Splendid

as cute as a cottontail...

( little and big sis, circa 2009, El Vez, Philadelphia)

Happy Easter out there to all who celebrate, and to all who don't and celebrate their own holiday, many wishes of good health, happiness and peace to you!

rain rain, go away...

It's been raining here for a week and a half...not that there's much you can do to control the weather, but seriously??? I mean, I'm getting soggy over here!!  Although I must admit my hostas and ferns love the cool, wet spring days.

 

big sis reading on the front steps...I just noticed the 7 in my address is crooked, hmmm...

pansies reaching for the little bit of sun we've had...

fairies live here...

fallen petals...

one of my favorite places to sit a spell..

my rain boots get much use here...

The Creative Type has a new challenge up called (and I love this, snicker...) "hand job." It's about using your handwriting to determine details about yourself through hand writing analysis. Mine was done a couple years ago and I was was told I am "artistic, loyal, private, can be worrisome, adventurous, likes to live life to the fullest." I love those girls, they're so awesome, go play along with them.

I had the Easter photobooths pics blown up individually and I made a 8x11 layout for each pic. The last one is of my mom and the girls, I miss her so much!! 

What's up doc?

there's more, but I'll leave ya be now, and post more later this weekend!

what an egg-cellent week i had...

I know, that title is pretty cheesy...first our photobooth pics from the good ol' dip-n-dunk at El Vez. Bunny ears and all...

Grandma and her girls
we took mi madre there for dinner last Wednesday night.  She'd never been and it's SO freakin' good...

Dave and I had a strip of photobooth fun, too, but I finagled the manager of El Vez to get me a t-shirt made with it like the waiters and waitresses wear. In a month I'll get my new shirt with a copy of the pic down the right breasteses...very cool!

and my rva felt pin I made and gave to my mom on Easter. The class is almost done and I have about 6 projects to do, but did more than half that was "assigned." It was/is a goodie...

and my latest layout... and for no reason other than I just adore Anne Taintor..."They Hated to Spread Gossip"

(made with the Noel Mignon kit, really cool!)

We dyed a couple dozen eggs, but also I was inspired by my lovely friend Angelina over at the Little Traveler's blog.  You separate a paper napkin and basically decoupage the printed paper onto a hard boiled egg. 

We have such a great street for kids.  Our neighbor down the street has a big Easter egg hunt party each Easter. They do a hunt that spans over 3 yards and then have a party afterward.  I also made lemon-poppyseed bread for 5 of my neighbor families and tied them up with a neat Ikea towel and ribbon.

 

(my girls waiting for the block Easter egg hunt...)

Dave left this morning for Mexico for 2 1/2 weeks again.  We'll go down for a month in May.  We'll miss him, but we're looking forward to spending Cinco de Mayo in Mexico-should be fun! 

How were your holidays? Are you coming down off your sugar high yet?  Did you do anything special?

my people

Having my parents here has been awesome.  My house is 100 years new so my dad planed old, funky doors that didn't shut properly, rewired a bath light, so graciously bought me new furniture for my front porch since all mine was taken away to storage on the west coast when we thought the girls and I were moving to Mexico for the whole year (confused?  Me, too..read past posts if you want more info), we planted flowers in pots on the front porch and my mom and I are painting my small half this week. But more than all the gifts and handy help, there's NOTHING better than subjecting your 70 year old dad, good old dad, Papa as the Little's call him, to impromptu dance parties,talent shows and walks through Philadelphia to leave "love notes." For those just tuning in here at our home, we are known to every once and awhile go out for the day, stopping by stores, coffee shops, visiting cracks in the walls of 140 year old buildings and topiaries by doorways, with tiny, teeny notes with the words written on the outside, "read me." We think it's hilarious to watch innocent passerbys faces when they see them tucked under the jar of sugar at a coffee shop or in a shoe display at a store. The messages are fun, light-hearted messages like "you make the world a better place," or "someone has a crush on you!"  Anyhoo, back to my story, my dad is more a no-nonsense type of gent, he really gets embarrassed to have to do these type of things.  Dance parties (music booming with Culture Club, Kajagoogoo and Feist) and talent shows with costumes and cheering, it's almost TOO much for him.

On Sunday I took my parents downtown to the Betsy Ross House.  I thought they'd like that. We'd gone on a fieldtrip earlier in the school year to do some of our Pennsylvania history requirements, and the Little's loved it. My dad likes history so I thought he'd like to take a break from grinding and sanding and get out...

Betsy Ross house, small, huh?

we weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but we did leave one love note in the sweet little courtyard.

who, me?

of course afterward we walked around a bit and left our loves notes.  My mom, the girls and I love it, even Dave thinks it's pretty funny.  

Hi Edward!

cute shoes, huh? I got them...

stopped in for an iced chai here...

and this guy is riding across America with his cute pooch to raise money for shelters. His dog was so sweet and gentle, even not seeming to mind in the least wearing his googles, even seemed more comfortable with them on. 

and the 2009 Annual Easter Extravaganza Talent Show Night...so fun.  Big sis was the MC and did a great job.  She also did a magic act that was awesome and danced with Grandma. Grandpa read jokes from Highlights. Dave said a joke from The Office and did a couple magic tricks. Little sis did a rollerskating and hoola hooping dance with me. 

the Great BigSisterlini!!

Big Sisterlini has her lovely assistant help her with a disappearing act

 

magic moving rocks

Dave doing the "which hand is it in?" trick

Papa, otherwise known as "Mr. Jokes"

death defying acts abound...

Lil' Sis doing her famous hoola hooping while rollerskating act

and throw in a little "robot" and crunk and move

dancing partners

I love you all!

Have a great week!

I'm Lucky...

"I'm Lucky" is the next Category Stories prompt, please come play along with us! I am never without my camera it seems, but I didn't have any pictures lately that made me feel they were "I'm Lucky-ish" so I thought and I thought...then I thought I'd use the embroidered family portrait from the rva class a couple weeks ago.  But because it was another project I felt it was cheating a little in some strange way.  Then I kept thinking, "lucky...lucky...lucky..." and then I thought randomly about my sweet husband who travels a lot away from home.  I thought I'm lucky to have him, but I didn't have a recent picture of us...then I thought about how he's been so good to me over the years, how hard he works to support his family, how he's such a good dad, friend, hard-worker, easy-going, generous, then I went back to lucky, lucky...and I thought about he's coming home soon, how I've missed him, lucky, lucky...lucky...he'll be home soon, agh yes! Maybe for this LUCKY prompt, I'm {getting} lucky- so the sweet little panties with the embroidered pin-up girl and the lucky 4 leaf clover of the backside would be a little present for my lucky husband when he comes home next time...lucky him!!! Hey, we've been together 14 years people!

 

  the 4 leaf clover on the back

And I'm lucky to have been chosen by the most superb Martha on Sis catwalk for my family portrait project, what a surprise! Thanks Martha! Isn't she too cute???

And I'm lucky to be able to make fun crafts such as this funky eyeglass case from the rva class.

 

and finally, I'm lucky to have such sweetheart daughters that busy themselves building fairy homes in our yard while mommy is sick on the couch with stomach flu all day Wednesday...

Hope you're feeling {getting} lucky, too!

  

Happy V Day!

Our special Valentine is south of the border so we went to the photobooth again for a Valentined themed internet smooch.  Your 3 girls miss you!!!

 

 

 

Can't wait to see you soon! 

 

(miss you, bear...)