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Breaking News Flash {we interrupt this Santa Barbara post}.....

to inform you that I have not one but two in HIGH SCHOOL, yep my peeps you heard {read} that right I have two daughters in HS as of today.  One junior and one freshman...yikes!!  It seems like yesterday I was their age.

 Madison is my junior who does LINK Crew where she helps the incoming freshman to find classess and help with any questions they may have.  It is a great program, yesterday all the freshman had their first day and got to do some fun activities and went to all of their classess without the whole school being there. I think that is awesome!!  I can remember having those worries about getting lost on a new campus and feeling like I might walk into the wrong class and have everyone starring at me...

MacKenzie my freshman is excited and dresssed for success!  I love her outfit she picked out!  Don't you?  So casual and comfortable...I think her Mama maybe borrowing that Kimono in the future. 

Alright Girls!!!  Have a great first and second day of school!!  Make the MOST of your high school years!!! 

Recap...of the last several weeks..

So sorry for the long absence....lots have been happening in the last several weeks....for one

 

Mr. Incredible has finished his Radiation treatment and is back to work....and life is back on track.  It was not an easy time for him, it was very difficult and we are thankful it is all over.

 My youngest has finished up her Music program at her middle school {I'm so sad to see this end, as I know she won't be doing music at the High school level but I do hope she'll continue playing her Piano}

 

In her borrowed lettermens' jacket at her last concert, the theme was College Pep Rallies....

Here she is with some of her "homies" at her 8th Grade Dance, the theme was The Great Gatsby...so cool.  I'll be back with some more pictures of the decor.  In a couple of days she'll be saying goodbye to the Middle school chapter of her life and opening the chapter of HIGH SCHOOL, YIKES!!  It will be bittersweet because only a few of her besties will continue on together at the same high school.

  
Couldn't help myself one more...love these kids!!  


My eldest on the other hand asked a boy to her first high school dance!!  She is shy so this was a biggie for her. 

AND she turned SIXTEEN!!!  Yep, last weekend we had a  li'l Sweet Sixteen party for her...

We had Oreo cupcakes as per her request!!  They were soooo yummy!!!  Stuffed with Oreos inside...delish!

So as you can see I've been busy with all my "Mommy" obligations....so I've not had a whole lot of extra time to post... In the next few weeks, my Kenzie will have regionals for Volleyball and then we are off to San Jose to play in the Regionals tournament for our soccer league...we will be stopping in Carmel and Monterey and Big Sur....I have not been to Northen California in a long time....and can't wait to see the coast.  Summer vacation is almost here and I can't wait!!!

 

 

 

 

Shakin' it up on my 50th Birthday Party

I turned a half-a-century on Friday night but I felt like the Earth was talking to me loud and clear.."BOY Girl your old!"...we had a 5.0 {actually 5.1} Earthquake in celebration of my Birthday. 

I invited my High school friends {with their spouses} over to celebrate...

But I don't think they planned on doing clean up duty....I lost a few of my Ironstone platters and a couple of glass cloches....so I guess I'll be hitting the yard sales and Goodwills to replace them or maybe it is time to thin out all my "junk". As you can see on my the bottom shelf of my hutch I have quite a few of them.  My daughter also had her huge mirror broken. The shared glass was  all over her room and she is very shaken up {no pun intended} so she has been sleeping with her littles sister everynight since it occured. We have had  a lot of aftershocks on and off all day yesterday and it is very nerve racking worrying if "the big one" will hit. 

But despite all the unexpected Shakin' up of my birthday I was so glad that everyone was fine and got to spend time with my favorite peeps!  

Romantic Movie Night

Now that my girls are older, Mr. Incredible and I find ourselves home alone on the weekends more and more often due to sleepovers at their friends' houses. Since we have Sully { our huge 67 " TV, nicknamed by me after the loveable humongous fuzzy blue Monster in Monsters, INC. } it's like having a big screen theatre in our own home. During the week I play taxi driver to my daughters, taking them to practice and games and most weekeneds too.  Come Sunday it is nice to relax on the couch with a good movie.  We like to rent our movies from The RED Box at our local grocery store. For a couple of bucks we can rent a movie or two, that price can't be beat.  Being at the grocery store is also very convenient because Sunday is the day I usually do my grocery shopping. After dinner we can kick back and watch the show but no movie would be complete without MOVIE SNACKS...

