Beep Beep Beep

*** Don't forget about my ASK GAPGIRL post coming this Wednesday!! Read about it and post HERE ***


We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post to inform you that we are officially snowed in!! After almost 6 inches + falling in the South, we then proceed to get HOURS of freezing rain falling and causing all of the white stuff to harden to one HUGE layer of ice.

The WHOLE state is shut down. Schools, offices, businesses, doctors and even grocery stores are closed and remain closed tomorrow as well.

Hubby even enjoyed a "snow day" from work.

Temperatures will remain below freezing all night as well as tomorrow. Plow trucks will remain on interstates only as they do not have enough to plow major roads. Back roads and subdivisions are even more treacherous. Until the snow melts from the sun... it shall remain.

Cabin fever has hit our home to say the least. I got some projects done around the house. I will post those pictures for you tomorrow.

My cousin walked over and we spent the day just hanging out and doing nothing. We are all hoping another "snow day" happens although im not sure im creative enough to keep the kids and us adults busy for that long.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another "SNOWED IN" update. and for up to the minute details of what we are doing in our Little Red House during this storm of the century, check my twitter account. I got Twitpics tonight and am having F-U-N!! Check them out.

Until tomorrow stay warm

XoxoGapGirl

Its A Wing Thing...

***Don't forget about my ASK GAPGIRL post coming next week. Read about it and comment HERE***

These....

Are currently in the oven and before long will look like these :

My cousin is over, we are catching up on Live To Dance. Don't tell me who wins!!

I also took a little trip to Hobby Lobby today and bought this AWESOME roll of Leopard gift wrapping paper. Believe it or not, Im going to use it to line the inside of my powder room bathroom armoire. Sound crazy?? Yeah, my hubby thought the same thing but thankfully, he just shrugged his shoulders and said.. "ok..." and we drove off. He is awesome.

Hobby Lobby has the coolest wrapping paper around and its nice and thick. great quality. For about $3 you get 50 sq. ft of whatever print you want. Its perfect for doing everything (besides wrapping presents) with. I will show you before/after pics as soon as its done. Im hoping to start tonight. Hubz and couz should be playing Black ops in about 1 hour so I will be free to work on some projects. Im also beading some wrought iron sconces. Im not sure where Im going to hang them though??

I also bought more paint for the foyer and upstairs 2 bedrooms. They WILL be done SOON! Then on to the powder room...

And here is another picture of my Sweet Penelope. She is getting SOOO big. Isn't she the cutest? She had a rough 2 days. You can always tell by her crazy hair. The crazier it is, the rougher the day... Looks like today was a doozie! We had lots of shopping and errands to do and she doesn't handle interruptions in her schedule very well. But she is sooo cute. I could never get upset.

They are forecasting ALOT of snow here tomorrow night. Yikes!!!!! They keep bringing up the big storm of '88 which dropped a FOOT of snow and crippled the State for weeks. Im really praying they are just reminiscing... and not predicting. I will keep you posted.

WINGS AND THINGS!

*** Don't forget about my ASK GAPGIRL post coming next week. Read about it and comment HERE ***


Ok, Its Friday which means 2 things.... 1 more day till our Saturday night wing night and the WEEKEND!!! Today also was payday so out we were bright and early re-stocking the pantry of all necessary essentials. You know, Diet Coke, and all that. (my new personal favorite) we really should buy stock in Tyson wings because that's all we eat. 2 bags with a side of sour cream and ranch cooked extra long for a great crunchy flavor! Last weekend our Saturday night also got extended to Sunday night. My cousin brought over pizza hut and Wingstreet wings.... OH MY GOODNESS, just the best.
The above picture is exactly what my house looks like...

A complete food mess. Grocery day is a huge production and I often need a break from sorting and organizing before I finish. My friday nights are lame on shopping day. I wear my jammies and retreat to my DVR. Tonight my girls will stay up with us to finish watching Live To Dance and Winter Wipeout. Im pretty excited about it myself.

