Splendid

week in the life. (thursday)

I'm tired, can I have a rain check for today??

Thanks. 

week in the life. (wednesday)

this Ali Edwards project has been both really fun and rewarding, and at the same time slightly stressful to get more pictures.  But I'm so glad I've decided to do it.  I think in 25 years it will be fun to look back at our regular day stuff.

6:30 wake up and quickly shower, let out dogs, get dressed

7:00 our friend Fausto's production crew arrive (like 15 of them), and start setting up, they used our garage as a lunchroom, had professional caterers, lighting crew, editing crew,etc.

7:10 wake up girls, help them get dressed

7:50 walk big sis to school

8:30  stop off at Starbucks for an English Breakfast Tea latte (me) and a blueberry muffin (little sis), take little sister to the school

a blurred me (life's a blur sometimes...)(taken by little sis)(and me driving, also obviously by little sis)

9:00 take dogs to the park

10:00 stand back and watch people who really know how to use a camera (feel jealous...). Fausto is doing a "doll house" themed shoot.  The pictures he's taking are for a singer/artist for her new album, some are for a fashion mag.  Some of the pictures are like tattooed dolls playing with toys, a tea party, argueing, yet more artsy-fartsy, punk-rock,edgy-dark type of pictures, like what you'd see in Nylon or Vogue. I think it's really exciting to watch. I had to be interviewed about it (in English, thank god!)and how embarrassing!

(upstairs in my craft room, the singer/model's outfits, they are using it for the make-up and dressing room, and her getting her make-up and hair done)

11:00 edit photos, check emails, blog read up stairs

(more watching/spying)

(someone editing some video footage)

lights and equipment are being checked/set up in the dining room

(some practice shots and some for real shots)

3:00 go get big sis from school/Spanish lesson

3:30 go get little sis from school/Spanish lesson

(posing with her teachers and then a classmate)

4:00 stop into what used to be the garage for lunch; tables and chairs, buffet and warming dishes with a professional catering, try to stay out of the way, look to see what I can make for dinner (decide let's eat out!!) (or order in!!) (or mooch more food from the caterer)

5:00 walk the girls around the block, we watch a Glee episode on my lap top (keep them out of the way)

7:00 about now we're starting to get bored, the excitement is dwindling fast...really fast...every inch of the house has been taken over by people, camera equipment, bags, shoes, the only unoccupied room is big sis'...

(more stolen shots)

(in little sis' room, they are supposed to be whispering secrets for the shot, and also like dolls, joints will be photo-shopped later, but they are taking a break while they redo lighting)

8:30 even though the hustle and bustle of the house is loud, I attempt to get the girls in bed

8:40 girls call me into the room to tell me they are hot

8:42 I set up the fan in the room (they are sharing big sis' bed because they are using little sis' room for the doll house/fueding friends thing)

8:50 called ONCE again into the room to extinguish "she's doing this!" and "she won't stop that" talk

9:15 watch another costume change

10:00-ish (I think) more photos

11:00 more pictures, I watch tv with Dave downstairs, the caterer brings up more food...

11:01 (WILL THIS EVER END ??) (just kidding, it's been cool)(I grab a bread roll)

11:30 wrapping up (whew!)

12:00 Fausto vows to take pictures of all of us for allowing him to use the house

12:30 watch them pack up

1:00 (technically Thursday now) finally some sleep!!!!!! (I dream of a room filled with a wide assortment of high heels, colorful tights, slinky dresses and flashing cameras...)

week in the life. (tuesday)

6:45 wake up see beautiful sunrise, get dressed, get girls up

7:50 walk big sis to school

8:00 feed dogs

8:15 take little sis to school-yeah, tough, garbage truck with smile now, cry later...

