Happy Monday Everyone!!!

  So.. I have been extremely lacking in the blogging department.. that includes visiting other’s.. I check in with a few here and there.. but mostly you can find me on Facebook.. seems to be my “drug” of choice for now!  I guess I’m just unmotivated to see all of the fun projects that everyone is doing.. since all of my decorating plans are in Wyoming!!  I didn’t even get out my Easter Decorations this year.. nope, nada.. sad huh?  I did dig out the Easter Baskets for my kids.. that was it. 

  Let’s see.. I feel another five years older today.. My son turns 16!!!  Really, am I old enough to have a 16 year old?  I don’t feel like it~  I feel like I could be 16 (mentally of course.. not physically!!)  He’s not getting  his licence yet.. he still needs Driver’s Education, but he’s on his way.  Both of my kids really have grown up this year.  I spent 3 days last week up on Orca’s Island in the San Juan’s with my daughter’s school.  Every year the 6th graders in our area go to Camp Moran.  It was fun, but it was really interesting to see my 12 year old interacting with her peers.. she’s just not a little girl anymore!  I do have some pictures.. Here’s one of just her.. it was a fun time.. the weather was gorgeous..

Ali at Camp Moran

Here’s one of the Waterfall we hiked to…

Waterfall

And one of the girls Kayaking.. Their Favorite Activity!!

Kayaking

  The only thing I have worked on recently is a lamp.. it was a thrift store find.. all of it under $3.00~!!  It started out as a beautiful 80′s castoff – think Mauve and Blue.. and ducks.. lovely!!!  I forgot to take a before picture.. but here she is now in her loveliness! 

"New" Desk Light

Soooo.. that’s what’s been going on in my little world.. catch me on Facebook if you like.. search for Cara McDaniel.

  I hope that everyone is having a great weekend.. I’m sitting in my pajama’s, drinking coffee.. and just enjoying the day (oops, I thought I was on facebook posting about my mood!!!)

  If anyone wants to be added.. leave me a note~!

Blogland has really overwhelmed me lately.  I started my blog to talk about fun projects, my kids, my husband.. an occasional recipe.  I feel like I’ve been reduced to “Keeping up with the Bloggers”  or checking to see if my blog was on the “right” blogrolls.   Sorry Folks, that’s just not me.  I’m just a plain old Navy Wife, just having a plain old life!  I don’t do a project every day.. or even every month.  I love to try new recipes.. but my husband would think I was crazy if I documented every step in bold color pictures, plus, then you would see that I taste for seasoning with my fingers!  My house isn’t perfectly staged every day.. I live here, my kids live here.. my dogs sleep on the couch and beds for goodness sake!  I sort of feel that I’ve gotten out of my element.. and I’m trying to get back to that.. whatever it may be! 

  So.. I was out in blogland today and ran acrossed a blog post that inspired me to come back to my blog.  She said what I was thinking.. to the very last period.  Thank You Rue…

  I’m jumping back in.. wish me luck!

Just Checking!!!

I was hoping for a Marilyn.. who wouldn’t want to be a Marylin???  But, after I read about Ingrid.. she’s more my style~!!   My friend Marie took this quiz.. it looked like fun.. and, it’s only 2 questions- My kinda Quiz!!!

Here’s the link for all of you who want to see who you are!!

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests/are-you-a-jackie-or-a-marilyn-or-someone-else-mad-menera-female-icon-quiz

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz …

You Are an Ingrid!

First we begin in the Entry.. The Hubs built this cabinet for me for my Birthday this year.. I just LOVE it!!!  (the mess in the background.. just keepin it real for you!!)

Entry Cabinet

Here’s a couple of close-ups..

Top of cabinet

close up of Santa

Next.. we move into the Kitchen.  I’ve added some fun things this year! 

First stop.. the top of the fridge.. (don’t even ASK to see the front.. it’s a mess!)

Moving over to the Hoosier..

Snoman on the Hoosier

I have a little tree next to it.. very cute!

Little Kitchen Tree

Do you all find it hard to photgraph trees?  To turn on the lights or not?  Flash or not?? 

Next we move onto the China Cabinet..

Top of China Cabinet

Inside the China Cabinet

Moving into the Living room.. Here is my Village… I’ll do a separate post later on how I built this village~  *hint* don’t throw away all of those VCR tapes!!!

The Village

Yep.. two lights are out.. more real life!

Moving right along now.. Here’s the Mantle.  I never got to join The Nester’s Garland Party.. But she did give me lots of guidance this year.. I bulked up the greenery and swagged it.. LOVE IT!  My Nativity is on the mantle.  I bought it in Italy when we were stationed there.