Over in Facebook land, the big talk is the snow headed to our area AGAIN! Im starting to think I don't live in the south anymore. More Snow?? Seriously???

3-5 inches.... this could be disastrous. Im glad I stocked up today and the van has a full tank. Too bad we don't own a shovel.

People are shocked that I shop with 6 kids. I just don't get it? I will admit, some days are crazy but today went very well. Quite awesome in fact and I treated them all to Jack in the box tacos as a treat for good behavior. We also visited Bath and Body Works and left with a shopping bag full of goodies... the sales were just too good to miss. Gotta stock up while you can. =)

Now they are doing school work . We have been working hard on not falling behind and we have succeeded... so far.

But I must go now, all those groceries need a home. Looks like Roast chicken with stuffing and mashed potatoes for dinner. YUMMY!

Thankful Thursday

*** Don't forget about my "Ask GapGirl" post next week. Read and comment HERE for more info***

Another blogging buddy posted a Thankful Thursday as I was about to write another post, but I decided to "borrow" her idea. This sounded SOOO much better. Its always nice to focus on what we have to be Thankful for instead of complaining about what we don't have or what we need.

(even though sometimes I still need lessons on that)

Here goes:

1) I am sooo thankful for my family, even though sometimes I think im going to go crazy running around, I really am so thankful God has blessed me with each and every one of them.

2) I am equally Thankful for my friends (you know who you are!) Who remind me that everything will be ok, prayer is most important no matter what and perhaps sometimes... just sometimes things that I think are mountains are just little molehills.

3) Im so Thankful for my faith. How the heck would I get thru this life without it? Or without HIM?! I don't know how people do it. I sure don't want to. I am so Thankful that Jesus is there to help me thru anything... and Im thankful that when I put prayer first, my days go so much easier.

4) Im Thankful for my hubby! He is the BEST! After almost 15 years together, I still love him. He is patient with me and is a great provider (after all, he did build me my Little Red House and will let me have a pink and green glittery Christmas tree) I don't know any other hubby who would do that? Now THATS true love.

5) Speaking of houses. Im soooo thankful for mine. Im thankful for a nice strong roof, high ceilings, warm beds, my beautiful kitchen, my beautiful foyer and all our bedrooms. I did not like my house in NY (for good reason.) I lived in it for 8 long years. (thats how long it took for God to help me change. Im just slightly thickheaded)

6) Im so Thankful for my sweet baby. She is such an answer to prayer. After countless tears and heartaches, God blessed me with another amazing gift. The moment I held her my heart overflowed with joy and true healing began. I don't think I put her down for the first month of her life. I didn't think I could love so passionately again, but of course love multiplies. It never divides. Smelling her and holding her close, calms my soul.

7) And Im Thankful for all of my blogger friends. I truly am. You all have encouraged me, helped me, given me ideas and helped me more than you all will ever know. I don't always get to read your blogs and hardly get to comment but when I do hop on your site, I read every word! Thank you for sharing your life so openly.

Random Hump-day-Ness...

Is hump day an offensive term? I don't think so. I see it as at the top of the work week and after today, its smooth sailing until the weekend.

Isn't Miss P. is cute? This was taken right before church last week. Now that she is getting bigger I can have fun dressing her. usually the first month or two of my babies life, I keep them in onsies and jammies for comfort but now she is getting bigger and cute dresses will be making appearances. In just a few weeks she will ONLY be wearing cute dresses as all my little girls have worn... and big bows of course.=)

Anyway, day 3 of homeschooling in 2011 has been a success. Getting back into a routine STINKS quite honestly. I enjoyed the freedom of flexibility but the show must go on.4 months of school left till summer vacation and our pool opens but who's counting??

I decided to open the floor for questions from my blog readers. ANY questions welcomed...

