Anonymous Elle

On Vacation!

2011-08-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

Back in September :)

TTFN

The Cupcake Carousel

2011-07-21T21:29:00.003-05:00

Hi ya'll! I haven't had the time to post the big party photos yet. Plus I halfway forgot to take good photos because who has the perfect spread ready to photograph before the guests arrive?? NOT ME!

But this is a cute little find that I wanted to share: The Cupcake Carousel. I bought 2 of these (one pink, one brown!) last week. I thought they'd be perfect to store the 48 party cupcakes in overnight. I have another cupcake carrier that only holds 12 regular cupcakes which is not very practical considering most mixes make 24. Well I learned a few things. A) the Cupcake Carousel does not hold cupcakes baked in a wide cupcake pan (you know the ones where the cup kinda triangulates out?) B) the Cupcake Carousel does not hold an overfilled cupcake next to another overfilled cupcake (ie. no major muffin top) and it seems like there was a C) but it escapes me.

Tonight though, I perfected the Cupcake Carousel equation: 1/4 cup per cupcake and they all fit nice and comfy. 3 tiers of 8 each in these cute holders which stack inside.

And it could even accommodate the dinosaurs. Another cute kit by Meri Meri. So alas, tomorrow will be this birthday finale with cupcakes at preschool summer camp. Behavior didn't merit the treat last week. More on that later (maybe).

Happy Friday (nearly if you are reading this late tonight!)

Elle :)

Serene Sunday

2011-07-11T18:28:00.002-05:00

It doesn't get much better!

:) Elle

Meet Max.

2011-07-08T06:39:00.003-05:00

The bane of my existence! This puppy journey started in February. Well I guess in December really, when he was born. My husband wanted us to get a dog for security, I insisted on a family friendly version. Though, I being the dog lover in the relationship, was completely against getting a dog period. Alas the opportunity to add a English Lab to the family arose and here we are 5 loooong months later. I am truly living Marley & Me. This dog is bananas. Full out spastic, unruly, bananas!!!! (That should be in all caps) And strong as an ox.

This morning I had him out in the front of the house, on a leash, to do his business. A neighbor walks by with his 7 lb well behaved fluff ball. I should mention that I had slipped on a t-shirt dress with no bra and hadn't brushed my hair. Serves me right, I guess. I really shouldn't go out of the house like that. But I thought -it's Friday morning at 6:20am, who will I see? Well, Tom & fluffy were the unexpected answer to that question... Anyways said puppy of ox strength just about tore my arm off and drug me across the driveway. He's about 50-60 lbs now. Grrrrr.... And ok, I could forgive him for that. He was excited to see a "friend" but bring him inside, he steals shoes, catalogs, my kids art from the walls, you name it. And yes, we have bought him a gazillion toys and bones, kongs with hidden treats and he has a crate.

Well writing this post has taken a little longer than expected. I've had to stop at least 10 times for this unruly animal. Now it's time to get in the shower. I pray that one day he will be the good family dog I didn't agree to.

Not sure how the photos got positioned in the collage fashion, but I've no time to investigate or amend. Photos: All taken when I still found him marginally "cute". Max getting himself stuck in the shower, Max relaxing under the bed (we've removed all rugs) Max looking deceitfully peaceful and adorable, a better representation.

:\ Help!! Elle

Gratitude & a fresh new look

2011-07-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

Whew! I know - I was sooooo ready for a new look too. You see, I made this deal with myself a while back that my blog budget would be, in dollars, the number of followers I have. That was back when I was new and ambitious and hopeful and full of comments, etc.. Then I took a break, then another and another and I never really got a budget for much more than a customized signature.

Well earrrly this morning I was visiting Sugarbelle, who makes the MOST ah-mazing decorated cookies I have come across. And well, as blogs do, that led me to Knitty Bitties, which led me to Michelle, which led me to Shabby Blogs. Thanks to all of you for leading me down the road to a fresh new look for FREE! And I'm sure if you are (which you most likely are) more tech savvy than I - you could do some major stuff with these free design elements. As for me, this is what I've come up with and I've learned a few things (which is ALWAYS good!) and I think it looks so.much.better. Not that I didn't appreciate my last free background, but it was time to change!

So here we are, I'm soooo excited and hoping to play around with some other bits and make this space even more pretty. Maybe one day I will have a budget big enough for a custom blog makeover. Until then, I'm pretty darn happy.

I need to take creative blogging 101 - anyone offer that??

Elle :)

Elle's Scrumptious Blackberry Cobbler

2011-07-03T15:27:00.004-05:00

You REALLY should try this, I mean REALLY.

Elle's Scrumptious Blackberry Cobbler

4 c blackberries, frozen or fresh

1/2 c white sugar

2 t corn starch

1/4 c lemon juice (approx 1 nice lemon is fine)

Put blackberries in a bowl, sprinkle on sugar & corn starch. Pour on lemon juice and let sit while you do everything else.

1 stick (8T) butter

1.5 c self rising flour

1.5 c milk (I use 2%)

1/2 c white sugar

1/2 c turbinado sugar

Put your stick of butter in a 3 qt baking dish (13x9x2 is fine and I used Hefty Easy Ovenware since I'm taking these to a dinner). Preheat oven to 350. While your oven is preheating, stick the baking dish of butter in the oven. Let the butter melt while you mix the cakey part. BE CAREFUL to not let your butter burn (yes, I've done this!).

Meanwhile put your flour, milk & sugars into a mixing bowl and mix it all together (I use a whisk). It's quite soupy.

**Tip - baking this is even more fun with a cute helper!**

When your butter has melted, take our your dish, and pour this on top. Don't stir it in the dish. Toss your berries in the bowl and break up any sugar or starchy chunks. Spoon the berries and juice into the pan.

Bake for 30-45 mins.

I serve it warm with a scoop of Haagen-Dazs vanilla. YUM!

**Peach variation:

instead of the blackberry mixture, use 2 cans of peaches in lite syrup. Strain one can and leave one with the syrup. Super yummy and easy too!

If you make it, let me know what you think. We love it around here.

Happy 4th!

:) Elle

Sunday Morning Breakfast

2011-06-26T08:31:00.002-05:00

Thanks Jamba! Super easy, quite tasty & only 130 calories (or 260 if you drink 16 oz.)

Happy Sunday :)

Type A planning part one: birthday party

2011-06-25T08:06:00.003-05:00

Hi! Yeah, yeah I know it's been a while but I won't waste any time explaining when there's nothing to explain.

I wouldn't say I'm a true and complete Type A personality. I can be rather laid back about some things, like housework for instance. I feel compelled to at least clarify that my bathrooms are always clean, but other rooms can, at times, be untidy and I've been known to skip making up my bed on occasion. There are some instances when my Type A tendencies take over, birthday party planning for my kids is one such instance.

My little one will be turning 3 next month and he's very excited about it. Daily he asks me "Mommy, I free (3) in July yet?" Which I find just about as cute as you could possibly get.

I asked him what kind of party he'd like while browsing a party supply website one day (mistake #1) and he was very keen on the dump truck theme. And he's requested a "stand up scooter like Olivia (the pig)" as his gift. So earlier this week when I had a miraculously free 90 minutes to spare, the hunt began. No scooters of the 3 wheel variety available on island so far as I could tell. No dump truck party supplies either. Only plain black or yellow and one bulldozer balloon found. Humph. This is when the floodgates open. I realize this party, like many others, will involve some online ordering, ocean freight, customs duty and delivery. That also welcomes the temptation to also order all the many other things you and your children "need" but cannot find on-island. Like new bed linens of the PBK variety, new kiddie luggage and backpacks for our upcoming vacation (type A planning part 2), kitchen soap from Williams Sonoma, and the list could go on forever and ever amen.

So today I will spend at least an hour or two on-line ordering so the goods can make it here on time. I will call my family members to see if they need to add anything to the shipment. See - an aspect of life in paradise you probably hadn't considered, eh? Of course my research began days ago and so far these are definitely on the list. I still have to decide which mylar dump truck balloon is most suitable. Other than that my party list is pretty much complete.

I don't think these Meri Meri cupcake kits can be beat. Saw the princess & pirate varieties in WS last year. Miraculously found a shop on island that had them, all but the dump truck pack that is...

And their party supplies are pretty near perfect. Cute with the right mix of class. Fun for both child and parent!

Type A planning part two sneak peak:

Have a lovely day!!

Elle :)

Busy, busy

2011-02-02T19:42:00.002-06:00

Well for a change, I'm having a busy social weekend sans kids. No birthday parties for the 6 & under crowd! All work related but should be lots of fun.

Dinner tomorrow night, party on Friday evening & brunch on Saturday morning. The party should be quite swanky and we are setting up an Amy Atlas inspired dessert table. HOPING to get some pics to share.

Signing off for the weekend (at least). Hope you have a great one!

More miscellany

2011-02-01T20:35:00.004-06:00

See another great thing about keeping a blog is you have logged when your last pedicure was. I knew it was about time for another one.. My MiamiBeet is getting a bit dull.

Wondering what I've been up to? Birthday mania. My eldest turned 5 about 2 weeks ago. Had a ridiculously expensive joint party with a classmate a week prior, a tiny party at home just she and I, Daddy & little brother joined later for yet another song & candle, family party 2 days later and the final family party for the in-laws about a week ago. I couldn't wait to take that freakin' Tangled plastic tablecloth off the dining table! I baked cupcakes, cupcakes, a small cake and a regular cake. And yes, I ate too much cake. Now tomorrow is my mom's birthday. I was looking for an excuse to make Gooey Butter Cake because I tried a piece in early January and it has been haunting me ever since. But no, my mom wants her standard malted milk ball cake and it is, after all, HER day.

Work has also been crazy and will continue to be through the weekend.

Additionally my little one (2.5 and wild) started limping last week :( Doctor visit, ultrasound & x-ray and thankfully no irregularities. So just a mystery limp for now that has definitely improved and will hopefully disappear very soon.

And now just to spice things up a bit a couple of photos:

She was apparently getting a little tired of the endless festivities as well.

A photo of the aforementioned small cake taken without the auto function I might add.

Elle :)

10 7 things about today +1

2011-01-12T20:37:00.006-06:00

Look at this - second post this week!

I'm crap at remembering to take photos and so I just decided to do this today. I'm going to write 10 things about today. Here goes:

1) I made a really-bad-for-the-size-of-my-thighs discovery this morning. Julian's waffles. Toaster waffle heaven here people! I discovered them at the store this week and thought I'd try them out on the kids. They prefer Eggo. Such unrefined palates they have...

2) I don't want to call him creepy, because it's not nice, but he is kinda creepy. There's this guy that works for the complex I work at. Many mornings when I park in the garage, he is there sweeping and he just gives me the creeps. I chose a different spot this morning because there he was, sweeping where I normally park {shiver}.

3) I brought the gift that my boss gave me for my birthday last month to work today. I want to return it. It's a beautiful Penhaligon's crystal atomiser. But really, who uses an atomiser? Not me I'm afraid. I have one single bottle of perfume on my dresser and it's SJP NYC and cost less than 50 bucks. Clearly I am not a perfume connoisseur. Wasn't able to return it today, maybe tomorrow...

4) My son got his first "time-out" at preschool today. He just started last week. I'm sure it's a sign of things to come. He and 2 other boys were throwing sand at each other. No way!

5) I got a pedicure today. OPI Miami Beet "a racy red-violet". I like it. A little less violet than it looks in the bottle and for me, that's a good thing. It was a lovely pedi, I was overdue. I had repolished and top coated my last pedi, um a couple times.

6) Polished my own nails because I really find manicures a waste of money. Unless my cuticles are in really bad shape, it bothers me to pay for a manicure that chips in 2 days. That's just me.

7) I'm getting my haircut tomorrow - yay! I'm also overdue for a haircut. I can get away with it bcs my hair is dead straight. Wait - I guess that isn't really about today. Well I made the appointment today.

8) What do you think of this watch? I've wanted a Philip Stein for a while - just want to try out the Teslar technology. My mom swears she feels a difference. I have a gift certificate to use that can just about cover the cost of this. I tried it on but I'm not sold on the rose gold. I wish it was stainless. (I'm getting off-base here as this is not about today either!)

9) Hmmmm... I think that about covers it.

It's 10:13 so time to turn this thing off and hit the sack, for as you know, 5:45am will be here too soon!

Goodnight!

