Santa Has Been Informed...

...this is tops on my wish list, in a major way.

Just what I need for my rides home from school with Maya! (Oh, and Santa, if you're reading...I think my bike is in need of a tune-up...)

What Santa has not been informed of: what to get my big kids this year. Who knew that ages 7 and (almost) 5 would be such a puzzler. Help me, if you can! What are the must-haves?

Christmas Cards = My Favorite

Christmas cards are my favorite. Love to send 'em. Love to receive 'em. Love to sit & read thru 'em. Love to put them on my fridge to admire throughout the season. Love to hold on to 'em from year to year and look back at them. {Side note: I never sent out a "change of address" to my friends & family after we moved this year & now I'm worried that my Christmas cards won't make their way to me. Let's just say that the postal forwarding has NOT been very effective. Anyway...I digress...}

True story: the cutest cards to "make the fridge" ever year, if you will, usually come from Shutterfly. The designs are adorable and the quality of the card-stock is awesome. So this year, we decided to step up our game a tiny bit and we added some Shutterfly cards into the Christmas budget. Shutterfly has some seriously cute Christmas card designs this year and I love that the insides are customizable a million (okay, many) different ways. So instead of my usual long-winded blow-by-blow letter, I'm going to attempt to be concise (now that would be a first...). Instead, I'll fill the card with more pictures, because that's also an option. Here are a few of the folded cards I'm considering this year...

Cute, right? If flat cards are more your thing, they have some super cute designs, as well as the ever-affordable photo cards (also totally cute). While I'm there, I'll be making 2011 calendars for my parents & in-laws (shh, don't tell!). They're always a great gift for parents...at least I know that my Dad was annoyed with me last year when I missed the boat & didn't get them made for Christmas...

Aaaand...if you need my address for any reason (wink wink), send me a message! I may have moved this year...

What the What...I Wore Wednesday...

...backwards. Because I uploaded the pictures in reverse order and I'm too lazy to change them. Plus, I super hate a couple of this week's outfits, but this one is my favorite. I might wear this again next week. Or maybe even tomorrow. We shall see. But the others...are not great. And I wore almost the exact same thing almost every day. And didn't even realize it. Oh well. (Linking up with the Pleated Poppy, of course.)

Tuesday - Class parties & errands: tee, sweater & shoes, Old Navy; belt, Target; skirt...well, this is embarrassing...but...Gymboree. It was (embarrassingly) half of a mother/daughter duo when Maya was a baby. Yes, really. I promise that I haven't done that since, but it's a super cute, albeit wrinkle-y, skirt.

Monday - Meeting & grocery shopping, etc.: Oh my. I didn't go out like that, did I? I was trying to copy a cute outfit on a cute Mama I saw at the grocery store last week, and it did NOT work. A long-sleeved shirt and more thigh-flattering jeans would have helped. At any rate...tee, Old Navy; vest & boots, Kohl's; jeans, Gap.

Sunday - church: two cringers in a row. Yikes. Not happy with how this looks. I thought I loved that skirt, but maybe it just doesn't work with boots. Tee & sweater, Target; skirt, Crafty Couture (at Dillards); boots, Kohl's.

Saturday - hangin' with the kiddos, library, errands, etc.: tank, Target; sweater, Old Navy; jeans, Gap; boots, Ugg. This I like, although it was like 75 degrees that day and I was stubbornly sweating it out.

Friday - lunch with friends - Hmm, almost the exact same outfit as Saturday, switching one yellow Target top for another & one pair of brown boots for another. Goodness.

Thursday - volunteering @ the school, baby shower: Yet another sweater & boots combo...Sweater; JC Penney, I think? And the rest is same ol' same 'ol...

Wednesday - study group, Lucy's well check, errands: aaand another outfit I'm not liking. I keep trying & trying with this Liberty of London for Target top, but it's just not working. Sweater, Old Navy; jeans, Gap; belt & shoes, Target.

Well, better luck next week, I guess. No worries, I'll be wearing my Thanksgiving pants for the next few days, baby. I'm ready to eat! And maybe a little clothes shopping, if I'm lucky!

It's Girlie

I have to say, I'm pretty big on on the lacy & feminine-ish details I'm seeing out & around. Pretty, pretty! I'd like to add a lacy skirt to my closet. I think this one is my favorite, but Downeast has a bunch of cute & cheap options...

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I Heart The Very Hungry Caterpillar

...and this party is absolutely perfect.

{Via Party Perfect.}

What I Wore...Wednesday (?!)

True story: I did not realize it was Wednesday until I saw WIWW posts popping up in my reader. I thought it was Tuesday. I never know what day it is. And especially, I never know what date it is. Oh well.

