pinkcherrymama

{first post of 2012!}

well, it's already february and i have yet to write my first new year post...old habits die hard? yes, they do!!!

*just a note: this is more of a personal update post for today...crafty, shop talk and creativity will follow shortly...

Christmas was quiet around here...anyone who has a split/mixed family can probably feel me when i say that the holidays can be...difficult, sometimes. the girls {"his and mine", for lack of a better term} were all with the "other" parents this year, which made it a very low key holiday, but we were totally ok with low key! little buddy {"ours"} wanted to write just one thing to santa this year...

made me laugh :)

 

to the side you can see my super-rad lamp that i found at the thirft store! little buddy accidentally dropped it on the floor while we were decorating the tree and instead of breaking it, like i thought he did, he actually made it work...see the spiffy built in night light? didn't even know it was there until it was dropped - cool.

my annual Chirstmas morning breakfast got postponed until the girls got home the next day...

yummy vanilla, banana waffles with whipped cream.

not long after Christmas, i got my "annual" haircut. it was a pretty substantial cut!

ok, so, i am SOOOOOO SUPER excited for this next part! for new years, we went to the bay area and spent a few days with my family. i gave my daddy, my hubby and one of our daughters tickets for the raiders/ chargers game for Christmas, so we all went along for the ride. i went to THE most AWESOME super market, EVER! it is called Mi Pueblo and it is in San Jose. i have never in my life seen a cleaner, more organized store, EVER.

the bakery was amazing...no simple icing roses here. the cakes and tarts were perfect...

 

don't laugh...it's the little things that excite me in life :)

while i was freaking out about super markets, the dads were at the raider game with my little diva. i guess she made quite an impression on the "regulars" and was being asked if she would mind taking photos with other fans! they nick-named her "the raider angel"...oh boy...

apparently, they thought her bow was wings...

also on this joyous day, i got to go to santana row....*sigh, so rad! i got to shop at some of my favorite stores, maido and paper source,  but since it was new years day, everything closed early - boo!

oh paper and office supplies, how i love you so :) eh, now i'm sounding like a weirdo....oh well.

early in january, i was asked by a new dear friend to make a star wars cake for her son...i had never made one before, but thought, what the heck, so here's what i came up with...

horrible photo :/ everything, including the plaque is edible. i thought it came out quite nicely :)

been busy baking other things as well..such as...

best ever choclate chip cookies from HERE

came out perfect, no?

usually, i get the fever for baking all winter long, but with this awefully dry, warm winter, it has been different. i feel like spring has been knocking for months! this was one of the only snows we had all year...so sad :(

and last, but not least....my baby girl is grduating this year, so we decided to take out an ad in the year book with a photo of her and her longest friend...

THEN... {on the right}

and NOW... {on the left}

how time gets away from us...

*sniffle, sniffle...

and that's all for now folks! thakns for stopping by and getting through such a LONG post!

i'll be posting a crochet pattern and maybe some other fun stuff tomorrow :)

have a wonderful evening!

~r

{a year to the day...}

yes, it has been 1 year, to the day, since my last post....

so for anyone out there in blogland... friends, family or the occasional happened-by-accident visitor... i am happy to say, I AM STILL ALIVE! i am so embarrassed for having neglected my blog... i have made it through some major bumps in the road this year and i am  finally ready to come back to blogging. i have missed sharing creative things, ideas and experiences of everyday life so much. just as i was starting to get the hang of it, i gave up. BUT, like i said, i am ready and excited to be back and share what i have been up to and some of the little things that make me happy - or, sometimes, not so happy - in life.

SO much has happened this past year! so for today and tomorrow, i'm going to try to sum it up as short and sweet as possible...

late december 2010:

new additions to our family! louie dog...

and shelby girl...but i can't seem to find any photos of her :(

february 2011:

another day in s.f. nothing really different than any other day...BUT this time, my girls decided to try a new way of taking photos...hang mom's iphone out the window and snap... i LOVED how they came out!

{by the way, HIPSTAMATIC is my MOST FAVORITE APP EVER!}

my oldest decided to compete in dance this year and her team did awesome! i have to admit, i am glad it is over though...lots of travel and fun, but very expensive...

{she's the one on the left}

little buddy began his obsession with boba fete {spelling?} and has not gotten over it yet...

 

March 2011

little buddy turned 5 and had his first trip to disneyland...that he actully remembers!

