I Gotta Lotta Bloggin' To Do!

I can't believe it's been over a week since I've posted. Wow time flies...

In honor of two of my favorite bloggin' ladies - Jenn and Jacqui - this is going to be a longer than usual post! (They're well known for their lengthy albeit FABULOUS posts!) It's Saturday night, so grab a glass of wine (or a cup of tea if that's more your style) and hang out with me for a while. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

My Vintage Heart Swap
Recently, I participated in my first swap and it was so much fun! I had a blast putting together a selection of goodies for my swap partner Lonnie. The swap was hosted by my birthday buddy Dolly. When my box arrived, it felt like Christmas. Take a peek at what was inside...




Isn't it gorgeous!











I absolutely LOVE the LOVE plate!








Beautiful Tags...







And this precious kitchen towel (I have a thing for cool kitchen towels!)










This tag was attached (reminds me of you, Aunt Lynn!)













And an close up of this gorgeous piece. See how well it matches my kitchen? Also included in all those goodies was a whole bunch of DARK CHOCOLATE. I don't know about you, but it's my favorite. As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying some now ;-). I know a lot of people who don't like dark chocolate...and that's ok - more for me!!!

I can't say thank you enough to Lonnie - my first swap was incredible! And thanks to Dolly for being such a gracious host!



Paying It Forward


Here's a chance to get a surprise from me, on a surprise date, in the next 365 days.
(I'm responding to this via Robin at Bittersweet Punkin)

Here are the rules:
1.~Leave a comment on my blog that says you want to play. First three folks to comment and PLAY will get a gift from ME. (If I don't know it already, let me know how I can contact you, an e-mail is fine.)

2.~Do the same thing on your blog! The first three folks who leave a comment and commit to doing this on their blog, too, will get a surprise from YOU at a surprise time in the next 365 days! This should prove to be fun.....and interesting.This is a great way to make new friends too.....let's see what happens. Just copy this post...pic and all..and use it on your post.

I am really looking forward to doing this, so please sign up ;-) And to quote Robin, "I can personally guarantee that you will get MY surprise sooner than later because I am in remission from the Procrastinator's Club of America. I'm getting better...thanks for the concern." This made me laugh out loud when I read it and I could totally relate!

Ok, it's almost 11:30 p.m., which is WAY past my bedtime, so I've got to shut it down. I just can't go on anymore tonight. And for those of you who are getting antsy for Alexandra pics and info (you know who you are!!!) I PROMISE it is coming...possibly tomorrow!

Cheers and Good Night!
Dee Dee

My Turn for MeMes

My very talented birthday buddy Dolly
tagged me to write Four Things About Me. I'll give it my best shot!

Four Movies Watched Over and Over

• Titanic (I saw this movie a RIDICULOUS number of times at the theater!)
• Steel Magnolias
• When Harry Met Sally
• Grease

Four Places I Have Lived

• Richmond, Virginia
• Johnson City, TN
• LaFayette, IN (not for very long!)
• Nashville, TN

Four Shows I Watch

• Big Brother
• Dancing with the Stars
• Clean House
  
• Grey's Anatomy

Four Places I Have Been (there's more than 4, but here are my faves!)

• Cozumel Mexico
• Key West, FL
• NYC
• Napa Valley, CA / Las Vegas (love them both, but for very different reasons!)

Four People Who E-Mail Me

• My Mama
• My best friend Ginger
• My sister in law Wendy
• My friend Opal

Four Favorite Things to Eat

• Pasta (anything Italian, really)
  
• Chips and Salsa
• Gyros
• Homemade Baklava (my friend's wife makes it - oh my is it good!)

Four Places I'd Rather Be

• Sitting on my parent's dock at the lake
• Sitting on the beach in Destin
• Disney World
• Spending time with my family back in VA

Four People I'd Love to Have Lunch With

• My Nannie and Grampie
• Nancy Wilson (of the group Heart)
• Elliott Sadler - just so I could listen to him talk - love that accent!!
  
• My husband - just the two of us!

Four Things I Look Forward to this Year

• Spending quality time and creating new adventures with my daughter
• Getting back home to see my family
• Vacation!
• Getting in shape

I did it - whew! Thanks Dolly, for tagging me! Hope you all have a blessed and fabulous weekend!

Cheers,
Dee Dee

The Objects of My Affection

Today being Valentine's Day, I started thinking about all of the different ways we show someone that we love them. For me, it's the little things, gestures that might otherwise go un-noticed that really get to me. Take this picture for instance. Last week when I was on "hiatus" from the world, Alexandra really wanted her toenails painted. Well, it was Daddy to the rescue. No questions asked..."I'll do it" he offered without even as much as batting an eye. That, to me, is LOVE.

