Monday, August 9, 2010

137 Days till Christmas...

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Can you believe there are only 137 days left till Christmas? That means it's time to start thinking about all your holiday cards/invitation needs. I am still working on a few more holiday inspired greetings, but wanted to post a few of the latest designs! So far I have done 2 birth announcements and I am starting on a birthday invite for a Diva Cowgirl...can't wait to see how that one turns out. Please let me know if I can help you or someone you may know.

(click photo to enlarge)





Copper Creek Double Date...

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Yummy Yummy Yummy...this place


is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Before this summer I had eaten there a couple of times, but had never really been impressed. It was good food but at a slightly overpriced rate. This summer I have gone several times and I have not been disappointed.

Andy and I went on a double date with Grammy and Poppy Saturday night and it was so much fun. It was such a great time, enjoying a couple of drinks, visiting, cutting up and just being together. Seems like it has been forever since we've been able to do that.

The next time you go to Copper Creek, I must recommend the Red Pecan Crusted Fish with Sweet Chile Cilantro Sauce over a bed of white rice and asparagus.


 OMG...it's the best fish I have ever ever ever had! It's not really on the menu because its a so called "special" however my waiter let me in on a little secret that if I want it...just order it! They will make it! And boy of boy they did make it for us...and every bite was sweet bliss.

Here are a few shots from our dinner date...

Me and the Hubs

Mom and Dad...


"Cheers To Good Food and Good Company"



Sweet Sweet Summa Days...

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Oh-the-many many hours we have spent swimming this summer. My Jolea girl is a "water baby" for sure. We opted not to do swimming lessons this time around because we felt she was still a little too young. After watching her in the water and seeing the improvement she has made this summer alone, we know she will be ready next year. She LOVES swimming...and she is fearless with those floaties on her arms! We have enjoyed many swimming adventures with our sweet friend Jillian...


And our big kid friends Cameron and Dylan...


Jolea loves her some Cami...


My Girl...All Smiles...


Wrapped up and ready to go...


It's the hot summer days like these that we are gonna miss soon!!! There isn't anything that a good day at the pool can't cure :-)

Pottery Barn Bargain...

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One of my FAVORITE things about summertime is getting up really early on Saturday mornings and going garage saling. Sometimes we find great bargains and other times we don't find anything but junk. It's all about the thrill of the hunt. On one particular morning a couple of weeks ago, we stumbled across this...

It's the Providence Quilted Bedding from Pottery Barn. Of course it looks "devine" right from the magazine page doesn't it?


Here is what it looks like on our bed! Still cute, but not as cute as the PB display page of course. I love the colors and the floral patterns with a little splash of gingham here and there. Someday when I get new bedroom furniture it will all look a lot better. I am a self admitted "bedding" junkie. I love buying new bedding for my bedroom and it's a BAD obsession to have...just ask my husband!



I wonder what I will find next Saturday?

Saturday, August 7, 2010

G.N.O and Toy Story 3...

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Just finished working on these demo's. Gotta get a good portfolio started to that people have lots to choose from!!! I have my first order placed on a  birth announcement for a sweet baby girl Chaynee Wryn South! Her Mommy likes zebra and pink and so do I  :-)  I bet we can do something spectacular with that combination.

(click to enlarge images)


Friday, August 6, 2010

Invitations Anyone?

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I have decided to take a hobby of mine that I absolutely LOVE and see if I can't make a little extra money and make someone’s party or event a little bit happier! Everyone needs a custom invitation from time to time right? Birthdays, babies, weddings, showers, graduations, holiday cards and whatever else you can think of. I have a phobia of store bought invitations...I dont know why, but I do. I want something a little more whimsical, a little more personal, a little more fun. With that said I wanted to show you a few of the demo's I have prepared...take a look...see what ya think...then if you have a special occasion coming up and you would like me to prepare something we can talk about it. I am planning on either providing the invite/card on CD-ROM for personal printing at a set fee or if you need me to have them printed for you, I will also be able to do that (given advance notice). I really enjoy playing with digital design and I am learning new things all the time. So...wish me LUCK!!!