"sissy b" got a chance to do some modeling for a very good, VERY talented friend of mine... he makes the most wonderful metal art. he lives in a beautiful old mansion in the middle of alfalfa fields where the photo shoot took place...she was a trooper! she stayed in the kimono for 4 hours without a potty break! there were about 5 or 6 layers to the costume and it took about an hour and a half to get dressed. if you have a chance, please check out his work HERE 

little buddy also started playing t-ball this year... what an experience that was (for both parent and child)!

april 2011

grama and grampa had their 50th wedding anniversary! we had to rent a tent last minute because it started to sprinkle. it was FREEZING, but it turned out great...even having to pack everyone into the tent.

(i made an almost exact replica of their original wedding cake and restored their cake top...)

 

June 2011

My baby girl (oldest child really) graduated! oh my goodness, this was a big one for me this year...

AND....she turned 18!

...so we had a carnival :)

August 2011

AND THEN... she went to her very first dance audition at THE EDGE in hollywood. she ddn't get into their dance program, but it was an awesome experience...

the following week, we were back in L.A. for another audition, this time for disney... another no, but no regrets for the experience! i decided to take my baby girl for a "secret" trip to disneyland while we were in socal. it was such a blast...i haven't ever really spent time with her alone since she was a baby...

{photos to come tomorrow :)}

i really want to finish up telling about my year and feeling like i have a new start :) i am exhausted for now, but i will finish up tomorrow.

So for now, i am going to say good night.... sleep well and "see" you tomorrow!

~r

Wrapping, wrapping, wrapping!!!!!

Wrapping presents is always more fun with the beautiful mountains to look at! I am so blessed! Having a very badly needed day off from filling orders and getting lots of Christmas stuff done! I LOVE LOVE LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!
TOMORROW: I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes for christmas goodies :)

I have lots of new Christmas stuff on my etsy site so check it out for some inspiration.

Have a blessed day!
~r

a long goodbye to summer...

i hate to admit that summer is ending, but today i was actually chilly... i am known for my long goodbyes, and summer is no exception...

bye, bye to flip flops...

naps on the beach...

 

camp...

 
late summer rain showers and double rainbows...

   
 lazy days on the boat...

my "little bros", little buddy and his turtle...

   

sand castles and my shirtless hubby...

 

 

evening boat rides...

 

the ocean...

 

the boardwalk...

 

goodbye summer...it has been one of the best yet!
 
the worst part of the changing seasons for me is the realization that my children are growing up faster than i want them to and that they will never be the same as they are now...

the best part for me is also knowing that they are growing into the people that God intends them to be and i have the honor of being able to share in their lives daily and watch them grow...

so many new and exciting things to look forward to...

junior and senior year...

  little buddy's 1 year of pre-school...

 

tomorrow i will be posting some photos of what i have been up to in my little closet of a studio :) i will be doing a friday give away every friday in october, but for those of you who have stuck with me through my irregular blogging schedule and wishy-washy postings, i am doing a giveaway this week as well! leave a comment tomorrow, when i post the giveaway item, and i will be drawing a name friday evening...sometime before bed! i will post a winner on saturday morning :)

thanks so much all of you have been so encouraging during my first full year of blogging!

There is a time for everything, 

       and a season for every activity under heaven...

Ecclesiastes 3:1

have a wonderful evening!!!

~r

{ awesomeness from "BraveGirls" }

{ last night's sunset from my backyard } i get a daily email from the wonderful ladies at BraveGirls and thought i would share with you. i know that both men and women can relate! Dear Overwhelmed Girl, Do you have the completely irrational belief that so many of us have that  you can be everything to everyone....especially to those that you love? Do  you believe it’s your job to keep them all happy, to help them with everything  that they are struggling with and to then go out and save the world in your  free time? Do you over commit and then beat yourself up when you under-deliver? Are there a million things on your list that were really really important that  you didn’t even get to because you got caught up in doing things that weren’t  nearly AS important? Ok now.....take a deep breath. Now...take another one. One more. Remember that you are wonderful. You are loved.....and, phenomenal friend... amazing woman.........you are a human being. You DO have limitations and it is  totally ok for you to say no sometimes....lots of times. In fact, it is essential. When you don’t stop to rest....to think....to recharge....to remember.... to restore.....you end up grouchy, tired, uncreative, angry and numb to lots of  life. You are a sparkling, beautiful girl and we need that sparkle.....so STOP  today and make a list....prioritize it...be realistic. Say no to at least 3  things today..........practice.  Say yes to yourself....to joy...to rest....to being 100% present to the things  that matter most to you..instead of a tired and diluted version who has too much  to do to ever do her best at ANYTHING. Don’t lose yourself while you are trying to  be everything to everyone.... If at all possible....only have enough on your plate that you can do your best at  everything you have to do.......your life will take on new meaning and happiness. Just practice...this is a hard one, but so worth it. Hang in there......you are loved! Xoxo in 2 days, we will be off on another adventure to Hume Lake with our high school youth ministry! in these rough financial times, it is going to be tough, but we know that God wants us to go and share, learn and help grow the kids. He will provide as He always does. the kids did a couple of car washes to help raise money and this past weekend, they got this little beauty to wash!, yep, that's a bentley. pretty cool :)   little buddy is so excited  to go that he can't contain himself. this morning, he brought out his "curious george" lunch pail to "pack". this is all a 4 year old needs for a week of fun...    tooth brush, "warrior head band", whoopee cushion, toothpaste....check! have a wonderful night! ~r

