Friday, November 13, 2009

this first gift i am buying this year.. and hope you are too!!!

The first gift I'm buying this year.
As I sit and write this, in front of my beautiful computer,
a diet coke next to me, in my safe, big new home,
mothers are burying their babies.



This is not okay.

I know too many families who have lost precious children. And if they could have prevented it/ if I could have prevented it/ if you could have you WOULD HAVE!!!!

But we do have the power to save lives.

To change the world.


With water.



Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80%
of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every
year than all forms of violence, including war.



Yet for only $10 you can provide one person
in Africa with clean water for ten years.

Ten. Years.




Today I do not care about anything else.
Today I am buying water.
Because I can do something.
I can change something.
I can save a mother from the agony of losing her precious child.

$10 is hardly a sacrifice for me.
But I know with all of my heart, that $10 will be
by far the best money that I will spend this Christmas season.

Join me.
Blog about it.
Tweet about it.
Update your Facebook status.

Today is about water.
Today is about saving lives.
Today is about something bigger than ourselves.


Donate here.

100% percent of your donation will buy water for Christmas.

Every single penny.

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House

Each year.. I donate a either my sitting fees and portions of my profit to a specific charity...

in the past it has been the Autism Society of America, Little Friends, Inc., and the Y-Me Race in Chicago..

also last year we had a silent auction for a family that had an extremely hard year behind them...

This year.. I want to do something a little different..

I am hosting a gift drive and money donations for The Ronald McDonald House of Chicago... look below for more details


This fundraiser.. is open to all but I am personally asking my clients for help.



The Ronald McDonald House provides a “home away from home” to keep families together while their child is receiving medical treatment far from home. Located near , Children’s Memorial Hospital, the House provide comfortable & private rooms, opportunities to bond with other families going through similar situations, and delicious meals prepared by giving volunteers for a suggested donation of $10 per night.


Here is our wish list the house manager told me they need:


*Easy Mac
*Soup
*Frozen Meals
*Canned pasta
*Cereals
*Snack Items
*Lysol Spray
*C-Fold towels
*Paper Towels
*Kleenex
*Clorox wipes
*Travel size shampoo and conditioner
* Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and plastic sandwich bags
* Laundry detergent and fabric softener
* Cleaning products (scrub pads, sponges, dish washing liquid, dishwasher detergent)
* Bath and bedroom items (sheets, pillow cases, towels, shower curtains)
* Trial size personal care products (deodorant, tooth paste, bath soap, shampoo, conditioner)
* Entertainment products (new toys, games, DVDs, books)
* Food (canned goods and non-perishables)

-Since I will be delivery this the day after Thanksgiving.. she also said families that are there during the holiday's they like to give them a little something (they get plenty of childrens toys but the adults and older children there is nothing to give to them) so they are looking for small increment gift cards to walgreens, chipotle, barnes and nobles, mcdonalds, bp gas.. etc.


-Also..if anyone wants to donate money they can do that.. I am going to be taking pictures of the families that are there and giving them a CD of their shoots and I am going to try if we get enough money try to cater a dinner for them from Portillo's.


I hope anyone and everyone can try to help out a little, I know times are hard.. but I cannot imagine going through these hard times in America along with being away from home and having a sick child in the hospital.

Please feel free to email me: yesitssam@juno.com or message me for more details on where to drop off or collect!!!

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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

boohoo..

this made me so happy and so sad at the same time..
i had to do miss marley's 3rd b-day shoot..

oh man alive can this thing be any cuter...she just melts my heart, but it makes me so sad seeing my baby so grown..

but how can one be sad when you look at these pictures!!!

















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Sunday, July 19, 2009

how does one....

remember to breathe...

i really need to listen to myself.. and take some time...
i will..
right?!?!
i have to..

well for now.. doing this little entry is my "breathing" time... im so busy with work.. that i have neglected the one thing that lets me take a break, time to breathe and reflect...

ok..
enough of that.. now back to the daily grind

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Step Up To Autism Walk - June 28, 2009

Sorry for the delay in post.. I just wanted to post when I had all facts in order and pictures up..

once again..
THANK YOU ALL WHO SUPPORTED US/WALKED/DONATED

Recap:
One Sunday June 28th we walked in honor of my little man Dylan... we created a team called "TEAM BIG D" the walk was for supporting "Little Friends" a school for children with special needs, especially Autism.



As a team.. TEAM BIG D raised $1600.00 for "Little Friends"
and after the walk we had a bbq/fundraiser at our house... to thank everyone and to get a few more for all of the amazing outlets out there for the support in Autism.

At our "little" (i say that delicately) bbq we raised an additonal $500.00 for the ASA "Autism Sociecty of America"

We had such a great team of walkers.. it was a beautiful day.. and we could not have done it without any of the help and support of our family and friends..

A special thanks so LORI from "Lori's Place, Gourmet Delights" she came through with some AMAZING donations... she donated 100cookies for our guests as their "thank you presents" and they turned out... well lets just say I cried when I opened the box.. they were perfect and they had such meaning to them. She made puzzle pieces with words of inspiration on them... for those of you who know.. the PUZZLE PIECE is the symbol for Autism Awareness.. and the words of "hope" "dream" & "inspiration" all embody everything that children with autism stand for! She also made hand*prints with hearts on them.. a sign of advocacy..