8:45 breakfast with friends

11:00 Spanish class back at home

12:30 clean up the house, get ready to have my house invaded tomorrow with a camera/production crew for a photo shoot

(little sis had taken all my jewelry off my jewelry stand the other day)

1:30 go get little sis from school

2:00 get big sis from school, snack time, just a couple minutes of Karaoke (lil' Boy George...)(man, I need a tan on those pasty, white legs, ick...)

a self-portrait by big sis

3:00 take big sis back to school for private Spanish lesson

3:05 clean up yard, play with dogs

4:00 go get big sis from Spanish class

4:15 start dinner (a little fave, chicken Tikka Masala, jasmine rice, mango iced tea), make lunches for tomorrow

6:00 Dave gets home, discuss what we need for the next day, okay caters to come by at 7:00 am!, eat dinner

7:00 dishes, girls shower,big sis plays Webkinz, laundry, laundry, laundry...

8:30 watch Cesar, Dog Whisper, so want him to come here and see my doggy care care...

(all taken in the last couple weeks) (yes, that is a stuffed animal the furbabies ripped up and strewn filling all over the yard)

and I don't think I've properly introduced my 4th furbaby.  Here she is, Ms. Selina Stella Bella, we're fostering her, but I'm sure we'll end up keeping her. She's from a home with kids, but when the parents got divorced a couple years ago, they gave her to my friend Christine who has the doggy day camp/boarding Frida goes to sometimes. She's my shadow, always next to me, an awesome listener, sweetheart and gentle. Frida and her have bonded really well, Lobo is like, "whatever..." and little Lilly loves how Selina babies her and allows Lilly to chew on Selina's ears. Now, that's nice..

10:00 nighty-night...

week in the life. (monday)

6:45 get up, let out dogs, get the girls up and ready for school

7:50 walk big sis to school

7:55 kiss beefcake good-bye

8:00 feed dogs

8:15 drive little sis to school

9:00 walk dogs through park and climb the steep lawn and run the stairs with my friend Marianne

10:30 make a cranberry and mineral water spritzer after my park outing

10:35 water the garden

here's my green nails I did last night watching District 9 (lame.)

11:30 shower, get dressed, do my make-up

11:45 spray a little perfume on, oh-shantay...

12:00 start laundry, sweep and eat lunch, check emails, upload pictures, look for flights to San Diego

1:30 go get little sis from school

2:00 get big sis from school

2:15 snacks and homework, laundry, make lunches with little sis for tomorrow (bento box)

4:30 scrapbook for Creative Type and Category Stories prompts

5:30 start dinner (white chicken-veggie chili, looks gross, but it's SO good!), bake cornbread

5:30 Dave gets home, kiss beefcake

6:30 eat dinner, do dishes

8:00 girls off to bed, Dave goes to an 8:30 jujitsu class, edit photos and blog some

10:00 watch Chelsea Lately while waiting for Dave

10:30 night

week in the life. (sunday)

going on....Sunday.

7:00 wake up for 54 seconds to let dogs out, return to bed...

9:00 wake up after a late night before, feed dogs, start pancakes and eggs for breakfast

10:00 after breakfast, a little run through the sprinklers is always fun

11:00 after a shower, more karoake singing

12:00 dad and littles take Lilly the puppy to the vet for her set of shots, I edit photos

12:30 big sis forgot to show me her 100% on her Spanish math test, super proud of her!!

1:00 lunch of left-over BBQ and sweep the floors

2:00 big sis wants to watch Indiana Jones #4, I'm tired so I lay next to her on the couch and watch, dad and little sis come join us

4:00 take dogs to the park

5:00 start dinner, big sis reads (rather she was FORCED to read)

6:30 eat dinner, do dishes, make lunches for tomorrow, more laundry (seriously now? does it ever end???)

8:00 put girls to bed, paint my toes, read my online Frankie mag, watched District 9 with Dave in bed on the laptop (didn't like it...lame.)

11:15 go to sleep... 

a week in the life. (saturday)

so, I'm finding this project super fun, and at the same time, difficult to keep up with.  Doing a post with pictures everyday is hard!

