because sometimes we're ghetto...

This is Olive.

Many of you already know her.  She's super cute.

Here's one thing you might now know though...

She has 2 sets of teeth.

lovely.

(don't worry...she did not mind me showing you...she thought I was playing a game with her)

On another note...

sometimes around here we are a bit "ghetto fabulous".

I ♥ days like today.

The sky is blue...the temp is in the 60s...and there is a lovely breeze.

It's perfect open-the-windows/balcony door weather.

Except...we have one of those lovely "pretend" balconies.  

(Can someone please explain to me who thought of this concept & why? So pointless)  

There is a gap between the door & the railing.... 

a gap big enough for a very small chihuahua with double teeth to fall through.  

So what do you do when you want to open the door but keep said chihuahua safe?

You block the opening with part of your coffee table...

and little chihuahua enjoys her breezy view.

Like I said...ghetto fabulous.  :)

Happy Weekend!

surgery day

Erin's surgery went SO well!  She had her gallbladder removed...which runs in our family (I've had mine out, along with my mom, my aunts, etc.) She's been having horrible attacks for years, and finally was diagnosed with gall stones last week. She did SO good considering it was her first surgery under general anesthesia! Everything went great, and she is glad to have it all done.  Here are a few pics from the day:

it was super icy this morning...

case-in-point:  the ice on the windows at the hospital

waiting for surgery with a smile (and her blackberry to update her facebook status!)

erin had a packed room...my mom, dad, robbie & I were all there

(btw...gotta love the fabulous hospital lighting...not sure what's up with the color of this pic!)

home & relaxing

(how awesome is it that the love seat in the family room turns into a twin bed?!!)

Thank you for all your prayers!  Get well soon, Mwe!  Love you!

prayers for erin

Hey bloggin' friends!  Please say a prayer for my 'lil sis, Erin.  She is having surgery at 2:30 today.  It's the first time she's been under general anesthesia, so she's a bit nervous; please keep her in your thoughts.  I am sure we will document the whole thing with pictures for the blog (because that's how we roll...ha!)  Getting to the hospital should be interesting...the streets are covered in ice!!

Thanks in advance for your prayers!  Have a fabulous, safe, warm day.  :)

tjs photography

Just a quick update on TJS Photography!  We were having some issues with comments...it was not letting anyone post them for some reason.

I think I have it fixed, so feel free to pop over and test it out.

There are lots of fun, new pics...including this sweet gem over there ----------->

(that's Izzy & Rudy when they were babies!)

We have ice today...hope everyone stays safe & warm!

I ♥ twilight

I just finished it.  New Moon.  The 2nd book in the "Twilight" series.  

When I first started hearing about "Twilight" (on blogs, in the schools I visit, on TV, in magazines), I was not that interested. The books looked LOOONG (they are) and I just did not care much.

Then, I saw the movie trailer.  I was instantly intrigued. Not intrigued enough to read the books, but enough to see the movie.  So I did.  And I LOVED it.  I immediately bought the first book after.  I knew that there would be so many more details in the book, which there are.  I got through the first book fast...but have struggled with "New Moon".  It definitely got better towards the end, but it was a slow read for me.  I guess it did it's job though, because it left me wanting more.  So, tonight I am going to see the movie again (I want to see it now that I have read the book) and then will be buying the next book.  I never thought I'd be hooked on these books...but I am.  Does anyone else love them as much as I do?  If so...have you read the except on Steph M's website for the next book: "Midnight Sun"?  It's Edward's version of Twilight and it's SOOO good...can't wait!

Sorry to those of you that are not fans of the books...I am sure this was a boring post. To those that love the books, I wanna know...WHICH BOOK WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

{photo credit here}

a birthday fit for a princess

Yesterday was Claire's princess birthday party.  {You might remember seeing the invitation I made for it here}.  It was a very fun, girly, princess party...but man, oh, man was I exhausted after!!

There were decorations and balloons...

...and princess 'bling'...

...and magic wands, tiaras to decorate and nail polish & lip gloss to get all glam'd up!

