{Random} OBX

Ohhh, OBX. I just adore you. My family has been vacationing in Corolla, North Carolina for a week in the summer since I was in high school. The vacation has grown to include my mom's two brothers and their families as well. When all three families are there, we're talking around 40 plus people. Nothing better.

We were fortunate this year to have amazing weather during the last week of August, which is prime time for hurricanes to sweep up the east coast and wreck major havoc. Every single day was gorgeous complete with blue skies and brillant sunshine.


This is one of my favorite pics of my little man on vaca this year. He doesn't stay still for very long and rarely will look at the camera and smile on cue, so it was absolutely wonderful to have an opportunity where he was smiling and stationary for a minute to snap his sweet face. Plus, it captures what summer vacations are all about -- sun, sand, and carefree fun.


Our family attempted family pics on the beach again this year. We were missing three family members so there were some holes :-{ My brother and wife were unable to be there and my sister's hubby as well. We still had fun taking the pics, but it's not quite the same when some of your peeps are missing.


My sister snapped this pic of me at 28 weeks pregnant with baby #2. Other than being a little tired from chasing after my on-the-move 2 1/2 year old, I'm feeling really good and having another great pregnancy. Blessed!


Some of the vacation highlights included:

- Ghost crab hunting with the kids {pic above}. They were sooo cute & excited!
- Family pics on the beach
- Pool pizza party with the entire clan
- Beautiful beach days with cousins
- Family dinners
- Nap time {which meant a few hours of relaxation for us adults ;-}

**Back to REALITY on Tuesday. It doesn't seem quite so overwhelming this year because I'm only working until the first week of November. Then I'm off until the following September to be home with my little boy and new baby boy/girl!
**ENJOY your Labor Day weekend!

{Random} Life at the Shore...

My little family has been on overload for the last month. In addition to finding out that we are expecting our second little sweetie this fall {!!!!}, my husband has been traveling a ton for his job, and his free time on weekends has been completely consumed with the renovation of our little shore house in North Wildwood. Phew -- it's been a tad overwhelming to say the least...

You can see from the above pics that the "Pink House" is in desperate need of a major re-do. We love spending our weekends here with my hubby's family in the summer, but ever since we had Dean two years ago, we haven't even been staying in the Pink House b/c it's just not that comfortable and/or safe with a little one {we stay in Bo's parent's house next door}.

I think everyone finally had had enough of it and decided to bite the bullet. Last fall the process started. It's been a slow process because my husband, his father, and brother-in-law are doing all the work themselves. The house sits at the end of a looooong boardwalk, so you can imagine how much time is spent just hauling all the debris and trash up the boardwalk to the dumpster and then back down the boardwalk with the new materials. Then all the work to actually build the house back up again has to take place. UGH...I'm exhausted even thinking about it! It'll be so worth the trouble when the house is completely finished but right now....it kinda stinks!

Here is a progress pic from a few days ago: still lots and lots to do but the guys are definitely making some good progress. The whole front of the house has been ripped off and framed, and the new roof is also beginning to be framed {my hubby said as of yesterday afternoon the entire old roof is gone and the new frames are up!}. The county laws only allow for the new house to be as big as the existing footprint, so unfortunately, we can't make it bigger or put on a second floor, but we are squeezing in a little loft area for when our babies get a little older...they will have fun sleeping up there. The guys are tearing down parts of the house at a time, rebuilding, and then moving on to the next area. My father-in-law drew all the plans, and he's been very creative at making the best use of the space. The inside layout has changed completely, and it's going to be so much more conducive to life at the shore with a family.

My in-laws house is next door and was renovated about ten years ago. Grassy is the most peaceful little place ever in the summer. The homes are not big & fancy, but the location is prime...private, situated right on bay, boat slips right off our deck, a ten minute boat ride to and from Champagne Island, a great view, and the BEST ocean breeze you could ever imagine. Even on the hottest of summer days, air conditioning is rarely needed because of the air we get. Although the new house won't be ready for this summer, I CANNOT wait for my son {and future babe} to spend their summer days there. We are so thankful to have this little peace of heaven as a summer escape!

