High on Hairspray

Last night I hosted my friends at my work place: 1st Annual Hair*Do Palooza. Eight were able to make it, and as much as I wished the others could have come, too, it was the perfect amount of fun/work for me.  I did updos for a solid 2 hours.  They were not sleep-in sturdy, but it was fun to put a little teasing and pouf into the hair of my pals.

i found this drawing on google to use as a template for the stitching on one of the chair covers.

for the chair covers, i used a sheet, an apron, a t-shirt (kitty), denim with triangles that matched the banner, and a bedskirt (white & orange). you can see a little bit of color at the top of the front window- felt hearts i had picked up from Christmas clearance a few years ago.

these straws (found here) were part of what prompted me to plan a party. i simply had to find a reason to order them!

so good to see you, girls!

My review

Hey folks! Oh, I mean, hey, folks! Remember the Other day when I showed you a Christmas card? Well, they arrived today & I am so very pleased. The quality of the card stock is as fab as the pic-icture clarity. I bees rill happy up in herr y'all. WORD.

Pretzel sticks and diet dew

Late night whispering of life's events, early morning bathroom haircut, Walmart runs, beach, sun, endless conversation.

Oh! What a week.

Peaceful hearts for you my friends!

HEY!

get.your. groupon.

my baby. i stole this photo from my niece jeannine.

a soft place to land

When I asked Judah if he wanted to take a nap, he replied with an affirmative head nod and his standard uh-huh.  We located his beebee (blanket) and made our way up the steps.  He ran right over to his crib and started sucking his thumb.  Most days he looks around the room for a couple of minutes before he is ready to snuggle into his covers.  He has been up there for about 15 minutes now, and we just heard "HEY!" coming from his direction.  I am not joking when I say that EVERYTHING he does is adorable.  Everything.  Except for get up in the night.  That one thing is hard to see the beauty in.  Suvi woke up every night until she was about 2, but I was able to take at least a 20 minute nap nearly every day.  Perhaps I shall plug Theo and Suvi in, and see what I can do about warming up the couch.  It's the PBS fund drive...shoot.  Nigh-nigh.
p.s. we're looking at 2 weeks til Christmas.  how does this happen!  time to make the ice candles...after my dreamland-ing.

p.p.s
i would like to snuggle under this quilt from this shop.

click on the photos to see more delightful items & to dream and plan and shop.

and then i could be wearing these slippers from Back40Beauty.

and i'd like to have a couple of these pillows on the couch, too.

and sip something warm with this mug from RachelAwes.



up, up and away!!!

it was a fast 3 months!  hard to believe it, but Ayat is on her way back home now.  and we all survived!  heh. 

laughing at the kids

see that skirt?  there's a funny story.  hab took her out shopping to find a new outfit (i've since learned her closet is jam-packed full at home, with skirts and dresses that she loves, could never part with, or, ahem, fit into anytime soon).  this was a priority for Ayat; she pestered mentioned it to H a few times.  when they returned from the FIRST shopping excursion, she put on her 2X top and size 18 skirt.  clearly she is not a plus size gal, so that outfit had to go back.  the next trip was to schmacy's, with coupons in hand.  she found that skirt, pictured, and a simple top that matched perfectly (and the ensemble for 22 bucks. for that price, i'd say she looked stunning!).  for some reason, she decided it had to go back, it just wouldn't do.  too colorful.  fine.  back to the mall.  did i mention the habinator despises the mall? yeah.  can't stand it.  he likes to get in, get out, get on with life.  on the third shot, they found an equal bargain which he told her was not going to be returned.  she did try to get one more exchange out of him, but he didn't budge.  so this skirt, you know, the one that wasn't going to work, went back.  skip forward a few weeks to thanksgiving night.  ayat returns from my favorite person's house WEARING THE SKIRT.  i spotted it immediately and brought it to my husband's attention.  we started laughing. 

after she had settled into the couch, he mentioned this skirt was a repeat.  she laughed and said martha gave it to her. uh-huh. okaaaaaay. (i think she just didn't like the shirt they found to go with it the first time.  gah!)  oh ayat, you are such a stinkerdoodle.  safe travels, m.i.l. until next time, Adios!

........

travel is such a strange thing.  you wake up in one place, and go to sleep somewhere completely different.  even on a trip to the u.p., the act of moving from one side of the lake to the other amazes me.  continuing through space and time.  hmm.



