Taylor Made designs

:: grow me ::

I thought the packaging on these were pretty + appropriate. I think they would make a great secret santa gift. {I miss being part of an office and playing secret santa}

:: puzzle me this ::

OK, this is a super toy, but why is it so expensive? My kids would love this, but let's be honest, they are kids. They will use them as building blocks, they will throw them + Davis might try to eat them. I could never spend $90 bucks on this :( Still very cute.

:: remember these guys? ::

Which barbapapa are you? Take the quiz!

My results: You are Barbapapa! Pink-cheeked, helpful, and warm, you are always lifting spirits up. Awww, really, just like me!

:: plant me ::

Stumbled across these. Funny little gift for your green-thumb friend. Great packaging design. Why can't I get projects like these?

:: Oh la la ::

Now here's a responible way to drinking wine! With eco-friendly packaging. Terrific! I wonder –  is the wine as good + tasty as it looks?

Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an
atmosphere of anxiety. :: Frank Smith

:: bow WOW ::

Get a load of this bed for your pup...slick huh?
Now, most people know, I love my dogs + Koty could use a more stylish bed. BUT I am not crazy enough to pay @ $1800 for one of these. I don't think our bedframe cost that much :) 

:: little monster ::

How funny are these stockings? 

:: Hi Ho Hi Ho ::

I have SO much work to do. I don't know how it all happened! The holidays really make you pay for taking time off. I worked last night till 9:00pm. Then I had to stop to watch Veronica Mars – which was a fantastic episode. I had no idea who the bad guy was. For those of you who do not watch this show, start! It's like watching a a really young Kinsey Millhone in action. You know, Sue Grafton's protagonist from the alphabet books. {Ok, if you're not reading her books, start!} Veronica Mars is smart + sassy. Love all the cultural references. I might not be the CW's prime audience, but how can you not like good storytelling that is clever + thoughtful? The critics hail this show as one of the top five shows on TV. Looking forward to the next mystery. {I'll write more about this show later, because I really love it!}

The good news... looks like the landscaper IS coming today to begin measuring and painting out the steps + landing. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about getting new stairs to our side door. Family + friends know that my current stairs, which I swear are over 200 years old are charming + go with the house, but they are literally a death trap in the winter.  Let's see if he really does show up. He said they are planning on beginning work on Friday. Can I hear a YaHoo!

Anyway, I have to go pick up WIlliam from School and then finish up a few more business card designs. I'll post some photos later on.

:: nothing is as good or as bad as it appears ::

:: which one? ::

For Christmas, I was thinking of getting Davis a new backpack since she needs a bigger + more stylish one for school.  I found these. Cute huh? Which one do you like? Let me know!  :)

 

 

:: When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried ::

Lots of work to do today. Finishing up a "save the date" card for a friend's wedding. And I have two business card designs to finish. If they turn out OK, maybe I'll post them :)

:: little miss santa ::

Found some Santa hats over the weekend. Davis loves wearing it. She's a cutie. Now I need to get William to pose for me. 

:: happy monday ::

:: Keep your boss's boss off your boss's back ::

Busy day. We had our fireplace/chimmney cleaned today, which meant, I had to keep the kids entertained and out of their way. William loves to chat it up with people. {wonder where he got that from :)}

Still waiting for the landscaper to show up. He said he was going to be here – last week, and then today. Still no sign of him. I swear, if he doesn't get my steps done before Christmas, I might just have a fit!

Nicole and I decided we were going to have a TMD party. Right now, we are thinking of Wed, December 13th. For the seven of you reading my blog, spread the word! :)

:: the day after ::

:: if you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun ::

My Thanksgiving Table. I used clementimes and cranberries as my centerpiece. Adding greens from the garden. WIth a few starfish thrown in for good effect.

For the napkin rings, I made tags with everyone's names on them. Tied them up with a chautreuse ribbon and greenery. Every year we pull names out of hat to determine who we buy for. So the tags came in handy. We used the tags and dropped them into a hat. Tada.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. We had a terrific day. Neal totally outdid himself. He cooked a fabulous bird. Tender + delicious. His stuffing {which I normally don't eat} was to die for. He added maple, apple sausage to it. Y U M. Everyone brought wonderful appetizers, side dishes + desserts. Not a lot of leftovers, so that's good. {not a fan of leftovers} We just found the pecan pie in the pantry today!

I am so grateful that my family enjoys getting together and spending time together. Can't ask for more than that, can you?

Anyway, I woke up early and finishing cleaning. I ran the washer last night with the linens and this morning I ironed + folded everything. They are now ready for the next party. Then I put away all the china + crystal and started to take out the Christmas decorations. You heard me... decorations. It's started!

Now, this is a first for me. I normally don't decorate till the first week of December or later. The kids got so excited. They think Santa is coming tonight. I have a lot on my work plate and figured if I don't take advantage of this time to decorate now, I'll just feel rushed and crazed later on. {Something I'm hoping to avoid feeling this season.}

I'm downloading Christmas music to my IPod. I love holiday music – just makes me happy. We're debating on where to put the Christmas Tree. We have a week or so to decide on that. :) 

Neal's making hot turkey sandwiches for dinner. yummy...that's the best part of hosting, having turkey + gravy leftover. Kinda makes me forget all the work involved in hosting :) 

:: Happy Thanksgiving ::

Best wishes to you and yours this Thanksgiving holiday.
Don't eat too much turkey…remember the dessert table :)

:: The best things in life are not things ::

:: clean ::

I thought these photos were sweet of davis. freshly clean from the tub.