**I hope all my mommy friends & family had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day. Although my hubby was working on the shore house all weekend {definitely not ideal}, he was so sweet to make me dinner on Saturday night when he returned home. We put the baby to bed and then relaxed on the couch with salmon, baked potatoes and roasted asparagus....strawberry shortcake for dessert. And I'm thrilled to have also gotten a gift certificate to get a mani/pedi {my favorite form of relaxation!} from my boys. I'm a lucky girl!

**Just started the LAST graduate class I will ever have to take {one week down, six more to go}. The end is so near I can taste it, and I will be forever finished just in time for summer vaca! YYYYAAAAYYYY!!!!

{Random} Hello Monday

...but I don't wanna! Ahhh....Monday mornings. They're tough {especially when you leave your coffee mug sitting on the kitchen counter and don't realize it until you're pulling into the parking lot at work...GRRRR}. Definitely not happy about that, but I have LOTS of other things to be happy about on this sunshiney Monday morning :-}

**Make it a great day or not, the choice is YOURS.
**Pic source here.

{Random} Holiday House Tour

Good Morning! Our little, old home is going to be on the Holiday House Tour sponsored by The Little Red School House this year. If you are a local girl {or guy -- GARY ;-} and aren't busy next Friday night, then stop on by and visit us!

House tours are one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season. Not only do I love seeing different style homes and decor, but the holiday decorations are pretty to look at and put me in the Christmas spirit.

We are finishing up a few house projects that we had been putting off {pics soon}. The tour has actually been that kick in the rear that we needed to get stuff done around here!

Hope to see you there!

Holiday House Tour
East Greenwich, NJ
Friday, December 9, 2011
4-8pm
$10 per ticket
**Tickets sold at The Little Red School House, Haines Pork Shop & Affinity Furniture

{Random} Weekend Loveliness

So glad you finally decided to make an appearance this weekend, FALL. I've been waiting very patiently for you ;-} Muggies out, a breath of fresh air in....ahhhh.

We enjoyed the cooler weather and sunshine at our friends' Cottage by the Sea party. This couple is very special to my husband and I as they were responsible for introducing us almost seven years ago {and the rest is history ;-}


They rent one of the most gorgeous shore homes I've ever seen and were kind enough to share it with their friends & family for an afternoon of food & fun. Situated on a semi-private beach in Strathmere, Dean had a blast running from one end to the other {and getting soaked and sandy in the process -- ahh, boys ;-}

Weekends -- don't you just cherish them? Family time, relaxation time, etc, etc, etc!

**Have a great week!

{R. Dean} Veggie Lover

My boy LOVES his daddy's vegetable garden. Every time my husband heads out back to check for ripe veggies, his little sidekick wants to tag along. Dean is even starting to say the word garden {picture a very garbled version of this word -- it's actually more like gar -- haha}.


The veggies always come to the kitchen with little nibbles taken out of them. It makes me laugh! Yesterday, my honey was loving the peppers and taking whole bites out of the one he picked.


Because the weather was so nice yesterday, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots of my veggie loving baby.


My husband recently acquired Bessie, the old, beat-up, white pick-up truck that his dad had for years and years and years. She's not much to look at but comes in very handy when Bo has something big to move. AND she actually made for a really cute backdrop for some pictures.


I love this sweet face...


...and those chubby little toes.


Funny, old man face ;-}


Quick detour over to the sunflowers.

**Hope you enjoyed!
**Prepping for Girls' Night today. Full post and pics COMING SOON!

{Random} The little Things...

...like the car ride down to the shore this weekend {picture it :: baby snoozing, doggie calm, husband & wife having a good chat}
...or the chocolate & vanilla twist in a cup with rainbow sprinkles from Dairy Queen on Saturday night {my fav}
...or enjoying the tremendous riches that God has blessed us with {like our health, freedom, the love of our families, our child, etc}
...or the homemade pizzas made by my wonderful SIL we enjoyed with my husband's family on Friday night
...or escaping for an afternoon boatride & a dinner date with my hubby this weekend {how we managed to escape TWO times ALONE this weekend is beyond me}
...or snugging up my baby boy as we cruised by boat to our favorite place for some sun & sand {Champagne Island}
...or taking a dip and it being so hot that I actually dove all the way under the water {and got my hair wet!} and tasted the saltiness on my lips {and was reminded of my days on the beach as a girl with my sister & cousin and how we would ride the waves and laugh our silly heads off for hours at a time}
...or watching our Beagle hound run like a wildwoman all over the island chasing birds until her heart's desire {Bo & I joke she will definitely die a happy {& lucky} doggie one day}
...or the sheer delight on my little one's face from watching something as simple as a bubble land on his arm
...or etc, etc, etc.
...these are the things that I have been enjoying & cherishing...the little things...