Elle :)

PS - Llama, I swear I had to look back at your email from ages ago to figure out how to strikethrough that 10! One day I'll remember all by myself! :D

I resolve

2011-01-10T21:21:00.002-06:00

to try to comment more often and to blog more often. And maybe even tweet more often.

See I almost had a nice long post tonight, but then I read and commented and now it is 23 minutes past my bedtime and 5:45 am comes way to freakin' early.

Oh I also resolve to find some other lovely blogs that I look forward to reading.

Goodnight :)

PS - Want to know what else I got caught up in? Brave Girls Club/Camp. I don't feel like linking it, just go google it. Does that look great, or what?

Happy Holidays and all.

2010-12-10T11:47:00.002-06:00

Hi there! I know it's been a while. Seems the only time I have enough time to post is on the odd day (thankfully not often) that I am home with a sick child. Actually I should be doing one of a long list of other things right now but what the heck.

Thought I'd take a moment to say Happy Holidays. I hope that you share a wonderful holiday season with the ones you love.

I've got about half of the decorations out. My tree looks like crap because my 2 year old enjoys taking ornaments off, playing with them and putting them back where he sees fit. And you know what? I like watching him do it. Nevermind that my MIL & SIL silently gasp when they come in and see the condition of it. I also am having trouble locating the tree topper. We have a lone gold spike up there waiting for the star that sits on it. I think I'll find it this weekend.

I am longing for a trip to the mall & Target. I have neither where I live. I didn't make a Pottery Barn Kids and Amazon order this year so I've been scouring the local stores (which do a decent job) for gifts. I just miss the experience, the selection, the PRICES.

I'm still a little bitter because I was forced to stay home for Thanksgiving this year. I wanted so bad to be back in the US with my Stateside family but no. I had to work for 4 stinkin hours so we had to nix the whole trip. Grrrrr....

But my sister arrives in 10 days and I do get to take some time off for the holidays. There are many days I wonder why I thought it was a good idea to go back to work - then the tuition bill arrives (for PreK-4 no less) and I'm abruptly reminded. Folks if you can send your kids to a good public school - thank your lucky stars!!!

This weekend I will be:

attending my 4 yr old daughter's ballet performance

attending 2 birthday parties with her

making card for the other kids in her class because they have requested no baked goods (bummer!)

finishing the holiday decorations AND putting the boxes back in the garage (I am shooting high here)

possibly having a date with my husband if this tummy bug my 2yo has is a 24 hour thingy

and hopefully a load of other fun family things!

I should squeeze in some gym time since the dozens of treats I got to take home from a cookie exchange have mostly been consumed by yours truly.

So yes, this is scattered and likely unexpected - but hey, that's what my life is all about.

Hope this finds you all enjoying your day. Happy holidays!!!

Till next time-

Elle :)

My Day

2010-09-09T11:19:00.002-05:00

Today I am spending my day in my little boy's bedroom. He's been attacked by a tummy bug :( You see, his big sister started school last week and that inevitably means virus bombardment in our house. He's 2 & she's 4. I hope this gets better soon. I'm so irritated - I really thought they'd stay well for longer than a week. Grrrr... I wonder if I got sick this much when I was in preschool. My mom doesn't seem to think so.

So I'm here - sitting and waiting. Feeling guilty about doing not a lot of anything while he's sleeping. I had time for a short little post. Maybe I will start a book. Or download a new app on my phone to occupy my time for the day.

Hoping my little man fights this one off quickly. Till then I'll be....

Elle :(

Style Me!

2010-08-09T09:43:00.004-05:00

Ok, I admit it. I am at work and I'm totally goofing off which is very unusual for me (seriously!). I have friends arriving today from California and I just can't get into work mode. I'm too distracted and excited! So I sat down at my desk this morning and decided to catch up on my blog reading. Tisk, tisk.

So anyways, I'm wearing an outfit today for the first time. And I don't know - something about it is a little uncomfortable for me. Is it because it's my first boyfriend cardi? I'm not sure - so tell me what you think. Is my ensemble complete, or what am I missing??

Cardigan & tank - Lilly Pulitzer...Cotton Skirt - Island Company (a new fave brand)

Bangles - Kate Spade....Necklace - Queen Bee...Flip-Flops - DVF

Forgive the off color, this is all navy & white - I'm just in a very pink room & it's taken with my phone!

Happy Monday!

Elle :)

Shhhh....

2010-08-08T07:58:00.002-05:00

Do you hear that? It's the sound of near silence in my house on a Sunday morning. Excuse me while I enjoy it!

Happy Sunday-

Elle :)

Polo's

2010-08-06T12:53:00.004-05:00

{lacoste at bloomingdales}

So I was at work the other day and I work with 2 supercute gals. One is a twentysomething and one is 19 (I'm the old one in the bunch!). I discovered that neither one wears or really even likes polos. I was shocked! Huh? You don't like polo's??

For me, polo's are a wardrobe staple. Most of my weekends are spent in some cotton twill shorts and a polo. Admittedly I'm a bit of a prepster, but I'd like to think I'm still fashionable. Fashionable in a classic kind of way - only occasionally trendy. Oh and I should note that my weekends are generally spent at home with the kiddies & running errands.

So I was wondering what you think - do you wear polo's? Why or why not?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Elle :)

New Fall Arrivals?

2010-07-18T16:38:00.002-05:00

I just saw this on a website. Hello?!?!? It's still July! Am I the only one who thinks mid-July is too early to have "new Fall arrivals"? Let us enjoy Summer will you? I just bought a new swim ensemble Friday - that seems like appropriate July shopping to me. Certainly not sweaters and trousers.

That's my little Sunday complaint.

Hope you are finishing up a nice weekend. I'm thinking a cold glass of wine by the pool sounds like a great idea right about now....

:) Elle

Stating the Obvious

2010-07-14T05:31:00.002-05:00

Well I guess I needed a blog hiatus. I say need because it really wasn't something I wanted. Somehow nearly 3 months have passed since my last post. Where has the time gone??

It all started with a computer repair that took much longer than I thought. Add a new job into the mix, your 2 existing kids and viola! No blog time.

Here's my quick catch up (as if there are hundreds dying to know! )

My baby will be 2 on Saturday!! And he got glasses about 2 weeks ago. We are on pair #2 and are figuring that this new expense could really cut into the budget!

My job is going well. Sometimes I wonder why I thought it was a good idea to go back to work, but for now I look forward to going in most every day and I look forward to going home too. So I figure that's a good thing. Oh and paychecks are really exciting. Though small by most standards, I haven't had this much cash in my wallet in almost 5 years! ( don't let your mind exaggerate - we are talking $25 most of the time!!)

I got 3 new rugs in my house and I love them. Only thing is it really just whet my appetite for more upgrades which do not fit in the current budget. Especially with the addition of toddler eyeglasses.

I'm still in love with Kate Spade. Thankfully fall is around the corner which doesn't work well in the tropics. Cashmere on an 80 degree day? I think not! So hopefully my temptations will be smothered with wool.

I've been totally sucked into the Bachelorette this season. I found myself watching the last episode this morning at 4 am (I was awake, couldn't go back to sleep and realistically it's the only time I can squeeze it in!!) with tears in my eyes. What the heck?!?! I admit it's the craziest silliest thing, but I totally understand why it works - it suuuccckkkkkssss you in. So judge if you want or email if you want to discuss bcs I have no friends who share my obsession.

If you are about to splurge on a laptop - I'd totally recommend the extra $300 for the lit keyboard. It just took me 3x in the dark to find that dollar sign.

Well it's approaching a reasonable hour in my world so I will sign off - time to make the lunchbox for camp & hit the shower.

OH WAIT - I almost forgot. I had my first fellow-blogger sighting recently! You read it right. In my little remote corner of the world - there I was waiting for my fast food drive through order and I almost felt like I was living a celebrity sighting. My dad was in the car - and his former concerns regarding my mental health were completely confirmed as I got giddy and explained to him who she and her husband were. Of course I kept it all inside the car. And actually haven't even gotten around to emailing her. But anyways it was kind of exciting.

So for now who knows, maybe I'll be awake at 4 every morning and have a little time to post OR maybe I will just continue to be the occasional commenter. I'm non-committal at this point because sometimes my lack of blogging makes me feel guilty which is just plain silly. So here we are.

Hope you are having a grand summer wherever you may be!!

Elle :)

Absense

2010-04-24T10:15:00.002-05:00

Please excuse my prolonged absence. MacBook in for repair and repair is more complex than originally thought. Remember when I spilled water on my computer? Yeah, well that is haunting me months later. Have so much to share so hope to be back pronto!

Elle :)

Sneak Peek

2010-04-16T06:48:00.002-05:00

Well here it is: The lovely place I spend my mornings! But not this fine morning - I'm in THE city of cities and I can't wait for husbs to wake up so I can go out and devour some cheese blintzes. Rain, rain stay away. Pretty please??

Have a fab weekend lovelies!

Elle :)

I'm excited!

2010-04-13T06:53:00.002-05:00

For a few reasons...

The store I am working for finally opens TODAY!!! I promise to share photos one of these days.

My husband & I are NYC bound on Thursday sans kiddies!! (our first trip alone in over 4 years)
**cheese blintzes, here I come**

Hope you are having a fantastic Tuesday (I'd insert more exclamations here but my enthusiasm may be considered moderately annoying then)

Elle :)

Lame-o

2010-04-06T21:38:00.002-05:00

That's me! I've been a horrible poster lately. I'm sorry - I have been soooo busy. Adding a career into the mix is very time consuming. I've been exhausted and in bed early almost every night. Plus my son has decided that 5:55 am is a great time to get up in the morning. I've done some brief reading today and I hope to have some time later in the week to do some commenting.

My goal is to do at least one post a week and at least one night to catch up and comment. We'll see how it goes.

I really, really want to take some photos of the store and share them with you. We should be open on Friday if all goes well.

I hope all is well with each and every one of you.

Until next week-

Elle :)

Hi again!

2010-03-14T21:50:00.002-05:00

I'm back. Yes, I got back a week ago - it's just been busy. As usual!

I'd love to make this post all fun and full of photos but truth be told it'll never happen unless I sit here right now to catch up, photoless.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I did end up scouting out the local shops and was lucky to find a few bargains. I got 2 solid tops. Kind of fancied up t-shirts with nicer sleeves & a cute neck in a solid turquoise & kelly green. Paired them w white pants and dark jeans respectively, dressed them up with some BARGAIN jewelry and voila - I was set. I even got a compliment on my heels that look brand new but are really "I can't remember how old"!

Our meetings were over around 3pm on Friday. We were staying in West Palm Beach and meetings in Palm Beach. I'd never been and had always wanted to go to Palm Beach... Worth Ave, the Via's, The Breakers, etc... But heck, when that meeting was over my boss and I made a beeline for the closest nice mall ($40 cab fare away) and hit the shops. Such a shame we didn't have time to explore Palm Beach.

Sidebar here - I discovered the MAGIC of Moleskin while I was away. Moleskin is an inexpensive adhesive felt (you can find it in the Dr Scholls section of your local drug store/supermarket) that you cut and stick on to your foot wherever your shoes are uncomfortable. Ladies let me tell you - this stuff is awesome. You may remember me mentioning a while back that I wear flip flops or the sort 24/7. My feet survived the business trip quite well thanks to this simple product. I've even used it since I've been back on an adorable pair of flip flops that had a metal piece where the 3 straps meet that was terribly uncomfortable on the tops of my feet. Cut out a little piece of moleskin and I don't even notice the piece anymore. Go out and get some!

Apparently I'm getting old. I say this because my trip to the mall was a little anti-climactic. Banana Republic was a little blah to me and I found most of the tops a little odd. It was such a muted palette I was a little bored. It's spring people!! I did score a cute pair of dressy jeans, a cute black shirt dress & some fake jewels. Then I went to J Crew. Cuter colors but a tad strange. I don't know - I just can't get excited over racks of Dukes of Hazzardesque plaid shirts that look like they've been crumpled up on the floor forever before they were hung up. Anyone else relating to me here or am I truly just getting old? I didn't even have palpitations in the Nordstrom shoe department. They had a sale going on and it was a little too crowded and confusing. Thankfully our shopping was topped off with buzz-worthy margaritas and a yummy dinner at PF Changs.

I was so busy I hardly had time to fret over my babies. I was gone for less than 48 hours. Of course, they did fine without me but they were super happy to see me. Nothing like that greeting - oh the love!

