buffal gal

free spirits

2012-02-07T09:24:00.000-08:00

i've never really enjoyed desert scenery, but these photos definitely make me

appreciate it a lot more....

who says hippies only like the beach!?

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

navajo beach towels...

2012-02-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

i died and went to beach towel heaven!

i've been on a mission to find the perfect beach towels

and i don't know why i didn't think to check pendleton website sooner...

i'm so freakin excited.

and they are only $48!

{i know it is kind of a lot for a beach towel, but not if its the most awesome beach towel ever...}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

oh my gotye!

2012-02-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

soooo my siblings and i like to share music together.

so after going back and forth my brother sent us this...

brother...when did you become so much cooler than me?

i love it! travis really loves it! hans hates it...

{but he is not as cool as us ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

friends

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

i started thinking about all the people i love

and how all of them play such an important part in my life. my husband {of course}

is my absolute best friend, my children are my world and also the coolest

people i know {also my best-ies}, my sisters, my parents, my actual

"friends" un-related ;}...you can see where this is going, right?

and having a dad like mine growing up, who is obsessed with the

beatles, and sings a song for every moment in life,

{dad "they wrote a song about it, it goes a little somthin like this!" and the guitar comes out...}

anyways, long story short i made this for all my

friends!

a little beatles, a little vintage, a little love

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

kids and cameras

2012-02-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

i love when i go to download my camera and find this...

{so that's what those turkey's are doing when my butts still in bed}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

beach bummy day

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

today was one of those lazy days...the kind where you just want to drive to the beach and watch the waves...

and not talk...my california heart is missing the beach...

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

turquoise

2012-01-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

turquoise never gets old.

i love the softness in these pictures,

subtle yet bold

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

peacocks...

2012-01-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

4.mirror

6.belt

{click on pictures}

i am loving the peacock stuff right now...there arent very many animals that look

good in fashion and decorating.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

hello again...

2012-01-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

love this new blog i found

{amber interiors}

i feel inspired again to get a move on...

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

Bradley Joshua

2011-07-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

our sweet baby BOY was born July 19th 2011!

he is so sweet, and wonderful and perfect.

our little family is complete...

i will be resting and adjusting to having 4 kids!

wish me luck ;}

be back soon...

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

hello again

2011-06-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

i have been sick for almost 2 months.

usually i'm not this dramatic

{talking about how sick i am..}

but seriously...it's getting really old.

NOT to mention i have been a hermit in my house with my kids

24/7!

{give or take a couple hours...if that}

with only five weeks left to go my sweet friends threw me

"a last hang out with friends for a long time"

party

{i refused to call it a baby shower seeing as though it's my 4th child, and felt a little ridiculous having another "baby shower" nor did i want to designate the task to throw one on any of

my friends/relatives....thanks Amaris for taking on the burden, and planning a great

lunch, and much needed girl time ;}

i don't know how much blogging i will be doing in the near future,

since sitting at the computer makes my tail bone feel like it's on fire.

but i will try!

thanks so much friends for the wonderful day!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

p.s. i didn't finish my couch in time...maybe after baby...HA!

pitty party

2011-04-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

i have been so sick the last week!

wish me well and i will be back soon ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

couch update

2011-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

slowly but surely the couch is getting finished.

so far i fixed the springs, re-tied them all, and replaced all of the foam and burlap.

{again, all super fun to do with a huge belly in the way}

the best part was when i climbed up onto the couch, which was on the risers,

to stuff the foam and burlap through the springs and wood frame....my friend

actually ran over because she thought the couch was going to come falling down ;}

i'm sure i looked crazy.

i have realized through all of this that you really need lots of upper arm strength

{which i do not have}

it's freakin hard...but fun.

feel free to ask any ?'s if you decide to tackle your own couch!

i can help as much as i know how ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

bare bones

2011-04-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

can you believe this is my couch!?

{couch before hole, here}

it doesn't look very cool anymore...

so this is called "stripping" the furniture.

{which, btw is really hard to do 6 months pregnant}

this part is kind of scary, because it's hard to believe that you can make it look cute again!

but so fun when it's starts to transform into your very own

one of a kind

piece of furniture.

{fingers crossed that i finish in time....i get to make 120+ buttons....fuuun ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

summer jewelry

2011-04-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

these are the cutest summer bracelets!

i wish i could figure out how to make them ;}

i just might have to get myself one...or two...

click here~brooklyn threads!

{or click on each picture and it will take you to the price ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

little wish list

2011-04-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

so mother's day is coming, and i have created a little wish list.

"wish" being the key word here...even if my husband/children did get any of these things

for me, i would have a small heart attack. they are a little out of my price range at the moment.

the jewelry not so much but the dress...yikes!

not to mention i would have to wait at least a year to wear it

{you know, the whole pregnancy/post pregnancy thing}

{dress and bag~anthro, of course}

{lovely jewelry~candystore collective...so cool! check it out}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

tufted couch..

2011-04-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

i wish i could say that the top picture is my

"before"

and the bottom picture is my

"after" photo...

well that is my couch before on top, and my goal is to make it look similar to the bottom one...

right now it is at my upholstery warehouse in pieces.

so hopefully it turns out...i'm scared...

wish me luck!

it probably won't be done for a few weeks, but i will post pictures when it is ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

style crush

2011-04-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

she. has. rad. hair.

and it's official,

she can wear just about anything and pull it off!

plaid with stripes?!

a shimmery bright green dress with shoulder pads?!

a nerdy black flower dress with leather jacket and ankle boots?!

what the what!

{so annoying, yet inspirational at the same time}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

a "sweet" day...

2011-03-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

{1st treat ;} {curt's treat}

{and....tummy ache...}

today i worked in the salon, and daddy worked on a project for mommy.

travis was so sweet and patient and just played by himself

until we were done.

he came out and visited with me and my last client,

and actually said "excuse me mommy"

{instead of interrupting. i love when they randomly use manners in front of people,

it makes me look like such a good mom ;}

so for a special treat, for the sweet boy, i took him to his favorite place!

the coffee shop!

he gets the biggest cookie, and then "reminds" curt {the owner}

"weemember u gave me oweeo's {oreos} wast time!? dat was so cool..."

how can you say no to that sweet hint of a hint.

so he gets his bag of "oweeo's", talk for a bit and then head home.

i wuv my widdle trav!

{he is such a sweet boy}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

p.s. the coffee shop is not only super cool, super yummy, annnnd they were on cupcake wars, AND won ;} but they are in our hood, so we get to walk down there everyday!

yes i'm bragging...so if your a local and haven't been there yet, get your butts down there.

fort fit for kids...

2011-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

{design*sponge...my fav!}

so summer is coming...uggg

and living in AZ, summer is my least favorite time of year.

spring is wonderful, but so hard to enjoy when you feel the heat rays looming around the corner.

{read here about our AZ's summers}

this year when it rears it's ugly head, i will have a new born baby, and three other kids

running around, off for summer break, asking me "what we are doing today?!"

everyday...for 2 1/2 months.....

in times like these us mothers need ideas, and lots of indoor activities to keep

the little turds busy ;}

here is a pretty sweet little fort tutorial to do for your kids.

bring them some popcorn and books

{or a portable dvd player ;}

and they will be set for hours. especially in this little fortress!

i kind of want to build one for myself and put a "keep out" sign on it ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

fabric galore!

2011-03-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

my friend {cassidy...i swear i have other friends ;} told me about this place.

and i'm sure most of you have heard of it, but if not,

fabric.com is the place to go to find CUTE affordable fabric!

{i linked the pictures #1-#6 below, so you can see prices ;}

this is making my decision making process so much harder...

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

girl after my own heart

2011-03-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

i am so proud to see that the thrift store-ing blood has passed on to our children

my sweet little niece is only 8 and has already developed her own unique style,

and on a budget!

it brings tears to my eyes ;}

check out her little minni fashion show!

here!

not so GOODwill!

