How Lucky Am I?

All of a sudden, lulu belle has been busy. Very busy! The next four weeks I have nine trunk shows and custom parties. This evening, I delivered ALL my stock to a huge event that will go from October 31st-November 4th. On Saturday, I have trunk show...and no stock. So, when I realized I had double booked myself I sent out an email to all my friends pleading for help. I lured them here with promises of lunch, $$, and a bag! I had to turn friends away! The lulu belle studio was very productive today...three sewing machines, two irons, a hot glue gun and a computer. WE accomplished at least five days of work!

Meet the team....

JG, lulu belle packaging supervisor. Also a stay at home mom of twin eight year old boys. Side note JG was also my very first paying customer. She order six bags as teacher gifts nearly four years ago!

SL, lulu belle team seamstress. Also a student, dance teacher and expecting her first child in May.

LB, (in the background), lulu belle head fabric cutter, she has been with the team for a few years and can she work the shears! Also, a stay at home mom of a five year old boy and three year old girl!

BP, lulu belle CIO, chief ironing officer. Stay at home mom and professional homeroom mom to two boys 10 and 8!

SY, lulu belle lead seamstress and one of the masterminds behind lulu belle becoming an actual business. Stay at home mom to a 9 year old girls and 6 year old boy.

MH, lulu belle administrator! Stay at home mom and "swimming" mom to three boys 12, 9, and 6! Also, a cohort to the first lulu belle custom party!

Not only did we get a huge amount of work done we had a blast doing it with lots of talking and laughing!

Now...how lucky am I?

Come and Knock On Our Door!

The annual Halloween Party was a blast as usual! And great costumes to boot...here are just a few!

Holly and Heff

A Cereal Killer ( runner up for worst costume) and the Grim Rapper

Jailbirds...Nicole, Lindsey, and Paris!

Bed Bugs, they were going for comfort!

Speed Racer and Trixie

Lindsey and the Caveman of her dreams.

MBM and I were set on Donny and Marie. Then at the very last minute (Friday) one of my friends was going solo (Penn State Football widow) and did not have a costume. One quick trip to Walmart...say hello to Jack Tripper, Chrissy Snow and Janet Nobody Knows Her Last Name!

Oh, the shorts! Mine were on clearance at Walmart for $3, flattering for my figure, huh?...MBM had his vintage Op's from a previous costume. He had visible panty line! And Chrissy well who can get past the socks?

All in good fun!

Email

This was in my INBOX today!

Costumes!!!!

Every year, MBM and I are invited to a huge Halloween party...HUGE! It is the kind of night I can only handle once a year. The hosts go all out...caterer, bartender, music! The house is decorated top to bottom...they even move all the furniture out of their family room for dancing. One year the DJ (side note... went to my "brother" high school), said this party is like "Yuppies Gone Wild" This party gives us a whole year of material to talk about! The costumes are taken pretty seriously. There are PRIZES!!!! And everyone keeps their costumes under wraps until the night of the party! MBM and I have had some really good costumes over the years...this year we can't think of one thing...not one!!!! Some years we do a "couples" costume some years not, some are tasteful, some not, we have done current events, play on words, you name it we have done it! So, any good ideas out there? Here are some costumes either we or our friends have done in the past...Barney and Betty Rubble, Martha Stewart(incarcerated, of course) Donald Trump, Liza Minnelli and her battered husband David, Ugly Betty, The Crocodile Hunter, Magnium P.I., Gold Digger, Fashion Police...I could go on and on! We need help!!!!! Come on all you creative people out there...HELP!!!!

Happy Birthday LULU!!!!

Today, Lulu, my baby, turned five years old! We celebrated with her closest friends, in costume, with lunch and lots of TRICKS and TREATS!!!!!

Lulu making a wish!

The table set for lunch...the place mats, look like cows, but they are actually ghost!

The whole gang!

After too many juice boxes!

Tonight on TV

Tonight on HGTV my cousin and his wife will be on
Spice Up My Kitchen...
check it out if you get a chance!

Friday Night

This is what I did Friday night...wild and crazy, I know!!!!

Headed to Virgina Beach tomorrow for a christening. I am the Godmother to my cousin's son.

I am going with my parents, MBM and the girls are staying home for a Dad/Daughter weekend. Five hours in a car with my parents...Oh Boy! I am having flashbacks to 1988 in the backseat with my Walkman and Seventeen magazine!

