Need a little Chirstmas?

Yes the weather has been quite wacky. One day its hot and the next its freezing or raining. You can't plan anything for fear of wacko weather. But don't the cold nights make it feel a little more like Christmas? We light a fire and enjoy the glow and warmth. We did take the kids to Candy Cane Lane last week. They enjoyed all the lights while we blasted Christmas carols on the radio. Working on having my own photography business next year and I'm really excited about it. It does make you realize who your "closer" friends or family are...lol They are ones who jump on the bad wagon to support you and help you out. Then there are those who have only negative things to say and i cannot waste my time on that. This business is to feed my passion and maybe put a little money in my pocket..tee hee. For those of you interested the link to the right "THINK PINK INC" will be the future home of my photography site. Watch for details!!

Mommy is it christmas yet?

So the daily questioning by Madison has begun. I get asked about 20 times a day it seem. Its starts out like this...

(Maddie) Mommy is today Christmas?

(Me) No Maddie its just a school day.

(Maddie) Is Christmas tomarrow?

(Me) No Maddie Christmas its lotsa days away.

(Maddie) But no Mooommmm I don't want that!!! (she is starting to get sad and tearful)

(Me) well how about five more days till Christmas? ( gotta outsmart her here)

(Maddie) Okay mommy five more days!! (she is happy once again)

(Me ) Okay Maddie!! (wow I dodged that bullet easy how long can I keep this up)

Say Cheese!!!

I did a photo shoot this week for Alex and her fiance' Michael. They are such an adorable couple...always laughing and teasing each other. It was really fun to do this for them and get to hang out at the same time. We headed down to Santa Monica and the Adamson's House in Malibu....got some really great shots. This Shot is by a shed at the Adamson's House....the light was really soft and beautiful. The best surprise was the yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that they brought me...thanks guys!! However I only got one cookie. You see I left them on the kitchen counter so my darling husband could have one for a snack later. But instead two sneaky little girls ( named Madddie and Lauren) took them and scarfed them down in seconds. I returned from putting laundry away to only find crumbs and chocolate fingerprints....lol At least they were enjoyed!

My baby can ride!!!

We had our second lesson the

other day and I was so proud

of Madison I had to blog about it

again. This is my sweet Maddie

riding "Carosel"!!!! YES...Thats

my baby horseback riding all by

herself without the trainer

leading the horse. She looks so

grown up doesn't she? Not to

mention she is quite the stylish

rider in that bright pink shirt...tee

hee. You've come a long way baby

...............and the sky is the limit!

Anticipation!!!!!

Yes this is the face of Anticipation. This is Madison waiting to have her first horseback riding lesson. You can see it in her eyes...you can see excitment! She got up on the horse and rode like she was born in the saddle. She turned "Cinnimon" the horse left and she turned him right. She made him ride all over the corral. She looked so grown up and her head was high with pride. I was blown away at how beautifully graceful she was on a horse...I'm proud of you baby!!! Ride-On!

Little did she know......

Little did she know .....that as Mommy was taking these cute Halloween pictures she was hours away from an Emergency room visit! Yes after a great trick or treat fest with the kids..(they were so well behaved and polite) we headed home for a relaxing evening! However I came home feel just crappy. It had all started with Maddie's classmates birthday party (at a extremely filthy house!!) the day before and steam rolled from there. On Halloween night I woke up at 11pm with my eyes and lips swelling shut and hives from head to top. Michael stayed with the kids and I had my mom drive me to the E.R. There I got a lovely shot of Epi, a dose of IV steroids, and a topping of IV Benadryl. Its been two weeks of medications that make me feel so sick and ya know I still don't feel better. I have plans to see an Acupuncturist on Monday...lets see if holistic medicine can heal me!

Five more days till Halloween!!!!!!

The count down has begun and Madison asks daily "Is it Halloween yet?" She practices trick or treating with her bucket and tries on her costume every other day...lol !!! Never was a child more excited about collecting candy...you would think she never got any....geez! So the other day I decide to try to take some picture of the two them in their costumes. Maddie was more than happy to put on her costume...and so was Lauren. However one of my children was NOT HAPPY about posing for a photo...can you guess which one??? After this one I have another with her eyes closed and another with a hand over her face. Oh the tortured life of a scrapbooker's child!!! Oh well we will have to try again...muuuuwwaaha..ha.

