Love Leigh Things

Neglected and Missed

Where to start....what started as a day away from blogging has turned into months.  I have tried and somewhat failed at keeping up with emails.  But, I am back with bells on.  On a serious note, thank you to all of my blog buddies for their bloglove and understanding.

 

One of the reasons I took a break is not my business to tell publicly, but for those who know (through emails and calls) my very ill family members are doing much better! 

 

Here is a list of some of things that I have been up to since my last post:

 

Decided to move to Italy

Changed my mind and decided to stay here

Decided to move to England

Somewhat decided to stay here

Decided to move to the country and have chickens and alpacas

Still trying to talk myself out of that one

Took Bentley and Jeff to the mountains

Okay Jeff took us

Learned more about Geometry than any 40 year old woman should have to

Painted some of my aunt's house

Got fired from painting (by hubby)

Decided he was just being sweet to say that I should not work that hard

Learned that paint is pretty hard to get out of curly hair

Managed to buy some great Alicia Paulson patterns

Managed to "not" be able to work on a one of them YET

I have not won the lottery

I have figured out how to use my DVR

Lived through no air conditioning on the top floor of my home for a few days

Got that fixed pretty quick

Survived a broken dishwasher

Got that fixed pretty quick too!

Had part of my roof blown off

Had that repaired

Repeat the last two lines again

Had it happen a third time

Waiting on insurance to get the whole thing replaced

Put braces on boy #2

Preparing to send boy #1 to camp (can you say sad mama)

Got addicted to Real Housewives of New Jersey

Started collecting old dishes and linens (so far only family pieces and a friends family)

Decided that is an upcoming blog post

Made reservations for the happiest place on earth for Bentley and myself

Was convinced the children and hubby really should get to go to

Discovered British TV mysteries and comedies

and Wallander (not set in England, but a great one)

 

Okay, that could go on forever and I will not bore you anymore.

 

For those who really only care about The B-Man he has been having a great time!  I have been taking care of him, I promise!  Here are a few photos just to prove it!

 

 

He received two gorgeous Valentine's Day Cards from his Louisiana friends, Jasmine, Jay and Eli!  He LOVED them.  He has asked me to send a goodie package to their mom, so I will do that soon!

 

 

Here he is totally rubbing his mail in YaYa's face.

 

 

Forced us to have family game night with him.

 

Traveled with DorisDay (more to come on that)

 

 

Two monkees showing their true colors, because I got the goodie and they did not, thank you so much Kai!

 

Happy (late) 17th Anniversary to my man!  I love you!

 

 

I can't wait to get back in the blog grove with everyone!  I will be around to visit soon!  This is pretty sad for a return post but, I am leaving for a week, so I will see you after the 4th.  I should be able to check email though.  Is anyone doing the twitter thing?  I am not sure how I feel about that one, comments about it would be great!

 

Love ya all!

 

PS  Mama you were right!  It felt good to be back!

 

 

Halloween, Thanksgiving, a Giveaway Soon, and Hubby Bragging!

Wow, that title was a mouthful wasn't it? 

 

Poor Bentley, he is very sad, no one guessed what he was!  He was Bentley Potter, a wizard!

 

 

 

Here are a few pics from the big day!

 

 

 

Hubby has talent

 

 

 

 

Can you believe he cut these out?

 

 

Littlest man was a guppy, hehe!

 

Because no one guessed what the B Man was we are going to make ourselves feel better by having a Christmas giveaway! We will post about it after the Thanksgiving holiday!

 

Speaking of Bentley he has his very own primate.  Her name is "DorisDay"  not Doris, not Doris Day but DorisDay.  Bentley just loves her and her movies!

 

 

 

This was back when she arrived from monkee maker!  (Yes, I have cleaned the dirt off of the mailbox, haha!)

 

 

I am not sure of their relationship but I am sure he will let me know! 

 

Bentley let me have the cool bag!

 

She sure is a perky little thing!

