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Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint and a Very, Happy Birthday Dog!

Miss Mustard Seed aka Marion Parsons has a fabulous blog, where she shows you all kinds of painting techniques, she is a big fan of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint which I mentioned on this post.  Well....Li'l Miss Mustard Seed has now come out with her very own line of MILK PAINT.  Now I'm dying to try it.....I have a few things lying around here in my cottage that could use a swipe of some paint and her colors are sooooo YUMMY!

Now this blogger/painter/artist/magazine contributor/mom/wife/ is now coming out with a book called Inspired You.  It is exactly like her blog and since I've been following her blog for sometime now and find I'm completely inspired by her creative talent this book is a no brainer, I'll be looking for it on the shelf at Barnes and Nobles.  I especially come to LOVE her labels, logos and her ingenious packaging...

Isn't her logo so darling?  This is her sample paint, that she put in mini mason jars.  CUTE!!  She sells her MMS MILK paint line in a shop called Lucketts but it's all across the other side of the nation in Pennsylvania..

Darn it!! Well...don't get all pouty on me because I have some good news, you don't have to take a road trip to Pennslyvania but that would be fun, wouldnt it!!  Yes...we can have a chance to win samples of MMS MILK Paint and some other goodies in this giveaway or  you can go here for another chance to win.  Now I'm sure you can find something that needs a good ol' swipe of some of MMS MILK paint with all those vibrant colors to choose from.  I have a small serving tray that I think needs a pop of color or maybe the Ironstone White would be perfect....good luck to all who enter.

 

In other news{it has nothing to do with paint} Today is Snickers Barbara's Birthday!!  Yep...she is 3 years old...Remember this post when we celebrated her First Birthday..our Li'l Jack Russel Terrorist as I like to call her...

 

 

 Yes..she is full of energy and personality.  We love her inquistive nature and her friendly manner. I especially love her polka-dotted belly which she loves to get rubbed on, and will instanty calm her down, and as I say put her in a "comatose state"....she'll chase anything that runs, crawls, flies or hops. Happy Birthday, you spoiled Dog, WE LOVE YOU!

 

 

 

 

Wild Parrots

In the city I live in there is a "humongous" flock of wild parrots that inhabit the area.  I have an apple tree in my back yard and at this time of the year.....they swarm upon the apple tree.

They are quite noisey and chatter up a storm which attracts my....doggies.

As you can see my "Jack Russel Terriost"...Snickers Barbara gets air borne trying to reach the parrots.  Critter {the Chihuahua} doesn't know what quite to think about all this action.  When I saw the apples appear last year I told myself I'd attempt to make an apple pie but yet again the Wild Green Parrots beat me to it.  Hopefully next year I'm a bit faster at picking them. 

Many Firsts...

Yep....off with her best friend on a new adventure, I know these next fours years will pass in a blink of an eye.  I'm excited and nervous for her all at the same time.  I know it can be difficult at times, as at this age they become more "hormonal" which results in hurt feelings and as they start to to become more independent as the aprons strings are become more tethered...I won't go there or else I'll start to tear up.  We don't want that do we?

Her first time as a Frosh Volleyball player {she made the team in July, haven't had time to post on that}....she is loving it. Some of the girls on the team also played with her at the Middle School so that is sweet.  We have had 3 games this week, won two and lost one.  We, Mr. Incredible and I are looking forward to watching more as the season unfolds...it is quite exciting to watch.  Also my youngest is practicing with them and hope to make her 7th Grade team....yep I'll be hearing a lot of "Spike It, Dig It and Bump It".....by the way Madison feels a bit strange in her Buns....those are what you call the volleyball "booty" shorts....I'd wear them around the house to clean if I could get away with it...Ok..do NOT picture that in you mind..not a pretty picture...

These two girls are like "two peas in a pod", like "ketchup and mustard", like "Beevus and Butthead"Oh you get the idea.  I'm so grateful they have each other to confide in and experience what life my bring to their young lives in the next four years. It really, really helps to have a GREAT friend. 