I'm so proud of my weekend project... I made a velvet lining for my jewelry drawer! I can be quite crafty & innovative when inspiration strikes. I mentioned my recent bargain/fake jewel acquisitions. I couldn't take the mismatched boxes and ziploc bags any longer. I went out and got me a piece of foam board, some black velvet, dusted off my glue gun and $18 later I had a pretty impressive drawer liner if I do say so myself! Fake on the left, real on the right. I don't really have a very extensive jewelry collection. I'm a classic kind of gal with a few diamonds and pearls. Wasn't much into the fake scene for a while. But with the latest "statement pieces" trend, it was either pass the trend all together or embrace costume jewelry. I chose the latter.

What else has been going on. Oh yes - work. We got our first merchandise delivery last week. Ooh-la-la how fun! This week our components & cabinetry are supposed to be installed. Hoping to open early next month. I WILL share photos of the shop because let me tell you it is going to be nothing short of FABULOUS! We attended a hoity-toity fundraising tea on Friday and donated some items to the auction & raffle. The response we got was fantastic. Our auction item went for triple the minimum bid and I know the winning bidder. Yay!

Well I guess that pretty much brings you up to speed here. Oh I must mention that I watched Precious last night. My goodness I had a splitting headache all night from crying my eyes out. Have you seen it? It just broke my heart to pieces. Geez Louise, if you are ever feeling like life's dealt you a crappy hand - sit down and watch it and you will likely feel like the luckiest person alive afterwards. Unfathomable to me, yet way too common in our world. How? Why? Ugh....

Nighty night everybody. I'm going to catch up and comment on what some of you have been up to!

Elle :)

Business travel

2010-02-28T21:16:00.003-06:00

So I'm super-d-duper excited because on Thursday I'm going on a business trip. Read: free trip to the US, land of Target and malls galore! I was a tad disappointed when my boss sent me the itinerary as it doesn't leave much time at all for shopping. But a little and that's all I ~~need~~ can afford.

Today I decided to go through my closet because I was having a tough time thinking of what I could pack. Well for once it wasn't a case of memory loss. I really have nothing to take that I'm happy with. First of all I have to take weather into consideration. It's a little cooler in Florida so I can't exactly dress up some of my summery dresses. Second of all I haven't done much shopping for chic items in a long time. The single item I pulled out is a winter white trench with lavender lining that I got at Benetton in London 5 years ago. How depressing. And Im working in fashion retail. Double whammy. I've got to come up with 2 traveling outfits a meeting outfit and a post-meeting outfit. I'm sooooo tempted to scout out the local shops but I'll end up spending a fortune. It's really bugging me.

At first I didn't even have a "look" in mind. I went to visit Chloe (that girl knows how to dress!) and did get some inspiration. Thanks Chloe!

Tomorrow I just may embark on a hunt. Any suggestions from savvy & chic business travelers out there?

BTW this will be my first trip away from my kids. Only 2 nights. I'm looking forward to it but I know, at the same time, my heart will be aching.

And if you are wondering what I wear to work normally - we are still at a pre-opening stage. So I can wear pretty much whatever to our temp office. Our first deliveries should arrive next week from which my work wardrobe comes.

Hope you had a lovely weekend - I did!

Elle :)

I'm so happy

2010-02-20T20:41:00.002-06:00

I could explode! Here's why:

About 15 years ago (holy moly has it really been THAT long?!?!) my husband's (then boyfriend's) cousin started dating a lovely Danish girl. She & I got along like 2 peas in a pod. The 4 of us did stuff together every weekend for a few years pretty much. Dinners out, movies in, travelled, etc.. We became best of friends. Then they got married and had a baby and it changed a bit, but not much. They moved abroad, came back, had another baby. I finally joined the baby club about the same time they decided it was time to move abroad again. She & the kids left when my first child was about a week old. That was a little over 4 years ago. Well this past summer they split. Things got pretty crazy for them. We understood but were so sad. You know they were the couple you thought would be together forever. Then the slander started. The can you believe she did this and he said that? I wondered if I'd ever be able to visit my best friend again. You know when family is involved it gets even stickier. Well tonight we got a call from them. They are BACK TOGETHER!! Hooray! They are planning to come visit this summer and I'm just so stinkin thrilled I had to share it with you. I love it when love wins.

:) :) :) Elle :)

Kate, you're killing me!!!

2010-02-14T13:20:00.006-06:00

I was getting a little bored doing Play-Doh "sand art" with Miss S.

As it goes, I often do a little blog surfing when I get bored and don't have other more pressing things to do. Ok, who am I kidding, there are obviously more pressing things to do but sometimes I just don't feel like it.... Well I found

Chloe. She captured me in an instant. I love the David Yurman heart necklace and I read on. Read on to find some fabulous discount codes and a super chic gal with some lovely "outfits of the day". Her Kate Spade discount code led me to do a very dangerous and ill-advised thing: I headed to KateSpade.com to see if there was anything on my imaginary wish list that a 20% discount would justify. I fell in love, once again.

With this

and these!

Kate! Please, stop. Every time I go on your website I am soooo tempted. Which really means you are doing your job but it's not helping me one bit.

So Chloe inspired me, because I thought it was hilarious (my attire in comparison, not the concept!), to post my very own outfit of the day. I couldn't figure out the self timer on my 2 month old camera so I had to resort to the photo in the mirror. Taken in Miss S's room.

Polo, Lacoste. Shorts, J Crew.

Oh and flip flops (taken whilst trying to figure out the darn self timer) Havaianas.

Tres chic!!

Elle :)

I'm crushed!

2010-02-10T22:06:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I'm a big fan of the Yonka line. It is my facial cleansing routine. These products won me over a few years ago mostly for one reason: they smell fabulous. This is the one splurge I have allowed myself to continue as a stay-at-home mom. The products are on the pricey side, but they do last for a while.

So I recently ran out of my regular moisturizer (Creme PS, still love it) and my local day spa was out of stock. Since I had several sample sized moisturizers, I decided I would use the samples as they would surely last until the next shipment arrived. Now usually anti-aging products don't work well for me. Especially if they contain fruit acids - my skin gets all prickly. But as I had a few anti-aging samples I thought I'd give them a try. Much to my surprise - there was only a slight twinge of the prickly feeling upon application and then it completely disappeared. But in no time, I noticed a difference in my skin. It felt softer and smoother. I had a change of heart and instantly requested the Fruitelia moisturizer. A few days later the product was in and ready for my collection - the bill: the equivalent of about US$89. I thought there must've been a mistake. My regular moisturizer usually sets me back about 40ish dollars. So she must've had both products put aside for me. WRONG! I struggled with it a bit and then thought "oh what the heck - it amounts to cents a day" and bought it. (Don't you wish you had a twin sometimes for these experiments? Ok twin #1 - you use the $6 moisturizer and I'm going to use the $60 moisturizer and lets see where we are in 10 years... ) Well that was on Saturday and today.....it fell off the shelf in the bathroom and smashed on the floor. I thought I might cry! Why the glass bottle?!? I'm kind of torn. I don't know if I should bite the bullet and buy another bottle, replace it with my other cheaper Yonka moisturizer or attempt to use the cream I scooped up off the (clean) bathroom floor and placed in the plastic container. Yes, with the latter option I am running the risk of spreading glass shards on my face... it sounds horribly foolish. Don't you just hate it when things like this happen?

You may be wondering how the bottle fell off the shelf and I'll tell you. It was totally my fault. My little boy had just stepped on the scale and we were doing a little celebratory dance because he's back up to his pre-stomach virus weight of 22 pounds. In our craziness I managed to swing him around in just the right way to knock a few things off the shelf. Only one being glass.

*sigh*

Elle :/

PS - To end on a brighter note. My friend is treating me to a "Thai massage" & a pedi tomorrow. Apparently they give you some type of loose clothing to wear during this type of massage. Sounds interesting.

Changing the subject...

2010-02-08T14:52:00.007-06:00

There's going to be a little of that going on because I haven't posted in a few days...

First off I hate to report that we still have pesky viruses attacking my kids. It's been bang-bang-bang this year. Runny noses and coughs barely phase me these days. Overall we are all doing pretty well.

On to American football. I'm minutely pleased that the team I was pulling for won the Super Bowl. Frankly I don't have much interest in the sport. For the life of me I cannot understand the game. Even with the fancy yellow lines they stick in electronically these days. I've lived in a family of sports lovers my whole life. It just isn't in me. I aced (ok maybe a B) Trigonometry, Calculus and Statistics in my high school days, but the rules and game play of American football are completely beyond me. I do enjoy the Super Bowl for one reason: snacks. It's like the Thanksgiving of snacks. And I like it when a newcomer wins. I needed no further info than the Colts have been to the Super Bowl before and won (I think) and the Saints had never been to know that I was pulling for the Saints.

On to Kate Spade.

Dear Kate, I wish I could afford to adorn myself in your label. I trust other labels in my price range will have similar items in their Spring offering. I know it's not quite the same but it will have to do. I do find it quite interesting that your handbag prices are not, in my opinion, crazy expensive. Though I'm sad to report I don't own a single one.

P.S. I'd love to know where I might find your Outlet.

I mean seriously - I love this outfit. I don't need to be fancy.

{via Kate Spade.com}

And how lovely is this? Living on an island and all - it's so nice it's not cliche´.

{via Kate Spade.com}

I really should stop stalking her website. It's just a wicked thing to do to myself.

Subject change #3.

I'm getting excited about my job. I think I can totally handle the hours and I know it'll be fun. I am admittedly worried about the whole "getting vacation time approved" again. My dreams of summers in Europe have been tossed out the window. And let's not even talk about the subject of December holidays in the retail world. But heck, I'm going to give it a shot. And I couldn't have picked a nicer boss. For now I'm working a few hours here and there till the shop is ready to open which should be in late March. Then I'll be a regular. I let you know how it goes.

Well I guess I better get back to the laundry. Before I have to turn the dryer on another 5x to get the wrinkles out.

I'm going out for Sushi tonight - yum. What have you been up to??

Elle :)

I'm back, I think...

2010-01-28T06:08:00.003-06:00

My goodness. We have had an absolutely horrid stomach virus visitor in our house for about a week and a half. Somehow I've managed to escape infection. Not sure if that's a mother's immunity or the grace of God. First and foremost I am beyond thrilled that my babies are well again. And who are we kidding, putting it into perspective this was a relatively mild virus. But I've gotta tell you - I'm WORN OUT. Caring for a sick and needy family for the better part of 2 weeks has taken a little toll on me too. I couldn't use the toilet without my offspring hanging on to my legs. So I'm going to take a little break. Yes, I'm only dreaming but what the heck... Come along.

I'd never heard of Sanya - had you? So many places to see in this world.

If you need me, I'll be here (alone, just like her).

Or here.

Getting ready to relax on one of these and have the most fabulous massage ever.

Hope you are having a grand day!

Elle :)

Dear friends

2010-01-20T11:44:00.001-06:00

Please excuse my absence. First a cold went through our house and now it's a stomach virus. I will spare you the details. I miss you but will be back very soon.

Elle :)

It's important to pay attention.

2010-01-08T20:41:00.003-06:00

Just making a quick check in. The babies are snoozing, the husband is out for at least another hour and I'm snuggled in my new bed* ready to dive back in to my book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I'm about a third of the way through it and I'm really enjoying it. I'm having a little trouble keeping up with the characters. Not that there are many, but for some reason I'm having a bit of trouble keeping track of who's who. Problem is probably me and nothing to do with the book...

The weekend is looking up. There's a Sunday family gathering that is brewing and may be the perfect excuse to retract my RSVP to the expensive baby shower. I received an apology email from the g-o-h. Her request was for a low-key, inexpensive & no-gifts policy shower. Something got lost in translation.... I could make it a big blow-out and not only attend the baby shower but tack on a few hours at the Ritz spa afterward. That would surely send my dear husband into cardiac arrest. Well at least when next months AmEx bill is due.

He nearly spit (I'm using my manners) a brick when I sent him this month's total. Here are some snippets from our convo. Please note that the AmEx total is always sent sugar coated via email....

*****

Laying on new bed in bedroom:

Elle: Hey, I found that $100 you asked me about the other day. Guess where it was?

N: I hope you put it towards the AmEx bill.

Elle: It was STILL in my wallet! And no, I didn't put it towards the AmEx bill, I paid for the bouncy castle for S's party (our daughter).

N: I don't know how you think I'm going to pay that bill.

