bathing redneck style

I love summer. The water coming out of the hose here is like 90 degrees. Yes it is 115 degrees outside but honestly...I don't really care. Sure I get sick of sweating...but I think I deal with it about as well as you can. Clearly so do my children. It is also quite possible for my kids to not see the inside of a shower for 2 months. Gasp. Perhaps this is not something I should share outloud. It isn't that they don't shower...it is that we just keep it outside. Right after we step out of the pool.

I wanted to post this picture of my chicks because it just shows how much they adore each other. They really are good friends. They never fight. Sure they may bicker every once in awhile but generally...there are no fights...ever. Knock on wood. They can play for hours and hours and hours. I realize this will not last forever...or maybe it will...who says it can't...it has so far.

A mom can dream can't she?

And I love happy customers...

Amy wanted a heart tank for Ava's party. It was a heart party. Amy was such an easy customer...she just wanted a sparkly heart...and she left it in my hands. So I started and could not seem to stop...the outcome...one big mamba-jamba heart. Apparently it was a hit and I am thrilled Amy sent me the evidence lol! Told you I love pictures.

I am thinking I need to do more hearts...what do you think?

i love pictures...

Look how cute Tatum is...and how great is her mom's taste it clothes! lol. Actually it is so great that she has her own boutique. Leslie is the owner of Little Posh Princess...and I need everything in her shop...mostly the Paperwings and Misha Lulu items:)

Angel Face Cupcake!

Since I am slightly ocd with certain things. Like a big pile of orders. Or a pile pile of mail...big pile of laundry...big pile of _____________ (insert anything really) I cannot deal with anything else until I have done away with the big pile. So when we got home Sunday night...my first stop was to unpack the 3 weeks worth of clothes and stuff we took. Done. Then it was onto the car and junk in the trunk. Finally it was the mail. Great. Nothing like bills to greet you at the door after 24 hours in the car. But since I cannot sleep if I know I have PILES awaiting me in the morning...I tackled it too...and much to my delight I had the best little cupcake necklace wrapped up all pretty in between my t-mobile bill and my $395 electric bill. Heather is a twitter buddy, an etsy buddy and a blog reader. She knows of my cupcake love and she sent me one of her darling designs. How sweet is she!

THANK YOU HEATHER (yes I am shouting this time:)

Back in Business...

Ok...well I am back. Bad blogger I know. Kinda had a rough trip though and if you saw what we have gone through over the past couple weeks you would understand. Lets just say that there was a HIGHLY contagious flu going around while we were in Calgary. We all got it. It was HORRIBLE. I have not seen anything like that in years. YEARS. (why do I keep shouting at you? don't know. sorry) Anyways. It was literally 24 hours worth of something meant for a horror movie...then the next day, we were fine. Kinda. No appetite for a couple days but nothing like the 24 hour period. Oh gawd. Nastiness. The only one that did not get it (other than my parents) is my husband. I don't think he spent enough time with us in our "state" to be the next victim.

Happily we hit the road to come home on sat. 2 day trip. First day, 13 hours drive...we stop in Idaho, my oldest daughter takes 2 steps out of the car and has the look, the same look she had 2 weeks before when I thought she was going to pass out in the mall...which then turned into our first event with the flu. Anyways...she had it again Sat. In a hotel. In Pocotello, Idaho. Wheeee. Fun to be us. I don't think it was the same flu, simply because I don't think you can get it twice. But it was something. And it was not good. I am leaning towards car sickness but at this point I don't care. I am just glad everyone is back to the land of the living.

THEN yesterday, I get a call about my poor father who got stung in the ear by a wasp...alot of times. It caused him to basically pass out...awful. The ambulance came...checked him out. They said he was fine but did I mention it was not good. Poor guy. Now, I just found out that my mom had to take dad to the hospital at 3 in the morning because his head swell up like a balloon. Good lord. My poor dad. Apparently he is back at home and recooperating. Stop the insanity. I can't take anymore right now! Sniff. Poor dad. I need him to not get the flu now. Yikes.

