Everyday Kindness Award (Yeah for awards!)

I received this lovely award from http://razorbacksintexas.blogspot.com/ (tollesons4him) Today was one of those Monday's where nothing seemed to be going right. Receiving this award is so appreciated. I would like to pass this award on to the following:

http://cinnamonandhoney.blogspot.com Check out Robin's lovely cards and if you have the latest TV Guide read her excellent interview with Molly Ringwald. You heard me right Robin is a writer for one of my favorite magazines TV Guide!!!

http://www.alithelazydog.com/ Ali has amazing recipes and the cutest boys stop by and say hi to her.

http://cheaperthantherapyjen.blogspot.com/ Jen is a mom of three adorable kiddos and has something interesting every day on her blog. She takes amazing pictures and while you are there check out her latest wine labels.

Let's Chat Army Wives 6/30/08 **Spoiler if you haven't seen it**

So did you watch Army Wives last night? Wow Joan already has a baby bump. Don't you love how on TV a woman's pregnancy seems to only last a few weeks. Wouldn't it be nice if that were the case.

So lets recap some of the highlights:

Roxy took a job just briefly handling scrimp (yuck I can only imagine how smelly that would be) But don't worry she is now in charge of rebuilding the Hump Back bar for Betty. What do you think should they rebuild it? Trevor is a hero, shot but coming home soon. Did you see the previews looks like he has some PTSD. I read somewhere that Drew Fuller who portrays Trevor doesn't always like playing the nice guy. He said he wants his character to do something bad and quit being so perfect. Come on Drew we like the nice guy!

Denise is riding her motorcycle and wants to keep it and her hubby doesn't approve.

Claudia Joy is as usual handling everything with grace and both her and Michael are doing their best to try and move forward. This week it focused more on Michael's grief. What I love about this show is that they don't focus just on the women and also give us well developed male characters.

Rowland is getting a substitute teaching job since he wants to help the young since "they still have a chance"

Well I think I covered it all! I can't wait until next week. Have you started watching Army Wives yet?

Weekend at Papa's Lake House

Captain Will! He always wants to drive the boat!

Look how close the Geese came to the dock. Three Geese familes swim around the lake together and stop by for a visit. The babies aren't really babies anymore.

Always make some time for some video games. Look who's driving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will's Firetruck, but don't ask him to get in the water becuase he says it is toooooooooooooooo cold!

What did you do this weekend?

What do the contents of your Fridge say about you??

What Your Fridge Says About You

You like to be surrounded by things you love. You aren't exactly greedy, but you can be materialistic at times. You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver. You are a very adventurous person. You love to try new things, and you get bored very easily. You try to be responsible, but you don't always succeed. Your heart is in the right place though. You are likely to be married - and very busy.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

Take the Quiz!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdothecontentsofyourrefrigeratorsayaboutyouquiz/

A Solution for BAD HAIR Days

Why is it that a bad hair day can just ruin everything? When you have a great hair day everything just seems to fall in place. My hair goes completely straight if there is any humidity so I need something to combat those BAD HAIR Days!!!

The Solution........ A Bebesniklefritz headband!!!


I have been on a quest for the perfect head band for many years and finally found it at http://www.bebesniklefritz.etsy.com What is great about these headbands is that they have a Velcro closure and are reversible. I purchased two headbands and LOVE THEM! Both headbands were custom made with fabrics I hand picked. The fabrics I chose are Amy Butler, anyone who knows me knows that I am crazy for anything Amy Butler these days.
They also have head bands for little girls. You have to stop by their shop.

So tell me how do you combat BAD HAIR Days? Do BAD HAIR DAYS affect you as much as they affect me??

What is your favorite summertime drink?

My favorite summer time drink is 1/2 lemonade and 1/2 ice tea. I love the new Simply Lemonade. It tastes just like fresh squeezed with out all the work. The best part is that you can get it at most grocery stores. I brew ice tea with my Mr. Coffee Ice tea maker and keep it chilled in the fridge. Pour over ice and enjoy! Will calls it "Mama's drink" and he loves it also.