 

 

Now to brag (a little more) on my man!  He supports my habits!

 

 

and brings me flowers!

 

 

 

 

(my artsy photo, teehee!)

 

 

Did you see that book?  Up there with the movies?!?!?!?  It is the Alicia Paulson's new book and it is WONDERFUL!!!!  Just the best crafty book, ever!

 

I also got all of her patterns, in the NieNie Auction!

 

 

OH YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!!  I am a lucky girl!

 

I am off for the holiday!  I will be back in blogland soon!  Until then, I hope you all have a great and Happy Thanksgiving! I want you to know that I am thankful for each of you!  My mother promised "NO" scary cakes this year! Haha!  But, I am sure something will happen that is blogworthy, teehee!  Oh, I cannot wait to share my great mail with you! 

 

Sincerely - Happy Thanksgiving and Lots of Love!!!!

 

Leigh

 

PS Tonya, I will post your tag and Brit, I will post your award very soon!  I love you both!

 

 

 

 

The Drawing Winner and a New Game

The anticipation was building!

The names were typed out!

 

Folded just so....

 

and then oldest boy drew.....

 

this name....

 

Kai!!!!  Congrats, lady!  Bentley is sending big virtual primate hugs to everyone (and Kai, too) that did not get their name pulled.  He feels everyone is a winner this way!

If anyone can guess (before my next post) what he was for Halloween, I will send you a giftie too! 

It has been crazy busy here!  I have survived luncheons, geometry, another round of mammograms (and ultrasound's) and have to go back next Wednesday, ugh!   Later in the weekend, I will be answering emails and blogging!  As usual, I can't wait to see what everyone is up to!

Blogiversary Giveaway!

Woohoo, it is my Blogiversary!  Actually it is belated, it was last Friday.  But, I have been very busy.  Here are a few photos from the last week or so!

 

 

 

 

 

Baking apple pies!

 

 

Making a hundred pumpkins for the treat or treaters!

 

 

Voting!

 

 

 

 

Hank Williams Jr was the guest singer!

 

 

 

Going to the very cold Monday Night Football game!  If you watched it, did you see me?  I was the one in blue, teehee!

 

 

 

We WON!

 

 

Catching the B man looking at some girlies! He will be unveiling his own very lovely primate very soon!  He is still deciding upon a special name for her! (Sorry, Charlotte, he peeked at your giftie!) 

 

 

 

Finding out oldest boy would be flying with CAP, and actually flew the plane for a little bit!  Can you say, give a mama a hive!  Here is his first achievement award.

 

 

A day trip with the youngest boy, hubby and Bentley!

 

Okay, now to the part you really (I sincerely hope) are interested in!  This has been ONE whole year of making new friends, finding out I am not alone, there are others like me!  Not to mention learning!  And I have learned oh so much from each of you!   To celebrate, I am having a giveaway!  One of the coolest crafty books! 

 

 

A copy of Alabama Stitch Book!  If you want a chance at it, just comment on this post between now and Thursday, November 6!  I will probably throw in a few extras, because I adore you all!

 

XOXO

Not For the Poo Squeamish!

If you are of the queasy sort, please wait and come back for my next post.  But, this story cannot be told without a photo!

Picture this, we are at our lovely chalet in the mountains, our first night there.  I am on the porch listening to the quiet and looking at the stars that can only be seen in total darkness.....ah such peace. 

   

You can hardly see the moon, but it was gorgeous!  I figured out, it is hard to share the night sky!

Then out of the blue I heard the loudest crashing noise coming down the side of the mountain.  Ugh, Run Leigh Run!  I made it from the porch to the back side of the chalet in a flat one second, hunkered down and screaming..SQUIRRELRABBITOPUSSUMSKUNK ... BEAR ... DRUNK HUMAN???  Much to my humans delight!  Oh, they went and looked (to protect me, you know) only to come in laughing harder.  Of course there was nothing there then.  What a good laugh everyone had at the squealing mama!  Except The B Man who had my back, even if he was buried under a blanket, hidden with fear.