I know I'm evil that way!

Here is a fun site for the kids to practice carving a pumpkin: http://www.cubpack81.com/images/carve_pumpkin.swf

Mi Vida Loca!!!

My life has been CRAZY lately!!! I feel exhausted and I just cant "catch up" with life. I try to do my best but lately its pooping me out! I did a great scraping day with Alex on Friday. I was nice to relax and do some pages while gabbing. We even had lunch and shopped...a full girls day indeed. I took some great pictures of the girls the other day and thought I would share one of them. This is Madison making her "Mean Face" as she calls it...lol She may think she looks mean but I think she looks adorable!! She is quite tough though ...I must admit!! Last week she accidentally spilt open my lip and hit me in the head with a shovel....tee hee! I 'm fine really ....but I thought I had a brain tumor or concussion afterwards.... No worries I'm back to normal....or am I??? lol

Someone to hold my hand...

Looking over my shoulder this morning I noticed my two daughters holding hands. We were on our way to school just like any other day. The sight of the two of them together was a sweet surprise that brought a tear to my eye. I realized they had to stretch across the seat to reach each other and how they so gently cradled the others hand. It was their secret little way...their way of showing the other sister how much she loves her. Someone to hold their hand on the way to school and let the other sister know "I'm here for you". How wonderful...how lucky...how special to have someone as loving as your sister to hold your hand through life.

Pumpkin Hunting!!

Today we took the kidlets to Underwood Farms Harvest Festival. The kids had a great time feeding all the animals and riding the ponies. We tried to do the corn maze but were afraid we would lose Lauren (shes a dare devil lately) and would never be able to find her. We went out into the pumpkin patch and picked out some nice plump pumpkins. As the day went on it got warmer and more crowded. We headed home and decorated the house in cob webs and Halloween monsters. Madison was really into the decorating and was trying to direct her Daddy on how things should go....lol!! Lauren was a bit wary of the scary decorations but she jumped into putting her touch on the house with plastic spiders and bats... too cute!

Making Meatballs

Whats for dinner at your house?

Well at our place its meatballs!!! Yes we recently found this TO DIE FOR recipe and since then this has become my number one requested meal in the house. Its from the joy of cooking and I got it from Cathy Z. blog but either way I will share it with you. My secret ingredient is really good red wine. We are loving Wolf Blass Cabernet (Australian) right now. It tastes amazing in the meatballs and fabulous in a glass....I highly recommend it.

CLASSIC MEATBALLS

ingredients

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 ounces good quality Parmesan reggiano, cut into coarse chunks

1 medium onion, halved

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (make from white bread slices, crusts removed, in food processor)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons dry red wine, plus more for deglazing pan, and for drinking

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper Also:olive oil (for pan)1 can beef broth

how to make

1. Combine garlic, parsley, and Parmesan in the food processor. Process until finely grated. Add onion, process until finely grated. Put into mixing bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients through pepper, to bowl. Knead well, but do not over knead (a fine line, I know.) Form two- to -three-inch meatballs, and lightly dredge in flour.

3. Heat oil in large, skillet. Add meatballs, and brown on all sides over med-hi heat. Drain off fat.

4. Deglaze pan with a cup or so of red wine, or a bit more. Should boil and sizzle nicely. When half has cooked off, add a cup to a cup and a half of the beef broth. Return to boil. Lower temp to simmer, and cover.

A DIY weekend

This weekend was more work than play. Michael and I decided to finally put up crown molding in the downstairs of our home. I decided that we should put a splash of color on the walls as well. Michael hates to paint but with the two of us working at it we painted the entire downstairs in one day. Sunday we worked on the crown moldings and we finished the dining room and family room. We still have the living room to do but you can see from the picture Michael was getting a little goofy.....lol. We took a break and took the kids to the movies but Simi had a huge power outage that put a damper on that plan. Thank god the mall was open!!

My BABY made the COVER!!!!!!!!

