Holidays here we come...

There's no denying it, the holidays are here! It looks like our holiday ordering deadline will be December 5th with Priority Shipping. Keep in mind this date is to get your order to you before December 24th. If you have an order you need to ship to someone else you receive it, you'll want to order a bit earlier, or have the order shipped directly to it's recipient.

I was recently invited by Distinctive Assets (who are know for their amazing celebrity gift bags for events such as the GRAMMYs) to make personalized necklaces for their "Babes In Toyland" holiday gift bags. I made personalized necklaces for Brooke Shields, Courtney Cox, Debra Messing, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Garner, Marcia Cross, Nicole Ritchie, Naomi Watts, Salma Hayek, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tori Spelling and Victoria Beckham, among others.

It was a really fun project to work on, and Distinctive Assets has been AMAZING to work with. A top notch group of people.

Well it's time to sand some silver, so off I go! :)

Sentimental Silver in Cosmogirl's Holiday GIft Guide

We are very excited to be included in CosmoGirl's Holiday Gift Guide! Sentimental Silver's Sparkle Petite Pendants were selected as one of CosmoGirl's picks for Gift Ideas For Your Sister.

As seen in the

gift
guide

Happy Veteran's Day

Just thought I'd share a picture that Bella drew for my Dad. She never ceases to amaze me with her drawings. :) Not sure why my scanner cut the picture off, but you can get the idea.

Halloween is Done

It really seems like Halloween was a month long celebration around here. That might be because I start decorating for it insanely early, but it has always been one of my favorite holidays ever since I was a little girl, and Bella seems to feel the same way. We had a really fun few weeks. We didn't get many trick or treaters last night (I have an insane amount of candy left), but we had a good time. We visited both of my parent's houses, then came home and took turns taking Bella trick or treating. We probably only went to a dozen houses, as we spent time visiting with our neighbors. Bella hasn't quite hit the age where she wants to power trick or treat and hit 100 houses, though I'm sure that time will come. Here are some pictures from our night...

Making a Halloween Cake...



Pumpkin Carving...

Princess Bella (who's actually dressed up as Barbie from Barbie & The Diamond Castle)

With her Great Grandparents

With the neighbors...

With Uncle Jordan...

Handing out candy before calling it a night...

Boot free trick or treating...

Bella was able to come out of her boot yesterday. I'm happy, but at the same time so very nervous. Now she has this fragile little ankle with just a tiny brace on it, and is doing who knows what at school. I guess that's a mom's job, to worry. :) She was SOOO happy this morning to hop on a swing when she got to school - I think swinging is her favorite thing on the playground, and not being able to do it has probably been her biggest complaint with the broken ankle. So she was one happy kid this morning.

She's not discharged from her doctor yet, we go back in two more weeks for a final xray, and if that looks good that she can return to gymnastics and dance completely (something I know she's itching to do). I know we'll have to do follow up xrays every few months for the next few years to monitor the growth plate, but hopefully everything will be just fine.

We had quite a bit of Halloween fun around here this past weekend - we hosted a Halloween party for her friends from her dance group and on Sunday we took part in the Trunk or Treat hosted by her former preschool. I think she enjoys the trunk or treat more then the real trick or treating, and I think I do as well. It just has more of a small town community feeling. I think it's always a highlight for all of us.

A few pictures of the weekend fun... Her good buddy Kevin had this adorable shark costume from Pottery Barn. Having just caught an old episode of Saturday Night Live, I could not get the whole Land Shark skit out of my head.

Slow Saturday

We are doing a whole lot of nothing today, which is a nice change from our usually very busy Saturdays. We had a very unexpected visitor this morning...

Now, for most people a frog is probably not all that exciting. But I have literally not seen a frog in Phoenix since I was about eight years old on my grandparents farm. No idea where he came from, but we had Rick fish him out and set him free (Bella's wish to keep him as a pet was flatly ignored). He was here long enough for her to name him Hoppy (original, I know LOL).

It remains a challenge to keep Bella entertained while she's stuck in her boot, but this afternoon dress up seems to be keeping her somewhat amused. She's been a rock star, a geisha, and now a witch. I honestly don't even recall buying a witches costume, but I think it was probably a post Halloween item...



