Thursday, March 12, 2009
...sweet lullaby...
April writing...
I wish I had my own little one right now...cause I would be playing the heck out of this sweet Lullaby CD by Jewel.
It's so sweet and soft and pretty.
Click on the picture to preview the songs.
*sigh* so sweet.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Wordless Wednesday
April writing...
"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~H. Fred Ale"
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
I Heart Faces: Creative Crop
April writing...
This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Creative Crop."
Here is my Kids Only Entry - (After Cropping)
Kids Only Entry - (Before Cropping)
This is the sweet face of one of my best friends little baby girl...I call her my 'cuppycake!' :)
This week's theme at I ♥ Faces is "Creative Crop."
Here is my Kids Only Entry - (After Cropping)
Kids Only Entry - (Before Cropping)
This is the sweet face of one of my best friends little baby girl...I call her my 'cuppycake!' :)
Ruh-Roh...call it the Biggest LIAR... *EDITED*
April writing...
So this is Dane Patterson...some of you may know him as a contestant on The Biggest Loser that lost 100 pounds during his time on the Ranch...and with that you may also know that he was recently voted OFF the show...and even more you may know that shortly after his return home he ran a full marathon with his itty-bitty wifey with a time of 3 hours and 53 minutes.
WRONG.
It seems our boy Dane here didn't actually finish the race. In fact according to a fellow Marathon Runner, Melancholy Smile (who actually finished the race) he rode in a van to the end of the race in order to complete the race qualified as a "Finisher." Nice one NBC, and to think that most of us thought TBL was one of the good guys of Reality TV. Sike.
Another blogger writes, "The truth is his "finishing" time was 5 hours 53 minutes and in order to complete the race in the maximum allowed time of 6 hours, he got a ride for 3 miles [17 to 20] so that he could be an official finisher. As a two-time marathoner, I feel sad that Dane didn't have the self-worth to just walk out the remaining miles and be satisfied with completing an incredibly difficult distance. As for NBC, this is not the kind of press the 4th place network needs. They blame an over zealous field producer for the misrepresentation but I think the blame should be spread around equally and this may signal a dramatic shift in viewing habits for those who seek inspiration in the Biggest Losers, which is very sad."
*sigh* Way to stay classy there Dane. I mean, take a stand...you didn't have to get kicked off and go home and finish a full marathon...no one else does that...you DID just lose 100 pounds...that's saying SOMETHING!
EDIT
This came from a later "For the Record" post over at Meloncholy Smile...the blog that inadvertantly outted TBL contestant Dane Patterson for not finishing the Marathon.
"The Biggest Loser aired last night, and I have been flooded with emails {do to this post} about the Marathon I ran in January. Consequently, I think it's time for some clarification. I do not like how nasty things are getting, especially on some of the boards where they are quoting my blog.
First, the last time I saw Dane and his wife running was mile 17. {My husband then saw them at a water station, filming several takes. He felt bad for them-- a marathon is hard enough without accommodating a film crew}.
The next thing I knew, they were at the finish line before me without having run past. I mistakenly assumed that they were driven the remainder of the 10 or so miles, but Carli herself cleared that up when she said, "In this industry you are always on a time frame and sometimes it is out of your control. We had stopped along the way to film at a water station and to make up for lost time our producers drove us ONLY 3 miles up the road. I am sorry if this has offended you in any way, but we are still incredibly happy about the 23 miles we ran. We were not listed as completing the Marathon. Dane is an honest LDS Dad and I hope that they do say he completed this Marathon because had time allowed he would have!"
Second, apparently everyone is up in arms because Dane's finish time was reported by NBC as being 3:53 instead of 5:53. I believe this is just a typo on some poor editor's part. Mistakes happen, people. No need to attack a man and his family who have plenty to be proud of.
Bottom line: Dane and Carli Patterson are real people accomplishing wonderful things, and I believe them to be honest.
Please take care with your comments, as I don't think there was ever any intentional deception going on. They deserve our warm support and congratulations. Thank you. "
...that's a little better. Although NBC DID sell it as him FINISHING the marathon.
