Yard Sale Success!

And thank God it's OVER!!

Having a yard sale is A LOT of work. More than I realized....

I spent ALL day on Friday getting ready...organizing stuff, pricing everything, making signs, posting ads on Craigslist, getting tables from my aunt's work, setting it all up, getting change, etc...

So, I got up at 6am on Saturday and started setting up. The sale was advertised for 8am, but people were coming at 6:30. So I rushed and tried to get everything out fast.... How annoying! Then, my FIRST customer gave me a hard time about the BRAND NEW pair of jeans I had priced at $2. She finally got me to go down to $1.75.

Seriously?? Just get out of my face.

Other than that, it was good. It ended up being a nice day with a lot of family and friends hanging out. It was PERFECT weather - a little shady and breezy....And only STEPHANIE would get sunburnt like a lobster. Yep. Only me. I didn't even THINK about sunscreen.

Here are some pictures. My Mimi donated some shoes to the sale, and the girls advertised them by going up and down the runway (sidewalk) and clunking around the yard. It was so funny...

Eating bacon:







Do-Rag




Work it girl!!

MCS in DC & the B-day Boy

Yesterday was perfect from beginning to end!

Mom, Dad, Stella, and I left home around 8:30 am and met the Thaxtons for breakfast at Cracker Barrell in Ashland. After breakfast, we hit the road for DC. There was a bit of traffic (as always) but Stella's singing kept us entertained....the ENTIRE 2 hour drive. (tinkle tinkle dittle dar.....) And when she wasn't singing, she was saying "Hi Mama!" until I answered her "Hi Stella!".... 67564757439 times.

We drove to Springfield and parked at the Metro Station and took the Metro into the city - a 30 minute train ride. That is exactly what I will do from now on when visiting the city. How easy!! And no worries about getting lost or parking....

Here is Stella with Bapaw on her first Metro ride...







Poor Dad realized on the train that he had left his glasses in the car...and only had the prescription sunglasses he was wearing... So, he was Cory Hart and wore his sunglasses at night...during a concert. Poor thing!

So, we got off at the Farragut West stop and walked about 6 or so blocks to the venue - the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall. We see the buses immediately and the boys came out to greet us...








Stella made all of the boys hold her new beanie baby cat, Sissy (how original!) They were all such good sports!










After hanging out for a bit, we walked to Potbelly's for sandwiches... it was yum! Although Matt and I both got hot peppers on our sandwiches (I never do that!) and I thought my mouth was going to fall off my face. After lunch, we grabbed coffees to go at Caribou and walked to the White House, which was only 2 blocks away. It was hard to maneuver my coffee, the stroller, and the rough terrain of the brick sidewalks, so we stopped in Lafayette Park and sat at a table and just talked. Stella was napping in the stroller by this time so it was perfect. It was SO nice to have just me, Mom, Dad, and Matt at a table. I can't tell you the last time that happened....

After our coffees were gone, we took pictures at the White House and met up with the Thaxtons again...







As you can see, Stella was VERY interested in this historical landmark.




We made the Thaxtons pose for a family portrait in front of the White House.




And here are Mom, Dad, and Matt in front of the Washington Monument.




Then we ventured to the World War II Memorial - which I had not seen. It was breathtaking. DC is just so beautiful.... Here are some pics but you really can not understand it's beauty unless you can take it in in one view....











Now here's a cute group for ya!




We hung out there for a LONG time and let Stella run around with her backpack on (aka: Leash!) This is where we met up with dear family friend JJ. When he got there, Stella put down her sippy cup and RAN to him for a big hug. That was so cute, but also kind of shocking because she never does that for anyone. JJ, I hope you feel honored! lol

So we all walked back to the venue and hung around outside of the bus for awhile. I changed Stella's diaper on the bus, which I am almost 99% positive THAT has never happened on there before. I changed her into her little MCS shirt - thanks Erika!

Here she is with Beth, the Merch girl. Beth is the incredible artist who just happened to draw that amazing pic of Stella and e-mail it to me... She's so cool.




She was running and playing around with everyone outside. We put on her Peltor Kid ear protection and took some shots...









So we eventually end up in our seat and we have a little "box" with 5 chairs - right next to the soundboard. It was PERFECT. I could not have asked for a better situation for Stella's first show...she had room to move and grove, but was completely contained...










And here she is in action. The videos are dark, but when the lights from the stage flash, you can see Miss Stella jamming to Uncle Matt's music...

Video of Stella during My Favorite Accident

Video of Stella during The Future Freaks Me Out


So after the show, we head out to the Signing which took forever and a day...which is a good thing - lots of fans!

Here she is with JJ - she's getting tired but hung in there like a trooper!!




We ended up backstage and Stella got to play with Justin...




...and Tony - who put his pink Chuck Taylors on her because they matched her pajamas.









And finally, the BAND SHOT. With their smallest fan..........







Thank you guys for a wonderful wonderful day and for your hospitality. It's not every day you welcome a 21 month old on tour.

