the end of ponytails??

it's been 8 long weeks since my horrific haircut. for those 8 weeks i have done nothing with my hair but ponytails, messy buns and pigtails. this morning we didn't have a lot going on so i decided to try and actually do my hair. i was surprised to find that with a ridiculous amount of product and time (it took forever) it kind of works. the layers are not quite as fly away as they were, the extra growth has weighted them down a bit. and the extra product keeps the frizzies under control. but, due to the time issue, i still won't be fixing it very often. however, it is nice to know that the option is there should i so desire.

bella took the photos












this is a post that i started a few days ago and got sidetracked. i figured that since it was based on the same theme as this one, i would just combine them together.

i was fixing my hair this morning when a little shimmer caught my eye. upon closer inspection i found the source of the shimmer to be one lonely, stray grey hair. now a grey hair is nothing new to me. i have been pulling them out for years, but i must say that in the last 6 months the frequency of this find has increased tremendously. i proceeded in the normal course of action when this find occurs; quick pull with the tweezers and all is well again. however, unlike it's predecessors this hair was really long. usually they are very short, just starting out. but this one had been hanging around for awhile, camouflaging itself. is that how we turn grey? they hideout growing in secrecy and then you wake up one day and surprise! half your head is grey? now i understand that getting grey's is a part of life, but i simply am not ready for it! i want to remain in denial, thinking that by some miracle it isn't going to happen to me! i'm not ready to try and figure out what highlights and hair color i want to use to cover it all up. and can someone please tell me why they have to be so stiff and wiry?!??! is that what my whole head is going to look like? a mess of steel wool? these are the thoughts that run through my head when these finds occur. these are the stresses that they bring, silly and ridiculous as they are. and why is it that when men start turning grey they look distinguished and women just look, well older than they did before. and of course the most important thought of all....why do i let it bother me??

project runway

recently i have found a new wednesday addiction. project runway. i cannot sew. i am not a "inspired to create something fabulous out of nothing" gal. i wish i were, but it's just not one of my talents. so it amazes me what these designers can do. the pressure, the drama.... so entertaining! last night's episode was especially fabulous. the designers had to make outfits for each other that represented different music genres. this morning when i was blog surfing i found this entry about the show and it cracked me up! it was everything that we said about kenley. i had to link it so that other p.r. viewers could enjoy the laugh as well.

project runway recap

homage to fall

fall is in the air. the air is crisper and carrying the smells of fall. the leaves are changing, some are even falling. making that delightful crunching sound when you step on them. the breeze is chilly, but not enough to keep you inside. the sun warms me just enough, but not too much. yes, i think today is the perfect fall day. now all i need is a hot caramel apple cider from starbucks and the scene would be complete. of course the ideal location to enjoy such a treat would be at this picturesque scene. traveling to japan during the fall is now on my must do list. for me, fall also means that the oven comes back from vacation. i love to bake and make wonderful home cooked meals in the oven, but it's hard to do so during the summer. in my mind it creates a vicious cycle. turn on the a\c to cool the house, insert heat from warm oven making the a\c run even more. don't misunderstand, i do run the oven in the summer, i just try really hard not to do it frequently. last year, we discovered a scrumptious pumpkin dessert, which i also crave at the beginning of fall. we love it so much that i have made it twice in the last two weeks. if you are a pumpkin fan, or even just a pumpkin indifferent, you must try it. i promise you will not be disappointed.

the great pumpkin dessert

1 150z can pumpkin
1 12oz can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 c sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 c melted butter or margarine
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans

in a mixing bowl combine the first five ingredients. transfer to a greased 9x13 baking pan. sprinkle with cake mix and drizzle with butter. top with nuts. bake at 350 for 1 hour. serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

my movie list

for date night larry and i went to the movies. one of my favorite parts of the movie is the trailers. i am always excited to see what movies are coming up and inevitably there is at least one trailer that sparks my interest. but this time all the trailers were so lame! there seriously was not one movie that i wanted to see. i was so disappointed and honestly felt a little bit robbed. so i decided to make my own trailer line up. these are all movies that are coming out in the next few months that i really want to see. some of them have not been rated yet so they might not make the final cut but for now; here they are!
(click on the titles to watch the trailers)


Australia

hugh jackman, nicole kidman, world war II, set in unbelievable australia; need i say more? i mean really....do i need to say more??

