Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hair hair hair!!

Has anyone let their New Year resolutions go to the wayside yet?  I must admit that I haven't been the best.  But I am already re-committing!  One of my resolutions was to do my hair 4 out of 7 days a week.  I figured that I could handle at least that much but uh... I was mistaken.  So I am re-resolving!  Now I am going to do a weekly post showing my hair-do's.  Keep me honest and all.  I only took pictures of two days last week.  I did manage to do my hair 4 days though.  Oh and to warn you- I consider leaving my hair down as doing it!  That is a pretty rare thing for me so it is an accomplishment.  Sad?  Yeah it is.     


  
This is just my bangs pulled back in a little pouf and a ponytail.  I used to wear my hair like this 5 out of 7 days a week.  I usually gave my pouf a little more bouff though.



I liked this one a lot!  You can't tell in the picture but it is like the ancestor to a liberty roll!  I want to try liberty rolls some time.  They seem a little advanced for me though.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Link A Day

I am thinking that these big paper wheels might be perfect for my new years resolution of of crafting something every week and also for a corner of the kids room.

Or maybe these DIY mary jane shoes from House of Humble.  How about both?!

I love the prints from the Etsy shop Handz!  Like this one might needs to find itself a place up on my walls! 

Anyone else love shutterbean?  cause I do!  I check it pretty much everyday.  These fantastic looking freezer burritos have been on my to-try list for a long flipping time!  I am going to customize them to fit my family's likes.  Sweet!

I want to try my hand at making this liquid dish soap.  I am hoping it works as well as the author says it does!!

Is anyone thinking of doing this February photo challenge from Fat Mum Slim?  I am thinking of doing it just for myself.  Her January one was crazy popular!!

I loved this post on petit elephant about not waiting for a special occasion but to make everyday special.  I needed to read it.  Now to put it into action!  

Friday, January 27, 2012

Fill In The Blank




1.   My favorite place i've ever traveled to is     Hawaii!  It was great and the last thing we did as just a couple.  Nicco came 2 months later and we haven't been anywhere since then   .

2.    Greece     is somewhere I'd love to go someday.


3.  I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by     doing crosswords with the hubs.  My favorite!  and listening to a lot of music      .

4.  My three must-haves when I travel are     crossword puzzles    ,    snacks   and     some great music

5.  My favorite travel companion is    my husband Nicholas  .

6.  The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is    when we went to Hawaii we had a 10 hour lay over during the middle of the night in LAX.  We didn't make it in time to get into the terminal.  We had to stay the whole night outside the security and a crazy lady that was wearing 6 pairs of pants wouldn't leave us alone.  She kept trying to get us to leave our luggage with her to have a smoke.  First of all I was 7 months pregnant so I couldn't smoke not too mention that I don't!  The next morning we found out we had been waiting at the wrong gate  .

7.  The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is    nothing really.  A gyro?  Chinese food?  I have only traveled inside the US so not a lot of exotic cuisine.  .

8.  If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in    a state back east.  I really love Utah so I haven't given it a whole lot of thought  .


9.  I have been to    4  
states in the U.S.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunday Songs on Monday

I have a major crush on Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward isn't so bad either!


Saturday, January 21, 2012

Link A Day




This is perfect with Valentines day coming up!  Notes are sweet but they are a million times sweeter when they look like a heart!

A sweet little heart necklace+ initials= awesome! 

I need this article!  It shows you home remedies for cleaning.  I LOVE it!

WOWZA!!  This top is rad!!!  Perfect for sipping tea in a little corner cafe or a night out.  Double threat!

This is a must read for any mom.  It helps put things into perspective!

I love refinery 29.  They never disappoint and this slide show showing how to make 4 different embellished collars certainly doesn't! 

These trivets from the great ladies of Prudent baby are great!  What a wonderful way to keep some of your children's art work.  Or your own artwork even!




Thursday, January 19, 2012

Adventures in Bathrooming

I have a little tale for ya'll.  It starts outside the Winco bathroom......