There's more pics to come.... Dad took a lot too... and I might actually be in a couple of them since I wasn't the photographer.

************************************************************************

And in other exciting event news, Toby's 35th Surprise B-Day party was perfect too!! He was so surprised and had no idea what I was up to.... We got to Fantasy Island and were greeted by family and friends and had a great food buffet... After the party, we went back to our house with some friends and experienced the usual beer and pool in the garage... It was wonderful!!




Toby and Mike




Zana, my Mother in Law, and her man, Erik




My child, laying on the floor of the nice restaurant




My precious Mimi




Toby's Uncle Greg playing with Stella's pigtails - LOVE her face in this one.




Toby and his Dad (Danny), friend Mike, and Dan's wife Yvonne




Toby and his Mamaw




Toby and Stella and Heath (Toby's best friend, and fellow birthday boy) and his nephew Luca




My Dad, Toby, and my uncle Keith




The girls and their cake. Look how dainty Kendall is and how Stella has DEVOURED her cake...That's my girl!!




And my Birthday Boy...

Oh....... no new stuff going on. I swear, my blog must be the most exciting read on the net.

Let's see.....

1. The POISON tickets came in the mail.

2. Work was CA-RAZY this week. TGIF!!

3. Tomorrow is Toby's SURPRISE PARTY!! I really don't think he has any idea. I'm excited!

4. Sunday is his actual birthday - 35 baby!!

5. Stella got her hair (just bangs) cut again and i could just squeeze her little face. She's cute, incase ya'll haven't noticed.

6. Motion City is playing in DC on Wednesday and my parents, me, Stella, and the Thaxtons (the drummer's parents - lifelong friends) are all making a DAY of it and leaving early, having breakfast in Ashland, leisurely driving up, and spending the day just strolling around (hopefully with Matt and Tony.) I will have a bazillion million pictures for you on Thursday.

7. I am taking Thursday off to recoup because I am an old lady.

8. I am also taking off next Friday because on Saturday: I AM HAVING MY FIRST EVER YARDSALE. I will take Friday to go around my house and throw shit into a box and price it all and get it the hell out of here....AND make some money off of it.

9. I am hoping to fund our new deck - which Toby and his Uncle, Dad, my Dad, and a couple neighbors are all going to design and build starting May 17, I can't wait.

10. It's 7:35 am and I was woken up by TRAINS HONKING at 5am. We live near tracks and slept with the damn windows open last night. It was constant this morning. Of course NOW I don't hear any horns..........

11. Recent Pictures:

Here's Sissy




Here's Sissy and her tormentor, Stella




They really do love each other...







Cousins




At the MS Walk last weekend




And this one is for Libby..... and Alice.
These pups were in the "Pooch Parade" at the MS Walk. They belong to a co-worker of mine.

Pleasant Valley Saturday

My husband is across the street doing some major electrical work for the Lowerys. They are an older couple who are SO SWEET - they love Stella to death. They are so good to us. Toby is updating their entire electrical panel. I act like I know what that means. But he's been over there every afternoon this week and went over at 9am today - he says he'll finish today.

I hope so...because he's over there with his work van wide open, music blaring - some bluegrass shit. I'm sure everyone (esp the Lowerys) are just loving that. I'm across the street in my living room and I can hear it. If he wasn't my husband, I would kick his ass.

So, in other news, I am frazzled! (Well, that's not really anything new...)

I just feel like I don't have enough time EVER. It's really bugging me lately. I have not been to Jazzercise in nearly 3 weeks. I have had so many conflicts lately...and with working a few minutes late every day, family in town, other events, etc.... I just can't make it to the 5:45 class and get home after 7:00 pm and then.... Put my child down to bed at 8:00 pm. That's a whole 45 minutes or so with my child. No thanks. I already don't see her enough.

I'm trying to work this out because I DO love Jazzercise and I NEED to exercise.... Maybe it's just because it's been crazy lately with stuff... and when things settle down, I'll be able to function again. (However, I do have a call into the Employee Amenities person at work...I want to ask what it would take to get one of my Jazzercise instructors to come to OUR fitness center at work and teach a class a couple days a week. Now THAT would solve my problem.)

This morning was the MS Walk and Stella and I participated. (Work had a large team and I was a Captain.) So now that both WALKS are behind me... I do feel a little "free."

RIGHT NOW is the first time I have sat down in my house for more than 5 minutes - in over a week. EVERY night this week was "something." And while it was all good stuff, it still meant I wasn't home. So laundry is piled up, dishes are ready to be unloaded, the fridge needs cleaning out, and I feel out of control.

I have done everything that I can do for now - quietly. Someone is taking a nap and I be darned if I am going to wake her trying to do dishes. I already put all of my laundry away and went through my closets and got stuff together to sell at my FIRST EVER yardsale on May 3. I really need to get in Stella's room for a MAJOR toys and clothes overhaul. We might just get into that tomorrow when it's rainy and we are STUCK AT HOME. - THANK GOD!!