I *HEART* Madeline Weinrib.

I have a slight obsession with most things interior. Fabrics to be specific. I fall in love with a new fabric everyday. Usually found on an amazing blog or in a great magazine. Sadly not many make it into my home. I tend to fall for the $300/yard kind or the $3k 4x6 rug. WHAT?

If you knew what a bargain shopper I really turned into you'd giggle at the fact that I even LET myself fall in love with gorgeous fabrics. I have yet to purchase a duvet cover as none even COMPARE to what is in my nutty designer head.

One designer that hits the spot is Madeline Weinrib.

HOLY MOLY.
HEART.
HEART.
HEART.

If only she would design a line for Target. I'd pull hair and throw punches to get in line first.

Favorite Minted Art Prints

I have about 20+ designer girl-crushes @ Minted. Here are some of my fav. prints that I will have to agonize over about which to get.

frolic - nicciola design

globetrotter - ERAY

modern botanical - kelli hall

sea fever - linda and harriett

I would have put up several more ... but something is up with the wireless connection.

I feel like I'm dialing up like those turtles on the Comcast commercials.

ssssslllllooowwww.......

Life.Moving.Fast.

Holy Moly! It's only the middle of January and I can't keep up with it.
Working on that constant challenge of balancing LIFE w/ WORK.
Have you seen these amazing mom's do it?
www.theglow.com 

Warning - don't get sucked in! It's quite addicting and inspiring.

For Christmas I'd hoped for some little gift cards so that I could go get my make-up done. The fancy way. The way that you do when you're about to get married. I haven't done that since our wedding almost 7 years ago. A friend told me about a class taught by this fancy gal:

I loved it! She walked you thru how to put on the makeup yourself. While I need LOTS of practice it was totally fun. I spent those gift cards and then some but it was worth it! AANNDD it's made me try & make time for myself in the AM.  Let me re-phrase that - make an EFFORT. 

HA HA HA HA HA

Oooohhhhhhhh and one last fun thing. This came in the mail last week:

I had a first generation nano that I only used for running or traveling. Apparently it was recalled. We sent it in and got THIS BAD BOY back! HOLY MOLY it's ah-mazing. It has a touch screen, radio, music, that crazy NIKE trainer app (luv) and a bunch of other stuff I don't know how to use. Yet. Mama's got her running partner back. ;)  

And yes, I'm STILL reading the Steve Jobs book.

NEW CARD no.1

I can finally share with you some of the custom designs from the season!

(Front)

(Back)

This card just melts my heart. Have you ever seen such Christmas cuties? I like both sides so much I feel like either side could be the front or back. 

My shopping is almost done. I just ordered up these shirts for the boys to wear on Christmas. Honey Bee T's are designed from a gal who went to AUBURN! (WAR EAGLE!) And she's got a great little blog that I like to stalk.  (www.flythroughourwindow.com) If you know the Munn family - these prints are made for us. I told Jeff they come in adult sizes if he feels left out. ;)

Adding to the Christmas book box. We got this guy and have already read it 10 times.

The Grinch is a big hit this year. As well as the Elf. 

More cards to come! (I know you are on the edge of your seat...)

SWEET!

I am a garage sale addict. I love them.

Looky what I found today!

Here's how the deal went down.

Charlie/Ben/Me driving around our neighborhood (the entire hood is having a sale). We are lookin' for trucks. I see this guy pull this bike out of one of those pod things in his front yard. (** SCREECH **) I pull to the curb. 

HI! How much for the bike? (try try try to remain calm, abby) 

Uh, um, oh, gosh (sounding annoyed) I dunno. (like he's annoyed he's having a sale) "Make me an offer." (heart pounding - thump thump thump) 

How do you come up w/a price on the spot like that????? Don't want to under price. Don't want to go overboard. I want the DEAL!!!!!!!!!!

"Hmmmm... (my best attempt at sounding casual), what about FIFTY BUCKS?" 

He said.........

S O L D!

We now have the cruiser I'd been lookin' for.

SOOOO EXCITED TO RIDE IT IN THE HOOD!

Thanks, Dad, for frontin' the cash. You'd think w/ my addiction to garage sales I'd be prepared w/ cash. But apparently, I'm not.

;)

The princess in me...

just loved this comparison.

As a mother of 2 boys... I am STILL making them watch Cinderella and Snow White and The Little Mermaid.  Along w/ Star Wars and Cars and Aladdin. Must have well rounded minds, right!

Also looking forward to THIS:

Yo Gabba Gabba will announce their tour soon.
You can check it out here.

He was waiting the ENTIRE SHOW for the balloons to fall from the ceiling.