Well, let me put in my disclosure:

*** Hmm (thats me clearing my throat.) Please ask NICE questions. Poison pen letters not welcome. If you feel the need to ask me how I can love all my kids, educate them properly without a degree myself or ask how I feel about the carbon footprint I leave with my big brood then please be prepared for my answer. And also if you wish to pick apart my life under a microscope, then please... PLEASE don't sob into your hankie if I do the same to you... right on my blog for everyone to see.... with links of course. =)

I say this only because some very sweet blogger friends of mine (with many children) have gotten really nasty comments before. Just plain, cruel, hurtful and horrific things. I can't imagine the mean people who would do that but apparently they are out there.

Anyway, All of my usual blog readers are SOOO sweet and supportive and kind, so I know I have nothing to worry about from them. Just gotta write what I gotta write. =)

Anyway, I will leave questions open for 1 week. Then Next Wednesday I will post them and answer them. (if I even get them at all. Hee hee)

Feel free to leave a question on this post or you can email me.

Im excited. Can't wait to hear from you all!

S-C-O-R-E

Christmas may technically be over at my house, but in my head... Im already planning next year. I can't help it. I was so caught up in the sparkly glitter this year, I could not get enough of it. My living room tree is mainly gold glitter everything! I loved it, but in my eyes it was missing something and I could not put my finger on it till I was putting it away...

BIGGER BULBS was the answer! So next year I will have to recycle all of my old bulbs and get those really big glittery oversized ones. Luckily I bought a 12 pack on clearance at wal-mart last week for $1.25 to get me started. =)

Yesterday I went to 2 different Wal-marts to check out their Christmas clearance and I hit the jackpot. See:

All of the above were purchased for about $5 dollars. Most was $.25 each. Isn't that insane?? I wish I would have bought more. Im kicking myself for not buying the fake red and gold glitter poinsettias in a pot for $1.25. I really need 4 of them. REALLY!

Anyway, all of these decorations will be put on my 2nd tree I will have in my foyer. Right when you walk in. I don't want a huge tree there or a perfect one. I plan on covering it from head to toe in ornaments.So hopefully I will be able to get an artificial tree for next to nothing... one someone is throwing out or something.

Its going to be my funky tree. Full of that great green,ice blue and pink glitter ornaments. Hubby calls it Tacky. I call it GAUDY. You all know how much I love gaudy!! =)

I will also have big pink bulbs on it, little pink feathery birds, perhaps some marabou in various places. It will be draped in ribbon. You can't really tell by the picture but the ribbon I bought is pink sheer, with pearl edges... so pretty.

I can't wait. Can I put it up tonight?? At least I have 12 months to make some really awesome ornaments for it. You know something beaded will end up on it im sure.

Don't forget to keep up with me on twitter for everyday happenings in our little red house.

New Years And My Resolutions...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I am so excited to begin another year. 2010 was a great year for us. We didn't win millions or get the perfect job or get housekeepers and nannies... but we ended the year as a family, full of love and health. THAT is defined as great to me!

I promised pictures of our fun night. I was sooo excited last Friday night. I could not wait to walk down to my Aunts house. Let me first tell you how wonderful it is to finally have family so close by. These family members lived in PA and I lived on LI so we would only see them on holidays... FUN, crazy holidays at my Nana's. They have 3 boys. We all were stairstep cousins. All about 1-2 years apart. My Mom and Aunt coordinated our births just right. Ha!

Anyway, They are my brothers from another mother. 1 lives around the corner, one lives in Bama with his family (Hi Dawn!) and one lives back up in Pa still. I love them all and their families. (I love all my cousins obsessively=p)

Anyway, off we trekked down the street with kids and decorations in hand, blowing horns and being obnoxious. We hung out there till about 11p.m. The kids were done and wanted to go home...

This is Sweet Penelope and I at midnight. She was my New Years Kiss. She stayed awake to see her very first ball drop. I love her!

We really had so much fun and ate soooo much food. My Aunt knows how to put out a spread. All the foods I love were present and her and I plopped ourselves down at the barstools in between the eggplant anti-pasta and the shrimp cocktail and chatted like two crazy old women.

