In Memory...

Memorial Day 2011

thank you for all you do and for touching our lives...

with love,

xoxo

2nd attempt to post: Easter, Bunnies, Eggs...oh my...

blogger had issues last week. they made a general statement of apology + promised restoration of lost data. however, my posts/comments/pics haven't been recovered. i haven't heard from blogger and rather than waiting for my prayers to be answered, i will try to remember what i posted and do my best restoring my 5/12/11 post (i apologize in advance for being redunant in posting my Easter happenings...please bear with me...):

After Easter Sunday Mass, my lil' munchkins were ready to get down and gritty for the Egg Hunting...but of course, i had to get my annual Easter outfit pics...here are my lil' princess+prince:

such a pretty lil' princess! i wish designers can create a lil' number like this one in my size...love the classic look + the robin egg blue colour is stunning... (this lil' number came from TJ MAXX)

oops...i think my lil' prince is growing like a weed...i've got to let out the jacket + pants...you're growing too tall, sweetie...
but you sure look handsome!

my beautiful mom + her grandkiddos...such a sweet pic!

i really love this gorgeous headband from Ulta. Fit for a princess...worth every penny for her an early b-day present.

here's my lovely family...sweet Angel Sinead is smiling down on us...miss you, sweetpea!

been busy designing my lil' sis' new bakery website. Gail, is quite the avid baker. One day she'd like to own her own brick+morter shoppe...but in the meantime, she's made 1000's of cuppies+baked goodies. i've been capturing a bunch of her work on film + love capturing her delectable treats + styling them for photo shoots...i love still-shots + graphic design...wish i could turn back time + majored in that in college...

now, off to our Egg Hunting Festivities:
here's Shioban enjoying some of the cute things she found in her Easter Basket...

Ian just couldn't wait to get out of that suit...
here they are with their loot:

my Pop+Mom came over to have Easter Brunch with us. My Pop made his delicious Pork Butt Roast and scrumptious Chicken Wings. i attempted to make this ham with pineapples, cherries and cloves. it looked gorgeous but i wasn't impressed with the taste. the family liked it but i like it to be more juicy with loads of carmelized flavour...

here's Ian teaching Shioban how to use their new "Twistable Crayolas," my lil' artists-to-be!

both the kiddos are such hams! Shioban looked at me and said, "Hey, Mommy...did you get us these baskets or did the Easter Bunny give these to us..." ruh-roh...me thinks this is the last year of them believing in the Easter Bunnies, tooth fairies, Leprechuans, Santa...you name it...well it was a good 9 year run, huh?

the Easter Egg Hunt was a blast! they never get tired of finding treasures, that's for sure!

i think counting their loot is the best part of the hunt.i made these Easter Peep wreaths...i wanted to hang them on our 2 front doors but the doors have a southern exposure and the sun would just have a field day with all that marshmellow and then the ants would start marching on in...
we also made Easter Eggs...we forgot a few in the colour wash and when we took them out, they turned out to be absolutely darling! isn't it cool that a mistake can be so neat?

amazing colour, huh?! sometimes mistakes are a good thing!

well, that was our fun-filled Easter Weekend. hope it was 'hopping' for you too!

(let's hope this post sticks around awhile...)

bon temps!
xoxo

Lost~where did it go?!

this is what i've been asking myself all day today...where did my Post of May 12, 2011 go to?
One day, it was here. Then the next, gone!
I understand that Blogger had some malfunctions the last couple of days but why did my post (and i found out others have lost their posts/pictures/even some of their blogs too)
disappear?
i know that some bloggers know what i mean when i say that blogging takes time. uploading pictures take time. finding the right words take time. typing takes time. so then why in the world would a post go missing?
i wrote to Blogger asking them to restore my post+pics of that missing day.
does anyone even read those inquiries? will anyone listen and restore lost information?
so frustrating. so time-consuming. is it worth uploading the many photos that took forever to get on that post? can i remember what i actually said on each picture?

that's Friday the 13th for you...well, i'm too tired to redo everything Blogger...
thanks for adding more frustrations in our lives this weekend...
will catch some zzzzs and see if i could remember what i wrote that day...
have a good one...
bonne nuit
xoxo

{May 14, 2011:
ok, now some of my comments from other posts have disappeared...i.e. May 2, 2011...i used to have 9 comments...now it's down to 7......are all my posts, comments, pictures slowly disappearing? is this a sign to CHANGE back to WORDPRESS or start a TYPEPAD account?????????? am i in the twilight zone?!!!!!}

Happy Mother's Day!