Hint for new show-goers. Don't let them know about the balloons on the ceiling.

Charlie kept looking up the entire time waiting from them to be released.

The. show. is. so. worth. it!

WHAT?

Ohhh how I love MAD MEN.

I am a bit OVER COMMITTED today, this week, and the flippin' month of May.
This just made me giggle a bit too much. If you love Mad Men, you will enjoy.

RECIPE

This is on my list to make.

Ever since starting Tracy Anderson, she's got me making some crazy stuff outta my Cuizinart.
This thing has been sitting in my pantry going fairly unused for 6 years and now I have used it weekly for the last month. YAY!!!!! You need to go get one if you don't have one.

I found this recipe from the folks at Door to Door organics. We just started using them ... and so far so fun and so yummy.

Charlie thinks that the farmer is actually sending him the food directly & personally to him and wants to write the farmer a thank you note every time the box arrives. ;)
(score 2 for the parents - 1 for good food & one for the thank you note writing!)


You can check out the recipe on their blog.

Pac-Man luv

Yes.
I love pac-man. And YES. That tells you how old I am.

I stumbled upon this today.
And I'm praying that I actually get some work done today.

Found this on Huffington Post... and I hate them for it.

Go HERE if you want to try it out for fun! But WARNING you might not get a lot done today.

Hoppy Easter!

Hope that you have a wonderful weekend and a very very HOPPY Easter.

I might have to have my first "cheat" with one of these amazing s'mores.





(found @ eclecticrecipes.com)

Happy Friday!

A friend @ work is having a cube party. And there are races around the cubes on a razor.

Time to beat is 14.2.

Sadly I got 22.5 w/ a 5 second penalty for losing my footing a bit.

RATS!

;)

Pumpkin Muffin recipe.... SO YUM!

Charlie is obsessed with Pumpkin Muffins. OBSESSED! With any muffin, actually - but pumpkin in particular. One blog that I like to check out posted about her homemade pumpkin muffins. 

THEY ARE SO GOOD!

And Meg is very fun & creative. Always a good combo to inspire ya when you need it. I like how she isn't afraid to show you that she had dirty dishes in her sink. Sometimes life is CRAZY!

I have done a little tweaking to the recipe - I'm guessing to help w/ the altitude a bit here in the Mile High City.

Pumpkin Muffins
 2 c sugar (I try to use a little less)
1/2 butter (aka - a stick - I used 3/4 a stick and was much better)
3 eggs
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin (or 2 cups - I tend to do more)
**throw all above in mixer & blend together

next add:
2 1/3 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
*** mix above into batter in mixer

next add:
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 water (i omitted and was MUCH better)
1 c mini choc chips (opt)
1 c nuts (opt)

Mix all up! Line your muffin tins w/ paper liners.
Bake 375 for 20 - 25 min.

GLAZE:
1 c powdered sugar
1 tblspn milk
dash vanilla
**stir above w/ spoon - adjust to consistency you'd like.

We happend to have some left over real whipped cream. SOOOO ... we had to try it w/ the muffins. DELISH! And so good w/ coffee. OH MY. I love cake w/ coffee in the AM. Isn't that really what a muffin is? Cake in disguise??

*SNOW*SNOW*SNOW!

Have you seen this site?

http://www.snowforecast.com/

I only have a 4 pack this year. Gotta make it count!

If I had an apartment in NYC....

I would like it to be like this.

The framed art on the wall - amazing.

The original details.

I can't ever have enough subway tile. I wish I had the guts to put wallpaper up like this in my one-day-to-be-remodeled bathroom.

White Bed. I will never ever get to have while living with 3 fellas and a dog.

I'm such a wine girl. But I still want this. My grandmother would approve of the use of silver.

I wanna have late breakfasts in this kitchen. Coffee anytime of day would be amazing here. And can you just picture your party all hanging in the kitchen!?

Going to get more pictures on the walls. Might be my resolution for 2011. 

And I just ADORE this. You can NEVER have enufffffff photos of your family. I have tons of pictures in photo albums. Time to get some OUT.

*sigh*
**making mental note to go play lottery**


I'm more traditional than modern. Yet - I like modern stuff, too. This apartment has KILLER artwork and tons of family photos around. I could spend days on the couch flipping thru all these books. I love antique furniture combined with modern fabrics. AND I NEED TO GET INSPIRED ABOUT ALL THE ART ON THE WALLS!!! They just threw stuff up there and its so beautiful!!!

Don't get me started on this kitchen. I would get take-out just to eat in my kitchen.
AH-mazing.

The Selby - Kate & David Spade's apartment. nuff said.