October 31st...

i fell in love w/ this day at an early age.  i remember coming home from school, getting dropped off from the bus at the end of the street.  i'd walk to my house and i could see witch faces, scarecrows, and skulls taped to the front windows...

these are apparently considered "vintage" now, lol

i would get so excited to walk inside the house and see all the halloween decorations my mom put up.  the tissue paper accordion pumpkins were one of my favorites!  it's been fun to decorate my own house now and share the tradition w/ my own daughters.  isabella happens to LOVE it all the same :)

this scarecrow was my favorite growing up and is now part of my collection :)

witch my mom bought me a few years ago...we call her matilda

i've really gotten into the banner thing!

a pumpkin gourd that was also a gift to me from my sister, who also loves halloween!

yup.  a "flying" witch that hangs from our living room ceiling fan

a fun house that has rotating bats above it

mummy candles...the one on the right had to be melted down, ha!

pumpkin carving by mr. dandy

at the entrance of our house (this might be my fave)

fun faux candle sticks from target

and now for the costuuuumes....

i don't even like bananas

pocahontas and witchy

sophia was so good about keeping on her costume :)  i think she got a kick out of it!

isabella picked pocahontas this year.  she has a book of different disney princess stories, and pocahontas is one of her faves.  jason was supposed to be john smith, but his dark beard wouldn't match a blonde wig, lol.  i was pretty excited about isabella's choice and was looking forward to embellishing a head band and braiding her hair, but she reminded me (more than once) that pocahontas does not wear a headband or braids...

true isabella, but you are not wearing an off-the-shoulder dress w/o shoes!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

my plan...

was to tell you about the sweet surprise jason gave me for our anniversary and the sweet quote in my card, but then i realized today was the date i had wanted to get married.  october 27th.  my parents married on that day, and unfortunately, i just remembered that as i started this blog post.  i forgot and i spent most of the day w/ my mom today.  my dad passed away 13 years ago so i cannot imagine what this day brings.  she even suggested we stop for cupcakes, and now i'm wondering if it was b/c she was celebrating.  my mom happens to be staying the night, and i rushed to her room to tell her happy anniversary, but she's sleeping, and i feel terrible that i didn't do something special for her.  i cry at this, and jason walks in.  i explain and he says i still have time.  i tell him my mom will just think i'm crazy and roll over and go back to sleep.  but i do it anyway...

me - mom *whispering*

mom - you scared me (in spanish) *squinting her eyes*

me - happy anniversary, i'm sorry i forgot

mom - what? today was the 27th? (i know she's acting)  mumbles, turns over and asks if it's raining

me - yes, it is...goodnight.

ugh.  i should've just waited until the morning w/ a stack of pancakes!!!!!  my hubby tried to cheer me up, but i still feel horrible.  hopefully, my pancakes and the cooler weather tomorrow will make up for it :)

i just had to share photos my beautiful parents...

proud marine

the original pic w/ hand written note to my dad

mr. & mrs. arnoldo de alejandro

they met at a party where my dad had brought a date, but my mom caught his eye ;)  they fell in love, married and raised four children.  my dad worked very hard to raise his family in a small suburb of houston that was quite different from the small towns in south texas.  my mom always had dinner ready for him when he came home from work.  she kept a clean and tidy house, and it always felt like a warm home.  my dad wasn't big on pda, but one of my favorite memories of them together is my mom standing at the stove cooking...my dad sneaking up behind her, putting his arms around her and tickling her neck.  it was sweet, and she always smiled.

i'm here b/c two people fell in love, and isn't that lovely? ;)

okay, so NOW i'm taking care of those roots...

after finishing my last post, i started researching what my honey and i were going to do during the day on saturday.  i got lost in the internet and the tiredness took over!  so, here it is monday and what a monday it was...dentist appointment for isabella, quick lunch, dance class, home for sophia's nap while i worked on invitations.  there was laundry and dishes somewhere in the mix and then off to isabella's registration for cheerleading! and dinner w/ family.  phew...and now blogging while the black ink settles deeeeep in my hair, ha!

so, while that is going on, i want to share my fun weekend spent w/ my hubby as we celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary (which is really tomorrow).  he had planned on taking friday off but after having to take days off work for the awesome plumbing dilemas, he went to the office.  i was then able to relax a little w/ a much-needed (they always are) pedicure w/ my mom.  we then had lunch and did a little shopping.  see, i can relax!

that night we went to dinner and a movie w/ mary and her hubby.  we went to star cinema grill which is a great place to eat while watching a flick.  genious!  jason and i split an array of appetizers (i like variety) and watched "the ides of march" which honestly wasn't that great.

we had grand plans of waking up saturday, eating breakfast and enjoying a cup of coffee uninterrupted AND THEN going to a farmers market in the city.  welllll, that didn't quite go as planned.  we had a quick breakfast, coffee in a to-go cup and hit-up...TIMES UP, gotta rinse my black locks...okay, i'm back...where was i?  oh yes, our oh-so-romantic trip to the nearest garden ridge and hobby lobby.  no lie, this is the second time i've taken jason to hobby lobby while we were on a date, lol.

