The Paustenbaughs

My New Best Friend

I know some people love The Elf on The Shelf and others find him a bit creepy.  I have to admit, I find the sneaky, shy smile on his face rather creepy and stalkerish, but overall love the concept.  Instead of telling the girls, especially one Ella G., that "Santa is watching"; we literally have an elf that is watching her occasional naughtiness and Jed seems to have an impact on her!

Jed and I have become fast friends this holiday season.  Since it's just he and I every evening after the girls go to bed at 8, we have a lot of time to kill before my own bedtime.  He loses me on the weekends though when the Mister is home!

So after a glass of wine and some scheming, we come up with a plan of how he will watch the girls each day. I post these on Twitter, but keep forgetting to put them over here!

He has gone on piggy back rides:

He's a modern elf, who texts Santa and posts racy photos of reindeer on facebook:

He has to work off his holiday treats and chocolate (oh, and wine):

He even gets invited to ugly sweater parties:

He has tried to have fun in a ball pit, but ended up getting stuck:

And after all this he needs a nice long soak in a tub:

So yes, I DO have a lot of time on my hands these days!  Not sure what I'll do when it's no longer the holidays!  Is there a Valentine cupid I can hide and hang out with??!!

Time Flies

**Warning: Complete Randomness Ahead**

First of all, I can't believe it's already October.  I feel like yesterday we went to school Open House to meet the girls' teachers and now? We're knee deep in homework, routine and schedules, but we're in sync.

I wasn't so sure how all this Monday-Thursday single mom business would go, but we're running fairly smoothly if I do say so myself!  The trick?  Working ahead and organization.  And now your response should be "well, duhhhhh". 

I know, I know.  In my mind I'm completely organized and well prepared.  In reality?  Semi organized and prepared.  I like to procrastinate.  After 4 weeks I'm dedicated though and snacks, lunches, clothes and school paperwork are done the night before (yay me!).  Dinner?  One step at a time amigo; one step at a time.

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I've said it 1 million times, but I need to say it again:  I want time to stop so that these 2 will stop growing.

I love their ages, I love their personalities, I love how our family functions together, I am loving the "right now".  Things aren't roses and rainbows everyday, but we're in a good place and I love that place.

Ella came up last week looking like this and it took me straight back to 3-4 years ago:

The ponies askew, the princess dress up dress and sitting down to do some crafts.  This was the pony askewed little girl just 4 years ago.  Oh my aching heart.

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 We are down to less than 8 months until move day.  Still freaking out a little bit.  Still freaking out that the freaking out will reach radical levels. 

My current obsession?  How on Earth will I live without Target for 2 years?!  I'm being slightly flippant, but mostly not.  Yes, yes I know they have shopping so many other amazing things there.  What they don't have is a Target exactly 3 miles from my house.  I will be having withdrawals and will be sending friends and family on Target missions for me to send care packages.

Have a great Tuesday and send fall weather my way if you have some, will you?!!

What I'm Loving Today...

1.  New Ormolu.....Be still my little chevron beating heart!!  Kaitlin sent us images last week and I think it's safe to say the design team had to wipe the drool off our keyboards.  These new lines are simply amazing so run over to her shop and check out all the goodies!  I mean, fabric swatches?  Yes, please!!

Also, run over to Ali Edward's blog today for your chance to win a $30 gift certificate to the Ormolu shop.  I wish I could enter it myself because it's an awesome giveaway!  And don't forget all of her items are made from recycled materials, which makes me love them even more!

 

2.  Cute Skirts...Tis the summer season and cute, cute skirts!  I'm more of a skirt versus shorts person in the spring and summer and have a big, big weakness for them!  Insert the cute little shop, Ruche and well, it's all downhill from there.  I just got this one a few weeks ago and am already in love!

