Fabulous Holidays- Landon's Christmas List

Landon just made out his Christmas list.
We'll see which grandparents are reading my blog!


1. Train Table from Land of Nod $399

Turns into this with leg extensions! Brilliant!!!












2. Pottery Barn Alphabet Flashcards $14

Great for learning words!








3.Turtle Sandbox $39.99



My sister had this and loved it.









4. Endless Adventures Double Decker Super Slide $379.99


He is one active guy now and needs to have some fun!












5. Apple Webcam ISight- $300



So all the long distance grandparents can see us!!!











6. Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Table $79.99


You can fill it with rocks, water, leaves and drive trucks through it!!! A fave of his at his mommy and me class.






7. Dirt Digger Long all from orient expressed $57.75 (18 months)



For church and an homage to Daddy!






8. Soft and Sturdy Jumbo Building Blocks $27 amazon.com









9. Cranium Twisty Tunnel $24.99 Amazon.com

he loves these at his friends houses!




10. Little Tykes Cozy Coupe $49.99


To ride around the pool in style (pool fence up of course!)

Merry Christmas!!!

Lucky Seven

I was tagged by Magnolia Mama, Connecticut Charm and Biscuits are never boring to do seven weird or random things about me. Okay guys I get it! You think I'm weird. Ha. You're right! I'm sorry to say I have way more than seven. Here are the ones I think are the most weird and random!

1) I dated the Prince of Saudi Arabia.
I'm serious. I didn't realize he was a prince until I snuck a look at his passport and it read H.R.H!

2) Kevin Costner called me and left a message on my machine.
Back in my acting days I wrote a few letters to get myself in the door. Kevin called me at home and then invited me to audition for one of his movies. I was too young for the big part but he gave me a smaller one! I met him on set and he was HOT!

3) I do things in two's. Broke both my wrists, had a double hernia, and my appendix out twice!
Does this mean I'm having twins next? Good golly.

4) I won the bed in my guest room on a game show.
It was some show that never aired but needed contestants and I won the bed after correctly remembering what VCR stood for!

5) I determine how much I will pay for a shoe by the number of times I'll wear it.
For instance: if the shoes are $100, will I wear them 100 times? Etc!

6) I met hubby at a two year olds birthday party in Hollywood. We moved in two weeks later, engaged 6 months later, and married a year after that!

7) I hate sweet with meat.
Unless it's Chinese food, I hate fruit with meat. Ham with a pineapple on it? Gross. Prosciutto on melon? Yuck. You get the picture!

I now tag Tres Poshe Preppy and Hemstitch and Hydrangea if they haven't been tagged already!

Cats Like Goldfish

Here is our kitty eating Landon's goldfish. I have now seen everything. Landon has been so whiny today because he's getting his one year molars (I think). Poor guy and poor Mommy!
Meanwhile, I have been working on our Calendars from Snapfish that we are giving for Christmas, all of them featuring Landon of course! People love them, especially because I put birthdays and anniversary's on them! A great gift.

This weekend like the rest of America I will be breaking out the Christmas decorations and going Christmas crazy. We aren't doing a tree this year (Sad), because we'll be going to Grandmommies house for Christmas in Connecticut. I will however, be putting garlands on everything that is standing still.

Poor hubby will be on Christmas light detail outside! Ho! HO! HOOOOOOO!

Fabulous Holidays- Thanksgiving plans

We have had an amazing visit with hubby's grandparents. Here are some highlights!

We had nanny babysit one night and went to the John Fogerty concert with a bunch of people from church to see our very talented friend Hunter Perrin play the guitar! He plays in our church band but now is playing with John Fogerty! It was so fun and the music was amazing. Remember some of the old Creedence Clearwater Revival songs?

Born on the Bayou
Midnight Special
Proud Mary
Down on the Corner?

So great!!! And seeing someone who's such a sweetheart like Hunter have success was wonderful. We also went to Travel Town Museum!

I don't know who had more fun, Landon or Grandpa!

We also went to the Grove and rode the trolley and saw all the pretty Christmas lights.




A great time but I'm exhausted!

Fabulous Find- Christmas Gifts For Us!

For the Game player:
Leather Dominos from Ballard Designs $59.50








For the Pretty Lady:




Channel Quilted Velvet Cosmetic Bag from Pottery Barn $29















For the True Preppy:


Crocodile Bangle Bracelet from Ross Simons $637


For the Stylish One:
Ballard Designs Rain Boots in Medallion $59












For the Cocktail Queen:


Lilly Pulitzer Needlepoint Door Hanger from Splash of Pink $38









Wouldn't mind getting a few of these hint hint! HA!

