To all my creative friends:

Gygi's is having a contest. What kind of contest you ask? Well this one is probably pretty easy for most of you, as I have really quite talented friends {honestly I do, and I am really referring to all of you!}. And since I'm not in charge of this one I don't feel like there will be any favorites played- cause I would really want you guys to win. And there will be lots of winners- so you won't all become angry with each other. Alright alright I will get to the contest:

Well as you know Halloween is approaching and we see lots of product being bought each and every day with these grand ideas but don't ever get to see the final product! So this is where you come in: we want you to send in your photos for your best SPOOKY THINGS using something ( anything) from Gygis!!! That simple, that wonderful and I know you all have some things planned- so whip them up snap some pictures and send them to my new friend Cait- she is awesome and the judge haha so now I won't be the bad guy anymore!
We have our friends at Our Best Bites, Crafting Chicks, and One Charming Party helping us so you might end up on one of these great blogs too!

So hurry you only have till the 16th send your stuff to: customerservice@Gygi.com.

RIGHT NOW!!!

More details here: http://www.gygi.com/blog/index.php/guest-post-contest/

willy wonka, willy wonka

One of our family's most favorite movies is the Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka. The older one is great, just a bit creepy and doesn't keep my kids attention as much as the new version--HELLO it has Johnny Depp!
So when Modern Kiddo, posted this party today I fell in love!

go check out the rest, this lady is quite talented, and check out all the great things Modern Kiddo does. I love the children feature of what they are wearing, most the time it is better than what I wear.

Girly girl.

I have never considered myself a girly girl. I guess out of some of my sisters yes, but never one to love ruffles, make-up, spa days, or fancy dresses. I have always had a pretty good imagination and grew up doing plays, dances, radio programs, newspapers, and all sort of odd things-mostly with my even more imaginative cousin Amy. But has really always liked football, basketball, don't mind getting dirty and sometimes not shaving my legs- that's for a whole other day and post. Haha.







So when having our Saige- I imagined a girl with the sweetest imagination, not afraid to be who she is, maybe a bit of a free spirit like her parents, but definitely not a girl who thought she was a princess. (I even said once to my sisters- "if any of you buy her those princess things or ever call her princess you are busted!") Well in true Saige fashion- she shocked me, she really did become a free spirit, very imaginative and is the girliest girl who loves dresses, princesses, and just about everything pink.





And I will be honest at first it bothered me. I don't understand the reason why we have to wear pink somewhere each day, or the breakdowns when we show up to school and she didn't wear a dress, and how no matter how cute we dress her each day-her dress-ups show back on and she has become princess Annaleise. But as she grows and I realize it really is who she is- I love it.

She loves to pretend and her dream world carries over quite a bit- sometimes she asks me if something is on our world or just for pretend. I hope that creative spirit lasts forever.

Today she was the nail polish girl that gives free nail paintings but charges $22 for one of the purple flowers.


She loves patterns and sparkles and will put plenty of them on your toes and fingers if you let her.


She takes lots of breaks cause she wants to change things on her own hands and feet, but we look at it like staying on top of the trend.



Come over anytime. I only allow my toenails to be painted twice a week so she is always looking for a new victim, I mean client.






And there is no discriminating here- without upsetting Gramps too much- Milo's are often painted but then quickly taken off so Gramps won't get mad at her. So boys you are welcome too.

Donuts. Doughnuts. Dnuts??

For work, I have been doing some filming for a new craft channel called My Craft Channel. (www.mycraftchannel.com) I guess you can think of it as hulu or on demand or whatever you use to instantly watch things, but all about crafts!!! There are some really creative people involved and I am really quite excited to see how things all turned out.


We partnered up with One Charming Party- if you haven't checked out their site you MUST!! {the most amazing party ideas, and the cutest photos that make you want them all!!!} hurry go look at it- onecharmingparty.com. Back to the story- one of the segments we did was made baked donuts.


We made these for alternative Thanksgiving treat ideas. These ones are pumpkin donuts with a maple glaze...... Yummo. The flavor combination just screams fall and my kids had such a fun time decorating them too. But after that I started thinking of all sorts of different ways you could make them and I have started to get a little excited to see how what we can come up with. Bonus they are more healthy for you than the normal deep fried donuts, you make it so you know what goes in it, and you can really customize the flavors you want.
After falling in love with some donuts I have started to see some other posts and thought I would share some ideas:


{photo from a beautiful mess}
what a fun party theme- this was a wedding shower with a donut theme!!



{photo found on Pinterest}
Originally I was going to make these donuts for Saige's birthday-isn't the pink glaze just beautiful?!? She chose churros instead but I still love these.

What a fun treat to have at Halloween. The glaze is super easy-milk, powdered sugar and flavoring. I'm thinking we make a dozen different glazes, make a couple different flavored donuts, invite everyone over and have a donut party!!! Who wants to come?

This is my I don't want to wake up face.

Sometimes our deepest wishes are said so brutally honest by our kids. Most days we have a pretty busy schedule and when I say these kids are amazing and really are quite the troopers it's and understatement. They tag along on errands, at Gygi's and everything in between. But this morning Milo had enough.


I went to wake him, mean Mom I know. He hid under the covers and came out with this:


The "this is my I don't want to wake up face!"

It made me laugh pretty hard, this kid comes up with the funniest things. Wish I could save them all.

Us girls know how to party

Who knew waiting to buy wallpaper could be so much fun? Saige is always up for a photo shoot.























Glad to see that someone else can make stupid faces just like me. Love this girl!

Oh Target

They really suck me in. I know I shouldn't ever really go in there. Seriously. They say you should never go to the grocery store hungry- well that same urgency and need to buy food you normally wouldn't eat feeling- I get that every-time I step in Target. Trouble. Trouble.






You see this hot chica? Well Missoni has partnered up with good old Target and sucked me in again. There is something about the colors, the stripes, the retro 70's look that makes me want it all. Now for a bigger closet. Here are some of my favorites. If anyone would like to buy them I would gladly take them off your hands. Especially the rug!! Agh.





























Yep. That's a bra. I might actually wear one more if it was this beautiful--





Cutest shorts. Perfect with some purple leggings underneath.











5x7 please.

Okay I will stop. Love it all. Thanks Target for helping us normal people be able to afford the things we dream of.