11.01.2007

"Trail Mix" part 2

{I guess I have a lot of updating to do since I have been without frequent updating for so long . . . ha!}

  • This weekend we put up a gallery on our wall coming up the stairs. It looks cool. I'm really happy with it. I uploaded pics to flickr. Tell me what you think! (Erin, did we do okay?)
  • We also cleaned out the garage this weekend. First time doing so. And when I say clean, I mean we literally took everything out and scrubbed the floor. Looks like sparkly perfection. (Not really, but tons tons better than it did a week ago.)
  • Two days ago I got really frustrated with how scraggly Maia's hair looked and since she has only had 1 haircut ever, guess what I did?! I cut her hair myself and I have to say, it looks pretty good for my first time. It's still piggy-tail doable, don't worry!(More also on flickr.)
  • Earlier in the summer I went to my "adopted" grandmother's estate sale. As you know, I won (yay!) one of her beautiful old upholstered chairs. I also won an antique "brownie" camera. Then I bid on some other boxes . . . where i wasn't sure exactly what was in them, but I knew I wanted them. And so I took a few pictures of my finds. I'm so excited about it all because they were things of hers, but also because I think some of things are pretty rare. For instance, there was a Newsweek from when Reagan was shot, a copy of "The Grapes of Wrath" from the early 1900's, and then some storybooks which were of some ladies from my hometown who could have been grandmothers to Marie (my adopted grandma), so they date from the middle 1800's. I also have Marie's Home Economics textbook which has recipes in it and little notes in her handwriting. She doodled all through it and would write notes like "very good", etc. beside favorite recipes. There are also pictures of women cooking in this book over old stoves probably in the 30's? I'm so excited I have these things. I have a few showcased in my dining room hutch. Check out the pictures which I uploaded to flickr. There aren't a lot of pics, but a few.
  • While Erin was here we went shopping. I mean, how could we not?! We adore all the same things, dress alike, decorate alike . . . and she came across some fabulous ceramic vases which she just knew would look great in my (still being transformed into) VWC "presentation room". So I bought them. 3 of them. Plus a little suitcase thingie and she bought me a bowl. Looks awesome! I have some pictures of Erin "Vanna White-ing" off our finds on flickr which you must go see (if you haven't gone there yet).
  • An old friend and I just got reconnected through facebook.com (I love that place and it's sooo addicting!). Right about when her daughter was born, she started up an online scrap booking store. It's really awesome and I'm very proud of her. I know how hard it is to keep a small business going, so I wanted to give her a little plug. Please check it out. She has some really cool things (even though I don't scrapbook) and I looked on her sale page and from what I know about scrapping, her sales are a must to check out!
  • I forgot to mention last week that the first day Erin was here, she gave me a fun "thanks for having me gift". Which I think was more of a "R&R" gift for after the day full of parties. Inside the cute paisley turquoise bag were some coasters that she made herself (she's very creative, ya know? -- I love them!), a candle, body cream, leg gel (for my tired legs), lots of yummy Canadian chocolate that we don't have here (which is better than most chocolate we have here!), and my very favorite . . . TWO bags of ketchup chips. Oh my gosh, I love those things!!! (Unfortunately, so do my kids. Thankfully, Neil does not, which means I get his portions.)
  • We did trick-or-treating tonight and the kids had a blast! Maia was way way more into than Noah EVER was at this age. And Noah had a really great time. He went on his own up to houses and said "trick or treat" which is really big for him; he's really really shy. Anyway, O'ma came over to see the kids and walk around with us. Then we went to dinner. It was nice. We had a really good time. I'll post pics another day. Happy Halloween!!!

10 comments:

Alexis Jacobs said...

Okay that picture of Maia made me cry. I'm missing so much **sniff sniff** She looks so... big. ((sigh))

And I am jealous. You've been in your house a year less and I still so not have pictures hung up. Ya know my theory... as soon as I hang them, Matt moves us.

Jennifer said...

oh great picture.....gosh I need a new camera. If you want to get rid of yours, I have first dibs!..HEHEH

Anonymous said...

LOVE all the picture...

-That sunset was so amazing and I feel blessed that I got to see it in real. It was like the perfect ending to the perfect trip (I just wish my camera took as awesome pictures as yours did!).
-Maia's so darling, but we already knew that.
-thanks for the fun pictures of me and the vases : )
-Love the collage, you guys did a fabulous job (yes, I approve, hee, hee).
-I hope you're enjoying the stuff I brought you (I'm already planning the package I can send you some more ketchup chips in...although I'd prefer to give them to you in person again...sniff).
-Isn't Facebook awesome and terrible all at the same time? The hours you can waste in that place is horrendous...but fun : )
-all that stuff from your "adopted" grandmother's estate sale is so fun. What great treasures.
-okay, I'm done...for now.

Unknown said...

Erin, you are the best commenter ever! Never to miss anything and that makes me feel so good to know you took so much time to see the pics and then to comment. xo

Anonymous said...

...or maybe I just talk too much : )

Anonymous said...

I love stairway galleries

COOL

Ohhhhhhhhhh what a sweetie Maia is

ohAmanda said...

I'm off to look at flickr...

Cerella said...

Holy MOLY! Little Maia looks soo grown up!!! Great job on the haircut! You just might have another career in the works! ;)

Jamie said...

Val its all so awesome. Seeing your vases made me think of somethings I have sitting in my closet in a bag......... CALL ME. There could be goodies for you involved. The pictures are fab.
Your just too dang good girl!!

Missy!! said...

Oh my gosh!! Little M looks so a-dor-able!! How precious!! I bet her hair looks super cute in piggy-tails now.. it'll curl under.. ahh.. how sweet! :)