Favorite Things: October Edition

The first two are NOT my favorite but are definitely worth sharing.

1.  My dog ate my rainbows.  This is all that is left.  Damn dog.  We love her though.  She just loves to chew... everything!

2.  Caroline drew on her blinds.  1-18.  I got the 18 off before taking the picture.  I flipped my lid.  All that is left is 1-11.  They are in red expo and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser would not get it off.  HELP!

3.  On a better note, Caroline will have art at the Arts Council in our hometown.  She is so excited and we are so proud!

4.  Daddy was able to pick up the girls two days this week.  We loved having him home with us.

5.  During a Walmart grocery run, we saw this little jewel.  How awesome?!  A turkey made of butter.  I think I might buy one.

6.  Blast from the past that made my WHOLE month...

7.  This skirt I saw on Instagram is too cute.

8.  Best song ever.

What are your favorite from October?

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Ashley over at Dancing with Ashley hosts a monthly Favorite things.  Be sure to head over to her website and link up too!

Grover's Alpine Express.

We went to Busch Gardens over the weekend.

Hurricanes don't stop our family travel plans.

We last went to Busch Gardens in 2009.

Emma turned one while we were there so she doesn't remember it.

The girls were stoked.

They were both looking forward to riding the pink roller coaster also known as Grover's Alpine Express.

It was Caroline's favorite ride last time.

Emma just knew it was going to be her favorite ride too.

Caroline loved it.

Emma was scared to death. 

She rode with my dad and I stood waiting for the picture.

We stood around and laughed.

Dad had to buy them both.

A memory too good not to buy.

Fashion with Bug

Dress: Stitches & Stuff

Shoes: Umi

Bow: H. Stadiem

This dress is so awesome.
Hello?  It is chevron!
Bug LOVES it!
What is even more cool is the fact that the applique is on a button.
Therefore, I can switch it out with the change of the holiday season.
They will change the ribbon color for me too!

Busy

Busch Gardens.

Great Wolf Lodge.

The Cheese Shop.

The Wythe Candy Shop.

Trunk or Treat at church.

We have had a fun, busy weekend!!

See you all tomorrow.

A conversation to remember forever

A few night ago, we were driving.

It was just me and Bug.  We were headed home from dinner with Daddy.  Caroline was at GAs.

Sometimes this kid says the cutest things.

Bug: "Mommy!  I saw a shooting star!"

Me:  "Oh wow!  Really?"

Bug:  "Where do shooting stars come from?"

Me: "I'm not sure.  Where do you think they come from?"

Bug:  "Well, first you catch a star.  Then you put it in a gun and you shoot it back to the sky.  Then it is a shooting star."

Me:  "That is pretty neat!"

Bug:  "Yep.  But you have to shoot it from the front yard.  That is where you can see the stars the best.  The front yard."

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Friday Letters

Dear weekend,

Thank God, you're here.

Love,

It's-been-along-week

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That's all I've got for today.
Happy Weekend!

Old.

I have the awful habit of stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

I feel like that is my time.  My time to decompress.  My time to watch whatever I want.  My time to drink wine.  My time to have adult conversations without interruption with my night owl friends.

My body is exhausted.

I run on caffeine and pure exhaustion most days.

How I do not have bags under my eyes is beyond me.

I go to sleep between 12am and 2am.

I wake for the day at 6:30am.

I zombie walk to the kitchen and press the large cup button on my Keurig (one of God's greatest inventions AND one of the last gifts I received before Iron Man became a Jehovah's Witness... giving up all holidays).

I barely make it to 7am.

That is when the coffee kicks in and I am READY.

This week I have made it a habit to sleep a little better.

Saturday night I was in bed by 9:30.

Sunday night was a little rough.  I had to watch Emily Thorne kick ass.  I was in bed by 10:30ish.

Monday night was 10ish.

Tuesday night I was in bed when Ryan got home from work.  I think he thought I was sick or something.

Ryan hates when I come to bed super late.  Especially when I come to bed after 12am and turn the TV on.  It drives him up the wall.

