Such is my life...

ACHOO!

Yes... with the warm weather our Live Oak outside dumps these little frilly, long, caterpillar-esque, "things". I really do not know what they are... I think they are after the leaves appear... but not sure what the heck they really do - except aggravate me and cause Mr Safety Man, Sweetpea and my chocolate lab "Moose" to whither with allergies. All I know is that when I go to pick them up, they fall in to minuscule brown dots.

ALL OVER MY FLOOR

And I also know that I just vacuumed my entire house - which didn't take me quite as long as I had it hyped up in my mind - but when I got back to the kitchen where I started (where my lil' Shih-Tzu, "Mugsy", tracked in SO many of these pesky "things") it didn't even look like I vacuumed.  Such. Is. My. Life.

Before this...last night as I am trying to get my kitchen cleaned - hurrying so I could finally say I got to bed at a decent hour - I pulled the refrigerator door closed like I always do... by the shelf. Only this time... the shelf had cracked somehow and as I had forgotten this point... the ENTIRE shelf came toppling out of the fridge. On to our tile floor. Smashing the glass jars - which I will have you know had olives, honey, and molasses in them. (We are in Florida people... you don't keep sticky sweet things in your cupboards). I was mad. Mad at myself, mad at breaking jars, mad at my fridge, mad for having tile M. A. D. -  mad!

Can I just say - Kalamata olives & honey on a floor do not smell nice at all - mixed with tons of glass - PRICELESS. And may I also mention that the juice of said olives ran under my fridge. OH GROSS. SOooooooooooo thank goodness Mr Safety Man was there and came running after he heard beautiful, flowerly words coming out of his darling wife's mouth. I am not sure if some of those words really exist quite honestly. I think I went in to outer orbit.  Such. Is. My. Life.

The up sides... I have twice now clean and vacuumed floors. AND my kitchen floor is clean, including UNDER the fridge and behind it (and that was disgusting - just sayin'). Do I care about the upside? NO! I am cranky... BECAUSSSssssssssssssssse I didn't get to bed as early as I had wanted....

Like i said - Such. Is. My. Life.

Vitamin D

I've been cold... super cold...a lot. I can't get over being cold. I don't like being cold. I would much rather be hot. My family constantly pick on me for always being cold. Especially family in the cold north or west... But it's who I am. Always cold.

Then miraculously - the [ahem] freezing temps...O allllll right... the cooler temps...turned a bit warmer - even pleasant. Then almost hot.

I danced. I jigged. Maybe this would help me feel better. Maybe my heart could smile again. I am trying. Then I remember and I feel cold. But the warm sun... it helps. It soothes. There is something about sunshine and a warm breeze. We had a long weekend last weekend and it was fantastic. I needed to be with my kiddos. I needed to feel them around me. I needed to just be with my family.

The girls and I decided that since Daddy had to work on Monday we would head to the beach...but we knew that everyone would be heading that way - so we decided to head south to Shark Tooth beach (or at least that's what we call it). It was still rather busy...but TO THE BEACH we headed.

It. was. FANTASTIC. I just spent time with Sweetpea and BooBoo. Just the two of us. It was wonderful. It truly was what my soul needed. What we all needed.


I just relaxed. Watched. Sunned. Played. Tried to get in the water... like I said I don't like cold. The water temp was 62 degrees - but the air - it was beautiful and the sun felt so wonderful.
First day at the beach February 21st!

And for some reason Blogger will not let me upload photos... so I guess they will have to wait till next time!
It just doesn't get any better than that!!

Yearly Birthday Photos!!!

What a month... Today we did our yearly photos. You see... I started this tradition when my little ones were babies... every year on or near my birthday we take photos all together... mostly me and my babies (not such babies anymore) but sometimes Mr Safety Man joins in as well...

We took so many photos this year I just do not know which ones to choose... BooBooBear is in a weird smiling stage... but hey that's her... Sweetpea... well she decided she could talk through a lot of the photos... a few I had to "DEMAND" they smile and take a good photo for my birthday's sake...

 ...but all-in-all we had a lot of fun.

 It was rather chilly this year. We took photos at a different beach this year. Now the goal is to get a book together of all the years of the birthday shots... Is it cheesy that we most of the time have matching shirts? hahaha Oh well - that's us! I will do it while I can!!!!

Love her...

We had a wonderful visit with Nana "de" Blanche! It makes me happy to see her again....and my babies adore her. When she first arrived Monday AM... my girls had no idea... they were so shocked... Sweetpea was SPEECHLESS!!! BooBooBear was absolutely shocked she didn't know what to do... It was wonderful. We surprised them at school for Effort Honor Roll. Both girls enjoyed showing off to their Nana how well they've done in school!! We are all super proud of the job they've done in school!

We truly relaxed all week - no major projects this time around, no set agenda. Just visiting, enjoying time together, shopping, just being with no crazy schedule. It was FANTASTIC. I was trying to think what day was my favorite... Nana running off the tram to give me a hug & the surprise and happiness of my girls seeing her, or shopping around Crowder's.... NOPE has to be running around on the beach in rainy weather! Carrying umbrellas -  watching the girls running in the rain - trying to take photos was so much fun!

A very sweet week.
Thank you for everything Nana "de" Blanche...

I absolutely love, love, love this shot... so sweet!!!

Another lovely one...

Glad I have you Blanchey!

It got chilly REALLY quickly...