What do you call a 1/2 lemonade 1/2 ice team drink? I call it an Arnold Palmer but when ordering at a restaurant I usually get a, "What do you want?" and then I have to say "1/2 lemonade and 1/2 ice tea." In some parts of Michigan I have heard it called a Swamp Water.

So please share what your favorite drink for summer is. Next week I will share my Sangria recipe.

Wordless Wednesday

Yum, what dog doesn't like Frosty Paws ice cream for dogs???

The Winners are........and please join me!

Doesn't it just feel good to give! Whether you give a helping hand, a smile to a stranger or pass on an item you no longer have use for giving just feels good! When you give without expecting anything in return you will receive.

Please join me in the 29 Day giving challenge. You can sign up at http://www.29gifts.org

To kick off my 29 Day giving challenge I would like to announce the winners of the free Ben and Jerry's ice cream:

The winners are:

http://razorbacksintexas.blogspot.com/

http://cheaperthantherapyjen.blogspot.com/

Congrats you were randomly selected by Will!

Let's chat about Army Wives

I can hardly wait to see a new episode of Army Wives. If you haven't seen the episode "The Messenger" you may not want to read further or it may be a spoiler! I love each character in this show but this week what I thought was so cute was Roxy's little guy Finn, how cute was he with taking Claudia Joy on a date. What did you think of his imaginary friend that was also visiting Claudia Joy? Did you notice that they are going to make us wait another week to see what happens to Roxy's hubby. It is always a little annoying when they keep stringing you along but hopefully they will reveal it next week. Didn't you just adore Mac, Denise's patient and who knew that Denise rides bikes!

When I watch Army Wives it really makes you see what our soldiers families are going through. How hard and scary it must be to first be away from your loved ones and to wonder every day if they are safe. Missing their kids events and Mom's raising their kiddos most of the time on their own. I think the show seems to do a great job giving us an inside view of what it may be like. I designed the "I Am Proud of my Soldier" in honor of all of the wives and moms who are waiting for the soldiers safe return.

This piece is available at http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com I picked the Army for examples but I can stamp Navy and Marines also.

Just as a reminder please read my post below to enter for a chance to win some free Ben and Jerry's ice cream!

I Scream, You Scream we all Scream for Ice Cream!!

With Summer officially here I wanted to share some summer time memories and giveaway some Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

As a kid I can remember how excited I was when our local city pool opened. Once the pool opened it meant summer was officially here. I spent most days at the pool with neighborhood friends. We had a group that would walk up to the pool and stay all day. We stayed in that pool until we were completely water logged most days until it was closed. We would then walk home all together only to do it again the next day. On they way home there was a house that every summer had the most gorgeous daisies and I would pick just a few to give to my mom. The other day I driving by that same house and I saw the same home owner outside still tending to her daisies. I bet she has no idea the memories that her daisies have brought.

Ok so to win the Ben and Jerry's Ice cream all you need to do is leave me a comment with your favorite summer time memories. Two lucky winners will each win two coupons for two pints of ice cream. I will announce the winner on Tuesday June 24th.

Your Ice Cream Personality

Come back tomorrow for your chance to win some FREE Ice Cream!

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You are an incredibly modest person. You don't feel comfortable bragging about yourself... or even receiving complements. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible. You are a somewhat open minded person, but deep down you're fairly conservative. You don't like trying new things very much. And if you do find something new you like, you stick with it. You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask. You can be a big dramatic and over the top sometimes. You are bold in every way. Want to take the quiz : http://www.blogthings.com/theicecreampersonalitytest/

Arte Y Pico Award... Yeah I love awards!

Today I received the "Arte Ye Pico" Award which is the Creativity and Art award and I am of course honored! Jen from http://cheaperthantherapyjen.blogspot.com/ gave me this little pretty. I don't know what it is but ever since I was a kid I have always liked receiving awards, trophies you name it! It is now my honor to pass this little pretty on to 5 other fellow bloggers. Make sure you grab the picture and put a caption of who gave it to you.

And the winners are:

http://www.lauriebethbeggin.blogspot.com/

http://www.stylishstitches.blogspot.com/

http://www.mycup2yours.com/

http://www.alithelazydog.com/

http://www.razorbacksintexas.blogspot.com/

Please visit these blogs they are some of my daily visits so sit back grab a glass of wine or adult beverage of choice and enjoy their blogs.

