little gi

sum up summer weeks 7 (a little late)

* we went for a family picnic at the park on wednesday night...kelly climbed to the top of the spiderweb!
* kelly & ryan learned to fingerknit...made super cute bookmarks for grandmom & grandad
* chilly mornings have started already...which translates to a freezing cold pool...lol
* we made homemade pizza dough together...absolutely delicious...kelly made procuitto "hair" & a mozzarella cheese nose & mouth on mike's
* michael phelps totally inspired the nation with his 8 gold medals...especially that nudge at the wall to win the 100m butterfly...it was awesome to see the kids cheering "GO MICHAEL PHELPS!" at the TV...now both ryan & kelly swim freestyle so they can be just like him
* ryan went to grandmom & grandad's for the weekend (heard he cried the first night b/c he didn't have his special music "i should have bbbbbrought my own CD"....such a tender hearted little nutjob he is)
* the girls missed him terribly while he was gone, actually right after he got in grandmom's car to go & we got on the highway to come home kelly said "mommy...i miss ryan already"...of course kate followed up with "i donna miss my browther!"
* on rainy friday i made some little blankets & pillows (kelly sewed one of the pillows :) for the girl's groovy girls dolls...really so much fun...definitely have a fabric obsession now
* we found a new little friend, who kelly promptly dubbed "rocky", in the front yard...such a cute little baby garter snake...kelly, particularly, really fell in love with him (update...we released rocky back into the "wild" this week...kelly shed a lot of tears but agreed it was for the best & we found him a great spot to live in our garden so he can stay out of danger of those mean blue jays :)

see rocky in there?  right by his rock, of course :)  he really is a cute little bugger...God speed little guy :)

my little tip/technique went up yesterday on onelittleword...hope you like it :)

have a happy thursday!!

xoxo

gi

on tap for today...

* heading out to the market in a bit...we need a fresh peach fix
* going to be re-watching the women's individual gymnastic all around competition from last night w/ kelly...go USA!  gold & silver!!!
* the crafty crow has really links for great kid's craft projects...this one definitely caught my eye...hoping to give it a go
* hopefully catch up with beth..talked w/ her briefly the other day & i miss her :)
* make stuffed peppers for dinner
* a little bit ago soulemama posted really great instructions on how to make her gratitude wrap...what a cool project!  wouldn't these make really great gifts! need to start making a gift list
* hit the hardware store for wooden dowels...found in our library book, kids knitting, that we can make our own knitting needles...such a cute idea
* try to contain my excitement @ taking a class from terri ventura on sunday with jayney

like always i've got so much in my head i want to do...since the house is a bit quieter w/o my little crazy man i'm hoping to have some time to create (read...keep my brain focused so i don't miss him too much :)

hope  you have a great friday!!

xoxox

gi

p.s....don't forget!  kenner road pre-sale subscriptions go on sale today here!!!  check out ker's blog for more information...YAY ker!!!  i'm SO excited for her & i'm psyched to see her kits...i KNOW they are going to be awesome


 

a mish mash today....

* i think we may be watching too much Miami Ink lately....see above :)...ryan & kate opened up a tattoo parlor on my kitchen table the other day...their specialty was ostriches (yeah...i know...ostriches????) & space scenes
* some advice for myself:  working & chatting with your friends in Australia & New Zealand may make you jump ahead a day of the week & hence, you will show up for the reading bug program at the library a day early...listen to your daughter, Kelly, who obviously can properly read a calendar
* speaking of the Aussie/Kiwi posse...check out tamar's blog for some tarisota sneaks...omgosh...seriously...GORGEOUS!!!!!  & a sneak of my mini book is up there!!!!  eeeekkk!!!!
* i am in love with farm fresh sweet corn & more specifically, Tyler Florence's corn chowder made by me  using the fresh corn & baby potatoes from our local farms, actually everything i used in the recipe aside from the pantry items was from our local farms....yeah..i'm a big fan of supporting my local community...makes me SO happy :)

ok...now back to my tari box!!  got a tiny book done last night & finished up another layout this morning...have some more ideas in my head that need to get out :) but first we have to hit the library for the reading bug (the CORRECT day this time...lol)  & the market for some yeast...we are making homemade pizza today!!!  geez i'm going to weigh 800 pounds by Christmas...lol!!!

happy friday!!  thursday!!!!

