#iPPP - Who's Tower Is It?

Give my brother a couple of free airline tickets and he's off...most recently, to Chicago.  He emailed me a pic that he took with his iPhone of the Water Tower.

Actually, he emailed his niece, my daughter, the picture because it reminded him of Rapunzel's tower from the movie Tangled.

She looked at it. Turned her head to the side a bit. And I asked her if it looked her current favorite princess' tower.

She shook her head.

She's an incredibly specific child.

I turned it upside down, so it would be fat at the top, skinny on the bottom - like Rapunzel's tower - to see if that helped.

Still shaking her head. She disappeared for a minute and came back carrying the movie cover to school her ol' Mom on what Rapunzel's tower really looks like. When school was over, she told me it's not the tower, but she still liked it.

Truthfully, I think she'd like anything from her favorite uncle!




Though I finally have my own fancy schmancy smartphone, I couldn't resist sharing the imaginations of a fun loving uncle and his niece...and it was actually taken with an iPhone making it a perfect chance to finally link up with #iPPP for the first time! :>

Also linking up with some rockin' awesome Wordful/ish Wednesday peeps!  Seven Clown Circus, Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia, Live and Love...Out Loud, Angry Julie Monday

A Special Day...Five Years in the Making

Some time ago, at a regularly scheduled Girl Scout meeting.....four teenage girls, bred, born, lived in different cities, states, families, schools and yet, when the four arrived in the same locale, at the same time, the Four Musketeers were born.

Twenty years later, four women are still known by many as the Four Musketeers, who are still the best of friends, Aunties to each others' kidlets, sistersinlaws to the husbands, family to each other, and respond to the Girl Scout camp names Woodstock, Gizmo, Fishey, & Snoopy.

Today is quite a special day...five years in the making. 

The Four Musketeers are all meeting up, together, at the same time, for the first time in almost five years.

One of them lives on the East Coast these days and what was weekly gatherings during their teens years, quarterly visits during the college years, and at least yearly gatherings during the rest of their twenties, has been reduced to gatherings of two or three whenever they were in the same town at the same time...but, not all four women at the same time...until now! 

Post high school, the Four Musketeers have gathered at some choice Southern California universities for sushi, a party, a concert, or some dorm time;  Tahoe for sushi, cozy fires, skiing, or chill time;  Northern California pads for sushi, pool play, BBQ'ing, or chatty time; a Northern California retreat for seafood, sight seeing, cooking,  or game time; and weddings for celebrating, toasting, dancing, brides maid'ing, giggling, chatting, smiling, and pretty sure they managed to work some sushi in there too!

Oh yes, and their favorite locale to gather, where their names are etched into a brick that thousands' feet step upon...the place where every person can feel like a child, no matter what their age...Disneyland.

A favorite tradition Snoopy started was to take a group pic in front of each of the letters of CALIFORNIA...one letter per visit, in order.  Above, the last complete Four Musketeer gathering, late 2005. 

Gizmo (in blue) was pregnant with her last child and so she did her good Mama duties and rode the cement bench while her favorite roller coaster, Space Mountain, whispered fervently in her ear.  And she told the Four Musketeers to live, love, and enjoy that dark, star lit, whirl air whipping past their faces ride.

However, the Four Musketeer never disappoint each other and they went on as many rides as they could, both big and small.  Woodstock & Fishey smile for Snoopy's camera on Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and Gizmo was smiling too because the wee ride in the bugs' big world was one she could climb aboard for.

Gizmo couldn't be too sad though.  With every step down Main Street, through the happiest place on Earth, she remembered so many other fun filled trips to Disneyland when she could ride those roller coasters....like Splash Mountain with Snoopy braving the front of the log with her.  This is the only time Gizmo has ever ridden in the front seat of the Splash's wild log ride.

And of course, there are more letter group moments of the younger years to enjoy.  The letters "I" & "L" have been brought to you by the year 2004.

