Simple Girl

We spend the year driving and waiting stretching and plie`-ing learning Positions and Pirouettes Jete`s and Releve`s and in the end we realize that it's not about turnouts or grace talent or poise It's about being a princess (or a Jail Bird!) for a day.

BEFORE It was time for the summer shave. Do you think dogs ever have an identity crisis? AFTER

Beurrista's Bolognese My college BFF and fellow blogger, Rebecca, has a baking and cooking blog called Beurrista.  Her motto?  "Butter is Better!"  When she posted this recipe for Bolognese Sauce, I knew I had to try it.  The beautifully executed photos proved that this was no ordinary spaghetti sauce.  This cook-all-day sauce looked like noodles wrapped in love.   According to the master, a key ingredient to this sauce is San Marzano Tomatoes.  They are heirloom plum tomatoes grown in the sun-drenched volcanic soil of Mt. Vesuvius, and they have a sweeter, more intense tomato flavor.  After some preliminary shopping, I could not find these at either Super Target or Publix.  Much to my delight, however, I finally found a giant can of these tomatoes at Costco!  The 106 ounce mega-tin was only $3.89! After doing the math, I decided to use the entire can and quadruple the recipe.  Because this recipe called for an all-day simmer, ...

It actually started last night.  I couldn't find Samuel's swim suit for the Middle School Water Park Day.  His new swim suit.  The one I bought him 3 weeks ago.  I searched his drawers, the clean laundry, the dirty laundry, his closet floor, laundry room floor and behind the dryer.  It was gone.  I did, however, find his last year's swim suit, so I put that out for him to wear.  It was new last year.  How much could he have possibly grown?  At 6:45AM it was clear.  He had grown.  Samuel stood with a look of despair, his swim suit pulled up to his knees.  "No problem," I said, "Put on one of Dad's.  It has elastic, it has strings!" He hadn't grown that much. At 7AM I left the kids, got in the car and drove to Wal-Mart.  There were actually other people there!  I bought three different swim suits in a couple of sizes and drove home.  When I arrived, Perry and the kids were waiting in the driveway.  Sam...

I love having friends that do things better than I do.  They inspire me to improve. They inspire me to go outside my comfort zone.  They inspire me to reach beyond my realm of familiarity.  Take my "perfect" friend, Kathy, for instance.  After a visit to her meticulously decorated, immaculately clean and organized home, I am determined to keep my kitchen countertops clear for at least three or four days!   Today, my friend's daughter, Lily, celebrates her fourth birthday.  Another perk of such a great friend?  Getting invited to awesome birthday parties!  Enjoy these pictures of, what I call, "The Ultimate Princess Party"! Guests met at Lily's house for brief refreshments. Each girl was given a Hello Kitty ring with lipgloss and then.... .... they were swept away in a bright pink stretch limo! When they arrived at Sweet & Sassy, they were given the red carpet treatment! Each little girl was assigned her own personal ...