So, Saturday, same routine in the a.m. as usual...

8:00 slept in a bit, let dogs out to use the lu, started a load of laundry (does it EVER end??)

8:15 make coffee, clean up scrapbook room with little sis, (discuss world affairs, art, politics)

here's what I finished up

Xmas at the beach (last year's Xmas we spent it in sunny Acapulco)

Mr. Bunny,  this Easter with the EB at the mall (Stroneridge Mall in Pleasanton, CA), one for each of the girls albums, now I wish I would have made one for my album...

8:30 feed dogs (one dog missing in this photo-op), clean up yard, jump in the shower

9:00 little sis makes herself a little pb and j for breakfast (another FAB-U-LOUS little sis original fashion)

10:00 bug Dave to get up ALREADY! (poor sleepy baby...)

12:00 run by Starbucks (because I forgot to drink my coffee...)(I got an iced chai)(big sis takes a sip)

12:15 go to Dave's office to fax back paperwork on the Philadelphia house

(a view from Dave's office window down to Avenida de la Reforma)

12:30 feel sad, really sad about selling PA house

12:45 remind myself to feel grateful, really grateful that in this housing market we broke even, even came out ahead a bit

1:00 grab some tacos at a taco stand in Polanco, delicioso tacos=siesta...

stopped by a French bakery, chocolate-cafe eclair for little sis, big chocolate chip cookie for big sis (well, dad shared both...)

1:30 saw rad Budda head in store window, decided to look inside for Budda head in crazy-packed store. Decide to buy Budda head (here he is, he's about 2 1/2 feet tall, I'm putting him in the terrarium garden I'm making in front of this window)

4:00 finish up at grocery store

6:30 start BBQ

6:31 friends arrive, our friend Fausto and his girlfriend Ornella gave the girls a new Karaoke game for the XBox, singing and more singing, cocktails are poured...

8:00 eat too much, vow to exercise better next week...

9:00 watch new DVD, Avatar, with little sis, big sis and friends play cards in the dining room

12:00 little sis is asleep on me, big sis is forced to go to bed after winning quite a few hands at cards, man I'm tired...

1:00 nighty-night for me... 

a week in the life. (friday)

so, I tried to be better with snapping pictures today, but it's still hard to constantly carry my camera with me, even though I usually feel like I do. Anyhoo, here's Friday (TGIF!)...

6:45 wake up, take furbabies out (no camera once again, but it's not that exciting I swear.)

7:45 take big sis to school

8:00 take little sis to her school

8:30 return home, feed 4 hungry pooches (there's a special system, spoiled pooches, but I super love them), put away dishes from the night before

 

8:45 have some breakfast tea

9:00 arrange flowers brought over by my neighbor-sweet neighbor!!

10:00 dust a bit, clean up stranded toys and clothing

11:30 play with dogs for a bit, clean up yard from torn up stuffed animal and fill holes dug by stinkin' naughty dogs...(I decide I don't super love them anymore...)

12:15 go pick up little sis for early-out day, she has a swim playdate with equally cute friend..again, never ending bumper to bumper traffic...

2:00 pick up big sis and her bf from school, they have playdate consisting of giggling, whispering and lots of brownie eating

6:00 pick up little sis, bf goes home and we head out for dinner. Go to a rotisserie chicken place where big-time politician with 4 bodyguards sits next to us. They do not know why I take pictures of my husband eating (eccentric Americans...)

7:30 walk across the street after dinner for a yummy Cassava Roots frappe.  Geisha Coffee for me, Donkey Kong for beefcake, and little sis enjoys a Rasputin Raspberry.  Big sis is too busy snapping photos of young couple smoking hookah pipe to want a drink.

9:00 little sis says good night, mom and big sis scrapbook

10:15  dad gets back from an hour of jujitsu, big sis goes to bed, we watch reruns of the Office in bed

12:15 (now technically Saturday) trying to keep up with this week in the life thing, whew!...

a week in the life. (thursday)

After reading Jen's blog post for a week in the life, I decided I'd like to (try) do it. I started yesterday, so let's take a look see...