(Ps...the baby pics are random pics from the internet...not a real baby that I know)








Wednesday, August 4, 2010

I'm in LOVE...

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So...I was digging around at my Mom's house and remembered that she had this awesome scrapbooking software that she bought in like 2008. Well since 2008 of course, I have decided that I have a love for dabbling in a little digital design here and there...you know, blog headers, invitations, holiday cards...things like that. Well I have fallen madly in LOVE with Scrapbook Boutique. Granted, I do know a lot more now than I did back then but I still have a TON of stuff to learn. Anyway, my new blog header is my first creation using the program, and it’s in the spirit of football of course :-)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Pedi Party with the Girls...

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Oh my heavens, there is nothing better than a night with some of your favorite girls! Tonite was all about chicky music, chicky talk, chicky food, chicky beverages and cutesie toesies! Thanks Anna, Stephanie and Lindi...I had a ball and can't wait to do it again.

Friends...


Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...


Can you guess which set of toes are mine?


The white polka dots...they make me happy :-)

Monday, August 2, 2010

Break and Bake with my Baby

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So Jolea girl has been on a "making cookies" kick. I have never had much luck with "homemade" cookies so Break-N-Bake it was...and I don't think she cared one bit. She is very independent, she counted every cookie chunk as she broke it from the bar, strategically placed them on the cookie sheet and carried em' to the oven...all by herself. This precious girl is growing too fast for her Mama.

Let's Bake Mama...
Funny Girl...
Mommy and Jolea...
Carefully counting and placing each cookie where it belongs...
Let's put em' in the oven...
Voila...Break-N-Bakes turn out perfect everytime!!!

PS...notice how some cookies are missing the majority of the chocolate pieces? Hmm...how do you think that happened?

Monday, July 26, 2010

Sidewalk Chalk + My Diploma = Sweetness

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What a lazy day Monday it has been around the Ward house. Daddy went back to work today and its raining...kinda fits my mood right about now. Not really...I love football season, but I would be lying if I said it wasnt tough...on all of us. We miss Daddy and Daddy misses us, but hey it's for the love of the game right! Anyhow before the rains fell down this morning, me and my girl did some sidewalk chalkin' and I took the opportunity to snap a few pics...


She appropriately chose the color blue out of the bucket "because it matches Mommy"


Sweet Face...


This Mama got in on the chalkin' too. Jolea girl was proud of my art work!


And....look what I got in the mail....FINALLY!!!


Now...if only I had a teaching job and a paycheck to go along with it =(

Our Trip To Playa Del Carmen Mexico...

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Our trip to Playa Del Carmen was in one word: AMAZING. Andy and I absolutely loved it there and we have every intention of returning with our sweet girl someday soon. The RH was perfect for a romantic get-a-way for 2 and it was perfect for families with or without small children. I will start off by talking about the resort itself. It was by far the nicest place we have stayed yet and we have been to Maui, Cabo San Lucas, Padre, Puerto Vallarta, St. Maarten, Vegas and a Caribbean Cruise. The Royal Haciendas was hands down, the nicest, cleanest, friendliest resort. Don’t just take my word for it…see for yourself.

Welcome to the Royal Haciendas...


This was our unit. It was just over 1500 sq. ft. Thats bigger than my house! There was a king master suite with a balcony jacuzzi. A full sized decked out kitchen. A huge common living room with 2 pull out murphy beds and a guest room with 2 queen beds and seperate bathroom. It was HUGE and it was BEAUTIFUL.

(click on collage to enlarge image)


This was our view stepping right outside our back door. We had our very own staircase that led down to the pools, activity center and beach.


Beautiful Scenery...


There were 2 huge infinity pools on the property, 4 huge whirlpools, 2 huge kiddie pools and 2 rather large lap pools. I'd say there was plenty of water and sunshine to go around.


