Prom Dress Shopping -- Not for the faint of heart!

Ah yes, it's that season. Prom Dress Shopping Season.

Now, you think that this specific type of dress shopping would be a fun mom-daughter bonding experience... and it can be, but I can also tell from personal experience (this was not my first Prom Dress rodeo), it can be an exhausting and stress-inducing situation. Let me explain our Saturday...

We first went to Macy's. While we found some cute dresses, nothing popped. We decided to cut-to-the-chase and just make the trip to the mecca of Prom Dresses -- a high-end Prom Dress shop (yes, those do exist) that would allow my girl to get a feel for what style dress she would like. 

My mistake. 

We tried to go for as inexpensive as possible -- which at this store is basically a $250 marked-down dress. They carry dresses that cost anywhere from the $250 dress to over $900. FOR PROM. And people were snapping them up -- WTF???

Of COURSE, she fell in love with the first dress she tried on. Now, in my opinion, this dress was not THE dress. First, it was too big and they did not have a smaller size. The gal helping assured us it could be altered (off-site of course, because why would a specialty prom dress shop offer alterations?!?!?). I've gone down that road before to the tune of $100 or more...so, um, NO. 

Second, it was a black/white combo which, while beautiful, did not flatter my daughter's pale complexion and hair. It was pretty, just not knock-your-socks-off pretty on her. 

Third, the price...it was $250 - the cheapest dress we had found that she liked. Now, don't get me wrong, if it WAS a knock-your-socks-off kind of dress, I would be happy paying $250 for my girly to have the prom dress of her dreams. But $250 for meh and additional $$ for alterations? Again, a big ol' NO. 

And finally, as she tried on at least 5 dresses, each one getting more expensive, I was starting to break a sweat. I was terrified she would fall in love with a $400 dress. 

I had to get out of there. I was getting stressed. The peer pressure of all these other moms oohing and aahing as their daughters came out and modeled dresses over $500 was vomit-inducing. There was not a single person in there freaking out over price, except for me. I overheard many a mom saying something along the lines of "Now, let's just not tell your dad how much the dress costs. Once he sees you in it, it won't matter."  WHAT THE HELL??? Nope, nope, nope. Not gonna do it. Oh, and also -- ALL SALES ARE FINAL. That's right. You get home with that pricey dress and Dad pitches a fit? Ooops, sorry daddy, because I CAN'T RETURN IT. I'm sure that went over well with a load of dads this weekend. 

So, anyhoo, I told my girly we would put the dress on hold, but would go to another shop or two to see what else we could find. I could tell she was not happy. We went to the other shop and tried on at least a dozen dresses. I got a dozen responses full of attitude and sass because my lovely daughter thought the other dress was 'IT'. She was not open to anything else at this point. I was spent. We left the shop and had a tense discussion on the way home. The hubs and I had been talking and decided we were not going to buy that other dress, because in the end, it would be just be too expensive. This prom is her Junior prom, not Senior prom, and she is going with a friend, not a boyfriend. Not spending top $ on that situation. 

Luckily, we got home without anybody completely melting down and I took a breather. There had to be other options out there. I told our lovely girly we would go out again on Sunday, but she wanted to try again at the mall. Fine. Let's just get it done...

And then, we found it. THE DRESS. (cue the angels singing...) At Carson's, no less.

It was perfection on her. Flattering fit, no alterations needed. Flattering color -- blush, which enhanced her porcelain skin and blonde hair. And the price? $149.00!!! DONE!

As we got to the register, I thought, "I wonder if Carson's has any coupons out there?" I looked them up online and BINGO! There was a coupon -- $50 off a $100 or more purchase. WHATT?!?!?!!?

So we got the dress. For $99.00. The universe heard me and came through. And my daughter?? She couldn't be happier. Me too. All is well again. 

Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's been a looooong week. My HS Junior has been home all week with the flu. Influenza B, to be specific -- which I now know is not the crazy bad flu that is sending people to the hospital. That would be Influenza A, also known as H3N2 or H1N1. Thank goodness she doesn't have that particular strain...I have to admit that I was a tad bit worried. 

