We had a nice week-end in North Carolina. We got there too late Saturday to the Flea Market because alot of the vendors were packing up but we were able to get back on Sunday and it was packed. Stacy got some good buys on tools (he's about tools like I am about shoes). Speaking of shoes I got a pretty bright red pair of Brighton loafers for $2. This other lady had several pair of Brighton shoes and she was selling hers for $20 (shows you how high the retail prices are if they asking $20 at a garage sale stand at a Flea Market!). Wow did I get lucky. They are buttery soft and so-o-o comfy.
We checked in the Hotel (I didn't take any Hotel pics - sorry but it was very very nice) and we jetted off to Windy Hill Orchard where a Fall Festival was in progress. You can read about Windy Hill Orchard in this month's Southern Living Magazine!

I took a close-up so you could see the apples in the trees. They were $6 a peck. Not sure how much for a full bushel.

The orchard was well taken care of and very pretty!

I love the autumn leave arch-way. You might have to click on it to "big" it and see better!

It's a wonder the scarecrow didn't run screaming from me. No make-up, hair scraped back LOL I've got to get my groove back and try to at least fix myself up again. The rotten hot weather is pretty much gone so I have no excuse!

Get your Hayrides and Apple Cider here! We did buy some cider doughnuts, apple cider, apple butter and pumpkin butter.

Sunflowers everywhere! You can click on it and see my "Boo At The Zoo'" t-shirt. I mistakenly bought a childs shirt but thankfully could squ-ee-ze into it! LOL

A close-up of the giant sunflowers. I love them! So cheery and pretty.

This man was a real old-timey blacksmith. His stuff wasn't for sale or I would have loved to have had one of his heart shaped iron hooks. Beautiful!

Another shot of the blacksmith, look how the iron is glowing red hot!

We didn't end up going anywhere fancy for dinner (every place had a long wait) so we found a local hole-in-the-wall called The Graduate which was a bar/grill type place. The food was awesome. I had a buffalo chicken wrap with pasta salad and Stacy had wings and they did not disappoint. As I said we went to the Flea Market on Sunday and had a good time. Bought a few more things for Madison to open on her birhtday Friday at her Grandma's. Her big present is a new swingset/activity center but she needs some packages to open on the big day as well. We are having her party at Chuck E Cheese Thursday night. Can't wait! Okay in closing we ate at Hooters in Rock Hill on the way home Sunday. I meant to take a picture of Stacy with the Hooters girls but I forgot and he did too. Not being mean but i've been to plenty of Hooters and these were the homeliest Hooter girls i've ever seen! They were nice and did a fair job though LOL I love the crablegs and buffalo shrimp. Yum. I enjoyed being at Winthrop also. I showed Stacy my off-campus apartment and where I stayed in the all-girls dorm on campus. Got some things at the Bookstore. It was a trip well-spent.

Thirteen years ago Stacy and I were married in Summerville,SC. We had a beautiful wedding and a fabulous reception at Victorian House. We couldn't agree on a wedding cake topper so we had fresh flowers on the cake. It was beautiful AND yummy. One thing I cannot stand is to go a wedding and the food and cake are not delicious. No excuse. Anyway I want to wish my darling husband a Happy Anniversay and I would marry him all over again!

Now onto our Friday night foray into Boo At The Zoo. It wasn't as good as our previous visit because they didn't have the games area (a magician which the kids did not give a rap about) and they didnt' have the haunted tram ride either. BUT they loved the carousel and just getting candy and getting to see some animals up close and personal was exciting for them.

Brianna, Brittany and Madison. Brianna's mommy works with Stacy.

My Weeny Witchie!

Riding the Carousel!

We lost her witches hat so she will probably be something else for Halloween *frown*

Happy Halloween Y'all!

Lookee what UPS delivered to my house on Friday! A pair of Lexees Monogrammed Sandals courtesy of Cheeky, Katie and Southern Fried Girl! I Love them! They have another monogrammed snap which is pink polka dot but these are black with a pumpkin orange monogram. So very pretty! Thank you girls so much! I know just where I can get some more snap ons too! Wahoo!