2011-03-29T13:41:00.001-07:00

so this may sound a little silly for those of you who don't have a passion

for thrift store shopping, but for us who do, listen up.

it is time to boycott GOODWILL!

they officially suck.

hear me out...

i told myself once upon a time that i would no longer shop there because of their

over priced {and that is an understatement!} items,

that remember folks,

is DONATED to them which, means their inventory

is FREE!

last year alone we donated hundreds of $'s worth of tax donations

{just like many of you probably did}

and they take those free, dirty, broken, falling apart, used, smelly, items

and slap a $10 sticker on, let's say a dress,

that i'm sorry but you can get a brand new dress for the same price at old navy!

or a $300!! price tag on a table that is falling apart

{that is not even cute or vintage}

when you could drive down to ikea and get one for $150 NEW.

a couple weeks ago my husband drove down a trailer full of stuff to donate.

we don't own a trailer, so we borrowed one, along with a vehicle that would tow it...

when he got to freakin goodwill, they tried to say that

"they might not take some of the stuff."

{ummmmm are you kidding me! your not gunna "take it" we are donating it, and you make

$ off of it! since when are they allowed to say no?! it was a perfectly good item, i might add}

anyways, my husband didn't take "no" for an answer, and unloaded the items.

as he was pulling through the "drop off zone" he ran over a chair arm with a giant bolt sticking out of it, which punctured the tire on our borrowed vehicle!

{there was crap all over the "drop off zone"}

since they don't have proper policies for vehicle damage on their property,

it took another 30 minutes to round up A sheet of paper, to report it on

{which was a total joke}

not to mention every employee there was rude, and unhelpful including the manager...

it was a very frustrating trip to say the least!

yesterday

{i should have known better}

i went into a goodwill in the part of town that i was in

{20 miles round trip for me}

and found something i wanted....i went home, and told my husband, who then drove back

to get it.

{another 20 miles round trip}

when he got there, it didn't fit in our car. so today he borrowed a truck from a friend

{less then 24 hours later, and another 20 miles round trip}

drove down there to get the already PAID for item that was on hold.

to his surprise {and all of the employees in the back..} it was GONE!

no where to be found!!!!

at this point, my husband was furious,with good reason.

"ummm, gosh...it must have been picked up by recycling last night"

said one worker.

why was it sitting outside, when it was supposed to be inside on hold, you ask?

we don't know.

"we have a no 'cash back policy' if you don't have the card you purchased the item with you

when your returning something"

said the worker.

ummmmm what about if it was THROWN AWAY!!??

my husband didn't think he needed the card, because he wasn't returning anything!

{oh noooowwww they have policies, huh.}

GOODWILL officially SUCKS!

we. will. never. ever. go. there. again.

{my husband got the cash back}

there are plenty of other charity centers that actually give back,

and don't take advantage of the

donation system, to shop at.

*buffalo gal*

p.s. tell me about your horrible goodwill experience...come on! i know you have one ;}

p.p.s. "goodwill, i hope your reading!"

1st makeover deal!

2011-03-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

so i already found an awesome deal for my bedroom!

i went to homegoods and got these pillows for $14.99

compared to the west elm pillow at $59 each,

i saved $88!!!

bedroom makeover...step#1

2011-03-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

my bedroom has been the same for 4 years!

that is the longest any room of mine has ever been the same...

it's time for a change...and some color!

i just sold my entire bedroom set, so i am literally starting from scratch.

{as soon as i am finished i will have before and after pictures ;}

my color scheme inspiration...

{thanks to me sweet friend cassidy, who got me this vase for my birthday. it's from anthropologie} i love this pillow from west elm, but it's a bit out of my price range... i have a headboard similar to this that i just got...

it's much older, so my plan is to re-vamp it ;}

{read about it here} i love the throw in this picture! {especially since it's fuchsia, this will be added to the color scheme} these were the best that i could find so far in my price range... {please let me know which one you like best, #1,#1,#3 or #4??}

well...wish me luck!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

together again...

2011-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

{previous before and after photo}

i finally finished.

my two previously old, dingy, orange, velvet chairs
are together again.

they are white, and new, and clean!

the foam is new, the buttons and cushions are new, all of the dirt and cat hair

found in the cracks, is no longer there.

{that is the worst part of re-upholstering...you never know what your going to find in the deep,

30 year old cracks of a chair or couch}

i did find a quarter though...

my next project is this beauty

"tuft luck"

so far, it sucks.

wish me luck ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

kids being kids

2011-03-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

maybe it's because our mom let us play with an old water barrel, taking

turns getting inside and rolling each other down a hill in our old back yard...

or letting us jump off the patio roof onto our trampoline

{that's when they first came out...before all of the reported broken bones and such}

or sliding down our old stairs in sleeping bags, slamming into the wall at the bottom to stop ourselves, and laughing hysterically...

or building a fort in the rafters of our 100 degree, garage attic in the middle of the summer...

or perhaps it was because there weren't "DSI's" and "video games"

and big flat screen tv's in our own personal, in home movie theatres

{or maybe it was because we were poor and we just didn't know it}

either way! my point is...

i love seeing my kids and their cousins play...like, REAL play.

outside.

with boxes and a hose.

and buckets on their heads!

{the bag was a little iffy...we took that off ;}

last night my sister and i laughed as we watched our children rummage through

our neighbors bulk trash to build a "tree tee-pee" out of all of their tree clippings!

{it was actually pretty awesome...i would have gotten in but i was too big}

it was sweet, and awesome.

kids need to be outside.

they need to use their imagination.

so hide the video games, limit the tv watching,

or pretend like your poor ;} and let our kids be kids!

{at least until summer, if you live in AZ}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

baby poll!

2011-03-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

ok, I officially started my 6th month.

everyone seems to "know" what i am having.

I don't really want to know how or why you think i am having one or the other,

especially if it's followed by:

real person comment: "your totally having a girl!"

me: "oh ya? how can you tell?"

real person comment: "well because with girls you usually get wider in your back side"

me: {a little confused since i was barely 2 months prego at the time with my

second. how could she freakin tell already!?} "huh....interesting..."

i had a boy that pregnancy.

so much for that theory!

any whoo.

take a guess ;}

{poll is off to the right side bar, above "followers"...oh and while your there, get on my followers list too ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

marlee and me

2011-03-18T17:58:00.001-07:00

if only there was a way to install a mini video camera into my eyeballs, so that i might capture life's wonderful moments. in fact i'm pretty sure that if there was such an invention, we would have a lot better quality of "reality tv shows" to choose from, that were ACTUALLY reality.

on that note,

today would be a great season premiere into my very own reality...

for starters, it's spring break and travis my second has been sick with a stomach virus, which includes, stomach pains, diarrhea, headache, and lots and lots of whining...so bright and early this morning i woke up to crying coming from the bathroom {my bathroom, that had been freshly cleaned just the day before, might i add} i stumble in to see travis, sad, on the toilet. he had pooped in his pants and was upset...poor guy...but he had also missed, and pooped on the clean floor and toilet seat...awesome. we clean him up and get him clean clothes.

next, we go to the community pool.

it was all fun and splashing {travis not so much} after all it is spring break, so i try to do something fun...after about...i think...350 "mommy...mommy...mommy...mommy" 's at the pool which eventually turned to complaining it was "too cold", we pack up and leave. that was fun...

back to the house. nothing to eat. i have an idea! chick-fil-a! they can eat, they can play, they can get tired ;} so off we go.

we get to chick-fil-a, order, get seated, and bam! marlee smacks her lip and starts screaming AT the top of her tiny little lungs, in a chick-fil-a full of people, staring right at me {i hate that...} i know she is a little tired, so it was hurt/tired tears at this point. i finally get her settled down. we start to eat, i take one bite of my sandwich {which now i am sooooo hungry i'm shaking, because of the little baby in my tummy} when all of the sudden marlee throws up allll over. well isn't this nice...i manage to clean her up incognito {just a little trick us moms pick up along the way, aren't we so cool and lucky}. i finally, shaking still from hunger, get to take another bite of my glorious sandwich, when marlee {because now she is mad she is in only diapers} throws her cup of water, which spills all over MY food...it took a lot...i mean a lot...of will power to not start screaming and crying and throwing everything off the table in front of me out of frustration...........i salvage what's left of my soggy sandwich and try to eat, regardless of the fact that i still had a little throw up on my finger, because i am sooooo hungry, i don't even care...i got one more bite in when marlee made it impossible to keep the "starers" from staring...we packed up our lunch and left.

