and tyler gave to me...

you'll just have to wait and see! yes, I'm a poet.

Hopefully {fingers crossed} it will be ready on Saturday. I can't wait. I'm so excited. How will I ever contain myself for three more days?

I'll leave you today with this tiny photo of me from our low key, no stress, all night Monopoly UBuild Christmas Eve. It was really great. I can admit now that the boys and I stayed up until 4:00AM Christmas morning playing this game. And then all the next day. And the next... well you get the picture.
Chance got me this great cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks that's so much more than a cookbook. Her name is Ree and she started a blog a little over three years ago {I found her a couple of months after she starting blogging because of her photography} about her life as a ranch wife and homeschooling mother of four. It has pictures from her life and the ranch. Oh, and food.

She's a pretty huge player in the blogging world now and even has another book coming out in February that tells the story of how she met her husband, then married him, and then moved to the ranch in the middle of Oklahoma. It's called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels which started as a post on her blog. She would post chapters of the story every couple of months and then finally compiled it into a book.  And she sold the movie rights. Yeah.

Check her out here.... The Pioneer Woman.

cabin fever

No, I haven't been anywhere except Walgreens in about three days. I have been working sooooo hard on a few projects that I hope to unveil on New Year's Day! Yay! I did take the dog on a walk today around the block instead of the typical just let him out the back door. I needed to stretch my legs a little and breath in some fresh {albiet FRIGID} air. I didn't even take my camera with me... believe it or not! So instead I will leave you with this cute picture of Tyler and Jessica on Christmas Eve. She looked so cute and brought me the most adorable ornament for Christmas. THANKS Jess!! It was great to see your sweet face.

great tallahassee blizzard of 2010

Chance and I left the house this morning because the word on the street {i.e. facebook} was that it was snowing in Tallahassee. We knew it probably wouldn't make it to our house and we didn't want to miss it so we headed north as fast as we could. In our pjs.  

But we only had to go as far as midtown to find the flurries that made my baby squeal like a little girl. Merry Christmas, sweet boy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Oh, and btw, eating leftovers and using TWO plates. Just for me. Keepin' it real. Just sayin'.

Spin Cycle

The face of laundry businesses have changed since the last time I visited one about 10 years ago. They are open 24 hours, have super, huge, monster-sized machines, flat screens on every wall, air-conditioning, and these cards that you swipe on the machine instead of feeding that 10 pound pocket of quarters you've always saved for laundry day. Oh and did I mention WIFI? Yes, free WIFI!

Wash-Around-the-Clock, Tallahassee, FL

She really loves me... she just won't admit it

Meet my friend, Gabby. She is a member of the Bond's family. Whenever I go to their house, I try desperately to get her to let me pet her. I talk baby talk to her, sing her songs, and dance the hokey pokey. Most of the time, she runs and hides behind her momma. But sometimes.... sometimes, she lets me reach waaayyyy across the table and rub her sweet face. And then she runs and hides behind her momma.

The gift for anyone and everyone!

Christmas is in 3 days, 3 hours, 21 minutes, 23 seconds. And this gift will last a lifetime.

It really is the perfect choice for family, friends, babies, kids, teens, young adults, grads, and more! 

Kids growing up too fast? Document this time now. Family growing? Capture those moments. Birthday coming up? Make them feel special. Graduating soon? Be proud and show it. Do you have a best friend that you want to remember always? These are the days. 

Call or email and we can customize your photo shoot however you want. Also can create a one-of-a-kind certificate for Christmas, birthday, etc. Just allow 24 hours for customizing and printing.

How can you get one you ask? Call, text, or email me. Like Santa, I deliver. You can also pick it up, have it emailed, or snail mailed.

12 drummers drummin'

Actually, there were more than that... like 25 drummers, marimbas, bass, cymbals. But I like to keep with the season of things. The Capital City Kingsmen held their December Boot Camp over the weekend at Boot Camps To Go.

Really? A place to voluntarily attend boot camp? There was no fancy equipment or even heat. Just a warehouse with all you really need to work out... yourself, some rope, some sort of platform thingys, and a whole host of inspirational messages on signs and even written directly on the wall. I was intrigued. But, alas, I have to say, no thanks. I have a firm workout regime that consists of exercising my arms by carrying around camera equipment and doing lifts with diet coke cans. Hoist. Beep. Snap. Raise. Sip. Enjoy

Also, with the hours that this drum corp keeps -- 8pm-6am both Friday and Saturday nights, I am the first one to admit that I am old and can't keep up. So I just took lots of pictures in the 45 minutes I was there so it looked like I was there all night. See, brains, not brawn.

However, I did bring the guys a little snack of sausage balls and brownies in honor of the Ty-Ty's birthday. The sausage balls were a hit. And there were about 6 or 7 left in the bowl. Here is the conversation that followed:

me: There are a few sausage balls left. Does anyone want them?
dylan: OO-OO-OO-- I'll take them.
me: Ok come and get them.
dylan: Oh, that's more than a couple. Well, ok, I'll just stick them in my pocket.