Ok...so only good stuff now. I am back. I came back to a wonderfully huge pile of orders. And I am digging in. Since a blog post is totally boring without a picture...I will attach a couple that I took while I was gone. I am ATTEMPTING (shouting again) to shoot in manual mode. Ya. I got a looong way to go. But it is making more sense to me. So here are a few of the millions I took. My girls, my neice, my nephew and some beautiful offspring of good friends.

Helloooooo...no I did not forget you

So we are safely in Calgary. Long trip. Weather sucks. Whatever...it isn't 115 degrees so I don't care. Just a couple pics to post because I don't really have much exciting to say so here are some odds and ends that I just downloaded off my camera. Please keep in mind that I am on my mom's computer and I have NO editing programs to work with here. I miss my mac.

First picture is my nephew Bennett. Yes, you are correct...every child in our family is beautiful. Ha. No seriously they are...or at least we think so. There are not alot. Just my 2 chicks...and then 2 nephews and a niece...and all are perfect;)

Next is Fozzy Bear, my mom's 6 month old Puli puppy. We have always had puli's in our family. Mom is hungarian and so are the Puli's. If you are not familiar with them...google it...then go buy one because they are that cool. Fozzy literally came from Hungary because he is super rare color and man does he have amazing color. I took a pretty pathetic photo of him...I will try to get a better one to show you all of Foz-buster. I love him.

Next we have a plate of Crave cupcakes. Because a post from me without thinking, talking about or photographing cupcakes is apparently impossible. So here are THE cupcakes in Calgary. There are no Sprinkles shops here. Crave is the place...and they are pretty darn good. These are the minis which I think are perfect size...then you can eat like three...HA. Hello my name is Cristy and I am a cupcake addict. Hmmm...wonder why my sevens are feeling a tad tight these days.

Hmmm...what else do we have...oh yes...the reason why I did not accomplish filling any orders this evening. Paper bead crafts. Thanks mom! My mother is one to always buy the girls fun crafts...however only one of my children can actually sit, read the instructions and do the craft herself...the other needs moi. So I spent 2 hours rolling, glueing and beading a bracelet out of paper. I had no idea this was even possible. Leave it to Klutz to come up with this one. I will admit it is pretty darn cute and would make a good art project at school. You can do it with any paper. News paper...magazines...or the pre-cut strips included. I quickly reminded myself that this is one of the reasons why we are on vacation...and I said...ok...lets do it. Turned out pretty cute. I do enjoy a good Klutz craft.


Last we have a photo of my Lili because the chick just makes me literally stop and smell the roses. We spent 15 minutes today investigating a slug at the end of the driveway. Yup a slug. 2 days ago it was a caterpillar doing pushups I swear it was. I would have dumped a cup of salt on the slug to demonstrate how to "properly" appreciate a slug...but I thought that may have scarred my children so I opted to just sit and watch it goop its way along.

Happy 4th of July...someone please come pack for me:(

I am leaving in less than 24 hours and I have not packed a single item. None. Part of the problem is that the weather where we are heading to is kinda pukey right now. That is part of why we did not go a couple weeks ago. We usually are there for the last week of June and then come home the 2nd or 3rd week in July. This year, I pushed it back...hoping to catch the "summer" in Calgary. Ya. Rain and 68 there at this moment. It is hard to pack for summer there because one day it can be 90 and the next can be 65...not good. Usually makes for a nice cold. Anyways...I need to just suck it up and pack. So I wish you all a very happy 4th of July. Hopefully I can still post while I am gone...unless I have totally forgotten all my passwords which is really quite possible. Egad.

its was a nice birthday

my girl wants to party all the time, party all the time, party all the tiiiiiimmmmeee....

well we made it to 9...isn't she purdy? This picture was taken by the soon to be super famous Lyra Lyra. If you are in the Phoenix/Tucson area, you need to contact her and get her to take pics of you and your family. If you want to do little mini sessions let me know...maybe we can get a handful together and get her to come in the fall to take some "holiday" pictures. She is a doll.