..she fell asleep in the car about 30 seconds later

{poor baby... i wasn't mad anymore...just hungry}

when we get home i manage to get everyone down for a nap. hallelujah! i'm pretty sure the boys went down, because they truly felt sorry for me.

i work.

{on my other job, that i do from home}

two hours later they are up.

marlee....sweet little marlee, poops. it looks like a doosey. because i'm so tired i decide to change her right on the coffee table in front of me {you know, to "save" time, plus i have never used a changing table in my whole motherly life, but the coffee table was the first;} as soon as i lay her down, SPLAT! it comes out from all angles! frothy, yellow, watery, poop...i busted up into a crazy laugh...we all started laughing, and gagging, and laughing, and gagging, marlee crying...which i don't blame her, it had smooshed clear up her back and into her hair. i get her to the bathroom, without dripping any on the floor

{another fun trick, up my sleeve}

get her cleaned up {still gagging}...so much for "saving time"

i couldn't be mad. she was so sweet. she let me clean her up without a fight, and after that she sweetly talked to her "my little ponies" in the bath, and taught them to "swim" {just like we did earlier today with marlee in the pool} "kick, kick pony!...swim! good dob!" {in marlee's words ;}

i hope the mommy universe is better to me tomorrow, then again my husband will be home to help...you see he works 3/24 hour shifts a week, and today was one of them...these days usually suck ;}

tonight i will watch them sleep peacefully, and forget about how hard today was.

and that's a wrap! "the REAL desperate housewife/mommy that works two jobs from home at 30+ hours a week, and is literally with her kids every waking moment" will be back ;}

have a fun weekend!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

crazy hair day

2011-03-09T18:27:00.001-08:00

after cooking breakfast this morning and sending ryder off to school,
i had a minute to myself while the other two kids watched a tv show...
right before getting into my shower, my quick 5 minute, all to myself shower,
my kids came running in
{thanks to my freakishly loud pipes in our walls that are a dead give away to running water in my bathroom}
"we wanna take a bath!"
"bubble bath, bubble bath!!!"
urggggg
they get in the bath.
after the fun "splashing game" i washed them up, dried them off, cleaned up all the water, and got them ready. then i got ready {sort of}
after spending 5 minutes alone, trying to cover the giant zit on my jaw line
{that has been there for a few weeks now, so fun}
i stopped when i heard nothing...
when it's quiet, and there are kids in the house, it's usually not a good sign.
when i came out to see what they were up to, i found a puddle of water on the floor,
my nice hardwood floor.
so i cleaned it up, i was annoyed, but what-ever. what's a little water gunna hurt right?
then....i thought....where did the water come from??
i saw marlee standing by the couch, with a really sweet and kind of odd look
on her face. almost like 'if i smile really extra sweet at my mom, then she won't be too mad' kind of look...
as i got closer to her, i saw on the table behind her my laptop.
my laptop sitting in a puddle of water!!
i opened it
{well first i screamed}
then i opened it...she had also poured water all over the keyboard, then closed it
and finished off the water on the top.
it was a lot of water...as i frantically tried to dry it off as good as i could, marlee screaming in the background because of my crazy scream that scared her,
i realized it was almost time for my other son to go to pre-school! crap!
and then he reminded me it was "crazy hair" day! crap!
blasted school spirit week.
whenever i picture myself really mad {like finding my laptop in a puddle of water} i picture my hair. i picture it standing straight up in every direction, with a little bit of smoke
sizzling off from the ends of it...is that weird? well i do...
so we go out to the salon and i make travis's hair "crazy"
and rushed him to school...
when your day starts off this way, the rest of the day seams to follow along with it.
today was one of those days...
tonight i will lay in bed thinking of ways to be more patient, and calm when it comes to life's little misfortunes......

{i also realized that earlier this morning marlee was upset at me because i had my laptop on my lap and wouldn't let her sit next to me because she kept pushing buttons. so i guess this was her revenge...what a sneaky little thing...}

xoxo
*buffalo gal*

spring hair tips

2011-03-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

spring is near,
but have no fear,
i have some tips for you my dear,
{yeah...that was nerdy...}
but seriously tho.
read below!
{heeeey i didn't even mean to rhyme that time ;}

{click on the pic...sorry it's so tiny}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

20 down 20 to go

2011-02-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

and marlee's "baby" *}

i'm half way done.

it's so bitter sweet.

"sweet" because of the obvious reasons,

the sweet baby kick in my belly for the last time,

hearing the super fast heartbeat,

thinking of names and getting excited about not finding out what we are having

{first time}

the fact that it's my last baby,

last stay in the hospital

{which i actually do love, i love the quiiiet time alone, the food, the room service/nurses ;}

and of course all of the chivalry,

people offering there seat when there aren't any left, holding the door open...

wait.

chivalry is dead, that never happens

{well to me anyways}

and that leads me to the "bitter"

i will be glad to be rid of the 4 zits that have been camping out on my chin since day 1,

the stretch marks to come

{which i did not get with my first pregnancy for all those who think they are in the clear ;}

the "you look like your about to pop!" comment when you have 2 months left to go

eating for two, which i am sorry to say is really not an excuse,

us women would loooove to think so, but you really shouldn't eat more than a couple hundred

calories more than usual...bummer

with that being said, today i ate

a 20 oz. jar of tapioca pudding,

1 egg salad sandwich,

2 homemade waffles

{with butter, syrup, and powdered sugar}

6 hot wing chicken wings,

3 suckers

4 dove chocolates

"5 GOLDEN RINGS"

{oh wait...i'm getting sidetracked}

which reminds me!

the memory loss...won't miss that...what...what?

the swollen feet, the heartburn, and yet to come the feeling that i have been

riding a horse for a week straight...

now that i have terrified any one who hasn't had kids yet...

{it truly is wonderful ;}

wish me luck on my second half!

xoxo

*bufflao gal*

"love it will never betray you...it will set you free"

2011-02-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

i just have to give another shout out to this band.

they are awesome.

first off:

*how many bands do you know that can make all of those instruments look that cool!?

*how hot are their voices...?

*and i'm pretty sure the keyboarder is beating the base drum at the same time...

this song gives me goosebumps every time i hear it.

although very cool...the video does not do it justice!

you have to get the cd and turn it up...very loud!

{mumford and sons-sigh no more}

enjoy!

{i love how the Cello player looks like he is yelling really loud on the quiet part}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

dog days are over....

2011-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

another reason why me and my sister's are meant to be ;}

we like the same weird music...

i love this song...and so does she {steph} apparently

luv it.

{Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (2010 Version)}

enjoy!

{marlee would be terrified of this video}

xoxo

buffalo gal

{and sista!}

i love you because...

2011-02-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

husband

i love you because,

*you still write me love notes

*you tell me i'm beautiful and kiss me every morning

{bed head, morning breath and all ;}

*you pray for our family every night

*you always put me first

*you have the most handsome, refreshing smile

*you don't mind 'honey do' lists

*you always give me good advise

*you love to thrift store shop just as much as me

*you skateboard, play baseball, dollhouse, thomas the train, army guys,

play music, swim, ride bikes, play soccer, read books, paint, build things,

sing, go on flashlight walks, camp out in the back yard,

pray, do homework, with

our children...

and so so much more!

*you gave me 3 beautiful children and one more to come

{well technically i gave them to you ;}

*you go on late night in-n-out burger runs for me, and never complain

*you always read my mind

*your tall

*you clean without me asking

{alllll the time ;}

*your are an awesome cook

*you write me love songs

*you call me "mamma"

*you trim my hair

*you finish my unfinished projects

*your honest

*your loyal

*you make me feel beautiful, even at my worst

*you hold my hand, in the car, on the couch, at the movies, when we walk,

across the table, while we pray, even at the store.

