FYI...

Two random thoughts:

1. I never got the aviators, instead, I went with the Ray Ban Wayfarers.  Actually, I got the "new Wayfarer" since I apparently have a small face.  Either way, I like them!

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2.  I absolutely despise TOMS shoes.  I hate them.  I think they look like you wrapped your feet in fabric or tin foil.  Ick.  

The whole "buy a pair and we'll donate a pair" is fabulous but, you can just take my money and give a pair to a child in need.  I don't need my complementary pair.  I will not wear them.  AND - if I was dating a guy and he showed up in them - deal breaker.

Oh Shopping...

First Mate spends Saturdays with her father.  While she does this, I take advantage of the baby-free me time.  She gets to spend time with him, I get to keep my sanity - it's good for all involved.

Today, there are a few things on my agenda.  The first and foremost being shopping.  I need three things:

1. New sunglasses

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I need a new pair of non-prescription sunglasses.  Apparently, I overpaid for my registration of the Mommy Mobile.  So - the math works out that I can use the refund from Subaru to buy myself a pair of Ray Ban aviators.  I wasn't sold on this look until recently when I tried on a pair in Banana Republic and thought they looked good.  It's like Mommy-chic!

2. A tankini

I have no photos to show you of what I am looking for in a tankini.  I have no idea, honestly.  Maybe some ruching to hide the post baby area?  I loved my bathing suit last year but it was a one piece and they annoy me.  

I will be honest that I am practically back to my pre-baby body.  I just have that area that I am worried about.  But - I am determined to work on that, which is the perfect segue into the last thing I need...

3. Sneakers

Again, I have no idea what I am looking for in a sneaker (light?  narrow?  good arch support?) but I need a good pair because next week, I am starting the Couch to 5K program!  I will do it!  I will!  

I suppose this also means that now I need a jogging stoller...  I will check out Craigslist to see about this. 

Oh, I also need baby spoons since First Mate started rice cereal this morning!  Such a big girl!  I will post pictures later!!!  

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday!  May we honor the memories of those who fought so valiantly for our Freedom!

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On the Mommy-Mobile...

I did it.  I finally broke down and bought a new car.  A 2011 Subaru Outback.

It was time to really start my life a new, time to hand the Jetta keys over to my 21 year old brother (to be fair, he did buy it from me) and get a full on Mommy-Mobile.  I just couldn't keep driving First Mate around in the Jetta - it was too small, too unreliable (it's one thing to have a problem when it's just me in the car - it's a total other thing when the wee-one is with me).  So, I went into Subaru and made them find one of only TWO navy blue, stick shift, moon-roofed Outbacks in the country (it came to Cherry Hill from SYRACUSE!!!).

I have to admit - it's a sweet ride.  Sometimes, I get silly and call it my "new whip"!  LOL!  It drives very well and is better on gas than the Jetta (well, relative to the size).  I am excited about it!  Yay for Mommy Cars!

On Being MIA...

Hello friends,

So, yes.  I have been missing these last few weeks.  I apologize but, I was dealing with some personal stuff that was taking up a lot of my time and emotional fortitude.  However, that is over now and I can start to get back to my life!  Yay!

I will leave you with this fun photo of First Mate and me from Mother's Day breakfast.  Of course, First Mate is sleeping - again!  LOL!

Hope you had a great weekend!

On Easter Baskets...

The Easter Bunny came to our house to drop off all these great presents for First Mate!

Have a Blessed Easter, Everyone!

On Hair Products...

Does anyone have one of these?

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I really want to try out the Instyler, but it seems like a steep price if it doesn't work

Reviews anyone?

On The Price of Fashion...

A few days ago, I saw this beautiful dress on the KJP Facebook page.

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Now, I want this dress.  But, it's THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY dollars.  Do you know what else I could buy for $340?  Let's see...

I could buy this for First Mate:

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This for me (nowhere near as chic, I know but looks oh so comfy and is only $30):

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And then we could wear our dresses and go spend the night at the Marriott in Annapolis! 

I still want the Milly dress though...  ;)~

On Automated Phone Systems...

There is nothing more frustrating than the automated phone system.  And, let me tell you - I have had my encounter with more than one crap-tastic version.

A few years back, I was in a college friend's wedding.  Since she lived in Vermont, she decided to have her bachelorette party in Boston and I decided to fly up to meet her.  Well, just as luck would have it - I got a phone message stating that my flight was delayed and that I could call again in a few hours for a status update.

*Fast forward an hour later*

Phone System: "Please state the arrival city"

Me: "Boston"

Phone System: "You have said Austin, Texas.  Yes or no."

Me: "No."

Phone System: "Please state the arrival city"

Me: "Boston"

Phone System: "You have said Austin, Texas.  Yes or no."

Me: "No."

Phone System: "Please state the arrival city"

Me: "BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS"

Phone System: "You have said Austin, Texas.  Yes or no."

Me: "No."

Phone System: "Please state the arrival city"

Me: "BOSTON.  B-O-S-T-O-N.  BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS!!!"