We went to the doc on Monday after a horrible Sunday filled with aches, coughing, and a crazy bad sore throat. They swabbed her nose and within minutes she was diagnosed. I love how quick we got an answer -- Yay for scientific technology! With her flu diagnosis, we were issued a prescription for Tamiflu and sent on our way. I thought, "Well, thank goodness... Let's get her the meds, some chicken soup, and set her on the path back to healthy! She should be feeling 100% better by Thursday or Friday."

Yeah. That didn't happen.

Unfortunately, my lovely girl is one of the small percentage of people who has an adverse reaction to Tamiflu. Having never taken it before, how could we possibly have known? She took the meds as directed, with food, but the poor thing spent the next few days not only coughing, aching, and exhausted, but once the Tamiflu really mixed it up in her system (less than 24 hours after first dose) -- she was a GI disaster. Vomiting, horrible bad stomach pains, and let's just say it is a good thing there was a bathroom nearby. I felt so bad for her. We made an executive decision that she should stop taking the meds after multiple times of this reaction occurring. And now that we have stopped the Tamiflu -- no issues. In fact, I feel like she is getting better faster. It's no wonder; she is finally able to rest and let her body recover. 

Now, I'm not a doctor, so please do not use my daughter's situation as reason for you or yours to stop taking Tamiflu. For so many people, it is a miracle medicine that shortens the debilitating effects of this virus. Just not for her. Lesson learned. For my little chickita, we will not be on that course of meds ever again. 

She is so much better today. Just a slight cough and that's it. Her energy levels are still wavering, so we chose to keep her home again today from school. By the time Monday rolls around, I know she will be itching to get back to school and back on track with anything that she has missed. 

It's been a crazy week. Thankfully, I'm blessed to be a work-at-home mom so I didn't have to take time off in order to be with her. Now I am busy working to bleach the living daylights out of my house so no one else gets sick. 

Woo hoo -- what a fun weekend for me! Talk to you soon...

Survived another V-Day

Good morning all my lovely friends. Did we all survive the chocolate onslaught that is Valentine's Day? While I do love the sentiment of V-Day, I feel like the pressure has gotten out of control. My hubs and I have resorted to celebrating the weekend following V-Day. We can go out to dinner without a reservation, the inundation of red and pink is gone from all the venues, and we can buy V-Day specific items at half price in the days after the official celebration. 

Sounds like a win for us!

Now, we are not doing this simply for the economic savings. I still got together a V-Day care package for our daughter at KU (Rock Chalk!) and had it delivered a few days before. I also put together a gift bag for our cutie-patootie high school junior daughter and gave it to her last night. We're not animals, after all...

Anyhoo - One of my favorite things I gave to the girlies was one of those felt letter boards... you know, the kind where it is rows of rolled felt and you push in the plastic letters to create messages? Like this:

That would be my motto. 

For the ladies, they each received one of these boards courtesy of the Target Dollar Section (best part of the store). My college daughter got the pink and my high school daughter got the teal. I was eagerly awaiting what thought provoking messages they would create -- they are both smart as all get-out, so I had high hopes. 

My KU gal delivered... 

My HS junior, let's say she delivered the laughs...

I love these gals. They are so much fun.

Of course, after receiving the pix from my KU girlie, she then texts "...on weekends we're gonna change it to funny alcohol puns." Yep, that sounds about right. 

It was a good V-Day. All fun, no broken hearts. What more could I ask for? 
Talk to you again soon! 

Here we go again...

Good morning fellow blogsters and blog readers! I'm back thanks in part to my older daughter's relentless prodding. I am definitely not be the best at keeping the blog-o-shpere updated, so please forgive me.  I need to make this part of my routine...treat it more like a 'to do' instead of a 'when I have time to do' task.

Sounds doable, right? Right.

Anyhoo...since we last met, let's see...here are the updates in no particular order:

• I'm no longer working outside the home! Squee! Loving being home again...
• I am now working as a project manager for my hub's company. Right up my alley.
• Tony is finishing up his college years -- should be graduating in December. We are so proud of him.
• Drew has graduated high school and is off to college -- holy cats!
• Girlies are officially in 8th grade and 6th grade. Accordingly, fashion/makeovers are now some of our top priorities. Love it!
• We have officially booked a family vacation to Florida -- our first in FOUR years! Cue the Hallelulah Chorus...