{calm}

i had to try VERY hard to "keep calm and carry on", for some reason today. honestly, it wasn't much different than any other day. i was just having a hard time NOT feeling anxious. is there something wrong with me? perhaps... it was one of those days when i felt like i needed to get every unfinished project i have ever started, DONE...NOW...TODAY... needless to say, i have MANY unfinished projects that would take years to complete and not one of them got touched..... if anyone was worried, i have overcome my distress and i am doing just fine ;)  a little rest in my favorite corner with a book, and all is well again :) 

 

peonies...an obsession i will never get over. a bucket of peonies  and a good book can't be beat :)

and now for some glitter...

something else i can never get enough of! these are some new tags i have in my shop..would be so pretty for a wedding or shower...

~*~*~*~*~

17 years, 1 hour and 6 minutes ago, i gave birth to my 1st child! i have been blessed beyond belief to call myself her mama and i can not wait to see what God has in His plan for her next 17 years! on the other end, my youngest (4 year old, little buddy) drew his first potato person today! you know the ones with no neck or body and arms and legs coming out of its head...i am so proud :)

for anyone who was wondering about my cry for help with CSS...i went out and got me a handy-dandy "teach yourself CSS in 10 minutes" book...just in case you were burning with anticipation as to how i would solve that dilemma.. we will soon see if the book is worthy of it's title!

{pause to check on child who is yelling at 12:45am}

i am off to dream land now before i get no sleep at all tonight! more pictures and such tomorrow...

{sweet dreams}

~r

  

i'm coming back....really, i am :)

having some difficulties getting a new banner and design done...creative brain fart :P

any ideas?????? anyone know where i can get a crash course in CSS?

for now, here is a not-so-short summary of the past few months and some extreme randomness...

my oldest got her drivers license...yikes! 

this, my friends is a photo of a burning peep...yes, my daughter and her friend wanted to roast peeps instead of marshmallows, so, in her ever-so-inventive style, she fired up the power burner and went to it....please do not try this at home! 

"the castle cake"

little buddy turned 4 and  had a "prince caspian" themed b-day this year, complete with castle cake and grey chocolate castle lollipops. each of the boys had their own "montgomery family crest" placemat and shield as well. my daughter helped make the cake which included gum paste flags and fondant details.

big daddy did an AWESOME job of teaching little buddy how to spell "mama"... oh wait, my bad. he was making an egg in honor of the "museum of modern art", right?

i made 220 mad hatter journals....and didn't go crazy! if you like knitting, check out this company, woolgirl, they do monthly kits and my journals were a part of their april kit.

spring, sprung...

little buddy said, "mama, make a wish!". when mama made a wish, he said, "mama, you wished all over me!".

   
 

 
   

   
little miss kk went to prom...awww....isn't she gorgeous!?!?! dress by ouma, she is wonderful if you ever want great quality and customer service! 

don't know why my photo is tweaked to the side, but this is just one of our resident bird families.

my favorite poppy plant never fails me :)

some new things i've been working on...last photo is a special request for a certain bridal magazine that may be publishing me! yeeehaaaawwww!

mama robin and her eggs....

more new designs in the shop...       

ok, really, i don't know why this keeps happening...sorry for the sideways photo again! anyway, this is little buddy's friend, the frog. he liked grama sooooo much that he tried to jump up and kiss her in the face....poor mr. frog probably had a heart attack from the screech that grama let loose...FUNNIEST THING EVER!!!!!

so that is just a small portion of what we have been doing around these parts for the past few months,. now that i am caught up a bit, it won't take me as long to get going with this blog thing again...once i figure out the banner/CSS stuff, of course :/

hope you all have a great weekend and thank you so much for hanging in there with me and my not-so-regular postings.

see you soon!

~r 

pure and simple honesty....

this was me yesterday...

i have to be absolutely honest. i am having a BAD day.

3am: hubby is up taking ibuprofen for that nagging tooth ache he's had for a month..."what's wrong",says mama, "my tooth hurts so bad...mumble, mumble", says big daddy...and back to sleep for a couple of hours....