I have got to get a hold of my sleeping schedule.  Winter months are coming and with the lack of sleep and germs running rampant, I am going to be sick as a dog.

So, here is to earlier phone calls, friends.... and earlier glasses of wine... and watching TV shows when they actually come on TV...

I just have to accept it and move on.   I am getting old.  See, I can admit it... kind of.

Favorite Pins of the Week

Pinterest is the new sensation.

Here are my favorites from this week.

1.  I am in love with these cornice boards.  I have fringed burlap panels in my den.  It connects to my breakfast area that has two french doors.  These cornice boards would be perfect for my doors.

2.  I heard about a children's book on Pinterest this week.  The Pajama Elves Story by Hayden Edwards.  According to pinterest, it is a Christmas Eve Tradition where elves deliver magical pajamas to good girls and boys that help them sleep soundly on Christmas Eve.  Between this and Elf on the Shelf, we are set for Christmas!!

3.  And because beautiful dresses are a weakness, there is this pin.  A Fall 2005 Givenchy piece that is to die for.

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Did you have any favorite pins this week?

White Tee

Read the title and I am sure you are rapping like it is nobody's business!



Iron Man has a limited wardrobe during the week.

Brown shirt.  Check!

Brown shorts/pants.  Check!

Black socks.  Check!

Black shoes.  Check!

I guess he tries to spice things up a bit with a white tee underneath.

Which leads me to this blog post.

I was full of cuss words this morning.

"Where's a white t-shirt for me?"

"Excuse me?"

It is 7:30 and I have done more in an hour than most people do all day and you are going to ask me about a white t-shirt when I know for a fact you have a closet FULL of white tees?

"A. White. Tee. Shirt."

Ok, I'm not slow.

"You have a closet FULL of white tees."

"What?  You haven't washed clothes?  Of course you haven't."

"There are clothes in the washer now AND I just ironed your uniform, Iron Man.  Back up.  It's only 7:30am."

I walked into the closet.  Sure enough there was a stack of white tees.

Most of them the same brand.  All the same size.  Not good enough for Iron Man.  He wanted one of the two white tees that were in the washer.

He has major issues sometimes.  A white tee is a white tee is a white tee.

I cussed.

I threw clothes.

Then I rapped.

Yup, in my white tee.

My life is so exciting.

Happy Tuesday!

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Fashion with Bug

Much to her dismay, she decided to wear plaid for her Daddy.

She spruced it up with Umi loafers and her favorite pink and purple bow.

She made it work just to show Daddy that she doesn't have to wear a dress everyday.

Weekend

This weekend we visited my SIL and BIL in Hampstead.

It is the best little place.

Just a short drive from the beach.

Just a short drive to Wilmington.

What is there not to love?

We visited Poplar Grove Plantation in Wilmington.

Between my MIL and SIL, the girls were spoiled rotten by the time we left.  They bounced on every inflatable there.  They rode ponies and listened to Halloween stories.  They helped picked out a pumpkin for SIL's front porch.  They ate Hawaiian shaved ice and fed goats.  You know that goats melt my heart.  I have been try to get someone to buy me a goat for two years.  I am still waiting.  We even saw a CAMEL!  We also saw the biggest turkey I've ever laid eyes on.  As if this weren't enough, they stood beside Sparky and had there picture made.  December is right around the corner.  Do you think they will actually sit with Santa this year?  My hopes are not high but a mother can dream.

These are not my children but that is a freaking camel.

A CAMEL!

We had a fantastic weekend complete with a CAMEL!

PS- For those interested, I still want a goat.  A black and white pygmy goat with blue eyes.  Thank you.

Pumpkins

I love candy.

Therefore, Halloween is my second favorite holiday (Christmas being my first).

Halloween means one thing... candy pumpkins.

Photo credit

Candy pumpkins are as wikipedia describes, "A candy pumpkin is a small, pumpkin-shaped, mellowcreme confection primarily made from corn syrup, honey, wax, and sugar. Traditionally colored with an orange base and topped with a green stem to make candy pumpkins largely identifiable with Halloween, a candy pumpkin is considered a mellow creme by confectioners since the candy has a marshmallow flavor.  Sometimes called candy corn's first cousin, candy pumpkins are made through a starch casting process similar to that for candy corn."