And, like the memories I have of my 8 year old boys putting all their stuff in their pockets, that's exactly what he did. PRECIOUS!

Oh, and pretty sure the guy doing sit ups dropped his sticks. Reminded me of band camp.

my new business cards

what'cha think?

Rachel and Chance at the Railroad

Well, the exams are over so I headed over the tracks to celebrate with Rachel and Chance. They are two people who really make photography easy.

It was a messy day but a F-U-N day. The rain came and went and came and went all day. And then it got HOT. Really? It's been in the teens all week, but I'm pretty sure we all broke a sweat... especially Chance. That's because he was pickin' on us so we drove off and made him run all the way to the vintage shop. Ha ha.

heater hogger

We live in an old house and the central heat just can't keep up when the temps drop below 35 degrees. Today, I brought home an electric heater. I took it out of the box, plugged it in, turned it on.

And this is what happened...

He refused to move. And blocked all the heat coming out. And wouldn't even look at me. But he was so cute with his little arms folded. Just sat quietly in front of the fire heater.

Three hours of the most fun I ever had

Leon Performing Arts Winter Showcase {PAWS} was this weekend and man, oh man, I couldn't believe how absolutely, positively TALENTED these people are! Lead by a host of band, chorus, orchestra, guitar and thespian directors, the night was filled with three hours of the best entertainment this side of the Big Bend. I had only planned on going the first night, but couldn't help myself from showing up Saturday night just in case I had missed something.

And I took loads of photos. I mean truckloads. Here's a sampling:

Of course, my sweet, baby Chance was a part of it all... and I was so happy that I caught this moment of jammin', bangin', and totally ROCKIN' that cowbell.

PAWS

Leon High School's Performing Arts Winter Showcase {PAWS} is this weekend. And it's the hottest ticket in town, from what I've heard. I caught a peak at the rehearsal this afternoon and I was amazed. If you've ever been in the auditorium at Leon, you know that space is at a premium. But the performing arts folks make use of every nook and cranny to entertain.

Concert & Symphonic. Steel. Thespians. Choirs. Instrument Ensembles. Melodears. Guitars. Jazz. You name it. You'll hear it.

It's standing room only, baby.

brrrr!

Really? Really!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I made this last night and it was so very yummy! And I always add mini marshmallows to the bottom of the cup before I pour the hot chocolate. So they melt a little. Oh my. So good.

1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
4 c. milk
a bit of vanilla

Combine cocoa, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Heat it on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan. After about 1 to 2 minutes, add milk and vanilla. Mix it all together until it is hot.

You're gonna love it.

jumpin'

Who: Lion Steel Bands
What: a dynamic, energetic steel concert with traditional steel and metal rock music
When: Sunday, December 5

If you have never seen one of these concerts, you are definitely missing out on one of the best music experiences in Tallahassee. The Leon High School Lion Steel Bands are celebrating their 20th year and consist of 2 beginner bands, 2 adult bands, an intermediate {Jouvert}, and an advanced {Canboulay}.

Mike Wendelyn, who is the director of all these groups, announced during the concert that the Canboulay Steel Band will be travelling to Virginia Beach in the Spring to, once again, compete on a national level. In 2008, this group won every single award that was available to win. Nice, huh?

Some of these groups will be participating the PAWS {Performing Arts Winter Showcase} this coming weekend, December 10-11. They also hold a huge dinner concert in the Spring.

Come. Watch. Listen. Jump. Dance.You'll never be the same.

O Christmas Tree

For every year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.

Glee... not so sure. We finally got the tree up and decorated yesterday... and yes, the angels sang. But can I just say that the road to get there was paved with laziness and something better to do. HA HA.

I'm blaming it on the cold.

Here in Florida, it always seems to be warm -hot for the few days after Thanksgiving. This year it's been in the 30s at night so I'm pretty sure that fact has thrown us off our game.

But we are not ones to get sidetracked for long. Before I got up this morning, Chance had completely decorated the living room and woke me up because he couldn't find the lights. Thank goodness {i love you Chance} that we don't have anymore lights because he was planning his annual string them from anything and everything in the living room and dining room.

Whew....

He waits

If I say the boys names, he runs through the house looking for them. And when he doesn't find either one, he sits by the door... waiting... whining... until the hears the car.

Thursday's Dinner

So... yeah... chocolate chip pie. Gone.

Cool Photo Craft Idea from Photojojo

Origami Photo Ornaments in 5 Minutes! Squee!

I thought this looked like such a cool idea to do with those prints that are just laying around in a drawer somewhere. Put them to good use and make these cute ornaments. Click the link for the instructions.

In preparation for holiday celebrations sweeping the nations, may we present:

Ornamentation!

With some simple perforations (and no lamentations) your festive decorations will garner adulation!

To feel the elation, click this link for the demonstration.

Origami Photo Ornaments in 5 Minutes! Squee!

Enjoy!

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