Bird GLOW! Peacocks and chirp-chirps

These lovely birds are found roaming around the awe-inspiring museum,  Grounds for Sculpture. 
Ever since I went there a little bit ago I've been thinking of their beauty and finally I just had to share them with you!

I don't know if this white one is a male or female but this beauty just reminds me of an eloquent bride waiting for her charming groom to sweep her off her feet or if its a male he looks like an honored prince waiting for his royal bride-to-be.

Lately, I've realized I've been awakened by the 
early dawn, sweet chirp, chirps of my bird friends. Their chirps are music to my dreams that lull me into morning daydreams (geez they start about 5 am).  I don't know what they are saying as their little words chorus in and out of my dreams. Isn't it funny how when someone speaks a foreign language you fall in love with the beautiful sound not knowing the chores of their words. 

I knew that soon my dreamy, daydreamy slumber would be awakened to the reality in just a matter of time, could be minutes or seconds... but right now as I looked at Nyla and all her animal friends and our dog, Dodger who have sleepily made it into my bed, I hear our other dog, Martine stretching and rolling in his bed; I wait for Andy's call to let us know he is safely back from his fishing trip and will be home anytime.  I realize I'm really enjoying this moment of not knowing the words and just letting my ears enjoy.

As I stretched and smiled to myself, I looked at my arm and see dried up chocolate on my elbow, geez how long has that been there?? Reality of my goofballness has set in :) 

After weeks or maybe more of seeing birds here, there and everywhere, I get it now, finally the delightful bird melody this morning has awakened me to love and understand the Sound and Enjoy the unknowing words of our animal friends as well as embrace the sound of my human friends; not to concentrate so much on the words they are saying but how they are saying it. 

Maybe the Tone is where the lesson is.  hmmm...I'm trying it! 

Enjoy the luscious train of sound today.  xxxxoooo Michelle


Special inspirational thank you's to Grounds for Sculpture and their beautiful roaming peacocks!  Here's another fun time at the museum. 

PEANUT BUTTER POWER!

Thanks to my super fun-lovin friend, Sara for this easy peasy recipe! Love ya Girl!!

To find out more about my super powers click here...Dreamy fun!


I hope you have a mind-blowing dream-achieving amazing day!! xxxxoooo Michelle

Join me at this fun party!

CARD MAKIN STATION WAYTION

Nyla came up with this fun idea one day, since she's lovin her new computer (its really our old, old one that is barely hanging on) she thought it would be a great idea to type little messages and make cards for people.  So we did.

She set up our Card Makin Station Waytion and we got busy, my job was to print her messages (she typed them all on 1 piece of paper, every message was a little different and a different color) then she cut them into little strips.  Now Nyla, the speedy card making wiz kid got to work! Since Nyla is the head honcho at this fun making card shop she did all the  personalization (she decided to use stickers left over from the Easter Bunny). Nyla said I could pick out the perfect envelop and get the tape strips ready. 

The Card Makin Station Waytion ended up making 11 fun cards in all. 

I love that Nyla told me it has to be called Card Makin Station Waytion, that she thought of this fun surprise mail idea, surprised that she even knew what a break room was, that it didn't matter that everything was not perfect, each card was individual and simply beautiful, I'm blown away that she's 7 and can type so well and knows to type in Microsoft word and that this whole card shop fit on our counter! 

Yes, I'm a proud, beaming Mommy!
xxxxoooo Michelle
(I hope you get some fun mail today!)

MARTINE...a Costa Rica story

We have a home in Costa Rica that we don't get to go to nearly enough but this one time since it was going to be a long trip we thought this would be the perfect time to take our dog, Martine.  Well, actually we were planning on not coming back and Martine had no choice but to hang with us in a tropical paradise.

Martine has always been a leash dog and the kind of dog that goes crazy when he sees any dog; the bigger the dog the crazier he gets.   I look at those calm dogs with dreamy eyes wishing but knowing with a sigh that Martine is just not one of those dogs. Martine is our dog no matter what and we love him, Nyla calls him her big brother. Still we were a little nervous, well very nervous at what he would do and what kind of predicament he would get into. 

Our biggest concern was that he would get hurt and we just didn't want anything to happen to our Martini-beanie. Costa Rica dogs seem to be big and protective and/or laid back lounging on the dirt road, siesta types.  Nothing like our barking, in your face begging, listen when he wants to Martine, still he does have a lot of loving qualities that you realize when you get to know him. 

So after all the crazy logistics (and expense) to get Martine to Costa Rica as soon as we got to our home, Andy lets Martine out of the car leashless. I did a gasp and my heart started pounding. I was so nervous and thought, really this is how it's gonna be right off the bat no easing into this? Of course, Martine took off, running like the wind! We are so lucky we live in the country and we don't have to worry too much about cars, it's mainly other dogs, cows, iguanas, quads etc.

Martine stayed leashless, lounged on our porch, met lots of friends, was a perfect alarm dog, got into a little trouble here and there and always got very muddy and stinky; to say the least he had the time of his life! 

