There is no grey area

Why does it seem like I run out of everything at the same time causing my husband to have a heart attack when he sees the debit card sizzling on the kitchen counter?

This last week was a biggy! Dog food, Glucosamine Chondrotin {for Jewel}, laundry soap, fabric softener, toilet paper, paper towels, all of the pantry staples and an empty refrigerator and freezer. When I tell you I spent a running ton last week I'm not lying, I spent a running ton! Publix, Wal-Mart and Target all saw dollar signs when I walked through the door. Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint, I'm very grateful that I have the money to spend. We're feeling the crunch like everyone else so I'm trying to be responsible and only buy what we need not what we want {unless I'm hosting bunco than chocolate and sangria is considered a need}. I know there are many out there doing without the necessities and I know how very blessed I am!

Anyway, as I was showing Babe my very clean, organized and full pantry I jokingly said to him, in front of the girls, that food was getting so expensive that we may have to cut back on eating dinner and go on an every other night plan. He of course knew I was messing around and played along. We were not trying to scare the girls we were just bantering with one another, something we have done for the past 24 years. Little did I know what I was doing to my "black and white" 10 year old.

The next day Peanut came to me after school with a very concerned look on her face and said "Mom I have a question". Ok Peanut shoot. "Are we really only going to be able to eat dinner every other night?" Oh, I felt like laughing and crying at the same time!

That poor baby had thought about our comments and worried for a full day before coming to me. I felt horrible. I laughed, gave her a hug and kissed her on the head and explained to her that Daddy and I were just playing. "Good" she said, "I was afraid that I had spent too much of your money on clothes and stuff and now we were broke".

That child of mine, I knew she was a very literal person what I didn't know was her complete inability to see anything grey!

Have you missed me?

I have been MIA for almost 2 weeks now. I have had nothing to say. I know that's a big shocker but really I've been in a funk and honestly I have been avoiding my office at all cost lately. That would include the computer, scrap booking, cleaning, organizing and working on a huge pile of PTSA stuff. I need to figure out what my issue is and fix it!

I've been busy, really I have. My days are gone before I know it and I can tell you I don't sit down...ever...but I have nothing to prove it. So I decided to look at my calendar and my pictures to see what exactly I has been keeping me on the go.

Over the past 13 days I have...

Made a trip to Atlanta to surprise one of my best friends for her birthday.

This was the morning that I left, we were out late the night before and then overslept. To say it was a rushed morning would be an understatement! Sadly, this is the best picture from my weekend with Natalie. Gotta love those puffy eyes!

I found a home for Bob and Fred

Bob is hanging in the powder bath

And he left a message on the mirror

Fred is hangin' around Peanuts room, you know keeping things in order. I also added the cobwebs and the huge spider to her door. She loves that she has to almost crawl to get in her room!

I hosted Bunco and didn't win a dime!

Peanut and I dipped Nutter-butter cookies making them look like ghosts.

I also dipped Oreo's and pretzel rods, made red velvet cake balls and a margarita cake along with a huge salad, chicken and yellow rice, yellow rice and black beans, a cheese ball, 3 pitchers of Sangria and 2 pitchers of sweet tea vodka. It was a fun night!

It's red ribbon week at Peanuts school and I was put in charge of decorating one of her doors.

Each student will sign their name saying that they're too good for drugs!

I took Peanut and her friend to Boing, a very cool trampoline "jump center".

They offer BOINGrobics and claim it burns 1,000 in an hour. I may give it a try Wednesday...wish me luck!

I cleaned my pantry! It was very overdue and in need of a complete overhaul, the 3 bags of trash I took to the curb were proof! I also cleaned all of my cabinets with Murphy Soap, that was VERY over due!

I made 12 mini pumpkin bread loaves for the ladies in my Bible study and cupcakes for my girls and their friends.

I painted a last minute order

got my "Boo-Bags" ready to go {they've been ready since Thursday, I must take Peanut "booing" tonight!}

Yep, like all of you Mommies {and Daddies} out there my life gets crazy sometimes. This has been a busy, funk filled few weeks and I am more than ready for it to stop! However it looks like I/we won't be getting any down time any time soon, Christmas is just 60 days away. Super!

