Words that stuck with me.....

"Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.” Anonymous

Words that stuck with me......

An eye for an eye leaves the world blind.

Merry Christmas

What could she have asked for...........

Seriously, I gotta know.

Seriously, how hard CAN it be?

Last year, I shared our family's self diagnosed disability. The holiday season of 2009 has not brought relief; in fact we may be exhibiting more extreme behaviors.

Case in point: this year's Christmas Card.

I am a lifelong learner. I try to learn from every lesson life gives me. I've heard that doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So I re-evaluated the sitch-u-a-tion.

I tried to be reasonable and limited the number of people in the shot by removing the adults. Everyone only wants to see the children, anyway.


But I'm pretty sure they wanna see them with their eyes open.

And some of us choose to close our eyes on purpose.

You are NOT asleep. Stop the fake snoring and smile!

Wait! I'm a learner. Let's try to re-evaluate. Maybe a change of scenery?

Let's head downtown and try to get a good one while waiting for Santa to arrive for lap pictures.



Can you feel the love?

Back to the drawing board. Hmmm, last year the individuals seem to work a bit better. Let's go with that.
See? Learning. Re-evaluating.

Or maybe not.


Shut it and smile!



In all fairness, I'm gonna have to call user error on this one.


Looky here........*whistle*. Oh well.



How will you ever be a supermodel if you don't have a decent fake smile?

And the 2009 poster picture for sufferer's of photographically challenged?

And there you have it. Apparently, it is exactly this hard.

I miss you.......

Dear Blog,

The Mama misses you. I know life has led me to ignore you, but it's only fair seeing how you made me ignore life at times. Maybe we can reunite?? I promise to try to not let my perfectionism interfere if you promise to not pressure me. Deal?

Love always,
The Mama

I've made the first step......

outside of my comfort zone today.

I'm not sure why I am agonizing so much over this, but I am.

I want to sell some of the things I've made. But my personality needs to take baby steps. I want to do some craft fairs, etc. but am unsure of the best way to do it all.

I've sold a few things I've made to friends. But today, I gave a few of my things to a friend to add to her beach booth to sell.


I did take pictures of the items I've cranked out the last few days and I'm posting them here to share them with my friends who have been my constant cheerleaders.


WARNING: MANY PICS TO FOLLOW!



Here's what I put out:

(the pictures fail to pick up many of the details making the dress :)

Babygirl sized pink tutu

Little girl sized Purple/White/Lt.Pink Fairy Tutu

Three crayon roll ups




Babygirl sized pillowcase dress




Babygirl sized pillowcase dress




big girl sized pillowcase dress (bad picture: blue pinstriped dress)

little girl sized pillowcase dress

big girl sized pillowcase dress

baby girl pillowcase dress

little girl sized pillowcase dress

little girl sized pillowcase dress

little girl sized pillowcase dress

Thanks to all who are so encouraging and I promise my neurotic tendencies will lessen over time.........(*at least until the next obsession)

To Represent or NOT

It's the first day of school and my kids are representin' the SHORES~~~~

Bugaboo is gonna dominate 8th grade.

Chickiepoo is gonna rock 6th grade.

Boobear is gonna rule 4th grade.

And bunnyboo is trying to figure out her allegiance.

Forget it.........she'll just stay home with me.

It's over.........

Summer is over.

We've just returned from a family beach vacation and the kids start school next week.

I'm hoping my bloggy mojo comes back then too.

Don't you?

Wait, don't answer that.

PS: does anyone else think feet are ugly?

Capturing Time

Time.

It goes too fast.

Look how long it's been since I've last posted? See what I mean.

I've been feeling those warm feelings of completely loving someone.

Bunnyboo's vocabulary has exploded the last 6 months. I love how she says certain words and how she phrases things so they make sense in her world.

Lately, whenever she hears a noise, she'll turn to me with one hand over an ear and ask......


"What's that noise about?"

I swear I could eat her up at these moments.

Which reminded me of my other kids most memorable phrases.

Boobear used to get the word structure mixed up. When he meant although or wanted to use the word but ~ he would INSTEAD tack but/though on the end. As one word.



Like: " I really wanted to ride my bike, but/though."

And chickiepoo would say "hairpoo" instead of shampoo. I loved hearing her little girl voice say it and would try to get her to say it as many times as I could.


But my oldest, bugaboo? I can't remember ONE specific example.


And I'm heartbroken over it.

I've been racking my memories for days. Nothing.