Phew. It's been busy!

Good busy though. I am so proud of my hubs for following his passion and making this company a reality. I've never seen him happier with work. To quote the Life Is Good guys... "Do what you like,  Like what you do". It doesn't get any simpler than that!

Being home is just what I needed. I have been able to get back into the groove of running our home (which got a little wonky while I was working, no offense honey!) and I have become more involved in my kids activities -- volleyball (Go 13 Purple!), school activities, family nights, etc.

I feel calmer, more in line with  life. Sounds all weird and new age-ish but it's true. Things are right where they should be for now.

Enjoy your weekend! And I WILL talk to you soon!

Am I the only mom who says this?

A slice of my day...

So this morning, my lovely daughter comes in to talk to me. I notice that she is wearing the exact same cami that she wore yesterday. She does have a different long-sleeved shirt on, but that shirt closest to her -- yep, it is one and the same.

Let me preface the following by saying I really should filter my comments. I am sure my 'nuggets of wisdom' that I fling about sometimes are a bit much...but hey, that is just me. Anyhoo, as I notice that her shirt is indeedy the same, I say "Is that the same cami from yesterday?" (insert horrified looking-like-I-just-smelled-something-stinky-face here). She replies -- "yeah, I suppose I should change it..." to which I burst out with "Yeah, you better or you are going to spend the day smelling like pits (you know, armpits)".

My husband can be heard snickering in the other room. My daughter, she is a bit offended, but she does go and change. Stinkiness averted.

So, my question is, Am I the only mom who says things like this? Gosh, I hope not because I like to think that if I am not honest with my teen daughter about the possibility of B.O., then I am not being a good mother. Better to hear it from me than from a snarky teen frenemy, right?

That's what I thought...  : )
Enjoy your day --

Chicago weather....seriously?

Happy Sunday everyone...
It has been a doozy here in Chicago. Sit back, relax, and let me fill you in...

So this past week, our temps have ranged from 45ish, gloomy and rainy, to 60ish with spotty sunlight. I have been hoping for a nice warm, breezy day where I could open the windows. Did I get that? No. Because today it jumped to -- wait for it -- 85 & HUMID!!

Seriously?
It is waaaaayy-ay-ay too soon to be hoping (praying) that I fit in my warm weather clothes. And for the record, I didn't. Yeah, yeah....yuck it up. You know you are in the same place I am.

Now, don't get me wrong. I totally enjoyed the sunny day and all, but it is just too soon. Really. It sets the bar far too high for the coming weeks. For the record, we here in the Midwest know that it will be cold, stormy, and chock full o' tornado warnings right up until the end of May. And it will smell like worms most of the time, just so you know. Generally in Chi-town, we do not schedule our kids summer swim lessons until at least the end of June. Preferably after the 4th of July. But even then we wind up with blue-lipped children whining about how cold the pool is each and every day.

Hey, just saw the weather update -- we are apparently in for some thunder-tastic storms tonight too, so that is going to make for a fun evening for kids and dogs alike. Thunder? Check. Lightning? Check. Dogs in the closets & kids in our bed? Checkity check. No electricity? Planning on it like clockwork.

Gosh I love Chicago.

Gotta go. I need to make sure I have my flashlights ready.
Hope your evening is just as much fun as mine will be!

Spring fever...

Spring Fever has hit this household. Unfortunately, we live in the Chicago area, so it is only 40ish. The tulips and crocuses are starting to grow, but I want warm days and open windows. I know, stop whining....It's time to put on my big girl pants and deal with it.

Here is a recap of my weekend dealing with Spring Fever. I know you feel my pain.

My children -- they all are a bit squirrelly and NEED to spend some time running around outside. Arguing? Check. Screaming at your sister for *GASP* playing the guitar? Check. Retaliating by playing the coronet -- which by the way this sister DOES NOT know how to play? Check. Blaming each other and trying to pick fights all day? Check, double check, and would someone please get these parents a drink ?!

No, not bothering me at all (and yes, I am lying through my teeth...they are totally making me nuts).