So this is Dane Patterson...some of you may know him as a contestant on The Biggest Loser that lost 100 pounds during his time on the Ranch...and with that you may also know that he was recently voted OFF the show...and even more you may know that shortly after his return home he ran a full marathon with his itty-bitty wifey with a time of 3 hours and 53 minutes.
WRONG.
It seems our boy Dane here didn't actually finish the race. In fact according to a fellow Marathon Runner, Melancholy Smile (who actually finished the race) he rode in a van to the end of the race in order to complete the race qualified as a "Finisher." Nice one NBC, and to think that most of us thought TBL was one of the good guys of Reality TV. Sike.
Another blogger writes, "The truth is his "finishing" time was 5 hours 53 minutes and in order to complete the race in the maximum allowed time of 6 hours, he got a ride for 3 miles [17 to 20] so that he could be an official finisher. As a two-time marathoner, I feel sad that Dane didn't have the self-worth to just walk out the remaining miles and be satisfied with completing an incredibly difficult distance. As for NBC, this is not the kind of press the 4th place network needs. They blame an over zealous field producer for the misrepresentation but I think the blame should be spread around equally and this may signal a dramatic shift in viewing habits for those who seek inspiration in the Biggest Losers, which is very sad."
*sigh* Way to stay classy there Dane. I mean, take a stand...you didn't have to get kicked off and go home and finish a full marathon...no one else does that...you DID just lose 100 pounds...that's saying SOMETHING!
EDIT
This came from a later "For the Record" post over at Meloncholy Smile...the blog that inadvertantly outted TBL contestant Dane Patterson for not finishing the Marathon.
"The Biggest Loser aired last night, and I have been flooded with emails {do to this post} about the Marathon I ran in January. Consequently, I think it's time for some clarification. I do not like how nasty things are getting, especially on some of the boards where they are quoting my blog.
First, the last time I saw Dane and his wife running was mile 17. {My husband then saw them at a water station, filming several takes. He felt bad for them-- a marathon is hard enough without accommodating a film crew}.
The next thing I knew, they were at the finish line before me without having run past. I mistakenly assumed that they were driven the remainder of the 10 or so miles, but Carli herself cleared that up when she said, "In this industry you are always on a time frame and sometimes it is out of your control. We had stopped along the way to film at a water station and to make up for lost time our producers drove us ONLY 3 miles up the road. I am sorry if this has offended you in any way, but we are still incredibly happy about the 23 miles we ran. We were not listed as completing the Marathon. Dane is an honest LDS Dad and I hope that they do say he completed this Marathon because had time allowed he would have!"
Second, apparently everyone is up in arms because Dane's finish time was reported by NBC as being 3:53 instead of 5:53. I believe this is just a typo on some poor editor's part. Mistakes happen, people. No need to attack a man and his family who have plenty to be proud of.
Bottom line: Dane and Carli Patterson are real people accomplishing wonderful things, and I believe them to be honest.
Please take care with your comments, as I don't think there was ever any intentional deception going on. They deserve our warm support and congratulations. Thank you. "
...that's a little better. Although NBC DID sell it as him FINISHING the marathon.
Getting a little Fashion-forward...
April writing...
According to FoxNews.com and TLC's Andy Paige...the Top 10 Spring Recessionista Finds are as follows: (accompanied with my thoughts in italics)
According to FoxNews.com and TLC's Andy Paige...the Top 10 Spring Recessionista Finds are as follows: (accompanied with my thoughts in italics)
1. 
2.
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9.
10. 
#1. "Everyone should definitely have a white jean. A lot of people are afraid of white jeans and I understand, however, it's never the color, it's always the fit. Look for a beautiful, heavy, white denim that fits you really well. JCPenney has a great pair from their American Living line." Originally $55, they're now marked down to $24.99.
Uhm. No...that's really all my BIG butt has to say about that.
