Hair Bows & Guitar Picks

WINE WEDNESDAY

2012-02-22T14:07:00.004-02:00

So I told you last week that I tried a Chianti and I liked it, so this week I thought I might try another one just for the Hell of it, that and I did promise Dominic that I would....even though he totally did not keep up his end of the bargain.

Anyhoo, moving along, I really really loved this one. Loved it so much that I am totally running back to the grocery store tonight to get a couple more bottles. It was only about $12 a bottle and really really good (but I think I already said that right?).

This is a must try if you like Chianti, in my book anyway....and shit really who am I to tell you what to try?

WHAT I LOVE TODAY

2012-02-20T18:53:00.001-02:00

Some things that I am kinda diggin this week....

It's so hot here in Florida this week that I am trying to hit the beach when ever I can....even if it's for a quick walk just to take in the sights and the birds. I am also loving my new jeans and hair color along with a couple new things I bought for myself here in this past week.

Happy Monday!

MUSIC MONDAY

2012-02-13T16:16:00.003-02:00

It's Music Monday and this past we have been listening to such a variety of music it's insane...we can go from pop, to country, to jazz, and even into some 50's music, it really is crazy around our house...but this one is the one that Noel and I have stuck in our heads this week, probably because she makes me play it every morning on the way to school.

Selena Gomez - Love You Like A Love Song

At least it's a got a good beat and I can actually understand the words so it's a win win for the both of us.

HOUSTON WE HAVE A BIRTHDAY

2012-02-10T15:00:00.000-02:00

Dominic, you have a heart of gold and a smile that is so contagious...even when I am the most mad at you you can still somehow make me smile and laugh. You are good with the kids and have the patience of a saint, you balance me out and make me whole, and for that I love you with all my heart.

Happy Happy Birthday!

SIX MONTHS - TIME TO LET IT GO ALREADY

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000-02:00

It's been six months today since my sister passed away...wow...even writing that was hard, hard to believe it's actually been that long since I saw her, heard her voice or even knew that she was just there if I needed to talk to her.

But what I want to say, or maybe really just want to vent about, is that I hate that her husband has not taken her Facebook page down yet. Why should this bother me you ask? Well, first off it was her page not his (he doesn't even have one of his own) and she is no longer here and second you know how sometimes you log on to your Facebook account and it shows you recent activity? Well my heart sinks when ever I see her name pop up on there. I mean for a second I am like oh my god Niki wrote...and then it hits me like a hammer on my thick head, she wrote nothing because she is not alive. I kinda (but honestly not really) get that some people just want to hang on to every last thing of hers and they still wanna post things out there but really do they need to post it on her Facebook page...a page that is no longer hers. Post it on your own damn page if you feel the need but why hers?

It's just like when I was updating my contact list last month, or so, I had to delete her number...was it hard to do? Hell yes but it's not her number anymore....it's just not, so why keep it? I'm never going to call it...hell he probably hasn't even turned it off yet so shit he might even answer it and that would send me into a total hysterical fit. Why keep it in my contacts and have to be sad when I scroll past it? It's not that I am insensitive and don't want to remember her because I do and I have my memories and I have pictures of her all over my house but it's just not something I need to be sad about every single time I look at my contacts.

And while I'm on my rant let me tell you that Gmail can suck it! When ever I type an email to my mom or my dad this little box pops up on the top and says "you might want to add Niki Helmer in this email" REALLY? yes I sure would love to include her but I CAN'T!

So Gmail you can suck it!

I loved my sister and I miss her dearly but hanging on to little shit like this just bothers me to the core. There are 1,001 way you can remember her...but keeping a Facebook page of someone who does not live on this earth any longer is just freaking mind blowing to me.

Ok, there I said it and I feel better about saying it...and it's ok if you disagree with what I am saying because these are MY feelings and I am entitled to say how I feel!

WINE WEDNESDAY

2012-02-09T13:47:00.002-02:00

Oh my gosh please forgive me, I totally had a post all set for Wine Wednesday and I forgot to publish it. Yes, that's just me and where my head has been at lately...in a cloud some where. So it might be a day late but heck who really cares anyway....except for it's called Wine Wednesday for a reason right? Oh well it's here and that's all that matters.

I have never really been a Chianti drinker but Dominic is so I let him pick out the wine this week while I picked out a new wine glass for myself (fair trade I thought).

So he chose a 2008 Straccali (Tuscany) Chianti to feature and I chose a pretty pink and leopard pink wine glass to feature...this so tells you a lot about our relationship....he's all sophisticated and I'm all into pretty things. But we work just like the wine did in my new pretty pink leopard print glass....it just works, we work.

