Pics from Portrait Innovations

These are the pics from Portrait Innovations last weekend...

Enjoy!

Some pics

Despite my protestations, it's happening. My baby girl is growing up. She has discovered (oh the horrors!)...the phone...

It's also getting to be that time...Christmas! Early bird that I am, I got a head start on my Christmas cards last week. I always try to take advantage of Winkflash's 40% off sale in October/ early November - ordered my photo cards for 23 cents each! Woot! I was bummed to see that I somehow blurred them a little (not the photo, when I made the cards, but it's not too bad).

Anyway, here are some pics from our Christmas photo session...

Last weekend we had family photos done. I haven't scanned them in yet, but as soon as I do, I will post them. I thought the pic turned out nicely. We also had a pic to commemorate Lucy's first bday. I can't believe it will be here so soon!

This weekend is the Festival of Trees...we've never gone before but I've heard wonderful things so we're planning to take the kids...and lots of pics!

Busy little bee

These are two custom knits. Both are size mediums.

Election Day Trauma

What is a good childhood without some good old fashioned trauma?

As in, Mom and Dad say we're going to go vote. We load up, we drive down the block to the polls (which just so happen to be right next to a lake), we vote, and we head home. And then the 2.5 year old loses it when he figures out we're heading home.

Why?

Because he thought we were going on a boat.

Oops.

Toby no tail!

Last night, Toby's bedtime story was "Guess How Much I Love you", a story about a daddy hare and little hare. About 3/4 the way through the book, Toby spreads his legs and starts poking around. Puzzled, we stopped and I asked what he was doing...he looked at me and replied, "Toby no tail!" So we've established that he does not have a tail. And in case you were wondering, he's also informed me that Daddy does not have a tail, Lucy does not have a tail, and Mommy does not have a tail. But Lex has one, as do the fish.

Last night was a new first for Toby - he jumped with both feet off the floor! For months now he's thought he was jumping, but it was really a funny sort of hop, with one foot always on the ground. But he was convinced he was doing it and neither Curtis nor I had the heart to tell him that it was not, indeed, a true jump. But last night (apparently inspired by the hares in the story), he took to jumping, and they truly were jumps! Go Toby Go!

Curtis's car has a flat so we need to take care of it today. Luckily, his class today was cancelled so that gives us a few days to take care of it before he needs to drive to Raleigh again...which means he's not leaving me stranded without a car! Yay!

The fish were moved last night and seemed thrilled with their new tank setup. I'll have to get pics soon and post.

Happy Monday to all!
Chel

Oreo Balls

Back by popular request...the recipe for Oreo Balls!

Oreo Truffle Bombs
This recipe makes a mixture of crushed Oreo cookies and cream cheese balls which are dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with dark (or semi-sweet) chocolate.-->-->
Ingredients:-->-->
8 ounces cream cheese, softened-->-->
1 (16 ounce) package Oreo cookies (may use Mint Oreo cookies, instead)-->-->
White chocolate, best quality (four Baker’s brand packages)-->-->
Dark or semi-sweet chocolate, best quality (two Baker’s brand packages)-->-->
(Optional: peppermint flavoring, up to 1 teaspoon or ½ teaspoon vanilla)-->-->
Directions:-->-->
Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. -->-->
With a mixer, blend cookie powder, cream cheese until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese). -->-->
Add mint or vanilla flavorings if desired. Mix thoroughly. -->-->
Roll into tablespoon-sized balls (or egg shapes) and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. -->-->
Refrigerate for 45 minutes, to firm.-->-->
Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. -->-->
Roughly chop white chocolate and melt in a double-boiler, over medium/low heat. (or you can use a metal bowl to put the chocolate in, placed over boiling water in a smaller pot, if you don’t have a double-boiler).-->-->
Add food coloring if desired, and stir in.-->-->
Dip ball / egg-shape and coat thoroughly. -->-->
With slotted spoon, lift ball / egg out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. -->-->
Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet. -->-->
In separate double boiler, melt dark chocolate (or milk chocolate). -->-->
Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over ball / egg. -->-->
Let cool. -->-->
Store in airtight container, in refrigerator. -->-->
Other options:-->-->
-Add green, blue or red food coloring to make pastel colored eggs for Easter. Top with a jellybean. -->-->
-You can also add the mint or vanilla flavoring to the mixture.-->-->
-Instead of dipping egg into chocolate, chop the chocolate up into fine pieces and roll the egg in it for a “crumb shell”.-->-->

Of Trick Or Treating, Rearranging Furniture, and Broken Toes

Or, our Halloween weekend, revisited. :) It's been a busy week!

Last Sunday we went to the zoo for their Halloween celebration. It was uber-cute, with tons of free games for the kids to play (beanbag games, etc), a magician, a clown, a costsume contest, and of course, the animals! It was a gorgeous day to visit the zoo, and we had a lovely time.

Toby and Lucy on the stump at the zoo

Toby as a scarecrow!

Lucy was pooped :)

Toby throwing beanbags

A friend of mine owns Alexia Jean and makes hairbows and all sorts of beautiful things. She and I did a swap last week - I made her a knitted cardigan for her daughter and she sent some gorgeous bows for Lucy! Here's one -

We tried pigtails last week for the first time! TO DIE FOR. Don't you just want to squeeze her?

And finally, the big Trick or Treat night. We went out last night around the neighborhood. This was Toby's first year trick or treating and he was practically drunk from the sugar fumes...before he'd eaten any! He had a blast... I think he wanted to go again tonight :)

And here he is with his Halloween loot

Last week after the zoo we came home and Curtis and I got to talking about the way our living room is organized. We've been tossing the idea of a reorganization around for about 6 months or so but the idea of moving the fish tank was so daunting that we just couldn't commit. I don't know if it was boredom or what, but we figured out what we wanted and put the plan into place. As of now (Saturday night), every piece of furniture in our living room has been moved to a new location (except the dining room table and china hutch). It looks great and makes the room appear so much larger! All that's left now is getting the fish back into their tank, but that's not happening until tomorrow, and then I'll take pics. I love the new setup though!

And today we had just put our bookshelf (the last piece) into place and I started loading it with books....and managed to walk into the wall. I think I broke a toe...since it's a minor extremety (whoever decided this must NOT have had a broken toe) there's nothing anyone could do for it anyway, but it still HURTS. It's a lovely shade of purple and hurts to high heaven if I move it. Which for some reason draws the kids in like little sharks...they have never shown much interest in my toes until I tell them they need to stay away from mommy's toes! Since they are finally in bed, I am heading to the couch to prop up my leg for a bit with a new knitting project.

Hopefully I will be back soon with pics of healthy fish in their new location!

Night!

Chel