I must say the green (Jalepeno Pepper by Benjamin Moore) we painted our living room works quite well with Halloween decor and I think will be pretty fun with Christmas as well (and no, I did not pick the color just for holiday decorating, and I think Rick actually picked it). I have to give him decorating props on the color, because a few months after he picked it, it showed up as one of Pottery Barn's new colors. Who knew he had such a design vision? :)

Catching Up

Bella has been doing really well with her boot. Maybe even too well, she's constantly jumping, hopping, skipping and leaping on it, and pretty much completely stressing her parents out. I'm happy she's not in any pain, but just worry that she won't heal correctly. But, we went in for xrays on Thursday, and everything looked good. She may be out of the boot by Halloween. We go back on the 27th, and they will xray and decide then.

In the meantime we've been trying to keep her busy. If I ever thought that Bella doing eight hours of dance and gymnastics a week was too much for her, I was wrong. She has SO much energy and need to move, and it's amazing how not being able to get that energy out has affected her behavior in general. We've had quite the challenging and defiant week around here. Sigh...

Her gymnastics coach suggested she come in on Thursday for a modified work out, and it went very well, and it was obvious that she was so happy to be there. On Friday, her former dance teacher invited her to come 'assist' her with two classes. She had such a blast, and it was a nice way to break up a day off from school. I have to admit it made me a little sad to watch the little two year old ballerinas dancing in that room, because it seems like Bella was their size only yesterday.

Our friends and family have been really awesome at trying to cheer Bella up and come up with things for her to do. Our dear friends the Johnson Family sent over the most amazing package filled with a number of things for her to do. Markers, coloring books, a movie and even a build a bear that she had a great time putting together with Rick.

Tomorrow she's back at school, and I can play catch up from her "fall break". It's really amazing how many breaks the schools have. I think she still has three early dismissal days and another day off this month. Normally it would be great, as the weather is faublous (yippie - fall is HERE!) but with the boot we are limited in what we can do. So we've been doing a LOT of fall arts and crafts and Bella has logged probably more time then she should on starfall.com. But we are hopefully halfway through her time in the boot. :) And hey, it beats a cast, so I really can't complain.

Bella and her boot...

She's such a trooper

I've said it before and I'll say it again - that kid of mine is such a trooper.

Fortunately Bella's ankle fracture is what is known as a Salter Harris I fracture. This is extremely good news. The radiologist's report said she had a probable Salter I/Salter III fracture. Salter III's often require surgery, so it was a huge relief to rule that out. Because the fracture is in the growth plate, we will have to monitor it with xrays a few times a year, for a few years. Hopefully there will not be any issues, and her growth will continue as normal. I'm trying not to worry about the long term issues too much, as I will probably drive myself crazy if I do.

Another blessing is that she was not put in a cast, but in a boot. It can only be removed for bathing, but somehow it just seems so much better then a cast. She was able to walk on it right away, and I think she's only complained about it once all day. She did so well that we are letting her return to school tomorrow. I'm nervous about it - because she is not letting the boot slow her down at all, and she probably should take it easy, just a little bit. I've talked to the nurse and her teacher, and I think she'll do fine. I hope that kids are kind to her and nobody makes her feel self concious about it. While she's very tough and outgoing, she's also very sensitive. No idea right now how long she'll have to wear the boot for, we return in a week for them to xray it, and hopefully will have a better idea at that time.

The sense of relief is tremendous. It could have been so much worse. It's been an adrenaline filled few days - in a matter of 48 hours we had to deal with a possible concussion and a broken ankle. I'd like to take the rest of the week off from injuries pretty please! We are trying to come up with some alternate activities for her for the next month - she has every bit as much energy as usual, which is a lot. :)

More then a sprain...

Sadly it turns out that Bella's sprained ankle is not a sprain, it's actually a fracture in part of the growth plate in her ankle. Tomorrow morning we go to see an orthopedic suregon, and hopefully the worst case scenario is 4-6 weeks in a cast. I don't even want to think about other options. :( I know a cast isn't the end of the world, but for a little girl who is so active (spending 7-8 hours a week at dance and gymastics) and who just started kindergarten, it's going to be a huge change to her life for a while.

