Highly Entertaining....

So. This list pretty much sums up my Sunday. It was fantastic. Erin and I spent most of the day lounging around, lazing in the pool, drinking a few beers and the worlds most delicious mudslides. EVER.

I'll embellish a little...

Erin and I were in my pool by 11 am. We floated around for a while, sharing WAY to funny stories from the weekend and beyond, and tried to get Belle to jump in the pool. Not-so-much about that, but I can tell you she'll be doggie-paddling by the end of the summer, 'cause she was one hot little dog!

Did I mention that Erin drove her 'vette to my house? This provided a wonderful "Thelma and Louise" type ride to our next venue, The Chart Room in Cataumet. The ride was pretty sweet, aside from dodging all the freaking Cicadas with her t-tops off. Erin has never been to the Chart Room, and we pretty much decided that we are going to spend every afternoon for the rest of the summer there, drinking mudslides and giggling like crazy. Oh, we're also going to invest in sunscreen, because we both got WAY too much sunshine. Right now I feel like the skin on my face is stretched as tight as the nylons I tried to wear for Jessica's wedding last year. Ugh.

I had seriously only had about 6 sips of my mudslide when we realized neither of us had eaten a thing all day, and the sunshine/pool water/beverage combo was making us a *little* tipsy ;) We placed an emergency call to Bobio to meet us at the Chart Room for lunch, and all was right with the world.

Oh, there *might* have been some texting and/or calling of the store to check on the progress of the Tim Holtz classes (but most certainly NOT for the purpose of rubbing it in to the girls at the store that we were basking in the sun, on the water, dringing frosty beverages).

Too bad Tessa can't drive ;)

Anyway, we finally made our way inside for much-needed burgers and Bobio enjoyed a cardboard-encased stuffed quahog. As we were getting ready to leave, the sky looks like it is going to open up and downpour.... and Erin left the t'tops at home. So much for our plan to hop back in the pool and rock the BBC later on :(

All in all, aside from the WICKED sun burns we both have, I have to say the day was freaking fantastical. Erin has toastytits and my arms and forehead are probably gonna fall off, but it was worth it!

If you're ever in my area **coughcoughBREANNEcoughcough** we'll SO hit up the Chart Room and have the best day ever. I'm just saying.

P.S. That last picture of Belle? It pretty much sums up how I felt last night. I had big plans to stitch up a couple of new bags, but instead I made a bowl of popcorn and drank 57 glasses of water while I watched I don't even remember what. Peace to the o-u-t.

oh, tim holtz.

What better souvenir to give a visiting artist than an authentic Cape Cod Lobster? Oh, and by "authentic" I definately mean "plastic lobster purchased at seedy convenience store for $2.99". Yep, this is the way I say "thanks for hanging at our store and teaching way coolio projects to a bajillion people" to Mr. T!m Holtz himself. While I hear I missed a killer Saturday night fiesta with Tim, Mario, Shurk and Erin, I think it's safe to say he'll always remember that i was the one who gave him crabs ;)

**edited to add**

What was T!m's reaction to this little gifty? Well, we placed it on a storage bin he was getting kits out of for his next class, so he would find it "accidentally".

By "accidentally, I mean Shurkus was standing in the middle of the studio with her camera ready to capture the action ;)

ANyway, he walked back to the bin to continue his work and saw the lobsta and just stopped. He picked it up and said "seriously?". Yep. We *totally* blindsided him with this one. He said it will have a special place in his studio when he gets home... and he'll never be able to forget that he gor crabs at our store :P

sunshine and rainbows

Over the last week, we have been experiencing some pretty random thunderstorms here on the Cape. On Tuesday night, while working at the BBC, another flash stom hit. Torrential downpours for about 15 minutes (?) then bright sunshine again. As we looked out the restaurant windows overlooking Falmouth Heights beach (towards Martha's Vineyard), there was a GINORMOUS rainbow. A DOUBLE rainbow. A COMPLETE rainbow.

