K is for Kerfuffle.

ker·fuf·fle/kərˈfəfəl/Noun: A commotion or fuss. 'There is a kerfuffle in Hailey's brain.'


Plates -- screwed up 3 this MORNING, is this going to work?
Calendar
Plane tickets? GET ME AWAY!!
Kitchen
Laundry
Mow the lawn
Sell stuff in Garage
Office
Bills
Paint with Julian, solo
Taekwondo Black belt papers
  K & J write commitments
Bills
Get gas
Change oil
Clean out car
Take a shower?

F is for Fridge.

My goal for today is to clean off/out the fridge. I know, I aim high.

Here is a note from just before Mother's Day and S's Birthday/Graduation from the left door:
S wants:
Computer
iPhone
Gift cards
New Backpack
Outdoor gear
College schtuff

Mom wants:
--> Flip video camera
--> iPod/CD player + charger
--> African Violets & what about that dern leafy, flowerless "Lucky Charm"
--> Black polo shirts (2) for exercise
--> Washed windows in family room

A note to Julie T. re: hosiery

Yesterday at Sundance I saw a woman wearing tights, which is a good thing these days. {I don't get the pasty leg look, with dress clothes. AND! I DON'T GET WHY hosiery manufacturers don't make comfortable, stay-up-able tights! I get why women don't wear them...} One leg was striped and the other polka-dotted. :) At first I thought, now that would be uncomfortable, worth complaining about, then I realized [duh.] they were MADE that way. Then I thought of you, your girls, my girls and me needing some. Later, at a pharmacy, I spotted an older woman in sheer white tights with a lattice/checked[?] pattern on them. Very cool. Looked great with her cream (cashmere?) skirt and off white  red flats.

Want this!

http://stitchymcyarnpants.com/moks06/

This is what you find when you look up The Museum of Kitschy Stitches on Google. My pal AL showed me the book and I just about died laughing first with her, then with S, then K and then J...

S is for Spin Fun.

The Valentine Gnomie... The white flag should've read, "I surrender!" Didn't really have time to create and be clever, if not brilliant. Wrapped him in an assortment of valentimey decor and called it "Done." Meanwhile I worked on a magnet board for the room.

The following is from an in-class party last week:

Treat #1: Rum Balls by Birthday Girl Vonda! A professional chocolatier.

Treat #2: Peanut Butter Bars brought in by the very trim "Peanut Butter" -- Don't ask about grams of fat, she said the next class.

Treat #3: Cream Filled Chocolate Mini-Cupcakes, brought in by Shauna, a chef.

The On-as: Donna, Vonda, Rona & Shauna!
It was an amazing, fun and HARD workout. I asked birthday girl Donna (who I've known for about 17 years, & whose son is a pal of S's) if she's had a good life so far... Rona was trying to kill us. Well, Rona made us earn the treats.

I've learned that when treats are offered at Spin, take one. Once I said, "No thank you." Only to go home and do a lot more dammage than one mini cup cake would have done. Thankfully, there aren't treats very often... and never before a trio of treats.

D is for DillyBeans.

http://www.bethsfarmkitchen.com/

Since I'm writing on a blog... you already know I'm more clever and more experienced, not to mention happier, thinner, more beautiful, with the smartest mostest beautiful and naturally athletic children anywhere, ever... did I mention that I am a fantaaaaaasstic home chef and there is so much money coming in the front door that we are vacuuming it up, mopping it up and whipping up crafts with the green stuff?! Well, actually, that is all true, but after we give bunches of money to an array of charitable causes, we have just enough (left over) to splurge on Beth's Dilly Beans. They are available at farmer's markets in NYC and they can be ordered and shipped.

I know C loves me because he only eats these WITH me. Not a big fan of strong foods, I do like them once in a while, whereas he LOVES them ALL the time. Then, on the fifth full moon of the year, when I'm in the mood for DILLY BEANS they are GONE! Well, they used to be. Yesternight C declared he'd only eat them with me. Ahhh shucks.

Is it coincidence that I just found Beth's Farm Kitchen catalog today in my pile of papers? I'm trying to go though at least 5 at a time... and also a few random saved blog pictures ...

G is for Ghiberti's Doors.

Remember: Peace. Ancient concept.

Mr. Ghiberti's self-portrait

The DOORS! J needed to do a small report on Renaissance art. We chose the doors because we were going to San Francisco and I knew he could visit them. It was neat. We didn't have to travel to Florence, Italy--not that we would have minded.

A lovely bee.

Isn't this maze cooooool? I would love in my garden. It is for meditating. You walk along the path, thinking quietly... unless you are a child and then you run along the path making friends which is what J & M did.

a settle

W is for Want that.

With the nifty new trail on our street and the tunnel xing St St we NEED one of these. The surrey is really what I want, memories of Stow Lake in San Francico. Hmmmmm. A surrey could make a Sunday afternoon picnic a snap.

Our neighbors have the grooviest recumbent tricycles! (Overstock.com) J is loving it tonight.

The Shoe That Got Away.

They didn't have it in my size. Can't find it on line... sniffle sniffle.

P is for Pick Your Nose.

This is a winner! If you are gonna pick some fun, may I recommend these "Pick Your Nose" cups by Fred. Great fun!

F is for Funny Fred.

Yeah well, pretty much everything in life should be funny. Some people I've met don't agree with that, and we don't get a long. Funny is thoughtful with the bonus smile attached. There are so many things in this world that can't be made funny we've go to dig deep when we find a good vein of funny ore.

I need more humor, a lot more and a lot of it everywhere. That is where Fred comes in.
Until I went to their site I didn't realize how many of their products we have and LOVE. We have the "pick your nose" cups and the inanimate stickers. This house of order NEEDs the "batter finger", maybe a few to stave off fights!

http://www.worldwidefred.com/home.htm

W is for "I Want THAT!"

W is for Willow Tree Toys. Wow.

Some lovely children are getting lovely toys this holiday season from Willow Tree Toys. Insomnia has its up side to be sure ... interruption free internet shopping.

The barn pictured above is not something we are getting. FUD has generously given us a few awesome open-able play architectural structures. This one is just so beautiful. I would want it as a focal point in my family room. The "blue sky" [a dreamy eventuality] plans for a studio/pavilion in our backyard looks slightly similar to this.

J is getting an archery set for Christmas from Willow Tree Toys.

This season is not about getting stuff, although I've done tons of that while decorating the house for the home tour on the 15th... more about that next post. Each of the children is getting a gorgeous snuggly blanket and about one thoughtful toy/item. Many of the items are from Germany. Long before the China + Lead in the toy scare I decided that we have enough. And, as FUD puts it, I decreed 2007 as the year of the "Toy Reduction Act". NO toys for Christmas is cruel and unusual. A few toys are fine. I love toys, it is in my blood. In keeping with the TRA and my heritage I thought I'd steer my shopping towards Willow Tree Toys, HearthSong and my favorite, Magic Cabin Dolls. On Tuesday night S and I went to a sale of German toys, and exquisite blankets that fit the bill.

S & K aren't so much into toys these days. Brilliant, yet bonkers, K is working hard to avoid a lump of coal...

W is for Want this swing from China.

N wants to try this kind of swings in China.
That is K on the swing on the right.