This craft is super easy and the idea is compliments of my bestie, Lori, who made these cute Christmas coasters! The supplies: a couple sheets of Easter themed scrapbook paper cut down to 4.25" squares, white ceramic tile (got these for 10 cents each at Ben Franklin Crafts), felt circles (self adhesive), and good old Mod Podge. I Mod-Podged the paper to the tile and smoothed out the bubbles with a credit card; coated with three coats of Mod Podge (letting dry in between, of course), added the felt pads in the corners and spray painted a couple light coats of clear varnish to make sure water proof. Tie 4 of them up with cute pastel ribbon and put in an Easter basket. Or just use them around your house as a cute pop of Easter to rest your favorite beverage on.
Just like fine wine... Steve just keeps getting better and better every year!!
The girls wish you a very happy birthday and thank you for being such a fantastic father!
Couldn't ask for more of a hands on dad!
Happy birthday to my honey! So grateful I have been able to celebrate YOU on your birthday for the past well... ummm... 23 years!! Just did the math... yup, that is right. Been celebrating Steve's birthday since 1987.
Definitely just getting better and better! Love you much!!
Steve & I had an amazing vaca in Vegas last week. We stayed at the Trump and thought it was fabulous. It helped that Steve told the attendant checking us in that it was our 2nd honeymoon and she upgraded us to a room with a view of the Strip and higher up in the tower. Steve probably didn't like me parading around the room in my Trump robe pointing and shouting "You're FIRED!" all the time, but I just couldn't help myself!
We ate some fantastic food including: Sunday Champagne Brunch Buffet at the Bellagio, (compliments of cousin Maria's stellar contacts); Indian cuisine at the Indian Oven (thank you to Jessica for that recommendation); Italian food at Venetian; traditional St Patty's day fare at Brett & Maria's home.
We balanced all this eating with lots of sight seeing and even spent time at the Trump fitness center, working those extra calories off in a posh environment.
We went to the Blue Man Show, which we highly recommend - very entertaining! We also rode two rides at the top of the Stratosphere... fun, but not scary enough. The Strip was gorgeous and entertaining at night... Pirate show at Treasure Island; Volcano eruption at Mirage; Water fountain show at Bellagio; Freaky people to watch... it is a people watchers paradise! Oh, the comedian we were so excited to see... "Andrew Dice Clay" ended up being a real disappointment, but live and learn, right?
Since we are hardy folks from the Midwest, we spent 2 hours each afternoon at the Trump pool sunny ourselves and getting our vitamin D replenished, even though the locals thought 77 degrees was freezing. Those silly natives! We got some nice color tho', so ha!
Simply having time to be with my hubby... priceless!
It is so hard to believe our nephew, Nixin Rudy Sell, is officially 5 years old today! Happy, Happy, birthday Nix! We love you to the moon and back again! And look forward to seeing you and your family on Friday.
We are off to celebrate our 2nd honeymoon with a 4 day stay in Las Vegas over Steve's Spring Break. Our first honeymoon was also a 4-day stay in Vegas, which was a wedding gift from both of our parents. We were there December 29, 1991 through January 1, 1992 {over 18 years ago}. On our first Honeymoon, we stayed at the Excalibur. We went to several shows including a New Year's Eve comedy show at the Aladdin with Sam Kinison & Pauly Shore, which ended with a jam session with Motley Crew to bring in 1992. We also went to King Arthur's Tournament Dinner show where we had this picture taken. Steve, as always, my Knight in shining armor. Don't ya just love my 90's permed hair?
One of the things I hope not to repeat on Honeymoon II, is Steve getting sick on the flight into Vegas. I remember looking out the window chatting away and turned to see why Steve had gotten so quiet. I looked at his face and immediately asked, "What's wrong?" That is when Steve started rifling through the seat pocket in front of him to get the infamous barf-bag. I quickly pleaded, "Go to the restroom. Please don't do it beside me!" But it was too late... ugggggggg!!! The worst part was we were right in the middle of landing, so there was no leaving the seats and no getting rid of the smelly, disgusting bag-of-gore. When we got off the plane, I was surprised when Steve said he felt better because I thought he had the flu. Steve said, "I only got sick because of all the turbulence!" Turbulence? What turbulence? I hadn't even noticed any turbulence. We are definitely wired differently in that respect.
Although, I recently went to Vegas last June, Steve hasn't been back to there since Honeymoon I. Steve told me he has some anti-nausea gum for this trip. I hope it works!! We are staying at Trump International. We have tickets to Andrew Dice Clay and hope to get in a couple of other comedy shows. We are definitely taking in the thrill rides at the Stratosphere. Steve's mom will be holding down the fort with Bella and taking care of the girls while we are gone. WE ARE GOING TO VEGAS, BABY!