Elle: Well $X was on AmEx and the rest ($Y) was on the MasterCard so we don't have to pay that one in full.

N: What exactly Made up the $X+$Y?

Elle: Well $1000 of it was the tires and coffee you ordered.

N: $1000 on coffee and tires?!?!?

Elle: Yes. And some was food and the rest was Christmas oh, and a little that I spent on myself while we were in Atlanta.

N: What part of Christmas?

Elle: The Pottery Barn Kids stuff and Land of Nod stuff.

N: Pottery Barn Kids?

Elle: Yes remember you went in the store with me and we came out with a very large bag of stuff for the kids?

N: Oh, yeah. Land of Nod?

Elle: Yes, that's where the train table came from.

N: How much was that?

Elle: $400.

N: For a train table?!?!? I could've made that for $50!

Elle: Well it was actually $395 plus I got that smock and splat mat. And I showed you the train table on-line and you agreed that we should get it.

N: Well I wasn't paying attention.....

Elle: [(thinks to herself... "imagine that"]

****

Have a super fab weekend!!

Elle :)

P.S. * though not sparkly, a wonderful gift indeed!!

2010 & Random Ramblings

2010-01-06T06:11:00.002-06:00

Well here we are in 2010. Hope it's a great year. Any resolutions? I'm not a big resolution kind of girl. Every year I would like to be a little more organized. This year I'm hoping to work on my scanning photos project and I'd like to learn how to use my new fancy schmancy camera well. These are only plans though, not resolutions.

On to some very important subject matter.... So I was invited to a baby shower. The guest of honor is a lovely gal and a friend. I don't know many of her other friends, we generally get together with our husbands. Well I got an evite with a save the date and details to follow. Checked my calendar, no plans, so I confirmed my ability to attend. Last night the details arrived: tapas and drinks outdoors at the Ritz. Oh and guests pay a fee of US$62.50. Plus a request to donate ~$40ish US$ to a gift. Say what? Tell me ladies is this a new trend I am unaware of? Asking guests to pay to go to a baby shower? I often think I need to be paid to attend some of these events. Especially when they want you to smell baby diapers and drink bottles in front of strangers. I'm a little perplexed. Frankly, I'd rather spend the money on a gift of my own choice. I likely won't spend much quality time with the g-o-h at the shower. And while the idea of over priced sparkling water and a handful of nibbles on a lovely January day at a luxury Caribbean resort sounds dreamy, it's just not sitting well with me. In my opinion you either host and foot the bill or come up with a more reasonably priced venue, like say your house. So tell me what you think. Please, I really want to know!

Well the kiddies are up now so I'd better get going. Oh, guess what? Our shower door spontaneously shattered into complete smithereens. Yes, the one that we JUST finished. There's something about that bathroom....

Until next time-

Elle :)

It has taken 2 long years....

2009-12-27T20:04:00.004-06:00

well almost. Next month will be two years. We've been working on this bathroom reno for a loooonnnng time. It was the first project we wanted to tackle after we bought our house. Instead, we did a bunch of other stuff and lived in another bedroom then moved into the master bedroom without use of the adjoining bath. Then we had a toilet, then sinks, then a tub and now finally a shower. Only we have to seal the floor before we use it and the shops don't reopen till Tuesday. So there is a chance that I might, just might have a shower in my bathroom before 2010. I think it's a major improvement though, don't you think? We gutted the room and reconfigured. The window is the same to give you an idea of positioning. I have to take some after shots of the sink area. My plan is to do one big before and after post with all the things we did in the house. One day when the house is all tidy and I can take some nice after shots! Here goes:

Before - don't you love the dark green?

it really bothered my husband that he could sit on the toilet and touch both elbows to the walls. I wonder - who thought this use of space was a good idea....

And ahhhh, after. Much better, huh?

Elle :)

I wonder...

2009-12-21T07:03:00.002-06:00

how long it takes for a bow (you know the holiday pressie type) to biodegrade. I'm wondering because I have been unable to find any suitable ones for my paper this year and I'm thinking of forgoing the whole bow thing. Well except for a few that are on the presents I deliver.... After all, it's okay if they don't "match" the tree, right? (I told you I obsess!!)

Anyways lovelies, this is going to be short and sweet. The days ahead will be very busy. What with my sister in town, 2 kids to control and all sorts of prep before the big day on Friday. Wanted to wish you all the happiest of holidays. I probably won't be back until 2010 unless of course I just have to share something amazing with you before then. Like maybe the most sparkly of presents I find for myself under the tree... maybe?!?!?

Best-

Elle :)

Amazing...

2009-12-18T09:59:00.002-06:00

Life is amazing.

Today is my birthday. Yesterday was my husbands. And it was a BIG one for him. So we hosted dinner at our house last night. Only 7 guests and us. It was lovely, the food was delicious. This was my husbands choice as he wanted to spend the evening with our children rather than going out for an adult dinner and leaving the kids in the care of a baby sitter (one of the many many reasons I love this man!).

Needless to say our house was in quite a state of disaster this morning. No folks, I am not the woman who cannot sleep if her kitchen is dirty, quite the contrary!! I looked at the mess and was a tad perturbed. Today is my birthday, kind of sucks that I should have to clean up all this mess. I was feeling a little hoity-toity. I thought to myself - you silly child, thank God for your blessed life and your healthy children. Sing and dance while you clean as a display of your thankfulness for the many blessings in your life.

My son was in his crib, protesting nap time. I got him out and looked at books with him. Brought him to the dining room and did the Cheerio book with him (you know where you give them Cheerios to put in the holes?). He was totally content and so happy with the book and the cereal. Then the doorbell rang and a lovely bouquet of flowers was delivered to me. Then I decided to read a couple blogs and was moved to tears by one of them. I looked back at my son. The precious little boy who gives me heart attacks daily. And the tears streamed down my face. Thankful, joyful tears even though there were now a gazillion Cheerios added to the disaster. Isn't life amazing?

Thank-you. For your friendship, your comments, your posts that make me laugh, make me sad, entertain me.

Elle :)

I really should...

2009-12-13T17:09:00.004-06:00

have a party more often. My house never looked so good! Ok, well it did ~~yesterday~~ Saturday, before the party anyways. Now there are boxes of borrowed things to give back, holiday glassware, dinnerware and mugs to be put away, cake stands to be emptied (why did they leave me with all these sweets?!?!) and a big punch dispenser that I need to wash thoroughly. But it was so much fun. A lot of work, but worth it.

I have been hosting an ornament party for the past 5 years. This year we were up to 18 attendees! We squished in all cozy and had a ball. Everyone who comes brings a wrapped ornament. Usually you set a price guideline. Then everyone draws a number. When it's your turn you can choose an unopened gift or steal someone elses. If you get stolen from you can choose another unopened gift. You don't want to be #1 bcs there's no one to steal from and chances are if you get something fab it will get stolen! My sweet little girl helped me choose my gift it was an elf. Well about 2 turns later some one stole it and she was sooooo upset. Cried her little heart out. She didn't quite understand the concept at just under 4 years of age....

Okay I started this post on Sunday and now it's Tuesday. This is how my days go!

Have another party to plan for the weekend. More on that next week.

I better get this posted before it continues life in draft format. But before I sign off I want to say a special welcome to my new followers! I made a rule a while back that my blog budget was equal to my number of followers. I've had my eye on some cute pre made templates that almost fit within my budget. I might splurge and have a new look for the new year.

Anyways hope your December has been full of fun and that it continues!

Elle :)

My feet hurt

2009-12-10T22:27:00.003-06:00

I've come to realize that the holidays also mean sore feet for me. My feet are accustomed to squishy flip-flops for most of the year. I've been in flip-flops for the better part of the past 5 years or so. No work out of the house means not many days of wearing fancy shoes. (do my sentences sound short and choppy or is it just me?) Anyways I wore heels last night and boy can I feel it today!

Prior to my recent trip to the US I was distraught whilst packing.. The problem? I owned zero pairs of stylish and comfortable (if that really exists) shoes appropriate for colder weather i.e. closed toe.

So on the one shopping day we had (yes, we were supposed to be Christmas shopping and not buying things for ourselves) I went on a Reva hunt. I'd been coveting a pair for a while. I found these beauties at Neimans.

{Tory Burch @ NM}

I figured first of all that since I haven't bought a pair of "shoes-shoes" in a WHILE I deserved them, secondly they were extremely versatile and thirdly (is that a word?) I can wear them to work next year. I do think they are smashing. However, my feet do not. I think these past 5 years of flip-flop wearing has made my feet spoiled. They must be wider (I'm sure 2 pregnancies has not helped) because my toes just feel squished in everything. I'm hoping that they stretch a bit and become as comfy as I'd hoped soon. I've heard they do.

And now a funny little related story. Let me give you a little background. Imagine living where there was no major retail shopping. No Target, no malls, etc.. Then imagine that you had to travel on a plane to get to major retail shopping a couple times a year. Catch up on all that you've missed (within the budget or credit limit, whichever is larger) then PACK it in a suitcase or 2 (keeping it under 50lbs.). AND THEN, here's the catch, pay 20% duty on all your purchases when you get home. This is my life. This life sometimes leads to a little, shall we say "creativity", on your Customs declaration on the way home. So back to the story...

**************

Cast: Elle - you should know who this is

N - Elle's husband

Scene: Winding down Thanksgiving trip. Travel home prep has begun.

N: Uh, here's the receipt for your $200 shoes.

Elle: Yeah, I'm not going to declare them.

N: I think you are missing the point....

*************

Elle :)

Holiday Obsessions

2009-12-07T11:21:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to confess my holiday obsessions. There are silly things in life I obsess over like the holiday decorations, my holiday cards, scrapbook pages, etc... and more important things that I do not obsess over like the dishes in the sink, the unmade bed, the piles of laundry. But hey those are all hidden and my house looks fabulously festive!

When we were growing up our Christmas tree was a mish-mash of "anything goes". We had homemade ornaments, baby's first ornaments, assorted lights, m&m lights, bubble lights, musical lights, blinking lights, etc... It wouldn't have been featured in a glossy magazine, but it had our hearts and lives in it and we LOVED it. When we all got older, I told my mom it was time. Time to keep the mish-mash tucked away and get some new coordinated and beautiful ornaments. So we did - she had a gorgeous burgundy and gold tree and it was good. All the kids were older and we didn't miss the other tree.

I used to judge my friends who had the pretty tree in their house with young kids. They'd tuck the ornaments that didn't quite fit the bill around the back of the tree or leave them out all together. I hate to admit it, but I, for the most part, have become one of these people. I obsess about my holiday decor. Tree: beautiful, turquoise, green, silver and gold ONLY!!! Garlands: turquoise and brown ONLY!!! Dining room: traditional colors ONLY!!! Wreath - well that has yet to be determined.

Don't hate me yet!!! So today I went out and got a cute little 4 footer with multi colored lights especially for the kids. My daughter can decide if she'd like it next to the big tree or in the playroom. It will be our anything goes tree and I think that's a good compromise. Do you?? When I have a mo, I will take some pics and share.

Better go take my lunch dishes to the sink and maybe I should start the dishwasher....

Elle :)

The necklace

2009-12-02T20:32:00.003-06:00

I have a special necklace. It was given to me after my brother was killed in a boating accident just over 2 years ago. A dear friend gave one to me, one to my mother and one to my sister. In my mind, the two hearts represent my heart and my brother's heart. Mine is glass and fragile and not quite complete (anymore) - his is whole and unbreakable. My mother wears hers nearly everyday, I wear mine sometimes. I always take it with me when I travel. When taking off, I always say a prayer with my hearts in my hand and when we land I always say thank you with my hearts in my hand. It accompanied me on my recent trip to the States. I wore it on Thanksgiving. Later that night when I was getting my son to sleep, I fell asleep too. I hadn't gotten myself ready for bed - I was just very tired and ended up sleeping with my necklace still on. Something I'd never done before. In the morning, my mom came over and told me she had slept in her necklace the night before for the first time ever. She said she was so tired she guessed she had just forgotten to take it off. And I said "me too!". So we both slept in our special necklaces unintentionally and for the first time on Thanksgiving...

Thanks, I needed that xxoo.

Elle :)

I'm Back!

2009-12-01T08:40:00.002-06:00

Happy December Everyone! How did THAT happen? I don't know about yours, but my November was here and gone in a flash.