Its a bit comical that Fishey & Snoopy are on the bottom here, since they are the ones who would usually climb a letter & get their goofy on for a great shot.  But, its the letter L's turn and the Four Musketeers are, as always, Four.

Each Four Musketeer gathering has an abundance of hugs, smiles, laughter, and of course, some sushi.  The girls, technically women...but, on a Friday night, just hours after gathering, with sushi and maybe a cocktail in their bellies, they feel like girls again, chatting and giggling, maybe even laughing until their eyes tear and sides hurt....began as teenage friends who met in a local elementary school library for a Girl Scout meeting, have grown, and weaved lives with many & mighty stories to tell. 

Wonder what threads Snoopy, Woodstock, Gizmo, & Fisheys' looms will weave in the years to come?  More children?  Career highs?  Home successes?  Creative journeys?  Grandchildren?  Gray hair ladies shuffling around Disneyland, living with the joy they have brought each other throughout their years? 

Maybe.  Probably.  Thankfully.

Hula, Happy Dance, & Disney Playdate

Happy Friday!    

I know.  I just said Friday.  But, I still have Thursday on my mind, rattling on the front burner, throwing up a vivid picture show to entertain me, and sending little electrical pulses across my face, to make me smile!

Thursdays are busy run around, drive all over days...usually.  Thursdays are dance class days for wee girl.  For the summer, they are continuing the ballet, tap, and rhythm instruments they were learning all spring and now they are learning the hula as well.....all those little girls in their leotards, tights, ballet slippers and grass skirts are just too precious for words!

This Thursday, however, after my sweet boy & I dropped wee girl off at Grammie's (its a Grammie & wee girl weekly activity), we headed out for a special playdate of our own.  To back up just a stitch, before we left, he packed his lunch. 

Let me say that again, he packed his own lunch.  He made his own GF/CF ham sandwich, gathered GF/CF pretzels, carrots, and a pickle & put them all in his school lunch box with an ice pack (to keep his preservative free ham cold!).  He packed his OWN lunch!  Mama was doing a Happy Dance, let me tell you!!

While we drove to our playdate, my sweet-made-his-own-lunch-boy ate that self made lunch (more like inhaled it!).  Why did he need to eat his lunch in the car??  We were headed to the theater to see Toy Story 3!!  He was bubbling with excitement upon arrival and I was wishing I had Elastigirl arms to keep us near each other (I just don't bounce and stretch like excited sweet boy does). 

Both of us enjoyed the movie, but I was very glad that sweet girl wasn't with us.  I think she would have been scared.  (In fact, we watched a little girl clinging to her daddy's neck being carried out at the very point that I thought would be too much for wee girl.)  Even my sweet boy, who wasn't afraid, had a vast array of questions as to why the mean character (won't say more than that for those that haven't seen it) was so mean.  But, it definitely gave us lots to talk about, in a good way.

I went looking for a composition book in my stacks o' stuff to alter and came  up with one I had already painted the first coat on sometime ago. So, I've painted the remaining coats to cover it and have the fabric I want to cut up for an embellie on it.  My crafty crystal ball sees me rummaging through my papers and then finishing it this weekend.  And that canvas that has been staring at me, giving me the evil eye, will be quite happy (I hope) when I put another couple layers of paint on it!

What's in store for you this weekend?  I'd love for you to come share! :>

The Unwanted Houseguest

There has been a most unwanted houseguest here for almost two weeks now.  It arrived and knocked my poor boy out, straight to the couch.  And then just to make Its presence better known, It turned the thermostat up on my poor boy.....way up......for almost a week.  My thermometer has never had such a work out! 

I quickly wrote and posted an eviction notice, pounded it into the front door and made quite a bit of noise about it.  It just looked up and smiled at me.  When It got tired of my poor boy's body, I realized why It was smiling at me.  "Don't worry, you and your sweet girl are next."  And we were. 

It has refused to take notice of said eviction notice.  If I weren't so tired, I would get out my markers, colored pencils, paint...........I would even raid my kidlets' crayons and blaze color on the eviction notice in hopes of getting Its attention. 