As for my hubs, unfortunately his Spring Fever truly is a fever -- in the form of a lovely flu virus... poor guy! As for me, I can't clean this house fast enough. Today I kicked my flu-ish hubby out of bed so I could vacuum our room. I know, not nice. But I had to get it done before the mojo left my system.

So, anyhoo, I need it to be warmer so I can shove the kids outside for the whole day. I love them, but they need fresh air in their systems. I need Spring to REALLY arrive so I can open the windows because seriously -- another round of flu virus in here? Not good. And my hubby, sweetie, I need you to feel better so I have a help dealing with all this whack-a doo around here.

Jealous? I knew it.

Yes, I still do exist...

Seeing a pattern here?

Yes, I have been missing in action for the last month or so. But this time, it was with good cause not just poor planning. Nothing extraordinary -- I have re-joined the ranks of the full-time employed. And it is kicking my butt! Gah!

I love my new job. I am working in the front office of a local company -- seriously, it takes me 2 minutes to get to work (LOVE that!) and the people are just fab. I feel like I am finally getting my 'work legs' back and am no longer going to bed by 7:30 p.m. And yes, I know I am a wimp. But as I said, I love it. My hubs said that I am more energized when I get home. That I am finding my groove again. Yay...that is always good to hear.

The only thing I am missing is having an orderly method to keeping the house clean. We are starting to figure out the laundry and who cleans what each weekend; I think it is good because the kidlings are realizing just how much I DID do when they thought I was just hanging out eating bon-bons all day.

With all that said, I hope you will continue to check in to see what is going on over here. It may not be frequent, but it will be fun, or funny....you'll just have to wait and see!

Enjoy your weekend -- I know I will!

Yes, I still exist!

Holy cats! So sorry to all of you lovelies who follow my blog -- I haven't been writing at all in the last month... That icky cold I had? Yep, it turned into a monthlong nightmare of a sinus infection. I was prescribed an antibiotic that apparently is also used to treat anthrax exposure.

WHAT THE HEY??

Exactly. That was my reaction as well. Unfortunately, the antibiotic kicked my butt as well as my infection, hence the non-writing. Seriously, when the major side effects are joint pain, nausea, and the possibility of tendon rupture (yes, rupture), is it a good idea to put it into your body? Probably not. But of course, I was thinking, "eh...I can deal with achiness and an upset stomach". Now I know better. I will not be taking that ever again. EVER. On the plus side, all my tendons are still intact.

Oh, and did I mention the blizzard?

That's right. Chicago was smack dab in the middle of that snow-tastic mess a week ago. We had almost two feet of snow drop within one overnight storm. School was out for a couple of days, the end of our driveway was covered in HUGE mounds of snow. Of course, we already had about 18"of snow on the ground before the storm started. It was quite impressive Mother Nature. Kudos to you.

So, yes, I am still here. And I pinky swear that I will be oh-so-much better at writing. It really does keep me centered.

I hope that all of you enjoy your Valentine's Day weekend!

A new design??

A new look???

Yessiree...Happy 2011 to me!

I have been sitting here since 2:00 a.m. not sleeping (which I will hate myself for later) musing about the things that I have on my list for 2011. I've been trying to 'resize' my caboose since the new year and since that endeavor seems to be not happening anytime soon, I figured I would see what I could do to perk up the ol' blog. Yay -- one thing off my list. I didn't even know it was on my to-do list...perhaps that is the best time to let your creativity loose because, I have to say, it worked for me!

I like it.
It feels more like ME.

And now, I should try to sleep before my kids are up in an hour. Yeesh.

I hope you are all having a lovely week!

Happy New Year!

Wow...has it really been a few weeks since I posted? Yikes. I really need to be more punctual in 2011. Ah, there is a resolution for the new year. So what have you been up to? I am currently lying in bed like a blob due to what appears to be the Flu. And yes, I did get a flu shot this year. So much for that $25.

Anyhoo, while sitting here, I was reviewing my photos from the last couple of months and thought I would share some with you. Here they are in no particular order...

Our pup, Gus. Did you notice he is laying on a pillow, TUCKED IN? Spoiled....um, yes indeed.