3.  Party Planning and Pretty Colors...  I'm not so great at the party planning, which is why the girls only get a "real" party every other year or so, but I'm finding my inner Martha and enjoying this one!  I think Pinterest has been an enormous help as well, so a big thank you to all that inspiration!  This past week I've been gathering materials and love this little bouquet that came together thanks to a milk glass and some Joann's pink flowers.

4.  New Purse in a Pretty Color...  So I finally broke down and bought my first non Kohl's/non Target purse last week.  I cautiously ventured into the Coach Outlet at our local mall and I'll be darned if the cute little Kathy didn't talk me into bring home this baby in this fun color:

I have to admit though that I'm kind of skeered to use now!  It's sitting in my closet and I'm hoping to bust it out next week and wrap it in a bubble!!

 

Hope you have a happy Saturday!  Can you believe Monday is August????  Where did the time go?!

End of an Era

Dear 1995 Toyota 4Runner (aka The Ghetto Sled),

You were our first major purchase as a married couple way back in 1998.  We had barely been married a year when you entered our lives.  We were so excited and thought we were some of the coolest people in Hubert, North Carolina driving around in our super cool Toyota with 12 disc CD changer.

We made too many trips to beach to count, with Joepa hanging her head out the rear window to slobber all over the vehicle behind us and scare the bejeezus out of them with her giant Shepherd head in their face. 

You lived through 2 giant German Shepherd beasts, 2 babies, 5 moves, 2 cross country trips, 5 deployments and 4 hurricanes.

You were slobbered in, spit up in, puked on, kicked, pretend driven, screamed in, sung in, and witnessed many a toddler fit.

You moved a fence post with your front bumper and have a scar to prove it; lived through the SLUG/carpool lot with an even bigger scar on your rear door and have a top so faded that quite frankly it's probably just embarrassing for you at this point.  You are officially a bald old man with a big belly.

During our time in Ohio you were nicknamed Yoda by my students and later nicknamed Ghetto Sled by Terry after your age started to show more and more.  It was in you that I had to then explain to an 8 year old what ghetto actually meant.

I was fearful you would be Maya's first driving experience and Terry was fearful you wouldn't be.  If it weren't for an upcoming move and lots of travel, I'm pretty sure you would have been!

You were loved.  Very, very loved and we'll miss you. 

Love, The Paustenbaughs

Always Late to the Party

I'm not really a go against the flow kind of gal.  I mean, I love pop culture, new products, etc.  Somehow I am late to lots of popular parties though and most times it's on purpose!  There seem to be certain popular things that I refuse to embrace until after EVERYONE has embraced it, then it's old hat.  I guess I feel like a rebel like that.  The kid in school with hair in my eyes that says "that's so lame".  Who knows.

I was late to the The Da Vinci Code many years ago, late to most movies, late to Facebook, and now late to the excellence known as the iPhone.

I have found the light and it is pretty!  I have been a long time Verizon customer since they pay my Mother in law's retirement and refused to switch.  Then iPhone finally came to Verizon and wouldn't you  know it?  Not up for upgrade.  Hhmpph.  FINALLY, I got an email that I was up for early upgrade and I casually walked   SPRINTED to the nearest Verizon store.  I think I was the easiest sale for the sales lady that morning.  She asked if I needed to look at it first to make sure I wanted it and I may or may not have cut her off and said "oh, I KNOW I want it".  Easy.

And since I'm late to iPhone, then I'm late to Hipstamatic and Instragram too and can I just say wow!  I have been having so much fun playing with these apps!  And luckily I always have a willing subject!

Seriously loving these apps and using them all the time!  Who knew the coolness?  Oh yeah, that's right, EVERYONE BUT ME BECAUSE I'M LAME!!!

So, I'm wasting inordinant amounts of time on it and will be late to any current parties going on in the world.  I'll see you in about 4-6 months when I finally show up!

Happy National Star Wars Day!

 

April Fun

I looked at my folder for April photos and noticed it is rather full, which is a wonderful thing.  I've heard other people mention it and I find it to be true too.  I take far fewer photos in the winter/blah months and it seems like once warm weather and longer days hit, then the camera is out all the time.