A few WIWW thoughts:

• Yes, I know this is super self-indulgent fun. Maybe not fun for you, but fun for me and it's my blog. :)
• My mirror! Is supremely dirty! No, I really haven't cleaned it yet. Maybe this week?!
• These pictures vary from slightly out of focus to obscenely out of focus. I'm sorry about that. Please bear with me. I will try to do better.
• I always knew my wardrobe was primarily Target-based, but I never realized how much Old Navy I've got in my closet. I wouldn't have even said that I particularly like Old Navy. But I guess there's a big difference between "like" and "can afford". (Otherwise my entire wardrobe would be from Anthropologie. Which would be awesome.)
• Texas weather is WAY bipolar!

On to the outfits!

Wednesday: Stuff stuff stuff - top, Mexican imports store in Port Aransas, TX; jeans, Gap; moccs, local

Thursday: Errands, play date, church activity - top, BCBG; sweater & jeans, Target; shoes, Old Navy

Friday: The usual errands, etc. - top, Forever 21; jeans, Gap; shoes, Target

Saturday: Church meeting, dinner out with hubs - tee, Old Navy; dress, Fossil; infamous yellow sweater, Sears; shoes (these should be infamous too, apparently), Target

Sunday: Church - top & skirt, Nordstrom; boots, Payless

Monday: Meeting, lunch with friends, errands, etc. - top, Target; infamous yellow sweater (it's really showing off this week!) Sears; jeans, Gap; shoes, Target

Tuesday: Out & about, per usual - shirt & sweater, Old Navy; jeans, Gap; boots, Ugg

I Need To Learn To Embroider...

...so I can create hi-larious items such as these. For myself. And my friends. WhatParty has some hardy har har LOL-ish items (although some with...ahem...language). Such as:

this...

...and this, which could really get me thru the day, some days...

Funny stuff.

Making Me Smile Today

Maya brought home a biiiig stack of papers yesterday. These 2 in particular made me smile...

"Wehn I am an adult I want to be a mom!"
(Note the 4 girls, including twin freckle-faced toddlers dressed in matching purple. That girl will be an awesome Mom!)

"I appreciate when my mom lets me and my brothers play out side."
(All the motivation I needed to head out this afternoon for some play time...)

Dr. Anthro

I always look forward to getting my Anthropologie catalog in the mail. Pretty things, artistically presented, what's not to love? But the November catalog fa-reaked me out! Cat people, pig people, clowns-a-plenty. Sheep in boots. Poodles at the dinner table. Pigs in scarves. But the kicker is the alpaca sporting necklaces. Yeah, too weird. Reminded me of any given episode of Doctor Who (which, incidentally, I happen to love...hmmm...) and I couldn't get it out of my house fast enough.

Still, I want this sweater...

(Probably because it was modeled by a human being, not a cat person.)

What I Wore Wednesday (3)

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy for more self-indulgent outfit fun! :)

After putting together last week's post, I noticed that I had (gasp!) "gotten dressed" every single day...and promptly took the day off, resulting in this keeping it real outfit:

Wednesday: (Mostly) stay @ home day in the rain - hmm, nobody cares where I bought this, right?

The only redeeming quality was my awesome Adidas, which definitely do not get enough wear around here...

Thursday: Out & about for errands & such - tank, Old Navy; top, Wal Mart (!); belt, Target; jeans, Gap; Boots, Ugg.

Friday - Road trippin' to Dallas: Yellow striped tee, Old Navy; Snoopy sweatshirt, Forever 21; jeans, Gap; boots, Ugg.

Saturday: Walking for Autism Speaks - More of the same...long-sleeved shirt from Old Navy
Sunday: Heading home - even more of the same, minus the shower...not pictured, mercifully! :)

Monday: Birthday fun!!! - top, Target; sweater, Kohl's; jeans, Gap; boots, Kohl's.

Tuesday: Meetings, running around - birthday necklace, Nest Pretty Things (Etsy); top, Forever 21; sweater, skirt, yellow shoes, belt, Target.

Sew Cute

One should probably be a little more handy with a sewing machine before she deserves one of Cath Kidston's adorable sewing baskets. But maybe just having one of these handy would inspire me to get my craft on, right?

Loving Cath's new US site. So much cuteness.

Birthday Wrap Up

{I rounded up my ragamuffin children and made them sit on the curb for a picture. No, it's not a gem...but it will have to do.}

• Spoiled rotten, I am!
• Pedicures with my girl. {Public school was out today, but preschool was in, and my kind Mama watched the babies for me.}
• Lunch with my Mom & the kiddos = my favorite sandwich: roasted chicken with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, mozzarella & ranch dressing on oat bran bread. THE best.
• A little forced labor from the big kids while the babies slept: we cleaned the downstairs and I told them that their not whining was all the birthday gift I needed.
• Treat drop off from a favorite friend, followed by a cake drop off from another good friend. These people know me well! :)
• A little playing outside in this gorgeous weather.
• Fun phone calls from a few good friends.
• Out to dinner with the whole local fam'. Chuy's, mmm mmm mmm!!!
• Cake & cupcakes at our place.
• Oh, and did I mention gifts?! Target gift cards (times 2!), a requested necklace, a bike trailer for the babies, Satellite radio renewal (yay!) new tunes, the promise of a cleaned-out car, some cute cards from my littles, a couple new shirts, a pedicure, a future shopping trip with my Mama...etc. etc. Feeling so, so spoiled, indeed.