I'm really, really going to try to post here a little more often. You know how it is... you get busy, etc, etc.... When I started back at this I had some free time in the day a couple times a week and now that time has been filled with other stuff. So I need to regroup! I enjoy this too much to let it slide.

So yeah, I got to spend Thanksgiving in the good ole U-S of A! We were in Georgia and the fall weather was wonderful. Nice cool days and falling crunchy leaves. I got my fall fix. We tried to do some shopping and we did get a bit done but shopping with the kids is no fun. So we had to squeeze in a little time here and there when the kids were occupied. And shopping in a rush is no fun either!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. The holidays are here. I'm going to be preparing for my annual ornament party and getting all the decorations out over the next week+. It's not that I have a ton, it just takes a long time it seems.

I'll update you on my progress - how are you preparing for the holidays?? Any fun holiday travels planned?

Be back soon!

Elle :)

Winner!

2009-11-22T07:56:00.002-06:00

Well Llama, you are the winner! I don't know how to post my random number screen, but it chose 5 and that was you!

Now don't get me wrong - I couldn't be happier about my winner but I'm wondering why only 2 of my followers entered. I'm flattered that you are happy to follow without getting gifts, but I was really hoping for more entrants. Oh well.

Angie, I wish I had a duplicate package to send to you!

We are flying out of here in about 3 hours. Headed to the Atlanta area where it is rainy and the high is 48! Brrrrrr! We're leaving a gorgeous sunny day here in the tropics. I'm really excited though. Looking forward to all the family time and the yummy food we have in store for us.

Not sure how easy it will be for me to post - so Happy American Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for all my blogland buddies.

Llama, please email me your address so I can post your pressies :)

Elle :)

Giveaway!!

2009-11-16T20:57:00.002-06:00

Sorry for breaking my promise to have these details posted by the end of the weekend! Here goes: My first giveaway includes 2 packs of my favorite Italian cookies, a set of the OPI Mini Merries nail polish, a MAC House of Mirth Deep Lip Bag (includes Lustre Lipstick in Fantasia, Dazzleglass Lip Gloss in Get Rich Quick [maybe I should keep this!] and a Lip Pencil in a cute little bag) and 2 Christmas ornaments if you'd like them. Apologies to those who do not observe Christmas, but that's the only holiday with items to buy for on my little island.

Rules:

You must follow or become a follower and post a comment to enter.

My existing (and there are currently 15 of you) followers who wish to enter will automatically receive an extra entry just because I'm nice like that.

One extra entry if you post about my giveaway, with a link, on your blog (please let me know in a comment).

I will choose a winner at 10 pm EST on Saturday, November 21st.

I will post the package to anywhere in the world that costs less than USD 25 to post!

Good Luck!!

Quick catch up

2009-11-11T14:12:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness - where has the time gone?? Apologies for my lack of presence lately, I've been a little busy. I've been working - well, kinda. You see I have a job lined up for Jan or Feb in an exciting new store. I'm looking forward to it, but a little scared at the same time. Anyways, the ladies I will be working for have many, many things to get sorted before the grand opening so we've started meeting 2x per week to get some things done. Whew! It's exhausting. Evidently I'm a little out of practice.... Before I sound like a prima donna, let me remind you that I'm a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids aged 3 & 1. Trust me, it's a lot to handle even with help. So the days have been slipping through my fingers and geez Louise here we are in mid-November practically. I've got a giveaway to organize IMMEDIATELY. I leave for the US in 11 days and I've gotta get everything together. Thanks to all you lovely commenters and followers who have been sticking with me through this time! I did catch up on a little reading the other night - I was missing my daily reads!!

I should note that I'm using a wireless keyboard now. So defeats the purpose of a laptop - but hey at least I can use the good computer again.

So a few random things to talk about...

-my giveaway will be taking place very soon. I plan to have the details posted by the end of the weekend so stay tuned.

-have watched a few movies lately - here are my reviews: Whatever Works - I liked it. But I like Larry David and it was nice to see him in a role other than him playing himself on Curb. The Taking of Pelham 123 - enjoyed it. I thought it was a good role for Denzel. John Travolta really did a good job of looking a bit off his rocker. Poor, poor man - I still feel so awful for him - losing his son. The Ugly Truth - ok let me confess that it often takes me more than one seating to see a movie. I very often fall asleep during movies. It is no indication of how much I like or dislike a movie. I can sometimes be watching a brilliant movie and my eyes just will not stay open. ANYWAYS - I'm not sure if my sleeping interrupted the flow of this movie, but honestly I didn't finish it. And I had good reviews from others. I found it a little boring.

-I'm currently reading a book called Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie or Frannie Flag. I'm too lazy to go and look, sorry Ms. Flag! I am really enjoying it. Part of it is set in 1940's middle America another in NYC circa 1970's. Sometimes I get so caught up in my chick lit that I forget too do a little research and read a little variety. Apparently not only do I enjoy reading about other cultures, I also enjoy reading about other generations!

-Confession: I've gotten a little hooked on reruns of the Rachel Zoe Project. Oh gosh how reality TV can just lure you in. My husband is just short of disgusted with this recent habit. I even bought an InStyle magazine today. Why do I do this? First of all I always struggle with what to do with the hunk of paper I've just purchased for my selfish pleasures when I've finished reading it. Secondly it makes me want and long for things that: I don't need, I can't afford and I shouldn't really want. RZ makes me want a really huge and cool jewelry collection. The polar opposite of my classic and small jewelry collection. But really who has time to accessorize for drop-offs at preschool??

Well there's so much more I could share but I need to go referee the playroom before things get ugly in there.

What have you been up to lately?

Elle :)

Still needs time??

2009-11-01T20:01:00.002-06:00

Oh gosh. I just turned on the Mac for the first time in 11 days. Started up like normal - you should've heard my sigh of relief when I saw the little apple. My heart swelled when I saw the pic of my kids that is the background for my desktop. Then I opened a program and attempted to type and what I got was what I typed along with some random numbers. K9in5d o6f li7ke th3is4. Not good... At least my pics are there, but who can blog, email and facebook when a bunch of numbers are being thrown into the mix?? Am I going to have to get a usb keyboard for my laptop? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? Do you think she needs a little more time? Perhaps a blow dry?

Enough of that for now. I hope you all had a fab Halloween. I did. Dressed the kids up, my girl was a bumblebee and at the last minute I grabbed a pirate costume for my boy. A three year old in costume is adorable. My one year old little rebel as a pirate? HILARIOUS. And he really liked it. I laughed till I cried and that alone was worth the $20 I spent on the costume. I took them out to a big Halloween event - it was fun till the mosquitos attacked. I'm really leaning towards hosting my own party next year. Not for the kids - for us. I haven't dressed up for Halloween in years. Other than throwing on a mask or witches hat along with my normal clothes. And I think when you've just got a bunch of friends together, in costume add a little booze to the equasion and you are bound to have fun, right?? I think I could handle it. Not sure what I'd do with the kids, but I've got an entire year to figure that out.

I can tell I'm rambling, but I miss all my blog buddies. I've been terrible at reading too lately. On that note I think I will sign off for now and catch up on some reading and commenting.

Happy November everybody!!

Elle :)

Unplanned break..

2009-10-25T16:30:00.002-05:00

Well I felt as if I was losing a bit of my momentum with my blog. For some reason I feel obligated to do a new post fairly often. I've noticed that some of my fave blogs have been lacking lately (only in the frequency of posts!!). Perhaps it's just a season??

Anyways, I did something REALLY STUPID a few days ago. I spilled water on my sweet, shiny, aluminum MacBook. The computer guy told me to turn it off, take out the battery and leave it off for 10 days - 2 weeks to give time for the water to dry out. Say WHAT?!?!? So I'm going through withdrawals. Luckily my techy cousin came by to dust off and clean up my old laptop so that at the very least I can check emails and get my daily facebook fix. However, my stone aged laptop leaves much to be desired and I'm afraid my posts will be scant over the next fortnight. I'm forced to use it in a tiny corner of the tv room as the wireless card is fried and therefore it must be directly connected to the blue cord coming from the modem. It also has a battery with a maximum life of about 60 seconds, no lie. If I've gotta move it, I'm running!

Hopefully when I next turn my shiny baby on, she'll be as good as new. In the meantime I shall take an unplanned break from this blogland. I will be reading, though not as often so please forgive me if I'm not commenting as often as I usually do.

Hope life is grand where ever you may be!!

ttfn,
Elle :)

the story of jellybean

2009-10-20T21:02:00.002-05:00

So last night, we were sitting around and we heard the cheeping of a baby bird. It was late and we found it strange that there was a bird noise outside. My husband [N] asked me what I thought it was. I replied that it was either a baby bird that fell out of it's nest OR a psycho trying to lure us outside. I mean we all have been informed via email of the latest way to get you out of your home when the perp plays a recording of a baby crying on your doorstep?? I thought maybe our perp got a little creative.... So N got "prepared" and went outside to see what all the noise was about. I should mention that our community has been experiencing a crime wave lately and it's left us a little on edge. Anyways, back to the story. What N found outside was a lone baby chick, whom my daughter thought should be called jellybean, crying for it's mommy. So, so sad. N did his best to make jellybean a warm, safe bed for the night. That lasted about 10 mins before he hopped out and dashed into the bushes and away from us. I did see it when it was all nestled in the cloth. I could see it's mottled fluffy baby feathers and it's little black eye. My heart hurt for the lost baby. All through the night I could hear jellybean calling for it's mommy. In the front yard, in the back yard, in the side yard. This morning as we were having breakfast - we all heard jellybean. I started googling "caring for baby chicks" and was ready to start blending up some grains for the chick. It was a very rainy morning this morning and none of the neighborhood chickens were venturing out of the bush. My hopes of jellybean finding her mommy were getting grim. Suddenly N was looking out the front door. We all joined just in time to see jellybean making her way down the driveway toward a black hen that was across the street. She skittered across the road. Was it really her mommy?? The hen didn't seem to be paying much attention to the relentless peeping that was happening a few feet away. Then we saw another little chick, the same size as jellybean in the grass next to the hen. The 3 of them went off together mother hen pecking the ground for breakfast. Ahhh, we all breathed a sigh of relief as jellybean had been reunited with her mother. Don't you just love happy endings?

Elle :)

Withdrawals and weight gain...

2009-10-15T10:26:00.003-05:00

So Sunday morning, the one last pacifier [paci] went missing. I've been wanting to wean my boy from his paci as he's almost 15 mos. I'm not a believer in the long, drawn out relationships with bottles & pacis. So on Sunday I looked and looked and finally gave up. He napped without and went to bed without and I decided it was over. It's been rough - the paci was found but kept hidden. Finally last night we had a good night of sleep again. He was definitely having some serious withdrawals there for a few nights. And who are we kidding, at 2 in the morning when I'm exhausted and he's crying I was ready to give in - but I stayed strong. It's tough kids! I think we are now on the way up.

{food network, paula deen}

In other Elle's household news: my granddaddy & his wife [gd&r] are visiting. My gd&r are southern folks and love feeding good ole southern food to folks like me. My weight watcher points have been off the charts. Biscuits, eggs, gravy. Chicken & dumplings. Today they are making me a pan of cornbread. Oh goodness. They leave on Friday and I'm going to miss them when they go, but my weight loss efforts will not. This week I gained weight. Not much and it's certainly no mystery where the weight came from. So I've thrown in the towel till Sunday or Monday. We've got a fundraising dinner on Saturday night at an ultra fab restaurant. So forget about trying to be good there! Oink, oink!

Hope all is well in your world -

Elle :)

I've got nothing...

2009-10-13T21:49:00.002-05:00

...except some happy monkeys!

Made these in July for my little monkey's first bday. Hope they bring a smile to your face too!

:) Elle

What we've been up to:

2009-10-09T11:27:00.002-05:00

A little shopping:

The Burberry outfit was a gift - swim shorts & a tee. Surely he'll be the most fashionable 1 yr old on the beach! Born Wild is my fave - suits my boy PERFECTLY :)

sweet & cute for my girl (all from Gymboree btw)

A little baking:

Cadbury rocks. No other store bought mixes compare. Their chocolate is so creamy & delish.

And some playing:

I dread the day when she's too old for the tiara and fancy shoes.

Have a fab weekend everyone!

Elle :)

Monday's Miscellany

2009-10-05T22:17:00.003-05:00

Hope you all had a fab weekend. Mine was pretty good. I even got to go to the movies this weekend!