Until the next day when we discovered official, yep confirmed, bear dodo!  Right beside our porch!

 

Scared "the do" right out of Bentley, it did!  Then the humans weren't laughing quite so loud!

Then they had a bear sighting of their own.  Three cubs together, and you know mama wasn't too far away!  Hubby took pics with his less than stellar camera and I can't get them to show up (they are so dark), even using photoshop.  Any advice?  I can see eyes in one of the pics, maybe I should just post it like that?

If you are still here and not interested in poo, come back next time.  I will attempt to "not" mention the word or show pics!  XOXO

WooHoo!!!

I am still here!!!  So sorry for not being in touch sooner!  You just would not believe what all as happened!  I am thrilled to say that all testing is done until November then we start again, but so far so good!!!  In the middle of everything, I got an infection in my eyes, and could not see!  Literally!  So, for all of you that I could not speak to, that is one reason for my absence.  I have not driven a car in months, books and computers were out of the question!  However, I am almost totally over this!  That is wonderful, considering some people have this for up to 2 years! 

 

I have a room full of gifts, that will be mailed out in a few weeks.  If I missed your special day or if I owe you a little something for being such a wonderful friend, expect a box from me soon!  In particular there are some Princesses in England that Bentley owes gifts to!  He is very angry at me, but he understood, the delay!

 

In case you are wondering, and I know you are, he is fine.  Just look at the good time he had at his granny's house!

 

                           

 

I also survived my 40th birthday!  I will post pics soon!  I had the prettiest cake ever!

 

Now, I am off again!  This time to the mountains with Jeff, the boys, Yaya and Bentley!  It is going to take me forever to get through my email box, but I will!  So, in a week or so - If I answer an email you do not even remember sending, because it has been so long, just love me anyway, haha!

 

I missed you all dearly!

More Mail Bragging and a Thieving Primate!

I just had to pop on and share the great mail that I have received lately!  First off, "Zelia the Talented" sent me one of the most fabulous packages ever! 

It included some real goodies!!  YEAH!!!!!!

A Headband!!!!!!  With complete instructions to make my own!  Of course, mine will never be as perfect as Zelia's!  This is not the best photo of it, my stylist pulled and tugged quite a bit to try and get more it in the photo!  But, you can see how pretty it is!!!!  Just in case you are wondering, I do not have gray hair yet, soon, (thanks to the "B" man and teen years) but not yet.  Just a bad photo, haha!

These goodies were also in the package!

Zelia, thank you for so many reasons!!!

Next came a surprise package from the wonderful Kai!  There was one problem with this box though.  Bentley found out about it.  I was able to sneak Zelia's in without the primates knowledge!  (He likes to sleep after watching As The World Turns!)

This is how it happened, I tell ya!

We had a lengthy conversation about just who's name was on the box!

It was mine, it was!  But, a certain primate has selective reading! When he thought no one was looking, off he went!

Can you imagine?

A disappearing gift box?  Nothing is safe when you take on a primate of Bentley's abilities (I did not want to use the word that really fit here)!

After showing him the evidence, we agreed to share, if he returned the box!

Can you imagine such a selfish primate, wanting first choice!

But, after seeing the great goodies in the box, I can totally see the fight is worth it!

WOOHOO!  Kai, thank you soooo much!  Hubby even wanted to lay claim on an item!   Can you imagine now I have to fight off a monkee and a hubby!   Kai, that "cat" saying is the best!  I adore you for many reasons!

Zelia and Kai, I cannot thank both of you ladies enough!  I sincerely appreciate your friendship and love!

Hubby survived his dental surgery just fine, thank goodness.  The testing is ongoing, did you really expect me to say anything else, haha!?!?  Now, I am off to organize ALL my recipes and coupons!  Yep, still nesting!  But, this I can do from the couch!  I will be around soon, love to you all!!