We CAN NOT watch a movie without popcorn, nope no way.  I picked up a few bags of Movie Theatre popcorn from my local Cost Plus World Market. They have a variety of popcorn  flavors to choose from like Kettlecorn, Mr. Incredible's favorite  or White Cheddar Cheese, my favorite.  We love that all we have to do is rip open the bag and it's  ready to go which is perfect for us....because we don't have a microwave, yep you heard that right....we don't have a microwave. Why would anybody in the year 2014 NOT have a microwave? Well we did have one about 10 months ago, we received a hand- me -down microwave from one of our relatives, because they were upgrading all their appliances to stainless steel.  They had the kind that was white and goes over the stove so it was a win/win for all but we had it for only about 4 months when it shorted out when we were Poppping Microwave popcorn.  We do plan on getting another eventually but we are also planning on a mini kitchen redo  something like this....

 

 This image is from my Pinterest Board labeled Kitchens I Adore ,we hope to do something like that with a vintage stove {from my neighbor across the street} and a metal scalloped hood and having a microwave over the stove would not work anymore. So that's why in the year 2014 we don't have a working microwave but Cost Plus World Market has come to the rescue and we were able to pick up some great munchies for our movie night.

  Not only do they have great all ready popped popcorn in lots of flavors, they have Mr. Incredible's favorite movie candy, Boston Baked Beans and Junior Mints. I'm not a big candy eater at the movies but I do have  to have Soda Pop with my popcorn.  World Market  has lots of food and drinks to choose from but we decided on Cheerwine, it tastes just like Cherry Coke. It was a bit different than what we usually go with and I was going with a red and white theme so that's what we went with. I also picked up some chocolate covered pretzels...salty and sweet...Yum!!!  We rented my favorite of all time Romantic Movie.....

....THE NOTEBOOK.  I could watch this movie over and over again and never get tired of it.  It really hits home for me because my mother had Alzheimers.  I loved their LOVE story and how Noah kept his promise to Allie and rehabilitated that beautiful home in South Carolina in the small town of Seabrook.  I loved that gorgeous white house with the dormers,  the porch swing and the adirondack chairs on the brick patio....Noah had taste!!  A man after my own heart...

 Before I get too carried away over THE NOTEBOOK....

 as I promised here is the GIVE AWAY....one lucky winner will WIN a $100.00 Gift CARD to Cost Plus World Market  so you can stock up on your own MOVIE Snacks for {Romantic} MOVIE night for a couple of months.  All you have to do is leave me a Comment on this post stating what is your Favorite Romantic MOVIE and what is your favorite MOVIE Snack......that's it!  I'll put all entries in a popcorn bowl and draw a winner.  The giveaway will close on MONDAY, February 17th at MIDNIGHT Pacific Standard time.   GOOD LUCK to all you Romantics!!  

For you DIE Hard movie lovers.....Cost Plus World Market is having a Movie Lover Sweepstakes  in conjunction with FANDANGO for a years worth of movie tickets and a $1,000 dollar World Market gift card, think of all the SNACKS you could buy with that!  What are you waiting for? Head on over and enter, you could be the lucky winner!  The deadline to enter for the Movie Lover Sweepstakes is March 7, 2014. 

 Don't forget to leave a comment on this post for the $100.00 gift card give away at HOME be Inspired blog.

                                 {this is a promotional post but all opinions are my own}

Remembering My Mom

This is my Mom at the age of 27, she would of been 80 today.  This post is two-fold as today is El Dia De Los Muertos and my Mom's birthday.  My Mom came from Santa Rosalia , Baja California and she was one of 11 children.  She was the only one of her siblings who had come to the United States to live.  Her life story was very interesting and how she came to meet my father but I won't elaborate.  After being married to a domestic abuser, she left him with the help of my Grandmother {my Dads's Mother} and ended up living with my Aunt {my Dads's sister}. She then met my father, who quickly fell in love with her,  they married and had two children, my brother and I.  When I moved to Hawai'i and my brother went into the Navy their very up and down marriage became sour  and my Mom moved back in with my Aunt. When my father passed away in 1993 from a heart attack,  we were going through all of his things and the above picture was still in his wallet, after all those years, it was all battered and torn.  I think this picture was his favorite of my Mother.  She was a beautiful person and SO FUNNY!  She was always cracking jokes and she had a knack for decorating, Martha Stewart could of learned a thing or two from my MOM.   Her Christmas packages always looked so pretty with a gorgeous ribbon and a sprig of greenery that she would of snipped from the yard.  She loved plants and had a green thumb, her favorites were succulents and California Native plants.  She loved Cottages and quaint little homes in quaint little towns {No wonder I also love cottages, I'm so much like her in that respect}.  Sadly she passed away from Alzheimers a few years ago.  That pitiful disease stole her mind, the dementia was difficult for me to witness as everyday it took a piece of her away from me bit by bit. I miss her everyday but I continue her traditions of making her famous Machaca or decorating a "Themed Christmas Tree I keep her memory alive for my Children.  I LOVE YOU MOM!!  Happy Birthday!