I'm also so worried about how she'll do at school, having never broken a thing, I don't know how hard it is to get around with a cast on. Bella's always the one running to be in the front and the first to jump into the action, so being slowed down will likely come with a lot of frustration. Maybe it will help teach her some more patience, but it's going to be hard. I'm worried sick right now, I just want to get to the doctor and hear the verdict. I know we have been so blessed that she's always been so healthy, and this is really small compared to what some children face, but it's still scary to have anything wrong with your baby (even when that baby is quickly approaching you in height!).

If you've sent an email or left a message today that I have not yet returned, please hang in there and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Bumps, Bruises & Celebrations

I must say we have been EXTREMELY lucky that Bella has been pretty much injury free in life. Only very minor issues and they have been far and few between. However it now appears that we are playing catch up. On Saturday she sprained her ankle on one of the big inflatable slide/bounce house things. Today, I got a call from the school nurse informing me that Bella fell off the bench at lunch and hit her head on the lunchroom floor. She said that they iced it, and that she wanted to go back to the lunchroom, but that she had been very emotional (ahh break mommies heart).

Well I pick her up at school and she informs me that she didn't fall, she was pushed off the bench. By another girl in class, one who seems to do this kind of thing a lot - I had talked with two other mothers about incidents their daughters had with this girl - prior to Bella's today. I also had a few moms contact me after school because their daughters told them what happened, thus sort of supporting that Bella wasn't making up or exagerating that she was pushed off the bench. This is a whole new type of issue for us to deal with. I'm going to talk to the teacher, I'm just not sure what the correct way is to handle things like this.

So I took Bella to the doctor right from school, and the head looks like it's okay. We need to wake her up one time tonight, but all signs point to her being fine. The doctor did not feel the same about her ankle. It's very swollen still, much more swollen then the doctor felt it should be. So she sent us for an xray (Bella's first). We are waiting to hear on that. She's out of dance and gymnastics for two-three weeks, which is a big deal seeing as how she participates in the two for about seven hours a week. So fingers crossed she just has a bad sprain, and will not be out of comission too long. Bella is NOT an easy kid to keep down.

On to better news... We have some very exciting news in the family, my brother Josh proposed to his girlfriend Kim this weekend up in Sedona. It's been a fun week, talking on the phone with him much more then usual - as he prepared for this weekend. He asked her parents, bought the ring, all that good stuff. Kim said yes an seems ecstatic, and we are SO excited for them. They are a great couple and my brother is so happy when he's with her. They have so much in common, they are both science teachers (same school even), both love the outdoors and are both pretty serious atheltes. I think they have a wonderful future together, and we are thrilled that Kim will be a permanent part of our family.

Sparkle Sale

Yippie, I finally got the new Sparkle Bar Necklaces in the shopping cart and they are now available for sale. I have been wearing my Sparkle Bars daily and they are my new favorite. I think they are a great way to show off your special names and birthstones. They have a special introductory price - and we have a 15% off sale going on, so if you have your eye on one, now's the time to order. :)

Life has been so busy the past few weeks. My mom has been going through a lot of health issues, and just spent two weeks in the hospital. I'm really worried about her and hope that things will improve for her soon.

A little bit of fall seems to be in the air. It's still really hot (it is Arizona after all!) but there's that little change in the air. Fall is my favorite time of year, hands down - it's an end to the heat and ushers in the holiday season. I made a batch of pumpkin muffins tonight - love that smell of pumpkin and cinnamon coming from the oven. Certainly one of life's little pleasures!

A Big Congrats

I just wanted to send out a BIG congratulations to our friends the Brown Family, who just received their referral for the adoption of their son from Ethiopia! It's been a long wait, and I'm so excited that this day has come, and that soon their son will be home with their wonderful family. Sandi and Bill are awesome parents, and baby Paul is going to have three sweet sisters doting on him no doubt. Sandi has always been a great friend (who I don't get to see often enough) and she's certainly been a great support and sounding board for reproductive challenges if you will. Her voice mail yesterday with this good news was definitely the brightest spot of the past week. Hmm... Sandi's going to need an updated necklace very soon!

What a week...

This past week has quite possibly been one of the most stressful (and longest) of my life. Too tired to even begin to discuss it, but I know a few friends of mine have been wondering why I've been MIA, and I just wanted to let them know I'm still here, just trying to manage all that is going on while keeping things going at home and keeping up with orders. Anytime I think things may finally be calming down, something cranks them back up. I'm not sure when I'll get to the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm holding onto the belief that there is one.