I am so flattered I could DIE!!!! My little Lauren is currently gracing the cover of The Mother Goose Guide to Scrapbooking Babies and Toddlers!!!!!! (click the link to see in it at Amazon.com) My friend Wendy Chang is a designer for the company. She needed some baby pictures and asked a few of the foxy girls if we would volunteer our kids pictures. I had some cute ones of Lauren so i sent them to her to design layouts for. There were no promises that the layout would even be published but to the surprise of Wendy and I.... WE GOT THE COVER!!!!!! So under credits I am mentioned for photography and her for design...HOW COOLIO IS THAT? (pause for the happy dance) I cannot wait to get my copy!

What about Bob?

OK our house .. is a Sponge Bob house!! We watch his show daily and I have to say Michael and I will watch it too. We like to quote Sponge Bob and Patrick's famous lines as well. Its just too funny!! So I bought the girls a Sponge Bob playdoh set the other day. When Madison was done I was literally amazed at the Bob she had made. If you look closely you will notice she even put circle-like holes in him.....cuz he is a sponge....lol I told Maddie to pose with him for a picture....isn't it too cute. Don't forget tonight is Maddies school fund raiser if you can join us we would love to see you there.

Check out Maddie trying on her Halloween Costume!

Just another Manic Monday!!!

OMG Monday is here and this week closes up September!!!!! Where did this month go? October will be here with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up behind. We had a great weekend...Michael and I went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and had there fried Mac N cheese ( I highly recommend them) and then went to see Hollywood land (with Adrian Brody and Ben Affleck) which was really well done. Took the girls to the mall Saturday and we shopped out little hearts out with Nana....Good Times...lol The temp is rising AGAIN and we all deserve a cool off ....Why not do it with COLD STONES!!!! Yes tomorrow night at Cold Stones Creamery in Simi will be a fund raiser for Madisons School. The school gets 15% of your purchase and that could add up to lots of dough for our little school. Please email me if you wanna go cuz you'll need a flyer for the school to get the percentage of your purchase. So from 4pm to 8pm tomorrow stop by and treat yourself to a yummy mix of your favorite sweet cream.

The stuff I love right now

The stuff I love right now.....

• 1) My new jewelry from Junk Gypsy (click link to shop)
• 2) The New Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilara CDs
• 3) A glass of The Franciscan Cabernet
• 4) My yummy Lollia Perfume N.19 called "Breathe" (check it out)
• 5) The costumes for the girls cuz...Halloween is coming!!!!!

6) How Maddie kisses me before and after school

7) That Laurens favorite Movie is Cinderella

8) My hubby has helped me out with the dishes this week

9) New shows on the T.V.

10) that I actually started Chirstmas shopping....lol

Bye Bye Baby!!!!

Yes its official, my baby is not a baby anymore! Lauren has officially transferred out of the crib to her toddler bed. One look at the photo and you can see she is one happy lil princess. Daddy and I shed a little tear as he packed up the crib. "This could be the last time we every see it put together" Michael said as he began to unscrew the bolts. Yes.. deciding if we should have a baby number three is still a big question mark ...so the crib goes into storage. As for timing....I knew the change was overdue but delayed it with Madison starting school (more tears) and all. So this weekend we switched the beds and crossed our fingers in hopes that Lauren would not do what Maddie did when we did the switch with her...which was Maddie just refuse to sleep in her new bed...lol This toddler bed has never been slept in...its been in storage all this time. Well being the complete opposite of her sis... Lauren was so excited about her new bed and could not be more happy with the change. The cool part is Nana said she would sew a custom bedding set for Laurens bed....Woo Hoo...I cannot wait to go fabric shopping.

The El Capitain~

Sunday was a really fun day that just happen to fall in our laps! Sherri (one of the foxy girls) had three extra tickets to see "The Little Mermaid" at the El Capitan. Madison and I invited Nana to come with us and have some quality girl time. We drove down to Hollywood and Highland to take in the show. We met up with Sherri and Jule (and the hubbies and kiddos too). Next door to the theatre is the Disney Soda Fountain.....which is basically an Ice Cream Parlor with Disney Shopping available. Look out...the price tag here could cause heart failure....lol!!! Madison loved it and devoured her banana split with a little help from Nana and Mommy. Now for those of you who have never been to the El Capitan (as I had not... cuz this was my first time) here they take movie going to a different level. We had VIP seats which gets you early entry to the theatre, popcorn with drink, celebrity entertainment, the movie, and the music stylings of a Wurlitzer. I must say that the inside of the El Capitan is truly a museum of beauty and architecture. But that aside what kid doesn't love the star of the movie to open the show! YES....Ariel (the little mermaid) greeted everyone from the stage and after the movie Sebastian (the crab) came out and danced. Madison never enjoyed a movie so much...heck she refused to take a potty break the entire time...lol

The Amazing Apple Dip!!!!!!