My girlie-q's. I cannot believe how much they look like their dad. I am starting to wonder if I had anything to do with their birth....nope, I remember the physical pain. And did I mention that my blondie was almost 10 lbs?? Gaah.

This is my daughter's dog holiday vignette. She set it up and she took the pix. Great, huh?



My lovely kidlings. My oldest is 23!
How is that possible if I am only 29? Heh.

So there you have it. A slice of my December. I hope you and your families had a wonderful New Year's celebration. I will be back at the craftiness once I feel better. Hopefully soon!



Dog love...

If you know me personally, then you already know my love for my furry little children -- and all other dogs in the 'hood as well. We currently have three wonderful poochies, Gus - a SharPei/Rott/?? mix, Bailey - a red MiniDachshund, and Angus - a black/tan MiniDachshund and Bailey's fraternal twin. (Doesn't that sound more cozy than 'littermate'? That's what I thought.)

I am just enjoying them so much this morning -- not sure why, but they are simply melting my heart every time I look at them. Since not all of you have met them, I decided to share with you their cute-tasticness...

Here is our Gus (or GusGus, if you prefer)

Gus and Bailey...Is there a cuter picture out there? I think not. I love this pix so much because Bailey is actually the one who "chose" Gus at the shelter. All of our dogs are close, but these two have a special bond. Now, for perspective...Gus runs anywhere from 75 - 80 pounds. Bailey, a mere 9 pounds. Awww...

Mr. Angus...Regal, isn't he?

And our little Bailey -- apparently giving us his 'Blue Steel' look. Snaps to you if you get the movie reference... : )

Don't you just want to curl up with them and never leave?? Maybe this is why I sometimes have a hard time getting my caboose moving on projects. Well, wouldn't you be the same way? A cup of coffee, a good book, three dogs keeping your feet toasty warm....it's all good. I love our life...

What a beautiful weekend -- and back to painting!

This weekend was just lovely -- we are in the Chicago area and today it was around 60 degrees! Dang -- that does not happen often this time of year! We had a lazy Sunday morning and then headed up for an early Thanksgiving with the hub's family in Wisconsin. Quite the relaxing day. I hope your weekend was just as nice. 

Also on the agenda these past couple of days -- painting. I really need to push myself to create a regular creative outlet schedule. I feel so much more in my groove when I am working on a piece of art or when I am refinishing an old treasure. I need to remember that feeling and get myself moving!

So, as for the painting endeavors -- I have almost finished a small curio cabinet that has sat in my foyer for years. It was calling out to me each and every time I passed it (which is about 100x per day). I finally decided to just get painting. I knew once things started rolling, it would all come together. So far, so good! I primed, painted two coats of a low-VOC (so nice!) Valspar ivory and I am  planning on glazing it and then adding some fun patterned paper to the back. I think it will be stunning. I will put up more pix in the morning.

As for the additional frames on my kitchen table (yes -- kitchen), I am not sure what their final color will be yet, but they were in dire need of paint. Solid wood, but totally blah in their previous lives. I think they look even better just with the primer.

The hubs and I are working to get my 'workspace' transferred to the garage. Until then, no laughing at my pictures of furniture propped up on paint cans in the middle of my hallway.    : )

Have a great evening!

What was I thinking?!?!

Wondering? Well, this weekend and last the hubs and I decided to have our girls bday sleepovers. Last weekend consisted of 10 gals all 10-year-olds, 4 of whom slept over. It was girlie-tastic! This weekend (last night) was 10 girlies total, all 12-year-olds. Screaming, giggling, mayhem and worn out parents have resulted (not to mention our 16-year old son being not too happy with us- heh).

So again I ask, What Was I Thinking!!? Truth be told, it is fun to have all these mini-women hanging out at our home. I love seeing that our own girlies are well within 'normal' and that the slob-tastic-ness that I deal with on a regular basis is a teen girl phenomenon. My insanity has been justified.

If you see me later today and I look worn out, covered in Starburst candies and old pizza, you will know why. Just give me a pat on the back and direct me to the nearest Starbucks -- I'm gonna need it.

Happy Halloween!

Hello blog friends -- I hope you are having a happy/spooky Halloween!

