The cutest thing ever? Oh yes, I think so.

I saw a skirt similar to this on Pinterest, but again the instructions were lacking clarity for this old addled brain. It took me several sheets of paper, a calculator, and an embroidery hoop to get it all figured out, but it ended up working just like I thought it would, with a minor exception. Evidently I have lost some pounds/inches since the last time I used the pattern that I was using as a guide and thus the skirt is a little baggier than I intended. It's all good, though, since I got the fabric from the dollar bin at Walmart since I was experimenting, so this experiment only cost me $6. And now that I have it figured out, I will try again with accurate measurements and a fabric that I actually like. All in all, I would call the experiment a sucess, since I really like the floofyness of the skirt. I am, after all, a girly girl at heart.


I made a coconut cream pie for Thanksgiving. Sure, I used instant pudding, but it's the first time I've made coconut cream and I did toast the coconut all by myself. Note to self: DO NOT multitask when toasting coconut. It goes from not-even-a-little-bit toasted to WHOA-I-let-that-go-too-long in an instant.


Much to Lane's chagrin, I only did one apple pie instead of the two I had told him I would do. Now I owe him an apple pie since Jack almost single-handedly polished it off.

So, are you ready for THE CUTEST THING EVER???

Here it is:

I guess Hallmark started a Fisher Price series that I was unaware of. This is the 2011 ornament. I played with this when I was a little girl for hours and hours and hours. It was my favorite. So Hallmark has reproduced it in an ornament with all the details exactly perfect. It opens up, the car is in the driveway, all the people are just how they should be, and the doorbell even rings! The cutest thing ever!!!

Continued

Here are two of my Scarletts. I'm not entirely sure why Lane took the pictures he did.

And of course the Fra-Gee-Lay ornament. Yes, it opens, and yes, there's a Major Award inside.

Tree #2 - Lane's Tree. He likes white trees so we got this one a few years ago. The lights on it are more pastel-y and I really like the way it looks. This is the tree where we put the homemade ornaments, since it is in the family room where we spend most of our time. Hallmark may have my money, but the homemade ornaments have my heart.

And this year we have expanded to Tree #3. I got if for less than $10 on Kohl's clearance last year, and the downstairs family room really needed a tree too. I have to start out small and warm Lane up slowly to the idea of 3 full size trees. 'Cuz it's comin', baby. You know it's coming.

It's pretty much like Porn to me. And to Shauna.

Here we are at the 2nd Annual Shake Rattle and Run 5k sponsored by my friend Kendall. It's all just for fun, no "good cause," other than having a good time. He had a 5k for anyone who wanted to do it and a 1/2 k for the kids. This worked out perfectly because Addie has wanted to do a 5k with us, which just ain't happenin', and this was not only a short distance but also FREE (I do love me some free outdoor fun!), and also she could wear her Halloween costume. Lane did the 1/2k with her, and I think they may have been the last ones in, but you would never know that from how excited she was to finish.

Lane sat with Addie while Jack and I took off on the 5k. Jack went almost 1/2 way before giving up. I didn't finish because it got too dark for my comfort zone, but I did about 2.8 miles, according to Kendall's best guess. He had my time recorded at 40 minutes, but I don't know what it really was since I visited with Lane and Addie and ate a donut before I went and checked in, so 35-ish minutes maybe? This will go down in my running history as the Bloody Toe race since I sliced my toe open and bloodied up my lovely white running shoes due to poor toenail trimming.

I have finally discovered my own form of Porn - Pinterest. It's all craftiness and food and homemade wonderfulness galore. I've tried out a few things I've found on there, these cupcakes being one of them. Clearly I need to work on my piping skills, but you get the idea nonetheless. I took some to work and no one there seemed to mind that I'm piping-challenged. I really need to suck it up and take a class.

Addie had her birthday on Halloween and she had asked for a new Barbie with a horse, so that's what she got. The grandma's etc. came through with lots of clothes so her diva-ness was satisfied with both toys and clothes.