If I had more energy and maybe a pilots license and a plane, I would sky write my message, "Go Away!!!"  I would tell It to go far far away, maybe Venus where the poisonous gasses could gobble It up.  I would offer It a first class ticket, if I thought It would listen. 

But, no, It seems mighty comfy turning the dial up on my wee girl's thermostat and in my scorching throat.  So, we will ride It out with our zinc, vitamin C, and a little help from a Wall-E movie today.  Hope to come visit you soon, when It takes leave and hopefully, before It finds quarters in Hubby!!

I do want to leave you with something a wee bit fun though.  If you don't already read Pioneer Woman, head over there asap!  It is her four year anniversary blogging and she has giveaways going all week! :>  (Her site keeps crashing this morning.......so you may want to wait a bit....even though I just said 'asap'.....It has made a mess of my brain and severely shaken up my marble jar!  Thankfully, our movie is waiting and my wee girl & I are going to let Disney take us away for a bit! :>)

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming!

Well, if you live in the U.S., you just might know why I have Dory stuck in my head!! I am knee deep, okay...well, quite literally waist deep (since I'm working while on the sofa!), in paperwork...bills + T~A~X~E~S!!! Oh now, does that ever deserve a mantra/song/mission statement?! Right?!!?!! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.... :>

I *do* have a beautiful butterfly lady all stamped, foil embossed, cut out, and watercolored up, just waiting for a card to take rest upon. But! That "R" word (ooo...ouch....eek! *R*esponsibilities) keeps tapping at my shoulder and so, to be a r-r-r-r-r...esponsible grown up (oh when, REALLY, when did that happen?!), I must get through the pile o' paperwork before I can continue playing. Sigh. (and oodles of cartoonesque disgruntled nosies!)

Though, if you know me, then you know, even when the....

...uh-oh...having a serious '80's flashback....a little Billy Ocean....a little Jewel of the Nile...
...uh-oh...bear with me...

Okay..........so.....now that that particular digression has run its course (yes, I'm good at that!), back to the 'if you know me' part! And that is that even with all the yucky paperwork that has me engulfed to my waist (thank goodness my fingers are free or else I wouldn't be able to get chatty with you all!! :>), its those little things that make me smile!

Like the SUN that is SHINNING right now, the kids & Hubby who are playing their games (don't even say "Music & Soundscapes" right now or else a serious finger is going to be pointing at You and I'll be in a straight jacket, for sure!!), the ribs on the Q, the crafting supplies that are calling my name with all their colorful delight, the books that are singing their songs from my bedside, my son looking forward to growing strawberries again this summer, my daughter looking forward to planting the organic sage & flat leaf parsley we just picked up (no, not from seed....2 1/2" pots), and me, {hopefully} seeing signs that my paperwork might be whittled down enough to squeeze some creative time in quite soon...............ALL make me SMILE!!!

Now, what I really want to know (it just might give me the steam to plow through the rest of this paperwork, these numbers, and all this...uber technical term here: NON-fun stuff!) is what wonderful, from BIG to small, things are making YOU smile today??

{Part Two} Fantastic Friends make me Smile!

You're back.....Yay!!! :>

Now, what were those other plans that I had for last Saturday?? What would I give up a creative day with friends for?? Well, more friends, of course!!! And specifically, my Four Musketeers! Okay, okay, so there were only three of the four of us (plus one husband)......one of us lives on the other side of the country right now (we miss you Jilly and we took you with us in spirit!!).

My Hubby kindly offered to play with our kidlets and sent me packing to go play with friends! So, I followed the yellow brick road (er, um, multiple highways?!) and headed back to the land of my teen years and to my best friend's home. From there, we, Jenn, Monique, Matt (Monique's hubby), and I zipped off to San Francisco. Well, sort of zipped since it was Chinese New Year and there was a wee bit of traffic at the Bay Bridge toll plaza! That's okay.....I was with great friends!