No matter what craziness life throws my way, I am blessed beyond measure with an amazing husband and daughter, who keep me laughing through anything and everything. Laughter really is the best medicine. I owe them both many home cooked dinners and lots of my undivided attention. I probably also owe them some baked goods (which around here are like a get out of jail free card). This place and this place certainly are full of some great ideas and I'm fairly certain whipping this up for Rick would make up for anything LOL.

Celebrate!

After a couple rounds of some not so good news earlier in the week, we had some great news yesterday, Rick has just accepted a new job within his company. :) It's more technical then what he's been doing the past few years, which was technical, but the more technically challenged he is, the happier he is. I'm so happy for him - he loves to be challenged and solve complicated problems, and it sounds like he'll be getting to do a lot of both. CONGRATS!!!

A little more new baby sweetness...

We had a visit from baby Ryann tonight before she headed home to northern Arizona. Rick was thrilled of course - if anyone knows my husband, they know that he's a sucker for babies, especially sweet baby girls. He will sit and hold them for hours on end, which is good, because it's the only way his own sweet baby girl would sleep for the first four months of her life. :) She woke up long enough to drink a few drinks from her bottle, then was immediately back asleep. Ah those first few quiet sleepy days... Anyways, just had to share a few more pics of her... she's so darling!

Itty Bitty Baby Girl!

My best friend from high school just gave birth to her first child. Little baby Ryann arrived last night around 10:30 pm. While the pregnancy had a lot of complications, the delivery went about as easy as one can go. Ryann is BEAUTIFUL - just perfect. Her Mom and Dad are so happy to have her join their lives. My friend has gone through a lot of ups and downs in life to get to this day, and I'm so happy she's finally made it here.

Bella was very excited to visit her - my friend was at our house on Saturday (in early labor - she didn't think she was, but she clearly was LOL) and we kept telling Bella how in a few days the baby would be here, and not in Aunt Bobbie's belly. Not sure she was buying it. Bella was also excited to get to go to the hospital where she herself was born. It's her first time visiting anyone in a hospital, and she did great - I just had to keep reminding her that it's kind of like a library - keep it quiet. Here are a few pics of not even one day old Ryann...

Wrap up the week...

Week two of school is almost done and it's gone great. I'm beyond thrilled with how well things have been going for Bella at school. She started speech therapy yesterday and she even liked that, so it's just all around positives. Well, she is a bit tired (and grumpy) but morning doses of Zyrtec are probably somewhat at fault for that this week. My poor allergy ridden child.

Okay, something light and fun for Friday. There are those same "get to know you" survey's that go around that recycle the same questions, but my pal Lisa had one that was a bit more unique, so I played along...

Where is the person you gave your heart to for the first time?
In the cardiac lab? AZ Heart Institute? Oh, you don’t mean literally?

Are you waiting for something?
Another Marc Jacobs bag. Mind you I have not ordered it, just hoping the UPS guy randomly shows up with one. I'm crazy like that.

What were you doing at ten last nite?
SLEEPING!!! Called it a night early. Exciting life I lead…

Can you handle the truth?
Not from Tom Cruise.

Have you ever thought about converting your religion?
Well I’ve heard they have some openings up in Colorado City…

What was the last thing you drank?
Truthfully – Diet Coke. In my dreams – super salty margarita…

Who was the last person you hugged?
Rick. Or Bella. Or the UPS man for bringing me new handbags.

Did you have a dream last night?
While I know that I did, I have no recall of any.

How many piercings do you have?.
Two or four, not sure if the second set in my ears have closed up.

If you could have something right now, what would it be?
Would it be wrong to once again use Marc Jacobs in my answer?

Have you ever had a panic attack?
LOL, others probably think so. Per medical criteria – no. I’ve probably caused a few…

What can't you wait for?
Maybe this survey has a hidden handbag agenda. A sap green or berry Sophia bag. :) Oh wait, I have another non-handbag related answer. FALL!

Have your parents ever smoked pot?
I say no way, but Rick decided to ruin my idealistic views and tell me otherwise.

Want someone back in your life?
Well you'd have to tell me who they are before I'll answer that one.

Are you good at giving directions?
Yes, but I live on a grid system, so does it REALLY count?

Last time you cried really really hard?
I’m not a crier. The last time I remember crying hard was at my grandma’s funeral.

