and i love you.

i am in LOVE with this stamp from paperfinger. and i'm going to splurge because i finally found my return address stamp {style B} its so me. not too girly, not to plain. just right.

busy busy friday

1. i LOVE this chalkboard and have been keeping my eye out for a frame like it for a whole year now with no luck. {via adventures in renovating a brooklyn limestone; first spotted via design sponge a year ago yesterday}

2. i got lots to do today being that yesterday was spent ALL day at ikea. got all the big stuff i have been wanting and am now in the process of putting things together. will share pics. someday.

3. my sister and i went with no kids or husbands which means there was no complaining (except by me because i wore pretty shoes vs. comfy), no eye rolling and no whining while shopping and looking for 4.5 hours. i rewarded us with some pf changs afterwards.

4. i have super bowl party to get ready too. cleaning, decorating, food making...we also have something fun lined up to make our party a FUN party- hopefully.

5. kaylee did great staying over at her cousins house all day without ME!

6. everyday kaylee asks if she's gotten any mail and i have to keep telling her no and that's when she says" i never get any mail" in a pitiful, sad voice so today i am going to make up a small care package and have her daddy send it to her from his work on monday. i think i will do this at least once a month- a postcard, a little letter or something.

7. finally got a valentine's idea for kaylee's class. i really don't want to do the generic princess cards. will share once they are done.

8. mike's been getting up at 4:30 - 5am every morning to go run at our local college. don't know how he does it.

9. i've been debating on going up to northwestern medical for my allergies. decided against it, again. {see #10}

10. the other night i got onto purdue's website and saw that one year of college for ham will be close to $21,000. $21,000 just for 1 year!! guess the pool is out for the time being. (sorry christine! my heart is broken too)

AWESOME- A GIVEAWAY!

unfortunately not from me. must go to a cool blog- creature comforts for the totally awesome giveaway!

keeping it real wednesday

1. pics from two weeks ago up in chicago. this is the first car we looked at. the outside was super nice, inside was a little worn but still a nice ride. we ended up looking at about 4 cars and i would have had more pictures but they were making fun of me. {ham wished i had gotten more later- ha! serves him right for making fun}

2. my crazy sister and one of her girls came over yesterday to hang out. she brought in all the stuff she bought from the dollar store and burlington coat factory. let me just say WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME TASTE. and that's said with love.

3. we are planning a trip to ikea- schaumburg tomorrow. kaylee will hopefully be staying with cousin rylie and rylie's grandparents. {my sister's in-laws live with them now which is causing lots of complaints from my sister though it was her idea}

4. i finally finished taking down the wall paper border in one of the bathrooms. both bathrooms should of been done by now... i'm hoping to have before and after pictures soon.

5. one of my classmates died in car crash monday. its our 20th reunion this year. so so so sad to have had this happen. my heart goes out to her family and friends.

6. hamilton came home in a great mood yesterday and i took total advantage of it talking and joking around with him. love moments like these.

7. now that my cars payed off, i have more in repairs than what the car payments were. {new tires, brakes, passenger side window doesn't roll up or down and there's a quarter inch that lets in the winter breeze}

8. mike works for an oil company who made billions and billions of dollars last year yet they got the crappiest raises and bonuses this year. supposedly mike's the only supervisor in the area who got the same bonus as last year yet he is the only supervisor doing 3 other supervisors jobs.

9. having a hard time deciding if hardwood floors would look ok with existing trim or if i should have the floors be the same color as the trim. {trim is not white but wood color}

10. i love fruit smoothies and have been drinking one every morning except yesterday. i had a brownie with frosting.

a pretty snowy day

1. i love this photo. it looks all mysterious and the unknown. {i took it last thursday morning while braving the cold. its really outside the front porch and those are paw prints made from my pesky cat}

2. i love the light snow we are currently having. it feels like the trees along the river are being "powdered sugared" and its making the best shade of gray that would look perfect in my bedroom.

3. yesterday i didn't get around to baking that 7up pound cake. cleaning kaylee's toy room took up much of the afternoon. kaylee did get to paint my nails though so it was a semi win.

4. i am yet again car-less today. i don't mind it too much, its helping me stay in and not spend frivolously though its also making me miss fun visits with friends.

5. still looking for a wooden handle address stamp- is that a frivolous purchase?. just cant make up my mind. am loving these from emilie friday's etsy shop.

6. my parents want to take kaylee to florida during spring break. i'm having a hard time letting her go. why cant they take her to the zoo or to the mall or to a movie?

7. even with my list making, i'm feeling a little overwhelmed. i have so much i want to do and get done yet don't know where to start. ever get that feeling??

8. speaking of which, i still have a menu to plan for our super bowl party. mikes' one and only concern is getting a ping pong table. must be nice to have only that one concern when its your party.

9. my sister was going a mile a minute last night. complaining, cutting down my parents, interrupting...

10. so happy to find this- kell on earth. i loved her on laguna beach and the hills. believe it or not i use to be like her except a little bit nicer. not much though.

made by girl

i have this poster hanging in the kids bathroom. now thinking i need one of these, just wish the hello poster had aloha on it. {she chose the languages from those who visit her blog} if you look close enough, hello and love is spelled out in light gray. made by girl.

random monday

1. i LOVE this little tree from our old house. its a miniature japanese maple i think. it shouldn't get any taller than 4'. i didn't want it to get in the way of the view. i wish i had brought it with me, along with my beautiful peonies.

2. friday stayed home and just chilled. saturday went up to lumber liquidators to look for some hardwood floors. thinking of doing the family room, dining room and the front entry for the first batch. went to eat a light, late lunch at granite city then headed to a nieces birthday party.

3. sunday was low key doing laundry and some grocery shopping. made yummy cheese fondue again.

4. saturday ham got sick, AGAIN. stuff coming out both ends, AGAIN. mike was a trooper and cleaned the puke out of the tub at 1am while i "tended" to ham. {more like watch him sleep but don't tell mike}

5. so both kids are home from school today. thought they both could use the rest and a day away from other kids.

6. i have to say that going to the chiropractor has been a great thing. expensive but my back is aching less and less.

7. mike's trying to get me to start running and exercising. if we were going to this, i might get a little inspired to start. maybe. or more like mike runs it while i'm at the beach.

8. one of kaylee's cousin's handed down a night gown and kaylee's in love with it. she's been wearing it for the past 2 days. like all day. if we go out, she will change but change back into it as soon as we get back into the house.

9. i decided that i really need to stop being so lazy and start doing stuff again but its so hard to get out of the lazy routine.

10. kaylee's requested to make 7up pound cake and to paint my nails this morning.