Labor Day Sale!!!!

I know I've been an absolutely atrocious blogger. Don't even start. Just admire my use of alliteration instead :)

I have many, many crafty and creative friends and one of them is holding a sale today at her etsy store! Her name is Jenny and her shop is called Liberty and Lace. She makes the cutest hair pieces for girls of all ages. My fave is this one:


(Lois and Clark)

I have it. She even named it after my husband's favorite superhero :)

I also really love these too.


(Marianne and Colonel Brandon)


(Margaret and Mr. Thornton)

And if I had a daughter, you better believe she'd be sportin' one of these!


(Kate and Jack)

And for all you hairband and bow head fanatics out there (yes, I'm talking to you), there is something for you too :)

I am not an accessory kind of person. I'm lucky to remember my wedding ring. But these little pieces are so lovely and sweet, you just have to get one. Oh, and by the way, the sale is BUY ONE GET ONE FREE so you can get two!!!

Click here for more details. Happy Labor Day!

Things I'm Loving Lately

Sooooooo, I stole this idea from some friends. (Because I'm dreadfully unoriginal.) Every once in a while I will let you guys know what I am loving at that particular point in time. Hey, you never know. Maybe you'll love it too!



Theo Chocolate



One word....



yum! These people make chocolate the way a good vintner makes wine. It's serious.


And on top of that, they are doing something good!


At Theo Chocolate, we are changing the definition of “quality” by uniting creative excellence that results in deliciously award-winning chocolate with our unwavering commitment to changing the way the cocoa industry conducts business. At Theo, we believe there is no luxury in products that benefit us today, while jeopardizing future generations ability to meet their needs. When you taste our chocolate you will experience our passion and integrity in every luscious bite. We promise, there is something for everyone from the adventurous “foodie”, to those seeking the simple comfort of a delectably creamy milk chocolate bar.

We follow our passion for excellence to bring you chocolate that will delight your palate, ignite your imagination and inspire you to think and act sustainably! Be a part of our movement to save our planet and its capacity to nurture and sustain all living things. We can’t do it without you!

THEO CHOCOLATE
BECAUSE CHOCOLATE GROWS ON TREES

No additives, no preservatives, no artificial flavors, higher percentage of cacao, sustainable farming, fair trade beans, local US factory! Ummmmm.......guilt free chocolate on all accounts??? Yes please! Oh, did I mention how pretty it all is?






Jon and I took their factory tour in Seattle and you can learn more about them at www.theochocolate.com. Not only did I find the job of my dreams (a tour guide for an all organic and fair trade chocolate factory....holla!) I also tasted the chocolate....and I think I'm in love :)

I miss this...

and this...



but not as much as I missed THIS!

Andy Walks with Me...

We are on vacation with my family right now in sunny Santa Rosa Beach, FL (aka. heaven). As is typical with most family vacations, some slightly unusual and hilarious games, contests, etc... take place in our free time. When you are traveling with a small child who has to nap for 3 hrs a day and goes to bed fairly early, the free time is more abundant than usual so, therefore, things seem to get even more bizzaro than usual. Tonight we all engaged in a hand whistle contest inspired by Sara Evans' performance of God Bless America at the All Star Baseball Game. This contest lead to a YouTube search where we found these beauties....enjoy!





If this guy would have participated in our contest I would have a) asked him to pull his pants up a little more and b) had my butt kicked in hand whistling....fo sho.

See This Movie!

I can't wait until this comes out. Whether or not you will agree or disagree, you should watch it. It's worth it to know both sides of the issues that plague this country.

The Learning Curve

I have written this post a number of times and then scrapped it. It was either too long or too short or too pathetic or too vulnerable or too...you get the picture... So, here goes the version that I chose:

I have set a lot of personal goals this year. As I have said many times before, Liam has changed my life. He makes me want to be a better person. End of story. I think this season of life - motherhood, new found "adulthood", being out of the professional rate race, etc... - has mandated several changes as well. I have been craving and striving for simplicity, but I also have the type of personality that beckons me to make LONG lists, volunteer for everything and strive for unattainable standards. Herein lies the struggle that has marked a large portion of my life. For my teen and young adult years I joined every club, engaged in every hobby, had friends in every clique, took every class, and went on every trip. I kept my phyisical life (clothes, hair, makeup, etc...) simple so that I could shoot for the moon everywhere else. What I didn't realize is that I was also keeping my relationships and commitments simple....a little too simple....like "do you have any real friends or just a lot of surface friends?" kind of simple. Like "are you really a Young Life leader or do you just show up for Club and Campaigners twice a week?" kind of simple. This just left me lonely and empty. So much going on with nothing REALLY going on. In response (or rebellion...I haven't firmly decided), I tried the "do nothing" theory for the next few years. I just did the basics, work/school, clean, cook, errands, blah... I had one friend: Jon. I mean, I had "friends," but I really only had ONE friend, capiche? I didn't commit myself to any hobbies or any groups or any studies. Nothing. Boring. Lonely. Empty. Same boat. So, what did I learn? Nothing. So, what did I do? Started over. Slowly I added things...Bible studies, leadership roles, friendships, a baby, hobbies, jobs.... Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! And so the cycle continues.

These first several month of 2009 the Lord has slowly been revealing to me His Spirit, His purpose, His desire for the way I will live my life. It has everything to do with Him and not so much to do with me. I guess that's what has been wrong all this time (uh...hello...). God does not have a spirit of chaos. He does not have a spirit of calamity. He has one of peace. Peace does not mean boredom or apathy or laziness. This peace actually leads to fulfillment.

This week I feel I have finally found a way to verbalized what He has been trying to teach me. I cry MARANATHA! May the Lord cometh! May he come and save me. May HE come and save me from MYSELF! I don't need to put so much effort into it that it is ME who is doing everything, leaving little to no room for HIM!

Lord, wage war on our pride and need for control. Humble us so that you can do your mighty work in us and through us!

In the words of the Shaker Elder Joseph Brakcett:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

I am becoming Amish....

Just kidding :)

Quaker.

No really....Menanite....

Free Stuff!!!

Well, sort of. In case y'all missed the comment on my last post, Woodsman toys has offered to give free tax and shipping on any order from their site if you say you found out about them on TMM! Read below:

Wow, what kind words. I would like to thank you so much for noticing what it means to be hand made with loving care. We take great pride in our creations and have been green and lead-free for 23 years. I would like to offer everyone who visits this wonderful site Thoroughly Modern Momma a special offer so their precious little ones can experience the pleasure of a handmade wooden toy. Simply say you found us on TMM in the message box on our order-form and we will pay the shipping and the sales tax. Please allow 1-2 weeks for delivery and be ready to pack up all of your child's other toys! They won't be needed. And if anyone would like to place us on their gift registry I will be happy to extend the same offer.

With Warmest Regards,
Doug Gold
The Woodsman
www.thewoodsmantoys.com

Yippee Skippee! I just love stuff like this :)

We have been super busy around here, so I haven't done much blogging lately. I have a couple of things I've been mulling over that I need to type out, so I'll be back soon!