{i'm not kidding...and i love it}

*you encourage me

*you are always the first to help

*you never get mad at me ;}

*and i know how much you love me!

i could go on and on,

but i think you get what i'm sayin

i love you because, you are all of those things and so much more.

you are the most amazing husband and father.

"god only knows what i'd be without you"

happy valentines day Hans.

xoxoxoxoxo

*your "beautiful, wonderful wife"*

eye candy

2011-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

to all my eclectic friends who aren't afraid to funk-tify their homes,
and build your nest around your own personal style.
***

decorating your house is like picking out an outfit...
you can either buy straight off the manikin, and go out wearing the same thing as the girl sitting next to you,
or you can buy what you like, pull old and new together
and create a unique outfit, that you know no one else will be wearing.
{my sister found this awesome website}

{click on title}

happy birthday tooooooo meeeee!

2011-02-06T16:54:00.000-08:00

i'm 31.

not the most exciting birthday in the world.

not to mention, it happened to land on super bowl sunday...

and my husband had to work...

i'm not too bummed, because again, i'm 31.

{not much to celebrate}

my husband did make up for the fact that he would be working on my actual

birthday though.

yesterday he made me breakfast in bed,

then we rushed off to sun city

{and hour drive}

to snatch up an amazing headboard, that i have been dreaming of for months!

i say "snatched" because,

a. only $75

b. i called and the guy told me someone else was coming to see it,

so i pouted and pouted enough that my husband

snuck out, called him back, and convinced him to sell it to us

instead because it was my birthday,

and i HAD to have it ;}

so after my yummy breakfast, off we went to get my dream bed

{pictures to come}

i opened my gifts in the car

*3 decor magazines to choose subscriptions to

{i will subscribe to all 3: dwell, elle decor, & habitus}

*the "mumford and sons" cd

{sooooo good}

*and thrift store shopping till my hearts content!

i found a lot or RAD stuff

{pictures to come ;}

my husband then cleaned the house,

and cooked me a delicious clam fettuccine dish,

yummmmmy.

it was a wonderful "pre-birthday" birthday.

hans had hoped i got everything i wanted on my birthday,

but honestly

i already had it...

{here comes the cheesy part}

i am so blessed with my wonderful, sweet, smart, funny, children

and another little person on the way.

i have a beautiful home,

an awesome neighborhood,

i live right next door to my sisters!!

a wonderful family that's loyal, and so thoughtful,

i have amazing friends, who i love so much,

and last but absolutely not least

i have the BEST, most handsome, helpful, funny, talented, kind hearted,

hard working, loving, affectionate, sweet, amazing

husband in the world

{i'm sure we all feel that way about our honey's}

but mine....is seriously,

the best ;}

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

{and as i type all three of my kids are piled on the chair i'm sitting on, massaging my back ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

finished product

2011-02-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

i got this chair, actually i got two of them, for $50 last year
and i finally took up that upholstery class i have been talking about taking
for the last 7 years.
so far i have completed one of them
and the second one is almost done.
here is the finished product:

so for $25 a chair

and $30 in fabric per chair

$55 per chair!

{the class was $225, but soooo worth it}

next project is my beautiful tufted couch that my kids destroyed...

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

modern manor madness!

2011-01-24T17:30:00.001-08:00

To those of you (all five of you) who are reading and know me at all, you know that i am very

particular about who i share my spots with

{meaning my "thrift store spots"}

nor do i like to go with anyone, only because when i see something, when my eyes first come in contact with an object to my liking,

my heart races, i'm instantly shaky, and if anyone comes between me and the object she may or may not get pulled back by her ponytail

and/or catch an elbow to the face to throw her off course ;)

my route....my first dibs.

so, because i would have no friends left if this were to happen...

i thrift alone :)

i'm only half way kidding...friends

with that being said.

while browsing through craigslist, i stumbled across this aaaawwwwsome store.

i literally....found my mouth starting to water.

i love all of their stuff!

but it may be a bit pricy for me.

since i'm kind of broke, i will just web browse and dream for now.

and that is why i'm sharing with you.

i can't go. so you should.

aren't i so nice?

here is their blog

here is their website

have a good night!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

p.s. could the owners be any cuter! how annoying ;}

Ombre

2011-01-23T19:07:00.000-08:00

i love it when a hair style

(that i unintentionally have, due to the lack of time, and my growing laziness when it comes to the maintenance of my hair)

starts to become trendy.

now if only

*rats nests

*3 day old pony tails

*and split ends

would only become trendy!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

grease be gone!

2011-01-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

don't let this happen to you

{don't be the girl who people think"is her hair wet, or greasy"}

it's a fact that your hair will be happier if you don't wash it every day.

the natural oils your hair gets from your scalp, keep it shiny and healthy.

although for some people, it's not always easy to get away with the luxury of not washing it every day.

you complain that your hair "just gets greasy so fast!"

and i still can't believe when i get a client that doesn't know the solution to the problem.

hair powder

otherwise known as "dry shampoo"

has been around since the beginning of time ladies! how do we all not know this already?

{okay, maybe not the beginning of time...but for a looong time}

and why/how does Brittany not know?

thanks to our ancestors, who used flours and fine grains to sprinkle into their hair,

we have perfected our little beauty secret, and mainstreamed it into some of our top product lines. bumble and bumble's is amazing because it comes tinted to match your color,

and has a nice scent to it.

of course now we have to pay a pretty penny for it.

gone are the days when you could sprinkle a little flour in your hair while baking some cookies

{well you could i guess}

but if your penny is pinched, like most people these days, and sprinkling flour in your hair

makes you feel like a peasant,

then you can do what i do and grab some baby powder!

sprinkle it in the palm of your hands and run it through the roots of your hair.

it not only takes the grease away, but adds a little volume.

now, don't get carried away ladies.

i know this can be exciting and i know what your thinking

"dry shampoo! now i can go weeks without washing!"

but don't let the "shampoo" part fool you...although it will mask the grease, and kill the odor

{i know, sick word, but true}

a good scrub with some good ol' fashioned soap and water is a must!

in fact if you do try to sneak by a week or so, use a good clarifying shampoo to give it a fresh start.

now this is not for everyone.

if you are an avid gym goer, your hair probably gets more than enough "natural oils"

so you will want to wash your hair.

or if your simply disgusted by that fact that we are even discussing this topic,

than you too may just want to stick with washing your hair everyday.

but just remember, if you do choose to try this

{if you already haven't}

as a rule of thumb

if you turn your head really fast, and you get a whiff of scalp mixed with powder...

it's time to wash it.

the real way.

the end

{sheesh that was long}

*b.gal*

pre-bump, baby lump

2011-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

is this for real!?

i hate that stage in pregnancy when your "showing" but not really "showing" and most people who don't know your pregnant may just think you've gained a little pooch from the holidays. or even better, when they do know your pregnant and say "aww i see the pooch!" and then rub it...!

ok....first of all, no pregnant woman wants to hear the word "pooch" nor do they want you to rub their pre-mature, bump, flab, that technically isn't "baby" yet since it's the size of a walnut!

and there is no "second of all"

that pretty much summed it up.

i do love being pregnant though. i love feeling the baby kick and punch inside my tummy. and i love having a good excuse for love handles. but mostly i love to eat, and i'm not the type to "eat for two" {because i do that anyways} but i will have an extra piece of fudge...or two...or three.

also, it is my fourth. so for now i will love my lump, because it will be

my last.

xoxo

*b.gal*

2011....

2011-01-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

well, i could pretty much cut and paste my new years resolution from last year for this year, since everything {give or take a few} never happened.

i did however start to run...then i got pregnant.

and yes, i know you can still run when you are pregnant, but my body is just not built that way.

i did take up upholstery, and i love it!

everything else...was a no go. but i will give it another try this year {years go by really fast when your older}

also i've decided to try and "revamp" my blog, and get back on track with my hair tips...and other stuff.

xoxo

*b.gal*

"oh...you'll laugh about this later!"

