i was taking a break...

and you should, too!  i had been designing some invitations and thought i needed to "walk away" from them for awhile...this is SO helpful to me when i'm designing/creating things.  anyway, i digress...again, lol.  *sigh*  i'm so glad that i can entertain myself.  okay, really, back to my point...i left illustrator to facebook for a bit.  i came across an article that someone posted.  there was a thumbnail of children titled "don't carpe diem".  the first few words enticed me..."every time i'm out w/ my kids -- this seems to happen..."  yes, please tell me more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

read it!  read every word til the end...trust me, you'll be glad you did.  it was a nice break, and i'm sure you'll agree ;)

and just b/c everyone likes pics...

she's a mess, and i love her!

they adore each other...most of the time ;)

just like mamacita...

used to make!  my mom makes THE BEST rice and beans...hands down!  i've been wanting to recreate her frijoles a la charra for some time now, and yesterday was the day...and guess what?  i nailed it!!!  it was the first time for me to cook beans like this, and she wasn't even around to help.  but w/ some tips from my brother and my sister AND their recollection of what my mom does, i gave it a shot.  i have to admit they were a little salty, and i may know why.  i told my mom my recipe and process and she said that she doesn't salt the water (i did).  i will have to play around w/ the recipe the next time i cook them.  although, it will be awhile as i cooked a big pot o' beans!

the beginning

the end :)

i'm not going to share this recipe until i figure out the salt situation.  honestly, i felt much like my mom as i was cooking this...no measuring, no idea how long i cooked them, and it just came from the heart :)  the idea that i was trying to recreate the taste of my mom's delicious beans was pretty exciting, and omgoodness, the house smelled dee-lish, lol!  i told the hubs, "well, it smells like i'm doing something right!"  seriously, he could tell you how anxious i was about the outcome AND how proud and excited i was that they tasted just like mom's :)  once i have these down, it's on to her rice!

be thinking of that one dee-lish dish of your mama's that you would love to "nail"...another contest is simmering ;)

a week ago...

was mr. dandy's birthday, and i really wanted to have a special post for him.  it was to be so special that my tired mind couldn't figure out what to do or say, and then well, last night was NOT a good night for me to try and be sweet, lol.  so, here we are a week later.  babe, this is for you.

january 4, 1979

jimmy carter was president.  "another brick in the wall, part II" by pink floyd was the number one song.  the cost of a gallon of gas was 88 cents, and a sony walkman was 200 bucks!  i was a month and three days old :)

on this particular thursday morning, God brought a boy into this world named jason kirk.  that boy turned into a young man that i fell HEAD OVER HEELS for.  seriously, this was unlike any other crush.  the crush turned into puppy love and puppy love turned into a romance.  and one day it dawned on me that i was truly in love w/ the man that i would one day call my husband.

january 4th was the day that God made the perfect match for me.  God knew i needed someone who appreciated my weirdness, my humor and my continuing need to create (who else would help me gather glitter, hammer wooden chairs together or make a dow rod fit on a candle holder?).  He also knew that i needed a man's man that loves steaks, loves football and loves taking care of the yard (God knows i cannot keep anything green alive).  and God did not forget that i needed a man who loves Him like i do.  God was also kind enough to fulfill my attraction for the talk, dark and handsome type, too!  ;)

and on this cold january day, He blessed this boy w/ a warm, tender heart that two little girls would need from their daddy.  and this boy was given an imagination and a mind that would hold onto his kid-like ways so play dates w/ daddy would be bar-none the best!!

so, jason, i thank God for you every. single. day.  and thank you, m & b, for raising this boy w/ all the love and support that would mold the man that he is today.

happy belated birthday, mister.  my love for you is uncontrollable, God-written and lovely.  thank you for listening to your heart and loving me back :)

better late than never, right?  i put the PRO in procrastination ;)

my neck hurts...

i'm tired, and i'm just NOT in a good mood...delightful, huh?  soooo, i'm postponing tonight's post until tomorrow.  until then, have a giggle over this...

isabella - mama, i'm trying to play picnic w/ my friends pretend (sounding annoyed)
me - that sounds nice, what's the problem?
isabella - sophia keeps messing w/ everything
me - well, she just wants to play w/ you

...after trying to tell sophia to stop messing w/ the picnic over and over again, i suggested that isabella move her picnic to her room and close the door.  minutes later she comes to me w/ a blank piece of paper and a pencil...

isabella - will you write something for me?  i want you to write DON'T COME IN MY ROOM
me - *moment of silence and disbelief*  um, sure...