Was it because he had some severe speech issues and being a first time mom I couldn't relax enough to separate what was normal from problematic? I'm not sure.

It took me more than a day to remember EXACTLY what boobear said. So maybe it's just the old mommy mind at play.

I am returning to my blog long enough to record these memories and hope to add more.

I refuse to not capture those words that fill me with love, but/though.

(All pictures capture each child around 2 years old)

Face Of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl.......My review

This is the first review I've posted about a book I read. I heard about a publisher willing to send a book to be reviewed to anyone with a blog who was willing to write a short review. It was a WFMW tip over at We Are THAT Family. Free book??? Sign me up!


Face of Betrayal is the first book in what seems to be the start of a series as the cover indicates it's a triple threat novel. As in one of one? So it seems.
Lis Wiehl is a former prosecutor and a current legal analyst and commenter on Fox News. Which explains why I've never heard of her. She does seem to bring "inside" language and protocol, but not more than a well researched author would. April Henry must have helped write this since her name is both on the cover and the spine ~ award winning author Lis Wiehl With April Henry. After reading the jacket, I surmise that Ms. Henry is actually the award winning author.

The plot summary itself is what made me choose this book to review from the list Thomas Nelson Publishing provided.


A high school student home for Christmas break from her senate page position, goes missing. Three women, each with a reason to be personally involved in the case ~ a reporter, a prosecutor, and a FBI agent ~ comprise the Triple Threat Club. They uncover a secret blog authored by the page. Theories abound as to what could have happened. Could the blog contain the answer?

I really wanted to LOVE this book. And it started off as a page turner. I loved seeing the friendship and respect the Triple Threat Club had for one another. Strong, smart, human women dealing with life while working a case was highly entertaining. I liked the suspense of the added twists and turns to create more possibilities for ~ Who Done It?

Which leads me to what I didn't enjoy. The transparency. I figured the WHOLE thing out before I was even halfway through the book. I traveled a few paths while reading this book that I hadn't seen coming. But in the end? I was left feeling disappointed. Maybe I've been spoiled by the likes of Jodi Picoult, but I now expect my legal thrillers to have HEART and SURPRISE endings.


If indeed this book is the first in a series, I'd consider reading the next if only to see where the Triple Threat Club members are in their lives. But my mystery expectations will be lower.


I highly recommend to each and every book lover who has a blog to check out the Thomas Nelson Book Review program. I love to read and read daily. This did feel like a school assignment and it's been many years since I've been in THAT situation, but I'm looking forward to giving it the old college try again ~ pun intended.

Inspiration or Copycat?

Shabby Nest is hosting another party and I really want to go but don't have anything to wear.

Actually, it's more that I haven't taken many pictures of anything I've done.
Yet again.

However, I have this one thing I could pull together......
But will it be viewed as having inspiration or being a copycat?
(I'm crossing my fingers for your vote of inspiration!)

I have this built in. The shelves are slightly less deep the higher you go. I've piled on the obligatory family pictures over the years but have never been happy with the way it looked.

What's a girl to do? I was stuck.

With no extra money in the budget to buy extras like the good toilet paper, I was surely not able to redecorate anything.

And then as I was paging through a magazine (sorry, probably Cottage living, but I don't remember which one) I saw a bookshelf with all white dishes.


Wait a minute.


I have white dishes. Lots of them.


So I quickly pulled all those pictures down, and started real *frugal* like, shopping my house for what I already had.


Not great quality picture.......but I'm still in my pj's.
I told you I didn't have anything to wear to the party.

Meanwhile head over to the party. Go as you are. I'm sure you'll find real inspiration and then you can ask yourself if you are a copycat or not.

How much of a loser am I?

Here I go and put up this hypothetical post and get all defensive with myself about why my blogaversary giveaway winner has YET to receive her apron.

And then I try to clean out my email.

And I find she has left me a comment telling me she has given me an award.

Two weeks ago.

How much of a loser am I? Seriously.

So it is with a humbled acceptance that I show you all my award:



MaryRC = Maryrocks!

That's how I read her name, anyway.
(please tell me I'm not the only one who tries to make one word out of things like this???, please??)


MaryRC is a makeup artist, but more than that she is a beautiful, hip, funny, chic girl who also is a mom. Probably the cool mom judging by the birthday party she threw her daughter. She has two blogs, Shaking the Tree and Crabtree Concontions (which is private), as well as her own professional website.

Thank God for memes like SPT that introduce me to other bloggers like MaryRC. (you said maryrocks, didn't ya?)