I decided this year that My New Years Resolutions would be NO resolutions at all. Im still adjustiing to 6 kids (believe it or not) Its HARD! Im not complaining and I love it all but right now thanks to THE CHATTY MOMMY ( and our late night talk while shopping at Hobby Lobby) I have to learn to just say NO. Stop over committing, Stop being so hard on myself and don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. Of course its still leaving tons on my plate but I know in time it will all sort out. But in the meantime, I throw all those must-do lists out the window. I don't have time. Im lucky I get to shower right now so all those big rules and expectations to uphold for 2011 will have to wait till I have an empty nest.

On that note...

Im outta here

Xoxo

Muah...

A post with pictures will be coming soon. We had a FUN NYE last night but now I am paying for the lack of sleep and the jug-o-mug of coffee I downed while eating all sorts of Shrimp cocktail, eggplant anti-pasta and roasted peppers...

Did I mention how cranky the kids are because they stayed up too??

I think my neighbors are cranky too... perhaps its because certain un named kids (and their friend) ran up and down the block blowing horns and banging pots and pans at mid-night...

Oh well. New Years happens just once a year...

Now to down more coffee....

I Can't...

I can't blog today. I am too busy relaxing in bed eating delicious eggplant parm from my dear Aunt Di who lives 5 houses down. See....




She also threw in some linguine with garlic and olive oil because she loves me. It was such a special treat to have her drop some off right after we got home from church.

It was a rough night. Hubby worked late which means I had to get all 6 kids out the door by myself. Its not an easy task. The older girls help alot but tonight they were too busy arguing with me over what they were going to wear. After letting them express some democracy I had to throw down the dictatorship and end the drama.

Im off, my food is calling my name. Im going to snuggle in and watch my sweet P sleep next to me and watch Seinfeld reruns and eat...

Im also texting my sister in law trying to convince her to have her blog go public... HI KLW!!

Goodnight

Xoxo

A Snowy South

Here is my Little Red House all covered in the white stuff. It started falling on Christmas day and didn't stop until the following morning. Thank God the roads were warm enough that it really didn't cause too many road delays...

My big black beast was white!

The red house diagonally from my house is the home of my kids best friend Bethany... their other friend Allie lives in the Yellow house. The red house is similar to mine. It has the same floor plan but has a different exterior. Inside, the niceties are different such as floors, fireplaces, carpets, counters, cabinets. We got to pick ours based on exactly what we wanted. So even though the houses may look the same, the insides have very unique touches.

I LOVE my block. While the rest of the neighborhood might resemble Wisteria Lane, My court is drama free, nice neighbors.... very nice NORMAL neighbors. The original builders wanted to replicate a row of homes in the historic district of Charleston... Rainbow Row. Thats why the houses have a different look than most southern homes and they had bright colored siding. Then the market crashed and the builders went belly up =(.

The new builders that came in are very generic. NO cool colors or styles. We, as homeowners were NOT HAPPY. But what could we do? At least they were building again. Im at the very back of my neighborhood and I just love driving thru our colorful part of the "hood." Its a small part but I think its the best part of all. Plus my road is a DEAD END.

Perfect!

My aunt and uncle just built in the court. You can't see their home from the above picture. Its set back from the street. Its super cute.

Here are 3 of the littles playing in the snow. I wasn't too happy. Its such a fiasco and mess but they love it. My back porch is desperate for some TLC big time. I need a new table cloth, some flowers and plants and some love. But that will have to wait... along with painting the rest of my fence. It will get done sometime this century.

Hubby and I FINALLY decided on privacy trees for along the back fence. Leyland Cypresses will be bought and planted sometime in February. We want to buy ones that are already 4-ish ft so that by the time they build in back of us, they are doing their job!!

I can't wait. I LOVE a full cozy yard.

My kids got a full size tetherball set from their Nana. Hubby will be putting that together on NYE. Just another addition to our yard.

Did I mention I can't wait till Spring (or at least the warm weather!!??)