My mom and I went to see Julie & Julia on Sunday and I loved it. Nora Ephron totally has my number. I loved the scenes in France - the beautiful residences with their huge inlaid wood doors, leaded glass windows, beautiful molding details inside..... oooo, I was drooling. Not to mention the street market scenes. Boy, my produce selection pales in comparison. Plus I could relate to the whole blogging thing as a fellow blogger. I know this is probably old news to you all. But we get our movies a little late sometimes. Oh, and I had just finished the book Sunday morning, so perfect timing. Loved the book too.

I just spent a while catching up on all my readings and commenting and it seems that leaves me with little time for posts. It's about 10:30 and there's a good chance my night will not be peaceful. The kids have a little cold again. YES again. They've only been well for about a week. Blasted Preschool! It's really a great place but the stinkin little germs they have floating around the place are enough to make me scream.

Anyways, I've got a little project I'm working on. Hoping to complete it and share before the end of the month.

In other exciting news, we're booked for our Thanksgiving trip to Atlanta. Going to see my dad's family and I can't wait. I'll get a little dose of fall. Only going for a week which stinks, but at least it's something! I am planning an exciting giveaway to send while I'm up there, so stay tuned.

Goodnight lovelies!

Elle :)

I just love this!

2009-10-02T23:18:00.003-05:00

So I don't follow many on twitter bcs I'm not really fully into tweeting yet. But I do follow Ashton Kutcher. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, I just happened to be watching Regis & Kelly one day and he was co-hosting with Kells and talking about twitter and the rest is history. Well I must say that I'm becoming more of an AK fan every time I logon to twitter. I've noticed him going on about the PS22 chorus and finally clicked the link. It's soooo amazing and wonderful. This choral director is just a superstar and what he's doing for these kids is just so life altering. I wonder if he even knows how he is affecting their lives. Look at their enthusiasm. 5th graders letting go of inhibitions and singing their little hearts out. Ahhhhh..... what a wonderful way to end the night - all warm and fuzzy and full of love. Enjoy!

Elle :)

The Design Girl

2009-10-01T15:14:00.004-05:00

I can't remember exactly how I found her, but I have been wanting her to design my blog since I started this in August. I spent ages on her site reviewing her portfolio and premade designs. Then I decided I'd better wait and see if anyone was going to read my blog before investing anything other than my time into it. Recently I discovered her blog linked to her site and she's got some great giveaways. Right now there's one on for a free Halloween premade template. They are all super cute - check her out!

Oh well, the button is a little outdated, but it still takes you to her site. I grabbed that cute little blinkie off her website too. I LOVE it!!

October!

2009-10-01T11:31:00.004-05:00

My goodness, how did we arrive at October already?!?!

I've been trying not to buy as many magazines lately. I've done detox for Us magazine and am no longer addicted. I have been restricting myself to my faves and I'm not even buying them monthly. Faves include: Conde Nast Traveller and Veranda. But as I've mentioned to you before, I LOVE fall. I live in the tropics and there is only a very slight change of season here - let me take you through our year starting with April/May.

In April/May the HEAT arrives in full force. By July & August you really don't want to be outdoors between the hours of 9 & 4 unless, of course, you are at the beach or out on the water. In September & October the rain comes and it's good. Except when the occasional hurricane decides to scare you. Often they just come a little too close for comfort, then head elsewhere. By November the rain is not as often and it's cooled a few degrees since the dog days of summer. In December, the breeze starts. January and February are lovely. March sometimes is too. Then back to where we started. All this to say that most of you wouldn't even notice our seasonal changes.

So back to the magazines.... well all the fall mags are out and boy I could go nuts. I had to buy MS Living.

It's hard to see on my little pic, but the cover reads "The Magic of Fall". How could I resist? Well I got to the calendar in the beginning and it made me quite sad... Why, you ask? Well because I too want to attend the Annual Harvest Fest in Pocantico Hills NY, The Great Jack-o-Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson NY & Bette Midler's Hulaween Ball in NYC. But what do we get around here? Nada. Truth be told, I'd have to get a job in order to purchase a $1000 ticket to the Hulaween Ball, but anyways.

I also bought a magazine that contains 116 cookie recipes. Not really wise when you are trying to lose weight, but the candy corn cookies on the cover lured me in. They were cute.

My decision to cut down on the mags is for 2 reasons. 1st is that they end up lying around my house for WAY too long (if you recall, I'm a "collector") and 2nd is that I feel guilty just throwing them in the trash and we don't have and local magazine recycling around here. I know, I know... share them with your doctors office, dentist, blah, blah, blah. Frankly I don't have the time. So I'm just keeping light on the purchases and it's working out fine.

At this point I feel I am rambling so I guess it's time to sign off. I've had so much to share the past few days but NO TIME to blog. It's been busy to say the least.

Hope you all are having a great first day of October. Oh, and I've dropped 3 lbs. Might not sound like a lot, but when you are 5 foot 2, this can make fastening your shorts noticeably easier! :)

ttfn-

Elle

PS - Look! 11 followers. Welcome Summer. I just might get me a cute signature before the end of the year ;o)

My Fairy Tale

2009-09-25T16:57:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful duchess, Elle. She was blessed with a darling daughter, Serafina. At a very sad time in Elle's life, she discovered she was expecting a baby boy. This brought much happiness to Elle and her family. After the prince was born, life was very busy in the household. Entertaining a little girl & boy was far more difficult that Elle anticipated. As her boy grew he became more and more active and more and more mischievous. He climbed where he shouldn't be climbing, ate what he should not be eating, and was awake when he should have been sleeping. Precious Serafina had not prepared her for what he had in store. During one particularly active day, the prince was making Elle bonkers. Elle did not know, but her fairy Godmother was watching and thought that Elle needed to learn a lesson. The next day Elle woke in the morning and found her dear prince hot with a fever. He was calm and cuddly and quiet because he was feeling awful. For 4 days the fever persisted. All the while Elle worried and wished that her little boy would return to his normal active self. On the 5th day the fever was gone and Elle was relieved. She was thankful that her baby boy was well again and made a promise to herself to be more tolerant and patient of her prince's ways. Elle's fairy Godmother was pleased that Elle had learned her lesson and flew off to take care of other business.

The End (Hoping for the closest to "happily ever after" possible!)

Spreading the love

2009-09-21T17:17:00.009-05:00

I got my first blog award the other day from the lovely Llama. Thanks!! It could not have come at a better time, because I was having a drab day and it was instantly brightened when I found out. So being the rule follower that I am - here goes.

7 things about me:

1) I moved out of the country, from Miami, when I was 13.

2) The only time I've lived back in the good ole USA was whilst attending uni at Boston University & Florida State University (yes in that order, yes surprising or at least it should be)

3) My favorite season is fall but I rarely have a chance to experience it unless traveling.

4) I live in a house where we only watch DVD's - no satellite or cable feed here - sometimes I miss it, sometimes I don't know when I'd find the time. We've lived this way for 5 years.

5) The most exciting trip I've ever been on was when I went to South Africa and got to go on safari. I really hope I can take my children there one day to see the animals in their real element. It was an AMAZING experience that I highly recommend.

6) We have no pets, but we do have pests: an elusive iguana that likes to use our pool deck as his (would have to be male, right?!) toilet, a woodpecker who has discovered the very small portion of our house that is wooden (right above the master bedroom window) and likes to tap on it before 6 am many mornings and finally a resident (unwelcome) rooster who crows at any hour of the day and along with him, his very large chicken family. And you thought it was all sunshine and beaches in the tropics!

7) I got married nearly 10 years ago in Vegas baby! 45 of our fam, besties & us at the Bellagio. It was a BLAST!

My 7 Nominees:

Now won't you join me on my little history of blogging??

1) Pretty Little Things - This is where I discovered blogs. I saw Lori Marie featured on Martha and went to her website and discovered her blog. She is definitely creative! I love her creations, her tiny house and her super cute pup Matilda. She's got a great etsy shop - you should check it out. Via PLT I discovered....

2) Dear Daisy Cottage - a visit to Kim is like going to visit your dearest auntie. She is the most kind, warm-hearted gal I have discovered in blogland. She has an adorable cottage in Florida, she is a brilliant photographer and she too has a super cute pup, Maggie. She'll make you treats, take you on amazing home tours and share her thrifting finds. Need a hug? Go visit Dear Daisy Cottage, I guarantee you will come back feeling warm & fuzzy!

3) Notes from the Trenches - I discovered Chris by googling "clogged milk duct" one day. I was breast feeding and suffering from clogged ducts. Kids - let me just tell you - it ain't fun! Anyways my google took me to her blog and there I found a hilarious post and I was immediately hooked. Chris has 6 kids aged 4 - teenage. She homeschooled until this year and she isn't what you think a mother who homeschools would be. She is quick witted, feisty and admirable. Plus her kids are all cute - oh and she is another great photographer. Trust me, she couldn't give a rat's @$$ about receiving a Kreativ Blog Award, but I'm giving her one anyway!

4) Monograms and Manicures - You'd think I watch Martha often, but I really don't. I discovered Hopsy on Martha too. She was a very enthusiastic Lilly-lover on Martha's Lilly show. Hopsy is a super sweet girl who lives a great life. She's got over 900 followers, so she's doing something right!

And the rest is history - through the blog discovery trail, one day or another I happened upon these 3:

5) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Who doesn't like a trip to Europe? Assuming of course, you don't live there. She will take you to the most amazing places.

6) When Pigs Fly - Ever found that person who seems to have a similar opinion to your own on many things? That's Jen for me. I love reading her posts and she has a great style of writing.

7) Emm in London - Emm should be a travel journalist. I loved following her recent trip to New York.

Whew! That's my 7. For those of you who wish too, here are the rules: I know many of you that I have chosen are too busy to follow the rules, but I chose you because I wanted to. I truly enjoy these blogs!

Here are the Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated

Happy Monday

2009-09-21T11:15:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday everyone! My grumpy's are over for now. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's weekend updates - the little blurbs on my dashboard have piqued my interest. I'm also anxious to pass on my blog award, but it's going to take me a few minutes to get my post together. While the present seems like the perfect time to do that, my kitchen is a disaster area and I can't sit here on this computer while the mess is over there staring at me. Hopefully time will permit a little later.

Hope you had a great weekend - I'll be checking back in soon.

Elle :)

I've got a bad case of the grumpys!

2009-09-18T10:51:00.004-05:00

4 reasons:

1) PMS - no explanation necessary

2) hunger - please read previous post regarding diet

3) my son has turned into a monster - I'm trying my best to be super patient mommy because he's got a little cold but truth be told he's driving me absolutely bonkers!

4) sleep deprivation - see #3

So I logged on to my dashboard to do a little reading and discovered that I got my first blog award. Thanks so much Llama - you brought a little sunshine to my very dark and cloudy day!!

I will be fulfilling my duties regarding this award shortly. Now I am off to take a shower while my little monster naps. I should go peek in at him so I will feel nothing but love for the precious sleeping pumpkin - boy, looks can be so deceiving!!

Elle :| :) {I know I'm not the only one with ~~mood swings~~ mixed emotions whilst pmsing}

Sheesh!

2009-09-16T10:28:00.002-05:00

I didn't check my reading list yesterday and I had a lot of catching up to do! Hope everyone is good. I'm feeling strangely perky today. Maybe the Advil is kicking in - my headache is fading..

Anyways I've decided (I think) to join Weight Watchers online. I'm doing the free week trial with the 3 month commitment on the 7th day. As if I needed another excuse to spend more time on this ~~freaking~~ computer! Anyways I really don't have a lot of weight to lose (less than 10 lbs) but I've learned to be a nip it in the bud kind of girl when it comes to weight. Less than 10 can turn into more than 15 in the blink of an eye! I think it's good timing - I can be good and prepare for the holidays. Always best to start the holidays down a few, right?

So if any of you need to drop a couple or more, check out WW and maybe we can be diet buddies.

:) Elle

Flash Mob

2009-09-12T21:38:00.004-05:00

As if the Black Eyed Peas and their, how do I describe them, fab/can't get them out of my head/makes me want to dance my ass off tunes were not enough... Did you guys see this?

There is a better version on oprah.com along with dance instructions so we at home can learn the dance. Ok, well I won't go that far but suffice it to say I would have loved to have been there dancing in the middle of that energy!

I got a feeling -oooh oooh...

:) Elle

One of those days....

2009-09-11T11:59:00.003-05:00

Dear America,

I miss you especially today. God Bless you.