She is 100% as fabulous as her photos are.

Yes I know we are wearing a #8 tank in the picture...she was only 8 then lol...it was like 2 months ago. OH and before you reprimand me for no helmet...this was the only time she has ever ridden a bike without one. Trust me. I am one of those super protective "do not even touch your bike without your helmet on" moms. When I see a kid not wearing one while riding a scooter, bike, roller blades...etc. I instantly wanna smack their parent upside THEIR head. Such a simple thing. No excuse. And if you don't make your kids wear a helmet, I hope I just guilted you into starting:)

swag bags brought to you by...

so tomorrow is my daughters 9th birthday...sniff sniff. We threw her a big party for her 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th birthdays...ever since, we have just done a family thing. Thats not to say that we don't make a big deal out of birthdays around here. Come on. This is ME. Do you really think I don't put alot of thought into birthdays? Unless you are referring to my own to which I am quite happy if we all would just forget it even exists. ANYWAYS. Because it is always just family...and will remain that way until she insists on slumber party madness or what have you...I can go all out on the goodie bags. Most years we are already in Calgary and I then have to use my brain and figure out what little dudes like to because we have 2 adorable little cousins in Calgary. This year, birthday is at home. Just the 4 of us.

My brain is not working on full throttle these days. I cannot concentrate. I was so afraid I was going to mess up an order and have the poor customer email me while I am driving through Montana to ask me why I sent their daughter a boys kapow shirt. So...I had to literally put all thought into my orders this week. I think I came out unscathed. Pat pat pat. Crossing fingers. But that left the birthday...which is tomorrow. Gah.

I literally ordered 90% off the birthday stuff from etsy...and the other 10% was a little Tokidoki purse I bought online and has not showed up yet. Great. Should be here about an hour after we pull out of the driveway. Not in my control..no need to get upset. Whatever. Its a purse.

So here are a few goodies from the "swag bags" as I like to call them. All Etsy...all beyond fabulous. Seriously, there is nothing you cannot buy on ETSY. I love it so.

So please take my word for it and check out sellers. We have Details Barrettes, Lilly Plum necklaces and rings (and omg there are cupcakes on the back!) by the way..stay tuned...Lilly Plum and I got a lil thing brewing...the BEST recycled baggies from ZJayne (man I like that chick...she and I have a very similar sense of humor:) those bags will be used for cameras and nintendos...perfect idea non? The most beautiful three charm bangles! Oh and I cannot forget the personalized card. I know my daughter and she will take this card with her everywhere she goes...she was that sweet at 1 and she is still that sweet at 9.

Awwww...happy customers

I love waking up to emails from Happy Customers. How perfect was the cupcake expert dress for a cupcake birthday?! I love that idea. Thank you Emily for sending me the pictures.

Fast forward to March 5, 2010...

Are these not the most fantastic photos???! I cannot wait to see Tim Burton's Alice movice. I am sure it will be totally twisted and beyond freaky but the colors. Oh my. The colors. These were posted on comingsoon.net and I am more than excited. And Johnny Depp...that dude is just in a class all by himself. Who would have thought Tom on 21 jump street would still be around...and boy am I glad he is.

I am also thrilled that Anne Hathaway is in the movie. I love her. Her Saturday Night Live gig was almost as good as J.T.'s ...almost. Did you happen to catch a very short lived show years ago where Anne was the daughter? It was a very good show. My husband and I loved it...and it lasted like 10 episodes or so. It was probably about 10 years ago or so. Gah...I feel old now. I think it was called Get Real. We liked it.

holy cute outfit batman...

check out little Brooklyn. How great are those leggings...and the skirt and the converse...I love it all;)