Royal Haciendas Beach Front...


These were the gardens...the fountains, the flowers, the colors and the old world charm...it was heaven


Tired? Why not take a nap in one of these comfy hammocks? Just sit back and enjoy the ride.


There were little pools of water just like this all over the property. Of course these were only for the eyes to feast upon and no swimming. I was amazed at how well kept the grounds were. There were maintenance people working round the clock to keep this place looking top notch. The pools were crystal clear, the bathrooms were spotless and even smelled good, the beach showers were constantly being rinsed and maintained. I have never seen such dedicated staff and it really helped to make our vacation a success.


This is a neat night-time picture I took and I like how it turned out :-)


One thing that made this resort such a great place was the fact that you NEVER had to leave if you didnt want to. They offered an onsite grocery store with free delivery and reasonable prices, 2 dining restaurants including room delivery options, a gym and just about anything else you could think of.

The next thing I will talk about is the atmosphere! I can tell ya one thing and that is that Playa comes alive at night…down on 5th Street. It is here you will find bargain shopping, delicious foods and drinks, ice cold gelato, coffee, chocolate, music, the sights, sounds and smells of Playa and the BEST people watching place you will ever see. The streets are cobblestone and it’s a very charming place to roam. The thing I liked the most about downtown Playa was the endless possibilities of places to stop for a bite to eat. There was every kind of food you could imagine…and since going out to eat is my favorite thing about going on vacation, I was in heaven. Here are a few of the places that we chose to try!

On our very first night we stopped at That's Amore and italian eatery right on 5th street. Andy and I shared a Bruschetta dish and a delicious Hawaiian style pizza. It was a very authentic italian restaurant and the entire meal was one of our very favorites. Most dining in Playa is Al-fresco so pair that with a handsome date and a glass of wine and...VOILA

(click on collage to enlarge image)

This is La Parilla, also located on 5th street. This is an aunthentic Mexican kitchen. A friend of mine referred us to this place and we were very glad she did. The food was awesome and the margaritas were strong. I had to enlist the help of my husband to finish off the one drink I ordered! While we were there a Mariachi Band entertained us with the most appropriate song "Tequila" we sang along and shared a few laughs.


The Hubs and I wanted to have a special "date night" just the 2 of us...and we did just that. He took me to Karens Seafood Steak House! Just look at the pictures...the proof is in tha puddin'. This meal smelled good and tasted even better.  We chose to sit out close to the street. It was the perfect opportunity to sit, listen to the live music and people watch. It was a nice and relaxing meal just me and my man...


Now...if you ever go to Playa you MUST go here...


This is a Mayan Restaurant and surprise surprise...it was Air-Conditioned. I kinda turned my nose up at first thinking "what tha heck is Mayan food gonna taste like?" Hands down...one of my favorite meals. Mayan food is different, but oh-so-good. We couldn't pronounce anything we ordered, but we sure did devour it once it hit the table. Take a look...


We also ate here...


but everyone knows its not really the food that you pay for, its the atmosphere. The jamming music, hilarious decor, fun wait staff  and endless drink possibilities make this a hoppin place to be, especially at night. This Senor Frogs was located right next to the pier and right on the water.

Not the best picture, but the only group shot I have...notice the funny signs...


LOVE these silly chairs at the bar :-)


They had these funny little signs everywhere...this is the one they put at out table! We thought it was funny, but so glad that it's not accurate at all.


People do all kinds of things in Playa to make a dollar. There was a creepy clown that went around the restaurant and made some pretty awesome balloon hats. He could make just about anything. He made me a crown upon request!


Not sure what Bren's hat was, but it was cute!


We didnt actually sit at the bar for dinner, but they had these cute swings...I couldnt pass up the oppurtunity to snap a cute pic of the hubs and I. Speaking of the swings at the bar, I cant help but wonder how dangerous those could become with the crazies who drink too much. I'm sure that's a sight to see.