Dominic really loved this wine and I was like "it's ok but let me try another glass just to make sure" and well if you know me you know I really just loved holding my new glass because it made me feel all cool and shit, so after about two glasses I decided that it wasn't half bad and I might actually like it. Well, that or by then I had a buzz and you probably could have given me a shot of Jägermeister (which I HATE more then anything) and I would have probably liked it.

No, but seriously I did like it and I promised Dominic that I would even try another Chianti if he drank out of my new glass....

and well he promised that next week he would and I could even take a picture to prove it to all of you wonderful people who check here daily to read all of my boring and crazy shit that I feel the need to share with you.

THINGS JUST FLOATING AROUND IN MY NOGGIN

2012-01-31T17:47:00.002-02:00

I know I have said this time and time again but man oh man how time flies...I can not keep up.

So I am sitting here with 1,001 things floating around in my head that I want to share but I just don't know where to even start. So this might be an all over the place kinda post so hold on and let's see if you can keep up, shall we?

I am still on my meds. which is a huge feet for me because as I have told you in the past I usually give up on them...but this time around I am staying on them. My doctor did up my dose a little bit and also gave me something for these anxiety attacks I keep having. As I get older I seem to freak out way more easily, like the littlest things get to me, I will start breathing heavy and before you know it I am in a full blow panic attack...crazy shit.

I have not been running nearly as much as I would like as my knee gives out on me way to easy. I will be doing great and then all of a sudden my knee is in constant pain and swollen so bad I can hardly walk....then I rest it for awhile and start running again and the same thing happens again. I really need to get it looked at but with no health insurance that's a little difficult right now.

That's another thing...I hate not have insurance. It's funny how when I have it I never seem to go to the doctor much but then I don't have insurance and all kinds of things go wrong. I am suppose to to go back to the dermatologist for a check up every six months for my skin cancer but I have not been able too...I'm just praying that everything is ok and that I have no more spots pop up.

I had a really neat photo shoot a couple weeks ago and would love to share some of the pictures with you but since it's a gift I can't right now, not until after the gifts is given anyway....just in case. I mean I am sure they have no idea about my blog but you never know. Anyway, it was really fun and the kids were so amazing and so funny. I wish I had more opportunities to do this kind of thing because it's so much fun and I love finding new ways and new places to shoot.

Both of these photos were taking with my iPhone...I really love how they turned out and I like how I caught the rays of sunshine above the palm tree.

Oh how I wish I was out on that beach today....

IPHONE PHOTO DUMP FRIDAY

2012-01-27T16:12:00.002-02:00

I was looking through the pictures on my iPhone and had to smile because this week it was about my family. It was about birthday parties, making brownies together and just being a family. Kyle even surprised me and let me not only take a picture of him but let me be in it with him.

WINE WEDNESDAY

2012-01-25T14:54:00.000-02:00

Two weeks ago I featured this wine but in a red, so I thought this week I would feature it in a white this week.

Frei Brothers - Chardonnay

This 2009 Russian River Valley Chardonnay has hints of green apple, orange zest, and apple pie. It has a bit of a nutty finish to it which I surprisingly enjoyed.

I am not really a white wine drinker unless is summer or we are having fish, but let me tell you this wine was really good and very refreshing.

MUSIC MONDAY

2012-01-23T11:43:00.000-02:00

It's Monday which means it's Music Monday.

Adele - Set Fire To The Rain

I don't think this is the official music video for this song but I really like this video a lot.

IPHONE PHOTO DUMP

2012-01-20T14:09:00.000-02:00

Can you believe it's almost February? Where oh where does the time go? I seem to be asking myself this question more and more everyday.

I am back to posting my weekly iPhone photo pictures...mainly because I have a new phone that actually lets me take pictures again and because I think it's a fun way to show you what our week looked like in pictures.

As you can see our week pretty much involved....music, wine, food and kids...and I would not have it any other way.

So what did your week look like?

WINE WEDNESDAY

2012-01-18T16:43:00.002-02:00

I saw this wine featured in my Food & Wine magazine and it had a really good rating so I knew I wanted to try it. I finally found it at our local liquor store and snagged it for about $16.

Entwine - Merlot 2009

Food and Wine make a delicious pair; the Food Network has partnered with Wente Vineyards, America's oldest continuously-operated family-owned winery, to create Entwine.

It's juicy and mouthwatering - think midsummer plums and cherries with a hint of black tea....yummy.

This will definitely be a wine that we will be buying again and one that we will try to keep on hand for guests or who ever else might wanna pop over for a drink.