So on this day set aside for showing those closest to you how much you love them, give them a big squeeze, and do something nice. Make them a cup of coffee, give them control of the remote, put their towels in the dryer to get them nice and warm for a shower. And by all means, tell them you love them. That never goes out of style. Happy Valentine's Day!

My Favorite Weight Loss and Beauty Tips

Want to lose 7 pounds in 7 days? Want super-duper extra shiny hair? Want that rosy glow? Just follow my step-by-step beauty plan and all of this can be yours!

1. Send your two-year old to daycare everyday. This will give him/her the opportunity to be around as many other children as possible...and bring lovely little germs home as a special gift to YOU!

2. Love on said child as much as possible each day after work. You don't get to see that precious angel enough as it is, so let her kiss you and snuggle with you as much as possible!

3. Now here is where the fun begins! Wake up the next day and start coughing. That's right, cough! Now keep it up all day long. The benefits of this are 3-fold; it burns calories, it brings a rush of blood to your head resulting in a rosy complexion, and the best part of all is that sultry, sexy Demi Moore voice that men just love!

4. Next, get the chills. All of that shaking burns even more calories!

5. Cover up with lots and lots of blankets to get warm. Keep shaking under all of those blankets to get warm even faster – burning even more calories!!

6. Fall asleep. Any sleep is beauty sleep, right? And if you are sleeping, you aren't eating!

7. Get that body temperature up. 102, 103, somewhere in that range. My husband said that at this temperature I had REALLY pink cheeks. Wow, I'm looking great, losing weight, AND saving money on make-up...SCORE!

8. Now, let that fever break baby! This is where the weight really starts to come off. I mean start sweating as much as you possibly can. Can't you just feel that water weight disappearing? (And your skin will be glistening too!) I really can't reinforce just how important this step is!

9. A GREAT way to keep from eating too many snacks as you are enjoying the day “lounging” is to get a sinus infection sooooo bad that your teeth and gums ache. (This one really works!)

10. Another personal favorite appetite suppressant is POST NASAL DRIP – enough said.

11. Now, be sure to repeat these steps...FOR DAYS! At least 3 is a must. This will result in that really, really, super-duper shiny hair I mentioned earlier. My hair was so shiny that my husband even commented about how super-duper shiny it was. Isn't he thoughtful?

12. Next, give in and go to the doctor. The fresh air is good for your skin, and this counts as exercise.

13. Get MEDICATED! There is nothing like an 875 mg. antibiotic to keep you from eating. And then there's the “high test” cough syrup. I know there are calories in there ladies, but fear not! It will make you so loopy that your fork will not find its way to your mouth for a while.

14. Constantly blow your nose. The constant motion of bringing your hands to your face builds biceps. And that rosy glow is sure to return.

15. Repeat all of the above steps for at least 3 more days.

And there you have it...it's that simple. Follow these sure-fire steps and you too will be losing weight and looking great in no time!

A New Look

I got a little restless because I was thinking that my original blog template really didn't represent me or what I'm all about. I'm still not sure I know the answer to that, but this new look certainly is more "me."

My new header is a picture I took at my parent's house in Lake Gaston, NC. It's a wonderful place that I'm sure you all will learn a lot more about in the near future.

So for now, this look will have to do. I'm sure it will change again, but hey, this is all about self-discovery, right?

Cheers!

I've Got Pockets!

Alexandra's newest obsession is POCKETS - pants pockets, shirt pockets, coat pockets, Mommy's pockets, and Daddy's pockets. "Look Mommy, I've got my hands in my pockets" she said to me the other morning.
When my nephew Nicolas was two, he received a pair of cargo pants for Christmas. I remember this like it was yesterday - he was so excited he said "Look at all the pockets!"
I had to take her to the doc about 2 weeks ago - she got to pick a toy out of the treasure chest. And what did she do? Nope, there was no playing with the purple plastic frog - she put it right in her pocket.
This leads me to my latest pondering about the 2-year old brain...could pockets and caves be related? Small dark spaces where precious items can kept safe and sound? I think I might be on to something here.
PS - Let me know what you think of the song. It was a very nice discovery to go along with the post...I love it!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

Yes, it's Saturday night and I'm blogging. (And I absolutely LOVED that song as a kid and thought it would be fun to hear it, so enjoy!)

Today I worked on my Vintage Heart Swap gift. How much fun is this? There is a little shop I just discovered a couple of weeks ago in the next little town over from us, called the Mossy Cottage. They have some of the most incredible hand-made things there. I talked to the owner Grace, last weekend, and I am trying to convince her that she needs to have a website and a blog!

I bought the most adorable little bucket for Alexandra's crayons and markers. Isn't it precious? Her room is pink and green, so this is just perfect!

I also picked up a couple of other little goodies for the heart swap, but I can't show you just yet. I must say that being surrounded by all of these talented people has given me the itch to get crafty again. We'll have to see what happens!