I was soaring high, about 13,500 feet high to be exact in AZ. 60 seconds of free-fall and then pulled the shoot to get the biggest wedgie of my life!! Do you remember what you were doing 16 years ago?
For the past year, Kippy has been having some ortho work to help her with a lovely genetic gift Steve & I gave her {little mouth w/ BIG teeth}. She is now entering into her third phase and I found it interesting to look back at the changes her smile has gone through. This is a BEFORE look at Kippy's smile. This was taken in Oct 2008, when she was 8 years old. Her large permanent teeth are all tight together and although it doesn't show up well, her bottom teeth are over-lapped.
In March of last year, at age 8 1/2, Kippy got her expanding upper and lower retainers. The upper retainer was removable and the lower retainer was permanently attached. Twice a week, Steve or I would turn a tiny crank on both retainers.
By June (just 3 months later), the space between her teeth was easy to see. The goal was to add enough space for her canines to come down in the right place instead of like fangs out the side of her face because she had no room.
By the time she started third grade in September (6 months later), the upper and lower teeth had plenty of room. And we were amazed that she hadn't lost her removable upper {yellow} retainer during this time. She had to take it out to eat anything, then brush and put it back in after eating {a lot to ask of this particular girl}.
Two days before her 9th birthday, Kippy got braces on her front 4 teeth to close the gap between them and allow the extra space for her canines to sprout. Braces were much more challenging for Kippy. She had issues with pinching at first and actually broke off brackets and pulled the wire out twice. It was also more difficult for her to keep clean, although she did a pretty good job. Once the braces were added, we no longer had to expand the lower retainer, which was still in place. Every month, Kippy loved picking the new colors for her bands on her braces. By January of this year, the braces had pulled her front 4 teeth nice and straight. She was able to have her braces removed and the lower retainer taken out on February 19, 2010. Metal free!!! One of the first things she did was chew some gum for the first time in 11 months! She is now into phase three. She had impressions taken and was fitted for a new retainer to hold her teeth in place until the canines come in. She gets the new retainer on Friday, March 12. I hate to tell her that it may be a year or two before she gets those canines in... and in the meantime, we are going to pray that she doesn't lose her retainer!
I started training for the Fargo half marathon in February. I logged 60 miles last month and every single mile was on the treadmill. I watched tv, watched my ipod Tudor's season 1 episodes two times, listened to music... but nothing beats the open road.
This morning, it was melty, muddy, icy and 34 degrees... and I did my long run in of 7.5 miles. I was loving it.... well, I didn't love it when I got road sprayed by vehicles speeding by me, but I did love the fresh air. I had a hard-time getting my pace figured out and about popped a lung. I have been relying on the treadmill too much. I definitely need to log more mileage outside. I averaged 8:48/mile, which wasn't too bad for my first outside distance run this year. My brand-new Mizunos will never look the same!I got pretty muddy and had Kippy take this picture of the back of my running tights. Now, got to go shower and get the sweat off and get my gear in the wash. I.LOVE.SPRING!!!
Once in a while we have the dilemma of what to do with our beloved Bella when we go somewhere for the weekend. Luckily, we have usually been able to find accommodations that have been acceptable for her. Bella is a nervous little doggie. She fears change. Really and seriously fears it, as in shaking-quivering-type fear. So, when we made plans to go skiing this past weekend with Mathern's, we made arrangements for Miss Bella to stay at Rainbow Kennels. She did her usual shivering and shaking initially, but before we left she had cuddled up to the owner and seemed in good hands. We picked her up 32 hours later and she was so happy to see us. They told us that she hadn't eaten any of her food, which didn't surprise us because she won't eat when she is stressed. We then discovered that she had chewed up a good portion of her doggie bed instead. Here is the thing about Miss Bella.... when she gets lonely, she chews. We have had pillows, blankets, and comforters chewed up by Bella in the past when she has been left alone too long. I can sort of understand this because when I am lonely, I sometimes eat to comfort myself.... food that is, not my bedding.
We love our neurotic Bella, but it sure would be nice if she would chew up her bone when she is nervous instead! Kippy wants us to get her a new bed because it looks so raggedy. I am not so sure 'cause the next time we leave her at the kennel, I have a feeling her bed will take the brunt of her anxieties.
The supplies: a couple sheets of Easter themed scrapbook paper cut down to 4.25" squares, white ceramic tile (got these for 10 cents each at Ben Franklin Crafts), felt circles (self adhesive), and good old Mod Podge.
I Mod-Podged the paper to the tile and smoothed out the bubbles with a credit card; coated with three coats of Mod Podge (letting dry in between, of course), added the felt pads in the corners and spray painted a couple light coats of clear varnish to make sure water proof. Tie 4 of them up with cute pastel ribbon and put in an Easter basket. Or just use them around your house as a cute pop of Easter to rest your favorite beverage on.