Jesus take the wheel.....

Is it me or does Carrie Underwood seem to look better and better every time you see her? I remember watching her on American Idol when she was lacking stage experience and sometimes lacking some confidence. Simon gave her such a hard time but look at her now! I love how confident she has become and how quickly she has turned into an amazing performer. I read an interview of her in a magazine and she still seems like a down to earth gal. What I love about American Idol is the talent that would otherwise go unnoticed. So tell me are you a Carrie Underwood fan?

New in my shop the "Jesus take the wheel" necklace http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com/
Check out her "Jesus take the wheel" video on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky4rfA_tebY

How does your kiddos name rank in the top 10 and oh my gosh cute...

I think I read one time that picking out your child's name ranks as one of the most important decisions in your life. I know a lot of care went into picking Will's name out. We found it much easier to pick out girls names but boys names were a bit harder for us. When picking a name you want to make sure the name is strong and that they won't be made fun of for the name you picked. We would discuss names and veto it for one reason or another. It was kinda challenging.

The other funny thing I found is that people are really kinda secretive about what they will name their kids so that no one copies. I thought this was just a celebrity thing but it isn't.

So according to the Social Security Administration here are the top 10 boy and girl names for 2007. I was surprised to see William made the list when we named Will there really weren't a lot of Will's or Williams and his name didn't seem to make the "list"


Top 10 names for 2007
Boy / Girl
1. Jacob Emily
2. Michael Isabella
3. Ethan Emma
4 Joshua Ava
5. Daniel Madison
6 Christoper Sophia
7. Anthony Olivia
8. William Abigail
9. Matthew Hannah
10. Andrew Elizabeth

Note: Rank 1 is the most popular.

Is your kiddos name on the "list" and how did you decide on your kiddos name?


Ready for some OH MY GOSH CUTENESS? Below is a picture of my friends new baby. Let me introduce you to baby Abby (short for Abigail) isn't she the cutest and look at that hair! Proud Big Sis Grace liked her "Big Sis" necklace I made here. She even posed for me for a picture, you can't really see it but she really liked it.

Let's Talk Army Wives

Are you hooked on Army Wives? I have to admit I started watching Army Wives last summer since there never are a lot of choices during the summer. I thought I would lose interest quickly. I have to say I LOVE it. I didn't think I would have any interest but I do. The acting is amazing you just want to be friends with all of these ladies. If asked to picked a favorite army wife it would be hard but I would pick Claudia Joy. I was so bummed that they killed off Amanda, I feel for Claudia. I know it is only TV but the acting is so good that you really do feel for the characters.

Who is your favorite character? Claudia Joy, Roxy, Denise, Pamela, Joan, Roland? Yeah Roland is really like a Army Wife. Aren't you glad (spoiler) Joan is keeping the baby and they are back together!

Do you think something bad is going to happen to Trevor? (He can't die then Roxy wouldn't be on the show) but they may have something bad happen to him.

So if you do watch Army Wives what did you think of last nights episode "Strangers in a strange land"

If you are reading this and you are a real Army Wife tell me if the show is anything like the real deal?

Happy Father's Day

One of Will's presents to Daddy was a stepping stone that they created together.

Will was so proud of his finished product. He couldn't wait to place it in "his" garden.

I had the cutest outfit picked out for Will, white polo shirt and madras shorts but he wouldn't leave the house until he picked out his outfit. This is what he picked! What do you think? He did agree to take the frog boots off at Starbucks and put on his sandals. Sorry Michigan fans I think he is picking State at a young age!

Will is the best at BBQ'ing as long as you don't mind eating plastic food!

Will and Daddy at the Motor Muster at the Henry Ford. There were so many cars! Dad was in heaven!

How did you celebrate Father's Day?

The Secret is in The Sauce....

Oh gosh I am still blushing!!! I am a featured favorite today at http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com/ The Secret is in The Sauce is a very cool hang out for bloggers to meet each other. What I really love is the COMMENTS! So ladies comment away.