I'll be de-funking myself today and tomorrow so I can get back on tract with my blogging this week.

Halloween

**CAUTION PICTURE OVERLOAD**

I am very late getting my Halloween decorations up this year. It's been bugging the crap out of me to not have it done but I honestly haven't had the time it takes to unpack 4 huge Rubbermaid bins and 2 shelves of fragile items the right way. So it's just been sitting in my dining room causing me to be more irritable than usual for the past week.

Tonight I finally have it almost 100% complete!

I love decorating for Halloween!

I transform my house from it's everyday look the first of September and it doesn't go back to normal until the first week of January. In September I pull out all of my Fall decorations, leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows and candles. In October out comes Halloween. Fall makes another appearance in November and on December 1st my house is a winter wonderland! Come January I'm ready for things to return to normal and I always try to place old stuff in new places to make it look like I've redecorated.

This year I weeded out all of the kiddy decorations and went a little spookier. I still have a few things that my girls have asked me to put out I'm just trying to deiced if I'm going to use them and if so where.

Here's a look inside...

The front door has the new specimen art I made last month and a new black pumpkin. I'm going to put something on the pumpkin in white vinyl I'm just trying to decide what I want to say. Welcome, eek, our last name or maybe Go Away like Vivienne, my crafting idol did.

Since this table is one of the first things guests see I always have a family picture on it. Last years picture from whatever season or Holiday we're in is what I use. This one is of the girls last Halloween.

From the front door the formal room is straight ahead. Like the table at the door this is one of the first things seen by guests. I try to change the round table up but find myself reaching for my favorite Halloween trees and candle sticks each year. The trees and the garland on the table and mantel have a purple glitter to them that you can't see in this lighting. I love purple for Halloween!

My newest additions are sitting on the couch. Now that they're out of the closet I can't figure out what to do with them!

The fireplace is also in this room. I love playing with the mantel I just wish it was a little bigger, it's hard to find things with a base small enough to fit.

Here's a closer look. I found potion labels and had to have them. I picked up a few bottles at the Dollar Store, mouth wash, aftershave splash, witch hazel, etc. to stick them to.

Candles in the dining room reflect off the glass and mirrors and are a must.

I painted an old container black, while it was drying I sprayed silver hair glitter on it and did the same to a bunch of sticks Peanut collected for me. Now I have a new centerpiece that sits on top of the table runner that I made several years ago!

Each room kind of has a theme, I went with spiders in the dining room. I found this beaded spider lamp in the same box as the table runner along with a few other odds and ends that had been missing for 2-3 years. I was beginning to think I was crazy and that I didn't really have the things I couldn't find, especially since Babe was so adamant that he had gotten all of the bins out of the garage attic.

I finally went up there myself...guess what I found!

This haunted tree was also recovered.

Down the hall from the dining room is the "black" bathroom, laundry room, both girls bedrooms and the stairs. The black bathroom is very small so a few pumpkin candles and a lamp is all it can handle.

While I was down there taking pictures I checked on the girls. Poor Peanut, I'm not sure how she's sleeping with this moose in bed with her especially wearing that stupid cone! Look at her neck, he has his paw around her! Too freaking cute!

Into the kitchen...

There's a mixture of several things in the kitchen but skulls and bugs are most prominent.

I used the hurricane full of skulls and moss as a prop at a school event so it's looking a little rough. It was layered with sand {I didn't want to buy a 10# bag of sand so I used turbinado sugar}, mini skulls and moss and looked very cool. I dropped and broke the large skull and was about to throw it away when Honey suggested filling it with moss and bugs. What a great idea!

More moss and bug filled canisters on the kitchen table.

Haunted houses in the living room

and witches in the pool bath.

Now if I can just find a place for "Bob" and "Fred", Peanut named the skeletons, I'll be good to go!

Happy Halloween!

It's not to late...

It's not too late to link you to the Perfect 10. Yes, I realize today is 10-11-10 but I'm not a big stickler on rule following when it come to stuff like this. Many of us don't blog on the weekend so I'm leaving it open today, well actually I don't think I'll close it and it's not just because I don't know how to close it...maybe.

