ok, time to really start celebrating fall! yesterday i posted pictures of my new pink bulletin board. after a couple of coats of black spray paint, it has new life.
it was a little dark when i got home and got it done so the pics are not exactly what i wanted, but i was so anxious to share. my husband was very impressed that i brought something new home and actually completed my project in such a short time! lol
check out lots of fun fall and halloween crafts over at eighteen25.
and the other thing i wanted to get posted today were these adorable cupcake decor kits i found. i told you TJ maxx had some cool stuff! these little kits are from meri meri. i got the cupcake liners from sarah’s fairy party earlier this year from them, and i totally fell in love. so imagine my excitement when i saw THESE!!
they had a couple of different choices – packs of 24 cupcake liners and decorative cupcake toppers. i had to get them both! but one of them is for YOU! i’m giving away one of the packs (your choice) and the cute halloween sprinkles to a lucky reader. just comment on this post and tell me which pack you like (trick or treat in the back with cats and skulls, or open if you dare with ghosts, pumpkins, frankenstein, and a witch in the front), and it may be yours. i will draw for the prize on sunday night, september 26th.
i hope you win!
ok i know i am a few hours early, but i am actually excited about fall this year! i have decided that my house and its colors really lend themselves to the colors of autumn and halloween and the changing leaves. yes, i miss summer – so much. but halloween is one of my favorite holidays so it makes the transition easier. oh, and it doesn’t hurt that GLEE begins its new season tonight!
i don’t love many things on tv, but i love glee!
i started a project today… i keep hearing about all of these amazing finds that people have come across at TJ maxx – weird, i think, it’s not somewhere i usually shop. but i thought i’d stop in there this weekend while we were out. i found this really cute little wood framed bulletin board. it was pink, which doesn’t exactly go with our house, but isn’t that why spray paint was invented? i’ll give a peak of the “before” today, and post my results after the paint dries tomorrow…
TJ maxx also has an unbelievable amount of CUTE halloween stuff. again, who knew?? i picked up some goodies… and i got some to share… i’ll share that with my new bulletin board tomorrow, so make sure to check it. ;)
hope you all have a wonderful first day of fall – here’s to sweater weather and HALLOWEEN!!
in these hard economic times, many people have been turing to a simpler life, and often times that includes growing some of their own food. but this family has been following their own simple life for years, and taking it to extremes that are hard to imagine. i love this family. they live in pasadena, but they are not like other people in their neighborhood. their blog contains this caution:
warning: some posts may cause drastic changes in your lawn, excessive seed buying, frenzied bouts of planting, and the overwhelming desire for hand-cranked goods. We are not responsible for family or friends possibly labeling you as a “nut”.
but the Dervaes family aren’t nuts. they truly have created the ultimate “urban homestead”. on their 1/5 acre lot in suburban pasadena, they raise food not only for their family of four, but also as an income source – truly local foods sold to area restaurants. their property is shared with goats, ducks, chickens, bees, and rabbits. i really, really need to see if i can take my kids for a field trip to see this extraordinary place…
seriously, how inspired must i be to blog TWICE in one day?
i am a fan of barn light electric on facebook. they post amazing makeovers in which people use their very cool, retro looking light fixtures. love them so much. today, they posted the bathroom makeover of a very talented designer, michelle of three men and a lady. take a gander at this bathroom:
the shower curtain. swoon. and that mirror – divine!!
my bathroom is so similar to hers – it’s a bit smaller, but same basic layout. i just hate the big boring mirror and the ugly 80′s apartment light strip. and the oak – ugh.
i think i see a makeover in my future. i’m sure my husband will be thrilled! ;)
in other “inspiration” news, i realized that i had FINISHED layouts(!!!) that i never shared!! i know, i was the girl who thought a while back that she might not be a scrapbooker anymore. but all i need to to be around the right people and in the right atmosphere, and actually created (and enjoyed it).
oh, scrapbooking, how i’ve missed you.
well, another summer has come to a close here in so cal. it was late this year – furlough days kept us on vacation until mid-september… not that i’m complaining! if there is one thing most people know about me, it’s that i LOVE having my kids home with me. sending them back to school is just sad, sad, sad for me. this year was tough because we have had some pretty major changes at our school, and i have actually been dreading it more than the average year.