A HUNTING WE WILL GO

2012-01-17T17:51:00.000-02:00

Last week I posted about our new little beauty that we are so enjoying, but this week I wanna tell you what's even more fun then listening to our new records....finding them.

There are not many places around these parts that sell records, and old ones at that. So Saturday morning Dominic woke me up and declared that today we were going on a scavenge hunt for records. We hit a couple spots we thought for sure would have some but nope, but then we went to our local flea market and hit the jack pot, the mother load if you will. We found this guy who had tons and tons of records....the only problem was you really had to dig. Like you had to move boxes around and move stacks of crap just to get to them.

The guy was really cool and let us stay there for hours looking and digging and moving crap around to look through all the boxes (which we only got to about half of them - so guess where we will be this weekend?).

After we made a pile of what we wanted the guy would get out his book and look up all the prices and then would sell them to us for 75% off the book price...most of them were only about $1 or $2 which was totally cool with us. But see that Fats Domino record...well that one was listed in the book for $100 and the guys knew Dominic really wanted it so he gave us a great deal on it and let me tell you it made that whole day all the more fun for the both of us.

While walking around the flea market I spotted this old 1910 Whiskey box that I knew we had to have to store all of our new finds and I am totally in love with it and it looks so cool sitting next to the record player holding all of our new treasures.

WINE WEDNESDAY

2012-01-11T16:54:00.000-02:00

Gosh, it's been like forever since I did a Wine Wednesday and oh how I have missed it. This year I am going to try to get back in to the grove of it and hopefully you all will help me out, like giving me some suggestions on what I should try or feature here.

Frei Brothers 2008 Pinot Noir

"Our 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is medium-bodied, with flavors of dark cherry and blue and black fruit. This wine has an earthy and robust character which is complemented by subtle hints of oak from French and American oak barrels."

We got this bottle of wine from some really good friends of ours for Christmas and let me tell you what, they so know me and what I like because this wine was so me and so very delicious.

LISTEN TO SOME JAZZ - IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

2012-01-10T12:30:00.001-02:00

Check out this little beauty I bought for Dominic yesterday....

yes it's a record player and I totally blew my kids minds with this beauty. It's so funny to me that they have never seen one or heard one play...EVER. I had to explain to Kyle that when I was younger I had records and not CD's and iPods like he is use to and let me tell you I blew his mind with all my knowledge, or well I'd like to think so, maybe I just blew his mind with how old I am but whatever.

Dominic has been wanted one for a very long time but I was not all that into it until last month when we flew to Pennsylvania to visit some friends and while we were there we got to listen to their amazing collection of records. And amazing can not even begin to describe it...it was mind blowing really. While we where up there they took us to a cute little flea market kinda store where Dominic promptly bought about 10 records...to which I was all like this is cool but how the hell are we going to play these once we get home?

So for Christmas I was on a hunt to buy him a record player/turn table. I hunted and hunted and could not find the right one or one that was not so bet up and looked like once I got it home it would just fall apart and not play anyway. But then I found this beauty here at Target and headed out on Christmas Eve (because I love to shop under pressure and all) to get it and of course they were sold out but gave me a rain check and yesterday I collected. I picked it up, came home and got it all set up and had a record playing when he walked in from work....and let me tell you I swear I wish I would have had a camera because the look on his face was priceless!

Last night we spent hours listening to jazz...and OMG let me tell you it was truly amazing. I have such a new found love for Louis Armstrong....man that guy was so talented and the music coming out for the record player it truly awesome. If you have never experienced jazz though a record player - you must - it's just one of those things I can not explain you must hear it.

MUSIC MONDAY

2012-01-09T13:37:00.000-02:00

It's Music Monday and I am so excited to share with you a couple different version of one of my favorite country songs.

Many of you know and have heard Jason Aldean's song Dirt Road Anthem....this one here:

But did you know that Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford really wrote that song and they have their very own version which I am so in love with right now...like I have been driving the house nuts playing it over and over again and this morning I had it on repeat while I ran my 2 miles....so yes that is just how much I love this version right now and I totally think Brantley Gilbert is HOT...shhh but let's not share that with Dominic Ok?

And then you have this amazing version with all three of these guys singing it together live which I just love watching...and I love all the extra stuff they throw in there too.

So there you have it folks one song done so many different ways and all three so totally awesome!

NO NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR ME

2012-01-04T17:02:00.000-02:00

I am not a New Year's Resolution kinda gal. I just don't get it, I mean why would you set your self up for failure? Ok, ok I am sure there are some people out there that actually keep theirs and that's all fine and dandy but the other 1,001 of us will not even keep it past the first month. Just yesterday I heard my boss say "well there goes my New Years Resolution" and it was only 3 days into the New Year.