xoxoxo

gi

sum up summer week 6....

week 6...whew!  summer is rolling by....
* back from NC...laid low all week getting back into the swing
* kelly attended a birthday party at a salon & returned w/ gorgeous french braids & blue fingernails
* upon kelly's return from the salon, kelly & kate played beauty salon in the living room...SO adorable...kate LOVED getting all dolled up in barrettes & sparkly nail polish
* our local farm opened up its market...we wait for it all summer, but it is bittersweet b/c it means apples & pumpkins & fall will be here soon :)
* john from next door brought us corn from roe's for dinner...SO lucky to have such nice neighbors
* ryan went to a cooking birthday party & made pizza (no sauce) & a cupcake (no whipped cream)...told me he wanted to have his birthday there so he could get a T-shirt...lol...funny what strikes their fancy @ certain things...wanted a party there not b/c of the cooking but b/c of the T-shirt...lol
* kate watched diego's dinosaur adventure @ a million times
* our good friends came over for a play date & the kids spent almost the entire time in the pool...such a great day
* my tarisota box arrived & i dove right in...finished my first tarisota layout & remembered how really fun creating is
* our black-eyed susans are in bloom & they look GORGEOUS!  my fave flower :)
* resumed our tradition of farmer's market & goshen main street restaurant on friday...got my fave mozzarella tomato basil on a baguette w/ edamame & chick pea salad...DELISH!
* am trying desperately work WITH the ridiculously abundant energy ryan has rather than constantly working against it...his button jar has been up & down all week...have to remember to breathe & step back sometimes...let him try to work out limits on his own...VERY tough for me
* both kelly & ryan can swim all the way across the pool the long way now...YAY!!
* had a fantastic saturday night with jayne...geez i'm so lucky to have such a great friend

happy monday!!!

xoxo

gi

smiling for sure....

new word up over at onelittleword...& the creative team was so generously sponsored by Me and My Big Ideas...i had this HUGE box of goodies to play with...i went right for the gorgeous patterned paper & totally thought of ngaire when i grabbed the bling...seriously SO fun!!!

& i love it...i love love love this canvas...i've hung it up right next to my craft table & it totally makes me smile...i had come across the whole "just be" thing last year when i was cruising tara whitney's blog & at first was like "hmmm...what the heck does that mean?"...but then i just kept thinking about it & this summer i've really tried to embrace it...

sometimes you fool yourself that when you go there or finish that...
that when you get this or get rid of that...
that when you begin doing one thing or stop doing the other...
that something or someone is in the way...
you've gotta let it go...

because the truth is you just have to let it be...
stop making excuses and just be...
don't worry if you are doing it right...
or if you are entitled to it...
just take a deep breath and soak it up...

just be and enjoy every second that IS...

have a WONDERFUL wednesday :)
xoxo

gigi

p.s...look what i found when i was going through my OBX photos :)
how freaking lucky am i???

ahhhh.......we're back :)

i love the beach...really really REALLY love the beach :)

here we all are...we had driven up to kitty hawk to spend the rainy day in the kite store peeking around...wound up having a really great lunch at mama kwan's while it poured outside...then the sky cleared up so we could play some pirate ship mini golf (mike & i tied...note to self: go back to the scorecard & check his math...lol)
& on the way back, despite my pleadings, mike took a left & drove onto the beach...oooh scares me every.single.time...seriously...i've got like this crazy mental block with driving on the beach, mike & the kids think it is hilarious & ryan says to me "show your bravery mommy"

ahh...happy monday everyone!!!
xoxo

gi

sum up summer week & be inspired....

week 3:

* tater turned three!!!!!
* big family time weekend...mike took friday off, all day park on friday, zoo on saturday, all day pool on sunday...really REALLY good stuff
* kelly can swim all the way across the pool!!  yay!!!
* visit from uncle jeff..."un-le jeff went home to his mom...i'm donna miss him" says tater...lol
* some late night scrappin' with laurie...so much fun
* ryan had a blast w/ all of his friends at the park
* actually caught up with laundry & it feels so good being a little june cleaver-ish
* kids went "hiking" in the backyard...kelly took notes including "lots of nats" (gnats)...lol
* kelly dressed kate "i don't need help at you!" tater told me...lol
* Madagascar exhibit at the zoo...absolutely phenomenal...we all fell in love with the lemurs & were able to get right next to the nile crocodiles...they are HUGE!!!!
* Tiger Mountain at the zoo...the male walked right up to the window & one of the females was sleeping up against it...we were a pane of glass away from touching her...absolutely amazing experience
* all day at the park on friday...sprinkler pool, playground & cupcakes

& if you haven't seen it yet, run don't walk over to the tarisota gallery...unbelievably inspiring...after i finish this entry i'm running to the craft store for some embroidery hoops :)

& another inspiring link from ngai's blog...a really poignant last letter from a woman/mother/wife who died of cancer...take a moment to read, it will definitely touch your heart & renew your spirit..