More Great Mail and More Spring Cleaning......

I am one of the luckiest bloggers ever!  Thanks to blogland I have met three lovely princesses from across the pond!  If you don't believe me, I have proof, just look at the stamp on the package I received from them, teehee!

I am talking some serious goodies, in this package from the royal girls!  Just look!

I LOVE everything!  I was so excited, I almost wet myself! Please remember that I have had two children it can happen!) I was squealing!  WOOHOO!

Then for some total inspiration!  I know what you are thinking!  But, I will be able to do more than scarves one day, I will!

I was so perky at this point, I am pretty sure that hubby thought I needed to be sedated!

Oh yeah, my first ever English tea!!  Delicious!!  Uh Ah, ribbon bits, LOVE them too!!

Can there be more, you bet ya!  Needles and my weakness, babies!!  The red needles are gorgeous!  The smaller pack holds my first DPN's!  Yes, I am a little intimidated, but that has never stopped me!   

The larger of the two babies is a Little Schmoo, (I think I got that right!)  I  have wanted one since The Queen (aka Scarletti) made her first one!  I tried to convince her to sell her goodies, she is a total talent I tell ya!  So, I AM TOTALLY EXCITED TO HAVE ONE OF MY VERY OWN!!  The smaller of the two, is just perfectly adorable!  I have named her Dimity.  She has lavender in her from an English Garden!!!

With all of that being said, you must hear the rest of the story!  Yep, Bentley had to get involved!  Can you imagine?

Wait!  What is this?  No jealousy?  Instant love?  Hey monkee, what is up?  Oh, I get it!  He loves their accent!  It does not hurt that they are pretty girls that like hugs!

The very next morning they had to show him that they arrived the same way that he did

What a cute trio!

Now I have to tell you the best and the most horrible part of this story!  There were two more things in that package.  Bentley's and my favorite things to be precise!

He got this very own artwork card!

He even let us read it!

I am pretty sure this is one of the sweetest things that Bentley ever got in the mail (me too for that matter).   

All was great, until......

l got to read the second card!  It was for me too!  I was thrilled, more so than getting a bloggy-award-thrilled, I tell ya!  But, that brought up an issue!  Bentley refused to share.  He said that it was his, all his!

I am here to tell you that under that little primate hand it says Leigh, it does!  So now we battle!  I put the cards out for everyone to see, and he steals them.  I find them, put them out, he steals and hides them!  I will win! 

Rose, Saffron and Alice - Bentley and I thank you girls so much!  Your artwork is gorgeous!  We do love the cards and ya'll too. Charlotte, thank you for the goodies, offering your shoulders and being my psychic twin!  I am in our parallel universe giving you the biggest hug ever!

Let's see, is there a way to get Leigh to excercise more?  I do believe hubby found the way!

Isn't she gorgeous?

I have a white basket to go on her, that way YaYa and Bentley can go too.  But, I really want a wicker basket!  Yippee, thanks and love ya honey!  I hope I have time to ride on her this weekend!

Now for one of the scary parts of my life......

All of this, plus more not shown came out of Boo's closet!  I am still cleaning out the house.  It is going to take me longer than expected.  Please bear with me until Spring cleaning is over and I am back to blogland in force.  In case you are wondering.  We got his closet all cleaned out, nice and neat!

Leigh = Broken record.  I have more doctor appointments this week.  This sounds like last week.  I thought I would be through cleaning and having tests ran but I guess not.  I will be around soon though, love ya and thanks for putting up with me till this is over!

 

Introducing Lola

For me?!?!?!?!?

You gotta love any man who gets you a pink computer and mouse! I have a habit of naming everything.  So here is Lola......  My new baby!

Her screen is even pink!

I am in love with hubby and Lola!!!  I know that a lot of you are not pink fans, but boy I am!  So this is perfect!  If only I could see it through non-allergic eyes!  Even though we have a laptop, it is connected to tons of things, this one makes me portable, teehee!

