It has taken 2 long years....

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!!

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

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??

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..

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

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...

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...

...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:

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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....

Dear America,

I miss you especially today. God Bless you.

Elle x

Collecting....

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!

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!

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...

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..

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:

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

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...

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

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.

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

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...

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

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

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 :)