6:30am: up and at em' to make hubby's 4 sammy's for lunch....lovely stack of dishes waiting for me in the sink...must be those pesky trolls that sneak into my kitchen in the middle of the night for a midnight snack....

7:30 am: answer etsy emails, orders, etc. new listings...

12:40 pm: "oh ya, i forgot to fold the laundry i put in the dryer last night", says mama to herself....as mama opens the door to her prized front loading dryer, "!?#$?!?!$&, what the heck! thanks big daddy for forgetting to take that ENTIRE pack of strawberry trident gum out of your pocket before putting your jeans into the laundry basket...i REALLY appreciate it!"

12:42-2:00 pm: iPod in ears, drown out everything else and scrape away! oh the joys of being a homemaker!

1:45 pm: first born child enters laundry room with a frightened/cautious look on her face. "what's wrong", says mama. "um, well little buddy just wet his pants...BUT i took care of it already!" thankful mama breathes a sigh of relief that first born child has saved the day...or maybe mama was just taking a breath of fresh air after being inside the dryer for an hour...could be either....

2:10 pm: "i should blog", mama says to herself in a state of half dilerium, half drunken stupor brought on by the lemon scented fumes of lysol and the grotesque picture of mayonnaise, still etched in her head, used to clean her lovely dryer to prior sparkling condition... 

and guess what? mama is absolutely, positively in a GREAT mood! ahhh, the power of music and blogging....mama's world is as it should be...
2 girls in their room with friend, hanging out...little buddy playing quietly {for the moment} in his room...first born listening contently to her iPod and texting away....
spoke too soon....small child screaming....be right back....

2:25 pm: another crisis defeated by....MAMA, domestic -wonder worker!

4:55: oh crap! i forgot to mail the  christmas cards again...yes, i said "christmas cards"...better late than never!

12:45 am: went to bed after playing "rock band" with my girls for a few hours! very fun...mama's got skills...not really, but it's fun to pretend :)

ok, all joking and sarcasm aside, yes today has been yesterday was quite...eventful. but as usual, when all is said and done, i wouldn't have it any other way...."lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, love-ly day..." iPod on head, remember?

♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫♪ ♫

now for some nice stuff...

i promised a friend i would post pictures of my christmas decorations so here we go...

this is going to come as a complete shock to anyone who knows me, but this year, not only did i skip the over 7 foot tall tree, but, {drum roll, please} i put up a "faux" tree! yes, believe it. i did the unthinkable. and just for your information, calling it a "faux" tree does make me feel better. little buddy helped of course...

 

yet another shocker....i actually did not color coordinate the tree....this may be too much for some of you to handle...but i have to tell the truth...

  
  

my quaint, little,{ lop-sided} "faux" tree atop my favorite vintage metal desk and me behind the camera being blinded by the light from my humungous {is that even how you spell that?} windows...

another one of the 4 christmas trees i put up this year...oops, did i forget to mention that? well, yep, i put up 4... this one happens to be the "disney" tree, which little buddy seems to be rearranging every 5 minutes...

this year, we also managed to make a "shortbread" house, i don't like gingerbread, decorated by my daughter with the help of a friend,

 

and this one, REAL gingerbread, was made by my soon-to-be pastry chef, daughter, in culinary arts class...

   
 

my little "jengo phet" and no, he is not throwing up gang signs...he calls this his "jengo pose",

 

over the past year there have been lots of changes. some i am ready for, others, i am not. little buddy finally got potty trained...very ready for that one! for christmas, "santa" brought him a "big boy bed", the kind you put the crib mattress into. you know, the kind some smart person made up just for moms like me who are not willing to realize that their baby is really not a baby anymore, but if i don't actually put him in a regular size bed, i can pretend just a little bit longer...yep, you know the kind of bed i'm talking about... my etsy business has taken off beyond anything i ever imagined... the kids have had triumphs and failures in school and in life, but all for a greater purpose and with lessons learned.

there have been trials {raising 2 teenage girls has it's ups and downs} and there have been blessings... and trials WITH blessings! there has also been an abundance of joy. i am looking forward to this new year with excitement, wonder and a little bit of anxiety, to be honest...i can't wait to see what GOD has in store for me and my family. i am ready to take on whatever comes my way with an open heart and mind and to, most of all,

"find joy in the trials AND blessings of life!"

thank you so much for hanging in there with me and my random posts, regular posts, late posts, no posts....let's just say, erratic posting habits! i hope this year brings me a plethora {he, he, i like that word} of inspiration that i can pass on to you through my blog.