Maya took an interest in playing softball in the back yard about a year ago so we for her birthday we bought her a bat and ball set and it has definitely gotten lots of good use!  Now, it's not without saying, though, that Ella with a bat and hitting a ball in your direction to catch=a little bit scary.

And of course there is always time for posing because it is a pink bat you know!

 

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My sister-in-law and niece came to visit from Germany in April too and it was great to see them because it had been 5 years since our last visit.  The girls got along so great and enjoyed getting to know each other again. Our niece got to experience American school, which I'm sure was an ear and eye opener, ate Lucky Charms for breakfast and ate her weight in ice. She may need a 12 step program back in Germany when she has no ice again!

The girls are already making plans for a trip to Germany to see them.  Just have to get the little spazzy one old enough to sit tight for a 7 hour flight, so it could be a while!

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And now with May 1st, onto more fun and a bit of hysteria.  Just filled in my calendar last week with school events, etc. and Holy May!  Lots going on.  My days off will not be days off this month I fear!

Happy Sunday!

I Need a New Brain...and a Layout

I have some confessions to make:  I present well on the outside, but can sometimes be a mess on the inside.

There, it's out and I'm ready for a 12 step program.

So it's only fitting that I have an embarrassing story from Sunday, but you get the shortened version.  I know, I'm glad too.

So Sunday I ran the GW Parkway race (yay me!).  Great race and I ran with some great friends, which was even better. 

Afterward we were heading into DC with our visiting family to walk around and one of my friends said her dad has a fitness center/shower in his office building.  The key thing to remember here is that her dad is retired 3 Star General and former Assistant Commadant of the Marine Corps (in civilian speak:  former assistant grand poobah).  So naturally this makes my husband instantly anxious and squeamish because he is only used to presenting in front of generals and getting hammered with questions and criticism, not using their shower facilities!

So all goes well until we are heading home from a day in the city and I look for the keys to our other vehicle that I parked at my friend's house (general's daughter). 

Crap.  No where to be found.

So while my husband is now not speaking to me I call my friend and tell her I may have dropped them in the locker room, which just so happens to be 25 miles away-convenient.  I ask if her dad can look for them when he goes into work.

20 minutes later she calls back saying he went down there to look (my eyes get big with embarrasment), and that yes indeed they were there in the locker room (relief, but extreme embarrasment now). 

And the best part?  He'll sit and wait for me to drive up there to retrieve said lost keys (I'm pretty sure I wet myself with embarrasment at this point).  I ask Terry if he wants to go or wants me to go and I got the look of "OH HELL NO WOMAN."

I drive up sheepishly and crossing my fingers that in the coming years my husband's name doesn't pass his desk and he suggests that the Paustenbaugh family get transferred to Korea for 6 years.

Seriously.  I have no words for the embarrasment and the utter stupidity I felt.  He was so gracious, but I felt like I was 16 again and Dad had to bail me out of an embarrasing situation.  Imagine having your CEO leave his house on a Sunday and retrieve something you lost and spend 2 hours of his/her day helping you, the person working in the mail room.

Needless to say I'll still be hearing about this when my own husband retires.

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So now onto not so embarrasing things, but pretty things.

I recently got my hands on some Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe items and I absolutely love them!  I have already made 2 layouts and envision many more!  These basically made themselves and yes, I would marry Emma's Shoppe if I could.

I had been wanting to scrap these photos since last spring when I took them, but just wasn't sure how and with what papers to do them justice.  Well, I found it in this line of papers and happy to have them scrapped, my little free spirited daughter who keeps us on our toes and makes us sigh all at the same time!

 

And can you tell someone figured out how to use their sewing machine???!!!!  It's addicting.  And after one embarrasing story I won't tell you why I was having fits with it, it was 100% user error....

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Spring!!!!

Ah, the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and the children are prematurely wearing flip flops.  That means spring is here!  What a fantastic weekend and we were out to enjoy it and soak it up.

