Kid's Color Week:: Purple

We are loving Kid's Color Week! Check out THIS link to see who else has been participating in this colorful kid's event. I'm really enjoying the way my fabulous Canon 40D turns out the pretties from my darling girl's perspective.
Saturday is Purple day and so here we go:

The turn of the tulips, a gift to my girlie on her birthday.

Part of the Happy Birthday sign - in lavendar

A book among the books

The favorite new shirt

Wait! This just in - more ORANGE

The family heating pad

A birthday bag

Andre Agassi's Book

A colorful array of, well, orange

The lovely card from Hannah

Kids Color Week:: Orange

My young photographer referred me to some of her previous work for ORANGE day.

There are butterfly mobiles we oogled at the California Sciencenter.

And this is our world famous Monkey Bread on an orange and blue plate (ok, it's salmon again!).

Here's a link to the step by step recipe for this famous-at-our-house and truly yummy delight.

Funny Guy

I have to share a post by the man I adore (and married more than a few years ago).
The joys of parenting from the other side of the bed.

I have learned to say:

I want this. Or perhaps this.
Which one?
Oh! Please. Please. Please. Please. Please.
Hmmm.
Blogging might have a whole new purpose!

Kid's Color Week:: Yellow

So far for today, we'll share:

an egg

and a self portrait of the lovely photographer with yellow lights in the background.

Kid's Color Week:: Blue

Here are my Pumpkin Pie's contributions for today:

The Blue Dog in our dining room.

A blue toenail

The Blue Bird of Crabbiness (Miss Emma gives me a little pinch when I take her out of her cage) even the dog is scared of her.

A happy BLUE day to you.

A complaint, kind of.

Don't my nails look wonderful? I mean, really. Well, just those two.
I'm not a mall shopper, but found myself walking through on the way to a dinner tonight. I was halted in my pursuits by an nail buffing character selling SEACRETS nail buffing kit. He removed the nail polish on one finger and buffed 'til that nail shined like the top of the Chrysler Building. Then he did another.
He went on to explain that I could have this amazing deal that will save me hundreds and hundreds of dollars not going to a nail salon. (Really, I go THAT often?) Then he shared the amazing price was:  $63. After I gasped at 63 smackers for a buffer, oil and hand lotion, he offered me an amazing personal deal: 2 for the price of one.
I managed to say thanks and walk on, eyeing the luster of my two fingernails. I pitched the idea to my husband and my friend and in the end I came home with no nail kit and no deal.
So, still mesmerized,  I found myself perusing the web just to see if there was a way to get this kit, for less. and my!oh!my! was I nearly sold.
Amazon.com carries the product for $14.90. And to top it off, it appears this amazing personal deal wasn't so individual. Reading reviews I found that in most cases, if you wait these boys out, you'll get a better deal. Lots of kids go for about $30. Well, well, well. The salesman's daughter actually recognized the pitch. Or perhaps the swing and a miss.
I've never been the fan of those mall kiosk characters and tonight I've actually remembered why I don't engage, even with the wily salesguy who wants to hold my hand.

The first day of Kid's Color Week, hosted by Kerry at Young Ones, is RED. Here's my girlie's contribution: a rather salmony red S.

It happens that today is also a big birthday at our house. The young missy turned eleven which shocks me just a little. It seems moments ago we were on our way to the hospital for the whole two and a half hours of labor this little one afforded us. Now she's singing to Justin Bieber songs and excited about a family gathering to celebrate her special day at the California Pizza Kitchen.

We make a spectacle of birthdays at our house. Stars are hung in the bedroom hallway door and have been since the big boy man turned one.

The birthday sign goes up and you start the morning wearing the birthday hat as you open cards. Tradition. Fun.

There will be cupcakes at school and that promised dinner with our friends, who really are our family. Her big bro has tucked a pair of earrings in a box and put them on the front seat of my car. This means she'll find them after school. I think he's an awesome big brother and even though they can fight with great passion and a tone that shakes me to the core, they have the shape of best of friends in their thoughtful hearts. Evidence? He went into Justice for Girls to shop with his dad. He never mentioned how mortified he'd have been if any of the girls from school came in. He just soaked it up when she squealed over the JB T-shirt.

So our red day is also a pink and green happy day. As we celebrate the birthday of the baby.

Quotable Sunday

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place." -- unknown
My wonderful cousin Saralynn sent this quote my way. She's at a very cool pivot point in her life. Graduating from college and heading on to the School of Veterinary Medicine at Davis, CA. She's a beautiful, kind, smart, experienced, hard-working, fun gal who knows precisely what she wants to be when she grows up. And many, many horses will be glad when she arrives at their bedsides. One of the many things I love about her, beyond her intrinsic joie de vivre, is a trait she picked up from her mom (and a couple of other gals in the family). She sees what has to be done and just does it with great zeal and joy. 

Oh, Saralynn, we love you!