Happy Halloween

the haunted house, originally uploaded by novon.

Hope you're not trick or treating at this house! Have fun!

Carla Bruni

Back in September, I was intrigued by the Vanity Fair cover story on Carla Bruni. I used to have a strange fascination with the supermodels of the 90's, so I remember seeing her then. Now she is the first lady of France. By American standards, the most recent French Presidents have been highly scandalous in their affairs of the heart, but in France it is almost expected that politicians will have affairs (crazy, huh?). Reading about Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy is almost like getting swept up in a historical fiction novel, with her being this larger-than-life villain/heroine. If you're interested, read the article. (On a sidenote, the interview was done by Maureen Orth, the wife of the late Tim Russert.)

What I really wanted to share is her album, have you heard it? I love her voice, which sounds a lot different in English than French. There is something real and soulful that I really like about it. Have a listen, what do you think?

Buzzing Around

I feel like I've been a busy little bee this week with a sick little one (who is now better, thank goodness), hosting book club last night, school parties, preparing for Halloween, etc. We still have not even carved our pumpkin. I can't believe it! Halloween is tomorrow!! I am very excited and looking forward to a wonderful night of tricks and treats with my family.

I have some posts up my sleeve, I just need to find the time to sit down and write. Don't give up on me, I'll have some new stuff up soon!

Rock the Vote

DSC_0298, originally uploaded by Rock the Vote 2008.

Monday night I went to a Rock the Vote concert featuring Santogold, Sheryl Crow and the Beastie Boys!! It was awesome to see the Beastie Boys at an intimate venue, although I wish I had been about a foot taller so I could see a little better. I got a closer look at Sheryl Crow and she was good, but the Beastie Boys really rocked! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures because I was a nice, rule-abiding concert-goer (and partially because my camera is too bulky to sneak in my bra). I saw so many people taking pictures with iphones that it really made me want one!

This photo is the Beastie Boys at a stop at CPCC in Charlotte to get out the vote!

So go vote, early!

A Sick Child

There's nothing worse than a sick child. To see their boundless energy disappear and the innocent helplessness emerge. As a homemaker, it is impossible to take a day off, there are always chores to be done, meals to cook, etc. But today, the dishes will pile up and me and my lil' darlin will snuggle back to health. After all, isn't your mothers touch what you want the most when you feel so bad?

Required Reading

I have posted about Stephanie Nielson before of NieNie fame. Daily, I check her sister's blog to get updates, etc. and today there was a link to an article from an Arizona newspaper. Read this for a testament to the power of prayer, the sacrifices of family and the love between sisters. I had chills the entire time.

Tagged

I've been tagged by DearAlison to reveal seven random and weird facts about myself. I did something similar at the start of my blog, but I'll try to come up with seven more juicy ones.

1. I have been hit by a car before while riding my bicycle (don't laugh)

2. I have a strong desire to move my family abroad somewhere

3. My husband and I became engaged about two months after we started dating

4. I am an only child that still longs for siblings (thank goodness I have a sister-in-law)

5. I do not like going barefooted nor do I like touching the bottom of the ocean or lake with my feet

6. I do not own an umbrella

7. Although always a hippie at heart, I used to totally look like one, with unshaven legs, arms, etc. and I saw my fair share of Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band, Phish and Widespread shows (doesn't make much sense that I don't like being barefooted, I know)

Since I'm new to the whole blogging thing, I don't really know seven people with blogs to tag, so I'll just tag the following:

Sally Jo Stamper

YaYa

You must tell 7 facts about yourself, juicy & strange facts, then tag 7 people at the end of your post with links- Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment for them on their blog

Lunch with my Dad

If I could have lunch today with my dad, I would catch him up on so many things..I would tell him all about his sweet pea (the oldest darlin') and how she is so smart and is doing so well in school. He would be so proud to know that when she made her top ten list of people she loves, she put God first. I would tell him how wonderful it is to have a house full of giggling girls and that even the lil' darlins know Johnny Cash. I would boost his ego by telling him that many people say that one of the darlins looks just like him. But more importantly, they each have a piece of his sweet spirit. He would be glad to know that they continue to get spoiled, usually by YaYa, she seems to have picked up where you left off. Jane and Barry planted an apple tree in your honor and the oldest darlin can always tell if there have been any changes to "Papa's tree". You would be excited to hear about me flying the trapeze and all the delicious food we ate in Italy. We would also have a good ole' talk about politics. That is something I miss the most, our talks. Your understanding and willingness to listen so whole-heartedly. Three years is a long time to go without seeing your smile or hearing your sincere voice. I so miss being your thirty-something little girl, but I feel your spirit everyday and see it in my beautiful family. I love you daddy.

Nifty

I just tried out this new website where you can put collages together, thanks to
How About Orange. It's so neat, especially if you just love to put things together like I do. It's not just clothes, plenty of home stuff too!

Find me on Polyvore »

I Heart NYC-Part 1

At the end of August, I took a girls trip to the Big Apple for a long weekend. It was so much fun. New York is one of my favorite cities. Although I have been to many more beautiful places in the world, there is something about the character of New York that I love. If you have been there you probably know what I mean. We all did our fair share of shopping, but there were plenty of other highlights.

