Boomshakalaka!

I head-butted J in my sleep twice last week.  Reasonable interpretations for this: Tootie is using nocturnal mind control or I'm still miffed that he thought the Dijon Herb Pork Chop dinner was just OK.  On the other hand, the true explanation might easily be that I am antsy-pants excited about all the fun on the horizon! 

You know that rush when all the planning and discussing for an excursion goes on forever, and then all of a sudden IT'S NEXT WEEK?  We're there!  With happy juice coursing through our veins, there were no couch potato sightings all weekend. 

J and I hit-up a local Farmer's Market on Saturday AM.  It was our inaugural visit and we scored a treasure bag of lip-smacking loot!  Fruits and veggies weren't the only Top Squash at this F-Market; It was chock full of local vendors selling homemade cheeses, meats, honey, Indian food, breads and pastries, soaps, olive oil.  I left a drool trail from booth to booth.

Grateful Bread.

We also got our HGTV on.  I've had an itch to give our downstairs bathroom a makeover and since Sherwin Williams is having its 60% off Summer Paint Sale, we fetched a few samples to test drive!

Brusha Brusha Brusha.

Donovan must've had boring colored walls in his home!  (No Mellow Yellow here.)  Funky Yellow has a splash of green, Sundance is a smidge orange, Daffodil is light and cheery & Decisive Yellow is Big Bird bold!  I am flushed with excitement about a bathroom spruce-up and will most certainly keep you in the bowl loop.

I hope you had a winning weekend, much like the San Antonio Spurs!  There's a Holiday Monday full-steam ahead!  Here's a quick word of encouragement from Manu Ginobili's bald spot about making it through the next four days:  

Proud Mary.

J and I saw The Avengers 3D recently.  It was a badass combo of Super Hero tricks, humor and spandex.  There was only one bad thing about the movie and it wasn't the acting!  (The Bad Guy.) We give it 5 out of 5 Tesseracts.  But woe is me!  Am I Team Hulk or Team Thor?

SMASHingly Torn.

Speaking of Super Heroes... Mother's Day was just here!  Did you give your Mama lagniappe hugs and thanks?  A celebration was held at Case de Jellie.  My folks came over for spirits, deep track jams and exotic flavor.

The More the Mary-er!

For the M-Day Feast, I prepared my favorite Tikka Masala recipe.  An adventurous selection to share with my kin, but I knew they'd be up for the adventure!  A new stamp in their culinary passport.

Prep for this main dish can seem a bit daunting and it's quite spice heavy, but once everything is feeling groovy in the Crock Pot - you can pour another glass of what-have-you and move on!

Spice up your Life.

As the TM neared its flavorful finale - I added sweet potato fries, asparagus and quinoa to the queue. Meanwhile, Tootie sunbathed.

Namaste, bitch.

There's no picture of dinner, which stinks!  Come grub time, it was get in my belly not get the Polaroid.  I think everyone enjoyed their helpings, though - We didn't have to order an emergency pizza!

The evening ended with a nightcap of gift giving and homemade lemon cheesecake.  

Pillow Bark.

The World would be a tough place without Moms.  Mine fills all my days with sunshine.  Her cackle has been recorded in outer space.  And you should see her Conan O'Brien impression!  She is my Super Hero. There are those who fear that they are turning into their mother... I, however, welcome and love it!

XO MOM OX

Super Moon.

Super Moon is right - Everything about the weekend was SUPER.  J's family came to visit, so there was never a dull moment.  There was also a Birthday in the House: my Father-In-Law!  On Saturday evening, we all piled into The Groovy Machine and traveled to my parents' house to break bread.  There's nothing better in life than breaking bread with those you love!

To Rigby, there's nothing better in life than a Tortilla Chip.

J and I wanted to give his Dad a mega-awesome gift.  So, imagine our excitement when hearing he needed a new set of handkerchiefs!  Unwrapping a box of hankies was about to become Badass.

A Hankering.

I cut-out sweet shapes in fabric, flirted with fusible webbing (we're becoming such great friends!) and got funky on the sewing machine.  I use multicolored thread because I hate deciding on just one color!  The molar is my favorite (FIL is a dentist) - and he complimented me for capturing the anatomy of a tooth correctly.  

Other reasons the weekend was SUPER: We spent time with Cousin Jack, pigged-out on Crave Cupcakes and tied-up loose ends on the Griswold E-Family Europe vacation.  We also did a lot of wine-ing!

The 'Burbs go down Smooth!

SUPER weekends are just that, but they sure make Monday a bitch.

Pachyderm Pin Cushion.

My future Sister-in-Law is one of the craftiest babes I know.  She's creative, resourceful and handy with power tools.  She could throw together a homemade coffee table using pipe cleaners and clipboards.  (She actually did make a coffee table and it's perfect / supplies: wood & wheels.)  Em is a DIY MacGyver!

Em is also suave on a sewing machine.  She helped me get better acquainted with mine by demonstrating the correct way to load thread and bobbins!  It was from there I hit the ground pedaling.

We celebrated Em's birthday last weekend and I wanted to give her something special.  An appreciation made with love; A gift she could use in future DIY endeavors. Tusk Thus came to light, a pin cushion.

Pachyderm Pattern.

Every crafty gal needs a vessel for pretty pins!  And since Em is a crafty gal that went to Bama, a Pachyderm pin cushion was perfect.  I found the Effie & Ollie pattern on Etsy and made 32 trips to Jo-Ann Fabrics.  I was excited to get started, but nervous.  This would be my first sewing project present.

 Cut pattern pieces, fabric & webbing.

Assemble inside out and stitch.

 Big Al-most there!

The trickiest task came when it was time to flip right-side out.  After the elephant was all stitched-up, she then needed to squeeze inside-out through a small gap in her belly.  After some push and tug (and a cuss word or two), she made it out nearly unscathed - a few seams came loose.

What I love the most about the pin cushion is the free-hanging ears!  They flew me to the finish line after some TLC sewing, stuffing and hot-gluing beads down for eyes.

 Only have Trunks for You.

In many Asian cultures, the elephant is a symbol of wisdom.  I know Em's a smart cookie - she's marrying my brother, after all  - but she's also got spectacular creative flair.  It's inspiring!  I look forward to many years of DIY sharing and learning together.

Cheer Up, Sleepy Jean.

The Mighty Rock Band in the Clouds gained a new member today. Davy Jones from The Monkees passed away from an apparent heart attack. He was 66.

On my drive home from work, I turned XM to Sixties on Six where I found a Tribute Show dedicated to the late singer. Immediately I grinned, rolled the windows down and blasted Last Train to Clarksville. There's no denying that Monkees' music is infectiously happy.

People Say We Monkey Around.

My Mama was a Davy Jones Believer; He was her teenage heartthrob. I picture Mom lying on her bed in the late 60s sporting thick-rimmed glasses, twirling strands of red hair between her fingers and pining over the Davy posters plastered across her walls. I bet she dreamed that Mary, Mary was meant just for her!

The Monkees never made it to Beatles' stratosphere, but they weren't Steppin' Stones either. The Monkees put a mark on music in their own unique way: They didn't take themselves too seriously, made the masses laugh with a goofy TV show and truth be told - played their own instruments! Do you have a favorite Monkees song?

There will be a celebration at the Jellie House tonight. We'll open a nice bottle of red wine, listen to 'The Best of the Monkees' and pay tribute to a pioneer. It will be a Pleasant Valley Sunday Wednesday evening.

Hey, Hey, we'll miss you Davy Jones.