Ever licked someone's cheek?
No. Why? Is there a point to cheek licking? Is there salt and tequila?

What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
A bagel. Oh screw that, chocolate.

What body part(s) do you wash first in the shower?
Hair.

Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
COLD. COLD. COLD. Did I mention COLD? Why do I live in Arizona???

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
I did (if going for a walk counts as “public”)

If you could go any place in the world where would you go?
England/Ireland/Scotland.

Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
Has anyone met my husband? LOL.

What is your favorite color?
Pink. Pink. And more Pink.

If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?
Age 17. To relive the good times, and deal with some things with more wisdom.

How do you feel when someone kisses you on the forehead?
Well depends, I mean if it’s some random person in the park then the answer would be assaulted…

Do you think your last ex deserves to die?
LOL, no, not anymore. And I got rid of the voodoo doll as well.

Are you dating the last person you kissed on the lips?
Rick really gets pissy about me dating these days...

Have you ever broken someone's heart?
I guess so. But he broke mine first. (That's Lisa’s answer, I like to live green and recycle, so I'm going to leave it as it is)

Has anyone ever told you they want to spend the rest of their life with you?
Yes, but I think it might be as punishment…

Will your next kiss be a mistake?
HUH?

When was the last time you saw your grandpa?
Probably two months ago. Should see him tomorrow night at a family get together.

Do you know anyone with cancer?
Yes

Who was the last person you talked to in person?
Bella.

Do you think you can last in a relationship for 3 months?
I’m really hoping. Wait, this has been a REALLY long 2. 5 months then…

Have you lost friends in the past 3 years?
Yes, I keep misplacing them and those lost and found booths are just worthless.

Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?
Yep. They are fun to laugh at.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
I didn’t get a degree in counseling to talk about MY feelings, now did I?

Have you ever been out past curfew?
Somehow no, I ALWAYS was home in time for curfew. Now I'm in bed by 10pm, so the curfew's not much of an issue...

Are you happy?
Yes, now do I have to clap my hands?

Has anyone got on your nerves lately?
My nerves are very easily gotten upon.

Do you bite your fingernails?
No, pick at them yes, but bite, no.

What are you seriously wearing?
T-shirt and capris. Though I don't know how seriously I take the outfit.

Last night, did you go to sleep smiling?
I’m sure I did not. I’m told I sleep with a scowl. I think some botox will fix that right up though.

Where did you sleep last night?
In a nest in a tree at the park. Who the heck wrote this question?

Did you have a good day yesterday?
It was tolerable.

Do you currently have a hickey?
No. And for reference you cannot beat on a hickey with a frozen spoon to make it go away. You just get a big bruise. That was the last time I took advice from a blond cheerleader (we didn't have the internet back then to research such pressing issues).

Have you ever collapsed on the bathroom floor?
No, but probably only because I really don’t have a very spacious bathroom.

Are you afraid of falling in love?
No, I have pretty good balance.

Are you in a relationship?
Does stalking Marc Jacobs constitute a relationship?

What are you doing today?
Working on the railroad. All the live long day.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

School Lunches

A big topic of conversation this week (at least with other kindergarten moms) has been school lunches. Buy or bring? I never really considered buying for Bella. First, she's so picky that there's probably no lunch that would go over well with her, and second, I would worry that having to go stand in line and get a lunch would be a little intimidating for her, and take up what little lunch time she has.

So, since she is such a picky eater, and she's not a big breakfast eater, I worry about lunches for her. Heck I've been worrying about lunches for months before school started. I came across the concept of "Bento" - and thought what the heck, I'll give it a try, kind of like a homemade lunchable. I took one look at these photos and suspected that it would be something that would work well with Bella. She appreciates things that are cutesy, and I like the idea of her just having to open up one box and having all her food right there ready to go - no extra time spent opening things (some of which I've learned she can't open on her own, that at preschool the teachers would open things for her). Plus it makes it cheaper to not be buying snack size versions of things or going through a box of ziplocs a month.

Well it was a HUGE hit with her. I didn't do anything elaborate - simply pulled out a few cookie cutters to cut things like her cheese and turkey into flowers or hearts, added a little decorative picks from my baking stash, and used things like little silicone baking cups to hold stuff in. I put in a few "dessert" items, like mini-marshmallows, or mini-oreos, which is pretty exciting as she's never had anything like that packed in her lunch. She loved it. Every morning she's peeking in the kitchen to see what's being put in her lunchbox, because I keep it a secret, which she also seems to like. It's nice that she just puts the lid back on when she's done eating, and what didn't get eaten returns home, so I get to see what she did and did not eat, and adjust accordingly.