Here is my Li'l One...all looking sassy and cute for her FIRST day of 7th grade. Too bad those darn Toms gave her blisters at the end of the day.  I guess she needed to break those puppies in.  Ouch!

Off they go to Middle School.....excited to be back after having a couple of months off! 

So I'm enjoying the quiet of the home during the day with just me and my "girls".

We will be back on schedule with our morning walks...and I'll be ready to tackle some more projects around this old Cottage. Lots to paint, bathrooms to renovate and kitchen cabinets to spruce up,  Garage to clean up and reorganize, Now...what should I tackle FIRST?

Fruit and wine or Wine and Fruit...they just go together..."like peas and carrots"..

I picked up this Sea Glass Reisling at World Market the other day when I finally decided that I needed to pick up ...

 

... this Paisleyish {i think i made that up?} green coir rug to keep the hardwood floors from getting too dirty.  I LUUUUUV me floors but they do track in grass and dirt if the peeps in the Cottage on Cullen don't wipe their feet or my hands will be permanently gripped on my broom. 

 
Oh, she thinks we got it for her....I think I may need to apply sunscreen on her, do you see she is turning a bit pink?  Don't you just love her Polka-dotted belly?

But back to my Sea Glass vino...yes I'm Guilty as charged for picking up a bottle of wine because of a label, I've posted before of picking up the Cupcake one, have you had that one? 

 

they sell it at Target.  And in this case it was not only the label but the Cobalt blue of the bottle color that had me interested too.  It is a sweet wine and I'm not a big sweet wine drinker, I have a few friends that rave about Moscato wine but I'm not a big fan..way to sweet. I'm much more of a Chard kind of gal. 

 
But sweet wine go with dessert, right? And this wine went perfectly with this Summer Fruit tart....yum!  What is one of your favorite dessert wines?  Do you like Moscato?  Inquiry minds want to know.....

 

and what is your favorite summer fruit?  Mine are raspberries...

Look who turned One!!

 

Snickers had a Birthday Party on Friday with a "few" of her closest buddies!

 
yes....a "few"....the dogs all got along great and I thought I'd have to break up some fights but they were on their very best canine behaviour...

 
We had doggie snacks for all the guests...

 
Not only snacks but we also made "pupcakes"...

 
 
Some of the guests {Eddie} came back for seconds...I got the Pupcakes Recipe from here....

 
Yummers!  Snickers loved hers too!  

 
Opening all the gifts, she could hardly wait!    She got a new collar, a new outfit, lots of toys and treats.  She LOVES her treats...absolutely loves them.  Everyone had a great time!  

 

What a Weekend, full of rats, cake bombs and more...

You never heard of a cake bomb? Well do you live under a rock or somting? A cake bomb went off in my kitchen this weekend.  It started like this.  With all my success of Cake making these days I was feeling like "I was all that"!!  The birthday cake for Kenzie birthday got big raves from the guests, the Rainbow Cake  was hailed by the crowds.  So I tell my friend who is hosting a baby shower {for our fearless Girl Scout Leader} I can make the cake...I'm down with that.  Have you seen my cakes lately..."I'm the bomb Chickca" I tell her.  Well check out this mess.................

well it turns out "I" was not the bomb making cakes but the Cake was a bomb and not in a good way.  I have the book Hello, Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, which I love and has the greatest ideas in there for cute cupcakes. {you can see the cover in the top left hand corner of above picture}

 
I come across the Baby cupcakes I see inside the book and decide I can do that and then while I'm at the Cake Decor store I come across the Giant Cupcake from Wilton's {i know my neighbor has one I can borrow} and I decide to make a Giant baby instead of cupcakes.  I buy a fake bottle and a diaper pin so I don't have to make that and that will cut down on the time to make them/it. Plus making a giant baby cake is easier then frosting 15 to 30 cupcakes and decorating them.  While I'm there I see some Bavarian Creme...ahh yes..let's put Bavarian Creme in the middle...then I get another brainstorm, she is having a Safari Theme in her nursery so why don't I do a Giant Monkey..they look sort of like babies.  I can use some big wafer cookies for ears and brown frosting.for the fur and wa-la a Baby Monkey Cake.  On Friday I start making my 9 in cakes and my Giant Cupcake {for the monkey head} Everything is going good.  I wait for them to cool a good long time.  Pop the first layer out and put it on my cake stand. This is were the fun starts!   I add the Bavarian cream and then plop the second layer on top...it starts to crack and break apart into three pieces.  I yell at Mr. Incredible to come get the bamboo skewers to stab it.  It is no use, it starts to slide off the top. I scrap the top layer off and I decide to make another layer, maybe I did not cook it long enough and it's too soft.  I put that layer on top...it does the same exact thing. 