While we were there my husband, Andy made a homemade smoker and we smoked fish and made beef jerky.  I'm not a beef eater but boy everyone was gobbling it up like crazy and the smoked fish was outstanding! A perfect tropical treat! Andy can really work that smoker! Which wasn't an easy task, as you can tell from the picture the smoker was rigged to say the least but we loved our little r2d2 smoker friend.  So did Martine.

To smoke anything it takes a lot of time and patience, we got the wood from various people, the smoker ran on a hotplate (I told you it was rigged) so when the rains weren't too torrential and the electricity didn't go off for too long and we found the fish truck and made it to the grocery store to get the beef, and drove 1 1/2 hours to get a new hot plate because we burned the other one up and we remembered to brine the meat...

Finally, we would have some mouth watering smoked goods.  One day we couldn't find Martine, after looking and looking we found him here.

This turned out to be a favorite hangout for Martine.  Don't worry; he never burned his little paws or nose. This wasn't Martine's only Costa Rican adventure but I think it was his tastiest!
He's back with us in the states; he's a lot more laid back, speaks a little Spanish and still loves when Andy uses the smoker only Martine can't get into our smoker here in the states.

I love our little tough guy, thanks Martine for bringing fun into our lives! Here's what Martine's been up to lately - Martine living a dog's life on a Sunday morning!

I'm a little more laid back now too and that seems to help us all! We watch the show Cesar,The Dog Whisperer. We're picking up some great tips that we can use from this moment forward, check out his website for more tips

I hope you liked our Martine story and that you have an amazing day filled with silly furry friends! xxxxoooo Michelle

CHANGE IN 5 MINUTES

Every so often I change the saying on our mailbox and I thought today is the day.  Here's what it says now.

  (I love how this looks like an envelope just waiting to tell you  some explosive news)

I don't know if we can live up to this but I'm going to give it a try because I'm wowly in love with my family, I'm wowly in love with my dreams and loving working to accomplish them and I'm over the moon that you take the time to read my blog!


What prompted this saying well, I'm not really sure I guess I'm going through some changes and I thought why not have the "Wow" lives that we all deserve.  So I thought if I put it out there- it will be out there and I can start being it. Right? Isn't "WOW" house better than "Blah" house? I know we all have days where we feel like a big blah but I'm taking this 5 minute step to change that.  What little 5 minute change can you do to add some WOW  to your now?


To read more about my 5 MINUTE CHANGES and Here's more mailbox fun. 


Thanks again for swinging by my blog evolve!! You would totally make my day if you signed up to be one of my Inspiration Makers! Because you so are!  Just sign up over there...


I guess "Wowly" is now a word  and WOW, I've got to go give my clothes a bath (laundry really, I'm adding a little pizzazz too  :) xxxxxoooo Michelle

FUNNY FACES a mini story

Click here to Find out more about Nyla's strawberry face

Click here to find out where I got the idea to make this cute little cookie I call dream beam she's part of my Lovin My Dreams Dreamy To-Doing series.

The End!

I didn't realize the funny faces we've been gobblin up until now. 


Special thanks to Mom who always makes my favorite  Chicken n Dumplins whenever I ask.  I will carry on the tradition! xxxxooo Michelle

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Hey Everyone!


Have an amazing day!  I'm going to be cloud counting, brunch munching and hanging with Nyla and my Mom today and my super awesome hubby and dogs Martine and Dodger.  (I feel sooo lucky, I hope you do too!)   xxxxoooo Michelle

I LOVE 5 MINUTES!

Hey Everyone!


Months ago we painted our kitchen cabinets white and ever since I've been irritated that our stove hood was off white and old looking.  It was a constant reminder which was distracting me from my cabinets that I love.  So...

How easy is that!

Here's to eliminating our little irritations 5 minutes at a time!!

Have an awesome, carefree day! xxxxoooo Michelle

Special thanks ConTact Brand paper! 
I love you!

MOTHER'S DAY CRAFT...EASY!

Hi Everyone!  Here is a super easy and fun craft to make, a bookmark.  My Mom and Mother-n-law love to read, so when Nyla and I found this idea from Family Fun Magazine in the My Great Idea section we jumped at it!  Thanks to Heather Humrichouse from Meridian, ID for sharing her idea! She also made them into magnets and what mom doesn't need refrigerator magnets?

Just 5 easy steps to some super cool book climbing bookmarks!

The hardest part was trying to get the contact paper unstuck :)  I also turned myself into a slightly curvier bookmark climber, I just love step 4!

Of course, I made one for me, they just crack me up and nothings better than saving my place in a dreamy book like Dallas Clayton's, An Awesome Book and it is SO awesome by the way!

I'm all about dream pursuing and Dallas Clayton is leading the way and showing our kids how to do it!  Since I am pursuing my dream to be a  children's book author,  I find Dallas amazingly motivating and made me realize, you don't have to do things "by the book", by dreaming your way its the best way!  Thanks Dallas Clayton!!