#2. "You must have something in your closet that is either neon or Day-Glo. The way for you to incorporate this into your wardrobe is to choose a Day-Glo scarf or bracelet or earrings. A Day-Glo accessory will definitely give a lot of vibrance and kind of a unique punch to a lot of the strong, candy colors we'll be wearing this season." At Old Navy you can find enamel hoops in shades like Atomic Purple and Zing! (a bold yellow) for $5.50.
I don't get this...does Day-Glo mean yellow...cause ewww. Yellow doesn't work on this pasty skin my friend.
#3. "Scarves are the quickest way to modernize and polish an outfit. You can find them for under $15 anywhere. It's a touch of elegance to anything, whether it's an evening gown or a tank top, a scarf is a must-have for spring." This long cotton scarf costs $8.80 at Forever21.com.
Uhm...we all know that I LOVE scarves. As noted here in this post! However I am not down with this u-g-l-y scarf as used in the above picture. blech.
#4. "You want something with ruffles. It can be a blouse, a bag, a skirt. Ruffles can carry you from day to night and can be dressed up or dressed down, it always looks sophisticated and for those of us without a big bosom, a ruffled top gives you more fluff fluff in the top top." This hot pink, ruffled Xhiliration top costs $17.99 at Target.
I love ruffles...I do. However...uhm...how do I say this...large busted women...really have no business adding that much attention that area.
#5. "There are florals all over the place, floral dresses, floral skirts. Get something in a big, beautiful floral pattern." Old Navy offers this chiffon flutter-sleeve dress for $29.50.
Again I am going to go NO...that is majorly u-g-l-y. Granted, the chickee in this picture is pulling it off...but just BARELY.
#6. "The biggest trend in jewelry right now is the layers of bangles, really thin bangles in silver and gold, some with gems, but lots of them. The next trend is really stone necklaces, very similar to what we saw on Amy Adams at the Oscars, big, large stones. And of course, these don't have to be real stones, these can be necklaces that you get at the thrift store." You can find this three-tier beaded necklace at JCPenney for $28.
I get the bangle idea, I do. But I do NOT get what is in that picture. Ick.
#7. "The aviator sunglasses are the hot glasses to have this year. An aviator in a nice metal frame is still going to look extremely hot on everybody." Check out the painted metal aviator for $14.99 at UrbanOutfitters.com.
Totally fun...not something that I think works with my specific dome shape...but I like them.
#8. "Any kind of nautical T-shirt that's less than $20 in a red stripe or a blue stripe or something with an anchor on it is going to look incredible with your white jeans and a simple cardigan." Old Navy sells nautical graphic tees for $14.50.
I don't get it. What I should look like a sailor now?
#9. "Everybody's got to have a cardigan in a bright color. And it's not about the twin set at all, it's about wearing a yellow tank top with a turquoise cardigan and a pink scarf. It's all about choosing a suite of colors, two or three colors that look beautiful together." This ruffled cardigan in "Smiley Yellow" goes for $26.50 at Old Navy.
Now I LOVE the Cardigan...I do. I would totally have one in every color...IF they didn't have to button...another fashion find that doesn't work with these "divas."
10. "When selecting a handbag, forgo the basic black and brown. If you can push yourself just a little bit, push yourself into a beautiful pink, blue, green, yellow or something that is vibrant and then wear it all spring long." This glossy patent bagin aqua goes for $25 at Newport News.
I LOVE the handbags...I will say NO on the green and yellow...but a big resounding YES on TEAL...will TEAL count? I love teal.
So there you have it...how to be Fashion Forward in this ever-slumping economy...YEAH! Now go out there and SPEND, SPEND, SPEND ladies!!! We gotsta be GOOD LOOKIN!!!
WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
April writing...
The winner of our FREE $15 Starbucks card is OLIVIA with her wonderful PICNIK work of art!! Thanks to ALL that joined in on the fun! I hope to get more giveaways going very soon!! So keep an eye out!!!
Thanks for VOTING too!!!
a little PIZAZZ...
April writing...