Elle x

Collecting....

2009-09-09T22:26:00.007-05:00

I come from a long line of ~~packrats~~ collectors. It's something I struggle with - to save or not to save. I do a fairly good job of tossing the meaningless stuff but I know I hold on to too much.

September for me, is a month of painful memories. 3 of the worst days of my life took place in September. I came across an old day planner the other day (why was I holding on to this?). I took out the pages that had writing on them and saved the rest for scrap paper (my stock was low). I saw a date that I had forgotten about.... a few years back, on Sept 9th I left home and headed to Miami as a huge hurricane was headed our way. I didn't come back for 2 months... And so my sad September begins, ugh.

Elle

Sharing a super fab giveaway!

2009-09-08T22:23:00.005-05:00

So, dear Hopsy is having a fabulous giveaway that I wanted to share with you. If you don't already know Hopsy, she is as delightful as they come. She's giving away a Lilly Pulitzer Paley cardigan tomorrow night. So if you are a cardi girl - hop on over to kappa prep and check it out :)

Chubby Hubby no more!

2009-09-08T22:09:00.003-05:00

So I mentioned to you that I bought a pint of B&J's Chubby Hubby yesterday. I was really good last night and only ate a teeny tiny bit. Tonight - not so good. I had a stressful time trying to get my littlest one to sleep. Daddy's been spoiling him - Mommy's paying the consequences. AGHHH! And the ice cream was making me feel better - how do they do that?!?!? I happened to discover that this may be my last pint of Chubby Hubby ever because (drumroll....) TADA - new name.

{ben & jerry's}

I've got one more thing I want to share, but in a separate post....

:) Elle

I've been sleeping around...

2009-09-07T20:49:00.003-05:00

part of the night in my bed, part of the night in my daughter's bed, part of the night on the rug next to my son's crib. What? You didn't think this was going to be a scandalous post did you?? Oh, how I long for a night of full uninterrupted sleep.

Having said that - it's not 9pm yet and both kiddies are snoozing. Preschool starts back tomorrow for Miss S and we are BOTH thrilled. I should be preparing her lunch right now but I felt it was time for a post.

I finished a good book over the weekend: Night Fall by Nelson DeMille. It is a work of fiction based on the TWA800 crash that took place in '96. It was interesting and got quite exciting the last 3rd of the book. I don't read many books with male authors but I enjoyed this one. I also don't read many investigative/conspiracy books. Anyhow this was good for a change.

Saw a moving movie over the weekend, Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story starring Cuba Gooding Jr. It was just one of those inspiring stories about an amazing man who didn't have all the odds in his favor, yet turned out remarkable. Who doesn't love this kind of story? A good kind of feel good movie when you are in the mood.

Well off to follow the college game scores. Oh - and I just remembered I've got a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby in the freezer. Big mistake - but I couldn't resist it today. I can already feel my bum growing!

ttfn-

Elle

I'm a paper lover..

2009-09-03T22:03:00.004-05:00

I heard something sad in the bookstore the other day. A man came in and asked the owner if she sold any stationery. She apologized and said that she didn't carry stationery anymore because no one buys it. Everyone just emails.

I guess the era of the personal handwritten letter is gone forever (yes, I realize this is old news). Kinda sad huh?

I love paper: wrapping paper, note cards, thank-you cards, scrapbooking paper, invitations, etc...

{lilly pulitzer}

And I love, love, love the newish LP stationery line. I'm hoping I can incorporate some of the cute things into Miss S's 4th birthday party in a few months.

Yep, I miss getting a cute little envelope in the mail with a note from a friend. I always had way more stationery than I could ever use. Still that way with wrapping paper and scrapbooking paper (haven't touched most of the crafty stuff in 3+ years). I confess, I'm a lover of paper. Remember those little 2-fold papers that you would just stick together with the little seal? I thought they were the greatest. *sigh*

Well my book is getting intense, so I'm off to read before bed. Think I'll be a Kindle user anytime soon? Doubt it...

Nighty-night!

Elle

PS - We are 3 for 3 for rainy days in September thus far. The drought is over!!! YAY. We'll all have to wait and see if my lawn comes back from the dead.

Ok - WHOA - I just tried to do a strikethrough and I posted and EVERYTHING on my blog was struckthrough. That was scary. Llama - I did something wrong!

For lack of a better post:

2009-09-02T22:52:00.002-05:00

I'm going to post one of these ultra interesting-random question surveys - here goes:

Where were you 3 hours ago?

Home, getting Miss S ready for bed.

Who are you in love with?

My husband & kids.

Have you ever eaten a crayon?

Nope.

Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

an empty juice box, iPod skin, tricycle

When is the last time you went to the mall?

April - sad I know, but I don't live in the land of malls.

Are you wearing socks right now?

Heck no - I only wear socks when I'm exercising which isn't very often lately.

Do you have a car worth over $2,000?

Um, yes.

When was the last time you drove out of town?

Last Friday, to my aunt's 60th b-day party (more fun than it sounds, believe me!)

Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?

No, but I've watched some movies at home in the last 5 days.

Are you hot?

I'm burning up. I need to go turn the a/c down.

What was the last thing you had to drink?

Water, I'm kind of boring like that.

What are you wearing right now?

Khaki shorts and a white polo.

Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?

Mr. Price cleans my car. Unfortunately he had to leave the country and my car is the dirtiest it's ever been. Shame!

Last food that you ate?

A cheese stick. The organic variety that has a little taste.

Your dream vacation?

I have many but a luxury European villa vacation sounds good right now.

Do you miss anyone right now?

Very, very much.

Last play you saw?

Chicago on Broadway - about 4 years ago. I was disappointed.

Do you need to do laundry?

ALWAYS

What were you doing at 12AM last night?

Snoozing.

Do you like hot sauce?

Yes, but only on a few things.

Intriguing, I know!

:) Elle

Future Plans

2009-09-01T22:20:00.003-05:00

I'm already planning my first giveaway. Realistically it will not happen until November. That's when I next plan to travel to the US which will simplify my giveaway in many ways. If an unexpected trip pops up in the meantime, it may happen sooner...

I've decided 2 things I will definitely include are a pack each of my favorite cookies. Do you know Mulino Bianco? They make THE BEST store bought cookies in my humble opinion. Our little island is blessed, a few times a year, to receive a container load of italian goods that grace the shelves of our supermarket.

Canestrini & Baiocchi - yummy!

When I started this blog, I almost invested some money in it. I wanted a visually pleasing blog and spent hours researching designers and designs. I then decided that I was jumping the gun and that I should perhaps see if anyone was interested in reading this before I spent any money. So I made a rule in my head that my blog budget would be less than or equal to the number of followers I had. So right now I couldn't afford a signature, but I'm not getting discouraged. I've met some lovely fellow bloggers in the past month and I'm happy about that. Should I remain unpopular, I might just send each one of you a pretty package in November.

Hope your September has had a good beginning. We had rain today - that is a VERY good thing. Hopefully it's just a taste of what the rest of the month has in store.

Ciao bellas!

Elle

If I...

2009-08-31T11:02:00.003-05:00

lived in a big city with seasons and had a fancy job, this is how I imagine I would dress:

(kate spade @ bloomingdales.com)

I love Kate Spade. Thankfully she has decided to debut her new line of fab clothing in the fall so I'm not too tempted to buy. I'll apologize to my AmEx in advance for the day when I see the spring line. Till then I will remain the casual sundress/flip flop wearing mommy that I am. Best uniform for this 90 degree ~~inferno~~ paradise. (would someone please tell me how to strikethrough?? i can't figure it out for the life of me).

Finished watching Duplicity last night. Wasn't too impressed. They tried to make it interesting by doing a series of multi city flashbacks but I thought the plot was rather blechk. Opinions??

Best get to the daily routine.

Smiles,

Elle

Edit: Thanks Llama!! Now I know how to strikethrough.

Is it just me

2009-08-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

or have you noticed that there is a posting drought every weekend? On Sat am, I check my dashboard and find only a few if any new posts. I guess you all have fabulous social lives on the weekends while my life remains much of the same. Except Sundays when N is home too.

Anyways, it seems that the rest of the family is sleeping - husband [N] included. So I guess I will go and finish watching Duplicity. I fell asleep in the middle of the movie last night. This is no indication of my opinion of any movie. I have been known to fall asleep while others are on the edge of their seats. It's just me - I'm sort of narcoleptic while watching movies, at any time of the day.

Oh, I also made this chicken cacciatore (minus the peppers) tonight for dinner and it was YUM. The kids even ate the chicken and wanted more.

Hope you are having a fab weekend!

Elle

Here, there and everywhere.

2009-08-27T22:58:00.002-05:00

That's where my thoughts are so this is going to be a post of random things so I can get a few of the "things to post about" off the list in my head!

First off I want to just send a little love to all you wonderful people that I've discovered through blogs. Thanks for the nice comments and for the fun posts. This little adventure takes up far too much of my time every day but it's so darn fun.

Next is a book review my-style. I'm no English major nor a reader of the classics which will be blatantly obvious once you read my review... I just finished Jennifer Wiener's Certain Girls. This was a fun, entertaining read. At times a page turner but generally just a fun book that I looked forward to reading. And for me that's about as good as it gets. My only requirement really is - please don't bore me. Plus the family in the book is Jewish so several things sparked good memories I have of my dear Jewish friends who introduced me to things like the menorah, dreidel, potato knish, cheese blintzes (YUM - I might have to plan a trip to NYC just to get my blintz fix) and one of my fave holiday songs by Adam Sandler.

Followed by a movie review. Adventureland. This is the best 80's movie I've seen that wasn't made in the 80's. The whole setting, wardrobe, etc... is so spot on. Just seeing the styles was entertaining enough, but the story was good too. Plus this is one of those movies that doesn't employ A-listers. I love seeing the new, young group of actors/actresses that are becoming more popular that haven't made it where they are just bcs they are physically beautiful.

And well I guess that's it for now. It's past my bed time and I was up reeeealy early this morning because my adorable son wanted to play at 5 am. I'm puzzled as to why I'm not tired yet. After all, the super early morning coupled with a day out on the boat would normally have had me nodding off hours ago... And this is another reason I have to stop and count my blessings - a Thursday on the boat, swimming in the beautiful blue sea that is a short drive from my home, with my babies.

Smiles,

Elle

Thanks

2009-08-26T23:31:00.002-05:00

Tonight I just want to write a short little post. A few events in my life have reminded me to remain thankful. Sometimes we get so caught up in the trivial that we forget to look at the big picture. When I stop for a moment and look at my big picture, I think "damn, I'm lucky". Today a dear friend of mine underwent surgery to remove his thyroid and some surrounding lymph nodes as they have been invaded by the big C: cancer. He's a 30 something father of 2 and someone I feel blessed to have as a pal. This is one of those things that makes me stop and think about how blessed I am and how thankful I am for so many wonderful things in my life. I've had some tragic days, but through it all I remind myself that things can always be worse, MUCH worse. I've learned to remain thankful for all that I have.

Nighty-night

Elle

Have a cookie...

2009-08-25T16:42:00.004-05:00

Had these babies baked by 10:30 this morning. Banana cookies. Not exactly what I wanted but yummy nonetheless. They are very soft and cake-like - I was hoping for a little crispiness but perhaps that's too much to ask of a cookie made with real banana puree.

My brain is so full of post ideas that I'm having trouble posting. I spent a while this morning reading all the new posts my bloglies (it's what I have decided to call the lovely bloggers I follow) have written then commenting. I took me a while and though I was thoroughly enjoying myself - there were several other things of more (?) importance that were not getting done.

August was supposed to be my month of major organizing/clutter removal and I've managed to complete one task - clean my desk. Not very impressive, I know. Well gotta go play :)

Elle

My Colors

2009-08-24T12:38:00.005-05:00

I always enjoy seeing other people's homes and the colors they use inside. Today, I thought I'd share my interior color choices with you. What do you think? My camera isn't the greatest for photographing colors inside but these are mostly accurate. Ok the problem is probably me and not my camera but anyway....

Palladian Blue

Tarragon

Toasted Almond

Cream Puff (I didn't prep for these pics - this is real life people!)

Sweet Carolina

Parsley Tint

Bracken Brown

I am most often complimented on the Palladian Blue that is the main color we used in the house. It is a lovely pale aqua and I must say that nearly a year and a half later I'm still loving it.

Elle

Heartbroken

2009-08-21T18:03:00.002-05:00

My anthem today was Toni Braxton's Unbreak My Heart. Here's the story....

