american idol tonite..!!

I am a huge fan of American Idol and cannot wait for the finale tonite. I have been seriously obessed with David Cook this entire season, so I called in to vote hundreds of times last night. I was up until midnight voting on two phone lines, so hopefully he will beat lil' Archuleta!! my fingers were hurting after dialing so any times haha...

Go David Cook!!!

Is anyone else watching American Idol?? Who did you love this season?! :)

UPDATE:

Wahooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so darn happy that he won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

One day, David Cook and I will get married... ;)

Summer To-Do List!

I have two more evenings in my anatomy class and then it is summer time! One test, one final... I have so enjoyed this class, since it is the first one I have taken that seems obviously pertinent to nursing! BUT, I am in desperate need of a break and this summer I have lots of things I want to accomplish. I am a list-maker, but most of my lists get forgotten about before I can get anything done. So I am putting my summer to-do list out in the "blog-world" so that I can be kept accountable for everything! Here we go with my summer list...

• Spend lots of time with little Andrew... he hates when I go to school so he is quite happy that I am almost done for the summer. :)
• Exercise and get my slammin' bod! I think it is about time!
• Eat as healthy as possible... yes, I like sweets so I won't ever be perfect, but I can try my hardest to keep crap to a minimum.
• Blog each day!! I love posting what I am up to and love reading everyone else's blogs as well, so much fun!
• Spend lots of time outside! Summer is a time to relax by the pool, take evening walks with Andrew, and go to the beach!
• Make curtains for bedroom and bathroom! I've had the velvet for my bedroom panels for almost two years... think it's time to do something about that??? :)
• Enjoy the perks of living in San Diego.. lots of beautiful beaches, museums, downtown, new restaurants, etc!
• Make all sorts of adorable things for my Etsy store- and actually sell some things!! ;)
• Save money! (Don't spend money on useless crap, I have too much of that!)
• Streamline closet- donate clothes that I haven't worn in ages. Some things may be cute, but do I ever wear most of what is hanging in my closet??
• Read books! Some new ones have been sitting on my bookshelf for ages, I think it is time to read some of them.. and maybe I'll re-read the last Harry Potter again? :)

• Organize desk area, once and for all! It is a mess with no organization..... big problem haha. I want it to look like the one above from Martha Stewart!
• Revamp Andrew's bedroom. It needs to be spruced up for summer! He will love that haha!
• Update scrapbooks... I am way behind on all of mine, especially the scrapbook I started for Andrew. I think I stopped it when he was about two months old... and we just celebrated his fourth birthday. :)
• Get a new car... minivan???? :) I am still carless right now!
• Finish the many quilts I have hanging in the sewing room closet. I have to sew binding on about four of them and then they are all done, what am I waiting for?!
• Sew some cute clothes! I have so much fabric that I specifically bought for summer dresses, so I better get to it..!
• Make pillows for my zebra couch.. it is so cute, but looks a bit lonely with no comfy pillows adorning it!
• Keep up on cleaning... no messes this summer haha! :)

Alright, that is all I can think of at the moment.. now it is off to finish up these last two tests and then this list can become a reality! :)

more etsy..!

I've been on Etsy this evening and had to post a few things that were amazing! (And is anyone else watching The Bachelorette???? I love DeAnna, she is darling!)

Are these the most amazing earrings???? By dangsworld.

Cute ring made out of vintage buttons, so neat!! By hitree.

Look at this flower garland! Amazingly cute! By Middleberg.. and the rest of her items are so great, too!

I am making fabric frames to list on Etsy tomorrow, so remember to check out my shop sometime this week!! I bought the cutest white frames today, can't wait to make them! :)

gin in my apron pocket..!!

Alright, so I have lost almost 20 pounds over the past few months (thanks in part to the flu diet! yuck!) and need something to spur me on to keep going. Now that I am almost done with school for the summer, I need to get myself together!!! That is where "Gin in My Apron Pocket" comes in... if you have not already checked out Lotta at her blog, Mom-o-Matic, go read it!!!! She cracks me up and is seriously hilarious. She started this "group" to be able to keep up with yourself, your diet, etc.. while keeping yourself sane... women used to "sneak" gin in their apron pockets to keep themselves sane, and I've got my goofy little blog!!! :) Anyways, such a funny little idea and I love it. And how cute is her graphic??? I'll keep everyone posted with my progress, yay!!!! And now go read Mom-o-Matic!

my baby turned 4!!

