And the collection continues to grow...

center: very special beer holding, music playing off limits Nutcracker

When I was a little girl I performed in our local Nutcracker for many years so that is when my Nutcracker collection began and it has continued to grow over the years. The above picture of our mantel is just a fraction of my many nutcrackers. Maybe one day I can have a Nutcracker room in a bigger house but for now having them take over my mantel for the holidays is fine with me. Will also has a love for Nutcrackers he finds them fascinating and this year insisted on finding whole walnuts so he could try to crack them open... let's just say it didn't work so well. I do allow him to play with a few at a time but not my very special music box, beer holding nutcracker that my brother gave me for Christmas last year, that one is off limits.

What do you collect?

just not ready for it yet...

These pics are from a few weeks ago when we visited The Henry Ford, it was a very warm day and the gardens were still beautiful. We have gone from steamy hot weather to chilly late fall weather.... I am just not ready for the cold weather just yet.

What is the weather like in your neck of the woods?

he does his work and i do my work

Some of you may not like play-doh but for me it can be a lifesaver. Often when I am working I set Will up across the table from me and pull out the Play-doh and we work together. Some days it takes a bit longer but the most important thing is that we get to spend some time together while we are "working". Things have been very, very busy and my work is a true blessing that I am very thankful for!

I just added the Serenity, Courage, Wisdom piece to my shop, which has been a best seller in the standard block text and is now available in the fancy script font.

Have a great Thursday!

To view more Thousand Words Thursday please vist Jen of Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

A Trip To Flavor Fruit Farm......

Over the holiday weekend we took a trip to Flavor Fruit Farm. Will and my nephew loved the vintage truck they had on display and couldn't resist the little piggy. Flavor Fruit Farm wasn't in full swing yet but we did still enjoy some donuts! I love cider mill donuts! BTW if you like Will's T-shirt it is from Eli's Lids, and I had to beg Will to take it off, it is his favorite T-shirt.

Happy Thursday friends!

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for some new BLING HERE!

For more Thousand Words Thursday's please visit my friend Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

I think someone made himself right at home...

This past weekend we made a trip to IKEA, I know going on the weekend was really silly. We went for a bookshelf for Will and three hours later found one. We also had lunch there and they have a delicious Caesar Salad. Do people go to IKEA to buy stuff or just hang out and lounge in all the cool rooms? Visiting IKEA kinda made me want to do some redecorating. They really make it so you could stay there all day, and move right in. Will had a blast going from room to room, just about as much fun as he has at the park.

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Boating, ice cream, and window shopping all in the rain...

When you are three you don't care that it is cold, so we bundled up and went for a ski boat ride, you also don't mind eating Superman ice cream when it is cold (btw Superman ice cream tastes really good) and what is better than finishing the day off with some window shopping and a new Ugly Doll to add to your collection! Meet Turny Burny (left) and Big Toe. This is how we spent our rainy weekend at the lake.

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit my friend Jen of Cheaper Than Therapy Jen

Look out.....

What kid doesn't like to throw some water balloons? Never ask a kid how many water balloons they would like when you are the official water balloon filler upper..... he said 40!

Don't forget to enter in my giveaway for Earth Baby Shampoo HERE.

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit my friend Jen of Cheaper than Therapy

Every picture tells a story... don't it?

I think you can tell by the pictures that Will is enjoying his new pool. Lately we cannot keep him out of the water. This pool is big enough that once it warms up I may join him, but for now I will just get splashed on the sidelines.

A friend asked me to design a necklace as a gift for a amateur photographer and I think it would be perfect for anyone who loves to snap a lot of pictures and especially mom bloggers! I know I never leave home without my camera. I just may make one for myself. Every picture tells a story... don't it?


The "every picture tells a story" is available in my shop HERE.

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Random Silliness

"Look Mommy I look like you" I couldn't live without my velcro rollers!

Hawaiian shirt, bulldog shorts and Camo boots, good to go right? But he did it himself!

I am thinking he didn't like the email he got? This is a old keyboard and he insisted on taking it in the car. I gave in, I just wanted to get the show on the road!

I think the random silliness is what makes a ordinary day extraordinary!

If you would like to view other Thousand Words Thursdays please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

A Thousand Words Thursday... I love you more than chocolate!

Will has a true love for chocolate and will do just about anything for some chocolate. The first thing he asks for when he wakes up in the morning is chocolate. I like chocolate but Will LOVES chocolate. Most days Will is sporting a chocolate mustache. You know some people just really, really love chocolate!

Very often my inspiration for new pieces comes from the little guy, the little things he says. One day he was telling me that he loves chocolate (just in case I didn't know) and I asked him if he loves it more than anything in the world and he said "No, I love you more than chocolate but I really, really do love chocolate too" It sometimes is something so simple that inspires me and this holds special meaning for me to it has been put to metal!

I have added it to my shop HERE.

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Thousand Words Thursday..... wait... wait... AHHHH

It has been so hot the last few days and we went to the "Castle Park" as Will calls it and he discovered that the park has a sprinkler mister, you push a red button and then it randomly mists water. He played with this almost the entire time we were at the park. I have to say it was pretty refreshing! I think we need a magical mister in our back yard too.

Tell me what do you do to cool down when it is really hot?

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy Jen.

Thousand Words Thursday: Happenings at the Estate

Just a few pictures from The Henry Ford Estate, the former home of Henry Ford. The Peony's were beautiful and the picture just doesn't do justice. I love that shot of Will, he looks all grown up (sniff, sniff)

Does anyone have any idea what kind of bird that is? I have never seen a bird like this in Michigan.

Just a few days left to enter my Father's Day giveaway for either a hand stamped key chain or custom golf ball marker, enter HERE!! Happy Thursday friends!

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy

Thousand Words Thursday: Window Shopping

Anthropologie Mugs, can you believe they are only $6 each?

Some very cute aprons also at Anthropologie

Don't even ask how pricey this cute little set of furniture was at Pottery Barn Kids, and no we did not get it even though Will wanted it.


Will did get a $3 completely organic double chocolate cookie and he didn't even know it was packed with all natural ingredients!

I love to get a latte and window shop, sometimes I find things sometimes I leave empty hande, I find it relaxing. What do you like to do for fun these days?

Please be sure to enter for a chance to win one of two $25 gift certificates to Sugarhouse Ink enter HERE.

To view more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy

Thousand Words Thursday: I heart....

Well besides my kiddo, and my new iPod, I heart my backyard. It is so refreshing to be able to be outdoors. We had such a hard winter here in Michigan so the sunshine lately is rejuvenating! We have worked hard over the years to try and bring some inside comfort outdoors, as you can see Will really enjoys playing on our outdoor couch also. The one problem is that we never want to come in.

What is better than being outdoors, sipping a iced lemonade and enjoying some of your favorite music?

For more Thousand Words Thursday please visit Cheaper Than Therapy.