Okay, now that I’ve told you about all the wonderful places we ate while we were there; let’s talk about what we did while we were there. To be quite honest…we took it easy…most of our time was spent here...


Splishin' and Splashin' in the gorgeous infinity pool that overlooked beautiful  blue waters of the Mayan Riviera. These pools were so great because they were warmed to just the "right" temperature. Playa is hot and humid and being poolside was the only way to go.


I LOVE big floppy summertime hats...gotta keep that face protected :-)


Smile Honey...


Brenny Bo and Muah sittin' pretty at poolside...


Swim Up Bar...

Meet swim-up bartenders Lorenzo...


and Raymundo...


These guys were the friendliest and funniest bunch we've seen in a long time. Granted I know it’s their job and it’s where the paycheck is earned, but I genuinely enjoyed leaving tips for these guys because they made our stay even that much better. After our first full day there, they knew us Senor Andy and Senora Terah and they pretty much knew what we preferred to drink as well. They served us well and they made us laugh...ALOT!


This is one of my favorite pictures because Andy is actually smiling :-)


When we weren’t in the pool we did a few other amazing things. Andy and James did several dives with the help of the Dive Balam-Dive shop located at our resort. Andy loves to dive and I am so glad he had the chance to sharpen up his dive skills a little bit. While the boys were busy diving, Bren and I were busy getting one hour full-body massages at Veronica’s downtown. You MUST visit them if you ever visit playa. For 50 USD we were able to get a “couples massage” that means we paid 25 dollars apiece and you can’t find that here in town. It was a clean and friendly place and the massage was FABULOUS!

We also enjoyed a litte time here...


Doing This...


This...


David Hasselhoff...you better watch yo' self  :-)


This...


and a little of this...



The snorkeling equipment was free and although I am not a huge fan of the salt water we did enjoy venturing out to see what kind of underwater treasures we could find. The water temperature was just as awesome as the pool temperature.

I decided to get me some of these...Which made doing my hair a lot easier for the first 3 or 4 days!
(click on image to enlarge collage)


For the most part we spent just about all 6 days just soaking in the sun, sipping on fruity drinks and relaxing. We didn't do any excursions on this trip besides Andy's diving. I am quite content just hanging out by the pool.

Every evening after "Happy Hour" which was from 2:30 to 6 we showered and headed into town. I already mentioned earlier that Playa comes alive at night...and its just to dern hot to go in the middle of the day. Here are some of the shots we took while roaming around downtown.

Before dinner one night...


We didn't eat at Carlos'n Charlies but we sure did stop and use their photo booth :-)


This is a silly picture I know...and I am only making out with this Miller Lite because it's the only one I could find and if I drink beer at home, this is what I like. Andy bought it for me.


Funky Diva Skeleton...


Senor Frogs Apparel store...too bad I didnt buy anything...


"Sombrero Time"...Funniest thing about this picture is that 7 years ago in Cabo San Lucas on our honeymoon we to took the EXACT same picture...all the way down to the braids. I will have to scan it into this post if I have time!


Bren and James


How many times in your life do you see a Drugs and Deli on the street? Interesting combination dont ya think?


Sweet shot of me and the hubs...


I wanted to pack these chairs in my suitcase and bring them home...they were so chic and cute...perfect on a large outdoor patio...ahh the dreams I dream up :-)


Bren and I in what we called the "Alice In Wonderland Chairs" at this really fancy, swanky place


On the pier...and it was windy


I leave you with another favorite picture of us! This vacation was a delight! The time we got to spend together was much needed, especially right before a busy football season and school year. A very special THANKS to my Mom and Dad for sending us. It was the BEST graduation present a girl could ask for. If you are in the mood for a tropical Mexican get-a-way I do recommend Playa Del Carmen...you will not be disappointed!


PS...DON'T drink anything but bottled water! No tea, No fountain sodas and No ice!