Favorite toy from my childhood - Julie doll from Worlds of Wonder

I was thinking today about a gift to give which got me thinking about one of my favorites that I have ever received.  Thanks again Santa for bringing me "Julie" circa 1987.

I LOVED this doll.  And even by today's standards this is a pretty cool toy.  I wish I still had her!


OK and I also loved these:

Ahh vintage 80's toys.  What were your favorites?

Popples
Rainbow Brite and the Sprites
Roller Racer
Snoopy Sno Cone Machine
BMX Scooter
Barbie Fashion Plates
Jem
Barbie and the Rockers
Atari Qbert
My Little Pony

FYI

In case you have been wondering, silence on the blog means noise at home.

I am spending TONS of time with my four muchachos and loving every minute of it.

2 are sleeping at the moment and 2 are working on science projects.

1 mom is catching up on email and eating Oreos.

We are safe from the storms (knock on wood) though many trees in the area are down and the in-laws' home was without power for a while.

On the horizon: baseball game with friends, visit with Elise, graduation for many of our teenage friends, and attending church in our new building 5 minutes away rather than 30.

Yay!

Things that crack me up when I ought to be in bed

From http://wins.failblog.org/ ...

hehe ok good night :)

Modest Couture Alert

Thanks to my sis Mckenzie for the tip about this gorgeous dress Rachel McAdams wore.  I had to find a few more current ones, bien sur!

All photos from People.com.  

I am loving this trend!  And even as I say that, I believe modesty is more than a trend: its a time tested, classic and classy alternative to the allure of exploiting the sacred gift that the body is in the name of fashion.  I am just happy when I see modest choices holding their own in spite of the apparent belief that immodesty is somehow more fashion forward or stylish.

Mr. T sings a song for Moms

Thanks to my awesome brother Tyson for sharing this video on Mother's Day :)

Happy Mother's Day! - 2011

Thanks for birthing and raising me, Mom!  And for all the stuff in between and after and in the future.  Moms are awesome.

Dang I am a cute baby! ;)

For the record - Tyson had a mullet at birth

{I see Mckenzie too!}

This is for everyone I have told about Tyson's amazing amount of hair as a baby.  I know it is tough to imagine a baby with a mullet so here is a pic to prove it.  

He had so much hair that at first, his eyebrows actually connected on the sides right into his hairline.  

Do you think the old wives tale about heartburn and the amount of hair your baby has is true?  I only had heartburn (or some other crazy internal burning) once with Tyson but it was so severe that I had to go to the hospital and ended up drinking a horrific shot of lidocaine.  Hmmm...

Native Kids' Shoes

So this is a first for me.  I am actually kind of liking these rubber shoes for kids!  These kinda seem to have it all: slip on, easy clean, no socks necessary, closed toed,  & great style.  I have never considered Crocs before because to me, they lack that all important last attribute ;).  And I once heard of a kid having an issue with wearing Crocs on an escalator...

What do you think about these  Native shoes?  They seem like a great summer option to me.

Picture perfect boleros from BHLDN

I am sure many of you have also trolled the BHLDN website, as it has been blogged about incessantly of late.  AMAZING stuff!!  Oh how I wish it had been around when I was planning my wedding.  

It seems I am very often looking for cute ways to make formal dresses modest, whether for myself or for others.  I was just stunned at this amazing collection of bolero jackets from the BHLDN line.  Gorgeous to the nth degree!

Small and simple dream home

I think a lot about possibly building a home one day.  I think its because I don't feel like the home we really want/need is out there.  Our current home is great but since moving here I have been surprised at how much room we don't actually need like I thought we would.  For example, the boys always want to be together in one room.  It pains me that we basically paid for space we don't need.  Maybe someday things will change and they will want their own spaces, which is why I vote for a smaller home now with a basement that we could finish, if only a room at a time.

Most homes out there seem to tout granite as a huge, wonderful feature.  Yes I know its great but it seems a little too "everywhere" for my taste.  Its not that I am above it its just that I would enjoy finding cheaper and possibly more unique options.

I am sure the following wish list will morph over time and as the needs of my family change.  I would love to hear some key things you love about your home or that you would like to have in a home.

- BIG pantry.

- BIG laundry/craft/mud/whatever room.

- Open kitchen/eating area.

- Lots of windows!  We particularly love the idea of floor to ceiling windows in the kitchen/eating area.

- How cool would a walk-in shower be!?

- A VERY organized master closet! (I may be pushing it now.)

- Upstairs laundry.  We had this in one of our homes and we loved it.

- The JareBare (henceforth known as JB) would like a shop.  Discussions on the subject lean towards a detached garage/shop that is possibly connected to the side of the house with a breeze way.

- Basement/refuge from tornados!  And room enough for food storage.  And 32 boxes of Christmas decor.;)

- GREEN.  As eco-friendly as we can afford.  We have discussed wind power (a windmill), solar water heater, solar power, geo-thermal, rainwater retention, etc... and also using as many existing/sustainable materials as possible.

PERKS:

- Farm style!  We love barn homes!!

- Land.  Elbow room for growing boys and no neighborhood covenants/restrictions that would preclude us from having chickens or cows or even nudity if we so choose.  OK maybe just boys in their Underoos.

- I will spare you (for now) the details of my dreams for the interior of this dream home.  But I cannot resist sharing just a few of my favorite pics:

from Elle Decor

from House Beautiful

same home as above

again from House Beautiful

I love this for the windows and for the rough finishes

I want to smooch this picture, I love it so much!

Beautiful simplicity.

Alas, I could spend too much time with this.  Night!

Miss A Fashion - a bit late

I very often think I do things that I never actually do.  I think its the effect of an active mind and a lazy body.  Who knows.

Here is darling Miss A at one of our recent music lessons.

Oh how I love the glasses!