I'm gonna share the love myself by nominating.........(in no particular order ;)

1. Any-Hoot

2. Our Life Upstate

3. Migraine Mom

4. Bliss

5. 2 Big B's & 2 Little B's

6. Create Studio

7. You Go Girl

8. The Glamorous Life Association

9. Shell in Your Pocket

10. Crafting Chicks

11. Blue Castle

12. My Loose Threads

13. Pink and Polka Dot

and my last two break the rules, but we all know I can be a bit of a rebel.........

These go to my friends who deserve any award I can throw their way just for being my friend!

14. The Keeper of All Things

15. Neurotically Yours

Here are the rules:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now to expand on the title thought? I am such a loser some of these blogs will be like, who the **** is this Bahama Shores Mama? I've never even gotten a comment from her! I am that much of a loser........

But don't be like me kids! Go show some of your own love and visit the above sites and leave some comments. The love kind.

Will this ruin the anticipation?

Hypothetically speaking:

If you were to win a giveaway on a blog celebrating her one year blogaversary, for example.

And the giveaway was a oh, I don't know, a apron, perhaps?

Would it ruin the anticipation to see a picture of said apron BEFORE you received your package in the mail?

But what if the package was UNBELIEVABLY delayed in being mailed through a comedy of errors?

Like the blogger made the apron and packed it up for shipping but had a million things going on for the next week and never actually made it to the post office?

And the post office conveniently upped the price of stamps that week and the stamps she had at home weren't sufficient postage?

And then she took a trip ACROSS the country to New Mexico to visit her mother and brought the package on the plane with her. Meaning to mail it in the airport, but had to check the bag it was in?

Once she arrived in New Mexico, she talked her mother into stopping at a post office to mail the package on their way to Santa Fe 4 1/2 hours away. But the line was unbelievably long and after waiting a few minutes in line decided to mail it from Santa Fe.

But was so busy sightseeing in Santa Fe, forgot to mail the package.

So she asked her mom to mail it for her knowing that when she returned home from her first trip without her husband OR children in like forever, she wouldn't get a chance to run to the Post Office.

Her mom called her the day after the holiday weekend to tell her that the grocery store had been out of stamps that day, but she'd go back tomorrow and then mail it.

So she left a message to YOU, the winner, telling you it would be arriving shortly.


And her mom called again today to tell you she went back to the store, then another store and finally to the post office. Both stores were out of stamps and the post office had the long line again. She sounded frustrated.

Finally she calls you later that night saying her local news announced that as the June 1st date approaches, the post offices are crowded with people attempting to get their passports they will need to go to MEXICO after June 1, 2009. You can SEE Mexico from your front yard. No wonder the line is so long.


Phew! Are you still with me?

If you answered yes, to the dilemma I've completely hypothetically stated, stop reading now.

But, for the love of God, come back tomorrow.

If you are still with me............

Here's the little summer flirty apron I hope will be mailed to MaryRC any day now.

Legal immigrants willing.

I hope the apron lives up to the hype.

It's got tiny ladybugs. Who can resist tiny ladybugs?

WFMW:No excuses Exercise

It's Wednesday and I've been MIA for too long.......

It's been an extremely busy time of year in Bahama Shores, but I decided to quickly share what has been Working for Me this Wednesday. Nothin' earth shattering, but here goes anyway.

I find the best way for me to conquer any problem I'm having is to work somewhat backwards. I try to figure out where my "road blocks" per se are. When I'm lucky, I can foresee them, other times they come through trial and error. And usually more trial and error.

This is how I mastered my age old dilemma of exercise:

ROAD BLOCK:

1. I don't have the time. Ummmm, we all have the same 24 hours. Use them wisely.
2. I let any little thing pop up and delay or cancel my scheduled workout. Get up an hour early. If all you would be doing is sleeping, nothing else should interfere.
3. I am not able to consistently hold myself accountable. Badger a friend until she relents and agrees to meet you at 6 am at the local park for a two mile walk with free gossip/counseling.....whichever is needed on that day.
4. I go full force in the beginning and then burn out. Let your friend pick the days that work for her. In my case, only 3 days. You can always work up to more.
5. I'm so tired in the morning I can't find my workout clothes, let alone brush my teeth. Or exercising. Put your clock across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Put your whole outfit -bra to shoes- in the bathroom the night before. Stumble to the bathroom, pee in the dark while attempting to dress (go slow here so your don't pee on your clothes ~lesson learned). Forgo brushing teeth or hair and laugh with friend over your frugal "mace". It's dark anyway. Soon she'll be following suit. And as far as being too tired to exercise: You'll have to trust me on this one.......I swear by the halfway point of the first lap, you will be wide awake chattering away like you're coming off a ten year vow of silence.