Friday night we went to dinner at Stanton Social. It is on the Lower East Side and it's the type of place to see and be seen. Everything is served tapas style and although the music was a little loud, the food and service were impeccable! Just to make you a little hungry, we feasted on French Onion Dumplings, Maine Crab Cake Corndogs, Grilled Cheese Sliders, Zucchini Tempura, Old School Meatballs, Sauteed Spinach, Goat Cheese Ravioli and the Chocolate Tasting for dessert. Yum-O (can I say that without having to credit Rachael Ray). They bring you about three items at one time and by the time you are done with it, they are there to bring you more- very orchestrated. I did lots of research before this trip and I think this restaurant was a keeper. Here's my mom and her best friend Earlene at dinner.

On Saturday we headed out on the subway to Greenwich Village, where we picked up a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery (the place on Sex and the City). Sorry, Magnolia, but the cupcakes were not good. You know how I am about cupcakes and although the place is cute, it wasn't worth the time or money.

On to Soho and more shopping...then to Chinatown for some real Chinese food and not so real Ed Hardy t-shirts, Tiffany jewelry, Ray-Bans, the list goes on. Sally in Chinatown:For dinner Saturday night we had reservations at Trattoria Trecolori. Another glorious meal with perfect service. I had Veal with Eggplant, Prosciutto, Tomato and Cheese (can't remember what type of cheese, but it was good). I was thinking about the hubby during this entire meal because I knew he would of loved it!

That evening we went and saw 'In The Heights' on Broadway. As if I haven't raved enough..this show was really, really good. To top it off, we met the entire cast afterwards and got all of their autographs.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Meet the Fam

I probably do not have any readers that do not know me personally; therefore, you are familiar with my family. But, just in case, introducing...

Tony-the husband. The love of my life. Although I knew him for a while before we started dating, it was almost as if one day I was shot with cupid's arrow. It happened to be the same day that he took me for my first ride on his new red Harley. The rest is history. He loves the outdoors, hunting and working out. He is such a good daddy and has even given in to wearing pink, a pretty dominant color around our house.

The oldest lil' darlin'. She is almost 7, going on 16. The quintessential girly girl- she loves all things cool! Her clothes have to perfectly match and she loves to sing and perform. Thanks to her YaYa, she now asks to go get mani/pedis. (We are in trouble) She takes ballet and recently started playing tennis and thank goodness, she loves school! She is a worry wart, like me.

Lil' Darlin' A or 1 (not because she is a favorite, but because she was born first) is 3. She loves to dance, climb, get into anything and everything and is a good little cuddle bug. When she was in my tummy, she moved constantly and that still hasn't changed. She has such a sweet personality, but has her moments of mayhem.

Lil' Darlin B or 2 is a charmer and 3 as well. She smiles an awful lot. But in definite Gemini fashion, she has a side that is a little devilish. She likes to keep her sisters in line by being the little mommy. She loves "polka-nots" (polka dots) and anything that has a tag.

Truman, aka TruTru is Tony's balance in our house full of girls. He is truly the sweetest, most mild-mannered dog.

Yet Another Cupcake Post

I know I have just about met my quota for cupcake posts, but I had to share these that I made for our friend's 40th birthday party this past weekend. I thought they turned out cute. I made the numbers with chocolate.

A Treasure

Luckily, I have a lot of pictures of my parents from their younger days. But these are a few that I treasure the most. I adore photo booth pictures! But they have to be the old school black and white ones, not the digital ones that you find today. You can look here to see if there are any vintage photo booths in your area if you're itching for a booth pic. I would love to have one in my house. How cool would it be to document the life of your family in photo booth pictures? Birthdays, anniversaries, first dances, graduation...just throw 'em in the photo booth before they head out the door. Sounds like a good coffee table book, but I digress. The small photos of my parents were taken in White Lake, NC in 1968 and the larger ones were at the Pitt County Fair in 1967. What a cute couple.

TGIF

Someone is happy that it's Friday!

Happy Birthday!

Here are the fruits of my labor yesterday. A Chocolate Bundt Cake with a Raspberry, Cream Cheese and Chocolate Chip filling. Happy Birthday Julie, my raspberry loving friend! And some yummy chocolate cupcakes for a sweet little girl turning 5! I hope they are tasty!

Christmas Lite

It is almost depressing to think about the holidays approaching in such horrible economic conditions. On the upside, I am sure there will be more sales than normal, so it may be possible to get that perfect gift for a steal. But on the downside, there are so many families struggling with uncertainty about the future. I feel like Santa's sleigh will be a little lighter this year for many people. A few years ago, our family tossed around the idea of anteing the money that we would spend on gifts for each other and give it to a worthy charity instead. We didn't end up following through, but maybe this year would be a good place to start. Does your family have any Christmas traditions that focus more on giving to those in need, encouraging togetherness and creating new experiences? I would love some ideas!