My journey in this world was difficult and painful but important in my spiritual growth. I learned that we have to be happy despite our circumstances. We can’t say I will be happy when…. No sweeties be happy now because today is all you have -                                      Andrea Collins Smith

wise words indeed....amazing words...words to live by for sure...
now get out there & enjoy :)

happy monday everyone!!!

xoxo

gi

catchin' up on that alphabet....

been taking lots of everyday photos this summer so far...totally loving it
& beth's challenge & patty's great sum up summer idea keep spurring me on...good stuff

b is for bounce
kelly & ryan in the bouncy castle on the 4th of july

c is for crocs
tater's crocs...on backwards as usual :)

d is for double trouble
this one is also for my ispy something #20 :)

& tomorrow is this little girl's big #3 birthday...

cupcakes & friends & the sprinkler pool at the park are on for tomorrow....
& the birthday fairy is getting all the decorations ready as i type this, so when she wakes up in the morning, she'll see her big 3 (it's got Ariel on it i hear :) & balloons (think pink :)...she's gonna freak :)

happy happy day!!

xoxo

g

go team & a sum up summer week 2...

it is one of the little family things we do...i forget really how it started a few years ago...but it is such a part of US now....such a kennedy thing...it is our "go team"...

after something goes wrong...when there is hurt feelings, maybe some crying, everyone is mad at each other & the day is starting to go down the tubes...
basically when the wheels start to fall off the bus...
that's when we pull out the "go team"
we all put our hands together...we all say our "i'm sorry"s...we promise to put all of it behind us...
we do our "goooooooooo TEAM!" cheer & throw our hands in the air..
a new day has begun & we are all going to face it together as a team...
yeah...totally corny...but whatever...it works for us :)

we pulled it out a couple times this week that is for sure...rainy afternoons when all you want to do is swim in the pool & not enough naps & bug girl bossing around super snap and batman & mommy trying to get everyone out of the house to get to the fair but no one is listening & little boys who go psychotic when calm is really needed....

definitely "go team" times for sure...

some more to sum up week 2 of summer for us:

* the kids trying desperately to wink
* kelly swimming all on her own...no swimmie wings
* Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets....LOVED it...can't wait to move on to #3
* kate & her knock knock jokes (knock, knock...who's there?...ACH....ach who?...HA HA!  made you sneeze!...knock, knock...who's there?...BOO....boo who?...don't cry it's only a joke!!)
* kate "um juss donna do a yittle jump"...all by herself in the pool w/ her swimmie wings
* disney DVD bingo
* bug girl, super snap & batman fight the giant robot while bouncing on our bed
* fireworks at a neighbors
* ryan watched the fireflies rather than the fireworks
* the pirate ship blow up thing at the fair was a big hit
* hanging with good friends at joey's birthday party

have a happy sunday!!

xoxo

g

back in the swing....

this is how we ALL felt these past 2 weeks...

kelly got a stomach virus...horrible...
then ryan got it...double horrible...
then both of them got dehydrated...horrendous...
& then both of them were admitted to the hospital for dehydration...UGH
kate was shipped of to my parents to get out of germ central...& we all missed her terribly...

& just when we thought we were coming out of the woods & everyone was home again...
ryan got re-admitted to the hospital for dehydration again....yeah....UGH...again...

but this week is a new week...
everyone is home...
everyone is feeling MUCH better...
their waistbands are a bit loose (i'm not so lucky in that department since i turned right to chocolate for solace :)
they've got some great new toys from good friends as a bit of excitement...

once again it's good stuff around here...

here's to taming the mountain of laundry this week...
& LOTS of trips to the park to make up for those 2 weeks spent indoors :)

happy tuesday!!

xoxoxo

gi