Hopefully by now you have been following our Bathroom-Re-Do. I was struggling to find the perfect new fabric shower curtain...but I finally did it. I went to Target and found two that I really loved! Here they are from the Target website. The Baroque Shower Curtain and the Pansy Shower Curtain. I brought them both home, hung them both up (showing half of each) and then I let Cory decide. I honestly thought he would shoot both of them down immediately. And he basically did shoot down the Pansy one pretty quickly...which was good, seeing as how I really loved the Baroque one...
So it was decided...we added the Baroque shower curtain to our new bathroom re-do...here it is.
(sorry for the crappy picture...my camera was in the other room with a dead battery and I was too lazy to get a new battery and take GOOD pictures! ha!)
So I am pleased and pretty sure that I am DONE (with the exception of now needed new rugs for the floor...as our lime green ones don't match a THING now. haha...I will be done here soon :)
What are your thoughts?? You likey?? I LOVEY!! :) haha!
Hopefully by now you have been following our Bathroom-Re-Do. I was struggling to find the perfect new fabric shower curtain...but I finally did it. I went to Target and found two that I really loved! Here they are from the Target website. The Baroque Shower Curtain and the Pansy Shower Curtain. I brought them both home, hung them both up (showing half of each) and then I let Cory decide. I honestly thought he would shoot both of them down immediately. And he basically did shoot down the Pansy one pretty quickly...which was good, seeing as how I really loved the Baroque one...
So it was decided...we added the Baroque shower curtain to our new bathroom re-do...here it is.
(sorry for the crappy picture...my camera was in the other room with a dead battery and I was too lazy to get a new battery and take GOOD pictures! ha!)
It's all SO very exciting!! THEN to top it off, months ago I bought some of Stampin' Up's Decor Elements. I wasn't sure where I would exactly use the white flourishes that I bought (originally for the living room, but they were quickly ruled out)...then once we picked out the new shower curtain it hit me..."THOSE WOULD BE PERFECT!" So I ran downstairs picked them out and got them all prepared to add to the bathroom walls.
Mom was there, and they quickly were "Mom approved," now they just needed to be "Cory Approved." He's the harder sell these days...tisk tisk tisk, who knows why he just doesn't trust my style sense...giggle :)
He approved them...although, he may have done it under slight duress...seeing as how he had been up for over 24 hours and he was exhausted and just wanted to shower and sit on the couch to veg...either way. They got approved. So I quickly grabbed my hand Pampered Chef tool and applied these little babies to the wall with ease.
SEE?!?!
So I am pleased and pretty sure that I am DONE (with the exception of now needed new rugs for the floor...as our lime green ones don't match a THING now. haha...I will be done here soon :)
What are your thoughts?? You likey?? I LOVEY!! :) haha!
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Nill. Zero.
April writing...
Nothing. I have heard nothing yet on my advertising attempts for my upcoming Baby Signs® Classes. Well, I mean I have heard lots of "Oh I am very interested", but no registrants yet. I am not giving up by any means, just slightly bummed. I am actually gearing up to contact some local libraries and Baby Stores for advertising too.
*sigh* it's not like I anticipated my doors being knocked down...but at least two or three interested parties actually registering would have made me feel a little better about it I guess.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer...I guess that kind of attitude will get me no where!!
oh well...PERK UP WOMAN... here's another shameless plug...
If you can get past my overtly obvious bummer attitude and you are interested in taking some Baby Signs® Classes of you know someone who might be...here's my info:
april.eslick@babysignsprogram.com
http://www.babysignsprogram.com/withapril
:)
:)
:)
:)
Nothing. I have heard nothing yet on my advertising attempts for my upcoming Baby Signs® Classes. Well, I mean I have heard lots of "Oh I am very interested", but no registrants yet. I am not giving up by any means, just slightly bummed. I am actually gearing up to contact some local libraries and Baby Stores for advertising too.
*sigh* it's not like I anticipated my doors being knocked down...but at least two or three interested parties actually registering would have made me feel a little better about it I guess.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer...I guess that kind of attitude will get me no where!!
oh well...PERK UP WOMAN... here's another shameless plug...
