!

Our next stop was Cliveden. It is a mansion/ estate that is now a five star hotel set on the River Thames. The site has been home to an Earl, two Dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscounts Astor. It's is most popularly known as the home of Nancy Astor. It was incredible. I felt as though I walked into Pemberley and Mr.Darcy was going to be stopping by for tea any minute.

The grounds were amazing and I absolutely loved it. I made Hallie sprint down the center of the garden with me because I was so sick of eating and not exercising. A bunch of people looked at us like stupid Americans but we didn't care!

We soon had to head back into London because Betsy's cute friend Annie from Nashville was coming in from Scotland where she's living for a few months and going to spend the night with us. Bets then went back to Scotland with Annie for a few days. We also got to meet another one of Betsy's friends Autumn who is working for Tom's shoes in London. They were super cute and it's always fun to add more people to the mix.

Dinner that night was at La Caprice with Annie and Autumn. We had plans to see Wicked that night, so I wish our dinner would have been after because we just finished lunch pretty much when our 5:30 reservation came around so we could make it to the theatre on time. Even though I was not hungry in the slightest, I ate because why not? The food was amazing.

We said goodbye to Autumn then headed off to the West End to see Wicked. I know, it's been out forever, but a few of us still hadn't seen it. It was FABULOUS. I know I use that word a lot, but this time I mean it. The actress who played Elphaba was amazingly talented. I found myself just wanting her to keep singing.

All in all it was a GREAT day!

Hallie and I at Winsor

Bets and I

love this window...feel like a princess should be hanging out..

there's a princess!

SJ is totally into the tour

The Queen's garden

not to shabby

Non and Hallie

Windsor

picture of a picture

always enthused

ummmm

CLIVEDEN

the gardens...uh-mazing.

view from the garden

action shot!

Wicked!

Headed to Dinner

London...Day 3

2011-10-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

Day three across the pond might have been our busiest yet...

We started out the day without Nonnie. Ray took the girls to go ride the London Eye. It was actually pretty amazing. It's a great way to get a visual reference of the city and where everything is in relation to each other. It moves super slow so this was not your average ferris wheel. But it was neat and so glad we did it once.

Next we stopped at a building that I have no idea what it was...but it's important. I knew it because it was the building that all the Royal Wedding procession drove through on the way to and from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

We picked up Non and headed to our first official outing of the day...Buckingham Palace. I was super excited about this as we had tickets to be able to go inside the palace. We got to see all the state rooms where the Queen recieves anyone on official business, Presidents, well...anyone really. Best of all, the tour was culminated with a viewing of Kate's wedding dress. Also, her earrings, shoes and wedding cake. It was cool to see where the receptions were held and photos we all recognized were taken.

After the tour you exit through the back garden which is where the Queen hosts her garden parties...let's just say, she has a REALLY nice backyard.

After the Palace we went to lunch and I'm sure it was somewhere fabulous but for the life of me I can't remember right now...

After a brief break, we had tea at the Ritz. It was lovely. The have the best scones I have ever had and the tea was amazing. The bring you not only tea but a three tiered service platter with sandwiches, scones and sweets on top. Supposedly, you are supposed you have your tea and eat the goodies from bottom to top. Not me. First off, they gave us EACH eight mini sandwiches...that's almost two whole sandwiches PER PERSON...for a snack. A bit much, eh?

I started with the sweets on top because they were begging me to try them. This brought a few looks from the tables around us. Really people, I am never going to see you again in my life, let the girl enjoy a little chocolate instead of the sandwich surprise below.

After tea we went to meet Hallie's friends Caroline and Caroline (who are both living in London) for dinner and to celebrate Hallie's birthday. We went to C London (formerly Cipriani) and it was delish. I honestly wish I would have been a tad hungrier, but worry not, I persevered and ate as much as my tummy would hold. It was so great to meet the Caroline's and hear about their adventures thus far.

Hallie and I on London Eye

Building Will and Kate drove though on wedding day

she's silly

they crack me up

Nonnie and the girls at Buckingham Palace

The Queen's backyard

not bad

view from London Eye

Tea at the Ritz

Notice the plethora of sandwiches

London...Day 2

2011-09-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

London day two started out with a bang. Since Non and I were the only one's who had been to London, we wanted to do all we could...the next five days we were essentially tourists on crack, trying to see everything...with our grandmother in tow.