I hope you can see these pictures. These are pictures of me as a little one (gotta loves those pants on my older brother!!!). And below is Alexandra just a couple of days ago. Do you see any resemblance?














Well, wherever you are on this Saturday night, I hope you are cozy! It is only 10 degrees here in Middle TN...brrrrrrr!

My Little Spelunker

"Get in the cave daddy...get in the cave!" That's Alexandra's favorite phrase as of late. All weekend long we've been building caves - between the glider and the ottomon, between the couch and the coffee table, over her crib, even just laying in the bed. (Wait, is it laying or lying? I can NEVER keep those two straight!)

Caves, forts, tents - why do children have that fascination? Is it the feeling of comfort we all crave? Or perhaps it's more of an independence thing - this is my own little place.

Wherever you are right now, I hope it's comfortable, I hope it's where you feel safe and cozy.

Peek-A-Boo - I See You!

May your week be blessed!
Cheers!
Dee Dee

Tag I'm It!

Well, I'm starting to feel like a full fledged blogger now. Dolly over at "From My Cherry Heart" has tagged me. It's my first tag - yay! I am new to all of this so I'll give it a try.

I am supposed to share 7 random facts about myself. Hmmmmmm...

1 - I have a birthmark on my back that is shaped like a bat - the flying kind, not the baseball kind
2 - I was born on February 27 (2/27) at 2:27 p.m.
3 - I LOVE asparagus - and yes, my pee smells funny after I eat it!!!
4 - My guilty pleasure??? 70's soft rock - Air Supply, Barry Manilow, Brandy You're a Fine Girl - all the good stuff!
5 - I was a member of the INXS fan club when I was in middle school.
6 - I bartended at Alan Jackson's house for an event he was hosting for his neighbors and staff
(yes, this is really true!)
7 - I love to read cookbooks - actually READ them, like an entire cookbook in one sitting.

Wow - that was hard. It took much longer than I thought it would, too. Well, I'm signing off for now. I've got to get working on my Vintage Heart Swap...something else I'll tell you all about soon.

Cheers!
Dee Dee

Chopsticks, Fancy Jammies, and Birthday Parties

Alexandra Stone can eat with chopsticks. Yep, that's right, I said chopsticks.

Last night we took her to Pei Wei, which is PF Chang's version of fast food. It's really not very fast... you have to wait forever to get a seat because they are always so darned busy. Anyway, on the tables, they have these canisters of wrapped chopsticks. She thought they were straws and just had to have one. Well, much to her dismay, it was not a straw. So to save the day, I decided to show off my chopstick skills. She loved that. So she decided to try it. She took the ends that were still fused together, dug into her lo-mein, and scooped up a big ol' bite. I laughed my fanny off! I mean, where there's a will there's a way! The girl is very resourceful - a mini McGyver if you ask me.

Last night she got to wear her new jammies (we call them jammy jams). They are too cute. Leopard and Pink and VERY sassy.

Today was Kaylea Arnold's birthday party. Kaylea and Alexandra are best friends. They have been to daycare together ever since Kaylea started (she's 3 months younger than Alexandra). She's actually a new year's eve baby, but her party was today. She was a premie by about 6 weeks, but she's actually a little bigger (and has A LOT more hair) than Allee. They had so much fun today and were very fun to watch.

All in all it has been a very entertaining weekend.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to say thank you to all of the amazing ladies who have stopped by to say Hello by way of the Vintage Nest. It has been so much fun to meet all of you!

Cheers!

Where Does the Time Go?

Is it just me, or is it that the older I get, the faster time marches on. This week has FLOWN by. New Year's Day seems like a month ago, not a few days ago.

Do you know the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions?" Well friends, I think I might be in need of some ice water!!! I had really good intentions of getting a lot of things done this week, but none of them seemed to materialize.

I INTENDED to:
-Clean out my closet and put everything back on my new huggable hangers
-Take down my Christmas Tree
-Do a few loads of laundry (keep in mind I have a two year old and a husband who works outside!)

I DID Manage to:
-Go shopping on New Year's Day - by myself I might add!
-Clean my master bathroom - yes, my husband took a picture of our clean bathroom. He even said "in case you want to blog about it" - the man knows me well!
-Keep Alexandra's room and the common areas of the house clean - ok, so clean might not be the correct word - it's more like "acceptable"

I will say that I had a great day of bargain hunting on New Year's Day. I LOVE after Christmas sales - especially on Christmas decorations. 75 to 80% off gets me really excited.

I love/collect snowman items, and I found this adorable snowman sled for $3 - yes, that's right, $3.


I also bought some really cool wrapping paper. It was 50% off, so I paid $1.50 for it. The cool thing is that it really doesn't look very "Christmasy" to me. It could be valentines, or any other special occassion. It has a very vintage design. Let me know what you think!

I was able to grab a few other bargains that I'm proud of, but you'll just have to wait to see what I bring out for Christmas 2008.

Cheers!