So school week two begins tomorrow. I'm hoping things continue to go smoothly. Bella should meet the speech therapist this week to begin therapy for her velopharyngeal inadequacy. It's something that may require surgery, but we want to give speech therapy at least a good six months to see if we can improve her articulation. I hate the idea of having her undergo surgery, and I hate the idea of doing it to change her voice even more, so I'm hoping that we can make some good progress via speech therapy. It's hard when people don't understand her, and I see how frustrated she get repeating things for people. We are starting to notice other kids picking up on it, and we don't want it to become something that she's made fun of for or feels insecure about. So fingers crossed that therapy can at least improve the situation. :)

Kindergarten Update

Well I'm happy to say that kindergarten is going VERY well. Honestly I could not think of anything that could improve how Bella's first week has been going. Being able to attend the first day with her was great - I think it made it easier for her to go into a new situation with mom at her side, and it makes it easier for me to know what her room is like, where she goes, how shes gets there and who's teaching her. We spent some time in her classroom, then went and visited all of her "specials" which are PE, Library, Music and Art. (Can I just say how shocking it is that my child has the same music teacher that my brother and I had growing up - seriously, what are the chances???).

Bella made two friends before we started school - "G" we met at a tour of the school, and then saw again the day of kindergarten assessments. "L" she met and played with at open house, but her mother and I had actually chatted online and had planned to get the girls together prior to school starting, but with both of us going on vacation it didn't work out. So anyway, before that first day she had two girls who she already felt comfortable with - and I think this made a HUGE difference. She was so excited to see them the first day (as they were to see her).

The first day of her flying solo was a nervous one for both of us. We arrived early so that I could walk her to the gate (vs the drop off lane) and she went in without much hesitation. However when I was pulling out, I could see her on the playground looking very lost and confused and sort of circling around like she didn't know what to do. Then I saw "G" walk up, and they grabbed hands, and even from my car I could see and feel that Bella was at ease once she found her friend.

Yesterday went well, we did our first drop off lane drop off, and it went smoothly, and after school we went on a playdate with "G". She's such a doll, and while certainly a quieter and more cautious personality then Bella is, Bella really likes her and they both were sad to leave each other when playtime was over. I was a bit worried how she'd do with school (though a half day) a playdate and then three (gulp) hours of dance practice - but she did awesome. She came home after, protested going to bed, but passed out as soon as she hit the pillow.

Today was her first full day, and she did great. She's been learning about the school rules and what happens if you break those rules, as well as getting used to the new schedule and routine. She's eaten lunch in between "G" and "L" each day, and I'm just so happy that she's found some friends. I am however encouraging her to make more friends, and not leave other children out. I constantly try to point out to her how lucky she is to have friends, but how some kid may not have found friends yet, and that she needs to make new friends.

I will say I was a bit surprised when we attended orientation to find out how low the state standards are for kindergarten. Granted, Arizona is not know for great schools, but it was still disappointing. The teacher says that they can and will advance, accelerate or deepen the work as needed. I know the first few weeks are filled with paperwork and assessments for the teachers, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Right now Bella needs to learn the ropes and rules of this big new world, and the academic challenges will come.

For some reason today was the hardest for me. Not sure if it was because it was the first full day or what. After I dropped her off (and drove past her on the playground) I sort of burst into tears - it just sort of hit me out of nowhere. She's just growing up so fast. But I'm thankful that we are off to such a good start and that she's happy each morning to head to school.

So now it's time for me to catch up on work (while I expected the first week of school to be emotional, I didn't expect it to be as consuming as it has been) and create my new daily routine. Aside from holiday seasons, I'm hoping to soon stop working on weekends and evenings, which will be quite nice. Speaking of quite nice, I have to give props to my hubby... knowing what a hard week this has been (and it's hard for him to see her grow up as well, but he doesn't have to drive off and watch her on that playground!) he treated me to a new purse -one that I've wanted for years. I think we'll keep him. :)

The Big Day

Tomorrow's the big day. I can not believe my little baby is starting kindergarten. I asked her this morning if she'd just stay home with me for one more year and she said "no mom, but I'll be home in the afternoon silly!". She's ready and she's excited. Our open house went well, she met a few new friends, enjoyed playing in her classroom, and is good to go. Me not so much, but I don't think anything is going to change that. It's a big step in life, a rite of passage and a new independence for her, and it's just so hard to believe that the day is upon us. I know she'll do fine. I don't think there will ever be a day where she goes to school and I won't worry, but I think that's part of the world we live in, and just being a mom.