I woke this morning feeling like I never went to sleep. I only had enough coffee left for one cup and the only creamer I had was hazelnut and that is so not my favorite! I have a PTSA meeting in 30 minutes and my hair is wet and I have no make-up on. These ladies may just see a whole new side of me today. I think I'm gonna go search the medicine cabinet for Preparation H to rub under my eyes. Does that trick really work? I'm about to find out.

The Halloween buckets still look like they threw up in my dining room, I must finish that today.

If my family wants to eat I must go to the grocery store today.

If they, my family, enjoy clean undies I must do laundry today.

If my ass likes a clean toilet, and it does, I must clean today.

If my dogs want to eat tonight I must buy them more food today.

If my kids need orange plastic spoons in their lunch boxes tomorrow because that's what matches their Halloween napkins {I'm a freak like that so yes they do} then I must run to Party City today.

If my two girlfriends that share a birthday this Saturday want their presents on time I need to wrap them and take them to the post office today.

If I want coffee tomorrow morning I need to go to Bed Bath and Beyond {they sell my favorite flavor in the big box, I have a Keurig} today.

AND...if I want to get past the first thing on my to-do list I need to stop at the gas station for a coffee {Starbucks is out of the way and I'm down to 28 minutes} NOW!

Have a very happy and productive Monday my friends!

The Perfect 10!

My Perfect 10!

Today is 10-10-10! Depending on how you look at it we won't see that date again for another 100 -1,000 years, either way I won't see it. So in honor of the perfect 10 here are 10 things I'm grateful for, 10 things I'm glad I've done and 10 things I want to do or accomplish in the next 10 years. Please play along, link up with Mr. Linky below and then be sure to go check out everyone's The Perfect 10 list!

10 things I'm grateful for

1. At the very top of my list is my God. I am grateful for His truths, His promises, His provisions, and as hard as it is at times I am grateful that He knows what's best for me and at times doesn't allow me to get my way.

2. I am so very grateful for my husband, he has been the love of my life for the past 24 years. He keeps me grounded, makes me laugh, drives me crazy with his idiosyncrasies and he loves me for me! He is an awesome Daddy, a great friend, is very patient and would do whatever he could for someone he loves. I am proud to have him as my best friend and my partner in life!

3. My girls define who I am. I am Honey and Peanuts Mommy! They make me completely crazy, they fill my days with cleaning, chauffeuring, refereeing love and laughter. They are truly funny and witty girls. They are alike in so many ways and polar opposite in just as many. They are beautiful both inside and out and one day they will be my very best friends!

4. My Mom & Dad are so very precious! They have should me by example what a happy marriage is. They love their four children and eleven Grandchildren and seven {I think} Great-Grandchildren equally and passionately. I am lucky to have them close enough to be a part of my girls lives and they love being active in the things they do.

5. I am so very grateful for my sisters and brother. My older sisters and brother. We are a close family by heart but by distance are separated by over a thousand miles. I miss being with them on a regular basis but it makes our visits more special!

6. My inner circle of girlfriends means the world to me. I have a lot of friends but only five that I would share just about anything with. Two of them are as dear to me as my sisters! Danielle and Rebecca are my kindred spirits, they are Aunts to my children and the two people that I know without a shadow of a doubt would drop anything for me or my girls if I was in need!

7. My home. I love the comfort my house brings me and others. I love that when people come over they say they are comfortable and feel welcomed. I know it's materialistic to have my house on my grateful list but in times when so many are losing their homes I can't help but to be grateful for mine. At the end of the day when I'm curled up on the couch with my family I am beyond grateful!

8. I'm grateful for the few cool morning we had last week. I wish that Fall was here to stay but the hot sun the the 77 I'm looking at on the thermometer before 10 this morning isn't very promising.

9. I am so very grateful for the ability and the desire to help others. At a recent charity event we made the decision to not bid on any of the silent auction items that we would enjoy but to instead give that money to a child who benefit from it. Sending one child to a special needs camp for a week was our decision and it felt so good!