My girlies are out for the first time without us...kind of. Sam and her group of gal friends are going it alone. Gracie and her friend were itchin' to fly out the door at 4:00 sharp and of course, I had told them I would be accompanying them.... yeah, that worked out well. I kept getting the "shoo shoo" sign even though I was 3-4 houses ahead of them.  I ended up looking like a creeper cruising the neighborhood. Luckily for me, I know all the neighbors! I just kept announcing "I am not walking with any children whatsoever -- none at all. Pay no attention to the two girlies following me." Because of course, giving me the shoo sign means that yes, I will be embarrassing you if at all possible. Heh. I love being a mom.

As for candy, we are handing out Air Heads, Milky Ways and 100 Grand Bars. I luh-huh-hove anything chocolate, so I figured the odds were in my favor there would be some leftover. Except for the fact that my hubs keeps letting everyone have 2-3 pieces each! Does he not understand that I was planning on having extra candy? The kids were supposed to go crazy for the Air Heads and leave all the chocolate for ME!! My plan is being thwarted as I type. I really need to work on getting my hubs in line with my mindset. Perhaps this idea is being driven by my hormones.... I can't be sure. All I want is for there to be extra so I don't have to raid my kids candy while they are at school! Is that too much to ask? Hmm..okay, that would definitely be the hormones speaking...I'll try to keep it in check.

So where was I going with this?  Oh, I know -- so, due to the shrinking chocolate situation, I decided I should try an Air Head. All I can say is -- eh. They are okay, very intense fruitiness similar to the Jolly Ranchers candy. However (and I am sure I am in alignment with most other adults out there), they have this waxy taffy-like texture that I just can't get past. Waxy fruit? If I wanted to eat that, I would have complied when I was little and my cousins tried to convince me my grandma's fake fruit was real fruit. Gaah. Next year, remind me NOT to buy treats based on pre-teen recommendations.

Okay, now my stomach feels uck. I blame the Air Heads, or maybe the Milky Ways, or perhaps the 100 Grand Bars. Or maybe the fact that I have eaten about 15 pieces of candy in the last couple of hours. Oddly enough, I think what I need now is fruit -- real fruit. Hmm. Ironic.

Enjoy the night!

Yeesh...migraines.

I think the post title says it all. I, unfortunately, am a migraine gal. A sinus migraine gal. And it annoys the 'bleep' out of me.

I love autumn...all the colors, the cooling weather, the wonderful smells of burning leaves, fireplaces, leaf piles. All of those things tend to trigger my headaches, which is just rotten luck. So here I sit, in day 3 of a stinkin' migraine trying to salvage the energy to just get out of my pajamas. I know, I need to take care of myself -- but hey, I am a mom and it just isn't in my nature.  Thank goodness I have kidlings and a husband who understand my distress. My lovely almost-12-year-old left for school today saying "Take care of yourself mommy...just keep sleeping in; Daddy is going to take care of everything." Awww.... I just love them all to pieces for moments like that one.

Gaah. Sinus pressure. I think I need to lay down again.
I am working on some sparkly jewelry for my Etsy site...I will do my best to get some pictures up soon.



Here we go...

Blogging...hmm. This is one area I have never dabbled in before, so please bear with me! I am a work in progress on this one.

So, let me introduce myself. My name is Christine -- also known as "MOM!!!" to my four kidlings and "Honey where is the..." to my husband and "...whine, whine, whine...I have to go out" to the 3 dogs. Insane? Yeah, just a bit. Would I want it any other way? Nope -- this is perfection for me.

I have to say that I just love perusing the internet to see what my fellow bloggers are up to. The 'how-to' instructions -- fabulous. I have found more than just a touch of inspiration out there. The 'mommy moments' -- thank you for confirming that I am not alone in my selective insanity. Without you, I might believe that I am whirling on a course no woman/mom/person-in-general has ever experienced. Ooh, scary!

So anyhoo, I decided that a blog was the place that I could share my love of life, family, my passion to create beauty from blah...and make new friends along the way. I am hoping that you will enjoy my (somewhat) regular musings and my ongoing artistic endeavors, whatever they may be.

Here's to the start of something FUN!