Wordless Wednesday

What I was greeted with this morning on my way to work

Watcha Doing Feb 10th?

If you happen to be wandering this part of the world on Feb 10th, come check out my Etsy team's Love: Boutique.

Lots of great homemade Etsy-ish gifts for you and your Valentine.

xoxo

January in California

We're enjoying some extra spectacular winter weather these days. Here's what my daughter did at school on Friday.

A Day Of Thanks

My thoughts for this Thanksgivng Day...

I have a lot to be thankful for. I live a blessed life. I have an abundance of so much and life, for me is easy. There are so many in this world where getting where getting through each day is a struggle to survive. I have clean water that runs from the tap. I don't have to walk miles to collect it. I don't have to worry about the cleanliness if bugs are lurking in it which might make me ill. I have food in my coffers. I don't worry where my next meal is coming from. I am not scrounging for food or have to line up to get what I am given. I can choose what I want. I have a closet full of clothes. There are many in there that have hung unworn for years. I have more right now then what some will have in a lifetime. I have a home. A roof, heat and most of all security. I don't worry about invasions, tribal wars or even bloodshed in my neighborhood. I have the freedom to say what I want without persecution. I have a voice. So many are silent.

This Thanksgiving, let's give thanks and mean it. There are so many in this world with so much less. So much less than what we have that it's hard to even imagine life in their shoes. I the grand scheme of things we live better than 90% of our fellow inhabitants on this planet, but we are all in this together. So when we get together with all our crazy and weird relatives and friends to stuff our faces, let's complain a little less. Let's take time to remember just how lucky we truly are.

Be well. Be gracious. Be thankful and be giving.

xoxo

And The Winner Is...

In Living Color Christmas Card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Girl Effect

If you haven't seen this, please watch it. And if you've watched it before, watch it again. It gives me goosebumps every. single. time. It's sad and hopeful at the same time. It makes me appreciate what I've been given and what I can offer my daughter.

I Heart Etsy

If you haven't discovered Etsy, go there now!

If you haven't discovered the wonderful Treasuries of Etsy, go there now!

If you want to check out a Treasury that includes yous truly, go here now!

It's Right Around the Corner

I'm determined to get things done early this year.

I've made my list.

I'm checking it twice.

I'm beyond ready.

Bring it on.

It.

You know, the holidays.

I checked my list this morning, and cards was the task du jour.

To back track, this past year I started using Shutterfly. I know I'm a little late to the party, but was I using some other photo site and honestly I was always a little jealous of the Shutterfly users. Shutterfly always seemed to have the cuter card designs, their interface was easier and it just seemed like "those" people were having a lot more fun than I was over at my old fuddy duddy site. So, I abandoned ship and I became one of "those" people. And now I'm one of the cool kids.

So anyhoo, off I went card shopping and there're so many choices, Holiday or Christmas? Flat? Folded? Single photo? Multiple photos? And the choices...so many really cute designs.

Love this, this, this, and so many more. Really... so many more, I don't know what to do with myself.

Whatcha doing this year for cards?

If you're a fellow blogger, check out this deal... 50 free cards!

Thanks Shutterfly...

Not at My Best

It's been one of those mornings.

I yelled.

She cried.

My heart broke.

She's probably (hopefully) singing happy songs, playing with her friends at school.

I'm still reeling.

Drying the fallen tears.

Ashamed.

Time for a deep breath.

Time to realize I am human.

Will I ever forget the fear in her eyes? Part of me wishes I will, because that should never have happened. Part of me wishes I won't so I won't let it happen again.

Hug your kids tight.

I will hold mine tighter for sure.

Shameless Self Promotion

If you have a few moments, go check out some of the new reusable snack and sandwich bag prints I recently made up and posted in my etsy shop.

There’s Bight Owls, one of my favorites, pink, orange and yellow owls and oh so super cute.

There’s the surfboard print for all those surfers and beach goers. Since I live on the coast, this one seemed quite appropriate for me.

Another new print is Peace. Peace signs, flowers, groovy-ness. Perfect for the neo-hippie of today.

And on a more sophisticated note, there’s this Bold Flower design. I love the simplicity of it.

Remember these make great gifts for anyone who you need to send presents to. In fact, if you buy them now, I’ll be happy to ship them, for free. We can even arrange for me to send it closer to the holidays if you want.

Product Testers Needed

I’m developing a new product and need your help. Anyone out there interesting in testing it for me?

I’ll send you a sample, you need to use it and then give me feedback. Honest feedback. The good, the bad, the ugly and the very pretty. The user of this product will be a person who buys produce, either from the market or a farmers market. And of course you get to keep the product. If you like it, great! If you don't, maybe you can use it as a white elephant gift at the office party.

It’s nothing fancy. It’s a simple thing, but sometimes those are the best ideas.