To read more about this super fun and inspirational author/illustrator click here http://dallasclayton.com/ or here http://veryawesomeworld.com/about.html

    For those moms who have a kindle or nook your still in luck...you can use these bookmarks as fancy hmm earrings maybe :)

Have a blast today and dream on! xxxxoooo Michelle

Read how I superhero my dreams 
Dream Beam 22 or define my dreams and goals Dream Beam 2 .

Super thanks to Family Fun magazine, Heather Humrichhouse, her climbing all-star kids, my all-star daughter, Nyla and Dallas Clayton for inspiring me to have a ton of fun!
Love ya!

(I know I said super alot, I'm just well super happy :)

I'm hanging here, come join me!

REMEMBERING SUNDAY mornings...

Here's to remembering, embracing and exchanging the was for the NOW...

(no particular order, just what popped in my head)

Breakfast out...

Sleepovers...

Last day of freedom...

The sound of the vacuum cleaner hitting my door...

Mom looking pretty for church...

Discovery...

Carefree Daydreaming...

Church services...

Eating a pack of "certs" in church every sermon...

Yummy big breakfast...

Youth group...

Casey Kasem radio show...

Driving...

Errands...

Sunday School...

Being in the backseat...(without a car seat or safety belt)

Sunrises... (a few) 

Going to the grocery store...

Being bored...

Seeing Dad...

Greg playing basketball in our driveway...

MawMaw...

Avoidance...

Talking with my friends about the night before...

Planning the next adventure...

Not knowing the next adventure but knowing I have to go to school the next day...

Mom doing lawn work...

Sleeping late...

Hangovers...

Going out to breakfast with a bunch of friends that we met the night before...

Buying my "aqua net" hairspray for the week...

Laughing...

What do you remember about your Sunday mornings...

To read more about me and my lists, here's 
Loves right now  and to find out about our families good morning hug Feeling Fabulous

Today my Sunday morning was sleeping late (9:00, which never, ever happens anymore & I never thought 9 am would be late), REIKI, hot tea, good morning hug from Nyla, Andy on a fishing trip, writing this blog and now going to get fresh, hot donuts with my girlie.  I'll pick you up some... xxxxoooo Michelle

It all started with a bunny...

...and the idea for a springtime party was born!

Brie with potato chips ooh la la! 

A pretty pitcher filled with spring water, orange & lemon slices...

My specialty...dollop cucumbers...

and finally...Chocolate chip cookies....mmmmmmmm


All this was instantly thrown together with little bits of this and that and its waiting just for you!  xxxxoooo Michelle

An Amazing Day for us

Since today is the last day of April, I realized I can't let April slip away without giving a little shout out to National Poetry Month!

(ok, I missed it! Before I could finalize this post, my husband called and said,"I'm home! Do you want to go to lunch?" How could I pass a date with Andy since he has been away at sea or pass on a date period!  This day was already amazing, Nyla was attending an after school program "cupcake wars" so I started the day with extra time and what a feeling that is!  Nyla was really excited about her day and I was excited for her, I planted plants, took our dogs for a walk, ran into an old friend on the walk, the day was beautiful and sun drenched, I made some appointments, I was accomplishing so much! My husband is home, oh yeah, we saw friends during our lunch date, had friends over for dinner, our little friend, Leo scored his first soccer goal, the day was filled with giggles and a much needed ease, Nyla got into a new reading level-you go girl!, her books came in from the book fair, she read a ton before bed. It seemed like my day was filled with spontaneous burst of friendship, including my Internet friends!  Thank you everyone, you filled my day with happiness and I went to sleep with a smile on my face :)  

Back to Poetry month :)
As I was starting my scavenger hunt to decide what poem to feature, I found this poem in the "special these mean a lot to me I just have to find a place to put them" stack on my desk. It was right on top so my search didn't last too long.  As I looked at the tattered and stained paper and read the words from my wedding day, I'm proud that it pretty much holds true today.  


This poem, A Creed to Live By written by Nancye Sims was a poem that I discovered moments before my wedding day and I just thought it was so beautiful and described perfectly how we live.  I quickly and at the very last minute made copies of it and gave it to everyone who attended.

A CREED TO LIVE BY

by Nancye Sims

Don't underestimate your worth by comparing yourself with others.

It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.

Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.

Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future.

By living your life one day at a time, you will live all the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give

it is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.

The quickest way to receive love is to give love;

The fastest way to lose love is to hold to it too tightly;

And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't dismiss your dreams;

To be without dreams is to be without hope;

To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been,

But also where you're going.

Life is not a race but a journey to be savored

Each and every step of the way.

Way back in 2000, we didn't have the Internet and I'm blown away at how far we've come; to view this poem accurately and in its entirety as well as Ms. Sims other poems please go here: http://nancyesims.com/it/creedwithapplet.htm




Thank you Ms. Sims and all the poets who have shared their works of poetry art for us to discover!!
Here's one of my poems I wrote called, If my  dream...
http://mommyspinkielipgloss.blogspot.com/2012/02/if-my-dreamdream-beam-16.html

Thank you for reading!  xxxxoooo Michelle