...i write it out for her and she then asks me to tape it on her door.  i do and she is very thankful and pleased.  i walk off and come back to find her writing on the paper...

me - wow!  what is all this?

isabella - i wrote my name so everyone knows this is my room

me - why did you write it backward?

isabella - i didn't.  that's how you spell my name (she spells it out for me).  i had to write it like that b/c it wouldn't fit on the paper

me - okay, and who are those people?

isabella - that is sophia.  she has a circle and a line through it b/c she's not allowed.  that's loralai, grace and madi.

me - and who is on the bottom?

isabella - that's you and daddy.  you and daddy have a circle and line through, too, b/c parents aren't allowed.

SHE'S FOUR YEARS OLD PEOPLE!!!

lovely, just lovely...

this might be my first ever...

saturday post!  it's saturday night, and i am typing on my laptop in bed, sipping on a glass of chilled vino and feeling relieved of what was accomplished today :)  the day started w/ isabella's first cheering game...

it was a rough start (had to wake her up from bed), quick breakfast in the car, and the girl was not about it...no pom-pom shaking, no "RA-RA-RA" (that was for you, mary), nada.  honestly, i wasn't surprised as she has experienced...stage fright/shyness, before.  so, the whole first half was a bust, but after a snacky-snack at half-time, she was ready to go!  :)

after the fun of that, we headed home for lunch and outfit change and headed to a birthday party.

this girl would just love gymnastics!

hee-hee...baby sister trying to get in on the fun!

the party so much fun and just what this dandy lady needed!!  it was a nice break to play w/ the kiddos, not think of what i need to do and just have some fun.  i mean...i wasn't at home so i could NOT do any chores, work, picking-up...*sigh* it was nice.

we came home, grabbed some pizza, watched the texans win and worked some more on dandies.  finally, after a little playtime w/ the girls, showers and such, i started on some more F-U-N!

i drew the winner of my first give-away...

and angela YOU WON!

i hope you find this planner handy!!!  photo-shoot schedule?  meal planner?  day-to-day?...all of the above?

woo-hoo!  what's that you see?  yay-uh!...my new silhouette cameo that my wonderful hubby gave me for Christmas!  in fact, this was the first time for me to use it!

and after that, i glitterized the next prize for brooke! who guessed the right answer first...ha!  i find it quite funny that all of you guessed the correct answer to the "tangled" quote :)  so here you go brooke...

hang next to your awesome collection of jewelry? shoes, perhaps? ;)

i love give-aways!!!  even if i can count on one hand the number of participants, lol.  which reminds me...awesome mr. dandy emailed me a site...http://handmaderyangosling.tumblr.com/ which he had seen on ms. ginny's blog.  i've seen some of these on pinterest and find them HYSTERICAL!  so here are a few that i personally find laugh-out-loud funny...

and last but not least...

our very own ginny! entered this!...girl!  hilarious!

oh, and this...i HAD to include this b/c mr. dandy has and does say this...

oh my...my cheeks hurt from laughing...good night lovelies!

forgive me...

ladies, i am sorry, but i will be doing the drawing tomorrow!  this week has been nonstop for me and every day i have wanted to blog, but i couldn't muster the energy at the end of a very long day.  i guess i could try, but i prob wouldn't make much sense and the next morning i wouldn't be the best mom i can be for my girls and not much of a wife for my man when he gets home.  so, the next few days (yes, weekend blogging!) i will prob be back-to-back blogging about all i've been wanting to talk about...more resolutions, my amazing hubby and his birthday, talk of mr. gosseling (sp?) lol, and so much more.  i honestly thought this week was going to be a relaxed, post-Christmas hub-bub, ease back into the routine of things week, but it wasn't that at all.  BUT i am grateful for the craziness of my life and thank God for every day and its opportunities :)

thanks for being awesome and understanding and loyal readers! hugs to you lovelies!

phew...

what a day!  after finishing my post last night, i worked on some dandies orders and hit the hay!  after a good night's sleep (and a dream of being back in high school, the week of prom and realizing i didn't have a date!), i woke up this morning w/ much desire to DO, DO, DO!  w/ holidays, family visiting, traveling, decorations, and no time to spare for any real cleaning, this house was turned upside down, shakin' and stirred!  and i didn't quite know where to start.  yes i did...coffee :)  thankfully, isabella had a playmate over who kept both girls entertained for part of the day.  more dandies done, Christmas decor down and in the attic!, rooms vacuumed, furniture dusted, groceries purchased!, and even a blog post ;)  someone must've slipped a little something extra in my cup of joe this morning!