Guess where they were taking me??? To the new Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio (San Francisco)!! Us Four Musketeers have a long history of Disneyland trips. Jill even got the four of us one of the bricks in the ground between Disneyland and California Adventures back in 2001. And yes, we're known to take pictures with each visit of our beloved Brick!

Oh I'm having a flashback now!!! Here comes some Brick love a la 2003!! (I had forgotten how long your hair was back then, Jenn!) There's our Jill! :>

Wow! Time is flashing by, zipping to 2005! I was preggo with my Princess and we decided to do a foot shot that year........with each of our feet pointing towards our names, of course! We're cheesey, I know. But, traditions with friends is a fantastic thing. :>

And back to last Saturday, 2010!!

The museum (which really is a museum and not a Disney attraction, though with a distinct Disney flavor) was really delightful and educational. We all agreed we could go through it again to read through everything more thoroughly. There is so much information about Walt's family to read and an incredible number of drawings, cartoon cells, telegrams, hand written letters, memorabilia, video footage, and even Walt's old train that he had going around his house to read, see, and take in!

Another big surprise.....parking was free!!! Affordable parking in San Francisco is a really big deal and free is pretty much unheard of! The Presidio is beautiful and we saw one of the most striking views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from inside the museum. I highly recommend crafting your time to visit the museum the next time you are in this great city!

A kind stranger offered to take our pic before we left............me, Jenn, Monique, and Monique's husband, Matt. Monique is the crafty little sprite who introduced me to scrapbooking back in 2000! Thanks Nique!

And as a proper scrapbooker's husband, Matt took a pic of the three out of four Four Musketeers!! A little side note here.......I just love having another scrapbooker in our group! These fab friends are usually at our kidlets' birthdays and when they are, I have a perfect assortment of photos to come back to and scrap!!! And even better, her hubby always jumps in with the camera to help make sure we have those checklist photos that you need at all events from weddings to birthdays to vacations to day trips!! Thanks Matt!

Now, Jenn is creative as well.................but, I have more to share about her craft in another post (because this one is long enough, right?!) when I show you a little something that followed me to my home from hers!

Did you make it to the end????? I know, this was a long one (aren't you glad I broke that post up into two?! :>)....but, I had so much to share about such wonderful friends!! If you're here, still reading, give yourself a pat on the back, an extra cuppa, and a thank you & smile from me!

Don't forget to check out my Birthday Blog Giveaway HERE and comment......comments on all posts from February 6th, through the end of February earn you an entry into the giveaway for a Papertrey Ink gift certificate!!

Oh September, where did you go??

October first?? Seriously?! September, where did you run off to? Oh September, the month that ushers in the new school year (even though my kidlet starts in mid-August.....but, my internal calendar is still set to all those years that school started in September), the beginning of fall, my first born, and the onset of the greatest season of the year!

Sinking into reality, I changed my son's calendar over to October (before he could put another hole into his Oh Brother Blue walls), checked the school's events for the month, realized that I have several creative and social events planned and marked in pen on my calendar for this month, and most of all, thankfully, blissfully, and happily welcomed the semi-fall weather that has finally approached us this week! Crisp and cool, the morning air has been, crunchy leaves (dead and brown, but crunchy) have fallen, thanks to a flighty wind, and even some cooler temperatures (although, it was nearly eighty degrees today......but, that's still about, oh say twenty plus degrees cooler than last week!!!) in the afternoon. Our windows are open and our wallets are thanking us that the air conditioning does not have to run. Fall is upon us!!!

Kitty cats on our deck are flighty, chatty, and quite opinionated this full moon night. Kidlets are slow to go to sleep. Hubby has retired to the desktop. And I am here checking in. Mucho apologies for the week's absence. I simply and totally was swept away in the busy-ness of the days. We had a kidlet birthday (that is continuing this weekend....for three weeks now), my inlaws visited us this weekend, and the usuals of school to-dos, kidlets milestones (my daughter has amazed us recently with a sudden leap in her coloring skills...she's turning into our little artiste! and our son is excitedly choosing books to read over toys in order to "take him......" to somewhere and sometime.....lately, its been Pennsylvania, New York, San Francisco, Paris, the desert, and all times of history.........talk about wonderful!!!), and an insanely filled calendar. We are the kind of folks that either have absolutely nothing going on or everthing, all at once and this seems to be one of those times!