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**If you are ever in Wildwood and hungry, be sure to try our favorite little spot for dinner & drinks -- Dogtooth Bar & Grill. Great food! The mussels app -- OMG!
**I left my camera home this weekend {accidentally}, but it was so nice to just enjoy the weekend without snapping a million pics {pleasantly surprised}!
**Looking forward to a little relief from this HEAT this week!

{Decorating} July 4

I recently added a few more simple Independence Day touches to my home. The best part? It cost me $4 total. Yup. How? Target dollar bins.

I love the traditional look of American flags, so I was thrilled when I found some at Target so reasonably priced. I bought two packs of small flags {3 per pack at $1/pack} and one pack of medium sized flags {2 flags per pack at $2}. I put the smaller ones in a small glass bottle and placed on top of my cake plates {I have another bottle with flags sitting on windowsill above my kitchen sink.

The larger ones decorate my twig tree and one of my flower baskets on my front porch.

The picture I have leaning against my mirror on the buffet is something I found in my basement. I bought it years ago when I was renting my first apartment {Target}. I thought it looked cute and festive for the 4th.

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In other news....someone discovered Mommy's iced tea and LOVES it. Not good...especially since it contains caffeine and is an "adult" drink AND it kept someone up half the night ;-/

**Hope you had fun celebrating all the wonderful dads in your life!

{DIY} Yarn Wreath

What a weekend -- we were here, we were there, we were everywhere. Somehow I managed to squeeze in a little craft time and tried my hand at making a wreath. I choose a heathered gray yarn and made two little rosettes out of some fabric I gathered along the way. Lastly, I added some black & white polka dot fabric that I folded, ironed and tied to resemble ribbon.


Okay, okay -- I know they aren't the greatest looking rosettes, but I'm going easy on myself since this was my very first attempt at making them.

**It was majorly time-consuming wrapping that yarn around the wreath form...grrr.
**I burnt my finger with hot glue about 9 times before I finally finished making the rosettes -- OUCH!
**Now that it's all said and done, I'm loving the look of my new wreath on the door leading from my kitchen into my mudroom. All in all, well worth the time!

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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND...

From a major house project {pics soon}, to a farmer's market trip, to hosting a little Mexican feast for the 'rents, to an amazing message at Joy Fellowship {that I so desperately needed to hear}, to a backyard bbq at our friends' home, to a trip to the swim club for the first time, to a Memorial Day family dinner...well, let's just say we had a busy weekend over here in NJ! While busy, I'm very, very thankful to have had three days to spend with my favorite people. I even managed to snap a few pics ;-}

Someone's having loads of fun at a backyard bbq...


...and couldn't get enough of all the big boy bikes that he very quickly learned to control -- YIKES!


Ginger was about the only one that relaxed all weekend {and Bo for a little cat nap while our sweetie pie snoozed upstairs}. Get a load of this dog -- seriously?!?! She thinks she's a human ;-}


A chlorine cocktail to kickoff summer never hurt anyone...


...neither did a little sandal & diaper swim in the pool at Mommom & Pop's house.


That is until the diappy got so huge from swelling with water that someone couldn't take it anymore...


...so he said the heck with it and gave everyone a show before ending the night with...


...a little, sweet corn on the cobby -- Mmmmmm ;-}

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED YOUR WEEKEND!

{Random} It's All in the Details...

I have always been detail-oriented and somewhat of a perfectionist {I'm not trying to boast -- I consider this one of my character flaws -- seriously!}. I'm not just talking in the more recent years -- I'm talking about even when I was very little. My mom has plenty of stories ;-}

Fast forward to this past weekend :: I was flipping through the newest PB catolog and noticed the smallest little detail on one of the pages. Do you see the fabric sample pinned to fabric board {top sample in the row on the left. It's also the same fabric as the bolt on the desk -- the one in the middle}? Well, it's the same fabric I recently used to cover the cushion for the storage bench in my family room!