Defiance

i love movies that are inspired by true events. especially ones that involve people doing extraordinary things. defiance is about three brothers living in nazi occupied poland during wwII. to escape certain death, they flee to the forest where they fight for survival against the nazis and the elements. what begins as their struggle quickly becomes the struggle of thousands as others join them.

The Secret Life of Bees

this movie is based on the best selling novel of the same name and is set in south carolina during the civil rights era. the story revolves around a young girl who is on a difficult journey of self discovery and the family of bee keeping sisters that help her get there. i think i'm going to need a box of tissues for this one.

Twilight

last, but certainly not least, twilight. i really cannot wait for this movie. i am not ashamed, even though i probably should be, of how much i love this series of books and hope that the movie is able to capture the essence of the story that we all love. i use the word "we" loosely but i know that there are many of you out there that are just as excited as i am for this one.

sunday funnies - not the newspaper kind

sunday's are a great source of entertainment for our family. it seems like there is something about that particular day of the week that turns our kiddos into slightly crazy people. today was no exception. we got to church a little late and had to sit on the back pew. in our church, the back row is seperate from the other pews. there is a huge space between the pew in front of us and behind us is the sliding partition. to lily this "space" meant that she had freedom to roam where ever she wanted. this of course included walking behind the pew and pushing on the partition. and since there is such a huge space between the pews all of her activities are in clear view. next time we are late and the only spaces available are those, we will just sit in the foyer. at the end of church lily was missing her sweater. i went to the nursery to pick it up where they informed me that she continually tried to strip and kept asking everyone to "please take my clothes off". nice. let's hope she outgrows that phase soon. she strips at home all the time but that's the first time we have had a problem in public. thank goodness i put her in a dress with a lot of buttons! oh well, at least she provided the entertainment in the nursery today!!

which sports car are you??

i am a porsche 911

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite, and you know it.

DISCLAIMER!! i just think this is a fun little quiz but i don't agree with it at all! when it comes to the lastest technology i am practically inept and don't consider myself elite in any way, shape or form. just had to clear that up. now take the quiz and see if you agree with what it says or not.

take the quiz and see Which sports car are you?

relinquishing control - sort of

brooke's first preschool homework assignment is due this week. it's a fun project called about me. last year they did a similar thing where they made mini me's. at the meet and greet a few of the parents were discussing the project and how last year it was impossible for most of us to just let them do it. i think all brooke got to do on her's was color this one little area and i finished the rest for her. i decided that this year i would be better. i would let it be her project, she could do all the drawing, coloring, etc. and i started out well. when she drew all of us with purple hair and no bodies i didn't say a thing.

but then when she went to draw chick-fil-a and it turned into a swirly purple blob i..... just....couldn't.....take it.....any....more. a little intervention is ok right?? and if i personally don't do it for her then i'm still letting her be in control?? so i enlisted bella's help. brooke told her what she wanted and bella drew and colored it for her. at least that way you can tell what the picture is supposed to be.
PLUS it made for some good ol sisterly bonding time. they had a great time working on it together and it still has a childish feel to it that makes it endearing. of course the bad part of not doing it for her is the fear that she will be the only kid there with an unpolished masterpiece. although, i don't think that's something that they even pick up on. it's just something that we parents care about.
in the end brookes favorites are:

color - pink

food - fruit loops

animal - mokey

place - chick-fil-a

to do - go to the zoo

when she grows up she wants to be a ballerina

if she could have one wish she would wish for a pony