We started with our breakfast at the hotel which I soon began to view as my "carb loading" for the day. Our driver, Ray picked us up early-ish and we were off to see the sights. Ray has been a driver/tour guide for ...well ever, I think. He is a jolly ole chap in his 60's and could not be nicer...but loves to talk...A LOT. We loved Ray and he was so great that we booked him for the next three days right then and there. It was so great to have a driver, as Nonnie is in her eighties so, as she put it, sometimes she has a "hitch in her get-along."

We were a little late getting started due to our travels the day before...and let's face it, we are five women. Since we had a lunch reservation, Ray gave us a driving tour of the sights. I swear he knew the date and time each of the buildings/roads were built/paved, the guy (and his backstory) who laid the brick and or pavement. It was very interesting, but I would laugh because I could see different people mentally check out at different times when it wasn't something they were totally into. We saw Buckingham Palace, Margaret Thatcher's house, Richard Branson's house, and lots of stuff that is really beautiful but didn't make it into my memory.

That is one thing Nonnie is really big on...meals and reservations. Literally there is no "grabbing something on the go" with her. It became a bit of a joke between us that with a driver and no walking then having to stop and eat every 45 minutes we literally forgot what it felt like to be hungry.

We had lunch at The Ivy London and it was as you would expect, fabulous. We did get in trouble for taking pictures because apparently, that is not done at The Ivy....oops. Stupid Americans.

Our stop after lunch was the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. We were lucky enough that while we were there they were doing a dress rehearsal for some 'super posh' function that was going to be that night....a concert of sorts, dinner and a private viewing of the jewels. All for the bargain price of £1,000.

We saw the jewels, got a 'tourist on speed' version of all the history from Ray instead of having to listen to the headphones. I learned all sorts of interesting things and Ray even sang us the jingle he learned in school to remember all the Kings and Queens in order. Basically, not super hard since most of them were named George, Victoria or Mary.

After the ToL we went back to the hotel to get ready as we had tickets to the theatre. We saw Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre in the West End which is neat because it's really small. Nonnie loves the theatre so we had awesome seats. Legally Blonde was cute, pretty funny and comical to see how they portray American sororities. Nonnie loved it, so that was great.

Dinner was following the theatre a J Sheekey. I read about it somewhere as one of the celeb favorites in London so naturally, I wanted to go. The food was amazing and we sat right next to Whitney Port and Kelly Cutrone from MTV shows The Hills and The City. They were there for fashion week. Not A-listers but, celebs none the less.

Funny story, I was going to the bathroom which was down a steep flight of wooden stairs with a sharp turn about halfway down. I also had on really tall shoes that are super cute but I can't seem to get the hang of walking in. I was almost to the turn when a person came at me from the other direction. I was startled because I didn't see them coming then even more so when I looked up and it was Whitney. This causing me to lose my balance and almost flatten her. Awesome Linds, always one to keep it smooth. I caught myself or she caught me, I don't really remember and then basically weirdly smiled, tried to play it off and kept going when she asked if I was okay. Why couldn't I just say "Hi!" and that be it? Nope, I had to almost lay the poor girl out...

Until tomorrow...

Nope, not falling down...

Bets, Non and I at Tower of London...I was freezing and super windy.

New friends

"This is the highlight of my day."

"I'm sure that's what you say to all the girls."

LOVED these bright blue doors

Hal and I in the American Bar at our hotel before the theatre

self portrait at Legally Blonde....shortly after we were told (once again) no photos please...oops

London...Day 1

2011-09-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

Cheerio! We are back! I am going to break up my blogging about London because I didn't get a chance to journal our adventures while we were there so I am using the blog as a travel journal of sorts. So bear with. Nonnie took all her granddaughters (Me, Betsy, Sarah Jane and Hallie) on a fabulous trip to London for a week and we just got back yesterday. It was the BEST trip ever. We had SO much fun.

We left last Monday night around 9:00 pm and flew overnight. Thanks to my wonderful father we were upgraded to first class and well...it was so great! Sarah Jane and I got to sit next to each other and basically it was laughs from the get go. It was The Beverly Hillbillies Get Upgraded.

First we couldn't find out how to work our TV's...it was never our fault, so the quote soon became, "Mine's broken!" (it wasn't.) Next we couldn't find out where to plug our headphones in....the nice Arab man next to us had to tap me on the shoulder and point on his where the went...it still took us a few minutes to get it. (language barrier or stupidity I'm not sure) Once we got them in, we couldn't hear anything. They were the fancy Bose kind. We turned up the volume to no avail...."Mine's Broken!" No ladies, according to the nice steward...you have to turn them on...oops. We had champagne and dinner, never mind we had a full meal at the airport a whopping 45 minutes earlier....but we were in first class, we had to try the food! We got ice cream sundaes for dessert and then settled in for the night.