There was a Barbie princess cake...

and a very excited princess.

Sue with the birthday girl, Claire and {big sis} Olivia

the birthday girl & I

the princesses decorating their tiaras...

...and eating cake!

It was adorable to see all the princess dresses and the party was great...everyone had such a good time.  I hope you all had a great weekend!  Happy Birthday Claire!

for the beauty junkies out there...

I know there are lots and lots of you that, like me, LOVE a good beauty product {ahem, allison mullins}. Make-up, lotions, potions, whatever....I love it all.  I love trying new stuff and recently found 2 products that I absolutely heart.  So, of course, I had to share!

The first is the Neutrogena 14-day Skin Rescue.  Oh. My. Goodness.  This stuff is amazing.  I started it a week ago today, and my skin has already changed!  (I can only imagine how fabulous it will look in another 7 days!)  My skin is brighter, smoother and completely hydrated. It's so good that I'm wondering if I can just use it all the time, even when the 14 days are over. Hmmm...

Next up...Covergirl's Wet Slicks AmazMint lip gloss.  I love lip gloss...and am super picky.  I have been searching for a colored lip gloss that has a bit of transparency to it...but does not look clear when it's on.  LOOK NO FURTHER. These are awesome...and they are minty (breath freshening). Gotta love that!! Even better...they are $5 a pop...which means I can buy several colors for the cost of one lip loss at {my fav} Sephora!!

The best thing about both products?  YOU CAN GET THEM AT THE DRUG STORE!  Love that!

Now, I feel a bit silly posting this picture...but I know there are some out there that will want to see my glowing skin and fabulous gloss.  Here you go...don't judge :)

UPDATED:  if you buy the 14 day kit, post pics of your face at 7 days and 14 days on your blog, too! :)

One more thing...Fabulous K Creative was featured on Baby Blog Addict this week!  I was thrilled when they contacted me about being their featured designer.  Head over here to check out the post and enter in the giveaway.  I hope you all had a fabulous week.  Stay warm this weekend; it's gonna get cold again!

valentine wreaths

Did you know that lots and lots of goodies from Hob Lob...

plus this...

(please excuse my modge podge covered, in-need-of-a-manicure fingers)

...plus this...

equals THESE!!! 

{here is the one I made}

{and here is the one my mom made}

Super fabulous Valentine wreaths!  Yay!  I am not a big fan of the day (Hallmark holiday) and neither is my mom...but we sure had fun making those wreaths up there!  I love them!  All those pictures were taken on my mom's front door.  Here's my wreath on my door (sorry for the terrible lighting!)  It looks perfect on the green door!  

Thanks for the fun afternoon of wreath makin' Svettie! (that's what I call my mom....LONG STORY.)  

shabby bathroom

I thought that since I shared the decor of my bedroom with you that I would also share my bathroom (that's attached to my bedroom).    I know there are lots of you that, like me, love when people share rooms in their house on their blogs.  So, this is for you!!

My bathroom is very shabby chic/anthropologie...very me.  I figure as long as I am not married then I might as well live it up on the girly side. :) 

First picture...fabulous floral shower curtain, towels from anthropologie and vintage butterfly watercolors painted by my grandfather.  (Look at those frames...they are the original frames...VINTAGE!!)

This is an awesome picture that my parents brought me from NYC.  I had it framed in a thick, glam silver frame.  

Under my sink, I have an open shelf...a perfect place for goodies!! :)  Magazines in a vintage tray & more towels.  Lovely.

My grandfather's turquoise vintage fan, towels and monogrammed lotions and soaps (from my best friend, sue) in a vintage milk glass bowl.  love.

So, that's all!  I hope you enjoyed.  On another note:  my sister found out this afternoon that she has to have surgery a week from tomorrow.  Please say a prayer for her!!

1.20.09

Today history was made.

I feel excited, hopeful and ready for a new start. And I believe that no matter who you voted for, it's beautiful to see our country coming together.

Enjoy watching all the events today. God Bless America!

Happy Inauguration Day!

