It's a girl!

There's my little surprise. I found out on Monday that our pup would be ready to come home today. And, since it is Hazel's birthday weekend, I thought it would be a perfect surprise. She had no idea what we were going to pick up this afternoon. In fact, we spent the first 20 minutes at the breeder's house filling out paperwork...no puppy in sight. When she finally brought her out, Hazel's reaction was priceless. I am still kicking myself for not bringing my camera along. It was definitely one of those once in a lifetime moments. Hazel was so happy, and she just loves her furry little pal. Her name is Sake...as in the Japanese rice wine. Fitting...considering how much Bryan and I enjoy Japanese cuisine and culture. What a good little girl she is too...and sweet to boot! She's the perfect addition to our little family. I had really forgotten how comforting it is to have a dog in the home. We just love her to bits! On that note, I'm off to snuggle up with her and Hazel and watch some good re-runs on tv. Stay tuned for some yummy scrapage. I got my Red Velvet kit in the mail today, and I'm gearing up for some serious playing this weekend! Trust me...this kit rocks! Happy Friday!

Where a kid can be a kid...

Today was Hazel's 4th birthday party. Her actual birthday isn't until Sunday, but you get a WAAAAY better deal at Chuck E Cheese if you go on a weekday. So, there you have it. And, I couldn't pick just one pic of the day for today. There are a couple of cute ones that I just had to share. Although, the light inside Chuck E Cheese, of course, SUCKS! So, pardon the crappy photos, but you get the point. A little birthday cake action...

And, some birthday kisses from the birthday girl to her patient little bro...

And, finally, the obligatory shot with Chuck E himself...

This is the first year that Hazel wasn't terrified by the giant rat costume. I can't say as to where I blamed her before, but it was nice to finally see her not running away, screaming in fear. She had a great time, and the only thing that would have made it better was if Daddy was actually able to be home.

So, tomorrow will be the biggest surprise of all! Tomorrow's surprise requires an absolutely spotless home, so I had better get my rear in gear and get this house in order. Check back tomorrow...I can hardly stand to keep this surprise to myself any longer!

Here comes Peter cotton tail...

hoppin' down the bunny trail...

So, Easter was good, and the Easter bunny was good to the kids. He even left some Reese's peanut butter eggs for mom. Yum. My favorite! Unfortunately, I've devoured every last one of them. I guess I'll have to wait until Halloween when the yummy pumpkins come out. For some reason, the holiday shapes just taste better to me. I think it has something to do with the peanut butter to chocolate ratio. Ha!

Hazel had a blast hunting for eggs, but she wouldn't let me take any pictures. Every time I pointed the camera in her direction, she would scream or just turn away. This is the only decent one I got:

And, I'm still not even sure what she was doing there. That picture looks like it is just begging for a funny title for a LO. But, I can't seem to think of anything. So, whomever comes up with the funniest title for that photo, I have a little RAK for you. Put your thinking caps on, ladies!

Anyway, Luka didn't quite know what to do with the whole Easter egg hunt situation. Mostly, he just wandered around the yard aimlessly carrying his little basket. Hazel was kind enough to pass a couple of eggs his way...so long as she still got the candy out of them. Of course.

It has been a beautiful few days around here. I've gotten lots done in the yard. I love spring. I love the smell of fresh dirt, and the pretty flowers. There's nothing that says spring to me like digging into the cool soil, and planting something beautiful to enjoy for the warmer months ahead. I've got crazy tons of stuff to do before Bryan comes home. And, I have exactly 2 weeks from today to get it all done. Eek!

In light of these last few loooong days before my life returns to normal...wait. I guess this life without Bryan has sort of BECOME my normal. After all, it has been well over a year. I've grown kind of used to rattling around this house all by myself. So, I think it will probably take some time to get used to having Bryan home. But, it will be a good change. Anyway, in light of my last days of solitude, I decided that I am going to do a pic of the day until Bryan comes home. Just for fun. Just to make these next couple of weeks pass a little faster. Well, that and to remind myself that, even though it seems like I'm not getting a whole lot done, that every day a little something is accomplished. Today, I got the last of my creeping phlox planted. It is going to be a ground cover for the huge flower bed that borders the front of my house. It has beautiful little purple flowers, and smells wonderful!

There will be lots of surprises around this house for the next few days, so stay tuned! ;0)

A good Friday!

Wow...it seems like I was just here, but it has actually been almost a week! So, although I haven't been getting much crafting done, Hazel has been one busy girl.

On Sunday, she painted pictures for "everyone she loves". I guess I need to get a couple of those in the mail. And, today she was busy decorating all kinds of prettiful Easter eggs. I can't believe I didn't get pictures. Shame on me, ya' know? But, I'll be sure to get plenty on Sunday when she goes a-huntin' for those eggs. Luka wasn't really into the whole egg adorning process. He was more concerned with cleaning up the mess.

My mom sent that vacuum for Hazel's birthday. The little sneak discovered it early, so I went ahead and gave it to her. She played with it for, oh, about 2 minutes. Then, she decided that she would rather busy herself with Lite Brite. That's okay because Luka took right over. He was using it just like a grown up. Back and forth, back and forth. So serious about it, too. See Bryan...if a one year old can work a vacuum...so can you. ;0)

It was a great, relaxing day playing with the kids. I also finally found a WONDERFUL Mexican restaurant here. Actually, my new neighbor/friend, Amanda found it. It was so YUM! They had the best nachos, and good margaritas to boot! I will definitely be going back there again soon.

When I got home from lunch, a package from the lovely Mel was waiting for me at my front door. This is what was inside:

Thank you, thank you SO MUCH, Mel! It's gorgeous, and I will treasure it FOREVER! I'm snuggled up under it as I type, and Hazel keeps fighting me for it. Tee hee! What a lovely way to round out Good Friday! That, and, I finally get to announce that I will be the guest DT for April for one of my fave kits in all the land...Red Velvet Kit Club! And, I get to do it alongside one of my fave artists Michelle Clement! So excited am I! And, have you checked out the sneak for their April kit?!? Yum-o!

And, how about a little Good Friday goodness to spread around? Want Label Tulip's April kit for free? Here's your chance! Just go here, and leave a comment on the thread with at least 3 suggestions for kit names or themes that you think would fit the Label Tulip style. Easy peasy. So, go. Now! You don't want to miss out on the April kit...Cindee rocks the yummy kits, and this one will be sure to please!

The whole shabang!

Without further adieu, here are my LO's for Label Tulip's March kit in all their glory:






Be sure to check out the rest of the gallery here. All of the Tulip Girls did an AMAZING job with this kit! I am totally in awe!

Anyway, nothing much exciting going on around here this weekend. Still trying to clean the house. Tackling the piles of laundry that I so loathe. And, dodging tornadoes. Nasty weather around here. We got hit by that same storm that plowed through downtown Atlanta. Fortunately, nothing too serious around here...yet. Knock on wood. We are under a tornado warning until 1 am...which explains the late-night blogging. I hate this type of weather. It scares me. But, I am actually going to crawl into bed, and get caught up on some Netflix watching. Tonight will be Good Luck Chuck. I thought the previews looked totally stupid, but Bryan insisted that I would enjoy watching it. Let's hope so. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!