10. My list wouldn't be complete with my dogs. Anyone who knows me knows that I really don't have dogs I have four additional four-legged children{there are too many pictures of them, they can be seen by clicking on the family tab above}. They are such an important part of my life. They entertain me, make me laugh, make me scream, drain my bank account, eat 30# of kibble every 8 days not to mention the "good stuff" I add to it and they are the protectors of my girls. I will always have at least 2 dogs!

10 things I'm glad I've done

1. I'm glad I humiliated myself by taking skiing lessons. I hadn't been on skis until 2005, I was 35 years old. Babe skied all of the time when we were dating in Illinois and he picked it right back up, like he hadn't taken a 17 year break. The girls after a few hours of lessons were skiing circles around me. Although I only made it off the bunny-hill once {I may or may not have told Babe to save me first because the girls were young, more agile and would bounce back from an injury faster than I would} and I felt like I had been beaten with a bat at the end of the day but I'm glad I tried!

2. I'm glad that I gave into Honey and finally read the Twilight series. I'm even more glad that I waited until all 4 books had been released. I would have gone crazy if I had to wait over a year in between each book!

3. I am glad that we had Honey at such a young age. She was born on my 24th birthday and has been a blessing every day since. That doesn't mean there aren't weeks days I don't want to wrap my hands around her cute little neck but it's been a blessing "growing up" with her.

4. I'm glad I was brave enough to zip-line in the Dominican Republic. It was a rush and so much fun, I cannot wait to go again!

5. I'm glad I no longer have long red hair! What was I thinking?!!?

6. I'm glad we made the decision to have a second child. Due to health reasons we were told by the doctors that one child was enough. After a very long, sick and at times scary 8 month pregnancy Peanut came into our lives 5 1/2 years after her big sister to complete our family!

7. I'm glad I started blogging 2 years and 4 months ago. I have met so many wonderful friends by blogging! My blog is just for me and I love it! Click here to read my first post on Seriously Shawn.

8. I'm glad that I have been given the privilege to be a stay at home Mom. Not every one can or wants to do it but each day I am grateful to be a SAHM!

9. I am glad that I started scrap-booking 11 years ago. I am terribly behind and need to get my scrap-booking mojo back...in a bad way! I love that I have given my family something to look back on their lives with. When I see them looking through the books smiling or laughing it makes me happy!

10. I am glad that through my children I encouraged Babes parents to move close to us. It's is a true blessing that my girls are able to have a loving relationship with both sets of Grandparents, they both live just 10 minutes away!

10 things I want to do or accomplish in the next 10 years.

1. I want to get rid of the rolls that makes breathing difficult once and for all!

2. I want to learn how to get organized and stay organized. My office haunts me! It's really the only room in my house that I allow to get out of control and it unnerves me when it's like this. I want to clean sweep it, organize it and stay on top of it!

3. I want to visit Australia. It's been the one place I've want to visit since I was a small child. I'm not really sure what the attraction is but I think I must go find out.

4. I'm in the middle of The Excellent Wife study at church. I want not only learn what it takes to be an excellent wife but eagerly embrace it and happily apply the principles.

5. I want to stay in this house and see both of my girls graduate from the same high school with the friends they've had since elementary school. Once they have both graduated, in 2018, I want to move to a small, quaint house on the beach.

6. I want to have such a strong wonderful relationship with my husband that when we become empty nester's we still have something in common. So many woman loose sight of their husbands being their number one priority that once their children are gone so is their marriage.

7. I want to get back in to a routine of working out so I can be healthy and look great on my 50th birthday.

8. I want to win the lottery!

9. I want to take a photography course so I can learn to use my camera to it's full ability and stop using it on the "auto" setting.

10. I want to be with all my entire family. All of us, in one place, at the same time! That hasn't happened in...I honestly can't remember when....it was 2004 at my nephews wedding. We got together last year for Thanksgiving but my parents were missing, they're kind a important piece of the family dontcha think!

Well, there you have it My Perfect 10! I will admit it was much harder than I anticipated. Now it's your turn, write your "The Perfect 10" post then come back and link that post to Mr. Linky so we can all take a look.

Happy 10, 10, 10!