Phone System: "You have said Austin, Texas.  Yes or no."

Me: "(insert expletive here)"  Click.

----

Then there was the Alabama Hotel incident this past summer while I was working on the Gulf Oil Spill.

Phone System: "Please speak the time for your wake up call."

Me: "Ten of six."

Phone System: "You said Ten O'Six.  Please confirm by saying yes or no."

Me: "No."

Phone System: "Please speak the time for your wake up call."

Me: "Ten of six."

Phone System: "You said Ten O'Six.  Please confirm by saying yes or no."

Me: "Good grief!!!  FIVE FIFTY!!"


Phone System: "I'm sorry, that is not a valid time, please speak the time for your wake up call."

Me: "FIVE FIFTY!!"

Phone System: "You said Five fifty.  Please confirm by saying yes or no."

Me: "YES!"

Just to let you know - I never got the wake up call the next morning...

Ughhh...I hate automated phone systems.

On My Career...

I've been asked about my college major since I've listed Sigma Gamma Epilson as one of "my life in icons" well, icons.  For those of you intrigued enough to Google it or dorky enough to know it on your own, you are aware that it is NOT a sorority (although, if I could go back in time, I would have A. went to a school with Greek life and B. pledged - not sure what sorority though) it is the National Honor Society for the Earth Sciences.

So, to answer your question: I hold a BS in Environmental Science and an MA in Physical Science (Geology based).  Yes, I know, some of you already knew that.  ;)

The question that usually comes next is - what do you do for a living?  Well, I am a Maritime Environmental Consultant (which is not my given job description but is the best way to encompass all the facets of my position). Okay, so what do I really do?  To put it as easily as possible, I work at preventing oil spills from happening and then, when they do - I help to clean them up.

And, now I am providing you with a show of the WORST possible photos EVER that were taken of me as I was doing my job:

EAGLE OTOME spill, Port Arthur, TX

 Gulf Spill, Mobile Bay, AL

 Gulf Spill, Dauphin Island, AL

Gulf Spill, Dauphin Island, AL

On Decorations for First Mate's Big Girl Room...

Today, Captain Mom and I made these adorable wall decorations for First Mate's new big girl room: 

I have to thank Miss Susan at The Preppy Princess for providing us with the necessary supplies to complete this fabulous project!  She truly is the very best!

Oh, and I decided on a wall color (as you can kind of see in the background of the above photo)!  I chose "Elephant Pink" (can't seem to make the connection between elephants and pink, however...).  It is PERFECT for a little girl's very first bedroom!

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On Being a Little Phillies Fan...

First Mate was VERY excited this morning.  Why?  You may ask.  Well, today was the Phillies home opener!

Also...I managed to order not one but TWO Phillie Phanatic Pillow Pets (one for First Mate, one for me!).  They're a pillow, and a pet AND a Phanatic all in one!  Superb!

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As you can tell, First Mate is going to be as big a Phanatic phan as Mommy:

On Being A Winner...

Congrats to Suburban Prep the winner of my True Prep and KJP headband giveaway!  You were chosen by the random integer generator!

I will be emailing you shortly so I can get your package on its way.

I hope you enjoy and thanks to everyone for entering.  I like giving stuff out so, I'm sure I'll have another giveaway soon!

Have a great April Fool's Day everyone.

On First Mate's Big Girl Room - Part 1...

So, it's official.  First Mate's fabulous uncle has allowed us to move his stuff out of the only bedroom he has ever had (21 years) into the attic bedroom (much cooler for a young 20-something anyway) so that First Mate can have her very own big girl room!

 Of course, the room will lose it's current blue wall color in favor of a nice creamy pink.  And, yes, Phillies fans out there - that IS a Scott Rolen poster and it WAS still on the wall (can you tell how frequently we change decor around here?).

I have been working very hard on scraping off the fantastic 90's style wallpaper border.

Pretty awesome, right??? 

I am between these three paint colors (all from Benjamin Moore):

Pink Peony

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Ribbon Pink

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And, Honey Nut, which I think is my favorite

(the ceiling color - sorry, it was the only photo I could find)

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I'll have to see the samples all up on the wall first!

Besides the paint color and getting the room all fixed up, I have a few more projects up my sleeve for First Mate's new room.  As I get them all completed, I will share them with you!

Have a good one!

On Give*Away...

Good morning friends!  Please don't forget about my True Prep/Kiel James Patrick give*away!  It ends on March 31st and there are only 10 entries so far.  Your odds are good!

You can find it HERE.

Starting to get First Mate's big girl room together!  I will post about how it's going as it, well, goes!

On Reading Something That You Just HAVE to Share...

I saw this on a Facebook post this morning and I thought it was SO perfect to describe how I have to be right now in regards to my life:

Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings,

We simply continue to fly...on a broomstick.
We are flexible like that.

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Awesome.

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

On First Mate's First Boat Venture...

Sunday, I took First Mate to visit her first boat, the USCG Eagle, a clipper vessel from the 1930's.  It made the first stop of its tour in Philadelphia, so we went over to take a tour!