      here is the first layer

I feel like I'm in an I Love Lucy episode, where she is on the conveyor belt and eating all the candy because she can't wrap them fast enough.  I was trying to cover it up with butter cream frosting to stick it together, it just made it heavier, then I put the Giant cupcake on top and that did it...it slid off the top and on the counter..

I was now without a cake and I have a soccer game first thing in the morning and I hope...Cost-Co will save my butt and have a cake.  In the end, they do save my butt along with Martha Stewart.  I get a Chocolate Cake and add some Safari Stickers {Martha's line at Michael's} and call it "good".  A cake that I should of cost me about $20.00 to make, cost almost $70.00 bucks!!

Meanwhile....while I'm trying to "decorate" this cake my daughter comes in to tell me there is a rat climbing the wall....we have a brick wall in the back with and Orange tree so I assume she is talking about that wall behind the Orange Tree.  I go outside in my towel  {flashing the neighbors as this itty bitty towel doesn't cover all of me} and the bugger is not climbing the wall by the Orange Tree but climbing the wall of our house next to the back door.

"Mom, mom he is shaking!!" she is very upset. {the lover of all creatures great and small} The dog  and the cat, who by the way can't stand each other are at the bottom of the wall in cahoots in catching this creature.  Mr. Incredible finally comes home and rescues it and lets it go near the Orange Tree and we bring all the "killers" in the house.  The next day comes and I need to wash uniforms for the afternoon soccer games {since my daughter has pizza all over it from the night before from the Galaxy game we went to}I go to grab the tide and SCREAM!!  Mr. Incredible thought I was having a heart attack and walks to the garage.

 
I guess since It was my Birthday, Mudge {the cat} did not want me to feel left out and brought me a gift.  OH, ain't he thoughtful!   If you are still reading this Kudos to you.   What a crazy weekend.   Glad it is Monday so I can have some peace!! Want some cake?

Unconditional LOVE

Is this is NOT the epitome of Love I don't know what is....this li'l "mechanical" kitty is my daughters and it meows and purrs when you pet it.  To think  Snickerdoodles {that's what I've taken to nicknaming our new Puppy, her real name is Snickers BAR-bra}  just had it by the juggler and drug it up on my her favorite chair for a snooze.  I don't know is you can see it in the picture but she has her paw wrapped around her neck.   This melts my HEART!  
 

It's therapeutic, is it not?

To get a dog?

to be more specific....A JACK RUSSELL TERRIER PUPPY!!! yep, those dogs who are known for their hyper activity!!! A puppy who needs potty training!!  AW...yep you think I have lost my mind!  That's Ok...it wouldn't be the first time I have been accused of that and I'm sure not the last. 