I am also giving away one of my Grande Initial sterling charm necklaces and offering a special discount to fellow SITS members. Here is a link to my shop to take a peek at my jewelry http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com/

If you aren't a member of SITS head on over to to join! Here is a peek at the necklace being given away at http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com/

I think I need to talk to my help about dress attire

What do you think of my hired help dress attire? I may need to send a memo out regarding proper dress attire.

He is still working for cookies!

Happy Friday!

I Choose To Be Happy!

Happiness or unhappiness is often a matter of choice." Author Unknown

Make a statement with the "I Choose To Be Happy" necklace. The "I Choose To Be Happy" necklace is a 16 mm sterling silver disc with the word "Happy" hand stamped. The disc hangs on a dainty 18 inch bead/ball chain and includes a swarovski crystal of your choice. The crystal shown is pink since it is my favorite color.

Artist note: The letters on this disc have been hand stamped one at a time. I do not use machines. The letters will not line up perfectly and are not meant to this is part of the charm that makes your piece one of a kind. No two pieces will ever be exactly the same. The charm has been slightly brushed and the letters have been oxidized/antiqued to make them stand out it will appear to be aged or slightly tarnished but has been given a good polish. All Designs COPYRIGHT OF KRISTEN'S CUSTOM CREATIONS 2008.

Available in my shop:

http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com/

You have been flashed!

Will just flashed you a smile!



















Have you ever noticed how powerful a simple smile to a stranger can be? When I am out running errands I like to smile at complete strangers and what I really enjoy is when someone has a scoul on their face, I flash them a smile and they smile back. I can't remember when I started doing the "Flash Smile" but I can tell you I really enjoy it. I think to myself maybe I made a difference in someones day by sharing a simple smile. I feel especially proud when Will brings a smile to a stranger.

So the next time you are out and about flash a smile at someone and change someones day and along the way it will make you feel good also! To my blogging friends why don't you pass a smile on :) to a friend and leave me a comment and a smile please! :)

Here are a few quotes I like:

If you smile at someone, they might smile back. ~Author Unknown

If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine. ~Author Unknown

Smiling is infectious,You can catch it like the flu. Someone smiled at me today,And I started smiling too.~Author Unknown

I'm on Hip Mama's Place

Would you like a chance to win my new "Live, Love Laugh" hand stamped necklace? Head on over to http://www.hipmamasplace.com/ to see a review and while you are there enter for a chance to win one for yourself!
If you just can't wait and have to have one now please head on over to my shop to purchase http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com/

Priceless

The other day we were outside and I was watering some of my plants. I find when Will thinks I am not listening he says some of the most priceless things. He went in the house and got his Puppy book and said this to Kane (our greyhound)

"Kane come sit here I want to read you a book on dogs cuz you are a dog."

He then came over to me and said, "Mama Kane isn't listening to me, help me." Gee I wonder if he now understands how it feels when someone doesn't listen to you!!

What have you caught your kiddo saying or doing that is priceless?

Buzz,Buzz,Buzz

Did you know that we rely on 1/3 of our food supply from Honey Bees? Over the past few winters more than 25% of the bee population has disappeared and this will greatly impact our natural food supply if something isn't done soon.

Haagen-Dazs is doing something to help and so can you. Visit their site http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/ to learn more about what you can do. You can even create your very own cute little honey bee. In the meantime head on outside and plant some bee friendly plants and your garden can help increase the honey bee population.


Here is a list of some bee friendly plants:

• Lavender
• Trumpet Vine (one of my favorites)
• Sunflowers
• Rosemary
• Cone Flowers
• Jasmine

So the next time you see a Honey Bee in your yard remember that they have an important job and look at them a little bit differently. I know I will. Which plant are you going to plant for our Honey Bees?























Honey Baby necklace available at http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com/

Pick your favorite and see what it reveals

Your Gemstone Says...

You are stable, strong, and full of life. You are an inspiring person. People turn to you first for leadership and advice. You are able to gently help people get to where they need to be. And while you aren't afraid to lead when necessary, you are never heartless or bossy.

The Gemstone Test

Moby Wrap Gift Basket Giveaway!!!!

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For any new mom a baby carrier is essential. When Will was a baby he had colic for about 5 months and wanted to be held constantly. I found that I just needed to be hands free at times so a baby carrier was ideal. I could now go shopping and he was happy as could be as long as he was nice and close. It is believed that wearing your baby will build a stronger bond and help their long term development. Oh do I miss being able to use my baby carrier with Will.