now, in case you were wondering, no, i have NOT forgotten about my monthly fab-mama-jamas!  they will be gracing your technical screen w/ in the month :)  hopefully, two back-to-back depending on the awesome angela wilson and the two lovely ladies' schedules.

and speaking of schedules, i need a new bill planner for 2012.  really, it's a normal weekly/monthly planner that i use just for paying bills.  so, my goal tomorrow is to buy two...one for me and one for ONE of you :)  leave a comment and tell me what your new year's resolution is.  i'll pick the most ambitious one and send the over-achieving lady a new 2012 planner.  BBBAAAAHHHH!!!  okay, j/k...i'll just draw a name friday the 6th ;)  so, you lovely ladies who tell me they always want to comment but read my blog on their phone...figure it out!  lol..."oh, i'm just teasing, you're adorable."  okay, and whoever can guess that line first will win this...

it's a small version of one i printed for my lovely lady lair :)  it will be glitterized a tad ;)

one of my new year's resolutions is to keep up w/ a daily devotional...daily.  here is an excerpt from yesterday's JESUS CALLING: ENJOYING PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE...

"A close walk with Me is a life of continual newness.  Do not cling to old ways as you step into a new year.  Instead, seek My Face with an open mind, knowing that your journey with Me involves being transformed by the renewing of your mind."

thank you ginny ;)

it's the first of january...

and i haven't even said merry Christmas!  wowsers!  my last post was the 15th of december, and i had plans to blog on til AT LEAST Christmas eve, but the hustle and bustle of december got the best of me...as always!  i love it though.  even w/ the overwhelmingness of it all, i love the shopping, baking, parties, wrapping, decorating, eating, gathering, yada, yada, yada...it is the most wonderful time of the year on my calendar :)  and honestly, i was a little bummed it was all over...until now.  i rung in the new year til the wee hours of the morning w/ the hubs and old friends listening to live music :)  and today (as i drove 2.5 hours to pick up the girls) as the sun was shining, w/ a grande cinammon dolce latte, and the best 90s country music blaring on the radio, i thought of 2012 and all the new beginnings this year will bring!  and i was getting very excited at the thought of de-Christmasing the house and lightening everything up w/ spring decor!  i was so ready to grab the girls and come back home and kick off 2012, but then the energy level winded down on the 2.5 hour car trip home, ha!  so, i just wanted to say hello! and i will catch you back here tomorrow w/ some more blog love and talk of what's to come!  until then...

merry Christmas and happy new year from mr. & mrs. dandy!

15th day of Christmas...

and i've been noticing one of the most beautiful and creative gifts from God...nature.  i don't know what's going on here in texas, but the leaves on the trees are something that you expect from the new england area.  it's been such a treat to see these amazing colors in my own home town!  i wish i would've taken pics sooner as the leaves are falling now, but i managed to take a few quick shots today in my neighborhood :) i just had to share the beauty...

the drive into our neighborhhood...the smaller trees have never looked like this before!

when have you ever seen crepe myrtles look like this??

oh, i WISH i would've photographed this tree before most of the leaves fell!  this photo doesn't even capture the golden yellow beauty!  thankfully, it's my neighbor's tree so i've been able to admire it daily :)

again, i have never seen this tree (my other neighbor) w/ these colors!

take notice of all these lovely gifts my friends!  God has His own way of decorating this season ;)

13th day of Christmas...

and i just have to share this...i'm really not a fan of the trans siberian orchestra.  in fact it kinda gives me the heebie jeebies!  the hubs and i were catching up on "the office", and i now will now giggle every time i here this song!...




quite different from my last post, i know...you just never know w/ this dandy lady ;)

11th day of Christmas...

and it was a fantastic Sunday!  our little fam went back to church :)  yeeeeeah, so, i have a prob w/ leaving my little miss sophia w/ childcare...mainly b/c she has a prob w/ it!  we drop her off and there are tears, loud crying, and sobbing words of "mama".  i can't deal.  the last attempt we were told she cried the entire time :/  seriously??  so, after hearing in-laws leaving her w/ church childcare w/ no prob, i thought maybe we were good OR maybe it was b/c it was someone else leaving her and not mommy and daddy.  yup, that's what it was.  she cried, and we walked away.  i haaaaaaate it.  but we walked into the sanctuary and the awesome praise and worship team brought me to the place i needed to be :)  i maybe only thought of sophia once or twice ;)  i have missed worship.  it's such a beautiful thing to sing about my Lord and Savior w/ my man standing next to me.  it's nearly impossible for me to make it through singing w/o getting a little teary-eyed.  funny thing is my mom is the same way and i never understood it.  but it makes complete sense to me now.  it's kinda like singing happy birthday to my girls...watching them in the glow of the candles, noticing how much they've grown, and thinking about the celebration of it all...the love!  it's the love.  i love Him.  He is holy, and i am His and the emotion of that can be a little much to hold back.  and then throw in Christmas songs and fugghetabout it...