The only thing this year on MacKenzie's Dear Santa letter was a puppy.   As you recall from a couple of years ago..My Dear Santa letter there was a puppy on my list.  So finally we got one....I'm still holding out for my Antique looking ring...maybe in the next two years it will happen! 

`````````````````````````````Price is Right`````````````````````````````` 

Sorry to leave you hangin.  The Christmas decorations that I got at the Expensive but beautiful fairy land Roger's Gardens was the Tinsel Garland with lights in the Champagne color..I have never seen anything with that color before so I thought that was so unique I had to get it.  It was afforable as compared to some of the items, it cost $34.99  The Chenille Santas were also from there and they only had two left so I picked them up at $9.99, not a bargain but again unique.  They also had Snowmen, which I love but I didn't think these ones were that cute so I passed.   The rest of the item in that post were from TJMaxx/ Marshalls.  I love the snowmen and only found 3 but I did search high and low for more.  Here are the Three Amigos on the top shelf of my hutch.

 

The above Blue Church and House reminded me of the German Glass Glittered houses that I saw at Roger's Gardens but even though they are blue and not silvery they were a bargain at $6.99 versus the $100.00 version.  {see below post}

Here they are in their glass homes.   As I look at this picture the Wendy Addison Noel and Dream words look wonky there...note to self...move to another spot.  Well, if not having a puppy at this time is NOT therapeutic then shopping is!  As any women surely knows...

Or if the things in the Ocean are your game......

 

You'll enjoy The Long Beach Aquarium , I have been to this  place every year..........

 

with the First Graders at my girls' school, I have done several long -term {subbing} positions there and It seems that I have been lucky enough to be working when they take this annual trek to the Aquarium of the Pacific.   My first love has always been Marine Biology {thought I wanted to be a Marine Biologist during my early days in College, took a class called Island biology and got to Scuba dive in the Northern Channel Islands off of the Santa Barbara Coast} I even worked here ...while attending San Diego State University {then switching my major to Psychology which lead to a teaching credential in Hawai'i}....

Can you see the beautiful Sea Horse in the photo above...it is beautifully camouflaged in the seaweed?  So graceful, isn't' it?

 

Look at the Sawtooth Fish, which is in the Elasmabranch family...(Sharks and Rays) which moves it's nose back and forth through a school of fish to sting them and that's how it eats.   yes..that's what I do when I go through the Aquarium...I feel like I'm like the Crocodile Hunter with my excited tidbits of trivial information about the Ocean World.  Speaking of the Sharks and Rays and The Crocodile Hunter {one of  Mr. Incredible's favorite people of all time, we miss him terribly} one of the most popular exhibits is the Pools of Sharks and Rays, where you can pet them...

 

 

If you ever come out to the Los Angeles area..this is a must see you'll come face to face with some of these menacing dudes...

 

this is a Sand Tiger shark...althoughthey look scary..they aren't very aggressive.   They do have a Bull Shark in the exhibit but I didn't get a picture of it they are aggressive and they do go in brackish water and fresh water.....

 

Now...i thought this sign was funny....{my nickname is Ellie, short for Gabrielle and Mr. Incredible....well is Troy}...how cute to have some Harbor Seals named after us!!!  

 

the cutest of all the fishes in the sea......but i know i'm biased.....

Summertime Staycation...

 

             { Cath Kidston photo above}..is it not the cutest tent..ever!!

This year due to the economy being Wonky....{unpredictable} and paying Uncle Sam... we did not have the finances to fly to  Alabama and/or go stay in Carpenteria like we usually do in the summertime.  My favorite thing is to camp right on the beach and here in California we have lots of beaches to choose from but our favorite is Carpenteria.  They have lots of antique stores that Mr. Incredible and I love to browse in, even though we have to bribe our children with "ice cream" to  do this.  Mr. Incredible is NOT a big fan of Camping...he would rather sleep in more luxurious accomodations such as a hotel or even by Camper....sure I'd go with something like this....

 

but in reality....we will hit places near our home like....

 

to see the lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

 

the meerkats are too cute!!

 

the monkeys...

 

oh you say...those aren't monkeys....oh yes  they are!!   Cute monkeys if I do say so...

 

the Baboons are always hilarious....

 

the giraffes are always sticking out their tongues looking to eat a nice juicy leaf...oh not a giraffe...Ok..what about a Zebra...

 

the zebras..so docile unlike these fearsome creatures....

 

Oh that's Mr. Incredible, don't worry about him..his bark is worse than is bite...

 

A smiley crocodile....doesn't he look friendly...not!   While we are in Australia...

 

let's look at the Kangaroos , check out their feet...Oh my aren't they ginormous!!

 

this two...look like these two.....

 

if you ever come to California for a vacation or staycation...the L.A. Zoo is a nice place to go and it is relatively cheap...you can bring in your own lunch and save money...but I still would rather be in Carpenteria antiquing.....but as they say there is always next year!!

 

so until then......

 

I'll visit it in my dreams...