First Class provides blanket, pillow, socks, sleep mask and earplugs. Did we use all of these things?? But of course! I've never used a sleep mask before but I quite liked it. After dinner and a few inflight tv shows, we put all of our gear on and crashed.

We arrived in London around noon on Tuesday and were taken to our hotel The Stafford. It was fabulous. It's more of a boutique hotel and in a prefect location right next to Buckingham Palace. The four girls had two jr suites that were adjoined by a stair case in the middle going down to each room. It was the perfect setup. Nonnie had a suite on the same floor, but wasn't attached.

After a quick freshen up, we headed to Harrods. Harrods is amazing. Literally there is everything you could imagine for sale. We sat down and had our first spot of Tea in one of the many places to eat inside. It was delish and accompanied by loads of goodies. After shopping at Harrods for a bit, one thing became abundantly clear... we could afford nothing in this country. The dollar worth about half as much as the pound so basically to calculate the price in dollars, we just doubled every price tag. So it was lots of browsing.

For dinner that night we went to the OXO Tower Restaurant on the top floor of Harvey Nichols. It was lovely but we were all so tired that we had a quick dinner and went back to the hotel to crash....

Headed out!

The Stafford London

Hallie and Bets

Hallie, Bets and Nonnie

Hallie and I at the OXO Bar at Harvey Nichols

Sarah Jane and I

to be continued.....

C.L.E.A.N.

2011-09-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

Clean you ask? Well, it is an amazing 21 day program/cleanse that I have plunged into. I am 11 days in and so far so good! I decided to blog about this 11 days in for two reasons. First, if I couldn't do it, then I didn't need all you fine people knowing that. Second, I now need all you fine people to know so I don't quit. Oh, the irony.

I was reading an article when I came across The Clean Program developed by Cardiologist Dr. Alejandro Junger. When I went through the checklist to determine if I was "toxic" or not, I was amazed at just how toxic I might actually be. Here is an excerpt...

When our systems are overtaxed, they begin to break down in a multitude of ways. Allergies, headaches, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, weight gain and insomnia are just a few of the symptoms that can result. The majority of these common ailments are the direct result of toxin build-up in our systems that has accumulated during the course of our daily lives.

I hadn't been feeling good for a while, was diagnosed with B12 deficiency as well as some random skin disease....all at the ripe old age of 28. This did not bode well for the rest of my years. Not to mention, I was ALWAYS tired. Not, I have a two year old tired but want to sleep ALL the time tired.

I found the Clean Program and thought what could it hurt? I wanted to do something so I wouldn't be the "tired, boring one" on my London trip with Nonnie and the cousins. I am currently on day 11 and I feel tons better! However, in full disclosure, this has NOT been a cake walk. Ahhh Cake! Focus..okay. The first three days I thought I was going to die. I had the worst headache of my entire life. Major withdrawals from caffeine and sugar. It took me about 5-7 days to not feel puny. I have read tons of reviews from people who had no issues and/or hunger. These people must be robots or liars. I'm on day 11 and I'm pretty consistently hungry. Not sure what that says about me.

However, I really have started to feel better. I have more energy. No, there is not a chorus of angles singing when I pop out of bed and sprint to the shower but I actually am able to GET out of bed. I have lots more energy especially in the evenings. The weight loss hasn't been as significant as I hoped but maybe I had unrealistic expectations. I can say I have done this to the best of my ability and knowledge while living a pseudo normal life. Yes, I could completely immerse myself in this and follow this to the letter but well, I have a kid and a husband...oh, and hunger pains.

I will update when I have completed the whole program...

Vail!

2011-09-05T23:04:00.000-05:00

The night we got home from Park City, Slade surprised me with a trip to the Vail house with my fam! I didn't think we would be able to make it this year so I was THRILLED to postpone my re-entry to the heat. Slade stayed with us for the week and then I stayed on with the fam for a few days, while he went to have a mini reunion with his Tech Football buddies. It was SO much fun!

The flowers at the house were amazing. I didn't even realize how much I missed the grass being GREEN and FLOWERS!

Park City!