A ton of people emptied out from the dining room, me included ;) I only had my baby fuji camera with me (don't leave home without it!), so the pics I was able to get aren't the greatest. The rainbow was MASSIVE... it really looked like it originated from a point on the Vineyard and "ended" on a huge house at the end of Falmouth Heights Beach... guess there's gotta be a pot of gold involved somewhere to afford a house that size ;)

Just thought I'd share a little *sunshine and rainbows* with blogland today :D

...and speaking of sunshine and rainbows, lookie lookie what came in the mail for me yesterday?!

card reads: in my imaginary neighborhood you live right next door... don't even get me started on the imaginary universe we could create. (thanks for making my real life sparkle)

Oh, seriously Breanne!!! I think this is one of the most appropriate cards I have ever received in my entire life, and that includes all the mushy i-love-you-more-than-there-is-sand-on-the-beach cards from Bobio (and there have been lots of those). We should totally be neighbors, a la Mr. Rogers. Love you, girlie!!

thanks for the ASSistance

 Dear Erin,

Thanks a lot for helping me photog my current batch of bags for my ETSY shop.

I really think the two middle fingers really accent the colors on the bag.

And it also says "buy this bag, or i'll STICKLES you up, fo sho".

I think it's totally professional, and a great marketing idea.

Love, M

did you just tell the dog to get off your grill?

This post is brought to you by the letters "E" and "B" and by thee number 847 (because that's how many reasons we figure that Shurkus will NEVER have children...).

So we had a little soiree at my house Sunday evening... and pretty much decided it needs to happen EVERY WEEK. While we all had a fabulous time watching the kiddos splash in the pool, and let Belle get all frenchy-kissy with everyone, and the food was deeeeeeeeeeeeeelish, the highlight of the night was Bobio. MOS DEF.

I'm telling you, the boy is stickles funny. As in, he often has NO idea he's funny. He thinks he's being serious, or that he is being laughed at for no reason, but it's just that he is so easy to laugh at. Give the boy a couple (or seventeen) drinks and he's a regular laugh-riot. He starts doing this aggressive leaning thing where every time he makes a statement he smacks his hands on the table and leans in to you while he's talking. He doesn't believe he actually does this. Well, he didn't believe ME when I told him he did it, but o think he kinds got the hint when Shurkus asked if he needed a seatbelt for his chair ;)

He is *highly entertaining* ;)

That and he pretty much creamed his pants when Erin pulled up to our house in her 'vette. For real. He is obsessed with her car, and is soooooooooooo regretting getting rid of his (not-as-cool) vette a few years ago. Poor Bobio. Erin so kindly allowed him to take her car for a spin around the block, and by "around the block" I clearly mean "to the liquor store" to procure a second bottle of Malibu. Now Erin can say that she and Bobio went to *Three Way* in her Vette ;) Seriously, have I ever mentioned how freaking STICKLES funny I think it is that my local package store is called *Three Way Liquors*??!!

Oh, anyway....

Thats all I got for now. Really there were many hysterical moments that I could recount to you from Sunday, but I can't think of ANY that are appropriate to share with all of blog land... especially NOT the one where ... oops :P

p.s. is it just me, or do Erin and Bobio look like they could secretly be the same person? Erin just has waaaaaaaaaaay more hair on her nugget, and Bobio has waaaaaaaaaaay more grey hairs ;)

p.p.s. hey Erin and Er, I TOTALLY caught Shurk sticking her breasties out at me today. Didn't she say she doesn't do stuff like that?!?!? pssssht.

then everyone would be in love with me?

it's griff's last day of school. my ten year old will be eleven in a month. then he'll be in the sixth grade. holy crap.

alison is in love with my mom. well, gossiping with my mom. methinks this shall lead to afternoons on my deck drinking arbor mist while the kiddos cause a ruckus in the pool.

i need boxes. perferably of the free variety. boxes that are large enough to ship pretty purses that i make and sell to other people who would appreciate receiving them in decent condition. i have really big boxes, and i have really small boxes. i don't have the in-between kind of box. i need two. now.

i need to get my lazy ass off the freaking computer and get some crap done today.

i need to pick up griff's inhaler at school today "or it will be destroyed" (said in my best robotic voice). p.s. i HATE the school nurse. she's pretty much the meanest lady on the face of the earth.

i need to make class samples. like, four of them. ugh.

i need to meet bre at a seedy hotel and have a lunch-break quickie, 'cause apparently that's how we roll. yes, we have taken our relationship to the next level, which means we talked on the phone. once. but it was for like 18 minutes. it was actually two separate phone calls, because my reception crapped out half way through the convo and i called her right back. i guess that *technically* means we have talked on the phone TWICE. everyone knows that if you call someone for a non-business related issue that you're real friends. obvs.

operation: stop being a fat ass is underway (again). i'm really not sure how thats gonna work when i start my morning off with a couple of pop tarts, and a fabulous-o cookout is planned for sunday. hmmmmmmmm........

i wish i was an oscar mayer weiner, that is what i'd really like to be.

i'm thinking that insteasd of dropping f*bombs all the time, i'm just going to substitute the word "stickles". for example: "erin, why are you so f*cking stickles crazy al the time?" hmmmmm......

happy weekend y'all.

more lovelies (and a random story?)