Miss S is my 3 1/2 year old girl. Yesterday her Grandmother phoned me in the morning to invite Miss S to join them for the night at a beach house they were renting for a few nights. I spoke with Miss S and attempted to consult my husband [N] as Miss S had not spent the night out without us. N was not available so I decided to go ahead and pack her up and let her try it out. The house was about a 45 minute drive away so worst case I could collect her at bedtime when she decided she was ready to return home to her sweet mother.

So around noon her Grandma arrived to collect her and off they went. I called and called and called again to check on her. She was fine. When N heard she had joined them he thought it wasn't such a great idea and was not keen on the idea of having to drive 45 mins to collect her later that night. Anyways, our last call was at about 10 last night and still the report was that Miss S was perfectly fine playing with her cousins, etc (yes, my baby was still up at 10pm!).. I didn't speak to her because I didn't want to upset her and mess things up. We got off the phone and I had what I can only describe as "mother's pit". It's a feeling you get inside when you miss your babies. I haven't had it for quite a while. And actually I had the feeling for a few hours by then. So off to sleep for me. It was nice, I admit, to have no little visitors to our bed last night. I waited as long as I possibly could this morning to call. I couldn't wait to talk to my sweet angel. Well when I called Miss S had no interest in speaking to her mother. (stab knife in my heart). What? Did I hear you correctly? Did she just say no she didn't want the phone? You heard it right. My little independent girl didn't need to talk to me. I was crushed. She didn't want to speak to me for fear that I'd mention coming back home. I was heartbroken. N's response: "Now you know how I feel". She is a mommy's girl most of the time. "unbreak my heart, say you love me again..."

I felt sorry for myself for a while. Now she's back home and asleep. Exhausted from going to bed at 11 last night and up before 7 this am. I'm glad to have her home. Guess I missed her more than she missed me.

Elle

PS- I'm thrilled to have another follower and have had comments from 3 different commenters! YAY :)

Today's Purchase

2009-08-19T22:03:00.002-05:00

(gymboree)

Yes, you read it right. I've already purchased Miss S's halloween costume. It baffles me that halloween costumes are even available for purchase in mid August! But let me tell you about last year (in August).

Perusing my regular sites I happened upon the cutest halloween costumes at gymboree. As you may or may not recall, I live outside the US. So when a family member was traveling stateside, I was ready to place our halloween order for their collection. Well no time to think people, the costumes were selling out at an amazing rate. My little one's obsession at the time was Bee Movie - I thought the bumblebee costume would be perfect. Long-story-short I ordered the $60+ pkg and my dear cousin accidentally tossed the costume in the garbage with the other shopping trash. Oops! Miss S had to be a flower fairy which was super cute. Though the stripy tights were only available on ebay at 3x retail. Silly moms!

Hope I have better luck this year.

ttfn

Elle

blockbuster moment

2009-08-17T10:53:00.002-05:00

So this weekend, my husband [N] rented 17 Again and as soon as I saw the DVD, I couldn't get this song out of my head. That's not a bad thing, I happen to love this song along with a few other Annie Lenox/Eurythmics songs. I find her voice amazing and emotional. Back to the story... This was an odd choice for N, he normally wouldn't touch this genre with a 10 foot pole. In need of a mindless flick, I requested we watch this one first. I have to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised. Not a thinker by any stretch - but fun, mindless entertainment. And I was finally convinced that Zac Efron is a hottie. He's not really my type (he's too clean and pretty and admittedly far too young for me) but he's matured a bit. Every high school needs a kid like the character he played - if only we knew then..... N has called the flick stupid, but I think he just doesn't want to admit that he enjoyed it too - after all, I wasn't imagining all those chuckles.

I'm glad the weekend blogging drought is over.

Happy Monday y'all!

Elle

My brain is overheating

2009-08-14T12:12:00.005-05:00

Oh gosh, I'm so confused. I was trying to get in a little blog time while one kid is out of the house and the other is napping. My late night blogging is getting more and more difficult with N hogging my computer when he gets home. He needs a brain break too and we don't have tv. Well we have a tv but no cable/satellite feeds. More on that later.... back to my brain.

Ok, I'm in my 30's so when I was in college email was just starting to infiltrate our lives. Seriously, like only the super genius kids used email my freshman year. I didn't know what it was. The aol explosion followed shortly thereafter. And post college I had a career that involved computer usage for let's say 10 years. Bottom line is I'm on the verge of being lost in this cyber world bcs I'm so far behind. Staying at home with the kiddies does not a computer genius make. So here I thought that since I was following people on google reader [gr], I would be one of the little squares on their following group. I think I was wrong. I need to be following via google friend connect [gfc]. So I'm going to try and regroup and reorganize and see where I get. And am I right that gfc only works for blogger blogs? Not wordpress? Bummer. Guess I'll have to follow on gfc & gr. Ok going to go find a picture to use for me.

Side note: my mom's brain is overheating too. She told me it was Friday the 13th this morning. At least I come by it honest ;)

Happy friday the 14th!

Elle

EDIT: ok, you can continue to feel sorry for my lame brain, but I am figuring this out. Its all connected and I can follow non-blogger blogs. Yay!

Tonight, I need a vacation!

2009-08-13T20:35:00.006-05:00

Kiddies were extra whiny tonight which makes mommy a little crazy. I feel like I need a vacation so I thought I'd reminisce a bit and show you where I was recently and hopefully get all caught up in the feeling and pretend I'm back there.

Two weeks ago we were here:

water slide

Not the kiddie pool! This was taken early in the am.

(This wasn't the order I intended to post but can't bother to fix them now!!)

As a matter of fact, we were having a phenomenal dinner at Nobu. One of my faves if not my favorite restaurant. Don't even get me started on the Mochi - if you know how to make it, please share.

A fun 4 nights with the whole fam damily: me, husband, kiddies and in-laws. I begged and pleaded with N (husband) and he finally gave in. He was convinced he would not like the Bahamas. The first 18 hours I wondered if I had made a good decision. The one thing I wasn't expecting: ALL THE PEOPLE. Atlantis is kind of a Vegas, Disney mix with water.

After breakfast our first morning, we prepared for the pool. All packed up and headed over and spent too much time looking for pool chairs. Just to lay our stuff on. Chairs as far as the eye could see, all occupied. Occupied by towels, beach bags, beach toys and the occasional parent, grandparent or sleeping child. After we got in the pool and I saw the kids having such a good time, I relaxed - forgot about the hundreds (maybe thousands) of other people around us and the remainder of the vacation was fab.

I would highly recommend it for a family vacation. Highlights: Nobu, the aquariums, walking around, Marina village at night (too hot in the day!), drooling over the amazing yachts, Splashers kiddie pool. Oh and some enjoyed the water slides (I'm not very adventurous). Lowlights: mediocre food & service, lotsa people, pretty expensive.

Ok - it's taken me 5 attempts to get this done so I'm going to stop now.

Where you have been on vacation this summer? Any upcoming vacation plans?

ttfn

Elle

Today's Miscellany

2009-08-11T22:20:00.002-05:00

Ok- just dictionary.com'd that to make sure that was really a word and not just something I imagined was really a word.

Well sorry to say that I've got an unwell baby boy sleeping next to me :( His big sis brought home a little something late last week and now he's got it. Poor sweetie. He's normally full speed ahead for every waking hour. This afternoon - fever & lethargic. Geez it breaks your heart.

Tonight's movie was fun. Laid a blanket out in the courtyard, got some Haagen Dazs cups for us and watched 3/4 of Ratatouille. Then Miss S was tired and it was time to go. Felt so great to be enjoying the outdoors for a change. The heat lets up a tad at night.

Happy to report that we tried a recipe last night. I say "we" bcs I forced N to participate in dinner prep. I was tired from my day with my 2 kids + one 6 yr old cousin. Our dinner prep didn't even start till 9ish. So I requested some assistance and he obliged. We made Giada's Shrimp Fra Diavolo. Easy and good. A little too spicy but that was bcs N was responsible for step one and let's just say that he used a very generous teaspoon of crushed red pepper.

And finally, I'm thrilled to have (insert drumroll) 3 followers and I've gotten my first comment. Yay!

Till next time-

Elle

Banoffee, etc..

2009-08-11T17:44:00.002-05:00

Just a quickie - I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and trying to get one child out the door for a summer night outdoor movie. Ratatouille - tres exciting ;-)

What is banoffee pie you ask?? My favorite dessert I believe. I'm a lover of sweets though so I haven't given it a huge amount of thought... Think Shortbreadish cookie crust topped with dulce de leche topped with fresh bananas and real whipped cream. To die for if you ask me. I begged N to share a piece w me but he wanted his own, I was FORCED to eat an entire piece all by myself. Totally sabotaging my attempts to get in shape or at least not gain any weight this summer.

More later - hope your day has been a good one!

My day

2009-08-08T20:41:00.004-05:00

First of all I want to say that I'm thrilled to have my first follower!

Now on to my day - it started with a trip to the library. I love the library. We have a nice small library on our little island that is quite sufficient. We checked out some new bedtime stories and I actually ventured out of the children's section and checked out a cookbook for myself: Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis. I love Giada. She is one of my 2 faves on Food Network - Ina Garten is my other. I find their shows therapeu

tic and they make me want to try out their dishes. Which I should add - have never disappointed me. So I'm hoping to try a few recipes out over the next 3 weeks till I have to return the book. I'll keep you posted.

The next notable event of my day was not so good. In fact it totally gave me the heebie jeebies. I had an encounter with a SCORPION. Well 2 actually. I had just been out on the back porch with my little guy and I was letting him play outside (even thought it was h-o-t, we stayed in the shade) and I heard someone at the front door (perfect timing) so we came in and when I returned to the porch door I saw a tiny scorpion scampering next to the door mat. I ran back in to get a hard shoe. When I got back out he had completely disappeared. He was right where my little guy had just been playing barefoot. {Oops dinner has arrived - be back soon... well not so soon, it's morning again} So I moved a few things around bcs I know they like to hide and I found not the tiny one but a pretty big one ~3-4". I squished him and screamed. Never found the tiny one.... It gives me the shivers to know that he is out there somewhere and growing.

Well it's now Sunday and yesterdays events seem so yesterday. I shouldn't neglect to mention that my dinner was tres fab. I convinced N (my husband whom I would love to refer to as husby but don't want to copycat someone else's cutely coined nickname) that take-out was what we needed. He delivered! Tuna encrusted w sesame seeds cooked just enough with some yummy sauteed spinach that tasted somewhat like a warm wakame salad - some rice and wasabi cream on the side. Oh and a piece of delicious banoffee pie for dessert.

Dinner was followed by the movie Gigantic which I found both entertaining and confusing. Has anyone else seen this? Can anyone explain the homeless guy to me? Was it all a trip?

Anyways Happy Sunday everyone. ttyl

Elle

Today's Photo: my p & j!

2009-08-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

little miss s & baby d - my babies!

An introduction

2009-08-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hi to you! I'm very excited to be blogging again. I was a blogger up until fairly recently but was having a hard time finding the time to post so I stopped. Now my baby's a bit older and I seem to find the time to read blogs so I'm going to try this again. A fresh new start! I've chosen to start anonymous this time. My last blog ended up being most frequented by my mother's friends as a way to keep up with her grandkids. Not exactly what I intended.

I have a little voice in my head telling me that this isn't a good idea since I have already spent the majority of my "free" (hahahahaha) time this morning browsing blog designers websites and wondering if I should pay for a cuter blog then finding some cute free backgrounds and changing font colors and sizes, etc. etc. Now it's the afternoon and the breakfast dishes are still in the sink.

So my intention is to continue this blog and post a mix of things. I'm promising myself that this will not become a blog about my kids. I will be limiting posts mostly about my babies to no more than 2-3 per week. I want to talk about the books I'm reading (currently Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls - so far, so good), good food, misc things, and on and on. I hope that when my travels take me stateside I will be having a few giveaways and perhaps participate in a swap or two. I should mention, in case you haven't read the tiny sentence on the right about me, that I don't live in the US. So giveaways are tricky for me. It's not much fun to receive a package that you have to pay import duties on.

As you can probably already tell - I tend to ramble. So before I scare you away with an introductory post that reads like a novel, I will sign off. I'm going to send some of my fave bloggers an email inviting them to visit me here. I love comments and I hope to hear from YOU soon!!

Bye for now,

Elle