The Mantle

A close up..

The mantle.. with Nativity

Notice that the stockings aren’t hung?  I’m workin on it.. I AM!!

Here’s the top of Big Black.. that’s what my kids call the Entertainment Center..lol!  You’ll recognize the blurry picture from my header.. I love the way it turned out too.   I copied the mantle garland, minus the lights.. and swagged the front..

Big Black all decked out!

Here’s Santa.. he’s watching to make sure alllll of the kids are being good this year~!  So far so good!!

Santa and the Christ-Moose

He stands next to the tree… I have a slim tree.  I wish for a big lush tree.. but in my house it just wouldn’t work!  Sooooo I load it up!!

The tree

Here are a few close-ups… See anything that you may remember?  The dollar tree stars in Red and Cream… I’m so glad I found them~

Stars.. and Santa's Watch

White star

I use grapevine, cranberry beads and red berry picks in my tree.. never toooo much I say!!

And Remember… only 9 Days Left!!!

  Lets just start, well, lets start the week before Thanksgiving.  My Mom arrived on Saturday.. all was well.  We took the kids down to Deception Pass (I guess it would be up, or maybe over.. I dunno..)  Here are some pictures that I took..

Jordan

Ali

The kids and I

Me and Mom

Oh yuck.. double chin, crow’s eyes.. whew, I’m feelin’ old!

  We had a fun time.. Jordan even walked across the bridge with our family friend Deb.

Deb and Jojo

I didn’t walk the bridge.. it was soooo windy, and the bridge moves when it’s like that.. yuck! 

  So, we made it through the weekend.. Monday we went to the Twilight Movie.. I liked it.  I thought it was a fairly good interpretation of the book.. at least on the budget they had!  Did any of  you catch Stephenie Meyer sitting at the counter?? 

On Tuesday, Deb, Mom and I loaded up to catch the 7:30 ferry to Port Townsend.. we were off to FORKS!!!  It was rainy, foggy.. everything you’d expect!  An Edward kind of day for all of you Twilighter’s!!!

Forks City Hall/Police Department

Me, in front of Forks High School

(yep, I started that DIET right away!!)

Dr. Cullen's Parking spot. There were people staring out the window watching me take this!!

Bella's Truck

Fun sign.. They have a paper tacked to it that crosses out logging for Vampire

That’s when my camera died!  Can you believe it????  Anywhoo.. the town is actually LOVING all of the attention (and revenue) that they are getting!  I bought Ali a T-shirt for her birthday and the little store gave us “Bella’s Survival Kit”  it’s an Antiseptic Wipe, Bandage, Triple Antibiotic Cream.. really cute idea.  We signed the Fork’s Guest Book.  There was a signature on our page from Japan!!  Of course, I can’t leave our Island without Drama happening at home.. Jojo texted me to tell me he’d been hurt in Gym.  He’d gotten hit in the eye with a badmitton raquet.  His eye was full of blood, and he couldn’t see.  So, the hubs took him to the Urgent Care.. and we are STILL dealing with it!  He has Tramatic Iritis.  The pressure won’t go down.. so he’s on Oral Meds, 3 types of Drops.. it hasn’t been fun!!  That is the main reason I’ve been so bad about bloggin.. just going to the Eye Specialist every other day, going back and forth to the school to put in his eye drops.. (they don’t have a full time Nurse..ARGH!!)  and the School.. well, lets just say they aren’t on my Christmas List this year.  They started covering their bases as soon as it happened.  The PE teacher wasn’t even in the room.. and she’s accusing him of goofing around.. it’s not been a fun 3 weeks!  His pupil is still cat-like and they don’t know if that will ever change.. the Dr. was  hilarious.. told him not to become a criminal, because he could easily be picked out in a line up!  A little giggle in a bad situation!

  But.. I did manage to get the house decorated.. only took me a week.. or more!  I will post pictures tomorrow.. I’m going to participate in Kimba’s Party..   I figured that would be a great way to drop myself back into the world of bloggin!  I hope all of you will participate too!  It will be fun to see everyone’s homes~!!

Then.. last Saturday it was Ali’s birthday.. I was only permitted to take a few pictures.. (she’s 12 now.. ugh!!)

opening gifts..

blowing out the candles

So.. that’s what’s been up with me.. sorry to have abandoned my blog.. but hopefully I’m back!  I do say that a lot, but I’ve missed it!  See you all tomorrow for the tour of Holdiay Homes!!!  Happy Monday!!!