Party Planning

I like planning things.
I enjoy doing research, drawing out my ideas and making lists.
Lots of lists.
I can't help myself!

Making those grand plans come to fruition.....now that's something that I have to work on.
I've gotten a teensy bit better about that.
I guess it comes down to keeping it simple and focusing on a few key details.

My Dad's 6oth birthday is around the corner and I'm pulling things together for a party.
Of course, I have some great people around me lending a helping hand...or three!

What am I focusing on?

*Food
*Ambiance
*Personal Touches

The food will be homemade things that Dad asked for...chicken salad, my pasta salad, etc. He picked out a cake from a local bakery that will be so, so yummy.

Fall colors and touches will be a big part of the ambiance. I'm going to try my hand at painting his initials in a cool script on a pumpkin. A smaller pumpkin will be used as a "vase" for some flowers straight from a loved one's garden. A pot of sliced apples and oranges simmering in some clove and cinnamon spiced water on the stove will help everything smell fabulous.

The personal touches will mostly center around a display of photos of my Dad over the years. My handy digital photo frame will be a big part of that. I'll be raiding Dad's house for a few more...including one of my Mom that he specifically requested.


So there you have it.
My idea of party planning.

I'm so excited!

Sweet Shot Tuesday

Saturday evening, with a little help from the Bubs, I made carrot cake cupcakes. A little something sweet for us to go with our other game-day fare on Sunday. I thought that the cupcakes were lookin' pretty good with the Zip-Loc bag piped frosting....and then the Bubs asked, "Mom, what're you gonna put on top?"



He asked a good question. He gave a great suggestion...pecans! Fortunately, I'd just made some brown sugar-glazed pecans to top our salad the next day.

Yes, my boy, you can help me in the kitchen any ol' time!

Click the button for more Sweet Shots over at Life with My 3 Boybarians...

Self evaluation and truth...

Self evaluation.

Two words that make me wince.

There's just no way to pretty that phrase up, is there?

I had a big dose of it recently. That, m'dears, wasn't pretty...tears flowed aplenty and ugly parts of my heart were ruthlessly bared to be poked with a rather large stick.

The stick was called Truth.

As painful as the experience was, I'm better for it.

Misunderstandings were cleared up, insecurities were tossed aside and weights were lifted.

Did I face this dose of ruthless truth bravely?

No way, Honey!

I needed it, though.

Truly.



Feel free to visit my other blog, Anna K. Originals!

Not just another Monday...

September 20th.

Not just another day for our family.

Today would have been my Momma's birthday.

So, if your mom is still living....

Give her a hug,

tell her how much she means to you,

or even send her a card.

Something.

'Cause I may not have been able to say good-bye to my Momma,

but I did get to tell her I loved her and that she was a blessing to me.

That, m'dears, is a precious, precious thing.

18 months

Our E-man.

There he is.

A little blurry from being in near constant motion with food bits around that sweet smile.

Very shortly he will be 18 months old.

Wow.

Right now his favorite activities are climbing, exploring and running around after his big bro'. The climbing and exploring have given his daddy and me some hair raising moments while the sounds of good-natured shouting and laughter as he and the Bubs play keep smiles on our faces.

Yo Gabba Gabba and any music with a beat keep him shimmying and shakin'. It's so stinkin' cute!

He jabbers away in a language that only he can completely understand but we all "uh-huh" and "oh, tell me about it" as if we're all having a conversation with him. He loves that.

His favorite item, by far, is his "binky". His binky is a blue, cable-knit baby blanket that I bought extremely reduced at a local Ross store before he was born. It's very soft and we have to sneak it away from him to throw it in the wash.

His newest skill is, by far, our favorite. He's learned to give hugs.

Oh, how those hugs smooth out the rough edges of our days!

Just one of the guys?

I'm surrounded by boys.

I'm the lone lady in a sea of guy-ness.

Talk of football and rude body sounds doesn't phase me. In fact, I've been known to join in!

I have my own XBox Live account and play video games when the mood strikes...and the baby's asleep.

Totally dig watching the Steelers play on our flat screen in the bedroom.

Yep. One of the guys..............................

Um, I think I need some girl time!

School year started with a sniffle...

Well, the Bubs officially has the beginning-of-the-school-year creepin' crud. Poor kid.

The sniffles started this weekend and laid him low today. He and the couch shared some quality time...as did his handy box of tissues.

What did I do?

I fought the good fight against those creepin' crud bugs. Lysol spray and sanitizer were my main weapons of choice. The aim is to keep the little guy from getting the crud, too.

Even my dad, an elementary ed. teacher, has mentioned that he was going to take extra precautions with his students to keep them as healthy as possible. Frequent hand washings was top on the list.

I trust that you all had a fabulous and safe Labor Day weekend...looking forward to reading all about it when I visit your blogs!

**And here's my shameless plug~ Have you visited my new site, yet?**

Linking up

Check it out...a new post over at Anna K. Originals!

Thanks so much to the peeps who have been stopping by and gracing me with such beautiful comments! I'm blessed.

Random Randomness....A List

• I'm ready for cooler weather. Seriously.
• Praying that Hurricane Earl (and all his stormy siblings out at sea) makes little to no impact.
• Amazed that my 17 m.o. is now climbing up on everything in sight. Eek!
  
• Had a quiet moment with the Bubs this evening. We crashed in his bed and each read our own books. He read Thomas and the Great Discovery while I read a J.D. Robb book, Fantasy in Death. Those moments together are golden.
• Where did August go?
• Just caught up on a whole lotta blog reading. Y'all continually amaze me! So much talent, such giving hearts. Blessings to you!