Hoo Hoo HOO [Loves Surprises?]

It's Monday, ya'll.
It's been a surprisingly pleasant Monday, at that!

tom hanks :)



A bashmillion [yup] people all around the U.S. went back to work today after what was hopefully a thoroughly-enjoyed, likely short-lived weekend. I was part of that number. Woot.

 Monday was Monday, except for the delivery of two very lovely things very early on in the day. One of those, The Man with One Red Shoe, a Tom Hanks movie from the mid-80's, arrived in the mail over the weekend and was waiting for my pick up when I got to work this morning. I am one small step closer to completing my husband's collection of every movie in which good old Tom was cast.


from the bosses!



The second gem came mid-morning, when this beautiful arrangement from Lee Russo Designs was delivered [one for each of us gals here in the office], compliments of Marc & Diana as thanks to us for holding down the fort here while they were gone all of last week at ILC. They smell incredible, and are making quite the stand atop my overhead cabinet. I love 'em. 



hoo hoo hoo.. is adorable?
... youuuuuu ....



Thirdly [I'm on a streak inventing words today; leave it alone.....], I found a slew of adorable baby animal photogs in my email from Meagan [I'm claiming the owl; I've named him Oliver and he is officially adorable]. That was minutes before she sprung the news on us that she's headed off for a Caribbean cruise all of next week, a surprise from Rob. Mega kudos there, Rob! I am so excited for her - it definitely springs memories of the lovely little Carnival trip that Joe and I took to the Grand Cayman Islands with Lynn & Co. a few years back. *Sigh. I think I'm going to live next week vicariously through the Greers. Hah.

tiny toms = purple glitters.
sydni's going to lose her mind.
:)



Last but certainly and never ever least, I made the trip on my lunch break today over to Glik's in Edwardsville, with the specific purpose of snagging Sydni a new pair of TOMS. It seems that Spring is starting to waft about in the air, I figured I'd splurge just a bit on her and treat her with a little something. Hey, let's face it; she's only little once, and I'll only have so many opportunities to spoil her now without catastrophic result or expectation of it on an ongoing basis. haha. Here's that went:

Anywho - it's about time for The Voice, so whatever else is important is simply going to have to wait.... :)

xo | cmd

Ode to St. Valentine...

... SANS the candy hearts & glitter.

Here's how the acclaimed Valentine's Day went down with us here:

I started off by finding a beautiful, hand-made [with impeccably smooth fondant!!] cake in the passenger seat of my car. It was red velvet, too, which is awesome. I'm happy to report that it was a smash hit both aesthetically and functionally; that sucker is gone. Haha.


deeeeeelicous.

I got to work to find some sweet little lillies on my desk from my bosses. Calla lillies are my favorite flower, and so these itty bitty darlins, with pink highlights, proved to be quite the soothing touch to an otherwise mildly chaotic Tuesday. 

sweet little lillies

Over the span of the past few days, I happened across a single-disc compilation of three Tom Hanks films. It actually came about while I was searching all over the sun and half of Georgia for a movie Joe mentioned he wanted to own oh so badly, that, as it turned out, isn't even out on DVD yet. Figures. Haha. Anyway, this was a suitable 2nd place, and earned three checkmarks on our running list of must-haves on the Tom Hanks filmography list on our fridge. 

oh tom. thank you for endorsing compilations.

Sydni and I also took some time yesterday while Joe and Jarod were on their movie date to craft up a very special card for Daddy. She was so proud of her work, and kept spilling the beans all evening about her card. Haha. 

card for daddy

PLUS: I have the best of the best when it comes to best friends. Kalyn sent me a little Valentine's Day goodie package, stamped with love and a cartoon Saguaro, straight from the heart of Phoenix. She included a compactible little bag made from recycled material, a journal, an adorable little bird sketch, some knee high socks, an EOS chapstick, a CD with some delicious tunes, and of course, a handmade card. I surely do miss you, KP! :(

After I'd finished opening up Kalyn's little care package, Joe surprised me with sushi by candlelight in our living room before we headed off to the theater for a late evening showing of Rachel McAdams & Channing Tatum's The Vow. I won't be a total spoiler; it really was a cute little flick, just had a bit of an open ending.

rachel & channing
[great onscreen couple, yeah?]

After the movie, we headed back home, where I was once again surprised to find every candle in the house lined up around a bathtub overflowing with bubbles, and some Alison Krauss floating out into the room. I lounged in complete serenity there, with the box of hand-dipped Godiva strawberries he'd also bought.

Happy Valentine's Day, to all.

xo | cmd

Slackers | Tom Hanks | Old Navy

One of my favorite things to do is explore new places. If I live or work there, it also kind of becomes a necessity; otherwise I’m perpetually lost each time I get in the car. I had caught a grapevine drift of a music/records/cd dig called, Slacker’s. I had put it on my to-find list, but hadn’t gotten around to finding it.

slackers | glen carbon, il



Until today.

I work across the street from Slacker’s.

Sweet.

castaway | tom hanks



Let me rewind to Father’s Day, when I gave Joe a checklist of every movie in which his actor-crush, Tom Hanks, has starred. I also included three of his movies. Today on lunch, I swung by and snagged another T.H. flick, which I would’ve bought the first time had I known we didn’t already own it.



mini greenies

My second stop on lunch was at Old Navy, where I’m finding I enjoy their kids’ section far more than their adult section. I still remember those logo T-shirts that for some reason wallpapered all the hallways in my high school for a whole one year when I was a sophomore. Weird.

Anyway, grabbed those little cuties, which are even cuter in person because their size makes them that much more adorable. Armed with my movie and my shoes [let me make note here that neither of these were actually for me; hooray for disciplined shopping!], I headed back to work, then back to my house to watch the new movie with my husband and watch our daughter parade around in her new shoes. That worked out well.

TGtomorrowIF!

xo | cmd