Unclouded the sky above

unbelievable love!

my darling niece became a little missus on saturday afternoon.  i woke up early to get my 'hive on, zipped thru micky d's for a little latte action, and scooted the flex right out west to delaner.  i was loaded down with devices of all sorts, well prepared to take care of the hair for the bride, her mama/my sissy, and two of the bride's maids/my nieces.  it was a perfect day for a wedding.  PERFECT!
i was acting as the photomatographerish aunt.  i may or may not have taken 1,131 photos.  you know, you'd hate to leave something out.  plus, i can't believe how many 'blinkers' there are in my realm.  the bride, the groom, the m-o-h (matron of honor), the fob, the mob...and the gmob, too! come on folks! don't be talking and don't shut your eyelids.  there is plenty of time for those activities on either side of the fraction of a second when i am operating the digital shutter.  i am not a professional photag, the photag-ees should be gentle with me! 
truthfully, my whole body hurt today from being so happy yesterday.  i told my sister this afternoon how happy i was to be able to share in the day; kristin's happiness is our joy!  the wedding and reception were outdoors.  a good 8 hour stint out in the fresh air and not very much sitting.  PERFECT day for an auntie.

kristin and jeannine rode with me from kate's house to the wedding location.  we listened to this song.  the bride cried.  i beamed.  LOVE storyhill.  i had a mad crush on chris (on the left. he's taller than he looks in this video.  really tall.) since the first time i saw him in duluth when i was 18.  and now we are married.  not to each other, of course.  it's just fun to say it that way.  sigh.



AND, i made a few fascinators for funsies.  i wanted my sisters to wear them during the reception...they did for a few minutes and a few pics.  yay!  mine was a purchase, waiting to be worn again.  quick!  lets plan an event fascinator worthy!

happy congratulations, kristin and mark!  we love you & we loved celebrating your wedding.  take good care of each other! 

****the drawing will be held on Monday.  i need someone else to draw a name out of the drum, to insure randomness.  and the hubbinator has been sleeping for quite some time already.  pretty sure he wouldn't be super fired up to draw a lucky winner at 12:37 a.m.  12:37???!!!! i gotta get to bed!  be back later with the name of the lucky weeeeener!!  xo****

You gotta play to win.

here it is.  my 500th post. (cascade of confetti)
my plan was a playful, celebration post...can you believe it?  five hundred?
my plan was a little fishing for interaction from my readers.  i am longing for some participation!
it isn't coming to me...how can i draw some reaction from my readers?  i googled contests.  i kind of liked this one:
Construct a sentence of at least 6 words where every word starts with the same letter. (ex-super sweet softball shoes should shine)
You cannot use a letter if another contestant has already made a sentence with that starter letter.  Unless all 26 letters have already been used.
what do you think?  are you ready to play to win?  i want some InSPIRaTion!  eLeVaTiOn! intervention? why not.  i want to see your creation.  enjoy your contribution. so,if you want to celebrate, if you want to enter a drawing to win this, 

then you'll have to play along with me. you can enter by emailing me. (please use 'ethiopifinn' in the subject) or by commenting on this post with some mamAlliteration.  i want photos.  something wonderfully wonderful or horrendously ugly.  i don't care which way the wind blows, i just thrive on the movement.  seriously, if you want something from me, you have to knock my socks off.  i want an inspirational story/experience/hope.  i like limericks! a super fabulous joke? (no s-e-x or poopoo or boogies.  i'll delete right after i puke.)  why not compile a group of fan-freaking-tastic hairdos!?  OR. a mother-in-law story, in honor of my VIP.  (i roasted the coffee beans for mine today.  she was tres impressed.  go jenny.  go jenny.)  i like top five and top ten lists. just give me something, for crying out loud.  i want to laugh, i want to cry, i want to snort, i want to sigh.  yes.  the contest is to draw a reaction from me with your contribution. me, the Queen of Everything.  or we, the Queen of Ethiopifinn.
i'll give you til next friday, september 23rd. a weener will be posted on monday, september 26th-ish.

I am sorry to be the bearer of badnews

but these bad boys are sold out.

I hate to disappoint!

sweet little tootsie-wootsie

I didn't ask for permission to post this little lady's photo, so I won't show you her absolutely beautiful little face and perfect soft black hair, but trust me, she is so perfectly lovely.  She is 5 weeks old and her Mommy is a friend.  And seriously. Look at those perfect little leggies and precious lines on her ankles. The fresh babies are so easy to hold and love and want to smooch!

The diaper cover came from JitterBeans; it came with a hat, and I ordered a couple other things.  All really fun, soft, and so well made!   I need a new baby so I can have this hat in my collection:

 

What a HOOT!  (i borrowed the photo from her Etsy page)