Please ignore the non-pedicured toes. I tend to slack when the weather cools off some, um, not that's cooled off much here. I've just been, um, busy. Yeah that's it!

My girl is a clown and a half! She was goofing off in the bathtub last week. She HAD to wear that necklace and those Strawberry Shortcake Shades while taking her tubby :)

Reilly just HAS to come and see what his sissy is doing. He hates taking a bath though (which is why I pay a groomer to do it 98% of the time!) Lazy, moi????

Well I know this day is going to go at a snail's pace but I can't wait to go to Boo At The Zoo tonight in Columbia. We are taking Brittany with us and one of the girls who works with Stacy, Sharee and her little girl Brianna who is the same age as Maddie are going. It's raining right now but i'm betting it will taper off by tonight. NO rain in the forecast for Charlotte area tomorrow though - Yippee!!! I will be a happy girl just shopping around at the Flea Market and going to my alma mater (I want to get Madison a Winthrop sweatshirt. How cool would it be if she went there just like her Mommy and Aunt A?!) and I haven't been to an apple orchard since I was a little girl and then relaxing over a nice dinner, some vanilla vodka & cran (Hi Katie!) and a nice lavender scented soak in the jacuzzi and some quality time with my Man. Makes me smile just thinking about it. He is such a wonderful father and husband. He was up with Maddie last night and I know she was about to get on his last nerve (it was 2 a.m. and the man likes his sleep) but he just did everything she asked and got her settled then she kicked the stuffing out of him the rest of the night! He and I have so much fun together and he's very patient about letting me do the things I want to do when we go away for the week-end. Anyway i've rambled on here long enough. So much for me thinking it would be a "short" post. Oh and thanks for all of your sweet emails regarding Madison's dance debut. Miss Patsy said last night at class that she could have squeezed Madison in two she was so proud of her! *beaming proud Mom alert*

Here are the pictures Blogger wouldn't let me post yesterday. I such a great birthday thank you to everyone who made it so special! My camera is acting up (I think the battery finally needs replaced after almost two years) so I didn't get any pictures but crazy SHELL sent me a Princess Pototao Head Pumpkin Maker. I can't wait to make my pumpkin next week and I will post pics.

Disgruntled Daisy and Manblogger sent me this beautiful birthday card!

Cheeky sent me this Boo-minary full of Dove Chocolate, soft candy corn socks (LOVE EM'!) and Madison this container of goodies. This is part of my "birthday MONTH" festivities as per Cheeky. She said more to come. Girl this is plenty - I sure apprecaite it!

Don't hate on my monogrammed TRASH CAN *cough* Katie *cough* and matching Mug from the Hubs. Isn't it just the CUTEST thing? I challenge anybody to say they've got a cuter trashcan :)

My new Vera Bradley silk bag from my sis Bonnie (the Vera ADDICT). She's about Vera like I am about monogramming LOL

I also received a bouquet of flowers and a gift basket of bath items at work from my darling Maddie (Daddy helped - Thanks Daddy!) and I got a darling Halloween shirt from my co-worker that I will wear and post a pic of. It really can't be described. My other co-workers got me a fiber optic witch doll. Can't describe that either but it is gorgeous. Madison is dying to play with it (-NOT!). I had a cake at work and my friends Frankie & her daughter Sabrina took me to lunch at Fatz Cafe and had a photo mug made of my favorite racecar drive Raef Judd. See how spoiled I am! OMG!
Again thanks for all of your good wishes and happy thoughts. My 41st birthday was just awesome.
Trluy. I am blessed with the most fabby friends and family imaginable.

Stacy had a surprise party for me Saturday evening. His friend Terry came to the house right after we left for the Sweet Potato Festival and started cooking a pig. It was SO good. I'm sort of squeamish about things but as long as I didn't look TOO closely at the pig I was fine. It sure was GOOD. So many friends and family there. I just wish my blog buds could have been there too. I have more pictures including a box from the sweeter than sweet Cheeky and a beautiful card from Disgruntled Daisy and Manblogger but Blogger is being a pill and won't let me post anymore pics.


This is a beautiful Fair Isle sweater my sister Kathy gave me.

The new Dream Angels Perfume and a gift card to Kohls ... Love em'!