2010-07-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

today...

well, i stepped away for 5 minutes to use the

"ladies room"

and came out to see ryder

(my oldest)

chuck a pair of craft scissors behind the chair.

i (of course) could tell by the look on his face,

(and the quick chuck of the scissors)

that he did something terribly wrong!

me: "ryyyyyyder, what are you doing!"

ryder: "ummm, well travis had his goo in his hair, so i cut it out"

me: i walked to travis (in slow motion, it seemed) slowly starting to yell

"noooooooooooooo!!!! RYDER!"

ryder had reshaped travis's awesome, long, blond, "surfer hair" into

a crazy Mullet!

i was mad.

i was really mad.

ryder went to his room...

and travis came out to the salon with me.

and i, with tears in my eyes,

buzzed off alllllllll of his hair.

(he looks really cute still, of course ;)

today was one of those day's that i will

"laugh about later"

(i'm not laughing now....)

kids....

until tomorrow folks!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

girls night out...

2010-07-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

i can clearly remember the days with my first born (ryder), holding his little body in my arms gazing at him alllll day long, while he slept

(seriously. i did this...like most first time moms often do...and i had my share of stiff necks to prove it)

and i thought to myself,

self: "how could i ever get mad at you? you are too sweet and cute, and innocent......"

***

that was 6 years ago, and two more kids later.

now

let me ask you a question.

you know how on cartoons, when a character gets so upset

(i like to reference donald duck a lot, because if i were a cartoon character, i'mmmmm pretty sure i would be him...in a girl version)

and there face fills up with hot, molten, fire and steam starts whistling out of there ears.

or when they tail spin into a frenzy and bolt right through the wall

only to leave a perfect hole in the shape of there body

(arms flailed out to the sides)

well.....

that's how i feel...often...today being one of them.

is it just me?

or are ya with me?

(maybe i don't want to know the answer to that ;)

well i know at least one person is with me,

my sweet sister, of three kids, also.

when i talked to her earlier today she literally took the words right out of my mouth.

sister: "hey, what are you doing"

me: "(sighhhhh) well. i'm going crazy"

sister: "me toooo! i just want to blow myself to the moon"

me: "thank goodness, it's not JUST me!"

we laughed for a bit about what our kids did today, that was so

extremely irritating.

she got a kick out of the fact that i actually grounded my two boys from the couch

(my awesome, beautiful, tufted couch (here), is on it's last leg. sadness...)

just those four minutes of validation, and confirmation,

that i'm not the only one with those feelings of running through my wall, or blowing myself to the moon,

nor am i the only one with horrible children,

(not really, but sometimes it feels that way...ok a lot ;)

was all i needed to hear to get me in better spirits.

thank heavens for sisters who keep it real!

(luff you)

tomorrow can not come any sooner!

a few of us girls are going to have a girls night out, overnight!

i sense more stories of validation,

lots of laughing,

and most importantly
no screaming kids!

p.s. all you mom's out there...keep it real with your friends/sisters ;)

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

forget me not...

2010-07-18T22:49:00.001-07:00

i managed to escape this heat for a while with my little family,

but all good things must come to an end...

we're home.

don't get me wrong being home is a good thing, i just wish "home" wasn't greeting us with it's 118 degree weather.

after spending an entire month in California,

(photos and video to come, fingers crossed)

which we have nicknamed "heaven" on earth,

we decided to face reality,

work,

bills,

responsibilities,

you know,

stuff like that.

we had fun.

we had lots of adventures.

broken arms, floods, bears, beach, nature, good friends, family, and i even ran into this

huge

metal buffalo statue on the side of the road...

(of course i had to take a picture with it)

so i've been gone,

but hopefully not forgotten.

and as soon as i can, i will be back.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

my sweeite pies...

2010-04-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

the loves of my life!

here comes the sun...

2010-04-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

sorry.

i SUCK at blogging.

i really don't know what i was thinking...

2 jobs,

3 kids,

dinners to make,

laundry to do,

trying to get in shape before summer...

and now BLOG!

yeaah...right...

well the sun is coming

{it's like our "winter" time for normal states}

we stay inside a lot

"hibernate"

if you will...

so for these past couple months i have been outside a lot with my kiddos.

enjoying the weather while it lasts...

keeping my doors and windows open and letting the nice breeze

blow through the house,

laying on the soft fluffy grass,

listening to the birds chirp...

while my kids frolic in the sprinklers...

because before you can say:

"nose bleed"

{the dry/heat combo has that effect on some)

"it's so hot you can boil an egg on the ground"

{its been done}

"hot pipes"

{the pipes in the ground get so hot, that even if you try to take

a cool shower...you get a warm one...yuck}

"scorpions" or "black widows"

{two creatures that love the heat...awesome...}

yes, yes

before you can say allll of that

summer will be here,

no more open doors or windows,

the blinds go down,

the electricity bill goes up, up and up!

the grass turns into sharp razor blades,

the birds stop chirping,

the kids go stir crazy,

and we all get really white

{you DON'T lay out in the summer here}

so maybe i will blog more then ;}

ENJOY THE WEATHER!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

round 3...

2010-02-25T16:48:00.000-08:00

{click here to see more of capitola}

so today's run i went solo.

i have to admit i was a little nervous.

i had no one to keep me going,

or let down....

and now that i know i can run 2 miles, there is no giving up...

so i scarfed down 3 salt water taffy's

{ok....4!}

put on my running clothes,

and off i went.

i put songs in my shuffle that will keep me motivated,

for example,

"big and chunky"

and i don't know if my shuffle is jacked up or if it's the "universes" way of

pushing me along??

but "big and chunky" played 3 times....!

{what's up with that...universe?}

anyways.

it must have worked cause i ran 2.5 miles!!

alone,

non stop,

with cramps,

{probably those damn taffy's}

and i had to pee as soon as i started!

{maybe that's why i didn't stop...}

what also keeps me going,

is our yearly beach house, summer trip to capitola.

we have been going now for 15 years

and the last 6 i have been pregnant

or just had a baby.

so this year i will be laying out on the beach.

so when i start to feel like i want to give up, i repeat in my head,

"capitola, capitola, capitola"

{that seems to help also ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

"super woman runner" {wink wink}...

2010-02-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

{she looks just like janet jackson...}

for those of you that know me, i am not really a

"runner"

maybe it's because,

running after my kids {about 5 houses down} makes me winded...

or maybe it's because,

when i do try to "run",

the feeling of throwing up, and being stabbed in my side,

are sooo overwhelming

that i have to stop about 3 minutes into it...

or maybe it's because,

my friends are so shocked at my beet red face,

that they actually, really think i have a horrible sunburn...

{gasps and all ;}

or maybe it's because,

my brother-in-law,

actually laughs out loud when he sees me run,

and pleads with me to tell him my rout so he can take pictures.

{to get a good laugh later}

ya ya ya.

i am not athletic,

coordinated,

graceful.

with that said.

i went running for the "real" first time,

last week.

yes i had the stabbing cramp,

yes i felt like throwing up,

{but tried sooo hard not to in front of my cute, marathon running friend,

who hadn't even broke a sweat yet, and kept asking me in her calm, un tired,

voice, "are you doing ok?"}

and when i finally finished!

{just short of a mile...}

i wanted to DIE!

{annnnd my neighbor gasped and asked "oh my gosh sweetie, did you get burned??!!"}

nope.

just lisa.

the out of shape weak sac, with the beet red face!

and the next day,

i felt like and 80 year old woman...

{the whole day...and the next day...}

BUT

yesterday
i went again.

we started running...

{bypassing my "frisbee golf" playing neighbor's, who would have gotten a kick out of seeing

my uncoordinated, red faced self trying to run...}

and we ran

and ran

{no stabbing cramps}

and ran!

and i ran 2 miles!!

{i know...you were expecting me to say like, "5" or something...}

and today i only felt like a 50 year old woman...

not bad.

soon i will be a

"super woman running fool"

well...

maybe.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

organic momma...