2011-09-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

I know, the post is a little late...but what can ya do? This summer, Knox and I were the lucky recipients of an invite to Chez Baily in Park City Utah for the second year in a row. I LOVE going to Park City. It's seriously like my favorite. The Baily's have a fabulous home and Tricia and Gary are just the best. Plus, I get to hang out with Brooke for a week. This year, Lindsey Lunn made the trip and I can honestly say that it is because of her that I will allow Knox to go on an airplane again. After flying solo with him last year, I was pretty sure he would never be allowed to again.

We had a BLAST in PC. We hiked, went to the park, shopped and just did all the things we can't do in WF...like be outside. I didn't take to many pics but Linds took a bunch so if there are some great one's I'll post those.

We missed Daddy but it was a much appreciated break from the heat!

the diva at the park

the girls and Gary hiking

sassy

not sure whats going on here but made me laugh...

Linds and Knox playing at the park

Lindsey's crazy

hiking..

Knox LOVED going to the park

The Lindsey's at the Park City Art festival

Before REO Speedwagon..

I have more pics on my phone and will add them later.....

Sneak Peek!

2011-08-17T23:54:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been a while since I blogged....but Knox and I were in Park City, then Slade surprised us with a trip to Vail. We weren't even home 24hrs. Anywho, as you can imagine I have LOTS to catch up on and lots of work to do with a W show this week. So here is a sneak peek at the gazillions of pics I took!

My amazingly handsome/adorable boys

poser

lil man and his mamma

love this pic and his sheer determination....

Before & After

2011-07-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

I love a good "Before & After" blog post. Matter of fact, they are my favorite. So imagine my excitement when I came across some internet pictures of our house when it was on the market. I never got to see it with furniture in it, as it had been vacant for a few months months when I first looked at it. I am more of a "visionary" when it comes to decor, old furniture or things like that where as my hubby is VERY literal. (However, since my design on a dime project he has become MUCH more open minded.)

When I first brought Slade to what is now our humble abode, he thought I had lost it. Seriously, looked at me like an alien must have invaded my body because I wanted this house. The woman who lived here before us, had lived here since at least the 1950's and hadn't updated, well, pretty much since then. She was a heavy smoker so there was a lovely staunch that accompanied all the hideous wallpaper and matted carpets. I, however, loved the floor plan and thought it had great bones...just needed a facelift. We didn't have the scratch for a full facelift so I settled for what I assume is the decor version of Botox, brow lift, and veneers.

Not one to be deterred, I painted a picture for my husband that must have been quite elaborate because somehow, I got him to agree to buy it...oh, and I told him I would do most of the work myself... and I might have had to google, "How to paint a house" because I had no clue what I was doing.

Then the fun started. I painted the entire house...myself. I did have occasional help from my father, my grandmother and Trish...with a few other people who got randomly suckered in for small projects. However, I did the bulk of it. Probably won't ever do that again. I had Bob the Builder who helped me do the things that I physically or legally couldn't do myself and voila! good as new..ish.

It is in no way, shape or form finished to the standard that we would like (I am still the proud owner of ovens that I believe the Keebler Elves use in their tree....actually, I bet even THEY have bigger ovens now) and a turquoise bathtub, which I now kind of love...very Anthropologie (or so I tell myself) but it's home and we love it. This isn't the entire house but more just the B&A of the rooms that they had previous pics of, plus a few random projects...So here is my progress.....

Living Room

Shot of our living room from the real-estate listing....yikes

My first attempt at an update with "hand me down" furniture..

I also removed the popcorn ceilings, painted the entire room including the wood paneling,

brick fireplace and added more modern lighting.

Few months later, saved a little money and trying to make it younger still...

I painted the table and replaced the pillows

Couple of years later..got some Christmas money and FINALLY got fresh carpet (yippee!)

and some newer furniture...

Finished product (for now)....naturally the king needs his chair right in the middle

opposite side...left bookcases original color

Formal Living Room

This was the formal living room which we have converted into Slade's office.

I kind of wish I had stolen those chairs on the right...I kind of like them.

Finished product..

painted the walls, put down hardwoods, added recessed lighting and got him a "man desk."

We had no real need for the "formal living" as we have no "formal" furniture.

Dining Room

Real-estate picture of the dining room...

Again, added hardwoods, painted the walls and after a year and a half of looking..

decided on a dining table I liked...6 months later, got some chairs!

Next I painted the chandelier from bronze to antique white to match my table.

Guest Room

Real-estate pic of one of the bedrooms. I knew it was not going to be the nursery

and just a guest room so I wanted to do something a little younger/hipper...

so I did this......

