she loves to help . . .

and i love her!

lots of help . . .

and for some reason . . . even with 6 extra hands . . . assembling my new drawers for my office just didn't go that fast!

pics of the more organized office to come soon! i'm still waiting on another set of the drawers i ordered.

just another . . .

are you a gearhead?

we love the imagination movers . . . and we love seeing them at family gras!

tis the season . . .

just call me ms. fix it . . .

so . . . yesterday was sean's birthday. today his family came over for lunch to celebrate his birthday. yesterday . . . i was cleaning. the cleaning included cleaning the fish bowl. the fish bowl has pretty little blue rocks. a "few" pretty blue rocks went down the drain when i was cleaning the fish bowl. i guess i didn't clean all of them out and the garbage disposal didn't like that. it stopped working. i didn't want to tell sean . . . it was his birthday. this morning i searched the web for directions on how to repair a broken garbage disposal. i found the description of what my disposal was doing and learned how to fix the problem. the girls and i went to the grocery store to get icing for sean's cake. then on to the hardware store we went . . . all 4 of us girls. had to get some hex keys. yes . . . my husband is a contractor and we didn't have 1 hex key at our house. now i have a whole set of my own! after our outing . . . we came home and i fixed the garbage disposal and decorated sean's cake . . . all before he even woke up! and as soon as he woke up . . . the first thing i said to him . . . you didn't know you married a ms. fix it, did you?

aaahhhhhh . . .

peace . . . and quiet!

sneak peek . . .

a cute and sweet little something that's headed to a little sweetheart for valentine's day!

k.i.s.s.i.n.g.

1. brown eyes, 2. good clean fun, 3. so sweet, 4. sloppy kisses

a really happy girl . . .

little miss: can i have some ice cream, because i'm really (said with as much drama as possible) hot!
mommy: did you eat your lunch? (she stayed for lunch at school today)
little miss: yes!
mommy: yes . . . you can have some.
little miss: mommy . . . i'm already happy, but this is going to make me really happy!
mommy: how happy?
little miss: as big as a soldier!

where'd it go?

i love mornings when we have time to play with (look for) chalk before school!

so excited . . .

i have been wanting to learn how to knit and am so clueless as to where to even begin. i have been procrastinating because learning from a book sounds too boring . . . too intimidating . . . and just not what i want to do. so tonight . . . i was playing around on the computer and discovered that there is a needlework store on one of my favorite streets in one of my favorite parts of the city! and it gets better . . . they have classes! of course there has to be something that doesn't make this perfect right . . . and there is! the beginner classes are from 10-12 and the big girls get out of school at 12. so . . . i will have to figure something out.

i have gotta get one of these . . .

well . . . actually i am going to get 2 of them!

see . . . i have come to the conclusion that i have the messiest children in the world! but, i wouldn't trade them for the cleanest kids in the world. now don't get me wrong . . . if the cleanest kids want to come and give a few how to be clean lessons . . . that would be fantastic! but really . . . how ingenious are these car litter bags made by allyson hill? they look so cute . . . and they actually might (i did say might!) entice my messy little girls to put their car litter into the bag . . . instead of just throwing it down on the floorboard! now i just have to decide which print i want to get . . . well maybe (i did say maybe!) i will let the girls choose!

dynasty day . . .

(the camera work is terrible . . . sorry!)

a few pics of competition day. i have no clue why there is a blank spot . . . and i'm too tired to try and figure out why the picture is not there! little miss did great . . . and had a lot of fun. little sisters had so much fun too . . . they are usually the center of attention when their cousins are around . . . and they love that!

1. all done up . . . not by me!, 2. future dynasty cheerleader, 3. lil'est dynasty girl, 4. fun with the girls, 5. where does this energy come from?, 6. awww . . . cute cousins!, 7. ring around . . ., 8. the stage, 9. all dressed up, 10. baby sis . . . big sis, 11. mmmm . . . food!, 12. running on the dance floor, 13. hurry! hurry!, 14. to the award ceremony we go . . ., 15. lots of beads

crazy weird . . .

little miss' 4th birthday

my 4th birthday

in case you didn't know . . . little miss and i have the same birthday. yeah . . . it's really cool! so . . . you are probably wondering what so crazy weird about these pictures? well . . . little miss' cake request for her 4th birthday was a cake with yellow and green bugs . . . and it has to have a strawberry shortcake on it. (well . . . the store only had 1 strawberry shortcake doll that would fit on a cake . . . and she already had that one.) so anywho . . . strawberry's friend angel cake had to do. well . . . if you look closely you will see that my 4th birthday cake is a strawberry shortcake cake! i don't know if anyone else will think that is a little crazy . . . but i sure do!

(and don't you think little miss looks so much older at 4 years than i did?)

overheard . . .