Oh, and may I just say that Facebook sure makes birthdays fun. I need to go copy/paste all my nice wishes into a file to read when I'm having a bad day. So, so sweet.

Anyway, here's to another year! What a blessing, indeed.

Up, Up and Away!

Today is my birthday! I cannot believe that I'm 33. Or that when I was 7 (Maya's age), my mom was actually younger than I am now. That makes me feel old-ish. But not really. I actually don't mind getting older. And I LOVE my birthday!

No roller skating party for me this year (was that really 3 years ago already?!). I'd love to throw myself a colorful party like this Up themed party, but instead I'll be hanging with my kiddos today, having dinner out with the family tonight and going out with some friends tomorrow night.

I'm just grateful to celebrate another year. It's a wonderful life. No really, it is.

Autism Speaks: Ben's Posse

We had such a great time up in Dallas this weekend. The Autism Speaks walk was an awesome event and it was an honor to be there with my family. Ben's Posse raised close to $3000, and there was a great crowd of friends and co-workers there to support my brother & his family. It was really touching to see all of the different families and groups there, each with a different story about how Autism has affected their lives.

My brother Chris & sister in law Tara are an amazing support system for Ben. I'm always so impressed with all they do to help him. Ben is a super cool kid, as is his brother Daniel. (Plus, isn't Tara pretty? Geez, I thought these pictures of her with Ben were the cutest. Oh, and my brother is pretty handsome, too.) :) Ben sure looks like a kid with a posse, doesn't he?! Too cute.

We were there too, so why not be self indulgent, while I'm at it. Simon knows how to spot the pretty ladies, and sidled right up to Miss Texas when she walked by. Maya had to get in on that action, too. Mason pulled more of a "ride" for Autism, riding along in the stroller playing Angry Birds most of the time (or just "Angry", as he's taken to calling it...i.e. "Mom, can I play Angry on your phone?"). And yes, Simon insisted on pushing the stroller for most of the walk. That makes for slow going, but whatever. As always, Lucy was a trooper and managed to charm a few folks along the way.

I can't wait to do the walk again next year, and already have a few fund raising ideas brewing in my brain. On that note, thank you SO much to those who donated and supported us. It really means a lot.

The Best...

This print (found via the very fun Gifted Magazine) belongs in my home! It goes right along with the 2011 Cottam Family Theme I've got cooking up right now...

{Lots of other fun stuff in the Eva Juliet shop.}

Blurry Little Goose

{Outside, waiting for trick or treaters. Swatting mosquitoes. In our short sleeves. @ the end of October. Thank you, Texas.}

5 1/2 months old, she is. More & more personality every day. Rolling around to get to where she needs to go. Waking up happy...greeting me lying in her bed, grinning. Best snuggler. Still no solid foods. Mom isn't up for it, and has 2 more weeks before it becomes a requirement. Ugh. Is it possible to freeze her right here where she is? I wish. But I don't...

Who Is This?

This can't be my little Maya Grace, can it? I cannot believe how grown up this girl is. I know I'm her Mom, and all Mom's feel this way (At least I hope they do...they should!), but this girl is just special. I reward her when I get compliments from others about her, and I have to say...I've had quite a few lately. She is just growing up to be quite a fabulous girl. So happy to know her and learn from her.

Seriously, though. Doesn't she look OLD?!

Appreciated

I was in charge of 1st Grade Staff Appreciation for the Special Area teachers @ Maya's school recently. They take up a collection and everyone gets a gift card, but I tried to make it cute-ish. You know, an excuse to use the ol' glue gun & paper cutter...

What I Wore

These pictures tell me...my mirror still needs to be cleaned! And I need a hair cut. Oh, and we went from the illegitimate wearing of boots (stubbornly sweating it out at the end of October) to the legitimate wearing of boots (it's chilly today!). Hooray! Here's the run down from last week(linking up with The Pleated Poppy)...

Wednesday- Study group, errands, etc.: ruffle top - Nordstrom; my "infamous" yellow sweater - Sears (!); jeans - Target; shoes - Old Navy

Thursday- Major errands running, busy busy: top - Target; cardigan - Old Navy; jeans - Gap (real straight); Moccs - local

Friday- class party, Simon's birthday party: dress - Shabby Apple; denim jacket - online somewhere??; belt - Target; leggings - Target; boots - Kohl's

Saturday - baby shower, family time: top, cardigan - Old Navy ; jeans, belt, shoes - Target

Sunday - church, neighborhood get together: skirt & shirt - Oilily; boots - Kohl's; belt - Target

Monday - meeting, errands, out to dinner w/visiting Mother In Law: top - Forever 21; jeans - Gap (Always Skinny); shoes - Target

Tuesday - errands, out with friends: tee - Target; sweater - Kohl's?; jeans - Gap (Real Straight); boots - Kohl's; belt - Target