i love these...

the baby has some of these toys from anamalz.  they are so cute!

photographs and memories...

breakfast at san jose airport

lines to board the ship

first night at sea

second night at sea - formal night

towel lobster

cabo in the background as we make our way to puerto vallarta

is the glass half full...

or half empty?
birthday pina colada from roommate L

shot of the back of the ship on second at sea day

sunset the night before we arrive in puerto vallarta

towel seal

dolphin encounter in puerto vallarta

feeding nemo - notice the bruise on my right arm... i had a matching bruise on my left knee.

hugging nemo and gandalf

kisses from nemo and gandalf

swimming with nemo

sea lion kisses


towel dog

light fixture on the lido deck

it's getting closer!

we leave for LA in 20 days. i got my hair done today. updated my iPod, ordered a new strapless bra and some shapewear. decided what books i want for the trip and

i got a new

from swimsuits for all.

a cute

from Macy's.

and some cute

from Nordstrom.

i am starting to think about what else i need. and deciding if i want to spend the $50 on 2 spray tans. my arms and shoulders are a nice color (complete with a farmers tan) but my legs are so white they would scare casper.

(ed note: the pictures above are the exact things i purchased)

BOO!!!!!!

happy halloween!

it's almost here...

in just 36 days my niece and i will be heading to mexico on board the carnival splendor. and, even though it is 16 days after, we will be celebrating my birthday (as well as thanksgiving)... so if anyone is interested in giving me presents you can go to Gifts and services on the carnival site and gift me funship dollars, drink coupons, or bottles of prosecco, or fruit baskets, or cookbooks or chocolate covered strawberries, or flowers, or anything else you think i might like. ;)

our booking number is 16GP59 and our cabin is 1210!

talk derby to me....

a while ago i mentioned that my niece is taking up roller derby. she is in boot camp with the Silicon Valley Roller Girls. the SVRG has recently been granted entrance into the womens flat track derby association's apprentice league. they are one of only ten teams in the nation that have be given this opportunity and the only california team.

please, if you can, click on the "chipin" link <--------- over there on the side and sponsor my niece during her skate-a-thon. the SVRG is entirely volunteer and self funded group and the funds raised in the skate-a-thon will be used to cover travel expenses and other fees.

also, go see whip it starring ellen page, and drew barrymore, in theaters friday, october 2nd!

yes, i wore my party pants....

this is the ex-fiance' of someone that i know....

best wedding entrance EVER!!!!

road trip recap - written...

thursday, july 2, 2009: try to pack. receive dirty looks from moo kitty. take bus and light rail to niece J's office. pick up rental car. takes us almost 3 hours to get from the rental car office to berkeley. mileage: 51. we had some delicious tri-tip at the buckhorn grill though! arrived in chiloquin, oregon at 2:00 am.

friday, july 3, 2009: get up at 9:00 am, eat breakfast, walk around in the yard taking pictures, drive to town to get coffee. only 1 starbucks in the entire town of klamath falls. it's in the safeway. MMMMMMmmmmmmm coffee! drive to crater lake. get attacked by mosquitos. get attacked by hail storm. drive back to sister's house. eat dinner. watch the secret nazi diaries on natgeo. go to bed.

saturday, july 4, 2009: get up, eat breakfast, fall asleep in chair, wake up and shower. pack and load car. drive to klamath falls for coffee. drive to medford.
check in at hotel, drive to brother's house. sit in front of window a/c unit thinking about how cool the hotel room was. greet aunt and uncle when they arrive. hug auntie because she is crying, she is so happy to see me... hang out at patio table in back yard talking about the good old days. eat delicious brisket my brother cooked on his grill for 15 hours. listen to him bitch because he put it fat side down instead of fat side up (everyone thought it was great anyway). eat WAY too much good food. make plans to see auntie and uncle the next day. watch the kids light off fireworks. return to hotel and sleep.

sunday, july 5, 2009: get up, shower, pack car and drive to auntie and uncle's house. have coffee and talk while auntie makes eggs benedict for breakfast. eat, hang out and talk more. decide to get on the road toward home. stop in redding for coffee and food. get back on freeway. get off in corning to stop at "the olive pit". spend 45 minutes sampling olives, olive oil and vinegars. make purchases and get back in car. drive some more. stop in pinole for potty break and coffee. stop in emeryville for gas, drive to niece J's office. move everything to her car. lead her to rental car return. arrive home. kitty moo won't leave me alone.

total miles on rental car: 1090.4

roadtrip in pictures...

CHILOQUIN
small lion statue in my sister's garden

big lion statue in my sister's garden

my sisters adopted dog, sweetie pie

viola growing up through the walkway

my sister's mare, violet

columbine in my sister's garden



CRATER LAKE
me and my sister

niece J and my sister

all three of us

in the gift shop at crater lake


MEDFORD
auntie hermine and uncle bill

my youngest niece, kelly

my oldest niece, casey

my brother fred

my sister-in-law, debbie

did i mention...

i won!

my friend mrs. L over at pages, pucks and pantry hosted a giveaway to celebrater her second blogiversary and i won one of the prizes. the numbers were drawn by her adorable kitten tiggher.

and this is what i won:
the paper crafts gourmet book!

If you love both food and paper crafting, Paper Crafts Gourmet is the perfect recipe book for you! In this mouth-watering publication, you'll find over 50 original recipes from the family and friends of Paper Crafts magazine. Then the country's most talented paper craft designers whipped up over 110 projects to complement these incredibly savory recipes. Projects include clever containers, gorgeous tags and wraps, fun food markers, cards to accompany your food gifts, and much, much more! If your favorite foods include Soups & Stews, Breads, Appetizers, Main Dishes, Beverages, Desserts, and Snacks, then the variety of recipes inside is sure to satisfy the pickiest of eaters!

who's your nanny?

i am filling in for a friend this week and for the next 2 and a half weeks as a nanny to this adorable little monkey!


i ask you... have you ever seen a cuter nugget? his name is christian and he is 8 months old. his father is from haiti and his mother is american. he has this lovely chocolately skin and those great big blue eyes!

he is running me ragged but it's fun to be around a baby again. i haven't spent any significant amount of time with a baby since notsoccer mom's son was born. i come home at night smelling like baby. i mean that in the best possible way of course. when i come home from notsoccer mom's i smell like a sweaty 9 year old boy.

scrap happy...

last weekend a friend arranged for us to go to her co-workers cabin at pine mountain lake for a weekend of scrapbooking and fun.
here's the cabin:

here is some of us working on our projects:

this is panda:

this is daisy and bella:

this is bella:

here is notsoccer mom and me at the lake:

me and my niece at the lake:


it was hotter than hades during the day. fortunately we (notsoccer mom, my niece and i) had a room in the nice cool basement. i got 26 pages done in my rome 2005 scrapbook. i don't feel so bad now that i know the homeowner that hosted us was working on a book from her trip to china in 2000!