I needed to use the restroom and of course when the two littles heard me say that they decided that they need to go as well.  So I got them out of the cart and started for the woman's bathroom.  Nicco wasn't having it!  He wanted to use the boys potty and about refused to go in the ladies.  I being the great mother I am dragged him into the ladies amid screams.  We get in there and of course the large stall wasn't available.  As a matter of fact it was taped off with red caution tape.  Which is a little disconcerting.  Was someone murdered in there or what?!  The other two were in use so we had to wait a minute.  Nicco decided to brave the caution taped stall and ran in pretty much 3.2 seconds after I told him to not go in.  However, as luck would have it whatever was behind that tape scared the pudding out of him and he shrieked and ran out.  Which saved me from having to go in and find a bloody corpse.  At the same moment Lola ran into one of the now opened stalls and locked herself in.  She wouldn't let me in for nothing!  The other stall opened up so Nicco walked in and started crying because there was still toilet paper in the toilet.  I don't understand the issue since he doesn't even sit to pee.  (a fact that I am totally jealous of)  SO I move him out of the way and flushed it for him.  Finally Nicco got done and opened the door.  By this point I am really needing to get in there.  He didn't want to wait for me outside the stall so I started using the facilities with him in the incredibly miniature stall with me.  He immediately started asking about my anatomy.  Awkward questions that I didn't want to answer!  The boy knows just enough to be able to ask those awkward questions that I feel need a full on sit down explanation.  No good.  The whole time I was sitting atop the toe-toe it was flushing.  What is up with the automatic toilets flushing when you are on them but not flushing after you stand up?!  I get finished and we try to open the door and we can't get it open without me straddling the crazy flushing toilet.  It took a few seconds but I finally shoved Nicco out of the stall and was able to extricate myself to the steady whoosh whoosh of the possessed toilet.  

I start knocking on Lola's stall and begging her to open the door.  She says "NO I peeing!"  Finally after I was considering bodily harm or kung fu-ing the door down she informs me that she is done and opens the door.  What I see when she opens up the door was not something I was expecting.  The girl was buck naked!  Like head to toe naked- as naked as she was the day she was born.  I get huge mommy points for my reaction peeps!  All I did was gather up her clothes and tell her that it isn't okay to get naked at the grocery store.  At that point I was beyond done!!  There wasn't a counter at the sinks so I had to pull the diaper changing table down and set her up there and start dressing her.  Of course she was wearing tights which are a freaking pain in the shorts to get on.  As I am getting them on her the diaper changing deal starts creaking and sloping under her weight.  So to save her cute little behind I grab her out of the air and have to pull up her tights with her in my arms- no easy feet I tell you!  We finish getting dressed and head over to the sinks.  Which were so hard to work that I almost didn't wash any hands.  I had to touch the little black spot to get them started.  Then wash and rinse as fast as possible because they turned off after about 5 seconds.  Repeat 3 times.  And for some reason the water starting made Nicco freak out!  It scared him real bad.  Mind you that we have used automatic sinks before.  This isn't our first rodeo!  After washing hands he runs over to the Xcelerator hand dryer and gets it going.  That thing is the MacDaddy of all hand dryer.  It blows air so fast that I have to stand behind the kids so they don't blow away.  He has used one before but guess what?  Yeah it scared him. I am raising a fraidy cat apparently.

We get done and come out of the restroom and my sister tells me that she heard me struggling but decided not to come in.  I think that at that point I would have been totally within my right to leave her there and make her hitch hike home!

Not a fun experience!  It did teach me a lesson- NEVER go grocery shopping with out the man fellow again!  One parent per child keeps things under control.     

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

strike! strike!



I am going on strike today!  To learn more about the strike go here.  If you head over to wikipedia and put in your zip code they will give you the names of your elected representative that you can call.  Every call helps.  

Say no to SOPA and PIPA!!  