Flip Flop Palmetto Tree T- I love this soft blue color!

Monogrammed Travel Mug (quit laughing Katie!) and gourmet white chocolate cocoa. Mmmm......

My little ballerina princess pretty in pink :)

Anxiously awaiting our turn to go on

Mommy is it MY turn yet? Hey I see you!

50 years - and Miss Patsy will not reveal her age. She is a former Mrs. South Carolina and a delightful lady

Miss Patsy getting the girls in their places

Miss Nicole helping organize the dancers

Checking out the "competition"

Doing ballet routine "this is my Left Foot"

Very confident up on the stage

She did SO good. She was champing at the bit to get up on stage and was the first one up there. She had a lot of people there to see her dance. Family and friends of mine and Stacy's. We really appreciate the support. They said as soon as she got up on the stage she started looking for people she knew. She wasn't the least bit afraid. I am so so so glad because I was REALLY stressing over this. I cried the whole time she was dancing, I just couldn't believe how well my babygirl did!
Tomorrow i'll have a post about the REST of the week-end - blogger buds are the best!

Copy and Paste and fill in the areas where there are parenthesis.

1. If I were a tree I would be an (apple) tree because (I could feed the world)
Feel free to barf now.

2. If I were a bird I would fly (over someone I dislike and shit on them)
This isn't a Carpenters song people ;)

3. If I were a book I hope I (would be a racy thriller that you hate to see end)
Think Laurell K. Hamilton

4. If I were a car I would be (a new VW Bug Convertible)
I've got the shape - i'm already halfway there!

5. If I could get rid of one piece of technology it would definitely be (cellphones & TV) because (I think they have had a negative affect on our society and families.)
No hate mail please!

6. If I could get rid of one bad habit at a snap of the fingers it would be (eating when i'm bored).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to (getting a good nights sleep,) tomorrow my plans include (going to the Sweet Potato Festival and watching my baby dance!) and Sunday, I want to (go to Boo At The Zoo)!

Also: Courtesy of Katie!

You Are Sex On the Beach

When comes to drinking, you like it to go down smooth. You really don't like the taste of alcohol - just its effect on you. So, you're proud to get drunk on fruity, girly drinks. Because once you're liquored up, the fun begins!

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

No, no i'm not going anywhere. Scared ya did I? I don't know if anyone has noticed but I recently purged a few links from my blogroll. Some were because the person has not been updating or had decided to discontinue their blog. A few were because of some silly drama that I just do not want to be party to. No you are not getting the gory details. The situation is over with. I will say once these persons revealed a rather nasty, unpleasant side of themselves I was like "See Ya". Who needs that kind of crap in their lives? Not me! I am particularly disappointed in one person. She was someone I really liked and admired.I just know i've got my closeknit bunch of blog peeps and I know they are who they have always portrayed themselves to be and I heart them to the nth degree! Love Y'all!

I have had a rather nasty virus all week-end starting on Friday night but I finally felt better by Sunday morning. Ack. Saturday night was filled with feverish dreams that made not much sense but always seemed to make me wake up in a sense of panic. In one Madison and I were flying somewhere and when I took my seat on the plane I discovered I had left her in the airport! Oh hell no! I woke up sweating on that one.

Little Holly bug, my rescue is doing so good. She has put on weight and is the sweetest little thing. She will go potty outside with no problem, unfortunately she will still go potty INSIDE too if the mood hits her but I honestly think she can't help it. I think when the urge hits it hits and she has to have immediate relief. So, we are doing the puppy pads in the crate at night and she is in the kitchen during the day. A few days she didn't have any accidents in the kitchen at all so I am really trying to control how/when she eats/drinks. She doesn't do either after 7 pm. Am I being too harsh or does anyone have any info to give me regarding that?

Happy Monday everyone!

Beat Da Bears Tonight!

Go ahead and tell me: "I'm a freak of nature. Nobody decorates THAT much for HALLOWEEN." "Are you a devil worshipper?" "You decorate for Halloween like some people decorate for Christmas". I've heard it all! (for the record I go overboard at Christmas too!). Hey my kid loves it and so do the neighborhood kiddies.
Here are the lights we have outside on the deck. They are blurry. Sorry. They are candy corn lights in the middle of the deck and pumpkin scarecrow lights on both sides. Jack O' Lantern lights in the area over the steps. The neon pumpkins on the steps came from K-Mart last year. They are battery operated.