Fabulous Holidays- Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving was a big hit! Having Grandma here to help made the cooking fun! We started with lunch and the Packer game. I made this amazing Cauliflower soup. It was the best soup I've ever had!!!! It was from the Williams Sonoma Catalog. I might so it a little differently next time and keep a few chunks of cauliflower in it rather than it being a puree. IT WAS SOOOOOOO Good!

I set the table with my Royal Crown Derby and we started preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.
Here's my Oyster stuffing.


I even made Ma'maa's Ice box Rolls!


Grandmas Sweet Potato Souffle was delicious! So delicious I will be adding it to my repertoire!

Hubby's pumpkin pie was amazing too!!!
Very Thankful this year!!!!

The Grandparents are coming!

Landon has no idea what's in store for him. The last time he saw hubby's parents was in Hawaii at Uncle Sharpy's wedding (Sharpy is Hubby's younger bro), and Landon was walking a little. Cut to today and he is RUNNING everywhere! Talking up a storm. I can make out some of it "Tiko, Tiko" = Tickle Tickle....but they will be blown away by little Mr. Personality. We have a big week planned, we are going to take Landon to Travel Town, where he'll get to ride a mini train! We may also go to the Getty Museum,



it is truly gorgeous up there. One problem is there are supposed to be 50mph winds coming our way! Hello? Isn't that a tornado?

Fabulous Find- A Very Lilly Christmas

Splash of pink sent a catalog that I looooved. It was a very pink and green and fabulous!


These shift dress ornaments are to die for!



So are these quilted Lilly animals!


It inspired me to find some more pink and green for Christmas!

A pink tree!


Pink and Green Christmas China!

Might as well just get this:

Fabulous Holidays: Thanksgiving menu

Hubby's parents are flying in next week so I'm trying to get organized! So far the menu will be:

Cauliflower Soup

Turkey with stuffing
Sweet potato
Broccoli Casserole

Mom's Pecan Pie
and
Hubby's Pumpkin Pie

I am proud to say that I have learned to make my mom's pecan pie and dough from scratch!!! I need something else to spice up the menu though. Still formulating. My Father is a major cook and so is hubby so I know they'll think of something to add to the mix. What are you guys serving? Any great ideas? Things you can't live without? I'm thinking of doing a special stuffing of some sort. Will research!

Fabulous Books- for Babies

Reading to your kids is just about the most important thing you can do for them besides feeding them and kissing them! Landon is in love with books. Even from a few months old he's been pretty excited about books.
He loves all of Karen Katz's Books:







I also believe in the use of propaganda! We love all of P.K. Hamilton's books.











This one is fun too. My Mom's Great!







This has been Landon's all time favorite.

Cliffords Touch and Feel Day, where he gets to feel grass, sand etc.



I'm tagging Pinot and Pacifiers, Connecticut Charm and Magnolia Mama for their kids favorite books!

Fabulous Project- Dining Room Fabric Samples

Went to Calico Corners (first time!) and found a few samples I like. This is the one for the dining room. It's called mandarin in coral.








I also like the white version.

















And this for the living room.







I am so excited to be doing this. I have been looking at trims and dancing in the fabric aisles! I thought I would have more to choose from but we hit a home run in no time! Hubby loves the bright colors and especially the bird on the dining room fabric! You remember he wanted pheasants. Looks like it's a win/win! Fabulous!

Sanity Break- Art

Last night hubby and I and a group of our friends went to see a show called The Common Air starring Alex Lyras. It's a one man show linking six characters through a delay at the airport. It was thought provoking, sad, hilarious, and real. It was amazing to see him changing from one character to the next, and inhabit the clothes, accent and essence of another person. It's running in Los Angeles right now, and in New York soon. See it if you can!

Art is a true sanity break for me. Seeing a show that inspires me, helps me to be more creative. It generates fresh ideas and makes me feel like I too am an artist. My Grandmother was a painter, so is my mother. I am a writer. I think there's no better sanity break than being creative in any art form. Art is a way to express yourself but it's in the sharing with others that we create community and conversation. It's one of the reasons I created this blog. How do you express your creativity? What art do you love to see or hear?

Getting Involved- VOTING

This is an interesting way to see how your beliefs line up with the candidates. I still think it's too early to be committing but I found this really helpful so I wanted to share!
http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460

Fabulous Find- Nostalgic Toys=

Wanna re-live your childhood? I found a website that has all the toys you had as a kid! I was having flashbacks just looking at them! Back to Basics Toys is amazing!!!

Remember this Snoopy Sniffer? My sister pulled it around and one day in a moment of pure retaliation, swung it over her head and hit me in the eye! Ah, good times.

This Snoopy Snow Cone Machine was something I always wanted that my mother would never let me have! Maybe Santa will bring it for me this year!

Remember Cindy Brady's best friend Mrs. Beasley?



I love this site!!! Great Christmas gift ideas and a walk down memory lane!