This is what happens when Aunt Stacey babysits...

It's 1:38 but totally worth it

Tis the Season

I love Christmas. I have collected Santas over the years but didn't ever get a chance to display them until now. I love being a homeowner! The downside is now my house looks like someone threw up Christmas all over. I will let you decide for yourself.

One tree was not enough

busy kitchen

Remember my lighting issue? This is way cuter in real life

Pinterest

I am sure I am like everyone else and spend way too much time on Pinterest. As my sister calls it "Pinterest is a time suck". Yes it is. I find myself scrolling through my phone all. the. time. I think this how people felt when Facebook first came out- I joined that ban wagon a little late and missed all the hype (in my defense I thought it was like MySpace. That place gives me the creeps.) So far I have loved everything that I have tried and because of this great success rate I am hooked.

My "new" house comes with many "fun" things, like the fact there is no overhead lighting in the entire house (other than the kitchen and bathrooms). When I moved in I owned one lamp. Needless to say the place was a bit dim. I found some cute lamps that would be great in my family room but thought they needed something more.
Here is the lamp before-

cute right? I love the mercury bases

this is what it looked like mid-way

this finished project. Adorable if I do say so myself.
But I still have terrible lighting.

Can't wait to start my next project.

I'm a big girl now...

That's right it is official, I am now all grown up.
I decided to stop investing in Miss T's future only in a monetary way and invest in my own.
I am now the proud owner of a sweet 70's town home.
It needs a lot of love, which really means money, money and more money, but it is all my own!
I will try and document the subtle transformation, but I am one of those people that remember to take a picture mid way through the crafting project. 

Are you my mother?

My good friend Tiffjo and I go to the same ward. Not unusual considering this is Happy Valley after all. I usually get to church just before it starts and save her family seats in the back. Fun right? T and I usually get caught on the week while B tends to the little ones, probably wishing he could have his wife to himself. After a couple of weeks, people started asking us if we were related (I'm still trying to figure how we can be). We would always laugh it off, and say that I was just the sister wives. I am sure we are the only people who think this is funny.

So last Sunday I was getting to know a new sister in the ward when she asked me this... 

New girl "So are you like Tiffjo's mom? I see you guys together all the time"

Me (with my mouth gaping open) "Umm, I am not that old..."

NG "Well its just that Tiffjo looks so young, and you are always playing with her kids."

Me "Again, I am not that old. And Tiffjo is old enough to have 3 kids."

NG "Oh, well I just thought..."

Me (in my mind) "Of course you did, now go away little girl and leave us old people alone."

For the record, Tiffjo is 7 years younger than me- Do I really looked like I could have birthed her?

80's night

I just got back from a work conference in Vegas. Not really where I want to be in August. HOT, HOT, HOT! I can't say that I learned anything new, however I will say that I am energized and renewed and ready to take on the world.
Our first night there we had an 80's prom night. I couldn't or rather wouldn't sport a taffeta number. I thought more of the work out style/ leg warmers was more my style.

Jealous?

Miss L

About a month ago, my brother dropped off his daughter for a week of "Grandma time" (which I interpreted as a week of Staceylace time.)
Oh the fun we had. Swimming, shopping, bikes, ukulele lessons, and the rodeo.
Who knew that the rodeo also consisted of a carnival? For a $1 Miss L and Goose got a blue streak in their hair.
Miss L was the funniest at the rodeo. She stood up and recorded everything that was happening on the field. EVERYTHING. That is until her phone battery died. Then she asked for my phone. I won't post any of the videos, but you can imagine what great quality there were coming from a 7 year old.

Here are a couple snap shots of the fun we had.

Come again Miss L!

Happy 4th...

So I am a little late in posting about the 4th. What can I say?
There has been really good TV on (seriously, like every night)

So here is King Cole who hopes you had as much fun as he did.

Halle

I can't believe that it is already July.

What happened to June?

I went to Minneapolis to play with Halle.

How can I not love her?

Halle is obsessed with my iphone- mostly 'wheels on the bus'

Which she has shortened to just 'Bus, Bus, Bus, Bbbuuusss'

Her hands are doing the 'more sign' in sign language (she is just a little excited and can't quite connect them)

How can you not love this little miss? She was also quite savvy at taking pictures.

See what I mean? Rapid succession and different poses? Natural.

Thanks for the fun visit

Sunday Dinner

After his first bite

Mmmm creamy...

Every Sunday I go to my parent's house for dinner. Who wouldn't? A couple of days ago my mom got a new blender- you know, the one that you have stopped to watch at Costco and then realized what you were doing and sped off hoping not to be see.
Well, when we all got home she told us that we were going to make dinner together. We were going to make soups. In went the broccoli, cheese, and milk. Press the button and presto- you have warm, creamy soup. I have to say this soup wasn't bad. Nate complained that it looked like a baby's diaper, leave it to the twelve year old to make such a comment. Next, it was on to potato cheese soup. Easy enough. In goes the cheese, potato, milk, bacon? Oops, Nate wanted the bacon in the soup instead of a garnish. The blender went a-whirling. Then I guess it got too hot so it stopped and took a little breather. After a few it was ready to go, we added more potato so it could be chunky and more hearty. Josh poured our soup into bowls and passed them around the table.
Do you remember Ms Lippy on Billy Madison? Remember how she had a love for glue and would lick the popsicle stick clean? That is just what our soup tasted and looked like. Apparently, potatoes don't like to be blended or mixed to much. Nate said it best "Gross, now we are eating human throw up?" This is why I go to my parent's house on Sunday. It's nothing but entertainment.
The icing on the cake so to speak was the blender made ice cream, who knew a blender could make such treats? We made peach ice cream- which was really more like a peach shake. When Nate got his bowl he said "Seriously, can we eat normal food tomorrow? This is the grossest color."

The bacon has no problems standing up

Thanks Nate for keeping it real.
Can't wait to see what is next with the blender- you know Colleen is not giving up on it just yet.

She can't even eat her own creation

Poor Col