"come on sis! if we aren't going to color anymore . . . we need to pick the markers up!"

(that is what little miss really said. is that what really happened? of course not! they started coloring again . . . and then they both got up . . . and the markers were still out . . . and brown eyes got a hold of one!)

it's the thought that counts right?!?

school project . . .

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons oil
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water with food coloring added

cook on medium heat until ball forms

all of the moms at the girls' school . . . take turns making the playdoh for the classes. yesterday was my turn. so i thought i would share the recipe . . . i had never made the cooked playdoh before. it was so easy . . . and the texture really is like actual playdah. we will defnitely do make some for our house next time we need playdoh! (which isn't going to be for a long time . . . little shrimp got the coolest playdoh set for christmas. and hers actually came with 8 bonus cans . . . the big size! thanks uncle todd . . . aunt carrie . . . anna . . . and nick!)

more playdoh recipes here and here.

our yesterday . . .

1. playing house, 2. hey mom!, 3. don't forget about me!, 4. just another day on the camel!, 5. someboday listen to me!, 6. they are actually getting along!, 7. it's a ghost . . ., 8. dancing queens, 9. yes . . . she is flying thru the air!, 10. is it bad to allow this?, 11. don't tell her . . . i was watching her!, 12. yep . . . on the table again!, 13. cleaning up . . ., 14. and she cleaned it up by herself!, 15. afternoon snack

yum . . .

wheat toast and homemade apple juice for the girls . . . and wheat toast and fresh squeezed orange juice for me!

idol fever . . .

everyone's got it!

they aren't topless anymore . . .

sean finally built the tops to our end and coffee tables yesterday and i got them waxed today. i totally loved them! the tops are rough sawn oak . . . and the bases are rusty iron.

if life gives you lemons . . .

make some super tastey homemade lemonade!

this is why . . .

i am going to be gray before i turn 30!


downstairs was spotless . . . until they got to the crackers!

please tell me sitting too close to the tv isn't bad for their eyes!

and yes . . . that is a full roll of toilet paper in toilet for absolutely no reason!

technology rocks!

the girls are "hanging out" with their cousin anna in st. louis, mo . . . and their nana and pops in springfield, mo . . . while we are 600 miles away in new orleans! how cool are web cams and instant messaging services!

a fresh start . . .

with some fresh juice!

isn't it lovely?

(nevermind the fingerprints all over it please . . . it needs to be cleaned after the delivery guys had their hands all over it!)

i'm already in love . . . and i'm only 3 minutes into the first load of clothes! i just put SO many clothes in . . . ok the girls just put so many clothes in it. i think they are just as excited as i am! they put so many in that i took a couple of things out. well this lovely little thing has a sensor system that detects the load size . . . and come to find out . . . i could have crammed a whole lot more into it! the load size was only 2 of the 4 lines! i think huge laundry mountains are a thing of the past! i have never been so excited to do laundry!

our little oinker . . .

i was upstairs cleaning the mountains of laundry out of the laundry room . . . i know . . . i was supposed to do that yesterday . . . but it didn't happen . . . and when i was finished i was thinking it sure is quiet downstairs. and i was guessing my little brown eyes must have fallen asleep.

well i should have known better! we were running late getting to school this morning . . . and the girls' breakfast didn't get cleaned off the table yet . . . and my little chunker sniffed it out . . . and was eating her second breakfast for the morning!

it's going to be a good one . . .

i might be jinxing myself . . . but i'm pretty sure today is going to be a good day.

• i get to clean my laundry room and get ready for these (well they aren't blue . . . and they aren't the steam set because i didn't win the lottery . . . well i didn't even buy a lotto ticket . . . but they are LG and i couldn't be more excited)!
• brown eyes woke up with her diaper off (don't ask me how this happened!) and her bed was still dry!
• little miss wanted to stay for lunch at nursery school . . . and it was all her idea!
• i'm finishing up last minute details for the e-parties at tutti fruity designs!(if you are interested in hosting an e-party . . . send me an email and we can get your party time reserved!)
• a temporary electric pole was just put up across the street. . . which means construction will be beginning soon on the empty lot . . . which means we will have another neighbor!

ok . . . little brown eyes is needing some mommy time . . . which means she is screaming at the top of her lungs . . . so that means my list is being cut short . . . but if i had to guess . . . i would say these few are definitely good indicators that this is going to be a good one! i will let you know how the day actually turns out . . . you just never know what's in store with a 1 yr old . . . a 2 yr old . . . and a 4 yr old!

not a lot going on around here . . .

mmmm . . . finger paint is quite tasty!
(yes . . . it's non-toxic)


"why put it on paper . . . it's much more fun to paint my face!"

just a lot of painting . . . painting . . . painting . . . and did i mention painting?

lots of ideas . . .

i'm really exicted for the new year . . . my wheels have been turning and i have all kinds of new ideas for tutti fruity designs!

coming really soon . . .
handpainted tree swings will be available in just a couple of weeks!
tutti fruity designs will also be offering e-parties starting in a couple of weeks as well!

there will be all kinds of other new things going on too . . . so stay tuned!

christmas fun . . .