"hobby lobby is the women's home depot"  --mr. dandy

after fun times at the stores (and really, good times were had by BOTH mr. & mrs. burkhalter), we drove into houston and had lunch at an awesome restaurant i discovered online when reading about the farmers market.  beaver's is the name and yummy food and drinks is there game!  for those that live in the area (which is most of you, except my readers from germany, india, etc...hello btw!), you should check out beaver's.  we had, again, an array of delicious bites which included some sandwiches named "sloppy sandy's" and i thoroughly enjoyed a "tia rosey" (which is, next to mr. dandy's, was the best margarita i have ever had!).

very cool decor and motown playing through the speakers

after a good time there we drove to our hotel...and let me just say, was a horrible drive as we were detoured b/c of construction.  i made the mistake of leaving the restaurant w/o using the restroom and there were of course speed bumps found on the back roads :/  jason tells me that this experience would be good for my blog.  thanks mister.

we checked into the fab hotel, strolled the nearby shops...

urban outfitters

papersource....L-O-V-E

went back to our room and sassied up...

and then experienced a mouth-watering meal at eddie v's.  again, given the opportunity you MUST go.  best bites of the evening?  an off-the-menu bone-in steak cooked medium rare and truffled macaroni and cheeeeeeeese...

we were treated a dessert of our choice...blacberry cobbler topped w/ mexican vanilla bean ice-cream  **nom, nom, nom**

we strolled back to our hotel where a live band was playing in the hotel bar.  a little dancing, a little fire and a nightcap.

cheers, mr. dandy ;)

am i crazy...

or can anyone else relate?

i'll start w/ my evening two nights ago when my plan was to drown my roots in black and watch the latest rachel zoe project when i hear gurgling coming from my bathroom...and then a stinch :/  i walk into my bathroom and there is water coming from the toilet and yuckiness coming out of the shower drain...NOOOOOOOO!!!!  the front bathroom was the same.  my handy hubby starts to figure out the problem, which spills into the next day AND night of manual, STINKY labor.  the girls and i were graciously welcomed at a friend's house for the evening as there are NO WORKING toilets or sinks.  the next day mr. dandy is still working in the trenches.

meanwhile i take the girls up to stay w/ my brother-in-law and sis-in-law to stay for the weekend (anniversary weekend celebrating this weekend!).  after a no-sleep night and loooong day in the car, all i can think of is coming home and cleaning my house!!  seriously, is there something wrong w/ me??  i hadn't been home in days, things are strewn everywhere, and the plumber of our house has tracked in dirt all over the floors.  i arrive back at home after dropping the girls off, have a yummy dinner w/ a tasty marg at the local mexican restaurant, and i am soooo tired.  BUT i am too excited to rest.  i am so excited to clean knowing all toys are picked up and they will stay that way for a couple of days!  so, i cleaned.  and now about to work on those roots ;)

just thinking of...

things that made my monday great...

-sophia took a 2 1/2 hour nap this afternoon

-weather was pleasant and cooool weather is coming tomorrow!

-i finally finished putting up my halloween decorations

-i made gnocchi for the first time

-mary baked pumpkin bread today and is giving me a loaf :D

-mr. dandy is doing the dishes as we speak :)

the downside to all of this...

-sophia is not going to sleep and is crying out, "mommy"

-i don't think i have a clean pair of jeans to wear tomorrow

-i'm hoping the huge spider on my doorstep doesn't scare any of isabella's playmates :/

-gnocchi was enjoyed by everyone except my mother

-mary said i would have a loaf IF it turned out good...here's hoping!

-i don't think the noise my hubby is making while cleaning is helping little miss go to sleep :(

i'm seriously having a tough time focusing on this post as sophia won't stop crying :'(

so, let's get back to great things...

as much as i love cooking with new recipes, i LOVE being able to cook dinner by scanning the pantry and fridge and making something yummy!  and tonight was one of those nights.  i have heard of gnocchi and not knowing what it was, i always thought it sounded delicious...probably b/c it's italian and i love italian food.  anyway, i had found a recipe for gnocchi and purchased all the necessary ingredients.  well, that was a month ago and have no idea where i saved that recipe!  so, a box of gnocchi has been sitting in my pantry.  i decided to bust it out and make a spaghetti sauce to go w/ it.  i had some ground beef in the freezer, a can of tomato sauce, can of tomato paste, and a can of stewed tomatoes...and this...

no lie, this stuff is legit!

do you ever walk by these packets in the grocery store and wonder about them?  i used to until i learned that my mom's out-of-this-world spaghetti was made w/ this!!!  it reminds of the time i tasted my hubby's grandmother's pumpkin pie for the first time.  omgoodness, DEE-LISH!  i raaaaaved about it...told her how wonderful it was...told EVERYONE how crazy good it was.  only to find out it could be purchased in my grocer's freezer.  yup.  marie calendar's....hahahaha!

give it a whirl next time you think about buying a jar of ragu.  i season some ground beef or use a ground italian sausage, some tomato sauce, paste and my secret weapon ;)

sophia is still crying...

childhood shows

okay, so this was NOT going to be the subject of tonight's post, but i cannot help myself!  this is cracking me up!!!  who remembers "hey dude" on nickelodeon???

i'm working on my laptop, flipping thru my dvr'd shows and there's not much waiting for me.  so, i start scrolling thru channels and i see "hey dude"...BLAST FROM THE PAST!  and yes, i'm watching it as we speak...it's HORRIBLE, but i can't help it!  i loved this show!

as i was searching for the above photo, i came across some more fond memories...

and one of my faves...

my brother and i still joke about fifteen.  ryan reynolds was on this show!

okay, folks...google has taken me to youtube and there i found even more shows i watched growing up!

