... how I spent my St Pat's weekend!

Spent the weekend with the hubby and my BEST GIRL!!!

She arrive kinda late on Saturday - we had a yummy dinner of left over BBQ beef, smoked bratwurst, macaroni and cheese,  sauteed asparagus & mushrooms, and cesar salad - she ate it all up except the  mac & cheese.  (weirdo)

Eating ice cream ~ with green sprinkles ~  of course  =D 

We cleaned out the crabitat and set it back up all new fun and exciting - the are so happy with their new digs! round all crawled night and most of the day and looks like they are up for another all nighter! 

happy crabby land

We stayed up WAAAAYYYY  to late ~ like midnight!!!   but thanks to the mantle clock in the living room that is stuck on 4:50 & the light blocking thermal drapes the little monster ~ eeerrr, darling was fooled and let us all sleep till 9:00 am!!!

 ZZZzzzzzzzz......  =D   

We had a delicious breakfast - bacon, fried apples with cinnamon and candied ginger YUM!   with scramble eggs and ice cream =)  yup, I am the cool aunt - we eat ice cream for breakfast AND after dinner... we might have, on occasion had ice cream with lunch as well... perhaps.  8)

round 2 - note to self she is a 2 egg kinda girl 

With full bellies we started on a little sewing lesson ~  made a super cute Barbie  outfit.  Ok, I made the skirt last weekend & we worked on the tank top together.  I have not sewn in a looonnng time and she she has done on a little for girl scouts and once in kindergarten (with real needles she tells me - I  do not believe it!?)  We used fabric scraps from well loved, beyond repairable clothing. 

I was so excited when I found Miss B. Couture - she is AWESOME!  thorough, simple directions - very cute outfits - we want to make them all!!! 

just getting started ~ thanks to http://www.missbcouture.com 

almost done ~ just needs some velcro fastener sew on the back 

Sew cute - right?

While we worked on our sewing she helped me make this amazing crock pot beef stew ~  we totally cheated used one of those McCormick beef stew packs, 3 lbs of chuck roast beef chunks (browned in a bit of olive oil)  1 1/2 cups water...   cooked for a hour on high.

Then we added 5 cups of these pretty little assortedbaby  potatoes & some fresh/frozen rosemary (Mmmmm  smells like summer).

Finally,1 1/2 cups halved baby onions, 2 cups halved baby portabella mushrooms, and a 1/2 cups baby carrots  ....  generooouuuusssss pour of cabernet sauvignon - because as I told my young assistant - wine makes almost everything taste better.   We let that cook on low for a few more hours...  =D

We went off to meet up with mom, dad and the little brother - to return her and do some thrift shopping!!!  They got all the good finds...  and yes another Barbie (with blond & pink hair) I think she is addicted - but it makes me happy to see a 10 yr old acting like a 10 year old - yup, enjoy being a kid!

Back to my Home Sweet Home and OMG - pretty sure this is the BEST beef stew ever!  YUM!  =D

....  this girl ready for bed  - NOT ready for Monday  =/

photo-a-day "UP"

UP in the vine...  hanging out (or hiding ?) 

This is Kaia one of my 7 crabbie babies.  Stevie the problem child has taken to picking on her the past few days...    yeah, she has moved into a magpie shell which seems to be their favorite, but Stevie is a bit larger and probably would not be a good fit fro him, but i think he is just a meanie...  .   he did the same thing to Kimmie and he eventually pulled her out I got her into a new shell quickly, and he went straight into solitary confinement...  he spent all of about 30 min in the shell he stole, before going back to his pink murex...  he got 30 days for that...   i think he is looking for a another 30 ...  brat.

... no more smelly feet & Hamm's

LOL!  yes, life is GOOD  =D

I have been a such a blog slacker...  it has been 12 days since my last post... I mean I think about it all the time..   I have a few photos on my camera I ought to share, but it is like SO far away.. like in the kitchen!...      HA! ok, ok....  BRB...  I got get it!  

Seriously, I need a smart phone with a good camera!   or... a NEW CAMERA!!!
like the Fuji FinePix x100 I have been drooling over it for weeks.... it is SO pretty and so cool and sooo.... oh crud!  there I go drooling again...    I love my good ole Fuji FinePix S5100  with the batter compartment taped shut & all (yes, I tried to get it fixed, had it sent back to japan and all) sadly, electrical tape is the only fix)... yes, I NEED a new camera - this camera...

http://www.finepix-x100.com/en/x100/

this AMAZING!!!!  and I am in love with it! 

Memorial Day weekend is here!   

Cheers to the unofficial start of summer!!!  

I picked up a 6 pack of Hamm's - America's Classic Premium Beer - Born in the land of sky blue waters  =)   stop it - a as far as cheap american beer goes I find it most drinkable.. enjoyable even as it takes me back to my childhood...  hanging out with my granpa  at night the sweet smoke of cherry tobacco wafting thru the air, looking up at the the stars, watching air planes fly across the night sky, going to fetch him a cold beer from the fridge cracking it open and sipping the foam off the top... yes, those were the good ole days  =)
list of some places you can buy Hamm's ->  http://www.hammsclub.com/Hamms-Finder.htm


.... went to the market today as I do most Saturdays and picked up a few yummy looking Imported items....

I will be making the Coconut Pudding tomorrow!   

My favorite part of summer = fresh fruit & veggies!  got some delicious globe grapes and sweet cherries... and of course I HAD to share with my crabby babe's -

 This is Max - one happy crab chown' on some diced grape & cherry  

and with summer comes hot and stinky feet...   ewe!!   I myself got some  Dr. Teal's Soothing Foot Cream with menthol, peppermint and tea tree oil...  ahh...  much better  8)  perhaps I should have gotten a second for the office!
 
sorry ladies & gents...  no photo a day today...  I was sound asleep at 12 o'clock  8)

April Photo a Day 2, 3, 4....

Day 4 - Someone who makes you happy.. that's Cecil Crabgaitor his is a bit camera shy, he used to live an a shell made to look like an alligator, but he moved into these new diggs a few months ago     =)

Day 3 - mail
yeah!  no bills!!!  been waiting for that Purex sample for a long time....

Day 2 - colour
my "lucky" bamboo in thermal heat map style...  yup, more fun with picnik