1. eating santa's cookies!, 2. making cookies for santa!, 3. warming up!, 4. best of friends, 5. just like dad!, 6. cheese!, 7. peek a boo, 8. super bella!, 9. super girls!, 10. what in the world?, 11. pink polka dot boots . . . YEA!, 12. reading "the story!", 13. the end of "the story", 14. magical reindeer food, 15. men at work!, 16. please be food!, 17. what is in there?, 18. mmmm!, 19. brrrrr!, 20. loving her bailey boy, 21. boxes are always more fun!, 22. need help?, 23. whatchu doing?, 24. looking up to bailey!

christmas was so fun this year! we spent christmas this year in missouri with my family and the girls had so much fun! they had a christmas with cousins and aunts and uncles on saturday . . . they had a christmas with uncle todd, aunt carrie, anna and nick on christmas eve . . . and they had christmas morning with pops, nana, uncle jason, aunt marci and bailey. we were so excited when uncle jason, aunt marci, and bailey agreed to sleep over on christmas eve! there was hardly room to walk thru nana and pops' living room . . . bailey is the only child so you can imagine the amount of gifts he receives every year . . . and the gifts for our 3 girls . . . and the gifts from nana and pops to each other . . . and the gifts from nana and pops to all of us . . . so you can just imagine how cool it looked to the girls and bailey when they woke up on christmas morning! it was even pretty amazing to me!

recommendations please . . .

i guess santa reads my blog . . . because he left a note in my stocking letting me know that i get to pick out a new dryer (and a washer if we can find a great deal)! my poor dryer is on it's last leg . . . it is taking me 3 dry cycles before my clothes are dry. and with 3 little ones . . . i'm guessing you get the picture. the laundry piles don't get any smaller . . . they keep growing and growing and growing!

so anywho . . . if you have a great washer and dryer set that you love, please leave me a comment or send me an email to let me know what you have. and you if have the lg set that has the steam settings . . . please don't tell me because they are way out of our budget . . . and i would just be super jealous!

just hangin' around the house . . .

santa brought the girls' a super cool doll house this year. little miss said that he almost broke her nana and pops' chimney when he brought it down! we didn't put it together while we were in missouri . . . because we were afraid that it would get broken on the little 11 hour ride home. so i just got it assembled for the girls . . . they helped put the furniture in the rooms . . . and now they are back to watching blue's clues! please remind me why they even have toys again!

back in the blog of things . . .

the hustle and bustle is over . . . and now i'm trying to get back to blogging . . . working . . . cleaning . . . and all of the other fun stuff! we had an awesome . . . and cold . . . christmas with my family in missouri and now we are back in new orleans and its FREEZING! i think this cold front is only supposed to last a couple of days before it warms back up . . . at least i hope so!

i have lot's of pictures from christmas that i want to share . . . but that would require unpacking the car! and we haven't done that yet! we got home late afternoon on new year's eve . . . we did a few things around the house and left for our new year's party . . . got home pretty late . . . slept in on new year's day (even the girls!) . . . and then went to sean's sister-in-law's house for a late lunch . . . and by the time we got home . . . we were completely worn out! so the car will finally get unpacked today . . . if it would warm up a little! it's so funny how 30 or 40 degrees in new orleans feels like 50 degrees cooler than 30 or 40 degrees in missouri! i guess it's all of the moisture in the air . . . but i'm ready for the cold front to move on out!

i hope everyone (yes . . . i know . . . that sounds like i am talking to a large amount of people . . . but i am just pretending that there are a large amount of people who actually read this blog and like hearing about all of the things that go on in our household . . . when in actuality i could probably count on my 2 hands the people that do read it!) had a great christmas . . . and a very happy new year!

time for me to catch up on my blog addiction . . . i didn't read any blogs . . . or do much of anything on the computer our entire vacation . . . so i'm refreshed and anxious to catch up on the over 100 blogs that i read!

oh . . . stay tuned . . . there are some new and exciting things that will be going on with tutti fruity designs this new year!

(just heard the weather . . . the wind chill in new orleans is 19 degrees right now! that is entirely too cold for the deep south!)

here's to a . . .

happy . . . healthy . . . and prosperous 2008!

(the very first thing i thought of on this first day of 2008 . . . oh my goodness . . . i have my 10 year high school reunion this year!)