To brag on my man a little more, he also got me these!

They opened beautifully!

Things were made even brighter, when I received my giveaway from Wee Wonderfuls!

WOOHOO!

Isn't she the cutest?!?!?!?!?!?  She is going to have a great home here!!!  Thank you again, Hillary!!!!!!!

Now for the much anticipated in my own mind Bentley Meme!  The tags came from the lovely and talented Jan and beautiful and sweet Rue.  Thank you both for thinking of me and Bentley!

   

I asked him 10 questions and here is his response!

L.  What is your favorite song?

B.  I am sure this was written just for me, so of course I adore it!

L.  What is up with you and sharing?

B.  Life is too short to share.

L.  Do you have any girlfriends?

B.  Yes, many.  But, each one thinks she is the only one, so I will go on record as saying I have one.  I even get fan emails.

L.  Have you ever thought of starting a fan club?

B.  Yes, I am not opposed to being close to my fans.  I am not your typical famous primate.

L.  Where did you get your name?

B.  Charles Dickens, Bentley's Miscellany, get it, somewhat of an orphan from England.....Well, do you?  If not, try this one on.  My humans are named...BENjiTyLeighjeffrEY.  See, the caps spell Bentley.

L.  Do you like your humans.

B.  I have seen worse.  I have spent a lot of time training these, too late to get new ones.

L.. Do you enjoy having so many pictures taken of you?

B.  People really need to lay off this, I am tellin' ya the camera adds 10 lbs.

L.  What do you do all day?

B.  Next question.

L.  What is your favorite drink?

B.  ummm..... milk?  But, do not ask Janice she knows the truth! 

L.  Is there anything the world needs to know about you?

B.  I wish everyone had more of a sense of humor, grace and compassion.  Oh and watch out, monkees are going to take over the world!

If you want to play along, just email me!  I will post about it!!!  I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

I AM A WINNER

WooHoo!  I am still in the mist of a pretty hefty allergy pity party and barely able to see, but I am a happy blog camper!  I was in shock when I received an email saying that I had won a blog giveaway from Hillary Lang, yes the Hillary Lang of Wee Wonderful fame!

She is in several books that I have, so yes I am pretty star stuck!  For you fans of the Softies book, this is her page!

She is one of the most creative ladies in blogdom, if you ask me.  Just look at her pattern in the book!  You gotta love someone with that much creativity, plus she is a nice person with great timing to boot!

I just can't thank her enough and I promised to not stalk her, teehee!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Hillary!  If you get a chance pop over and see her blog it is GREAT and check out what I won!

I would also like to thank Kai, because her timing was impeccable also!  I received these little goodies in the mail, with pure delight!

I am sorry for the horrible I am pretty sure, that shadow is my big ol' head picture, but aren't the primates adorable? Oh, and that light bulb is ingenious!  It has all sorts of little goodies in it and a tag for the swap she did.  She really put some work into the swap and I really appreciate her!   Thank you Kai, for everything, all of the time!  I really have to thank her for the email of a lifetime also!!  I love you, lady!

Now you know that I love all my primates, one can never have too many!  But, The B Man has a some jealous tendencies!

Once, I retrieved them and he had the primate talk, once again everything was fine!

Kai, Bentley wants to thank you for sending more primates to rub his ears and feet.  I figured out that is the arrangement he makes with all of the cute friends that he gets in the mail!  l was tagged with a Meme from Rue, but Bentley has decided that it should be about him.  We will post it very soon, promise.

I was tagged with a different type of meme from Scarletti, but, she makes me feel like a bore after reading hers!  But, I will post it soon too, even if mine makes you bleary eyed from boredom.

I know that I am way behind with emails, awards, posts and comments.  I have lots to share, so bear with me as I get caught up.  It is tough because  my eyes are all itchy, burny and watery.  It makes looking at computer screens icky!  I want to thank everyone for caring about me, you all ROCK!  It really does mean the world.