First of all, let me say that today my darling little boy turned 4 years old!!!! It seems so bizarre to me that he is already that "old" haha! I have lots of pictures to upload, but have misplaced my camera cord somewhere in my messy bedroom..... hopefully it will show up soon and I can blog properly about Andrew's birthday with pictures and all. I threw Andrew a party this past Friday for him and all of his little friends from our playgroup. The theme was "dinosaurs" and was so much fun for all the kids. It has been super hot here in San Diego, so a party at the park was warm, but totally worth it to see Andrew so excited. Then today was his real birthday, so we just had close family over to celebrate.. grandparents, mommy, daddy and the two aunties! We had such a nice time, Andrew got to open his presents and play all day long, swim, slip-n-slide, eat "cookie monster" cake, etc! In my opinion, it was a wonderful way to celebrate turning 4. The picture below is from his birthday party last year, but I hate posts with no photos, so I thought I would share it with you. It is one of my favorites!! :)

Now, I seriously have to apologize for being so lax with the blog posts!!!! This past week has been rough for me with the flu and then immediately having to get everything ready for Andrew's birthday! My "post a day" has been total crap lately and I apologize. I have so missed blogging and keeping up with all of my favorites, so keep in touch and I'll try to get around to read what everyone is up to in the next day or so. Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful and relaxing weekend! xo!

wallpaper!

The idea of wallpaper used to make me very uneasy... it made me think of musty old lady houses with undesirable wall-coverings. Eek! However, in the past few years, I have grown to love it because of the wide selection that is out there. Damask, being one of my favorites, is what I used in my bedroom. I will try to snap a photo of my wallpaper soon, when my bedroom is in a bit more "picturesque" state. Being sick lately has left me with absolutely no desire to pick up and clean... So I am sharing some super-cute wallpaper pictures from one of my fave magazines, Domino!

Who wouldn't kill for this closet???? Wallpaper and all, I will take it!!

A beautiful little table area... Gorgeous wallpaper with an amazing lamp in front of it!!

After spending most of my time in bed the past few days, this cozy bed is looking quite nice right about now.... :)

Using wallpaper as a backsplash in a kitchen, how cute!!

Just a few pretty photos to help brighten this Tuesday! I know I needed that, the flu has sucked all the life out of me, yuck!!!! :( Hopefully I will get back to my normal blogging and picture taking very soon.. spanish final today and then just one more class to finish up before summer! Wish me luck!! xo!

Happy Mother's Day!

I know it is a bit late in the day, but a very warm and wonderful Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderful mommas out there!!! Above is a completely goofy little picture of Andrew and I last year, but it is so happy and springy, so I thought it would be perfect for today. What did you all do for Mother's Day?! I spent the day getting over a terrible flu and seeing "Baby Mama"! Andrew spent the day with his daddy, so I got some much needed relaxation today. Still feeling a bit iffy, but lots of sleep tonite should recify the matter and hopefully tomorrow I will be back to normal.

Andrew and his dad came back tonite witha beautiful "Martha Stewart" bouquet of flowers in a cute little mint julep cup! So beautiful, and the "Martha" prettiness can't hurt! :) We all know how I love Martha haha!!!! I am so seriously tired tonite that I am not dragging myself up to snap a picture of it, but I snagged one online...

Pretty, isn't it?!

Hope you all spent today relaxing and enjoying your own Mother's Day! xo!!

Cupcakes!

OK, I will admit that this is not a picture of a cupcake I actually made. While mine taste delicious, none of them ever turn out as beautiful and picturesque as this one! However, I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes for the yummiest cupcakes on earth.

Here is a bit of a back story on how I discovered this recipe....