Painted the walls green! Everyone thought I was nuts. But I love it.

Actually it's not this dark in real life, just kind of weird lighting.

This is actually a little bit truer color..

Kitchen table..

This is the kitchen table I painted shiny black ....but don't have a before pic...oh well

Table in the kitchen.. I painted white over wallpaper that shouldn't be allowed to be seen..ever.

Master Bedroom

Real-estate pic of master bedroom before...

Had to use LOTS of adjectives to sell Slader on this one...

blue room AND blue carpet..nice.

Current pic of master...not the greatest pic since I took it with my phone.

Still want to do some work but broke for now.

Painted walls, new carpet, and new lighting.

Entry Way

Entry way...after I covered up hideous wallpaper and painted stripes,

but before I painted door

see..much better!

Real-estate shot of the bar....oh, the turquoise..

did I mention that the wallpaper is a lovely mix of velvet and metallic stripes...jealous?

The bar today...spray painted the cabinets and added wallpaper...

Cabinets with my fun little knobs

Bar from opposite side

Little Smarty Pants

2011-07-25T09:41:00.000-05:00

It's me, Knox. I just had to share, because this morning I had a stroke of genius. Mom and Dad have been getting mad at me for screaming. I don't see what the big deal is... sometimes I just like to let it all out, explore my vocal range, or blow off some stream with a good, long scream. However, Mom and Dad are not fans...especially in public. So what did I do? I beat Mom to the punch!

This morning I wanted to scream, so I walked my happy butt over to the corner where she puts me in Time Out, sat down, faced the wall and screamed! HA! How can she put me in Time Out if I'm already here?!? I know, it's brilliant. I think Mom appreciated my resourcefulness and didn't even get mad!

Move over Tiger....

2011-07-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

It's me Knox and all I have to say is move over Mr. Woods because there is a new kid that has been playing golf since the age of one. Since I am in fact, still only... one, I can only predict my future greatness.

I am OBSESSED with golf (Mom says I come by this naturally.) I picked it up all on my own. Mom and Dad are a little perplexed at my love for the game and I surprised them when I showed them my golf swing. I use it as my go to party trick, right after my funny laugh, as well as just a common greeting. Most people wave hello or goodbye...not me...I show you my swing! It all started out when I went up to the golf course with Mom and Dad and Grandad gave me a little golf club for little people. It was love at first sight. Mom made it be an 'outside only' toy because she didn't think a one year old with a metal stick was awesome for indoors. Due to the scorching temperatures this summer, and my ever burning desire to learn my trade, Mom had to improvise. My first indoor golf set consisted of a plastic easter egg and a wooden spoon. Makes for quite the set of clubs.

Next, I hit pay dirt when my amazing neighbor Nancy went and got me a set of my very own plastic golf clubs!! Since they are plastic, Mom even lets me use them indoors! I am amazing. I have a driver, wedge and putter.

My all time favorite thing to do is go to the golf course with Dad. We go to the putting green or just ride around in the cart. I even went to the TO this year and got to see all the golfers. I showed everyone my swing and got my very own TO hat, which I rarely, if ever, take off. When I can't make it to the golf course I love to watch it on TV. Out of sheer desperation one day, Mom switched the channel from the cartoons I wasn't watching to the golf channel. It was like a beacon from the Mother Ship. I just sat down in my chair and watched in awe as I saw my future unfold before my eyes.....

My first trip to the course with Dad

This is GREAT!

lining up my putt

"Dad, Can we go over there on the actual course?"

My first golf club!

Why can't I go on the tour now?

My "indoor" clubs

Showing the golfers at the TO how it's done

Hanging with Hutch and Dad

"More" golf please!

OH MY GOSH!

Cuatro, Dad and I doing some official TO stuff...we are kind of a big deal

Grandad and I judging the long drive contest

showing off my swing at the Hereford 4th of July parade

Practicing in Rizzle and Steve-O's front yard

"Lord, please let me be on the tour."

What is this business? Golf clubs for clowns?

I'll still work it!

Knox's "Funny Laugh"

2011-07-18T15:10:00.001-05:00

Knox started doing this "funny laugh." It started a few months ago and we have no idea where it came from. He sounds like Woody Woodpecker and he does it when he wants attention or wants to make someone laugh. Only recently, he has started doing it on command. Makes for a great party trick. Anywho, here is a video of him doing his "funny laugh" for Aunt Heather and then cracking himself up attempting to do it again. The harder she laughs, the more he tries to do it. It's cinematic gold.