You know you're a little too detail obsessed when you notice these crazy, little things ;-}

**I found those adorable ruffle pillows at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago -- they pick up the turquoise in the fabric and totally didn't break the bank. LOVE when that happens!
**Lots of summer house projects planned -- can't wait to share!

{Random} Class of 2011

I have loved Bakerella's little candy cup graduation caps since I first laid eyes on them a while back but just didn't have an occasion to make them. That is until this past Sunday ;-} I graduated with my master's degree in school counseling from Wilmington University!!!!!!


I wanted to use the caps as favors for our parents who were all coming to my graduation and joining us for a celebration dinner after the ceremony. So, I made favor tags to attach to each. They matched the graduation invitation I made and sent out a few weeks before {Subway Art Style}.


Because I had to transport these little guys, I wrapped each in a clear cellophane bag, tied with ribbon and attached the little tag.

Wilmington's colors are green and white, which explains why you're seeing a lot of it in this post...


The only thing I forgot was the little colored chip for the top of the cap -- oh well -- they served their purpose regardless and everyone loved them. Such a cute addition to any dessert table or graduation party!


Just a few quick pics from my graduation :: Exiting the stage with diploma in hand!


Trying to find my family in a sea of green and white {they could see me apparantly as my father-in-law snapped this pic unbeknowst to me!}.


Family pic -- Dean was not exactly cooperating so this was the best one we got -- ha!


Wannabe graduate ;-}


We had dinner at the Iron Hill Brewery, which we were able to walk to from the location of the ceremony {Chase Center}. This was a really cool brewery, served yummy food, and was right on the river -- will definitely be going back again!

**I took the day off yesterday to decompress a little, run a few errands, and hang out with my little mister. Ahhh, so nice and a preview of the summer fun and relaxation coming my way in about a month -- thank goodness!!!!

{Random} Transition

I was completely and totally shocked on Mother's Day morning when I opened a brand new Apple MacBook Pro {a gift from Dean *wink*}. Floored is more like it -- I was NOT expecting that AT ALL. I'm pretty sure it's a combo Mother's Day/graduation gift {and maybe birthday too ;-} In any case, please bear with me as I transition. I've been a PC user all my life, so it's going to take me some time to learn the "Mac" ropes, which means I may not be able to make my daily posts {sure gonna try though}! Thanks in advance for your understanding!

**I am LOVING THIS WEATHER and completely and totally soaking in every second of its sunshiney sweetness with walks, trips to the park with Dean and his cousins/friends, playing in the backyard, wide open windows, etc. ARE YOU?!

{Random} SPRING!

This might sound crazy to some, but I honestly don't mind rain showers in the spring because it makes the grass looks amazingly green and the gives the flowers a nice drink, so that they look beautiful and vibrant when they bloom.

Last fall, my hubby planted all kinds of bulbs in our flower beds in the front and side of our home. I LOVE how I am greeted by these cheery colors everytime I walk out my front door. Lots of red and yellow tulips and...


...even a combo of the two...


And then there's our daffodils....they remind me of the sun, which immediately puts a smile on my face :-]


I decided I needed to "springify" my front porch too, so I added some brightly colored striped pillows for the spring and summer.

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Speaking of spring, my boys and I took a mini-trip to Baltimore this past weekend and boy did I need it. Thankfully we were able to push our trip back one day since it rained cats & dogs on Saturday {and most likely we'd have been stuck inside our hotel room}. I've been feeling especially crabby lately and needed a refresher, a chance to not think about anything except my family, and just ENJOY myself. And that is just what I did :-]


My family taking in a beautiful spring afternoon in the Inner Harbor. Can you see the ship in the background? It's called the U.S.S Constellation.

Rewind almost four years...


...my hubby and I had just gotten engaged on that ship -- I think we were both still in shock in this picture!


Still reminiscing...we also took a stroll around the Power Plant and stopped by Howl at the Moon to snap a quick photo of the writing on the door since the restaurant was closed.


May 2007 -- Bo and I celebrated at Howl at the Moon the night we got engaged. We look so....young. And tan. And thin. And well rested. GEEZ -- what a difference a few years {and a baby!} makes!

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend. And I'm feeling ready to tackle the next two days at work with a positive attitude and then relax and enjoy spring break and Easter. Here's to a short week!