I have been toying with the idea of becoming a vegan for quite some time now, and have obviously stocked up on the necessary cookbooks and literature about how to cook without any animal by-products. While I successfully transitioned myself into being vegetarian, I am having a considerably harder time trying to convert myself to going all the way vegan. But I must admit, the recipes look delicious and the things I have tried so far are
a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

One of my favorite new finds is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I bought mine at Barnes & Noble a few months back, and being a cupcake-crazy-person myself, I had to try a few of the recipes. Hands down the best cupcakes ever, vegan or not!!! The basic cupcake recipe is my favorite, but the other ones aren't too shabby either. :)

So here it is, the yummiest recipe ever! I hope some of you get the chance to try it, whether you are a vegan or not. I made them for my meat-eating family and they flipped! Although it is sometimes hard to transition your brain into cooking with vegan alternatives, it is seriously worth it. Go buy some soy milk and get started!!! I am going to whip myself up a batch for Mother's Day and treat myself to something delish!! ;)

Basic (Vegan!) Chocolate Cupcake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

And what good is a cupcake without some delicious fluffy buttercream frosting? Pile it on!!

This is my adaptation of one of the recipes in the book.. I use only the margarine and no shortening. Remember you can add more powdered sugar if you need the frosting to be a bit stiffer.. I usually throw a bit more in because I like my frosting to be very thick.

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, such as Earth Balance
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

(And add a tiny bit of cocoa powder if you want chocolate frosting.. otherwise, vanilla it is and it is seriously scrumptious!!!)

Happy cupcake baking, everyone!! And don't forget to do you Mother's Day shopping (or making! I'll be making my momma something special.. pictures will be coming, but since my mom is a blogger and will read this, no sneak-peaks haha!!!!)

etsy wish list!

by raedunn

by decoylab

by craftpudding

by simplymeart

I was just lusting after some neat etsy items! thought I would post a few before finishing my ridiculous art project for school... Can you tell I'm procrastinating???? Anyways, enjoy! :)

eco-fabulous!!

I often do a Google image search for random things... cute kitchens, birds, fabrics, cozy beds, art, etc, etc, etc. I love finding new images and saving them for when I might need some sort of inspiration! So a lot of the images that I find to blog about are "google-image-searched"! And in addition to neat photos, I also use this search to find new websites, blogs, or online shops to visit. Today was no exception... I typed in "cute chairs" to Google image and up pops up this seriously eco-fabulous chair!!!!!! I am a sucker for any kind of weird chair, so this recycled grocery cart chair really peaked my interest! So I traveled over to the website it came from and found this. What a neat website, turning broken carts and bathtubs into funky furniture. Go pop in and see for yourself! :) So cool, right?!!?

sale!

I put some of my cute tags on sale in my Etsy store! Please take a peek... I am working on a whole bunch of cute things to put up for sale, so I will keep you updated. I am having so much fun designing and thinking up cute things to post for sale!

Also, thank you so much or everyone who had commented or emailed me about my fabric frames! I love them and they add so much instan cuteness to any room. My desk is brighter already:) I am working on a few of them and will post them for sale soon. I truly appreciate each and every comment, so thanks to those of you who are chit-chatting with me through my blog. I always love to meet more "blog-friends," so drop me a line if you can!!! :) I look forward to hearing from you.

On a personal note, Andrew has a bit of a flu bug and has been content watching shows all morning.. I am hoping he will be back to normal health very soon!!! :)

Farewell, Scion!

I sold my car!!!!! I have been driving the super-cute-and-little Scion XA for the past two years, but recently realized it is a freakin' piece of tin in the rain!! I have never been someone who is scared to drive in bad weather, but this past winter has been raining like crazy in San Diego. So my poor car showed me it's true colors...... not cool. So it has been for sale for a while and today it finally found a new home!

Goodbye, sweet little car!

Andrew had a serious breakdown when the reality hit him that the car was actually gone. He cried and cried, saying that he just loved the Scion and that he will never love a car like that again. So I tried to woo him with the perks of getting a new car... or should I say, getting the new VAN! Yes, that is right, I am so looking forward to driving a mommy-mobile with lots of space and that won't float away when it rains! It is amazing how happy a minivan is making me. Oh how my priorities have changed.... :)

Happiness is Holly in her new sweet ride!

holly finished something?????!!!!!

Yes, that's right! I finished an apron, wahoo!!! And I am almost done with another, just have to sew on the pockets. And two more are cut out! YAY! My etsy shop will be a bit fuller very soon! :) Pictures are pending and will be up when I get home from the movies today.

Also, I am in the process of giving my desk area a much needed facelift. I have a pile of old picture frames that I wasn't using and needed some sort of "art" behind my scrapbooking area that would be cheap. Funds are low and creativity is now flourishing!! I grabbed those frames out of the depths of my closet and framed beautiful pieces of fabric. I must say, they turned out GREAT and I can't wait to make more!