You can't see (again, blurry - sorry) but the lights above spell out Happy Halloween. The pumpkins on the wicker couch are Stacy,Me and Maddie. You can barely see Maddie pumpkin peeking out!

My requisite Halloween Flag!

"Old School" plastic halloween light-ups. They are getting scarcer and scarcer to find. Can you see my cat Brett "supervising" off to the right :)

Here is the Mark Roberts Fairy on my front door. I heart her. I am just starting my Mark Roberts Collection. I love them! She is a larger one although I normally collect the smaller fairies with the poseable legs.

A close-up - isn't she a wicked beauty!

My entrance hallway. I love this fiber optic pumpkin! I've had these terra cotta pumpkin candleholders for YEARS. Don't hate on that snazzy wallpaper either *snort* It's gotta go eventually.

Here is my collection of witches shoes on top of my Curio. I HATE this freaking border. Hate it. It will be changed.

Festivity abounds atop the Telly!

This is Maddie's pumpkin purse I bought her at Cracker Barrel. She wanted a decoration to put out too so I figure it's safe hanging here!

This little guy is here to greet you as you come into the livingroom. Trick or Treat!

Money really IS the root of all evil :( I am kinda down this a.m. so i'm pulling a me~me I had in my drafts. Y'all be good.

I stole this me~me from a new blog I just added; Cheryl Wray (see sidebar)

1. Age I was when I first walked:
I was six months premature but I walked right at 12 months anyway. Talented from way back when *snort*

2. Age of my very first memory:
I can remember back when I had just turned four I fell down the stairs of our 'row house' in Williamsport, PA. Ouch!

3. Number of stitches I've had in my life:
Plenty. Plen-ty. The first ones were age Five.I was being stingy with a cut glass dessert bowl full of Lifesavers and fell breaking the bowl and handily slicing my right hand ring finger, tendons and all. It's still not right and I will never be able to bend it straight. *shrug* Lesson: don't be greedy!

4. Number of broken bones I've had in my life:
I broke my left leg Aug 1998 and i've broken a toe twice. Ouch.

5. Number of cars I've owned:
I'm currently on my ninth one.

6. Number of countries I've visited:
Sadly only Canada (Niagara Falls) as a child which I can't even clearly remember

7. The age I was when I moved out of my parents' house:
17 when i went away to college but I didn't move out "for good" until I got married at 27

8. Number of ex-boyfriends in my past: Let's just say I was a popular girl (Not for THAT reason either!) Hmph...

9. Number of televisions in my house:
One (and sometimes one too many) Oops make that two, the other is for gaming.

10. Number of days old I am right now: You are 40 years old . . .

or 492 months old
or 2137 weeks old
or 14960 days old
or 359040 hours old
or 21542458 minutes old
or 1292547520 seconds old

And, your next birthday is in:
15 days 17 hrs 2 mins 20 secs
go

HERE

to calculate your info!

Jeez-us I am glad it is Friday. Bear in mind it is not even quarter after 7a.m. but this morning I already had to bathe Holly in the sink cos'she peed all over the puppy pad in her crate and got pee all over her. Yuck.
Madison showed her ass - ROYALLY.She slept with us practically ALL night long and hence did not sleep well at all and was tired. I stupidly let her watch Scooby Doo before she went to bed and even though the "monster" took his mask off I think it still made a very vivid impression on her. That "boogeyman" thing remains very much in her mind.
Stacy is going to his friends after work. I never mind him doing that,he needs time to himself sometimes (we all do). Sometimes he takes Madison, sometimes not.
Something that makes me smile even though she is a little PILL sometimes (okay lots of times)
I just feel very down and depressed today and it's Payday and the week-end.. but I don't even care :(


Oh and we got her costume changed to a very cute one for the Sweet Potato Festival. She dances at 2p.m. on Saturday October 13th on the Square in Darlington at the Festival. I hope she doesn't get stage fright!