thankfully, though, kids are so resilient and much stronger than we as parents give them credit for. we had our first day yesterday, and i think we can make this a successful year for everyone. happy dance for mama! i’m going to do my level best to keep from yanking them out and homeschooling every time i am frustrated. ;)
my little social butterfly was the one in the family utterly excited to go back. She loves flitting from the playground to the soccer field, playing with her friends and just having a general great time. it’s so nice to see her blossom with the other kids. she’s just the outgoing one in the family. hopefully, second grade will be a great year for her!
and then there is this guy. just looking at this picture makes me want to burst with pride and have a massive anxiety attack all at once. it’s so HIM – the big boy with the VERY grown up face, with the little boy in the star wars lego shirt still hanging on. i cannot believe how old he looks here. he was hesitant about this year. our school is unusual in that the kids stay with the same teachers for multiple years. he absolutely loved his teacher last year, and she has always been the fourth grade teacher as well. with the mess that our school districts are in and facing massive budget cuts, we lost one of our 4 teachers last year, and the classroom shuffle was on. both of my kids got caught up in it, but jack was pretty devastated to lose his favorite teacher. change doesn’t sit well with this one. ;) but the day really went smoothly and i think he accepted the situation with a great deal of maturity and poise. proud of this one, i am…
i found these cute little back to school treats via my friend lisa on facebook. rolo pencils and hershey’s kisses points?? seriously, who comes up with this stuff?? i made them for the kids, their teachers, their new principal, and our sweet school secretary. how CUTE are these??
i guess they were featured in creating keepsakes recently, but i must have missed that issue. i’m so glad i saw them online. they were really fun.
and me, well, only 173 days of school until summer vacation, so there ya go! ;) no, really, i am going to work to make this a productive and fun year for them both. even though we might not choose the homeschool route, i still have some plans in store for us. i think fourth grade in CA is the BEST year, so i have a big “field trip” planned for me and jack to visit sacramento and some of the historical sights in nor cal. really, really looking forward to that. sarah will be getting the chance to take some fun classes and maybe join another soccer team. she enjoyed it last year. and of course, time to go back to brownies and boy scouts. busy busy busy!
have a great day! :)
annually, on the anniversary of the terrible events of 9/11, i share this post to remember Giann F. Gamboa, who tragically lost his life in the World Trade Center on that tragic day. this remembrance is part of project 2.996, a collection of stories and blog posts about the people who were killed that day.
in addition to Giann's story, i wanted to share a message that i received from one of his close friends, Rich Costa.
Thanks so much for doing this for Giann. He was a special man and like a son to me. Although he did not work for Windows on the World in the North Tower, (but rather the Top of the World Observation Deck in the South Tower), I am told he did get off of an elevator on the 78th floor of the South tower to let others leave. While waiting for the next elevator, the second plane struck.
It is good to know he is up there watching us.
Rich Costa
as
a part of the 2,996
project,
i remember and honor Giann
F. Gamboa.
as
a manager at the windows on the world restaurant atop the north tower
of the world trade center, Giann was among 73 employees who died in
the collapse of the tower. ( Mr. Costa has corrected me that Giann actually worked at the South Tower Observation Deck.)
Giann
was one of the countless heroes that terrible day – thinking of
someone more frightened and more fragile than himself when he gave
his employee his spot in the elevator.
in
the years since I originally posted a tribute to Giann, people have
continued to share their memories from near and far. this spring, a
beautiful young lady named Gaby Gamboa posted her own tribute to
Giann. Gaby is Giann's sister. here is her tribute to a brother she
obviously loves very much.
June
06, 2009
Giann
is my brother, and he was my best friend too, every day I remember
all the things I used to do with him when he came to Ecuador, Giann
was the most important person in my life and my big pride, I miss him
a lot… I am grateful to all hes friends especially Rich Costa,
because I know how my brother appreciated you.
Gaby
Gamboa Ambato, Equador
and
just this week, a cousin of Giann's posted her thoughts on the man
she never got a chance to know.