If you can get past my overtly obvious bummer attitude and you are interested in taking some Baby Signs® Classes of you know someone who might be...here's my info:
april.eslick@babysignsprogram.com
http://www.babysignsprogram.com/withapril
:)
:)
:)
:)
My decorating style...
April writing...
So Heather and Brandi recently posted about this website. It's pretty neat. You take a quick quiz to see your design style. Personally I thought many of the rooms in my quiz were awful...but oh well. Apparently I am 60% Nantucket Style...I don't really agree. But it was fun to try! ha :)
What did you get?
Go HERE and find out!
So Heather and Brandi recently posted about this website. It's pretty neat. You take a quick quiz to see your design style. Personally I thought many of the rooms in my quiz were awful...but oh well. Apparently I am 60% Nantucket Style...I don't really agree. But it was fun to try! ha :)
What did you get?
Go HERE and find out!
Top 5 Tuesdays!!
April writing...
"What are your TOP 5 Favorite foods and/or meals to eat?"
5. Grilled Chicken with Yellow Rice and Broccoli and Cheese
4. Frito Pie
3. A Good SALAD
2. Spaghetti with Garlic Bread
1. Steak (or Pork Chops) and Baked Potatoes
Let's here yours!??!
Monday, March 09, 2009
GIVEAWAY...
April writing...
How would you like to WIN one of these beauties!?! Well just head on over to The Mrs' Blog and enter to win!!!
*thanks Sarah for sharing!
How would you like to WIN one of these beauties!?! Well just head on over to The Mrs' Blog and enter to win!!!
*thanks Sarah for sharing!
The BATHROOM has been officially SPRUCED!
April writing...
Our weekend. Well. It was busy.
It all started with some chipping and loose tile on our upstairs bathroom floor. The previous owners did a shoddy job of caulking and grouting between the tiles, so we knew eventually we would need to fix it. Plus it just looked HORRIBLE and that part drove me CRAZY. So we decided to pull up the tile, clean it up a bit and replace it.
Well, that turned out to be a bad idea, as many of the tiles had cracks and we couldn't get all the gunk removed from the backing of the tiles...and not to mention there were tiles we couldn't even get off the floor without doing more damage to them.
So then, we decided..."ok, John has some leftover tile we can use...we will just pull this all up and replace it with the free tile...we will only have to buy grout."
Well...with that, came having to remove the toilet and the cabinet, as the tiles were under those items. So with that, I decided that it would be nice to paint the cabinet before we put it back in, to make it look a little nicer. I wanted to paint it black. Cory was a hard sell, but I won him over eventually.
So we went out...bought black paint, grout and sealer and we were on our way. Cory laid the tile (quite nicely all by himself!) and I painted the cabinet, the mirror frame...and we decided to also paint the above the toilet storage cabinet that we had previously bought for the new half bath downstairs and never used.
With all that done we completed the job this weekend. Grouting and reinstalling the toilet and cabinets. I think that it came together QUITE nicely!!!
Take a look!
Here's another view of the vanity sink and cabinet. Everything has been cleaned up and SPRUCED up...all except for my dirty dog (Olive) who somehow snuck her way in.
Our weekend. Well. It was busy.
It all started with some chipping and loose tile on our upstairs bathroom floor. The previous owners did a shoddy job of caulking and grouting between the tiles, so we knew eventually we would need to fix it. Plus it just looked HORRIBLE and that part drove me CRAZY. So we decided to pull up the tile, clean it up a bit and replace it.
Well, that turned out to be a bad idea, as many of the tiles had cracks and we couldn't get all the gunk removed from the backing of the tiles...and not to mention there were tiles we couldn't even get off the floor without doing more damage to them.
So then, we decided..."ok, John has some leftover tile we can use...we will just pull this all up and replace it with the free tile...we will only have to buy grout."
Well...with that, came having to remove the toilet and the cabinet, as the tiles were under those items. So with that, I decided that it would be nice to paint the cabinet before we put it back in, to make it look a little nicer. I wanted to paint it black. Cory was a hard sell, but I won him over eventually.