there's something about reading the lyrics that help me appreciate these songs even more.

o holy night (one of my faves)


O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!





i love, love, love josh groban's rendition of this song!

i hope you enjoyed reading that as much as i did...a powerful message of wonderful news :)  and other good news, sophia eventually stopped crying and stayed in the nursery through the whole service...yea!

9th day of Christmas...

...and i should be all dolled up w/ my hottie hubby for his work's Christmas party...oh sorry, they call it "year end celebration," :/ but w/ childcare up in the air and a FULL day that is getting us out before nine in the morning tomorrow, i decided...pass.  honestly, while we ran errands today it was nice thinking i didn't have to be back home by a certain time, figuring in time for dressing up (in who knows what), and having the girls all situated.  we had such a great day running around getting things done and having a yummy lunch at one of our fave mexican restaurants.  call me loca but that is one of my favorite things to do as a fam.  just getting in the car, running here and there, stopping for a bite and just being together :)  and when we got home sophia was wiped out for a good nap and mr. dandy and isabella put the lights up outside...hooray!  twinkling lights are like glitter.  glitter makes me happy :)  and you know what else makes me happy?  jewelry that sparkles.  sparkles are like glitter.  glitter makes me happy.

tribute bracelet

stella & dot

-i'm loving the rose gold!-

silver bardot spiral bangle

stella & dot

-i actually have this in gold and absolutely love it!-

so, mr. man...add this to my wish list!  and any of you who might be interested in these beauties for yourself and/or someone else, contact my girl mary.  keep this in mind...every piece comes wrapped in a cute box (no need to giftwrap), it comes straight to your mailbox AND if you order by december 21st, you can still get in time for Christmas!!!

and some more happiness, my sweet isabella...

me: isabella, do you know what Christmas is all about?

isabella: yes.  it's when baby Jesus was born

phew!  seriously, since my post about the seven santas around my house, i've been a little worried!  later, when we were out and about, i asked her to tell daddy what Christmas was all about and she said, "it's a big birthday party for baby Jesus!"

HUGE GRIN ON MR. & MRS. DANDY!

so bring on the glitter, the sparkle, the twinkles...we have something LOVELY to celebrate :)

8th day of Christmas...

...and i'm working on my list for mr. dandy :)  i've been thinking how awesome it would be to have one of those cricket things...cricut, i mean.  it cuts letters, shapes and designs out of paper, vinyl aaaand fabric!?  omgoodness, the crafting possibilities are ENDLESSSSS.  and then upon researching this nifty gadget, i discovered the silhouette (i italicize this to give the impression of my voice making a passionate and fancy sound, lol).  this thing hooks up to your computer and you can use fonts and designs that you already have rather than a bunch of cartridges!  yup.  the silhouette is going on the top of my list!  and mr. dandy, you wrap that up and there will be no need for anything else!  in fact, let's hop in the car tomorrow and make this purchase...no need to wrap...just hand it over and say, "MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS LOVELY WIFE!" :)

if not, i will ask santa and take comfort in the fact that i've been good rather than naughty this year...unlike some other burkhalter girls in this house :/

yesterday, i find this...

thank you little miss sophia...b/c we don't already buy enough wipes!

strewn (and i know this isn't the best photo) goldfish crumbs on the bathroom floor (please note the italicization isn't meant for a passionate and/or fancy voice)

and then this...maybe isabella found this cash, stuck it in her pocket and was going to the nearest convenient store for loads of candy?  okay, prob not.  i'm guessing it was left in the dryer from the previous load of laundry and then found it's way in the girls' clothes.  i found this while folding their laundry!  maybe they're tipping me?  let's go w/ that and get them back on the GOOD list ;)

gotta love 'em

silhouette, mr. dandy, silhouette.

7th day of Christmas...