We donned the nubbs of sidewalk chalk (sshhh...the Easter Bunny always brings new!) to make signs for daddy on the driveway.  Maya could sit out for hours and draw-it's her thing.

And I always say I gave birth to part human and part monkey and now I have proof.  Seriously, she would climb buildings if allowed.

At the playground lots of parents sit and gasp at her antics and to me it's every day life.  My gray hair is plumb full, no more space for anymore.

We are loving that the windows are open and we can actually go outside after dinner instead of feeling like it's 10:00 at night.  And children being active after dinner?  A good night for mama!!  Boy did I miss the warm/nice weather.

Welcome back spring!

Come back tomorrow for a blog hop and giveaway from Scrapbooking From The Inside Out.

12 on the 12th gone wrong...

So I started off in January all gung ho about doing the 12 pictures on the 12th. 

Then came February and the 12th came and went with no pictures.  I think I remembered around the 18th-oops!

Then March came and I forgot until the afternoon-DOH!!  This is exactly why I can't do Project 365!  I forget, then I get stressed, then I have to slap myself and scream "IT ISN'T WORTH THE STRESS"!!!

So I bring you 8 on the 12th.  For all the math nerds out there I at least have a number divisable by 2, right?!!  Does that count for something?

 

1. 2. 3. 4.  5. 6. 7. 8.

1. Ella knows her way around the computer at the age of 6 better than many grandparents do! Her current favorite website is Brain Pop Jr.   2. I'm doing this race and NEEDED to get out and do a couple of longer runs.  Made it out this past Saturday and actually felt good going 7 miles!  3. This is love/hate for me.  I love it that they spent their Saturday morning playing so well together, but the aftermath? Well, took some time to get that all cleaned up!  4. Finally some warm weather, which means playing outside with friends at the playground.  5. Also getting my craft on and continuing to use up old supplies while more new ones are coming in! FINALLY getting the hang of this card thing I think!  6. Decisions, decisions. Money burning a hole in your pocket, plus a trip to Target=lots of fun with a new toy!  7. I have been sitting through many a fashion show recently and this girl might be the next Cindy Crawford. I mean, look at those moves!  8. It's not Project Runway unless you have some judges standing by to give critique and scores!

Happy Monday everyone!

 

March Is Here

I have a love/hate relationship with March.

Love - More warm days than not       

Love - Flowers start to bloom and the smells are awesome

Love - More daylight

Hate - Random 30 degree days (like yesterday)

Hate - The yard looks beautiful and pathetic all at the same time with the new mixed in with the dead.

Hate - In terms of a school employee it is hands down the longest month of the entire school year: no holidays (Spring Break is in April) and the students seem to hit their all time high of crazy in March.

But, onward and forward because time moves way too fast these days.  Terry and I were watching The Kids Are All Right earlier this week and the end made us a little weepy.  Maya looks similar to the girl in the movie and when they dropped her off at college we both looked at each other and Terry said "That is going to be a hard thing to do".  And I reminded him it will go by in the blink of an eye-literally.  So there is no wishing away of time over here!

In the non sappy arena, March ushered in a new Scrapstreet Issue!  This month my article focused on punches and the submissions didn't disappoint!  Go on over and take a look.  I also had the opportunity to work with some awesome Zva Creative goodies.  I have never worked with their products before and I'm not sure why-I had lots of fun!  

My fellow SFTIO designer and friend is having a fun giveaway on her blog today!  It's her 1000th post so she's doing it up right with some prizes!  Go on over and have a visit.

And my final piece of randomness. I'm trying my hardest to use up some older supplies.  I'm quite literally getting buried.  I'm not complaining because I work for some amazing companies that are beyond generous, but my half of a wall for a scrapspace is just not doing it.  So, into the stash I'm trying to go!  I made this card for an aunt with some old Jillibean Soup I had in my stash.  Still love these red letter stickers though-some of my favorites.

Have a great weekend!