2010-02-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

i love cute packaging

and i love organic, cute, packaging.

and with all of my thrift store shopping,

i am always carrying around hand wipes in my purse

to swipe down the shopping cart

bribe toys

bathroom door knob

sink faucet

my kids hands

my hands

etc.

today i picked these up at tj-max for $3 per pk.

they are organic

they smell so good

and they are biodegradable!

they have tons more products

{check them out here}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

"why the buffalo", you ask?...

2010-02-18T20:27:00.000-08:00

so we all have a symbol from our childhood

that brings back memories,

or reminds us of someone special.

my grandma virigina was very special to me, and my siblings...

i can remember when we were little,

all cuddled up on her couch watching,

oaklahoma,

sound of music,

the king and i,

mighty mouse,

pollyanna,

meet me in st. louis,

{and so many more musicals etc.}

and sharing her big, soft, cozy,

buffalo blanket...

she also had a few other random buffalo items around the house,

{blame it on the seventies}

but the blanket was the one thing

we cherished the most.

so when she passed away, i came across her buffalo necklace,

which i was so lucky to get.

it felt appropriate to use that symbol to create a place

for me to be creative, and to be myself,

since my grandma virginia had always encouraged me/us to be just that.

she was always teaching us how to:

cook

sew

crochet

sing

laugh

to be artistic

and so much more!

{and that is not to say that i am good at any of that now...especially the singing part ;}

the buffalo will forever remind me of her,

and to always try to learn, and be creative, work hard, and to laugh.

{as cheesy as all of that sounds}

so friends!

that explains

"the buffalo"

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

birthday challenge!

2010-02-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

i just had a birthday

{as you all know}

and i just want to honestly, honestly say,

bad economy = awesome gifts!

and i am not joking!

there isn't anything i love more, than a gift that has thought in it.

and 99% of the time

it's gunna cost you less money.

i received so many wonderful gifts for my birthday from my sweet friends

and family, but since i couldn't take pictures of some of them,

here are a few that i could.

*my two new favorite home decor books!

{thanks to my mother-in-law and sweet friend amy ;}

*my awesome milk glass!!!

{from my wonderful husband!}

*and a new "old" book for my vintage book collection!

{carly....your awesome! and a much better person than me...you know what i mean! ;}

click picture to see

so with all of that being said...

i am giving you my,

"birthday challenge"

here are the rules:

1. you have to get a gift for someone under $10

{preferably from a thrift store...you will score more points with me ;}

2. it has to be thoughtful and meaningful to that person

{examples above}

3. it doesn't have to be for a birthday, it can just be a random act of kindness ;}

4. then write to me and tell me why you got "such in such" for "so in so"

and how it made them feel.

{please include detailed description of there reaction, i am a "reaction" giver ;}

5. include a picture of it with your e-mail to me.

6. lastly, see that side bar to the right?...see where it say's "followers"?

add yourself.

{i would like to see who's reading ;}

*of course if your already there, no need to worry ;}

what do you get?

{well, technically you shouldn't "give" anything, to "get" something...}

but!

i will be picking a winner,

and

it will be something vintage and awesome

{most likely under $10 ;}

from my own personal vintage collection!

it's a win win. you make someone happy, and you feel happy.

and even if you don't get picked, you will still feel good about your

kind, inexpensive gesture ;}

i will give you....

a month.

now go!

p.s. i will read each individual e-mail {none of this "picking at random" crap ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

e-mail me:

Lkystarz@yahoo.com

i'm back....!

2010-02-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

i'm back.

so sorry about the long break.

{hopefully you all didn't give up on me and stop visiting...}

sooo much has happened,

but i will keep it short.

to start.

*i got this awesome buffalo statue from none other than

my dear sweet friend

cassidy!

{look here and here to see the other stuff she picked up for me.}

you can't have her she's mine! seriously though...she is the best!

*i went to california for my birthday

*i turned 30!!!

*i finally got my hair done!

{yes, i am a hairdresser, and i still wait to get it done in cali...}

*and i'm thinking about becoming a runner

{that is a big deal for me...i can't run to save my life}

but these love handles are not gunna melt off on there own...

plus

this will be #1 on my,

"list of 30 things i am gunna do in my first year of being 30"

list.

{did that make sense??}

i will think of more, and keep you posted.

but for now...

#1...

running

{uggggg}

but i will go with cassidy, that should keep me motivated

{poor cassidy...she will be very disappointed in me}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

i'm 30!

recycle, recycle!

2010-01-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

so, i'm not totally sure i would actually sport one of these...

but they are pretty cool,

non the less.

and for all of you die hard recyclers,

here are some cool

bags to tote around.

check them out here

{if anything it's a cool website ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

a moms best friend....

2010-01-19T12:34:00.001-08:00

us moms are busy.

were tired.

we don't get to shave our legs as often as we'd like to.

we go days without washing our hair

{or showering...you know you do}

we are constantly doing:

dishes

laundry

carpool

cleaning

cooking

you name it. we do it.

it's no wonder we look tired and wrinkly after about 5 years of this madness!

but

fellow mothers,

lets not let ourselves go!

*wear tights-if you can't shave

*sprinkle baby powder in your hair-if it's starting to look like it's wet {but it's not ;}

you know what i'm talking about ;}

and for heavens sakes,

*wear a little makeup!

just a little...

this wonderful, magical, mothers best friend

in a jar

is called supernatural.

you can apply it while you

clean

carpool

cook

do laundry

heck you can even put it on while you breast feed!!

{i've done it...in a pinch}

so once again

{here is my philosophy plug}

"philosophy! your the bomb!"

get some!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

teamboo readers...

2010-01-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

teamboo-ers

{click above if you have not been introduced yet;}

to explain the lack of posts,

{and many more to...not come??}

my sweet sisters family

needs a lot of prayers from all of you.

her husband is in the hospital

and is looking at a very loooong recovery.

i will leave it up to her to give details

when she is ready.

also baby is on the way in less than a month!

it's a good thing i

{her sister}

am her neighbor ;}

thanks everyone!!

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

what have i done....

2010-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

to deserve this!
this morning i got to sleep in.
and i got breakfast in bed,
again!
{i know...now i'm just rubbing it in ;}
but,
i ate alone this time.
it was a little more relaxing
{read here about my last breakfast in bed ;}

well...
today is 50% off day at
good ol'
goodwill!
i need to re-do my kitchen now
{to go with my new pantry here}
wish me luck!

{some of my inspiration pictures}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

new pantry!

2010-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

like most of my projects
{besides them not ever getting finished}
they are usually started on a whim.
not planned.
soooo
while unloading the dishwasher, i got the urge to switch
the "cup" cabinet with the "plate" cabinet. and one thing lead to another!
then the mugs had to be switched,
then the junk cabinet had to be cleaned out,
then the tupperware cabinet needed to be thinned out with my
50 lids to my 10 containers!
so by the time i pulled everything out of every
cabinet
drawer
and pantry
my perfectly clean kitchen that i woke up too
{thanks to my wonderful husband ;}
now looked like a tornado had gone through it!
it was a long time comin though...
every time i opened up the cupboards and/or pantry
i immediately wanted to shut it!
the dirty finger prints and foot prints in my pantry
from my "animals for kids"
climbing up the shelves to get the cereal boxes down,
mixed
with the dingy,
yellow,
flat!
wall paint inside
{who uses flat wall paint?? sooo unpractical, especially with kids!}
made it look very....
un appetizing
and dingy!
i explain all of that so you can get a clear picture of what it looked like...
{and i forgot to take a "before picture"...sorry, won't happen again! but it was nasty}
so.
i get to work.
*note-had no car, all three kids with me {husband at work}, so we all
stayed in our pajamas, to say the least.
*other note-"cute neighbor" decides to stop by with "cute friend" to show her
my "cute house"...
of course,
house is a mess,
kids are scummy,
i'm scummy,
haven't brushed teeth or hair,
no bra,
left over makeup on...
awesome.
yes i answered the door.
and gave a "tour".
she will probably never come back.
poor girl.
needless to say!
12 hours later!
i finished the pantry and put the kitchen back
the way my husband left it...
clean.
see for yourself...

total cost: $0

sorry this was so long.