Candy corns first cousin?

Does this make candy corn better than pumpkins or pumpkins better than candy corn.

The other day I ate so many pumpkins, I almost vomited.

This debacle led me to the debate, which is better... candy corn OR pumpkins OR do they taste the same to you?

Enlighten me.

Which do you prefer?
	Candy Corn
	Candy Pumpkins
	They both taste the  same to me!
pollcode.com free polls

** Look at this super cutie bracelet made with candy pumpkins.  Love it!!

iPhone troubles

Question for all of you iPhone people.

I am figuring out this whole iPhone situation.

I connected with Iron Man's iCloud.

When I transferred our music, I didn't get the album artwork on my phone.

So, this is what it looks like.

Not a big deal but I prefer the album art.

Why didn't it transfer for all albums... just some?  Better yet, how do I get it back?

HELP!

Friday Letters: 3rd ed.

Dear Iron Man,

Thank you for switching to pants a few days this week.  Ironing pants for you is a bitch.  I do not know how to iron "the line" that goes down the middle of your leg.  You should have married a grandma if you want stuff like that done.

I'm over it,

Iron Woman

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Dear iPhone,

I am up with the times (FINALLY).  I love you, I love you, I love you.

You complete me,

Hailey "La-Phone-a"

(That's how Siri says our last name and I love it)

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Dear Twitter,

Followers like this make me laugh. (Do not click link at work)

What a name.

Thank you for making my day a little brighter yesterday.

Where do these people come from,

@haileylafone

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Dear Paul Mitchell,

Your Tea Tree Special Shampoo is amazing.

I think I will use you forever.

You make my head tingle.

It is amazing!

You rock,

H

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Friday Letters

Dear multiple photo editing programs I use,
Isn't there a way to interconnect all of you.  My brian hurts and I need to finish these photos.

Frustrated,
I-take-too-many-pictures

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Dear Dave Matthews,
I think we were married in a previous life.  We are connected.  Your new CD is awesome.  Thank you.  This is the best CD since you released Busted Stuff in 2002.  I've missed you.

Always,
Hailey Lafone-Matthews

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Dear Bug,

If I walk out of the room, I am not leaving you forever.  You do not have to follow me around all day, everyday whimpering like a puppy scared that I am going to leave.  I have never left you without you knowing.  Oh, and I always come back.  "But what if you leave FOREVER!??"  You are freaking me out kid.  My nerves can't handle it.

Love,

Your Mama who is going nowhere

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Dear bed,

I am washing your sheets right now.  I cannot wait to climb into you tonight.  I plan on sleeping like a baby.

Sincerely,

Sleep-deprived Mom

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Dear man in the yellow Camaro,

I understand you love your car.  You do NOT have to drive 20 mph.  I was in a rush to get my child to school this morning and of course, I got behind you.  Also, that dual exhaust is killer.  What a waste of money.  It is loud.  It smelled like burning rubber band.  Not.cute.  Now move, I'M LATEEEE!

Love,

Buzz kill Mom of a late 1st grader

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Politics without pissing anyone off

Without divulging into my political beliefs or yours either, let's discuss the debate.

Here are our points of decision:
- Presidental candidates wardrobe
- Mystery dress
- Tests and such

1. First off, the presidential candidates were both on point last night with their suits and ties.
I am not a big fan of the bow tie (even for formal occasions)  so classic ties win my heart every time.  I even posted about the tie situation on FB.

2. Let's talk about Laurie Romney.  Wife of Matt Romney.  

She is down there in the bottom left corner.

Her dress is awesome.  I absolutely love it.

Does anyone know who she is wearing?

Googled has failed me.  I have googled since last night to no prevail.  I need to know!

3.  Thanks to Kim Kardashian, I found the best political quiz.  It helps you determine the best candiate for you to vote for based on your personal beliefs and opinions.  It is very easy to use and asks awesome questions that you actually know how to answer.  Try it.  It is very interesting.

