The big FIVE O

Michael Jackson is turning 50?!?!? I don't know why that sounds weird to me but it does. I was in 8th grade when Thriller came out. I used to go over to my friend Maureen's house to watch the video after school (which she had purchased over the phone to own using hard earned babysitting money!) I am only a slightly embarrassed to share that I had THIS poster hanging on my closet door (which I purchased at Spencer Gifts btw) Michael has gotten a little eccentric these days - I heard he has a son named Blanket - but nobody and I mean nobody can deny the awesomeness of Off the Wall and Thriller!

Ohhh I just remembered an oldie but goodie... gets me cutting a rug every time! The special effects are funny. Don't blame it the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame on the good times.....

Hope you all have a great long Labor Day Weekend! I'll be working on our fall line and hope to have some pics to share sometime next week! xo, Brie

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmm, I guess that's me- not quite, but if they say so! I'll take this over Hasellhoff anyday! Thanks for the fun game One Fabulous Mom! xo, Brie

You Are Marcia Brady

Confident yet kind. Popular yet down to earth. You're a total dream girl. You've got the total package - no wonder everyone's a little jealous of you.

What Brady Are You?

Trip to Disney World

We are in the middle of planning a trip to Disney in Orlando sometime this fall. Ms. C just turned 4 and is totally into all the characters so the timing is just right. I know there are lots of sites with tips etc but I am reaching out to you guys to see if you have any family friendly (4 kids ages - 11,9,8 and 4) hotels, sites, tips, recommended length of stay, etc etc etc. Also - Animal Kingdom - yay or nay? Any and all input is appreciated! xo, Brie

Don't Hassle the Hoff!

If anyone needs me I will be locked in my room sobbing with a box a kleenex! Ok, I fully admit the picture I submitted of myself is insane, but David Hasselhoff? That's hurtful, mean celebrity machine. Have you ever seen a more random mix of celebrities to look like? As mad as I am at this, I can't stop laughing at it. That picture of poor Chelsea is a doozy too....thanks to Country Girl and My Heritage for this wondeful self esteem boost! Ha! xo, Brie

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

A Few Good Finds!

A few shopping finds worth sharing....

First up are Caroline's adorable madras birthday thank you notes I got from English Tea Paperie (camera battery is charging up so I'll try to post a pic later) They are a great size and weight, super cute personalization in my favorite madras plaid. Set of 12 notecards for 14.50!



Our "World's Greatest Dad" mouse pad that Kev got for Mr. KB for Christmas a few years ago had seen better days and was becoming sharp and dangerous so I picked up this little beauty on etsy from seller Makefuncrafts . It is making me so happy to look at everytime I am down on the computer, so I would say that was money well spent!



Last but not least, check this out! Another awesome etsy find by seller blissbyheather! Where were these when I was in high school? I think something that doubles as super cute and functional is always a winner in my book!

what is this you wonder?

It's pure genius I tell you! Happy Tuesday :) xo, Brie

PS In case you are wondering... I never found my get up and go last night and passed on the fun MTV party :( I just didn't have it in me last night. I did Tivo the show though and look forward to checking it out today!

We're back!

We had a great vacation in Frankfort, Kentucky with stops at Hershey Park and West Virginia along the way! I am completely overwhelmed being back - although it is nice to be home. My to do list includes going though mail and email, grocery store, school supplies, and figuring out my oldest daughter Kay's new middle school schedule which I am finding harder to decipher than the Davinci Code! That and laundry, laundry, laundry! Good times over here! Looking forward to catching up with all my favorite blogs that I've been missing while away. xo, Brie

This WILL be me at Staples later this week btw



My friend E invited me to a party tonight in the city and I graciously declined b/c I am a slug. Her niece has produced a new reality show for MTV called Exiled and it premiers tonight at 10:30. The premise of the show is they take some the privileged boys and girls from My Super Sweet Sixteen and whisk them off to remote locations of the world to see how other less privileged countries live. On second thought, I may have to go to this party! I just wish it were tomorrow!! Stay tuned :)

Back To School Give Away!

Keeks and Brie have teamed up with The Write Gal for a back to school braided headband giveaway. Christy runs a great blog over there with lots of super neat finds! Do stop by and comment for your chance to win :) Contest ends 8/27 - good luck! xo, Brie

http://thewritegal.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/the-perfect-back-to-school-headband/

Little Uni

I am delighted to share some indie finds and Little Uni is a great one! They specialize in adorable personalized children and baby apparel. I think the aesthetic is so sweet and they have become my "go to" for baby gifts! The price point is perfect and the customer service and turnaround time is exceptional.

One of my best buds E just had a baby girl 2 weeks ago and I got her a long sleeved pink onesie for the fall. Pardon the poor quality of the pic... but isn't this sweet? They have tons of appliques to choose from and one is cuter than the next. You can have them personalized too! Simplistically fantastic! xo, Brie

Have a great weekend!! See you Monday where I'll be back "live" :D

Currently Coveting

These..... xo, Brie

http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7407557/color/9

My first Concert

Kay was fortunate enough to be invited by one her best buds to see the Jonas Brothers in concert this past Thursday night. It was quite the big deal!! This was actually her second concert because she accompanied me to see The Spice Girls back in Feb.