Saturday, January 14, 2012

LInk A Day

Sorry I have been a little MIA.  This week has been a wild one!  We were rear-ended on Monday and we have been dealing with all that goes along with an accident.  I will say that Geico has been nothing but great to work with.  I am more than a little bit impressed.  Like I might switch over from my current insurance.  I am unfortunately in a neck brace for a week or so.  And our car is most likely totaled.  No bueno.  However, it could be so so much worse so I can't really complain!  The kids are totally fine- which is what I was most worried about.  You have no idea how grateful I am for 5 point car seats!!!!!  Nick is also pretty much okay- he had to take the week off but to be totally honest it has been nice to have him home!  Any ways.... lets move on to the links:    

Paper airplanes are big around my house right now!  This list of 10 different folding techniques is great.

This scarf is a little bit of heaven!  As is the blog it comes from!

I really like foxes and this little ring is perfection.

I have bought a ridiculous amount of eye shadow that I will never use in a million bagillion years.  BUT now I will use it to make awesome nail polish!  As if I needed an excuse to but more crazy eye shadows.  

Speaking of nail polish- this tutorial to make strawberry nails is a scream!  A perfect little spot of summer during these dreary winter months.

OM Gosh!!- home-made pixie stix?  Yeah sign me up!! 

I am thinking that with this little tutorial's help that I might actually be able to wear some false eyelashes.  I even have a wedding in June that I can wear them to!    

Friday, January 13, 2012

Fill In the Blank





1.   The last thing I ate was     a brownie that said it had nuts but it did not.  I was disappointed   .

2.   The last song I listened to was    Some body that I used to know by Goty      .


3.  Using the letters in my name I can spell    {Anne Marie} ream, mine, main, maine, mean, mire, rim, ran, rain, rein,       .

4.  If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick     black- it is my favorite color to wear    .

5.  If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find    my wallet, a little make up bag, a plastic baggy, me keys, sunscreen stick, my name badge, a bumble bee transformer, candy, insurance paper, mail that needs to be trashed, everyday food magazine.  Plus a bunch of crap I don't need that is making my purse as heavy as a small child   .

6.  When I finish filling in the blanks I'm going to    start figuring out dinner- blah!  .

7.  My all time favorite song to dance to is    any song from Vampire Weekend and Dynamite by Tao Cruz  .

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Link A Day

OH my gosh I love this nail tutorial!  It looks simple enough that I can probably manage it.

This list over on Moorea Seal is rad!  10 great ways to take your shoes up a notch!

Custom polaroid necklaces?  Me likey!

I am excited to try my hand at making my own sidewalk chalk!

I need to make some glitter shoes for my anniversary.  Yay for five years!  And for keeping up on New Years resolutions!

This list of 30 things to stop doing to yourself is great!  Everyone needs to read it.

OH my freaking cute as hell fur bomber hat!!  I want to make one ASAP!!


Sunday Songs

I really love this song!  It makes me want to dance!


Friday, January 6, 2012

hill billy nail stylings

That down there below is the new manicure I just gave myself last night.  Sorry for the low quality picture- my camera is on its last legs.  Not that it was great before but the thing is set at the widest angle and will not focus back in.  WEIRD?!  I hates it.  Time for a big kid camera I think.  Anyway....



I thought I was being oh so cool and chic with my color palette.  But now when I look at it I see a hill billy's mouth chock full of bad teeth with a single gold one thrown in there for good measure.  Now the dilemma starts.  Do I remove it and re do it or just leave it until it starts chipping off?  Painting my nails is hard for me peeps!  Super rough life, right? 

* on a side note.... do any of you ever feel like dark nail polish is suffocating your fingers?  Or like it weighs a ton?  Is it just me?  It may be coming off to save my nails from certain death by dark suffocation!  Oh the horror!!!!!    

Fill in the Blank Friday





1.   One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is     just kick around the house with Nick and the kids.  It doesn't even matter what we are doing really   .

2.   When I have free time I tend to    have great intentions!  I am always like "yeah I am going to get so much done!"  and then three hours goes by and I am eating the cake I baked in that time.  Not that baking a cake is a waste of time but man there is a lot of crap to get done around here      .