Frustratingly, First Mate would not keep on her specs (read: sunglasses) as I would have liked.  Mommy thinks that eye protection starts early!

On Too Much of a Good Thing = Give*away...

Hello Friends!  Yes, First Mate has insisted that I be up bright and early this morning.  Since we will not be going to church until 10 (I am venturing to take her to church with me for the first time), I decided that I would like to speak with you all (all 32 of you - I am so excited!!!) about something.

I have two extra copies of True Prep laying around (one I am saving for First Mate) and a Kiel James Patrick headband (Vicki Jerangle Carrick) that I bought and NEVER wore (sadly, as much as I love them, I have noticed that larger headbands sometimes make me look like Kerry Vincent from Food Network Challenge).

 Book

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 Headband

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So, would anyone like a chance to win a copy of True Prep and a Vicki Jerangle Carrick headband?  Enter by being a follower and leaving a comment on this post.  You can also get an additional entry by referring a friend (make sure that they let me know they're your friend in their comment - oh, and they have to start following, too)!

Give*away entries end at the end of the month, March 31st!

Good Luck!

On Where The Heck Did The Time Go...

Things have been hectic here around the house so, needless to say, I have not posted anything substantial in a while.  I also have not done my quilting homework yet (it's due on Monday night!) so, that's why there has been no quilt update for a bit (that and I couldn't make it to last weeks class - boo!). 

Being that spring (and going back to work) are right around the corner, there are so many things that I want to share with you but, they will have to take a little wait because, well, Mommy needs a nap. 

I promise that I will have a good post up this weekend!

Thanks for your patience,

S

On St. Patick's Day...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Love Skipper, First Mate and Second Mate!

PS - as you can tell, I am no photographer (and First Mate is a very serious child)!  :)

On Not Knowing HTML...

Does anyone know how to make the header of my blog symmetrical?  It drives me BATTY that it is off to the left like that. 

Help?  Pretty please?

On Quilting - Part 2 (continued)...

 Yay!  First Mate decided it was okay to take a nice LONG nap this morning, so I got the sewing part of my quilting "homework" done.  I am so proud.

1. I sewed the squares together, 1/4" on each side of the blue center line.

2. Then, I cut the squares in half along the blue center line.

 

3. Next, the squares need to be ironed open.  I made sure to iron the little middle flappy thing (again, a made up term) to the dark side (and no, there is no Star Wars pun intended).

 4.  I thought that the little tiny 2" squares looked really funny after being ironed!  Note that I have not squared off (real term) the squares yet.  I am afraid to do that without proper teacher supervision (don't want to do it wrong and have to start over!).

 5. Yay!  This is kind of what the sails (I originally typed sales - ha!) will look like when I am done.  Maybe I can do this after all?

Enjoy your day!  Back to a regular post later in the week.

On Quilting - Part 2...

Ahhh...it's Tuesday so that means that last night was quilting class night.  I was so proud of myself for picking out a quilt pattern and pretty fabric but, as I attempted to read the directions for the quilt, I realized that I might as well have been reading Greek.  None of it made any sense.

But, ah ha!  That is why I am taking a CLASS because low and behold, my fabulous quilting class teacher knew not only how to read the directions but how to simplify them for quilting novices like myself!

My "homework" was to cut the big fabric pieces into tiny fabric pieces and make the "half square triangles" for the boat sails.  A month ago, had you assigned me the above project, I would have looked at you like you had two heads and then would have either laughed at you or cringed, screamed and ran the other way (you did have two heads after all).  But not anymore!

1. Carefully measure out the fabric into strips.  And cut those strips into the appropriately sized squares.  (Do note that you are not going crazy, this fabric is a new addition to its earlier posted friends.)

 2. Put squares together good sides (I know that is not the technical term for that) facing in.   

3. Draw a line, with a water soluble fabric pen, that divides the squares into triangles.  I pinned them to hold them together - note that this was a step I made up on my own to keep from losing stuff (and to increase the chances that I would stab myself in the fingers with pins).

 (Second Mate wanted to help.)

4. Voila!  A stack of fabric that is ready to be sewn (and pins that want to stab me!).

To be continued when I find time to finish my "homework" before the week is over! 

On Oscar fashion...

I actually stayed up to watch the end of The Oscars last night!  I am so proud of myself.  I saw absolutely none of the movies that were talked about last night (the last movie I saw in the theater was Eclipse *so embarrassing*).  This fact, however, did not prevent me from having an opinion of The Oscar fashion that was presented. 

Remember that game you used to play in early grade school, the one where you see a picture and have to tell the teacher what it reminds you of?  Well, I am going to play that game with you now. 

Skipper's Picture Association, Oscar Style.

This

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made me think of this

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---

This

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made me think of this

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This

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made me think of this

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This

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made me think of this

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This

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made me think of this

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Okay, okay - there's my morning snark.  But, not everything was bad.  Here are a few of my favorites {Source for all}:

 Love her

She is beyond adorable and classy

Pretty and simple

{I gave credit to the origins of these photos, hopefully that works!}

What were your thoughts about last night's fashion?