To say she loved the concert would be an understatement.

This got me thinking about MY first concert ever - I was 14, it was 1985 and my dad took my friend Katie and I to see Corey Hart's Boy in the Box tour. Remember him? I wear my sunglasses at night..... When I look back at some of my celebrity crushes I often cringe, but I've got to say - I was right on with Corey Hart. He's cute! Let's see if we can say the same for the Jonas' in 20 years!

As opposed to these guys (who I also loved at the time.....)

Dudes look like a lady, no? ;)

Finally for your listening and viewing pleasure... I give you the power ballad Never Surrender, excuse me while I go look for a lighter to hold up. xo, Brie

What I'm currently reading

as I vacation! In the event that you are interested :)

This (awesome)



and this (seriously, it's good!! While I don't have any current aspirations to become a hip hop star, I am seriously reconsidering it now)


Peace out, Brie

Ebay Monday

Who doesn't love and remember Strawberry Shortcake? She's back by the way and my Ms. C is completely in to them along with My Little Pony.

I don't remember this little lady named Banana Twirl - I think she came on the scene late in the series. If you happen to have one kicking around your old toy box, please dust her off and spiff her up. She goes for serious coin on ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/WOW-STRAWBERRY-SHORTCAKE-BANANA-TWIRL-BERRYKIN-MIB_W0QQitemZ160270552234QQihZ006QQcategoryZ84640QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

We're Outta Here!

All six of us are hopping in the minivan and heading south to Kentucky to visit Mr. KB's extended family. While I AM looking forward to seeing everyone, I am NOT looking forward to the 12 hour ride. I have the ipod nice and loaded with good tunes and we have several movies and game cube too to entertain the kids.

I have no doubts that Kev will be singing along to "drinking whiskey out the bottle, not thinkin bout tomorrow, singing sweet home alabama all summer long" How do I know this you wonder? I know this because he horrified me by singing it on the way home from Cape Cod. You should note though, that it didn't horrify me to the point of turning off that song.... no can do, I LOVE that song :)

I'll still be blogging though via the Scheduled Poster - it's a beautiful thing! xo, Brie

An Open Letter to the Grape King

Your grapes are deeeelicious, but you my friend.....

are positively FRIGHTENING! xo, Brie

Quilting Mag

Hey, hey, hey..... first "scheduled" post here... feeling so organized and in a word - proud :)


We have a lot of talented crafty people in our family!! I would like to introduce you to my Aunt Margaret (or Grammy Maggie as my kids call her even though she isn't their grammy :)

She is an excellent seamstress and has a special talent for creating all kinds of things but especially for making quilts.

Quilting is hard - in addition to have a solid knowledge in cutting, sewing, and color selection, math skills are also seriously required. There is a lot of measuring, angles and calculating involved, which is good news for Grammy Maggie because she used to be a high school math teacher!

We have been lucky enough to receive some beautiful quilts from her, the kids sleep with them at night and I recently won a Christmas hanging she made in a raffle at a ladies luncheon last week - yahoo, I love to win!! This measures approx 11x14 to hang on the wall for the holidays.

My parents have several displayed throughout their house on the Cape and I took some pics before I left so you can see too!

I love these block styles and my picture just doesn't do it justice. Every other square on the quilt is hand embroidered with different types of "berries" (bayberry, blueberry) and the in between squares are a pretty green toile. The center of the quilt is an adorable purple hat adorned with one of her famous yo-yos which I love!

This mermaid hanging is my all time favorite. First for the subject matter (it's no secret that I have a thing for mermaids) I also love the use of all different kinds of fabric. It gives it a real interesting folky look. This is a mermaid with character and personality! LOVE her!





A beautiful star design in fun bright colors all in batik hangs in the hallway leading up to my parents room. It is really striking against the white wall!

I really love this one too! This one hangs in their dining room. They change this one a lot based on the season. They have a great Christmas red and green one and a fall Thanksgiving one that they switch out for the holidays. I love looking closely at the fabrics she chooses. I recognize a lot of them from my endless trips to the fabric store, but they take on a new life when worked into a quilting pattern.

I do not have the patience nor the skill to create any masterpieces like this. I am sure you will agree they are stunning! If for some reason you don't, we'll just have to channel our old Aunt Hat for the perfect response (that's an inside joke for Grammy Maggie) xo, Brie

Scheduled Posts??

I am just learning now that I can SCHEDULE a post for the next day? Are you kidding me??? I can't believe it took me 8 months to figure this out. I think I'm what they call a "quick study". Do you know that I seriously thought all you early bloggers were up at the crack of dawn, fully loaded with coffee and writing witty stories before the sun was up? Oh well, better late than never! I think I'll start taking advantage of this pronto! xo, Brie

Parting Gift

I mentioned in an earlier post that I like to leave something funny behind for my parents to find after I leave the Cape. I fully admit that this is not my best work - I usually try to hide things a little more skillfully. Time was tight and I couldn't resist putting this particular subject right out in the open for full display.

