Just Stacey J. » Blog

Before and After

Saturday, May 19, 2012 Posted in This Old House

I’ve been saying for a while now… my house is a much cheerier place to be and visit. The outside at least. I’ve been waiting for all my trees to fill in to take this, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. We do live in a bit of a forest in the middle of downtown. (And we just keep planting more and more!)

Sometimes I look back and wonder what the hell was I thinking when I convinced my family to move here.

And now I know why. Beacause I saw what it was going to look like in my head. I love doing that.

The before picture was taken after one of the hail storms last year, but to be honest, it didn’t look much better befre that. The trees were really worse for wear though.

Not anymore.

It’s a happy place now.

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Happy #1

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Posted in Smiling Faces

She just turned one and she has all the signs of a one year old.

She was cutting four teeth and I couldn’t keep her hands out of her mouth. Or anything else she could find to put in there and soothe her. Including Daddy’s iphone. (Iphones and pods are a life saver sometimes!) She was very very serious…but she cracked a smile here and there. I loved her red red hair. So adorable!!!

Happy Birthday little one!!

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Super Duper Awesome Layered Caramel Apple Dip

Monday, May 14, 2012 Posted in Good Eats

So last week was teacher appreciation week (I hope everyone hugged their favorite teachers and told them thank you!!) and I put on a luncheon at my son’s school. It turned out pretty well and this was what I brought. (I was on an apple kick for the week) It was really really really good, and if you’re not careful you end up eating it by the spoonful!

What you need:

1 package cream cheese

1 squeeze bottle full of caramel

Heath Toffee Chips

What you do:

Mix the cream cheese and about 1/4-1/2 of the bottle of caramel. In a glass bowl, squeeze some of the caramel on the bottom of the dish. The next layer will be the cream cheese/ caramel dip. Put another layer of plain caramel. Top it off with the toffee bits. (you can put a layer of those anywhere you want actually. Serve with green apples.

This dip is a little on the thin side. The original recipe called for the thick caramel dip that comes in the tub, I don’t like that stuff… so we went with actual caramel. If you want to be really fancy, make your own caramel out of sweetened condensed milk. Either way, it’s super super duper awesome.

And to all the teachers out there… thanks for everything!

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A Crier

Monday, May 14, 2012 Posted in The Groove

Seven years ago my life changed.

On Mother’s Day I found out I was going to be just that….a mother.

I feel like this past year has really taught me that this is really what I was suppose to be in life. Above all things. It’s not the only job I have. It’s one of many, but it is by far the most important and the one that if I had to, would give everything else up for.

I became I crier when my baby came along. It used to bother me to be so vunerable to my emotions. But as I get older, and as I’ve cried in front of almost every single person I know, I’ve come to accept it. But what surprises me, still to this day, is completely breaking down by just looking at my little boy. I have done that since the day he was born. I tear up sometimes when I see him walking around with his blanket dragging behind him, because I know it won’t last much longer. I have to wipe my eyes when I see him swinging in the evening sunlight, because I know that won’t last much longer either. I cry when I get mad at him, because I don’t want to waste minutes on that emotion. Regular daily things really get me, but I’m not ashamed, I at least know that I’m aware of what is happening around me. I’m crier, and it’s OK.

He will get up at 6:00 in the morning just to surprise me for Mother’s day, and be completely disappointed that I was already awake, but he will get in the car and go get coffee with me in the fog. (daddy did too) He snuggles in make-shift outside beds, and fall asleep just to wake up and carefully observe how the sun is shining through the leaves. He will play cards with me until the sun goes down on the same make shift bed. He will agree to a few pictures in exchange for ice cream. He makes my days so full.

So, even it’s a job that brings me to tears often… it’s by far my favorite.

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Uno, Dos, Tres

Sunday, May 6, 2012 Posted in Adventures

Quatro De Mayo was spent underneath the trees at the picnic table with an entire pan of my favorite cheese and onion enchiladas smoothered in hot green chili from my favorite Mexican place. Along with a little elote and a little beer and a little cheesecake sopapilla. With the girls. It was a beautiful night and I rang in Cinco De Mayo still awake with the moon.

The next day was spent with the Dino Dude down south.

We cruised down to a little place. Or big place full of caves and games and fun.

Casa Bonita.

It’s an ancient restaurant. My brother and I visited it when we were kids with my parents. His only memory was his close relationship with a plant outside (he fell and had a concussion at the swimming pool at the Pig n’ Whistle, and was pretty nauseous.)

Now, I will say, if you hate places like Chucky Cheese, the carnival or such things… you probably won’t like it here. It’s for kids. As a parent, that is something I have to keep in mind, it’s not for me, it’s for him, so I might as well roll up my sleeves and put on my skeeball pants and have at it!! We had a blast. Yes the food was horrendous. We expected it. We ate before and after else where. That wasn’t the point of the place. However, the entertainment….AWESOME. I asked to be seated next to the waterfall. And we were. We did not wait in line as we arrived at 2:00 in the afternoon. Perfect. There were cliff divers, flame throwers, pirate shows, arcades, caves and crazy kids everywhere. We loved it. And seriously, the trip was worth the caricature alone.