*** random picture of my mama and my "little sis". just brings a giggle, so i thought i'd share!*** 

have a Sparklie, Happy New Year and God Bless!!

~r

~my favorite time of year~

catching....

snowflakes....

on my tongue....

   simple joys of childhood....

it always amazes me how God's timing is so perfect. the holidays come at just the right time to satisfy my cravings to bake, re-decorate and snuggle by the fire. every year, around october, i start to settle in and prepare for the chilly weather to come. my internal "clock" starts to tell me it's time for baking and cooking meals that take all day to prepare. the kids comment on how they "love this time of year because the house always smells like something yummy is cooking in the kitchen". as a family, we all gravitate to the living room and the warm fire; the girls doing homework or watching holiday specials on t.v., crocheting (not big daddy, of course!), playing games or legos with little buddy or just chatting about how our days went. it is such a wonderful time of year that God has given us. it's like His way of telling us to slow down a bit and enjoy each other and the blessings He has given.

during the past thanksgiving week, i have been very blessed  with visits from great friends, family and a wonderful step-daughter.

 

one of our traditions at thanksgiving is to make paper bag turkey! my secret to a perfect turkey...learned from my ex-mother-in-law {is that even a word?} anyway, paper bags, that's the secret!

yep, wrap that puppy up and let er' bake for a bit and voile....

the perfect turkey! no basting no nuthin' !  be sure to allow your teenage daughter to suck out all the juices for the gravy so that, you too, can have a beautiful shot like this one, of the lovely faces made while sucking said juices from the bird ;)

this year we also made our own centerpieces out of hominy cans { i made a TON of pozole for a church function a week before} we crammed 17 people into our little dining room. not too bad, huh?

 

i had some time to add new designs to my etsy shop as well, so here are a few peeks at what's in the shop:

  
 

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay healthy throughout this wonderful season!

God bless :)

~r 

cool contest and a random creation by "little buddy" :)

UPDATE: LADIES!!! WHERE ARE YOUR ANSWERS!?!?! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT Y'ALL DO FOR THE HOLIDAYS :) JUST COPY AND PASTE THE QUESTIONS AND EITHER POST IT ON YOUR BLOG,  EMAIL ME OR WRITE A NOTE IN FACEBOOK.

good morning! 

i found this cool contest in my inbox this morning and i thought i'd share:

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? well, honestly, if i could have anything and it didn't have to be for myself, i would like to open a full-time "soup kitchen" in my town with a place for kids and adults to have a hot meal anytime of day, free of charge. i would also like to build a home where i could take in special needs foster children. i'd also like to have college funds for all of my children to go to whichever school they chose, and i'd like to take the entire family to kenya to help build a school and learn about another culture.... o.k., this is a completely unrealistic list, but if the gifts had to be for me and they could be over-the-top...Tamron B003 lens, CS4, Apple computer, a European tour, a kitchen remodel, a spiffy celebrity trainer who could kick my butt into shape!
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? pretty much anything my kids have ever made me, my husbands homemade cakes and cards 
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? a complete quilt, a complete afghan, 
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? Barbie Dream House!!! and Easy-Bake Oven.
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? boy= legos, spider man knee pads, spiderman scooter...girls= clothes, makeup, gift cards (who knows what they really want?!?!)
6. What is your favorite holiday food? cornbread stuffing, tamales, lace cookies
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? Christmas cards, placecards, gingerbread house/cake, cookie ornaments
8. What is your favorite holiday movie? all of the stop-motion animation movies like Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Elf, and the original Grinch cartoon.
9. Favorite holiday song? much too difficult to choose, but i LOVE all of the 40's and 50's recordings of classic Christmas songs the best, and that paul mccartney song about "siiimply haaaving, a wonderful Christmas time!"
10. Favorite holiday pastime? baking, crafting, baking, crafting, listening to Christmas music, baking, crafting, decorating

if you'd like to participate, click on the TodaysMama link above for details.

please leave a comment with a link to your answers as well. i love to see how different 
 all of our answers are.

**********************************************************************

on friday, little buddy made me a very special lego creation. he wanted to name it and made me write down the name. so here it is, the burrito-slicker-balinter-tekker-burner!

i am gearing up to start all of the holiday decorating, creating, generally -making -myself- crazy- with unrealistic -expectations- of- what- i- want -to- accomplish- during -the -holidays and driving my family crazy with 40's and 50's Christmas carols every waking hour!!!! ooooooh, i am soooooooo EXCITED!!!!

somewhere in the midst of all of the holiday mahem, i still need to find time to keep my etsy shop stocked and updated with new and exciting holiday designs....wish me luck ;)

sparkles and smiles to all of you!

~r