Not having forgotten about all of YOU, you wonderfully creative, friendly, and talented folk that you all are, I do have something to share with you. I have not been able to photograph it yet between company, birthdays, and oh, hmmmm..........responsibilities (that pesky "R" word). Here's my wee tease: think vintage, think 1940's, think handmade, think little girl, think handsewn, think delightful, creative family goodness passed on. :>

Hope your week has been sweet, autumnal-like, and full of wonderful little bits of goodness (you know, when you add up all those little bits, they can amount to greatness! :> ).

Creative Log Jam

Tsk, tsk on me. Wag your finger at me, shake your head, cast that look of disappointment my way....go ahead......I can take it......I hope! My own head is shaking and I've rolled eyes at myself so many times that I thought I was on Disney's Tea Cup ride. I have several projects started, many more crashing around in my head, and yet they are not done. I seem to be in a creative log jam of sorts. Finally, I have just told myself that I need to come back and chat with you (are you still here??) and hopefully, I can clear some of those logs out (maybe use some of them to light a fire....or at least some sparks!).

While I have not been nurturing my own creativity directly, I have been indirectly while sitting with my kidlets encouraging their creative spirits. Not having anything ready to share of my own today, I thought I might share some of my youngest's craftiness!

Little hands held their very first glue stick to create this! My Princess loves using my old decorative scissors, cutting away at every drawing and colored page, always leaving behind colorful confetti that has fallen at her cute little toes. She picked some different colored cardstock, cut the shapes out herself (I showed her how to turn the paper as she cut.......her eyes opened wide as a whole new world of crafty cutting shared its secrets), and we sat down together to decide what shapes worked best for what. The only thing I cut was the straight edge of the bottom of the grass. That was also the only thing I glued down as I demonstrated how to use the glue stick. What tickled was watching the wheels in her head turn as she continued to make new discoveries...with the tip of her little tongue stuck out the whole time. I personally cannot stand glue sticks as I don't like the glue on my hands (Elmer's glue, yes...paints and ink, yes....glue sticks, not so much). My son uses Duck adhesive for the same reason. But, oh my, my daughter, my Princess, luuuuuvvvvsssss her glue stick!

You may have to look closely to see these.....lean in (or click the pic). Do you see Disney's Aristocats? Both of my kidlets love to have coloring pages printed out. There are so many free online resources that it is easy to provide a vast variety of different characters and scenes for them to color, cut, and entertain themselves with. Asking me for a 'printout' is pretty much a daily request.

Earlier this month, my Princess (my knickname for her....she tells me that she is my Angel Froggy Princess, but that can get a little long :>) colored an Aristocats printout and then asked me to cut them out for her. She spent the rest of the day playing with them with as much gusto as she would a three dimensional stuffed animal. And just before she had to go to bed, she carefully layed them out on the floor, gingerly placed one of her brothers blankets on top of them, leaving their heads out (they had to breathe, you know), sang them "Part of Your World" in her very best Arial voice and then said, "Night-night!".

The colored kitties were then forgotten for a bit....until glue stick day. After she pieced together her sunny day piece, I told her to go for it, use as much glue as she wanted and make a collage out of all the scraps that remained. And of course, she did! Out of the corner of her eye she spied Berlioz and ran to him, greeting her abandoned friend. Absolutely pleased as a pickle in a vinegar bath with some minced garlic to play with, she promptly searched out the rest of her two dimensional kitties. And each one found a home on her collage. The smile on her face when she was done is one that I am going to treasure for years to come.

Its feels really good to 'chat' with you again. I hope you're still out there and I hope to not disappear again! So I'm off to take another log off of this creative log jam, put it on the fire and see what I might be able to play with tonight. Hope you are in the middle of a wonderful weekend!