So we went out...bought black paint, grout and sealer and we were on our way. Cory laid the tile (quite nicely all by himself!) and I painted the cabinet, the mirror frame...and we decided to also paint the above the toilet storage cabinet that we had previously bought for the new half bath downstairs and never used.
With all that done we completed the job this weekend. Grouting and reinstalling the toilet and cabinets. I think that it came together QUITE nicely!!!
Take a look!
Here we are trying to decide if this cabinet would look good over the toilet. Note the wood frame around the mirror too...that and the other cabinet will eventually be black!
Here is Cory, grouting the tile...he had to sell me on the grey grout...I am white grout person, however I HATE cleaning white grout...so I went for it. And I am very pleased!
And now, we have Cory installing the cabinet above the toilet. This almost didn't happen. We had a few mishaps with the screws and all that fun stuff. My dear husby almost lost his salvation over it. The poor guy!
And finally...the FINISHED product! The floor looks amazing!!! I mean, I would almost be tempted to NOT put down rugs...I mean I will...but for their original purpose of protecting your wet feet from the floor, not just to cover the UGLY floor tile! And I TOTALLY plan on getting a NEW shower curtain (a fabric one) but I just can't find one I like that will match the colors already in here!!!...the search continues!
Here's another view of the vanity sink and cabinet. Everything has been cleaned up and SPRUCED up...all except for my dirty dog (Olive) who somehow snuck her way in. Her and Pickle were enjoying the Spring weather all weekend! They were wearing the evidence on their fur...little dirty dogs.
Well...that does it! I don't have any BEFORE pictures with me here at work...but many of you saw the before first hand. (bleccch) I am glad that we got it completed and all for just under $75!!! Like I said, this was really just a spruce up job...we DO plan on one day gutting that little bathroom and making a divine new bathroom experience for all to enjoy...one day. :)
Well...that does it! I don't have any BEFORE pictures with me here at work...but many of you saw the before first hand. (bleccch) I am glad that we got it completed and all for just under $75!!! Like I said, this was really just a spruce up job...we DO plan on one day gutting that little bathroom and making a divine new bathroom experience for all to enjoy...one day. :)
One day...ah yes, that lovely phrase...one day...this house will be done.
Monday Moan
Cory Writing...
My Monday Moan today is the weather. Before you jump to conclusions let me essplain. The weather has been great this weekend, but I didn't get to experience it because I worked all weekend and was sleeping during the nice weather. I am coming up on my days off and the weather for my days off are Tuesday 47 pm showers, Wednesday 64 raining, and Thursday 48 cloudy. Weather you are officially on my bad side.
What is your moan on this Monday?
Friday, March 06, 2009
...more Digi-Scrappin'
April writing...
I did more digi-scrappin' today. Here are the few that I made! Enjoy!! :) *this is really addicting!* haha!!!
Trouble for the Gosselin Clan???
April writing...
Who knows...I just know that trouble in this family could mean lots of heartache...so I hope it's just simply rumors. You know how celeb gossip is...and they have definitely reached celeb status lately. I am taking into account that Star Magazine is the one that broke the story...and I don't put too much weight into what they offer up to readers...still...I am hoping for the best!
Here are some links where you can read for yourself about what is being said.
Star Magazine
CelebTV
Parents Dish
Also...side note...it looks like that LOVELY new HUGE house they just bought...$1.3 million dollars! I guess TLC and her book sales have been good to them!
My Husband Rocks Friday!
April writing...
You ROCK :)
CT Calls!!!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Valentine's Day 2009 - Cory's Clue Hunt
April writing...
So...every year...Cory has a clue hunt for Valentine's Day...this year, was no different. Enjoy watching him run around!
Valentine's Day 09 - Clue Hunt from April Eslick on Vimeo.
So...every year...Cory has a clue hunt for Valentine's Day...this year, was no different. Enjoy watching him run around!
Valentine's Day 09 - Clue Hunt from April Eslick on Vimeo.
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