A LOT of time and effort.. and mostly HEART went into these cookies.. and I cannot thank her enough... so one way.. I figured we can thank her.. is by telling all of you.. not only about her wonderful heart.. but HOW AMAZING of a baker she is..
please visit her online bakery here: LORIS PLACE


Below are some pictures from the walk... we had a team of 30 walkers.. followed by 100 friends and family throughout the day.. all in all.. SIMPLY AN AMAZING AND MEMORABLE DAY!!!

I cannot tell you how much it means that you all came out in support of Dylan... its been a long uphill battle.. and he has grown so much.. but honestly we as a family could not get through all of these challenges that we face on a day to day basis if it was not for the love and support and backbone of our family and friends.. so thank you thank you thank you.. i love each and every one of you!





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Friday, July 3, 2009

so you wanna see how my days have been spent...

we have been attacked by a killer stomach bug.. we have been confined to our house.. and thats it.. i have a bottle of tissue and a garbage bag in one hand and a bottle of lysol in the other at all times its seems...

my kids are such opposites when they are sick.. marley hides and goes on the couch upstairs... dylan likes to lay on the hard floor and snuggle with tons of blankets.. while sierra.. she likes to write stories.. (i think she is secretly writing her life memoirs)


<

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

wahhhh.... my baby.. my baby... why is she growing up?

i've been a little in denial lately.. my baby is growing up and its totally killing me..

in 2days she went from pure baby: diapers, pacifier and letting me hold her to go to sleep... to....... a big girl with no pacifier and no diapers...

whats a girl to do...

remember this is how my days were filled and i ate up every second of it:



and well this is now how my days are spent (i will prob. get in trouble from her in a few years for posting it.. but oh well.. ill deal with that at the time):

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nothing a little water won't wash away

that's all i kept telling myself as i let the kids paint adam's father's day present...
but OOPS... well water didn't take it off of the cement patio.. and our gift was found out by adam when we had to explain why there were little green handprints on the patio..

but he LOVED his present so much that he forgave us! and you ask what were we painting... well we bought him finally a set of "bags" and it not only turned out to be a great gift.. but it turned out to be a great time for my kids!

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

SHE CUT HER HAIR

its been about 3weeks and im starting to finally get over the grieving period.. so i guess i should blog about it...

miss marley ann took the scissors to the front of her hair.. and did her very first hair cut...

thankfully she has dark hair and with it growing back in you cannot really tell.. but for a while there she had a receding hairline!


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Monday, June 1, 2009

ahhhhhhhhh...

well.. i have a nice little break till next week..
not really a break.. but i have no clients this week.. bc i have to do some major work around the house..

but to treat myself i went to barnes and nobles and bought a book.. and some dove chocolate..

and can i tell you its been a perfect morning!!!

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone is going to enjoy the beautiful weekend, remember those that have protected and served us.. and welcome summer with a smile!

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Friday, May 22, 2009

well its beginning to look like something i can actually enjoy

yes my backyard overhaul is coming close to an end...

so we all remember this scary monstrosity.. correct?!? if not i will remind you.. try not to get to scared



well... 3 days straight of some horrid backbreaking work.. and this happened



and well now let the fun begin... time to decorate... im totally going out of my element of neutrals and going for a color, fun, whimsy eclectic look..
so here's your sneak..



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Thursday, May 21, 2009

update on the adam-ski..

all is well.. cleaned and stitched..
funny how the bite doesn't hurt as much as the tetnus shot he said...

its starting to get some nasty colors too it.. but hey im happy it could have been a ton worse..

thanks for all of the thoughts and concern.. you people are awesome!

btw... is everyone else overjoyed that kris allen won... i mean adam is amazing.. but amazing at the one thing he does.. he's very showey (is that a word) but im a laid back music girl.. i love jack johnson, jason mraz, john mayer, josh kelly.. and now i can see myself being a kris allen type of girl

oh and it doesn't hurt that he just about stole my heart when he broke down in his wifes arms.. i love a good hubby!!!

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

oh summer how i love thee!

sorry its been a long week
and i have not been by the computer

do you blame me... this weather in unreal.. i LOVE it!!!
I really should get back to blogging.. bc there are some great things out there that I would love to talk about..

so maybe this post will making me come back..

here are some nature "pretties" i have taken while outside enjoying the sun..
i am thinking of offering these in an etsy shop.. but not sure if the need or want is out there.. thoughts anyone?

I know im blowing some of the tulips up for a bathroom makeover in my house!











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Thursday, May 7, 2009

calling all designers.. I NEED HELP

the "master" bedroom (if you can call it that) is always the last on my priority list.. but i think its time that i get it done... i finally found bedding that adam agrees to and actually loves.

so now what.. what color walls? what color should i paint the bed? should i make a huge headboard? if so with what..

i know the bedding is more modern but i would also like to approach it with some vintage flair.. can someone lead me in the right direction..

im seriously confused.. we are in need of new dressers and bedside tables too.. so lets just say its a complete overhaul

but just remember its probally in a room smaller than your children's bedroom.

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

dont be frightened!

well... maybe you should because I am...
warning.. this mess is quiet scary!! not for the faint at heart


:WARNING: this is after 3weeks straight of cleanup!







this is where i have been spending all of my life lately..
anyone wanna help a girl out and give me some ideas on what to do..
seems like the previous owners just dumped all of their trash in the backyard and left it... i have been pulling out laundry detergent, plastic bags, old broken toys.. you name it.. its there.. and now i have a bunny nest in the planter.. so i dont want to dig out the lily's but i think im going to have to. I have taken down the majority of the dead weed wines but not im at a standstill and do not know which direction to go next.

I NEED HELP!!!

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