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

little helper...

2010-01-11T20:39:00.001-08:00

marlee helped me get ready today....

oh, and her baby!

be nice to...me!

2010-01-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

us women are very hard on ourselves.

and what

is often said out loud,

"i look fat"

{most popular phrase}

"i'm ugly"

{a close second}

there is even more said in our minds!

a friend of mine once called it,

"mind chatter"

and us women do a lot of

"mind chattering"

{i know i do}

a while ago i read in

self magazine,

that:

"consistently replacing negative thoughts with a positive one will alter

your outlook and make you feel happier"

here are the

steps:

1.envision you ideal life, then craft an encouraging phrase that makes it sound as if what you desire is already a reality. instead of "i hope tomorrow is better," try "my future is bright"

2. repeat your mantra whenever you start to bad-mouth yourself. "you retrain your brain to focus on the positive, not the negative *study author ann peden says.

3. try adopting one of these sayings, and give yourself a talking-to!

*i am strong and can handle whatever life throws my way.

*everything happens when it's meant to happen.

*i choose to love and appreciate myself.

*i am grateful for the good in my life.

*i can make healthy choices.

*happiness lies before me.

*i forgive my flaws and celebrate my strengths.

i have had this article on my fridge

for about a year now...

i think it's time to start!

my new:

"mantra...affirmation"

{if you will}

is my poster above...

think of one for you!

*and please share*

xoxo

buffalo gal*

Soul Sister...

2010-01-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

our sweet girl turned 1

{well a couple weeks ago, i've just know got around to making the video}

boy did that year go by fast!

i swear,

the more kids you have, the faster time fly's by!

{wait....i'm i almost 30 now?....ahhh}

marlee

has been such a light and such a blessing to us.

the boys are obsessed with her.

i'm obsessed with her.

and watching this makes me want another one!!!

{i know...i'm crazy....it's just a thought....for now ;}

okay,

so!

here is our little

"soul sister"

marlee

*i will apologize now for my horrible singing...just push play, you'll see

Soul Sister

from

buffalo gal

on Vimeo.

{music: "baby your my light" by richard howley and "hey soul sister" by train}

being thoughtful...

2010-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

thoughtfulness:

{in my book}

*when your husband cleans the whole house, and you didn't even have to ask

{would it be bragging to say this happens a lot in my home?}

*when someone says "bless you" when you sneeze

*when your sisters/brother always take your side...no matter what.

*when your told how much you are loved

{and saying "i love you too" back, instead of "me too"}

*when your friend is at a thrift store, and picks you up the

poloroid camera you have been wanting!

*saying "please" and "thank you"

thank you cassidy!!!!

you are rad!

and very

thoughtful ;}

mirror obsession...

2010-01-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

i have a problem...

mirrors!

i keep collecting them...

{i still have 6 more that i need to take pictures of....}

my finds

2010-01-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

my 50% off saturday!

*at goodwill of course*

{go here, here, and here to see past finds}

on these particular days i usually like to go alone.

usually.

only because i get a little "distracted" if you will.

a little "panicky"

{thinking about what have i already missed}

a little "sweaty"

{rushing in and out of stores}

a little "on edge"

{from people getting in my way!}

nervous, stressed, excited, yet focused.

but on this day i brought along with me my friend.

who i'm sure may never want to go with me again :}

why?

ohhh maybe because i might have:

aired out my sweaty armpits with my car air vents as we rushed off to the next store
or

haggled with the clerk in line over $2 with about 15 people behind us

tried on old dirty boots

{i guess that's "un-sanitary"??}

frantically rushed through each aisle

knocking over small children

{okay i didn't knock over any children, but did slam the cart into a few shelves...oops}

who knows!

maybe she willll go again?

i have to say though,

my favorite line of the day was when she said;

"and i can help you narrow it down too, before we check out"

which really means;

"your not really going to buy that old, crusty, wood, owl statue that still has bird poop on it! right?"

ha ha ha!

i love her!

she is brutally honest

which is key to goodwill shopping, especially with me, because mixed in with

a bunch of junk makes a nicer piece of junk look really

awesome!

so on that note "thanks friend for keepin it real" ;}

seriously...thanks

but

i got the owl anyways :}

{click pic to see up close and personal}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

breakfast in bed....

2010-01-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

the boys {hans} brought me breakfast in bed this morning

{after letting me sleep innn}

although not as relaxing as it used to be,

{before kids}

it is better than it used to be!

see for yourself!

me: "wow! thanks guys! your so sweet!'

travis: "ya mom we bwought you mashmallows"

{it was cottage cheese}

me: "oh, yumm"

ryder: "no travis. it's mash potatoes!"

{still the cottage cheese}

me: "well i think it might be cottage cheese"

the boys: "oooohh cottage cheese..."

travis: "i wanna try"

{sticks finger into heap of cottage cheese}

travis: "yuck! i don't wike dat!"

ryder: "i wanna try"

{finger in heap}

ryder: "ya that's yucky"

me: "okay, no more sticking your fingers in my food guys"

{they giggle}

travis: "what's dat black bottle"

ryder: "it's black salt!"

{it was pepper}

travis: beeeelllch!

ryder: buuurrrp!

{then the burping contest began}

......

ryder talked a little too close with his stinky morning breath.

{did not mix well with my bites of eggs...}

travis kept stealing my beacon.

both of them got there own drinks to bring in, to put on the tray.

{almost spilled them at least 3 times}

travis ate all my strawberries.

.......

T: "what's dat!!!"

R: "honey! bees make honey!"

R: "mom, why did you marry dad? cause he makes you breakfast in bed?"

me: "kind of....because he is thoughtful and sweet, and i love him"

R: "oh! i want breakfast in bed too!"

T: "NO i do!"

R: "well i get to first!"

T: {in a whiny voice} "nooo i want to!!"

{i explained to them that they both will on their birthdays}

......

and one of them kept farting

sweet.

so folks!

that is a mother's breakfast in bed!

{but i wouldn't change it for the world :}

NOW i'm off to goodwill ;}

good morning

*buffalo gal*

tuft luck!

2010-01-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

was it luck

destiny?

{please know i'm joking when i talk like that}

i like to think it was a little bit of both.

look at one of my most proud,

goodwilling moments.

"my tufted couch"

{click picture to read}

well i'm off to goodwill in the morning

{50% off day}

wish

luck!

*p.s. if your loaded with $$ and would like to buy the real thing

go here...

and think of me when your laying on it...

or standing on it ;}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

long vs. short....

2010-01-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

if you have had long hair for ever,

{like me}

and want a change,

or at least want to see what you would look like with short hair.

then follow these simple steps...

*get a shirt with a tight collar

*tuck your hair in your shirt

*roll head around until desired length

*place hair

*and snap some pics for your hairdresser!

so what do you think...?

should i???

should you???

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

getting to know me...

2010-01-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

here are some things that i luv,

{not including the obvious like my family of course, peace love and happiness etc. etc!}

1. breakfast in bed...who doesn't love that?

2. anything vintage...well...almost anything.

3. jewelry....vintage jewelry, even better!

4. doooove chocolate

{MOST chocolate!}

5. milk glass

6. peonies...

peonies in milk glass

7. the color fuchsia...

fuchsia peonies!...

fuchsia, peonies, in milk glass...!

8. domino magazine

{domino, if your reading...why did you cancel!?}

9. natural wood

10. doing hair

11. recycling...

recycled stuff...

recycled hand bags!

{how cute is this one!}

12. redwood trees

{aahhh northern cali...}

13. vintage couches!!!

{i have a LOT of them}

14. and my "funny girl" marlee

{would luv the poster}

{but it is a lot of $!}

there ya go.

me in a nutshell!

bed bugs...

2009-12-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

my little

bed bugs

it is so amazing to me,

how two tiny little bodies,

can take up a whole king size bed!

this is what i slept with last night...

i was on the edge of the bed

all night...

so sweet...

i'm sore today.

on my right side ;}

decorating on a REAL budget.....