This was the last Christmas we spent with her, Abuela {grandmother in Spanish} as the girls called her.  We miss her very much.

They Call him DADDY

......because he works on school projects....

......because he cuddles at the 4th of July park celebration during the firework show....

......because he teaches us how to ride the waves at the beach.....

......because he teaches us how to catch the big fish in Alabama.......................

.........because he is proud when we recieve our awards....

.....because he comforts our Snickers when she is freaked out by the Fireworks.....

.....because he has earned that right to be called... 

                                                DADDY 

      We LOVE you!!  Wishing you a Happy Father's day!

Happily Ever After

Today is my 15 year anniversary married to the one and only Mr. Incredible.  We have known each other since we were 19...you can read OUR LOVE STORY HERE  and HERE.  I can't believe it has been that long.  We have come along way, we have had our ups and downs in our marriage like all couples do.  We have had our trials and tribulations, two bouts of cancer, I with Breast Cancer and Mr. Incredible with Skin Cancer, within the last three years.  But through it all our LOVE for each other helped us get through the rough patches.  Having gone through the rough times just made our marriage stronger and stronger.  I would not want to be married to anyone else but my husband.  He understands me, and puts up with my CRAZY ways and I understand him and his quiet and sometimes misunderstood ways.  He is a wonderful father, comes to as many sporting events or concerts to support our two daughters whenever possible. He works very hard {currently 7 days a week and 12 hour days }to provide for his family, so we can have many nice things and a beautiful home. He never complains, if sometimes I don't feel like cooking and just make him a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwhich he is happy or he'll just say let's "order out". He always puts our interests and needs above anything else. He is my Happily EVER after and I LOVE him with all MY HEART....Happy Anniversary Mr. Incredible...

I chose the picture above because Mr. Incredible knew I wanted a tandem bike for a long time{Long Story here.} one day he came home with one for his wife, ...sometimes it's a rusty old mop bucket and sometimes it's a Red Schwinn Tandem just cause he rememberd his wife wanted one. Told you he was Incredible!

Christmas Highlights

Our Santa Claus themed Tree...

Lots of beautiful lights take shape on this Colonial home...


Inflatables galore at this house...

Loved ALL the White lights on this house....soooo pretty..I love driving around looking at all the lights on the houses...we hit our local Starbucks loaded up on Lattes and drove around one night....enjoying the sights.

Gifts for the neighbors and friends of Chocolate-filled Oat bars and Peppermint Bark.

"Anthropologie-inspired" Gifts for some more friends and hosts of Christmas Parties....

My glittery, sparkly house.....in icy blue.....

Another picture that my Li'l One took of the Mantle...She said, "she really liked how this one came together this year"...I have to agree with her. 

 

 

Making Pumpkin Crunch

Last year we made Molasses Pecan pie....from Better Homes and Gardens magazine....it was not a success.  So this year we went back to our ever faithful Pumpkin Crunch....no fail, better than Pumpkin Pie...and I LOVE pumpkin pie...

It has to the one of the easiest receipes ever.....we had to 1 and half the receipe this year...we used three of the small pumpkin can but it usually calls for one big can of pumpkin but DO NOT confuse it with PUMPKIN PIE filling it is not the same...one time I did and it came out way tooooo sweet..."broke the mouth"  as they say in Hawaii speak....

We needed to get a bigger bowl.....

Pouring in the BEST part of Pumpkin Crunch....yellow cake mix

Here is the CRUNCH in Pumpkin Crunch......chopped walnuts or you can use pecans if you'd like...

oh..not for the diet conscious...oh no!!  Melted unsalted butter....