I was so honored when http://www.mobywrap.com/ asked me to participate in their Gift Basket Giveaway. You could win one of my necklaces and many other great items. To enter please just click on this link http://www.mobywrap.com/t-GiftBasket.aspx

Take a look at all of the great items they are giving away!

Featured Organization for June

The featured organization for June is Resolve. You can visit their site at http://www.resolve.org

Resolve is the National Infertility Association, which was established in 1974, it is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network of chapters mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders.

I selected Resolve since my husband and I had a very challenging time having Will. It took us 3 long years to have him and without resources like Resolve I am not sure how we would have made it through it.

Being someone who has personally dealt with infertility I can tell you it is a very painful process. I will say so far it has been the most challenging experience I have had in my life. As I am writing this it is stirring up some of the painful memories. What I found through my experience is that everyone handles it differently. I had a lot of anger at the world and felt so guilty feeling angry. What I discovered is that it is perfectly ok to be angry but how you handle the anger is what matters most. For me I had a very hard time when people would ask the dreaded question "When are you having kids?" and when others would get pregnant and say how it was an accident and that they couldn't believe it happened on the first "try". I know people don't ever mean to be hurtful but it was so painful and I would just keep praying that some day it would happen for us. You always think that once you want to have child it just happens. For many it is a long and challenging process. The hard part was trying to maintain some type of normalcy and not focus 100% of your thoughts on getting pregnant. This was very hard.

After seeing a highly recommend specialist and enduring several miscarriages we were finally blessed with our little guy. Having Patience is very hard and each day felt like an eternity.

I encourage anyone who is dealing with infertility or knows someone who is to reach out to resources like Resolve because you are not alone.

A portion of proceeds for each "Patience" necklace sold will be donated to Resolve to help assist them in the wonderful work they do.

The "Patience" necklace is available at http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com

New things I love

I received some great things for my birthday and thought I would share them. I love lavendar but find that if it doesn't smell just right it can smell horrible. I hope you like these things also!

The love necklace is a new design I just listed in my shop http://www.klacustomcreations.etsy.com

















Jason's Lavendar Satin Body Wash is to die for. It smells so good and feels so good on my skin. I have many different shower gels but find I reach for it several days out of the week. I also use it on Will and since it is all natural I feel good about using it on him. You can purchase it at Target or Kroger which is even nicer.










I fell in love with http://www.swancreekcandles.com years ago but couldn't find them anywhere local. They are all natural soy candles that are made in America. What I love is that they are a family run business that has been around since the 70's. When I first fell in love with the candles one of the sons had a kiosk set up in a local mall and I can remember how friendly and passionate he was about the family business. Check out these out you will love them.

Let me introduce you to

Women's Diet and Fitness!


Being a busy mom it can be hard to find the time to work out. Before I had Will I use to work out several times a week. Since I had Will I haven't really been exercising. I keep telling myself that chasing him around is enough exercise. This summer I have decided that I want to slowly start working in some working out and stop making excuses for why I am not doing it. I discovered http://womensdietandfitness.com/ which has been a great motivator, they offer great tips and nutrition advice. Take a look for yourself.

Did you know or do you even care....

I was watching the news this morning and learned something new. I didn't know that it was Yves Saint Laurent that reworked the rules of fashion for women. Laurent introduced Pant Suits which I think for any professional woman is the best thing since sliced bread. Can you believe that when I began my professional career in 1995 that pant suits still were not being worn in my office. I remember walking in with my new pant suit on and was told "Kristen we don't wear pant suits in this office" I was so appalled that I continued to wear pant suits and felt like such a rebel. Little did I know that it was Laurent who created this fab trend. I think pant suits really level the playing field for women in the work force. A special thank you to Yves Saint Laurent for breaking the "rules"

P.S. Why does it take someone passing for us to learn more about their legacy.

It is all about comfort

Will decided he needed to spruce up his climber with some pillows and blankets. Once he was done getting everything just right he decided that it would make a great spot for a nap. You can tell by the look on his face he was pleased with his work.