3.  If I had an entire day completely to myself I would    be at a complete loss of what to do!  I haven't had a day all to myself for like 4 and a half years- huh- that is the about the same time my son was born... weird.       .

4.  I would prefer to spend my free time (alone or with others...)    with others for sure.  Maybe a little alone time snuck in there somewhere just enough to read a chapter or two of my new book.  But really I prefer to be around other people.  Which is weird because I have always had a little social anxiety.  Since marrying Nick that has all but disappeared.  Good man to have around!    .

5.  Most of my free time happens    the first day of never!  HA!  Not but really it is when Nick has a day off.  Which lately has been few and far between. Lame  .

6.  The best thing about free time is    that it is okay if you squander it!  Sometimes sitting back and literally doing nothing is exactly what you need to be doing.  .

7.  The next time I have free time I should probably    finish up our laundry or maybe finish putting Christmas decorations away   but instead, I'll probably     watch Juno and eat heaps of popcorn (which is not diet friendly the way I make it)  .

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Yay books!


In keeping with my resolution of knocking things off my 27 before 28 list I finished a book!  It is called A Discovery of Witches and was it ever a good one.  It is the first in the All Souls trilogy by 
Deborah Harkness.  The next doesn't come out until July 2012.  Of course that is so typical.  Why do you always have to wait 14 years for a sequel to a beloved book to come out?  WHY!?  Obviously, I can't wait!  I love books about mythical creatures and this one is chock full in a modern and cool way.  The main character is Diana Bishop and she is a witch.  Oh and she falls for a vampire.  Yeah it is awesome!  The story of Diana and Matthew (the vampire) is the best part of the book.  It is tender and sweet and crazy passionate.  If you enjoy a good mythical creature romance then this will be right up your alley.

The book starts out with Diana finding the Ashmole 782.  It is an old book about alchemy and is wanted by all the creatures.  They all think that it tells about the beginnings of the creatures.  Diana has always denied her powers as a witch and has no idea how she called the book to her.  Turns out she is a crazy powerful witch who doesn't know how to control her magic.  The story gets good!  The book is long but a pretty easy read.  Highly recommended!  It is available here on Amazon but you can also get it at Barnes and Noble.

3 books down and 9 more to go!  

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Happy New Year!!



HI!!!


I hope everyone had a happy New Years!  Mine was great.  We spent the evening at a good friends playing fruit ninja and watching Dick Clarks Rocking New Year's Eve.  OH and of course we had excellent food- that is just a given.  Nicco lasted til midnight and Lola lasted until 11:28 and 30 seconds.  It was great and very relaxed.  Such a wonderful way to start 2012.  I hope the whole year is filled with happy memories.   2011 challenged me a lot.  I am ready for some sunshine!

I have been thinking about my New Years resolutions a lot.  I am mostly just sticking with my 27 before 28 list.  Those are really all the goals I need.  My goal is to stop procrastinating and actually get some of them done!  But of course I am adding a few to the mix- can't help myself and all!  the new additions are:

*create a crafty project every week.  This one was inspired by Emma of Food Coma.  She posted about how to make and keep resolutions here on A Beautiful Mess.

*Make mine and the kids space more cozy and put together.  This goes right along with my first resolution.  I have never really decorated my room or the kids room.  I figured that our time here was going to be short so why bother but I am feeling the need to nest.  I am hoping to thrift and DIY most of the decor.

*Hike 50 miles over the course 2012.  I love hiking and want to start back up.  This is more of a family goal.  We are hoping the kids can handle it!  Our first one is this Saturday if the weather holds up.

*Build up our savings!!!  I am awful at saving but it needs to get done.  It will give us more peace of mind.  And that is worth its weight in gold peeps!

*I am going to do my hair 4 out of 7 days as well.  4 is a pathetic number but I know it is do-able!  

*and last but certainly not least- Date my husband!  I want more mini dates and more big dates with him.  A weekly one to be more precise. 

I am resolved (haha) and ready for some action folks!