And rather windy too!

Then again... the pajama party was awful fun too...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH TO MEEEeeeeee!!!

I just love this month... and NO not only because my birthday's St. Valentine's Day... but that does play a BIG part...

No - there's a variety of reasons... love, the "symbol of love - a heart, the fact that where I live - February starts to become warmer than it has been for the last few weeks... (THANK GOODNESS... I HATE TO BE COLD). I start to see new things come to life around me... just in time for my birthday. It is the month where I think about the past year, think about the new year, and thank God for all my blessings. I guess it is my "New Year" so-to-speak. Perhaps that is why I haven't formalized any new year's resolutions - I was waiting for FEBRUARY!

I adore that I get to celebrate and share my birthday with a beautiful emotion like LOVE. I try to define myself by love - loving my family, friends, trying to love myself (that hasn't been working lately). Loving life as much as I can right now.. It is such a HUGE part of who I am. I define myself through this little holiday (even though it's kinda "Hallmark-y" now).at

I love the fact that my mom calls me on my birthday every year and says to me "you are the most special and best Valentine in the world a mom could ask for...". Aaaaaa - it just is special. ;) Melts your heart doesn't it?

Well it's been a busy, busy, busy few weeks. I have SO many photos to upload... but for now I leave you with a few beautiful love quotes... after all... it is almost

SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Must, bid the Morn awake!
Sad Winter now declines,
Each bird doth choose a mate;
This day's Saint Valentine's.
For that good bishop's sake
Get up and let us see
What beauty it shall be
That Fortune us assigns.
~Michael Drayton

Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction.  ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination. ~ Voltaire 

It's stalking me...

I am not one normally afraid of spiders... honest... usually I was the "protector of all things spiders" to my sister... until this year... in Florida. MAN they grow 'em big and ugly down here... But give me a snake and I am outta hair like a baldman...

Imagine this if you will... I am picking up laundry from my piles in the laundry room... the laundry room I am so tired of looking at the COLOSSAL COLLECTIONS of CLUTTER and even yes CRAP (well not literally) and as I pick up the last bits of the dark pile... something twitches, flexes and bounces in my direction... It's a spider. He's not huge... but he certainly is not small either. I can handle it...

Then. He. Starts. To FOLLOW ME. I didn't feel like wearing my slippers tonight so I am out there barefoot... This spider decides to challenge a mass he probably cannot even comprehend (Eeee boy - that makes me sound kinda large marge-ish doesn't it now?!)...so i holler for help... nope no one around - or anyone that wants to come to my aid...

I have thoughts of it leaping on me and biting me and getting all that infection (it DOES happen - my Sweetpea had a friend in class that got bit and nearly lost his leg!!).  Another fleeting thought... i'll kill it... yet another - you  can't kill it - it's bad luck to kill a spider...

Now let's stop there for a moment! Is this REALLY a true wives tale or superstition? Has ANYBODY out there ever hear of this crazy thing? Well it's governed my life now since I can remember. Heck probably my mom said it so I wouldn't hurt an animal or something... who knows!?!

Well suffice it to say... the spider is now gone... with 3 large beat downs with my giant glaze catalogue. Then I flicked him near the door - apologizing to poor Sam the Spider (it wasn't HIS fault he was under a pile of my towels at the wrong time) - and constantly checking back each time I folded a piece of clothing to make sure he truly was gone...

He's still curled up in a ball. on the floor. dead.

But a question...
In my house there's always the saying "they mate for life"...

Do SPIDERS? Well do they have a partner for life? And will  she be underneath my pinks...MAD? After all it IS February... loving month and I just killed a 'pider!!!

At least the one's not stalking me anymore!!!
O sweet dreams for me tonight...

Shop's Getting Stocked!

So I am pretty excited...I am designing, sewing, crocheting, knitting, and downright crafting up a storm to get my Etsy shop MOVING!

I went from ONE item to THREE! hahahah Well hey at least it's a start right?!
I am doing a few things for Valentine's Day and I am super excited about them... I took my inspiration from of course HEARTS... but oh my goodness do those have more meaning than I can ever truly put to words...And I promise to try... soon... I just don't think I am ready for that story yet!

But on a happier note... HEARTS seriously represent... ME! Having a birthday on Valentine's Day is just awesome let me tell you! And I truly try to live my life... with LOVE.

(Do I sound like a Hallmark card yet? hahaha)

Well enjoy some of these photos... they are some of the items I have been working on...I am truly enjoying getting things accomplished for this Etsy shop... if you would like to see my shop... check it out here: mArrineR's monTage on Etsy!!

'Petite' Heart Sterling Silver (20 gauge) earring - designed by Kymmie

'Grande' Heart Sterling Silver (20 gauge) earring - designed by Kymmie

Petite Heart Earring - Sterling Silver (20 gauge) custom design by Kymmie

Grande 1.5 inches across

Learned from my friend Mandy... key chains! This was for Blanche!

 I love this ol' frame! LOVE IT!

Polka dots and owls... what could be cuter?

...well apparently STRIPES, owls and polka dots!

I made this one for me... JUST for Valentine's day! Some of my favorite colors to wear!

I love the coordinating fabric peeking through...

FINALLY finished my sister's Christmas quilt... Kate Spain's 12 Days of Christmas... coming out soon Cynn!

Love that coordinating fabric!

Wait till I can upload the crochet things... CAN'T WAIT to SHARE!