But the day is here. I can't delay it, move it or put it off. I can't stop her from growing up. She's picked out her outfit, her school supplies are ready, her favorite muffins are baked and ready for her to have for breakfast, and I will do my best not to make a last minute u-turn one street before we get to the school. I know she's going to have a blast, make new friends and have great experiences. I just wish 5 1/2 years ago (to the day) that I would have known how soon this day would have come. Then again, I never would have believed it. Tomorrow I stay with her all day (which is a half day) and Tuesday she's on her own in that big new world.

So here we go, a new door opens, a deep breath, a new journey begins...

School Stuff

Bella's new lunchbox and tote bag for school arrived yesterday and they are ADORABLE. They are from Kids Travel Zone, and are great quality. Three years ago we ordered her a lunchbox from them, and I've been thrilled with how it's held up. We could still use it, but I thought a new lunchbox for kindergarten would be nice. Bella picked out the images that are on them, as well as the colors. So cute! It's pretty obvious that she picked these out right after vacationing at the beach - mermaids and hibiscus flowers. :)

Today we visit her classroom for an open house. Hoping she meets some new friends, which would certainly make the first day of school much easier.

So the repair to our AC only bought us about 10 hours of cold and then the AC was no longer blowing cool air. :( We called the repair company back out, and luckily they quickly found where the leak was, and repaired it, and credited us for the first visit. I think we are good to go now, but ouch - the AC and washing machine all in one week is just painful. My iphone is also out for repair, but luckily it's under warranty so I'm just annoyed, not out of money. I have such a love hate relationship with that phone. I love all that it can do, but the crashing, freezing, and s-l-o-w response times have just gotten to be too much. Anxious to see if what gets sent back to me is any better. Fingers crossed. I need my appliance/electronic luck to change, pronto!

When it rains, it pour$

Goodness, as if we didn't have enough excitement having the washing machine break the other day, today it was the AIR CONDITIONER! Bella and I came home from running errands, and when we walked in the door, instead of the cool feeling of relief, it was more of a "um, what's wrong here???" feeling. Air was blowing. Room temperature air. Not good.

We had a tech come out, and we were low on freon, so it's been refilled. The problem is, we don't know what was leaking. To find out what was/is leaking is $350. Just to FIND the leak. Not fix the leak, just find. The tech suggested we just wait and see, that it may be a super slow leak and this could hold us over for 1-2 years, or in a few days we'll be paying that $350 to find what's leaking and goodness knows how much to fix it. B-U-M-M-E-R. But when it's 103 degrees at 9pm, there's no going without AC. :(

We picked up all of the items on Bella's classroom supply list. I was surprised at how much stuff we needed to donate to the classroom. 25 glue sticks. That one just cracks me up. Every kid bring in 25 glue sticks - will they be using glue hourly?

I have to say I'm feeling really sad about kindergarten. More so then I expected (and I anticipated emotional upheaval). To me it just marks such a big change in her life. Yesterday when we got up, I thought wow, this is the last Monday (aside from vacations) that she'll get up and not be committed to being somewhere. For the next sixty some years. It's like the start of having a "job" in life.

While it's been a huge challenge to balance being an at home mom, and running a business, it's what I'm used to. It's what I know. It's chaotic and crazy and a lot of times I'm stressed, but as I discovered when she was at her summer program, 9-3 is a long day of quiet. Granted it'll be great to get all my work done during the day, reduce the production times on my orders, and have nights and weekends free, I'm going to miss her like crazy. CRAZY. I know she's ready though. She's excited, and she needs more challenges and stimulation each day then I can provide. So now I just have to try not to cry the first day. Well, at least not until I'm off the property... hey, I'm a realist.

How we $pent the weekend...