I've been on a roll lately with the stitchery thing... I've actually formulated a "design regimen" that allows me to get MORE bags completed in LESS time. How 'bout that? These little darlings were thrown together between Saturday night (phase one) and Sunday morning (phase deux). I'm really happy with the way they turn out... the freedom to pick and choose from my stash of fabrics and whip wogether a little piece of cottony-goodness is so cool.

They have been listed in my ETSY shop.

In other *lovely* news, I was able to attend my cutie-pie friend Jessica's baby shower on Saturday (thanks, er!)...

Jessica is about 6 weeks away from welcoming baby Ella into the world. I am so happy for Jessica and David to become parents... I can't wait to bring over drum sets and barbie shoes and playdough for little Ella to torment her mom and dad with ;) While I *love* Jess with all my heart, I don't want to be anywhere NEAR that delivery room. I'll probably be able to hear her screaming at my house all the way from the hospital in P*rock. She'll be *freaking out* for sure, but I have NO DOUBTS that she will have a safe and healthy delivery that will produce a beautiful baby girl. I'll just plan to visit the hospital the *next* day ;)

One final *random* musing to share with you...

Sometimes I wonder about people, and by "people", I clearly mean customers at the restaurant. Last night I was accosted by a woman who thought it was imperatively important that I know she had a gift card, which she waved in my face as soon as I walked to the table to greet her. "I have a gift card! It says it's good here! So I'm going to use it!" Um, no problem-o. Thats what they're for, my dear. Carry on with your order.

She ordered a drink (passion fruit bay breeze....YUM YUM YUM), but didn't think she would be able to walk out of the restaurant if she consumed the whole thing (16 oz... which seriously isn't a whole lot when you consider 85% of the drink is ice, pineapple and cranberry juice), so I used my *waitress magic* and ordered her a 12 ounce version. Woah, nelly.

I brought the smaller drink, which she drained in .005 seconds.

She ordered dinner, and asked what her side dish options were. I rattled off the list, twice, and her husband just sat there, shaking his head. While she was thinkning about what the perfect accompaniment to grilled swordfish would be, he asks for another beer and orders Shephards Pie (YUM again). She asks me again to list he  options, and stops me at grilled fingerling potatoes. "What exactly are those?" she asks. Husband rolls eyes. I say (rather slowly) "well, they are fingerling potatoes, and they are grilled". I even demonstrated with my fingers the approzimate size/shape of the potatoes. She says "Well, I know what fingerling potatoes are, I just wanted to knw how they were cooked"

She ordered the potatoes. She cleaned her plate. They left.

Seriously. I'm all about making sure people get what they want. Really. Ask anybody who works in the kitchen and they'll tell you I drive them crazy with special requests. I am also the type of person who has to know what is in the such-and-such sauce that goes with the pasta before I order it, because if it is fishy/smelly/looks like a mushroom, I won't eat it. I don't fault people for asking questions, I do it all the time. But if the menu says "grilled fingerling potatoes", and the waitress says (THREE times) "grilled fingerling potatoes", and you know what "fingerling potatoes" are (and I think it is safe to assume that at least 99% of people who eat/cook/go to restaurants are aware of what a "grill" is and how it operates) would you still want to know how those GRILLED fingerling potatoes are cooked?

Ugh.

I finished my night off sitting at the bar with a delightful chicken quesidilla (NO funky sauce and/or onions, please) and dos bud lights with a few of the girls. Fab.u.lous. ;)

hey daddy-o

Happy Father's Day to my dad and my Bobio! I tried to find a good picture of my dad, but I really don't have any :( These pics are from a fishing trip the boys went on last year (?)... Griff caught the bass and Bobio hooked that dinky little sunfish ;) No doubt my dad was the baiter-of-hooks and unhooker-of-fishes, because I KNOW Bobio and Griff are SO not all about that...