I am also in serious need of a new camera. If anyone has seen the sad little pictures in my Etsy shop, you would have to agree. My camera is just fine for the day-to-day regular pictures, but up close it turns into a blurry mess. Any suggestions on a not-super-expensive camera that will take great up close shots??? Any help would be so appreciated, as I know nothing of the camera-world!!! :)

Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

And thanks to Jenny from AllSorts for inspiring me to blog each day in May!! It is making me feel more creative already:)

my week in pictures!

I have been so blog-delinquent. I keep taking pictures and have been meaning to post them, but I am lazy. School has been kicking my butt lately, but with one of my last anatomy tests behind me, (yay!) I am taking this weekend to seriously relax. Oh yes, and post a bunch of pictures from my week! (Just the fun stuff of the week of course, not me stressing over the circulatory system and lymph nodes for my test!!!)

Andrew and I went to Sea World last Monday with the playgroup that I organize. We had such a good time, and the moms and kids in the group are so awesome. I think I could go to Sea World every other day.. we always have so much fun there. Andrew loves "sea animals," so it is a good thing we have passes and can go anytime.

Andrew picking up starfish, how cute!! We also got so splashed by one of the whales in the Shamu show, which was the highlight of Andrew's day. :)

OK, more photos... My mom and I took Andrew over to this sweet little farm by our house that has animals and a cute shop. I snapped a few pictures of the funny little animals..

Is it me, or is this duck smiling for the camera?????!!

It was actually chilly that day, so the pigs were all snuggled up together! How cute!

Andrew was so excited to see the baby sheep, which are the cutest little things. Here is a great picture I captured of the baby nursing from the momma sheep!!! I want to take him home! :)

And then Andrew and I... me looking creepy with my hood and sunglasses on.. it was SO cold, I couldn't help it! :) Andrew was more interested in the feathers he found than smiling for the camera.

And then last night Andrew found a snail, which was quite the exciting event at our house.

He spoke to the snail like he was his friend, referring to him as "honey"!

Get a load of the interesting outfit Andrew is donning....

.....boxer briefs, giraffe boots, and a smile!

So there you are, almost updated pictures!! :) My sister and I did participate in the Walk for Animals this morning, raising money for the San Diego Humane Society. I've got pictures that I am, again, too lazy to go upload. Maybe later today if I get a burst of energy!

Tomorrow Andrew will be spending the day with his dad, so I might try to fit in seeing two movies. I need to sit in a movie theatre and relax all day! :)

Until the next blog... have a great weekend everyone!

Ooooooh and PS. I was doing very well avoiding Diet Coke for three whole days. I was going crazy, so this big momma Diet Coke made me quite elated. :)

Yummmmmmm.

new york homesickness.

I lived in rural upstate New York for two years. Andrew spent the first two years of his life living in the country, "tractor" being one of his first words. And now that I live back in San Diego again, a place where I have spent most of my childhood and adult life, I still get seriously "home"-sick for a place that I only was a part of for a very short time.

I am writing this blog from my desktop computer that has all of my old pictures saved on it. So whenever I am feeling nostalgic, I will open these files and memories will come flooding back. How is it that a place so small and a time so brief can stay with me like this? And the memories of my time there are much clearer than most of my other memories, just like I could step back into them and be right back in sweet little crazy town.. Newark Valley, New York... with it's one stop light and all!

Our house in New York was so beautiful.. whenever I think of going "home," I think of this house for some reason. Weird, right?

Snow! I remember the first early morning it snowed and my entire family ran outside when it was still dark to experience it.. :)

My sister and I were trying to make out way to New York City this day when we had to stop at the end of our driveway to scrap MORE snow off the car. What a cute picture, I think I look much more becoming in the white snow and that awesome little snowflake hat!

Hickories Park with it's adorable blue swings overlooking the river..

Andrew used to love waddling around this park when he was little..

Just missing New York a bit.. and thought I would share some of those pictures, a sampling of my favorite memories from my short time as a girl who lived in the country. :) Hope you enjoyed them! And to any of my New York friends who might be reading this, MISS YOU and those goofy little times!!

sometimes life's so bittersweet..