To my ever dearest Mom...Thank you for giving me life, for sacrificing so much for your family, for having the courage to come to a different country in order to give your family a better life, for never giving up and having a strong determination to complete your education, become a registered nurse and pursue your Master's Degree.

You've taught me so much...but most of all~ how to be a loving and kind woman.
I thank you for breathing life into me.

I hope you're enjoying your much deserved vacation in our home country.

Please know how much we miss you and hope you and Pop are safe and enjoying
every minute in Paradise.
Love you so very much for eternity, Sweet Mom...your 2nd born, Tim, Ian, Shioban and Angel Sinead xoxoxoxo

"Funget" (funjet)...good thing?

May 1, 2011

The last part of March and all of April have been truly tough. My family has been undergoing some rough patches. We're slowly picking up the pieces.

With so many things going on in the world, it's really hard to keep up.

Gas prices have soared over here. With that in mind, so has everything else on the market. Food, clothes, supplies...you name it. Time, Money + my Life have been really tight.

There's so much I'd like to pursue but with these tough times, it's a bit difficult to keep afloat. So for the rest of this year, my family will be watching our pennies. I'm looking at this as a good thing. I wanted to take a few classes to enhance my creativity esp. w/ photography (Creativity Boot Camp), + some art + dance classes but it looks as though I will have to miss it this year. This is ok since that money will be put to good use on my lil' munchkins so they'll be able to enjoy their summer activities.

On a happier note, I still have my camera, my heart+soule. Somehow, I'm going to make the best out of this. I will venture out with my camera, heart+soule and find ways to grow creatively without spending too many pennies...how about you? any ideas on having a "funget" (word I made up, pronounced like funjet- fun+budget) summer?

bontemps
xoxo

April showers...

bring May flowers!

What a month April has been...

loads of things have happened this month.
we've been experiencing some rough spots over here.
but it hasn't stopped us from enjoying some of the simple pleasures of life.

will upload some pics of the last two months as soon as i get a free moment...

hope you've been enjoying life!

bonne nuit
xoxo

March Madness

What a month March proved to be. It started off sweetly but somehow ended up with devastation + saddness.

This year, I think the beginning of March came in like a lamb and roared out like a lion in the end.

Don't get me wrong. There have been days filled with much happiness but there also have been some very dark days...

Here is a chronicle of March 2011+ how life can change in a blink of an eye:

03.01.11 March Calendars

03.03.11 Paper Fortune Cookie Tutorial

03.08.11 Fat Tuesday + Lucky Days 03.11.11 Devastating Tsunami + 9.0 Earthquake hits Northern Japan (go here for more information on this terrible tragedy)

{photo found on internet} {photo courtesy of indiansnaps.com }


please go here to see more compelling photos of this terrible diaster.

My family watched in horror as parts of Japan was being destroyed by mother nature. My heart aches for the people, their country and the daunting responsibilities of rebuilding their world.

We are praying for all of those touched by this horrific disaster.

03.13.11

celebrating my Sweet Mom's birthday with dear family + friends.

03.17.11 Celebrated our 1st Annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner with my sweet sister and her dear family.

03.18.11 Bloggers around the world respectfully held a day of silence for Japan.

I missed joining in on this event. Please go to this site For Japan with LOVE to find out more about so many beautiful hearts making a difference!

this is my little contribution that i'll be sending with any packages, presents or homemade goodies that i'll be making this year. 4 different tags that i created called "with love."

these lil' hearts on boats represent all the love+thoughts my family and i will be sending across the ocean to Japan...

03.21-25.11 SPRING BREAK

my sis, Gail, is an avid baker. she wants to have her own lil' bake shoppe one day. she found this cupcakery on wheels. they also have a facebook page. it was fun trying to track them down. they also are on twitter @flirtycupcakes. really cute+tasty cuppies.

but i think my sis' cuppies are one of the best...hurry up and set up shoppe.
we love your cupcakes!

dear maddy: you're a true friend. i'm so lucky that we've found each other.
especially since the bad stuff going on.
thank you for being brave+protecting me. i love being in gymnastics with you. flip-flops are my fav. you are my fav. i'm one lucky girl!

love, xoxo, shioban

{photo courtesy of uk.ibtimes.com }

Elizabeth Taylor=one more classic star added to the sky

March 30, 2011

Mail Love.

Thank you Angela of Three Buttons for Peppermint + Arthouse for the 2011 Sketchbook Poster=love them! xoxox

whew...now that was one busy March!

xoxo