I remember so many fishing trips with my dad and KP when I was growing up... I was once banned from dangling my hook over the edge of the boat, watching the little sunfishies swallow the hook because it took so much time to set them free again... dad decreed that if I was going to catch fish like that, I was going to take them off the hook myself {{insert pouty face here}}. I'm pretty sure that was the point in the day I decided it would be a good idea to go swimming ;)

I remember my dad wearing flannel shirts and Hanes tshirts and carrying a hankie. I remember sitting on the "bucket" in the middle of the work van, on our way to a side job eating salt and vinegar potato chips. I remember bike rides and walks and horsie sticks. I remember Willie Nelson and wooden wheels and decorating lighters with shiny silver stars. I remember "yard sales" and ker-plunks and reading books before bed. I remember stealing those flannel shirts during my high school years and counting on dad to unfreeze the locks on my car. I remember the day mom told him I was pregnant. I remember the way he kissed my forehead and hugged me and didn't say a word. I remember him holding Griffin for the first time. I remember watching my little boy growing up with his gramp, doing "man work" and reliving the experiences of my youth. I remember dancing with my dad at my wedding. I remember all the love and dedication he put into raising me. I remember how much I love him.

And my Bobio. What can I say about a man who grows to love and accept ready-made family? A man who has loved without limits, who has given of himself so willingly, who has made sacrifices and worked tirelessly to ensure his *family* had everything they needed? A man who has shown me that being youeself is the best thing to be. A man that has loved my little boy like his own? A man that continues to amaze and inspire me with each day. Words are just not enough.

Because I don't have great pictures to share, I'll re-post the video KP made me for my birthday last year... hope they make you smiile as much as they do for me.

the post of a million links

I finally updated my ETSY shop this morning! I am missing one of the bags (I left it at work... grrrrrrrr!) so that little puppy will have to make it's appearance later.

By the way, can I tell you how addicted I am to ETSY right now? I love the "pounce" feature... you can browse a variety of recently sold items and find some really sweet stuff! It's cool because I get to find all sorts of crap very nice things to spend my dolla bills on that I wouldn't normally have gone looking for.

What kinds of things?

Baby Boy Sprinkle No More   from bluejeanjess

Otherwise known as the "pee pee tee pee". Connor likes to pee. In his face. Or on whomever is changing his postage-stamp sized diaper. It's a good thing I found these little suckers ;)

Little Mr. T   from kezzaroo

Because, seriously, how could anyone NOT need a three-inch tall Mr.T? I freaking LOVED the description on this one, which is *part* of the reason I had to have it. The other part has to due with the fact that Griff saw it on the computer screen and almost flipped a nut over it. Seriously. It'll be a great birthday present for him (BTW, the kid's gonna be freaking ELEVEN years old next month. CRAP!)

1/2 pound of vintage fabric scraps  from divinedebrisvintage

Yes. I DO need more fabric scraps, because there clearly aren'tenough oozing out my ears and eyeballs right now.

Duly Noted Library Edition  I am ADDICTED to these little notebooks. Jamaica sent me an extra little something with my recent order and it was so sweet of her. I've recently purchased four of these littel guys, two of her last style and two of the newer ones. I'm keeping one in my purse to write down all the useless information things I want to remember when they pop into my head.

A ton of stuff from here Vintage, vintage, vintage. Paper-y goodies to play with (if/when I ever scrap again?!)

Oh, and I haven't ordered anything from here yet, but that is only because I can't decide on which fantastically hillarious cards I need. These have Erin written ALL over them ;)

So. I think it would be an excellent idea for all of you to purchase a bag from my shop so I can continue to support the shops of *other* people and never actually make any dollas to keep for myself ;)

**Thanks**  :p

is this gonna be a silent movie?

Maybe this is the most quotable movie ever. Seriously, it has *napoleon dynamite* and/or *juno* qualities.

I love the background "noise", a.k.a. the other peeps who were scrappin' in the studio when the movie was filmed. Seriously, was there a spelling bee going on? This was a high-budget production, you know. The food cost alone to feed the people involved (including a trip to the liquor store to procure a 40 of bud light, a 40 of corona (and a lime!), a 6pack of Leininkugels and a bottle of wine...) was pretty hefty.

Dear DJ's,

Thank you for your delicious chicken fingers and caesar salad. Even though you are right around the corner, your delivery time was going to be two hours... if your service had been any sooner, we may have opted out of picking up the munchies ourselves, therefore omitting the package store run from our evening. Your tardiness rocks.

Love, melissa, bob, erin, m'er, and shurkus

Also, after having watched this several times, I am begining to believe that Erin and I are morphing into the same person.

 I. Love. It.

So, what is your favorite "what's in your satchel" movie quote??