Thursday

6:30 (forgot my camera, already starting off badly),wake up a little early to take the furbabies out...

7:00 put on gym clothes with all intention of exercising today, put hair in ponytail

7:45 take girls to school

8:15 return home, make 4 dog breakfast bowls, clean up yard

9:00 check emails, make beds and look at laundry to be folded

9:45 decide to fold laundry, then work out

10:50 shower (no camera again, maybe next time...)

11:30 Spanish class

1:00 run to Starbucks

1:30 pick up little sis from her school, jam through bumper-to-bumper Mexico City lunch-time traffic

2:00 get big sis from school, she does homework, then practices piano

3:15 after a snack, build a fairy fort in the yard

4:30 start dinner, stuffed zucchini

6:30 eat dinner and do dishes, girls shower and get ready for bed

8:00 kiss my girls good night

8:30 watch Cougar Town reruns with Dave, sip Tazo Calm tea

10:30 nighty-night

So, not a ton of pictures, I kept forgetting my camera.  Now, off to start Friday post. Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Any special plans?

flower market

You can buy amazing flowers here in Mexico City.  Large, small, rare, common, all colors and shapes, and, many for a fraction of the price as you would in the States or in Europe. There is a HUGE flower market here about 40 minutes from my house.  My neighbor goes once a week to fill her many huge vases throughout her 6,000 sq ft home.  I have one hobnail vase that was my Granny-pannies and 3 mason jars, so when I was invited to go with her, my idea of what I would by was substantially smaller than my neighbor's, and I was just excited to take pictures.  

gardenia bouquets for 2.50 (or 30 pesos)

garlic flowers

Roses are about 5 dollars (or 50 pesos) a dozen

Catholicism and Christianity are staples to the Mexican culture, even at the flower market there are alters and shrines for Jesus

this little senor dude is making a fun flower sculpture

One part of the flower market has fresh vegetables and fruits, dried chilis, moles and spices.  Here is an old mole stand that I found out has been in the family for many generations.  Big clay bowls hold a variety of moles and chilis, you scoop out what you want.

I can't wait to go again one day soon!

10 things

My sweet pal Viv gave me this sweet little award

I have to list 10 things that make me happy, so here goes;

1. finding old, glass cloche bells to make a terrarium under my dining room table

2. the arrival of this next cookbook from Frankie Magazine

3. this freakin' fabulous bathing suit

4. this new MAC shadow, perfect for spring

5. blossoming pink cherry blossoms

6. all the new milkglass I found thrifting last week while in the States

7. watching my girls sleep after a long day

8. watching reruns of Jersey Shore with Dave in bed, O.M.Gaaaaaawd...

9. Rasputin Raspberry bubble tea from Cassava Roots

10. watching all my new (and old) furbabies play here at what I like to refer to as , "doggy daycare"

Now I have to pick 3 more friends, so I pick Jen, Patty and Sarah.

I left my camera cord in the states so I have 100 pictures to upload and do a post about our vacation, but it'll have to wait. 

Have a great day ya all!!!

Chocolate bunnies and Xmas trees....

While making Easter baskets with my mom (glass of wine in hand) I realized, chocolate Easter bunnies signifies it's time to take down the Christmas tree...

Happy Easter ya all...

New scraps

Come play along over at these fun scrapbook challenges,  first is Scrap Mojo, and the prompt is "Practical Jokes" in honor of April Fool's Day. Last year for April Fool's Day, big sis had me help her make super creamy mashed potatoes and serve it as ice cream to her dad.  She thought it was a riot!!!

Then the second one is Category Stories with the prompt "my world."  I used this picture with little sis and her rad, pink cat-eye glasses and said, "I see the world through rose colored glasses, or at least fabulous cat eyes..."

Come play along ya all!  There's fun prizes to be won!!!