September
10, 2009
Even
though i did not know Giann F. Gamboa I just found out he had died
and was apart of my mom's side the family and i just turned 12,i
really never knew him our really seen him i was only little but i
will regret it for the rest of my life i hope that i will see him in
the after life my god take care of you and my the lord bless you with
all his might i wish you luck up there i will always remember you for
the rest of my life love ur distant cousin xoxo <3
Krystal
Penafiel, Miami, Florida
gaby
and crystal, if you ever read this, i am so sorry for your loss.
here
are some comments about giann that were left in internet guestbooks
in the months and years following 9/11/2001.
Giann,
You
were a great co-worker with a heart of gold. One significant thing I
remember about you was your (Smile) For his smile could brighten up
anyone's day. May God continue to watch over your soul for eternalty.
Terry
Edwards (Queens, NY)
How
I miss you Giann. You took my spot to manage that Observation Deck
and you learned the ropes. I always remember your battle cry
(Uhyuuhhuhh!!!) echo through the core from the 107 to the 110 floors.
We spent alot of time together, and we had plans to open the best
eating place in NY. You will always remain the strong, kind and
wonderful person that I will always remember. We helped each other
many times, even that last Friday. If you did get to Ecuador that
week, I bet you would have been made El Presidente!! God keep you. I
miss you, hermano.
Tony
Giann
worked for me when I was GM of the Observation Deck. He was the best.
He was both a hard worker and a really nice and kind person. When
ever things got tense, he would tell me "Rich, relax". I
try to imagine him telling me that know as I worry that he is ok.
He
did not really get into religion until after I left to become a
theology teacher. We had a great relationship, but I wish we could
have had some talks about what became his passion.
I have two
sons, and I would be honored if they turned out like Giann.
I
miss him so much.
Rich
Costa
here is a photo of giann's church friends, desperate to find word on their
missing friend.
Jenny
Mosquera, Claudia Marmolejo and Margerie Cuartas hold a picture of
their friend and church member Giann Gamboa who worked at Windows on
the World Restaurant on the 107th floor and is now missing.
(Newsday
/Bruce Gilbert)
Copyright
© 2006, Newsday,
Inc.
——————————————————————————————————
i
couldn't find a lot of information on Giann. i was able to glean that
he was probably born in equador, south america. i imagine that he was
an immigrant to this country, full of homes and dreams of a better
life. with his job, his friends and girlfriend, and his church,
it sounds as though he had found that.
Giann
Gamboa was only 26 years old on that day in september. his dreams
were only beginning to come true. it make me so angry that his life
was extiguished in such a terrible way.
from
the ashes of the wtc and windows on the world come a glimmer of hope.
proof that life does go on – proof that lower manhattan is still
alive and that they will never forget those who were lost. the
surviving employees of the windows on the world who, by fate or luck
or chance, were not at work that crisp morning, have opened a
co-operative restaurant called Colors. you can read about the genesis
of the restaurant here.
i
am so sorry that this happened to you, Giann. i honor you and the
others who died on 9/11. you may not have been known by many, but i
will never, ever forget you.
who knew that this would become a season of baked goods and buttercream! with the dreadful weather we’ve been experiencing, i guess it’s good to have something to look forward to. ;)
i know that cupcakes have been all the rage lately, and we’ve sort of taken them on lately! sarah asks to watch cupcake wars and ace of cakes every day, and i happily comply. definitely preferable to the days of icarly and spongebob, you know?
i was also fortunate enough to attend oc cupcake camp last month. holy confections batman!! i heard that there were over 800 people in attendance. it sure felt like it – very crowded, but there were some great cupcake bakers with some amazing offerings.
a new favorite: two parts sugar. yummy orange-vanilla bean cupcake. loved it. they had such a dramatic display! (oh, and if you have a child who loves yo gabba gabba, you MUST check out her site – trust me on this one!)
another notable was fellow blog crusher, meringue bakeshop. her best in show orange crush cupcake was yummy and adorable!
frostings cupcakes had a great lemon drop cupcake – i tend to judge cupcakeries by their lemon cupcakes if at all possible. i had tried a cupcake at their bakery in lake forest when they first opened and was a bit underwhelmed, but this lemon cake was quite good.