2009-12-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

my very creative, talented, sister
{well i have two}
but my older sister,
{the one mentioned here}

once told me
"buy what you like, and it will all come together"
of course this can ring true to many things, such as:
fashion,
jewelry,
or
decorating your home.
but
when these wise words were spoken to me,
it was when, my husband and i bought our first house,
and we had noooo $ left for furniture!
and like every woman and mother,
"we" don't feel complete unless our home feels complete.
so i turned to my trusty
thrift stores!

of course

it was already a weekend ritual for my husband and i
but with a "new" home
i felt weird about putting a bunch of old, used stuff in it...
but
like the saying goes
"one man's junk is another man's treasure!"
and boy do i have a lot of
"another man's treasures"
in my home!
in fact every piece of furniture
{except for our beds...i had to draw the line somewhere!}
is from a thrift store,
craigslist,
or
FREE!

and when i am looking to buy,

and feel a little iffy

i hear my sisters words,

"buuyyy whhaaat youuu like...aaannd it wiiilll allll coomme together.."

and i'm not oblivious to the fact that some people have probably walked
into my home and thought
"ah...ya! of course it's all used stuff!...it looks like it!"
but for me
its home
and it feels complete.
{well almost...but more and more every day}

on that note!

here is my master bathroom so far...

on a REAL budget.

*note-inspiration pictures always help. see mine below.

{click on picture to read and get a closer lookie ;}

*my inspiration pic*

{my subway tile still to come...but for now...not in my budget ;}

*and i do have to say,

there is such a rush when you find the perfect piece,

and you don't feel like throwing up after, because you only spent $10 on it!!

come back!

i will go room by room in my house

and break it all down for ya!

{just wait until you see my living room for under $400!!!}

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

new years resolution{S}...

2009-12-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

ok so.

i kind of hate making them.

but i always do.

and by about mid january,

{or so}

i have already broken them,

given up,

or justified to myself why they were "un-realistic resolutions" to begin with!

sooo for

2010,

i'm going to try to only make

realistic,

attainable,

"probably would do it anyway..."

resolutions.

and i think that by sharing

with all of you

{who ever you all are...if there is anyone reading...and if you even care ;}

i will be somewhat

"held accountable"

for following through with them.

{at least for a few months longer than normal}

resolution{s}

#1. finish all un-finished projects!

*my half way painted stair well.

*my half way painted baseboards

*my half way finished window casings

*my half way finished bathroom

*my "pre-maturely" ripped up, future, craft room...

#2. learn to sew...better

#3. learn how to re-upholster already!

so i can stop buying things

and saying,

"i can just re-upholster it!"

and instead

store it in my garage with all of my other

"i can just re-upholster it!" projects...

#4. learn how to bake a pie

but not just any pie,

the kind of pie my grandma used to make...

black berry,

boysen berry,

peach,

{or what ever!}

with the

flakiest,

butteriest,

yummiest,

crust!

#5. {and this is the last one because i am starting to get anxiety ;}

learn how to whistle.

really LOUD!

so that instead of being the

loudest,

yelliest,

craziest,

mom on the block...

i can just whistle my kids back home.

{hopefully that does the trick...otherwise i will be forced to yell...or get a megaphone...sorry neighbors ;}

*and yeees, i do have more serious ones.

but i will keep those to myself ;}

what's your new years resolutions?

xoxo

*buffalo gal*

goodwill...you know i love you...

2009-12-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

you were there for me in my teens,

when my mom gave me "x" amount of $ to buy school clothes at the beginning of the school year,

and it had to last until the END of the school year

you were there for me in my college years,

when shopping at thrift stores, finally became "cool" and going to find the perfect pair of worn,faded jeans, with holes in all the right spots...

you were there for me when i moved out on my own,

and i had a WHOLE 600sq ft. apt to decorate with about $300 in my bank account...

you were there for me when i moved in with my husband,

to our new 3600sq ft. house and ALL my furniture from my crammed apt, now only took up half a room...

you were there for me for all of the,

party planning,

baby showers,

wedding decorating,

outfits,

costumes,

belts,

baby clothes,

strollers,

fabric,

couches {still trying to quit that addiction...i kind of like to collect them ;}

chairs {one more addiction}

mirrors {ok FINE that one too!}

lamps,

and jewelry,

that you have made available for my finding.....

but....

do you remember,

that allll of your "merchandise" is free?

it's given to you.

so whyyyyyyyyy

are you so expensive now?

did you know that,

i can get

a BRAND NEW dress at forever21 for like $3{new. on clearance}, instead of your $6.99 faded one{used. full price}...?

did you know that you,

don't have "antique furniture" therefore it shouldn't cost $150 for a dining room table, with wobbly legs, a missing leaf, and no chairs...?

did you know that you,

have been cheating on me by "sifting" through your donations and putting all of the "better quality" stuff on an "ebay type" website, to make more $ off of your free inventory...?

{how daaare youuu}

did you know that,

i am really annoyed by all of this...?

i have no other choice than to,

find a new thrift store to shop at, and love...

sincerely,

*your ex-shopper*

p.s.-by the way, i will still take advantage of your "%50 off color days"...and %50 off saturdays...but that's it!

p.p.s-i'm mad...but if you change your ways, i just might...! change my mind...now i'm done.

"i'm not bitter. i'm not bitter"

"Christmas Blog Card"....

2009-12-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

*Merry Christmas*

instead of sending out a card

{i've made several attempts, but have now run out of time}

i have made a blog card

{i know it's lame and cheesy...but oh well}

i hope you all understand ;}

but look at it this way...

now you can look at us allll year long!

xoxo

{click "card" to read}

dear sweet friend....

2009-12-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

dear sweet friend

*****

first of all, thank you for your thoughtfulness...

and thank you for knowing me so well.

i love my christmas gift!

*organic soap...smells so yummy...

{anthro}

*soap dish

{anthro}

*vintage bracelet!

luuuv it!

cassidy,

you are so awesome!

don't worry....be happy

2009-12-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

10 ways

**********

to make you and the people around you happier

{especially around the holidays}

1. when you drive somewhere today let 5 cars in, and remeber to wave when someone does the same for you.

2. smile at a mom shopping with her kids

{we often get "other looks"...smiles are always nice ;}

3. compliment 10 people

{and try to make them sincere and authentic}

4. try not to make one negative remark...about anything or anyone.

5. instead of getting road rage, because someone took the parking spot you were waiting for...sing a song!

{"bootie-lishious" by beyonce always perks me up...i have no idea why??}

6. if you have a cart full of stuff in the check out line, let the person with 2 things behind you go first.

7. try to laugh about something that would normally make you mad.

8. write a nice note to your husband, wife, sister, friend. let them know you love them and are thinking of them.

9. hold the door open for someone.

10. try to smile alllll day.

*and a bonus, say "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

{none of this "happy holidays" stuff}

i know im sooo not "PC"

the perfect tease...

2009-12-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

{click the picture}

of course we all luuuuv having full sexy hair.

but, there is a very thin line...

{well...a pretty thick line, actually}

as to what is,

the right way to tease your hair

and

the wrong way!

first off:

we have to ask ourselves,

"self...why do i want to have big, beautiful, sexy hair?"

and if our true self could say something back,

it would say,

"self...so that every man, woman, and child will be jealous of my geeeorgous locks!"

but reeeeally...

all our men want is to be able to run their fingers through it,

with out it getting stuck halfway down,

or eaten alive, by the rat living your nest!

and...

our children don't care if your hair is perfectly coiffed into place,

when your cheering at them from the sidelines of their

soccer game.

and...

"us" other women...are only thinking how you,

forgot to cover up the patch of mangled hair on the back

of your head...

soooo...

enjoy the loving head rubs from your man,

and avoid embarrassing your kid with a blown over "comb over" when it gets a little too windy at the game,

and really give "us" other women something

to be jealous of ;}

LEARN HOW TO TEASE YOUR HAIR

just keepin it real.

*buffalo gal*