...and we have seven santas...is that bad?  funny thing is i was talking to mary about the whole santa claus thing today.  she had read a blog about one family's decision to exclude santa from Christmas (after raising their first child w/ the whole "you better be good if you want santa to bring you presents" game) and solely focus on the birth of Jesus.  my opinion is moderation.  i see no harm in some good ol' st. nick fun as long as mr. dandy and i responsibly remind our girls "the reason for the season."  as i started taking pics around the house of our santa collection, i'm wondering how responsible i'm being...

my very first santa (gift from mom)...he shakes his groove thing to alan jackson singing "holly jolly Christmas"

santa gourd (gift from sis)...i need to glue this poor guy's hand back on!

santa on a journey (gift from mom)...he is always traveling through snow :)

cool beard santa (gift from mom)...i love how tall and whimsical he is!

"baby it's cold outside" santa OR old timey st. nick (gift from mom)

this guy sits on my stove, which now to think of it, maybe that's not the best place for a wooden santa, lol.  i just thought it's funny b/c it looks like he's eyeing the food, ha!  (gift from an old coworker)

now here is a new addition that i actually bought.  i was super excited about this one (and half-off at hobby lobby:))

so, after all that santa mania i would like to point out these lovely decorations...

my first "nativity scene" that actually stays out year round.  this is one of my favorite pieces in our house!

three wise men

peruvian nativity my sweet friend juliana gave me :)

hat box...looking at this right now, i'm thinking how cool it would be to hang this box top on the wall!

honestly, with all the santas around and gifts under the tree, my little isabella sings of baby Jesus and has mary, joseph and Jesus in her dollhouse...so far so good, right?

6th day of Christmas...

...and i'm allllmost finished w/ the decorating the house!  and it's been so wonderful seeing isabella's eyes light up w/ every decoration!  the girl is her mama's daughter for sure!  i went away on a girls shopping weekend and as soon as i walked in the door isabella ran up to me w/ a huge hug, kiss and one question, "can we put up more Christmas decorations!?"  yes!  and today i hung garland in the breakfast room while she was at school.  when she arrived home and saw the windows all decked out she lit up w/ a gasp, "where did you get that mama?"...SO FUN!!!  why wouldn't you want to deck the halls in celebration of the birth of Christ?!

lots of mercury glass, glitz, white and silver :)

actually had to take down wall decor down in order for this special piece :)  some fake snow and a mama and baby polar bear set.  sophia points at them and says, "brown bear, brown bear,"...one of her fave books ;)  i'm on a mission for new stockings...

so, i know i'm on day 6 and i really wanted to start on day 1, but my nausea sicky feelings was replaced w/ horrible back and chest pains!  my birthday was december 1st, and it was the first birthday that i was actually feeling OLDerrrr.  i actually spent most of the day visiting the doctor and taking xrays :/  thankfully it wasn't anything serious and just muscle pains...too much zumba???  lol!  i was prescribed something for the pain and that pain went away...only to now have neck and shoulder pain.  WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!!??  33 and falling apart...falling apart...

the 5th day of Christmas...

and i bring to you a dandy special ;)  think gift giving...think gift-receiving and thanking...

custom designed thank you cards w/ matching address labels/envelope seals

**25 folded cards w/ envelopes & 33 address labels for $27.50**

to order email me at sdburk@gmail.com

a prego test...

that's how bad i've been feeling!  i had mr. dandy pick up a pregnancy test on his way home from work yesterday b/c feelings of nausea, light headedness and verge of teary eyes.  it was negative.  and what do you know, my cycle has shrunk in size and i started early...twice in one month!?  really?

anyway, w/ traveling, thanksgiving and now not feeling well, the blog has been ignored...and it will pretty much stay that way until this lady feels better!  you know i don't feel well when my Christmas tree has been up since sunday and was just decorated tonight!...but not even completed :/  so, the girls are in bed and hubby is working (he actually worked from home today since i was not feeling well :)) and i am going to crawl in bed.  i hope to catch y'all up on some fun things...thanksgiving, some crafts and even sewing!  AND some great holiday deals from dandies :)

thought i'd give this a try...not bad!

glittering up my life

it's just my thing lately...

my new iphone case via jcrew :)

not that anyone has come up w/ any repercussion for me not zumba-ing, but i have to admit that i did NOT make it thursday.  i had family visiting so i was unable to.  i WILL say that i heard one of the songs from class while i was out and about and did break out some zumba moves in my seat, lol!  does that count?

in other news, i have started my Christmas shopping!!!  i was so excited to start this and where did i start you might ask?...target, of course.  but i didn't begin the shopping until after grabbing my morning coffee, and i was introduced w/ a dee-lish sample of thisssss....

caramel brule latte

let the holidays commence!!!!