Hello

What was intended to be a short break turned into a 2 year hiatus from blogging. Do I miss blogging? Yes! Do I regret the break? Not one bit! I've spent the last two years singing songs, reading books, sorting blocks and playing tickle monster during times that I previously had spent reading blogs and writing. I've also spent a lot of time taking pictures and getting into photography. I'm getting much better! Hopefully, the pictures I post going forward reflect that. I put on my New Year's Resolution to start blogging again this year. Funny thing though, blogger had changed during the last two years, and a lot of my HTML template tweaks weren't working so well anymore. So I put off blogging until I had a chance to revamp the template and get a few things tweaked. That's done, and I have a bunch of posts scheduled (since I have to get back into the habit). I'll be going to Iceland in late May/early June, so I want to build up a bunch of posts for while I'm gone as well. The template and commenting system have undergone a major change, please let me know if you run into problems with anything.

Also, while I was gone I discovered Pinterest! It's quite addictive, feel free to follow me there. Let me know in the comments if you do and I'll follow you back.

Right now I'm in the midst of Spring Cleaning and planning a birthday party for Kirsten, she's turning 2 this month! I'm also converting our library into her big girl room, which will happen in a few stages. There is wallpaper to rip out, carpet which may or may not go, painting to happen, new trim to install... we're basically starting from scratch with that room, so it'll be fun. You also may note that if you follow me on Pinterest, I have a nursery board. Once I get her settled into her new room, I have to work on neutralizing the nursery again for the next little one. It may be a while, but we never know when the phone will ring.

This month I'll share some of the details from her birthday party last year and some of the recipes I used for it, as well as the details for this year. Oh, and I found a punch last year that was very good and just about everyone attending asked for the recipe, so I'll definitely have to share that. Last year the "theme" was "Pink Lemonade" and everything was decorated in soft yellows and pinks and it was pretty and delicious. This year I was torn between a few themes, since I wanted a party based around something she loves. I was choosing between Pirates, Monkeys, Elmo and Backyardigans. I chose Pirates and did all the planning for the party, started designing the invitations... and then changed my mind. The theme was a blast to plan for, but I had all these amazing ideas that will be much more enjoyable to her in a few more years. Sooooooo... back to the drawing board. She adores Elmo, so I thought about that for a bit, but I really didn't want an overly commercialized theme. If that makes sense? So I went with Backyardigans... what? Yeah I know, it's commercialized as well, but I have a spin... I promise! I'll share all of it after her birthday party. I really love a good party!