Summertime in October

Looking out the window, the leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground. There was a nip to the air when I took the dog out this morning. But before I dress the girls for the day I check the forecast. A high of 84 today and 87 tomorrow! What is going on? I just changed the girl's closets out and neatly put their summer things away. North Carolina weather is crazy! I'm still looking forward to a day of baking, so I'll just look out the window and pretend it is a chilly fall day.

Adult ADD

I think I have it. But do you think there is a type that only affects how you clean your house? I find myself very unable to stay focused on one task where completing chores is concerned. I busted myself this morning in the midst of making the kids chocolate milk. I almost stopped before I even added the chocolate syrup to go make up my bed. Does that make any sense? I had a talk with myself, "D, do you really want to leave your children longing for chocolate milk while you go and make up the bed so that you can hear the lil' darlins screaming- where is my chocolate milk?". So, I proudly finished the task at hand and they are happily slurping up their milk. But, my bed is still not made. Instead, I sat down to write this. O.K., I'm going to do it now, right after I feed the dog. Is there a cure for this?

What I Am Thankful For This Week

• Daniel and Tiffany coming on Friday for a weekend visit...hip, hip, hooray!
• Weekend Visitors ensuing a thorough cleaning of the abode, the hubby is happy!
• My new yoga class, I love it!
• The oldest darlin' insisting on doing her homework as soon as she walks in the door
• Being blessed with wonderful family and friends that make me smile daily

Twilight

IMG_1369_2 (Small), originally uploaded by danielleGaetano.

"October is crisp days and cool nights; a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book" -John Sinor

I know I am a little late to the game on this book, but it is sooo good that I had to write about it. 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer is my Book Club's pick for October and it really is a guilty pleasure. It is not the type of book that will generate a ton of enthralling discussion, but it is a book that leaves you longing for more. I have had to hold off on the second book in the series just because I know I will be useless until I have it finished. So, if you haven't read it, go get it, I promise you will not be disappointed.

Happy Birthday

Today is my father-in-law's birthday. He really loves German Chocolate Cake, but I'm a cupcake girl, so he had to settle for these...

I hope he is having a fantastic day, he deserves it!

Mischievious

When you don't do this..

This is apt to happen...
We learned early on that these little locks were the only things that would keep the lil' darlins out of their closets when they were supposed to be sleeping. Ooops, someone forgot to lock them.

Vote

Vote, originally uploaded by Dean Terry.

This election season feels like it has been going on for years. But, the time is drawing near and if you live in North Carolina you only have a few more days to register to vote. Maybe the debate tonight will pump you up to head to your Board of Elections office, local library, DMV, wherever, just go!

Dancing with the Stars

Since Gossip Girl wasn't on last night, I watched Dancing with the Stars with the hubby. I'm such an early bird that I didn't make it through the whole show, but I did see Warren Sapp and his suave moves. In case you don't know, he is 6'2 and 300 pounds. But on the dance floor, he glides like a swan. I was really impressed! I would not be surprised if he makes it to the finals. Do you have a favorite?

3 R's

A few years ago I read a blog that made a comment about not using paper towels. It was a remark that was made somewhat non-chalantly and implied that in California it is almost common practice. I can't attest to that, but I do know that it caught me by surprise. I had never really thought about not using paper towels, it was one of those household staples that seemed so necessary. But, once the idea found a place in my mind, I became more and more aware of how wasteful and thoughtless my family's paper towel use was. Drying hands, wiping faces, putting sandwiches on, cleaning windows...the list goes on. Now, it is has been about a year and a half since I've purchased paper towels. I admit, my husband did buy some because it drives him crazy. But we rarely use them. Instead, a lot of cloth napkins and kitchen towels get thrown in the wash and I feel a little better that I'm doing my part. I don't want to seem preachy, but maybe someone will come across this the same way that I happened upon that remark years ago and become more aware. That's all it takes, just a bit of awareness to make a change.

"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." -Thomas Fuller

p.s. We do use toilet paper

Happy Weekend!

I hope everyone is having a happy and fun-filled weekend!

Dreaming of Cupcakes

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love everything about cupcakes! I love making them, eating them, looking at them, decorating with them and the list goes on. There's just something about a personal-sized morsel of cakey goodness that gets to me. I think my cupcakes are pretty darn good (you have to have confidence in your product, right?) and I have spent countless hours dreaming of my very own cupcake business. Almost every cupcake marketing idea is already out there, believe me, I've looked! This one is my favorite and I think I need my very own here in Charlotte. Check out hey cupcake! in Austin, TX. Cupcakes from an Airstream, could it get any better than that?

Little Betty-A Family Affair

I love Electra bikes! I wish I could afford one for myself, but instead I had to trick my childhood bike out with Electra parts. I guess that is sort of like putting a Cadillac emblem and wheels on a Pontiac. Oh well, it still rides and looks good. When the oldest darlin' spotted a shiny pink Electra at our new REI, I knew our pocketbook was in trouble. She came home and immediately penned her birthday list. I also love Craigslist! Now, thanks to a little bit of luck and a very nice lady in Ft. Mill, Isabella is cruising around on a black (not pink), well loved (not as shiny) Electra called Little Betty. Happy early 7th Birthday!