Love

Here is your smile of the day.

It is amazing what Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros can do.  Alex Ebert is amazing.  This is not him singing but Alex is normally the lead singer.

Why so cool?  They are standing in the middle of a street in Mexico.  How great do they sound?  Also how about the face that Jade Castrinos even starts beatboxing at about 2:40.  Awesome.

Playing catch up with a list of randoms

1. At least this Eastern North Caroline weather has done one thing for us... Taught us how to breathe with a blanket over our face.  The humidity was ridiculous today.

2.  We went to stay with my BIL and SIL a few weeks ago.  We attended the Lafone family reunion in the hills of Hickory, NC. I was falsely identified as a cousin's girlfriend.  Everyone got a good chuckle.  We had an awesome time.

3.  We also rode the boat on Lake Norman. I sang this song in my head the entire time.



We stopped at Vinnie's on the lake and had a fabulous lunch.

The we rode some and the kids swam.  A good time was had by all.

4.  Bug turned 4 last Wednesday, tear.  4.  That is such a big girl age.  It is not like geting older makes mothering any easier though. The older they get, the bigger they get.  They become forces to be reckoned with that you can't hold down anymore.

We celebrated her birthday for almost a week.  We ate pizza for almost every meal.

She got everything she wanted:
- a pink chandelier
- new Jessie doll (she left her other Jessie in the scooter and it rained.  Jessie has mildew all over her now)
- a real Bullseye
- bows
- dresses
- Doc Mcstuffins talking doll
- monogrammed leotards for dance
- a dance bag
- charm bracelet

5.  Our week nights are completely filled.  We have activities every night of the week except Tuesday and Friday.  I am waiting for something to pop up on Tuesdays.  It is nice to stay busy but I already need a break.

Our normal weeknight schedule:
Monday- Caroline Tennis Lessons
Tuesday- Open
Wednesday- Caroline Gymnastics then she has to go straight to GAs
Thursday- Emma Dance Lessons, Dinner with the Lafone's (it is our ritual and we love it)
Friday- Open

Shew.  I know it is only going to get more crazy when they get older.

6.  Excuse my not blogging.  Getting into the swing of the new school year and activities has been challenging.  I think I have got it figured out now.

First football game recap

Being that I have been MIA recently, I will catch you all up on life in general.

First, let's discuss my very first college football game.

It was a success.

Not only did I have a great time with great friends, I almost got to speak to Brian Bersticker.  Sara and I may be his only two fans in the world.  If you don't remember him, don't worry.  #50- Brian Bersticker.  Hottie.  That's all you need to know.  I spotted him right in front of us.  We decided to run down.  I may have taken an old man out in the process.  I am pretty sure he is in need of a knee replacement now.  We didn't make it.  He walked away.

I also got to breathe the same air as Larry Fedora which is huge in my book.

Me, Sara and Ryan... chewing.

Terrible picture of me.  I was so hot and sweaty.  Yuck.

Brian Bersticker is right by my head though.

Fate?  Definitely on my side being that I didn't know he was there.

I did have my picture made with Brian.  Just neither of us knew it.

Carolina beat East Carolina.

Weird that Ryan and I both went to ECU (neither of us graduating from there) but we were pulling for the other team.

My husband is a hardcore Carolina fan.

He doesn't like to talk about it though.

Where Brian was the highlight of my day, this was the highlight of Ryan's day.

This is Dexter Strickland and John Henson.

We saw the whole basketball team.

Ryan was in Heaven.

At one point Ryan even yelled for Reggie Bullock.

Yelled.

Mr. Quiet yelled.

I was impressed.

We had a fabulous time.  Thanks to our friend, Sara, for asking us to go.  It was an amazing first college football experience!!

Fashion with Bug

She wouldn't pose for her normal picture.

This is the best that I got.

Yes, she has on all pink with red sparkle shoes.

Yes, she went to out in public like this.

Yes, she requested Bullseye be in the picture.