If you’re interested, email me at girlsundaydesign@gmail.com and we’ll chat.

Have a great weekend everyone…boo!

Mircowaveless

So after waiting 3 and a half of my 4 hours, he showed up. 5 minutes later, he declared the microwave dead. Duh.

Yes, we’re getting it fixed. Thank goodness we had a warranty, because if we didn’t I’m not sure I would fork out the $400+ in parts and another $100 or so in labor to get it fixed. Gulp. I probably would have bought one of those cheap counter microwaves for a fraction of the price and called it good.

I can say that life without a that little heating machine has been a bit of a struggle. For the most part, I cook meals. I don’t open boxes and call those meals, but I do use the micro for a lot of things. I heat up leftovers, there’s the microwave popcorn, there’s the warm maple syrup for pancakes on the weekend. There’s a lot of things. A lot more things than I remember using it for, and in another week and a half and I’ll be ready to go.

In another week in a half I’ll be waiting around, again, for the repair guy. He’s given me another 4 hour window. But this time when he leaves, I hope he declares the microwave, alive.

Try not using your microwave for a day and see how it is. Are you all as addicted to it as me?

Waiting For The Repair Guy

It happened on Saturday morning. It stopped working. Augh.

I never realized how much we use our microwave. It’s been back to heating things up in a skillet, planning more in advance and realizing that dinner really shouldn’t come out of a box anyway.

The repair guy is scheduled sometime between 1pm and 5pm, which is another pet peeve of mine. Why is it that they need a 4 hour window? And why is it in this age of modern technology they can’t give me a call when they are on their way to my house? You know how much rearranging of my schedule I had to do to make sure I am home? Come on folks, get with it! Arm your service guys with phones so they can call on their way so we can get home to look pretty and answer the door. We’re busy. We have things to do. We have kids to pick up, kids to drop off, dance lessons, soccer practice, groceries to buy, errands to run. We can’t just dilly dally at your convenience and wait for you.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell my boss I’ll be coming into work sometime between 9am and 1pm. You think that would fly?

A Giveaway!

Hey everyone, head on over here to win one of my, GirlSunday Designs, handy dandy sandwich and snack bags, sewn by yours truly.

Really, they are pretty cool little things. I use mine all the time. In Pixie’s lunches, I put cheese, crackers, pretzels, apples, and pretty much anything that isn’t a really wet food in it. I use the bigger size for her sandwiches. I first wrap her sandwich in her napkin and then put it in the bag. I also have one of the sandwich sized bags in my purse for a little “ouch pouch.” It has band aids, aspirin, eye drops, chap stick, a little bottle of sun screen etc… It’s great to have on hand to easily transfer from one bag to the other with all the in case of emergency things.

Really, the uses are endless. And probably the best thing, other than it being made by me, is that they are totally washable. I wipe mine out during the week and then on Friday, I toss them in the washer and dryer. All clean and ready to go for the next week.

Oh, and can I tell you the kids love them. They love the different patterns and it’s just something a little fun in their lunches.

So, back to the point of this post. Let’s help make Ashley’s first, yes that’s right I’m her first, give away a success. Go HERE now!

It's What She Wants to Be

costume fitting

Halloween 2010

You Never Know

I promise this blog isn't going to turn into a things my daughter says, but lately she's just been lobbing me gems.

Today's gem is "everyday is a little bit of a mystery."

Really? What going on in that 4 year old brain.

It made me realize no matter how much I love to plan and how may to-do lists I may have, and trust me, I have plenty, every day brings surprises. Everyday the unknown can and will happen. My lesson in this is, the much overstated and way underused, just to go with the flow.

But that whole going with the flow thing... it's just so damn hard for me.

That's My Girl

I guess I must be doing something right.

I overheard Pixie saying to her dad:

"They're homemade! Don't you just love homemade things?"

Of course she was talking about chocolate chip cookies and it's not humanly possible not to love warm, fresh out-of-the-oven cookie and some milk. But still, just hearing the "Don't you just love homemade things," made my heart swell.

That's my girl.

Here's the recipe I use. It's pretty much the standard recipe, nothing fancy, but delish, none the less.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks of butter
1C tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 bag o' chocolate chips

Mix butter and sugars together until fluffy. Mix in eggs until well beaten. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Mix in vanilla. Add in chips and mix well.

Plop tablespoon size balls onto your cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes.

Heaven.

Looking for an Explanation

Why do people talk on their cell phones while they are going to the bathroom? Especially a public restroom? Will someone please explain?

I am completely dumbfounded, appalled and grossed out.

Postcards From Around the World

This may just be the dork in me, but how cool is this?

I'm on my way to sign up and, to me, it just confirms my belief that all of us in the world are connected. It's a smaller world than we think.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

Pixie's Self Portrait

Her first.

She's 4 years old.

I may have to keep and frame this one.