PINWHEEL...I LOVED PINWHEEL!!!

today's special

and picture pages!!??  my love for bill cosby started young!

and sweet paddington bear.

this was SO much fun...i hope you've been reminded of your childhood, too.  it makes me wonder of what my girls are going to remember.  this for sure...

fresh beat band.

nickelodeon is full of geniuses!

another first...

ZUMBA

it kicked my booty.

and i loved it.

tired.

thanks mary for suggesting and being my sidekic...zzzzzzzzz

my first mod podge experience...

took place last month w/ my sis-in-law, christy, after we delved into the world of PINTEREST.  omgoodness, i was in love immediately!  we were both glued to our iphone/ipad oohing and aahing while looking at each other's screens.  i had seen it before while scoping new apps on my iphone but by-passed it as it looked a little confusing.  then my friend mary told me about it, and then i saw it popping up everywhere on facebook.  so, i gave in, and i am SO glad i did.  it's like craftgawker but soooo much better.  you find ideas on cooking, decorating, DIY projects, and even hair-do's!  oh, how i love it.  anyway, i came across two DIY canvas photos from thisismeinspired.blogspot.com and bluecricketdesign.net.  here are two that i have completed thus far (i plan to do two large one for the guest bedroom!)...

things to keep in mind:

use MATTE mod podge (i accidentally used lustre on the second)

paint your canvas FIRST

these instructions are a compilation of two diff projects

supplies needed:

scrapbook paper

canvas

paper cutter

matte mod podge

paint brush or sponge brush (to apply mod podge)

paint brush (to paint canvas)

sponge (to blot paint)

-trim your picture to fit on front of canvas

-trim your scrapbook paper to fit the sides of the canvas, trimming them leaving just a hint of canvas as a border

-paint entire canvas w/ mod podge and allow to dry (10 mins should do it)

-paint mod podge on back of paper and press firmly onto canvas

-w/ a sponge, carefully blot sides of photo w/ paint and allow to dry

-apply mod podge on back of photo

-and carefully apply to front of canvas

-use a towel to press photo firmly

-paint on mod podge to sides and front, it will look milky, but it will dry clear!

i purchased a tiny easel from joanne's and painted it the same color i used on the canvas

this is w/o the painted edges, and the canvas was painted after the paper and photo were glued on

so sorry if my instructions were confusing w/ the merge of both projects!!

this is such an easy project that leaves you w/ a very special looking piece of art for your home.  i think they make great gifts, too!

thank you so much christy, my dear, for joining me in my first mod podge adven-cha ;)

it's october 2nd...

and that means two things...september is over and i haven't posted the fab mama-jama of the month!  AND i am already behind on busting out my halloween decor...BOO (pun intended!).  i blame it all on sickness :(  my poor fab mama-jama had to reschedule her photo shoot b/c she was really sick.  and a few days ago my household was BUGGED...yup, my worst nightmare came true.  my oldest girl threw-up on the couch minutes before my friend brooke and her fam were scheduled to come stay w/ my girls so me and the hubs could have a date night.  omgoodness, i'm so glad the sickness started when it did (how awful would it have been for my friends fam to be here w/ their little ones, and i'm away)!  not even an hour later, my poor baby vomits (as i'm holding her on my hip, talking on the phone rescheduling the next days' events).  good times.  two days later...hubby is down for the count.  this mama was and is the last man standing (so, i guess my worst nightmare didn't come all the way true)!  so, my hands are dry from all the washing and anti-bacterial hand sanitizer.  i've done countless loads of laundry, smell of lysol, and i'm finally getting some time ALOOOONE in my lovely lady cave...w/ a little lamp on as to not wake up any sleeping babies (and i keep whispering heytells to mary) and a much deserved glass of chilled chardonnay...*sigh*

day two...two sick sisters watching cartoons for hours

day three...pretty much on the mend...

it was a GORGEOUS day and mama locked them out while daddy was passed out and she was lysoling and scrubbing carpet :)

today was a new day.  we woke up, had a super yummy breakfast and i got one halloween decoration up...

isabella gets excited about this one!

and we all left the house!  mr. dandy (i'm sure the hubs is going to love that!) was still feeling a little shaky, and i thought he was going to stay home, but he mustered up the strength to venture out w/ me and the girls for a trip to the bakery for dee-lish cupcakes and the park :)

isabella - mama, daddy is coming w/ us, isn't that lovely?

me - yes, sweety, that is lovely