Hearing a huge screeching nails on the chalkboard sound from my washing machine was not in my plans for the weekend. After about nine years I think it decided it was time for retirement. Rick fixed some parts on it last year, but after checking the belts and other possible problems, it was decided it was the motor that was screaming at us, and that it needed to be replaced. Bummer. I would have much rather purchased a nice new handbag, but I guess we probably need clean clothes more than a new Marc Jacobs bag. Not nearly as much fun though. I couldn't quite bring myself to dropping the extra money for a front loading machine - so old school top loader it is. :)

On a positive note Rick was very pleased with the service at Sears. They price matched the better price Home Depot (who didn't actually have any to take home) had on the same model (plus 10% of the difference) and had the whole purchase start to finish done in about 15 minutes max, out the door, new washer in tow. We are typically pretty easy customers, we come in to a store with the item we want already selected, just make the deal, don't give us a bunch of BS or mess with the price, and you can be on to the next customer in no time.

Yesterday Bella audtioned for and was accepted into the company program at her dance studio. She's really excited. Her "dancing sister" as she calls her was also accepted, which is great, they will have a blast. There are five girls in her group, and I think they are going to make a great bunch and be great friends. It's a big commitment time wise, but Bella has shown time and time again that she thrives on structure and being kept busy in an organized fashion. With no other kiddos in this house, she very quickly gets bored. One of the things I love about dance for her, is that it requires the use of her body and mind at the same time. And she just LOVES dancing - so she's really excited for this new adventure.

New Sparkle Jewelry

I have a few new pieces that I will be adding to the Sparkle Line this month. The Sparkle Line has been so popular, and I have to admit it's really fun to add the color to the pieces through the birthstones. People seem to really enjoy being able to personalize their pieces with both names and birthstones.

This picture is of the new Sparkle Birthstone Bars. I have been wearing that necklace every day for the past month and they are certainly my current favorite. I love wearing necklaces with multiple charms on them - something about the way they move and layer is just really fun. I also have bars with my anniversary (with a diamond colored stone) as well as my daughter's birthday (with a pink stone). Sometimes I just wear our names, and other days I wear all five pieces together. I think the Sparkle Birthstone Bars will be great mix and match pieces. The bars will also be available in a non-sparkle version as well.

I will also be adding a Sparkle Rectangle. The rectangle is nice in that it allows for longer names, and there are a number of different ways the stones can be embedded into the piece. One of my good friends just had her fourth child (a beautiful baby girl), and I am currently creating a necklace for her as a gift, that has her and her husband's names on it, as well as the birthstones of all four children. She's a great mommy, and they are so happy to finally have their family of six (all of them under age five - she's super woman!). I think it's a great new mommy gift. I will post a picture of the necklace before wrapping it up for her.

Back to work!

We just got home from a great week over in Carlsbad, CA. It was a blast, though I have to say it was quite a shock to go in the summer (we've always gone in September) - I could not believe how crowded it was. 9am on a Tuesday and you were hard pressed to find a spot on the beach. I'm the type that goes to great lengths to avoid crowds, but with Bella starting kindergarten next month, we didn't think it would be very wise to yank her out for a trip in September. But it was a great time regardless, and it was so nice to escape the oppresive Arizona heat for a few days. Now it's time to unpack the bags, do load after load of laundry, hit the grocery store, and all that other post-vacation not so fun stuff. Back to the real world! A few pics...

Ice cream for dinner, always a hit...

Lots of fun in the pool...

Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas

Beach Babe...

Every year she has to pick a few hibiscus flowers...

Face painting at Legoland...

Museum of Making Music

Sand anyone?

Speaking of kindergarten - it's offical - it's starting, in two weeks, no denying it! Our "I'm On My Way To Kindergarten" packet arrived while we were away. I am still in denial that my little girl is old enough to attend kindergarten. It seems like such a monumental milestone, the end of the baby, toddler and preschool days. I'm sure she'll do fine, me on the other hand, that I'm not so sure of.

This week we'll pick up all the supplies on the supply list the school sent, attend a school tour, go for our meet the teacher/assess your child's skills meeting, and try to hunt down a princess "tote" bag (we were specifically told to get tote bags and not backpacks, so much for the cute Tinkerbell one she picked out while we were on vacation). This might work, but I'm thinking she's best off with something that closes at the top. Maybe we could velcro it shut? I'm sure we can come up with something.