So, while I don't make any standing New Year's Resolutions, I do however think about things that I would like change or try to improve on this next year. Things that I don't need to go around telling others about, like hey I am going to lose 20 lbs by summer, or hey I'm going to do what ever it may be, only to let myself down and look like an ass to others, and seriously when some one tells me of their New Year's Resolution I just think yeah that will last about a week. Maybe I am a hard ass but in my 40 years I have never know anyone to have kept their New Year's Resolution...have you?

Here are a couple fun facts I came across about New Year's Resolutions:

63% of people say they are keeping their resolutions after two weeks (ok I can kinda see this)
67% of people say they are keeping their resolutions after two months (I totally don't think so, but that's just me)

The top four New Year's Resolutions that are made are:

1) Increase exercise (I have said this one 1,001 times in my life)
2) Be more conscientious about work or school
3) Develop better eating habits (yep I have tried this one too)
4) Stop smoking, drinking, or using drugs (including caffeine)

So tell me do you make a New Year's Resolution or are you like me and feel that it just sets you up for failure.

IT'S BEEN A YEAR - ALREADY

2011-12-28T13:12:00.000-02:00

As I type this post I can hardly believe it's been a year already....a year since the most unbelievable thing you could ever imagine played out right in our drive way.

I won't lie it's been a very hard year for Dominic and I. It's affected me in ways that I never thought were possible. I have suffered, and I am still suffering, major depression from it. But on the other hand it has made me a stronger person. It has made me realize that life can be gone in a blink of an eye. It has made me realize that depression is serious business and needs to be treated and dealt with.

We have now learned that Bobby suffered from depression and when he drank he became even more depressed and often talked about killing himself, but his family and his girlfriend (who was one of my very best friends) just thought it was talk and no one ever put to much into it. Well, if there is one thing that I learned from this tragic incident is that if someone is talking about killing them selves you need to pay attention...you need to get them help.

Looking back now, It's hard to believe that it's been a year already and it's hard to believe that we came out stronger because of it. It took me many months, a lot of crying and a ton of baby steps to be able to say this but I can honestly tell you that I am ok and the scenes from that night, no matter how horrible they were, don't play out in my head anymore and the nightmares are finally gone.

So tonight, Dominic and I are going to sit outside and have a drink and make a toast to Bobby and for a year that is now over and a New Year that is right around the corner.

MUSIC MONDAY

2011-12-26T16:00:00.000-02:00

It's Monday and that means it's Music Monday! I know, I know I have not been doing it that much over here but I am back into the swing of things around here and am ready to get this party started again.

So here is my new favorite song this week - Amy's Song by Brent Anderson

I have never heard of him before but just happened to catch this song on the radio the other day and fell in love with it...and it might totally have something to do with the "Amy what you wanna do" part or it might just be I like the whole story behind the song...what ever it is this is what I am listening to this week.

POST CHRISTMAS RAMBLINGS

2011-12-26T14:34:00.000-02:00

Hoping all of your had a very Merry Christmas.

We had a nice small and very quite Christmas and it was perfect. We stayed in our PJ's all day and the kids got to open and play with their toys for most of the day. We made and decorated some cookies and I made a small but really tasty dinner for us. It was just what I needed this year. There were some tears shed but they were only happy tears and tears of joy.

The kids got way too much, just like every year, but they were happy and so was I. I stress every year about getting them the perfect gifts and making sure they each get enough and to open and I know now that I don't need to going forward. They always get enough and they always love what they get. I have good kids and man oh man they sure have proven that to me in the last year of so.

Here is a couple pictures I took with the iPhone....I know they are a bit fuzzy but you know me and probably know that I have yet to upload any pictures from my camera. But hope you enjoy these little tid bits from our Christmas morning.

IT'S HARD DAMN IT

2011-12-20T13:13:00.000-02:00

So I have falalaed my house and I must say it looks pretty damn good for what little bit I did this year. This year we opted for not having a big tree, or a real one for that matter, we have a nice small one that I think will have to do for this year.

It's hard to celebrate or even get into the holiday spirit after losing my sister a couple months ago. Even though my sister was never here, in Florida, with us on Christmas it's still hard. It's hard knowing that we won't be getting boxes and boxes of gifts from her this year...she always sent so much stuff for the kids and it always made me smile inside knowing how much she loved shopping for them and how much they all loved getting gifts from their Aunt Niki. Ever year she always sent Christmas ornaments for the whole family and I think that is what I will miss the most. As I was taking out some of our Christmas decorations I came across a lot of things she had sent us over the years and just broke down and bawled.