 

 {image credits here}

genius

Oh my goodness...How awesome is this?!!  It's spanish moss (love, love, love) RIBBON!!  Yes, ribbon.  My mom & I found it when we were at SampleHouse today.  I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet, but I had to share.  I am sure there are a million creative uses for it...so go get some!! :)

fabulous find

Whew, it's cold outside! (coldest night of the season predicted tonight...HELLO!!)  I like it...I mean it's January after all, but I am starting to get the urge for spring!  (bright colors, perfect sunny days, florals...your know what I mean!)

My best friend gave me a target gift card for my birthday...which I love...walking the isles at target = SO MUCH FUN.  One of the {many} things I found are those little gems to the left. ADORABLE kitchen towels...and they were only $4 for a set of 2.  I love them!!  It may be cold outside...but it's spring in my kitchen. :)

fabulous invitations

Today I delivered by very first set of Fabulous K Creative designed invitations! It's something I have been wanting to try but was not sure if I could pull off (because of the whole printing it out thing). So, my best friend let me design her little girl, Claire's. They turned out AWESOME!! She flipped...love, love, loved them! So, I think it's a service I will be providing on Fabulous K Creative. Stay tuned for details on that! Here's the final product (I changed the address, email and gate code for obvious reasons). Please let me know what ya'll think!! I would LOVE the feedback!

{click on the pic to view larger}

baby easton

I meant to post this yesterday (better late than never!)  My friend Dana had her sweet baby boy, Easton, on Sunday!   You might remember seeing the post about Dana's baby shower here. Easton is precious, happy & healthy (7 lbs 2oz & 20 3/4 inches long).  Both mom & baby are doing great!  Congratulations Dana & Cody!!  

new years resolutions & such

I am a bit late with this post...but traveling around the new year completely threw my new year traditions off (in a good way, of course...the vacation was amazing). So, I am beginning my new year resloutions on February 2nd. Why the 2nd? 2 reasons, really. Because I like to begin resolutions at the beginning of the month and the "beginning" of the week, which to me, is Monday. (I am crazy that way!) So on Monday, February 2nd my resolutions will be in full force.

What are they you ask?

Probably the same ones as a lot of you. There are a million things I can do to make myself a better person, obviously. But this year, I am focused on two main things: healthy living & money saving. I am now 30 years old, which means those two things are more important than ever. I am determined to stick to both, now more than ever, and feel like this is the year that I will.

I want to eat (much much much) healthier/exercise & save/reduce debt. So there you go...my resolutions.

Now, on to something entertaining!

It's a new blog for you all to check out called Fresh Radar. Robbie & Swaim are both contributing writers and they basically review all kinds of things...music, movies, books, fashion. And...let me tell you. They both have awesome taste when it comes to those things, especially music & fashion, so it's a blog worth checking out and adding to your links. I think it will grow to be an awesome site (they are even offering advertising space, if you're interested). Fresh Radar just launched at the beginning of January so go check them out!

One last thing...did you watch the Bach last night?!! I LOVE this season!! Happy Tuesday!

whales @ TJS photography

You absolutely, positively have to go see the pictures that my dad took of the whales we chased in Cabo.  It's one of the coolest things I have ever done and his photos captured the whales beautifully.  The colors are so brilliant...just like they were on that day.  AMAZING!!

Make sure to say "hi" while you are there!  Click HERE to visit the TJS Photography blog & be sure to make yourself a follower.

{there may be a custom blog design given away to one of his followers there soon, courtesy of me...hint, hint.}  ;)

mirror, mirror, on the wall...

For Christmas, I got these really fabulous mirrors that I had my eye on forever.  (thanks mom & dad!)  I have been so busy since Christmas that I just now am getting around to actually hanging them.  (thanks to robbie they are now on the wall above my bed.)  I completely love them...they are so art deco glam...so fabulous. They go perfectly with my {neutral-with pops of color-mercury glass-glam} bedroom.  Of course...I had to share pictures...

Other elements in the room:

shelves with lots of mercury glass

chandelier prints 

I love love love it all! :)