Have a great weekend!

Kitchen Table

Sometime in August, I went "junking" at the shore with my mom and mother-in-law. I wanted to check out a new place MBM and I had passed on a new route to the shore. It had LOTS of junk outside, those are my favorite kind of places! I was looking for something/anything for our new screened in porch, instead I found a kitchen "set", we were planning on a new table and chairs in the fall. I was really only interested in the table, but, it was being sold all together...a seven foot table with 2 leaves, 2 chairs , 2 benches, and a hutch...all for $350!!!!!

***THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS***

For a solid pine for a six piece dining set...I would have paid double that amount for just the table!!! Of course, when you pick things up at junk shops they usually require a little TLC.

(one of the benches....before)

(after stripping and scrapping)

(table with stripper on it...forgot to take a before picture(

(halfway stained)

Stripping, scrapping, sanding, staining, polyurethane, sanding polyurethane, and one more coat of polyurethane this is the result!

I am so happy with the result...kind of looks like this table...don't you think? I have the ladder back chairs from our old set for the ends of the table. They are going to be stripped, stained and the seats are going to get new rushed seats. Although I would love to find upholstered wing back chairs for the ends...someday!

I have done a lot of furniture refinishing, this has been my best piece to date! I forgot how much I love it...it could just be all the chemicals getting to my head. The hutch is still in the garage, untouched. I don't have a place for it in this house. I think it will be heading to the beach house in a few years, when we rebuild! And the chairs...headed to the curb...ugly!!!!!

Just FYI...the products I used...for stripping, the stain in English Chestnut, the polyurethane!

Spectacles

Caroline and Emma

The big girls have their new glasses! Caroline's frames are black on the outside and purplish/blue on the inside...she picked then out all by herself. She is a girl who knows what she wants! Emma's frames purple, purple, purple...they suit her...there is nothing subtle about Emma!!!

So far so good..they are getting used to them and being VERY careful. Living by the motto..."If your glasses aren't on your face...they are in your case!"

In my opinion they look adorable!

We're Back

Kicking and screaming but, I am back! We arrived home Saturday afternoon. MBM and Caroline headed to the Shore for a race on Sunday. MBM did a Half Iron Man today...that is... over a one mile swim, 5o some miles on a bike, and 13.1 miles run...he is crazy!!!! Emma, Lulu and I stayed behind to go to a roller skating party today...fun...time has stood still at the Roller Rink! Luckily, I was not required to skate but, if the played a little REO Speedwagon and I had on my Jordache jeans...who knows what would have happened! Now, we are all back under one roof and headed into a busy week! But, before that let me tell you about our trip...first, I forgot my camera and I am so mad because, The Ritz Carlton Palm Beach is the most beautiful hotel. The lobby is breathe taking, our room beautiful, the restaurants fantastic, the pool and spa relaxing, and the service impeccable!!! MBM's company spoiled us completely. When we arrived a snack of cheese, bread, fruit and sparkling water was delivered to our room to welcome us. Our first night, was a company cocktail party with unbelievable food and drinks. A raw bar, carving stations, risotto station....YUMMY!!! When we returned to our room we found a beach bag filled with gifts...beach towels, sun block, and all sorts of goodies! Thursday we had the whole morning and afternoon to ourselves...we chose to lounge by the pool and spend some time at the spa before we headed to a company cocktail party and dinner. When we returned to our room after dinner we found a "sweet dreams" tray of truffles and champagne! MBM had meeting to attend on Friday morning. I slept in and meet up with some of the other wives for late breakfast. The weather was kind of yucky...windy and rain showers. So, what's a girl to do.... I spent some more time at the spa! Our last night, we decided to stay in the hotel for dinner because of the weather which had turn hurricane like! We were total gluttons!!! So to recap....I ate, drank, slept, lounged, was pampered and spoiled! We never left the property, I don't think I needed to!!!!

Palm Beach

MBM and I are headed here tomorrow morning for a little R and R! Well, actually it is a work/reward trip for my husband and I get to tag along...gotta love sales! So today, I will be packing, food shopping and preparing the house and schedules for the arrival of the grandparents who will looking after the girls will we are gone. We are so lucky to have both sets of grandparents close and willing to watch our girls so we can get away. I have never been to Palm Beach, while we have some company events we must attend over the next few days we do have a fair amount of free time! Any suggestions of places I should NOT miss while there? I am all ears!