Perfect Pumpkin CRUNCH...with some vanilla ice cream or a dallop of whipped cream......

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Pumpkin Crunch~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 large can of pumpkin (do not confuse this with Pumpkin Pie filling.."broke the mouth" one time)

1 can of evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnomon

1 box of yellow cake mix without pudding

1 cup of chopped walnuts

2 sticks (1 cup butter)

1.  Grease a 13x9x2 pan or line with wax paper

2. Blend pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and cinnomon in big bowl

3. Pour in pan

4. Sprinkle with cake mix over pumpkin mixture

5. Spread nuts over cake mix

6. Span melted butter over nuts

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until top is light brown.

8.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream...yummy!!!

 

 

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Tidbits....from October and November

Sorry for the blog break...we have been busy and I've had no time to compose a blog post.  I do have LOTS to share with some Autumnal goodness around these parts....FALL is finally here and it feels soooo good with the brisk cool mornings.   Here are a few tidbits of some things that have been going on...with the Maders. Starting with the above photo.....

Going to the Long Beach State VS. University of Hawai'i {my Alma Mater} Volleyball game with my girls and Madison's volleyball team. It was a great game..

but as I expected the Hawai'i team took the win....way to go Warriors!!

MacKenzie's middle school team has one more game left..they are doing pretty well this season, lost a couple and won more than they lost.  Not bad.

Her league play is swap dab in the middle of the season...go Mustangs!

Madison with her Frosh Volleyball team...they lost a total of 3 games the whole season not sure where they placed in league as it has now come to an end...now on to High School Soccer....

My GIRL made VARSITY!!  Yep my freshmen...she was so excited when she found out, she was shaking like a leaf!  Whoop, Whoop{oops that's Volleyball cheer}!!  As for me..

 the House of Horrors... was a great success!!  All three of us were actors in the Insane Assylum {Kenzie is in the wheel chair} boy oh boy did I love playing the crazy lady in the rocking chair, not a far stretch for me.  I put together a Bat Cave complete with LIVE Vampire in a coffin {I was so mad at myself that I never took any pictures!!!}

Madison {and most of the vball team} and Kenzie trick or treating around the hood...this year Madison was an Indian Girl and Kenzie finally settled on being a Black Cat...she started out wanting to be be Bear { I guess not that far off from a cat}, then a Greek Goddess,  then Hello Kitty....I think she makes a very cute Black CAT...Meow...

After going a few blocks...they all came back to do the "trading game"...I remember doing this with my brother when we came back after a night walking the streets trick or treating...

I was so impressed with this year's seasonal set up at TJ's...I love the little chalkboard pumpkin on the fence...I bet it looks pretty at night with the string of lights overhead..so festive.

I was alone shopping so I didn't get my picture taken in the totem pumpkin photo op....I suppose I could of asked a passerby...but they probably would of thought I was a bit nutty...don't answer that please..

I picked up some of those mini white pumpkins for my home.....

Here they are in my galvanized feeder with some garland.....in my built-in Cottagy hutch...

My Li'l One grabbed a couple and decided to make her own mini jacks..next to her Last Year's Hello Kitty One..

My sign found a new home...next to the mailbox.....

Here is Mrs. Witch...resting her weary bones...in a Windsor chair.

the Happy Halloween sign is staked into my Hydrangea...welcoming visitors.

Saw this on Pinterest...was one of a couple Halloweenish projects I got done this season.  I love that I can change this little chalkboard sign to suit the need and/or season.

Here was another one I was able to get to do too...I just took a faux pumpkin and painted it white and used my scallop circle punch to punch out the M on my napkin and glued it on...so very simple. 

Here is the other faux pumpkin, I painted it with chalkboard paint ...and now I can change out the greetings.....and even add a bow on the stem.  Speaking of chalkboards...

I spray painted the backs of the boards of these frames and used Chalk to write scary on them { i used them for Madison and Kenzie room at the old house} Another simple idea that can be changed out....

Aren't these pumpkins "special"?  I love that some are bumpy with warts on them, other are smooth, others are striped......well....yesterday I was at a very "popular" Garden/Decor center that I have posted on here several times and they had the cutest idea......can't wait to show you, so stick around.   Happy Fall to you all!!