With your next challenging issue, try putting up all the road blocks you can and knocking them down one by one. It is so empowering.

To see what is working for other bloggers this Wednesday go see We Are THAT Family.

SPT: Something Blue ~ The Kids of the Shores

It's SPT Tuesday and the theme is something blue.

I present to you: The Kids of the Shores!


Here's Bunnyboo........



And boo bear............

And Chickiepoo.........

all of eyes of blue.

And then we have Bugaboo...........eyes of green

.......but wearing blue.

Go see whatever else may be blue @ Amuse-Bouche.

Saturday Yumminess: Mrs. Norris' Apple Pie

My friends from college, Billy and Sharon are visiting this weekend.

I get to see them at least once a year when they come down to visit.

Every time we are together this story gets told:

Billy was a minor league baseball player and their first year of marriage they were living in CT. I drove four hours to spend Easter with them. Billy had a game that day so Sharon and I decided to prep for the Easter meal (we had several other players and Billy's sister and BIL coming) before heading to the game. At 22 years of age, we thought we knew it ALL.

(I see you smiling and nodding your head.)

Among all the other prep, we peeled the potatoes and cubed them and decided we'd transform them into the yummmmmy mashed potatoes when we returned.

Ummm, we returned to BLUE potatoes.

We didn't know you had to cover them in water.

After a frantic phone call to Sharon's mother, she told us they were fine to eat. Well first she had to stop laughing, and then she assured us it was strictly aesthetic.


Those blue potatoes have never been forgotten. Nor repeated. But they were eaten. Billy's always been a good sport like that.

I did come away with a keeper recipe I use EVERY Thanksgiving.

Sharon's MIL's easy, peasy recipe for apple pie.

I've since dubbed it:

Mrs. Norris’ Apple Pie

Pie Crust
1 T. flour

1T. sugar
1 t.c cinnamon
Sliced apples

Crumb Topping:


1 stick butter
1 c. flour
¾ c. brown sugar

Add 1 T. flour to bottom of pie crust. Arrange sliced apples and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Crumb Topping:

Mix stick butter, flour and brown sugar by hand to form crumb topping.

Top pie.

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.


I apologize for the lack of picture to accompany this recipe.

Use your imagination.

Can you smell what the mama's been cookin'?

Giveaway Winner Announced!!

Winner

Winner

Chicken Dinner!

(photo from google images)









Mary RC has a new apron coming to her!!!

Mary RC the randomizer chose your number.........aren't you the lucky gal?

I'll be sending this apron off to you next week. I've sent you a message requesting your addy.


Are you disappointed you didn't win?


Keep visiting Bahama Shores Mama.


This giveaway was so fun, I'm looking around my house as to what else I can giveaway :)

It should be a summer of chicken dinners!

Sincerely 'Fro Me to You: Baby Fro

Who rocks the fro?

The baby rocks the fro!

Short and sweet today.........but go to The Glamorous Life Association and see who else is rockin the fro.

Don't forget:
*Click here to enter my blogversary giveaway*

~~It's been a year already!!~~

WFMW: Frugal Edition: Leftovers

One of my favorite dishes is leftovers.

You read that right.

Leftovers.

I can take any leftover and add crescent rolls and cheese and make a meal we all enjoy.

Even if the kids may not have liked it in it's original form, they'll enjoy it the secondtime around :)

Here are some combos that we enjoy:

~chicken, corn, grilled onions, cheese and bbq sauce.

~ham, brocolli, cheese and brown mustard.

~shrimp, asparagus, parmesan cheese and lemon butter.

~taco meat,salsa cheese and corn.

~pot roast and all the fixins'.

~spaghetti, mozz cheese, and extra sauce.

~hot and mild sausages, grilled peppers and onions, mozz cheese and creamy italian dressing.

Get the picture????

Just take any leftover, add cheese and roll it up in two cans of cresent rolls. Doesn't matter how you do it.

It will be fantastic!

(I meant to have a picture to accompany this post, but I've been stuck tending to flu victims ~ and we are hoping it stays as just plain, jane vanilla flu!)

Head over to We are THAT Family to see other frugal ideas this wednesday.

It's my one year blog anniversary today and I'm having a giveaway! Please go enter!