This is more Pinterest fun. I found a skirt on there that I really liked, but the posting was from a catalog, but then the poster had provided instructions for her own version of the catalog skirt. So I followed her instructions and it was really pretty blah, and not at all flattering on me, even though it looked just like her sample skirt (although not hideous orange). So I stomped around the house in frustration for a little while before I remembered that the pure genius of stretch knit fabrics is . . . wait for it . . . the STRETCH!!! So I zigzagged around the edges again, this time s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g it out as I went and, just as I expected, the knit curled right up. This little revelation, albeit delayed, made all the difference in the world and I have to say - I'm lovin' the new skirt. It's incredibly comfortable, as stretch knit tends to be. So yeah, I'm pretty much all that.

Apple-palooza

A few weeks ago I tried out a Snickerdoodle cupcake that I found on Pinterest. It was only ok, I didn't love it. I may try it again with a different frosting, this is cream cheese.


So October (or at least, every other October) at our house means apples, and apples, and more apples, and still more apples. Our apple trees are Rome and they seem to be perfect for just about everything. We have a bumper crop again this year, so we'll be busy on Saturdays for the forseeable future. My kids, as you can guess, are thrilled.

On Saturday, I baked 3 apple pies. I love the way the apples look when I'm cinamonning them up for the filling, and the sugar makes the apple juices start to run . . .

Here is my first kettle-ful of apples, which I obviously filled a little too full. Few things in the world smell as good as apples slow cooking on the stove on the fall. It is all terribly homey and cozy.

And then the apples cook down to a golden delightfulness that looks gorgeous in mason jars and makes me feel all domestic and Mama Hen-ish.

And then the apple pie sits on the counter taunting me while I clean up the apple mess (it looked like an apple explosion mess) and make dinner, adding even more to the domestic queen feeling I had going. I made up a huge pot of chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles for dinner and some cheddar garlic biscuits.

I love fall.

I love all the football (college, of course. I can live without the NFL), the crisp air, the autumn leaves. I love getting out my sweatshirts and sweaters and putting the extra blanket back on my bed. I love having soup for dinner, and baked potatoes, and chili with breadsticks, and stew. I love having to wear my super soft little socks on my feet when I lay around on Sunday afternoons. I love filling up all those empty mason jars that have been accumulating over the year. I love making Christmas plans, thinking about what to make (or buy if I can't come up with something good to make) for each person on my list. I love sipping hot chocolate while we watch Psych and Mythbusters on the DVR.

It's a precious time of year, the twinkling of an eye that passes far too quickly, the time between the start of fall and the annual Full Blown Christmas Panic that arrives around Thanksgiving. No matter what the song may say, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

. . . and still more, but I think this is it

These pictures are from the bike tour Jack and I took at Half Moon Cay:

There's a stingray in the water

More beautiful beach and tourquoise water


Me riding on my bike/death trap. Luckily the ride was mostly along level ground, because I found out that my brakes were . . . well, lacking.

One of the places we stopped for a breather. Lots of mosquitos in this area of the island.

Jack on our ride.

Overall, we had a good time on the ride. It was short, only an hour and 15 minutes start to finish, including selecting a bike and finding a helmet to fit, and too many (in my opinion) breaks. The island was beautiful, the ride was just right challenging-wise, but I wish is had been longer and our tour guide had been more interesting. She had clearly memorized her script and acted like showing us around was a huge annoyance she wanted to get out of the way. In the past we have had really great tour guides, so this was a disappointment. There was also a bike/hike combo tour that I think I would do instead if I could do it over.

. . . from Jack's camera and Lane's phone

Sorry to subject you to more Funk Family Fun, but apparently not only did Jack have pictures, but so did Lane. So sorry it's out of order, but that's just sort of how I roll.

Some of Jack's Circle C (Camp Carnival) group playing mini golf

Jack playing in the ocean in Miami

Addie playing in the ocean in Miami. She thinks she's a mermaid, maybe?

Taylor, me and Addie in Miami

Taylor in Miami

Nassau

I did not love Nassau. No, I did not love Nassau. It was so hot and humid, but I expected that. I didn't like the way we were constantly confronted (yes, I do mean confronted) by hair-braiders and taxi drivers. I was incredibly annoyed that the stores didn't open until 10. If I was to go back, I would only do a shore excursion and skip the shopping/tourist area altogether. Yuck.

We are missing Jack in the above picture because he went on a snorkeling tour with Lane's sister Michelle and her husband and daughter. He had a great time and it worked out well since it was his birthday that day. He's 13!

Jack with his birthday cake and hat at dinner that night.

Lane and me and Grandma with our dining room servers, Elizabeth and Tri. They were excellent!