my delight cupcakery was another award winner (their chocolate sundae smile was awarded “most childhood inspired”). their more interesting choice was their breakfast cake, complete with bacon and maple syrup?!?! i wish i had found the nerve to try that one! bacon seems to be as popular as cupcakes this year…
in the amateur division, who wouldn’t love this “most OC” entry?? an in-n-out burger! i loved this!
and a selection of other offerings from the event…
and apart from the participants at cupcake camp, a brand spankin’ new bakery opened up in the neighborhood - the cupcake store. we visited them just a few days after they open. a bit of a mixed bag. one of their cupcakes – the celebration cupcake – was awful. we ended up throwing it away. but i have to say that their lemon drop cupcake was fabulous. really good! and the pure chocolate was very good, too. i could have used a bit less frosting. why is it that cupcakes are almost always sold with a ridiculous over-abundance of frosting?? i know i can’t be the only one was feels this way…
still, that lemon filling was mmm mmm good!
so go find yourself a fabulous cupcake and toast these final days of summer. *cheers*
last weekend, my friends susan and karen held their annual scrapbook retreat reflections in newport beach. i was fortunate to be able to be on hand to help out by being a TA and a general runner-arounder-and-get-stuff-doner. true to the bar that they set at their inaugural event last year, the did a fabulous job again this year. they really pay attention to details and to the happiness and comfort of their guests. the amount of work that goes into an event like this is astounding, and i am happy that it was so successful for them! :)
i was able to help out in the classes of a couple of their instructors, kelly goree and kelly purkey. both of these girls just really ooze talent. you know i’m not one to suck up to someone because they are well known in the scrapbook industry or anything, so believe me when i say from the heart that there is a heap of talent and creativitity going on there. they both inspired me to go home and do some scrapping, and that’s just what i did!
i’ve been doing some traveling in the past month, so i have an abundance of photos to scrap. hopefully, i will stay on this creative streak!
this one is based on a studio calico sketch, and it is sarah with her little best bud at her birthday party.
i was fortunate enough to take a trip with some friends to victoria, BC last month, and let me tell you, the flowers up there were outstanding. i took sooooo many pictures, it will be a challenge to be able to display or share them all. i thought this layout would be a good little sample.
i found this layout i did recently that i don’t think i have shared. my sweet babies.
hmmm, that is a little crooked, and look, they actually look like they love each other here!! ;) that’s what my journaling was about – for them to remember these times when they are getting along. otherwise they might go through life thinking that they just want to rip each others throats out… lol!
mother’s day was very sweet around here this year. i got a couple of books from my amazon wish list (love those things!!) - pioneer woman cooks and blogging your bliss. looks like i have some reading to do, and maybe some cooking, too. PW’s book is beautifully put together and photographed – very colorful, just like her cooking tutorials on her blog. love those crash hot potatoes!! and if you haven’t heard of blogging your bliss, you really should check out tara frey’s blog. beee-u-tiful!!
my best gifts, however, came from the heart. really deep down in the heart. like this.
now THAT, my friends, is what it is all about. hope your day was as wonderful as mine! xoxo
we had a big birthday around here a couple of weeks ago, and this past weekend brought the big fairy party to celebrate! it was very fun, very girly, and very, very cute to see a bunch of little little 5-7 year old girls running around in little tutus and princess gowns.
our whole theme was based around the little fairies on top of the cupcakes. we found this meri meri fairy wishes cupcake kit at the heavenly hostess store in old towne orange. SO cute.
from there, we picked out goodies. lots of goodies. thank goodness for the dollar spot for these cute pails.
i baked and baked.
and i decorated and decorated and decorated…
the girls pranced and ran around the house and the yard, enjoying the beautiful day and each other's company. i painted brown frames from the dollar store for them to decorate, and then snapped a picture of each guest with the birthday girl. i printed them with my selphy - instant party favor.
searching for rollie pollies…
what's a party without a pinata?
overall, i think it was a great party with a lot of laughter and a lot of little girl happiness.
happy birthday, sarah!
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