OK.. OK.... After many request for this amazing recipe ....I must spread the joy and share it. Besides with Fall upon us its such a yummy snack for the family. My only request (and I speak mainly to my Foxy sistahs and any Jones Girls) that if we are both going to an event together I get first dibs on bringing this recipe. This also holds true on my Amazing Artichoke Dip which I will share in another post. I know I know you saying " why do we have to got to her blog to get the recipe"? Well my dear Friends and Family because my blog is new and this way I can force you to visit...muwhahaha!!!!!! Yes my evil plan has worked and you are here for the secret recipe ...... Amazing Apple Dip!!!! 6 Granny Smith Apples (quartered) 1 8oz brick of Cream Cheese (soften to room temp) 3/4 cup Brown Sugar 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup Chopped dry roasted salted Peanuts Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until well mixed. Then add chopped peanuts and mix well. Serve with Granny smith apples and enjoy!!!!

Doing it Disney Style!!!

Most people spend September 11th taking time to reflect on the sadness of the days events from 5 years ago. Some mourn those who have past and others pray. We Lewis' try to do to do something fun together as a family. It its a time to remeber what is most important in your life. Sooooo We went to Disneyland!!!!!! OMG .....There was NO ONE there and the lines were so incredibly short that it was a fantastic day. You name the ride and you can walk on it!!!! Heck we may even make it a tradition to go on September 11th because it was the best time I've had at Disneyland in a long time. It was a bit hot in the afternoon but still a great time.

A Zoo Day!!

Ahhh the weather is cooling and Fall is in the air. Although we are all not over our nasty colds we decided to venture out for a day at the Santa Barbara Zoo. For those of you that don't know SB Zoo has a very cool Giraffe feeding program. For $3 you get two "cookies" to feed the Giraffe. My Maddie and Lauren just love it!! However at the same time they are a bit grossed out by it. You would never know it (without having this experience) but a Giraffe tongue is long, sticky, and feels like sand paper. I guess its a cross between a frogs and a cats tongue...lol!! As you can see by the picture that Giraffe's tongue wraps around her wrist to get that cookie. Madison and Lauren had a blast!!!!

Bling That Ring!!!!!

I dropped Maddie off at school and Lauren and I headed to the mall to shop and get a fatty, chocolaty ice blended treat. I was hoping to do some shopping and cheer myself up after the HORRIBLE DAY that was yesterday. I ran into my friend Laura (who does my nails) with her new baby girl Kendall..which gave me such a smile....oh to see that sweet little face. I walked past the phone Bling place and began to drool. I had first decided that I was going to go home and order the gems so I could finally make one for myself. However after a lap around the mall I didn't find a dam thing I wanted to buy. Why is it when you have some money you can never find anything to buy but if I had not a penny to my name I would be knee deep in everything I want...lol Now I did have $80 burning a hole in my pocket....Soooooo I headed back to the Phone Bling place to have them do it and get me some "instant gratification". I asked the guy for prices and I swear they were cheaper a week ago when I asked. I remembered them quoting $100 to do the entire phone......Anyway he says its $120 and I winced thinking ..... "Oh shit that's 40 more than I thought". So I tell the guy that a week ago it was $100 and he says since I want a really simple design he will do it for $100. HURRAY!!! I pay and now have to burn up another hour at the mall until its finished . We do another lap and get that ice blended we came for. I decided to let Lauren ride the train again and we head back. WAIT....but now a lady is there and she insists that I pay $120... now I'm really pissed off and under normal circumstances this chick would have received one heck of a bitch off from me. BUT...... I have to pick up Maddie from school and have not a second more to waste on a tongue lashing. Needless to say I pay it and leave. The phone is so pretty and I'm happy but had I known it was really gonna be $120 I would have passed. Lesson for the day: If you want something done cheaper....do it yourself!!!!