I keep waiting to get her awesome Christmas card and letter. She would write these long letters, on really cool stationary, updating everyone on what was going on in her and her husband's lives. I remember last year being on the phone with her talking about Christmas and her husband yelling in the background because she was making him sign the Christmas cards too....and her and I laughed so hard at the things he was saying. Good times, good times that I am really missing today.

I am trying to be strong and keep a smile on my face this holiday season when really all I wanna do is lock myself away in my bedroom and come out after it's all over with. I am trying to be strong for the kids because I know they are feeling it too. I am trying to be strong when I really don't want to damn it!

WHO HAS THE CHRISTMAS CHEER NOW?

2011-12-16T13:31:00.001-02:00

This morning I woke up early having a major panic attack. I was sweating and my heart was racing and I was really freaking out. I was freaking out because there is only 9 days till Christmas, which the kids keep drilling into my head every damn day and telling me I need to get with it, and I have not put one single decoration up, I have not even bought one present for my kids.

So here I am at 6:00am (before getting ready for work) digging out Christmas stuff and putting it around the house. I had this magical idea that I would get it all done in an hour, before I had to get in the shower and get my butt ready for work, and once the kids got up they would be all like "wow mom you're so cool". I dug and dug and dug for stuff we have burried under monds of other stuff and managed to get a little bit out and up but the kids were totally unfazed by all my hard work. While they were unfazed I was all like shit I just rocked it and in an hours time and personaly I think the house looks pretty damn good.

I dropped all the kids off at school and was heading to Starbucks to grab a coffee before work when all of a suden my car just kinda pulled me into Walgreens were I promtly bought $100 in lights and other crap, we really didn't need, and two really cool 4 foot pre-lite trees to put outside by my front doors.

Now let my kids tell me I'm not rockin 'the Chirstmas spitit, because if they do then hell maybe there just won't be any presents under the tree for them, which would totally help with my anexity about what to get them and if I have enough money or not, but as of today this momma is totally digging the Christmas cheer now....fa la la la la la la la!

THESE WILL HAVE TO DO FOR NOW

2011-12-16T12:55:00.004-02:00

A sneak peak at our PA trip...all photos taken from my phone because I am lazy and have yet to upload the ones from the camera, which are probably a heck of a lot better then these...just saying.

I SAY SCREW THEM

2011-12-14T14:51:00.000-02:00

I have not been around here much lately and I really don't like it. I love writing my stories and getting all these thoughts in my head out but every time I try I get stressed out. Stressed because I feel like I really can't write what I want to. I can't express my true feelings and thoughts because I know so many people (in my real everyday life) that are reading and reading just to judge me. But today I say screw them! If they want to judge me and how I live my life then just go right ahead, the only thing I ask is that if you don't have something nice to say then just keep your damn mouth shut...just like your momma taught you, or should have taught you anyway.

Ok, now that that is out there you might see me around here a bit more often and that makes me happy.

So, this past weekend Dominic, Donnie as his friends like to call him, went to Pennsylvania for the weekend. One of Dominic's good friends from his childhood was celebrating his 40th birthday. His wife planned a huge surprise party for him and asked if we could attend. So Dominic and I flew up there as part of his surprise and man was it ever a surprise. Not only was it a great surprise for Serge to see us there, but it was even more of a surprise for me, because I not only met some really cool people but I made some super cool new friends and we totally fell in love Monica & Serge's little ones (but really who would not?).

It was a fast trip but a much needed one for Dominic and I. We have had a rough go of if for the past couple of years and the stress levels between us sure has taken it's toll, but this trip was what we needed. We had lots of time on the plane and in the airports to just be us, to just talk and to just reconnect, everyone needs that once in awhile.

I am still on my meds. (in case you are all wondering) and I am still feeling pretty good. I still have my crazy days but shit who doesn't? I mean 3 kids, 3 dogs, 2 jobs and a house to clean and all that goes with it. But for the most part I think it might be working. Well I think it's working, I'm never too sure or not.

I have not put out on single Christmas decoration! I know, I know I suck....but I have just not been in the holiday spirit. But this weekend I promised my kids that I would put out some Christmas things and I would even try to buy and put a couple presents under our little tree we are using this year.

IPHONE PICTURE DUMP

2011-12-02T13:58:00.001-02:00

Happy Friday....

It's been awhile since I did an iPhone photo dump and man oh man as I was looking at my phone this morning I sure could tell. I think I take more pictures using my phone then my camera anymore.