Sources tell me he has already been spotted and *gasp* thrown in the trash? Never fear, he's been rescued!! xo, Brie

Wii Fit Withdrawal

We got my sister a Wii fit for her birthday and have been playing it for the last week or so up at the Cape. It is so fun - I am determined to find one for myself! Instead of putting away laundry like I should be doing, I am scouring the area for Wii Fit. There are none in sight but there are lots of rude Walmart workers who do not appear to have time to answer my many questions regarding when it will be here. They don't seem to care that I am on a quest to improve my physical fitness.

Maybe it's a blessing because if I had one, I'd really be getting nothing done (other than trying to beat the current hula hoop record)! Poor me :( xo, Brie

I DID notice a ton of ebay sellers with a TON of wii fits for sale - naturally at an inflated price.

I do believe they are the reason for the shortage - they are buying them all up. BOOOOOOOOO

Back in Jersey

Yesterday we said goodbye to Cape Cod for the summer :( It was hard to leave, the summer could not have been better! We had a great drive and made perfect time, didn't hit any traffic at all which is always a bonus.


I am in a huge mess here and have to spend the next couple of days getting things together. Unpacking and laundry and more unpacking and laundry. Organization has never been a strong suit for me. Many people make resolutions at the start of the calendar year, but I am more motivated by the start back to school so I am in the process of making lists and trying to get my act together. Remember that clean slate feeling at the beginning of each school year? That's where I am at!


It is always hard to say goodbye to the Cape, but at the same time it feels good to be home. I'll leave you with some word fun summarizing our summer with some Wordle fun! Why it is the size of a postage stamp, I cannot say. Give me time as I ease back into regular blogging! If you click on it you can see it enlarged :) xo, Brie

Impressive Cakes!

I mentioned in my last post that Keeks has a real talent for cake decorating! We had two August birthdays here and she made both of the cakes.

Here is an awesome sandcastle cake that she made for our sister Caitlin. The pan she used was kind of like a bundt pan with sandcastle detailing and shape.

First she made a large, flat sheet cake and decorated it frosting topped with sugar for the sand and that pretty rock sugar (my mom got it in England on a trip) for the water.

She piped in all the details with a fine tip. A labor intensive process!

Then she filled in all between the lines with a tiny star tip.

f

Here is the finished product! We all helped out with making the decorations with fondant (purchased at Walmart believe it or not!) It was really fun to make them. Keely also filled in with some chocolate shells and paper umbrellas. It was a really stunning cake and was also delicious! Here she is working on Ms C's 4 tiered birthday cake. We bought 4 cake pans in different sizes (10 inch, 8 inch, 6 inch, and 4 inch). The little balls and stars are make out of the fondant (which are edible but we really only use them for decoration because we don't love the way they taste). Caroline chose chocolate cake with vanilla butter cream frosting.

My mom found the cutest candles (on the cupcakes) with silver stars on the top - they were perfect! For the base, Keely wrapped a piece of foam board with wrapping paper. I thought that was a great idea and made it easy to move to another location!

Thank you Keely for the beautiful cakes :) xo, Brie

Birthday Party

Yesterday Ms. C turned 4!!! There were unicorns and pretty ponies everywhere you looked. I got her this cute hooded towel at the Falmouth Craft Fair in July. I couldn't find a card anywhere in the bag - I'd love to give this company a plug b/c it is so cute and really well made. If anyone knows who made this - please send it along!




Her BEAUTIFUL my little pony cake made by Aunt Keely. She is a cake decorating whiz (more on that in a future post)

Here it is up close

Then a dance party broke out

with lots of twirls

and the worm

and the splits??? These boys sure know how to tear up the dance floor! Ladies look out!

Happy 4th Birthday Ms. C! I love you :) xo, Mom

Ebay Tuesday :)

We loved this game! You would make a pineapple out of play dough and that would be your playing piece. If somebody landed on your square color you go to smush their piece with the Hawaiian Punch guy! Good times :) xo, Brie

Available here cheap!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1978-Hawaiian-Punch-Board-Game-Complete-LOOK_W0QQitemZ150277738867QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item150277738867&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1318

A little Tour

I cannot believe we are already into August here! It has been a beautiful summer here on the Cape. I love my parents house and yard. My dad has a real green thumb which I sadly did not inherit. I know a good looking yard when I see one though ;) He even won an award last year from the Falmouth garden club for this great looking yard. He spends a lot of time in the yard and it shows! Here are a few pics... xo, Brie

fragrant white Casablanca lilies and morning glory.

a row double impatiens

crazy face tree with 2 swings

A closer look - he really cracks me up

Here is one swing that crazy tree holds. My dad burned all the grandchildren's names in the wood. There is room for more, but they won't be from me :)

Pink roses and white cleomes along the fence

Little garden sitting area with a circular stone patio my dad built. My grandfather built the birdhouse!