A Happy Halloween Indeed!

I would say that this Halloween was one of the best yet! All of my family got together for a Halloween party at Kelli's place, and everyone, yes, everyone, participated in the festivities by dressing up!

Happy Birthday Maci Mae!!!

It's my sweet Maci's birthday! The birthday girl is ten years old! I can't believe my baby is ten!


The first thing I did this morning when I woke up was to smother her in kisses and sing happy birthday to her. I then, of course, had to ask Matt if he told her happy birthday. To my surprise he said he indeed had told her happy birthday and had also given her extra food for breakfast that morng....WOW....he's come a long way!!!

We will be celebrating her birthday tonight with Frosty Paws and squeaky toys for all of the hounds! I will post pics as soon as we take some!



Here's Maci with her birthday squeaky toy that she squeaked ALL night long, isn't she adorable!

What's New With the Yeager's?

Glad you asked! I haven't had the chance to share all of the fun and exciting additions to the Yeager household. Boy...you are in for a BIG treat!

Well, I'll start with the most recent and without a doubt, the most precious addition to the Yeager household.....Duke!

Yep, that's my Dukester, Dookie Boo Boy....NO, I'm not crazy and I haven't lost my mind...YES, Matt is a big push over and softie (Heehee!). So, for those of you wondering how in the world we ended up with a fourth dog and why in the world Matt allowed this, here's a quick version of the story:

It was a beautiful Saturday, so Matt and I headed to PesSmart to get some animal supplies (more to come on this in a bit...). Being that we have a household full of animals, we frequent PetSmart quite often and our outings usually occur on a Saturday.

One thing that I should mention to you softies out there who fall for every droopy eyed, slobbery tongued, waggin' tailed dog out there....DO NOT GO TO PETSMART ON THE WEEKEND IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO LEAVE WITH A NEW FURRY FAMILY MEMEBER! Yeah, me and Matt see it all the time, we enter PetSmart, I "Oooh and Ahhh" over all the cute homeless dogs, and finally once I've petted and kissed them all, I leave them be, hoping someone will come in right behind me and snatch them up. Matt's also gotten really good at "THE LOOK"...you know, when he senses me falling for one of these cuties, he instinctively throws out "THE LOOK" before I have a chance to be completely sucked in, then we normally go about our way. Key word, NORMALLY...

This time, we entered PetSmart and I immediately got a huge smile on my face, I had forgotten it was Pet Adoption day! And, oh, there were sooo many dogs!!! Well, I immediately spotted Duke, I guess it's a hound thing, I'm completely sucked in by the droopy eyed, long eared adorableness! Right when I laid eyes on Duke, I knew there was something special about him! I don't know why, but I sensed God speaking to my heart, telling me He wanted us to open our home to this sweet boy. And all the while, I sensed that Matt felt the same way, Matt actually seemed to really like this dog!

Well, I loved on him and then it was time to "walk away", so be it as hard as it was, I turned around and walked off, but not before turning around for one LAST glimpse.....and saw something very similar to this:

The most adorable, pitiful, soulful eyes looking at me, imprinting themselves and the body to which they belonged, permanently onto my heart!

So after asking all night long and all day Sunday, Matt finally said yes to our sweet boy! We called the shelter, jumped in our car at 4:00 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and drove 1 1/2 hours to Mt. Vernon, where we picked up our Duke.

Duke fits in wonderfully at our house and is big buddies with Red. Red thinks he's a great tug of war partner.

Maci thinks he's a pretty good snuggle buddy.

And I'm happy to say that now, instead of a pitiful pleading look on his face, Duke now has a permanet smile on his face and heart, as do I!

My Vote for "Bitchy"

Backstroke about a year ago as me and my family are sitting around my moms house visiting. Being that we're by majority, a house full of girls, my younger sister Brooke throws out a suggestion...Brooke: "Hey family, I think we should introduce a new word to our family vocabulary."...Family: "Ok, what is it?"...Brooke: "Bitchy, you know, like, well, aren't you being bitchy today Kelli (HeeHee)."...Mom: "What is wrong with you child!?"...Brooke: "Well, I just think it's an appropriate word at times, especially when you're around a bunch of girls."......

Enter present day....

So, I woke up in a relatively good mood this morning. After my morning shower, I was my usual happy go lucky self, ready to tackle the day. Being that it's college week at school and today's theme is "Work it Out and Go to College", and our principal sent out an email saying we could wear tennies and workout clothes, I threw on my comfy White Rock technical T and running shorts (of an appropriate fingertip length might I add). Once I left my favorite local coffee joint, Roots, with a latte frappe in hand, I was on my way to work and good to go...so I thought.....

As I arrived at work, I noted all the teachers in their cute comfy work out clothes, a sea of velour and dry fit. I have to admit I was feeling pretty casual and comfy in my choice of workout clothes, after all, I am a runner and feel very much at home in a pair of running shorts. I was feeling good and perky after having drank my latte. I would classify myself at the time as being what you would refer to as a "happy, nice, approachable" person...my normal peppy self. So after our live airing of KJAG, that I thought went pretty well (more to come on this topic later), I venture out in the hallways to get to work......Duh Duh----Duh Duh---Duh Duh--DuhDuhDuhDuhDuhDuh (hopefully your getting the Jaws theme effect here). As I happily grace the school hallways, I spot a teacher decked out in her classic work out gear of what I would refer to as the "90's windpants look" and I nicely say "I like your work out gear!". She responds, "Thanks". Then...Then...Then...she reaches out to touch my running shorts as she simultaneously says in her most dissaproving tone "You chose an intersting outfit....hmmm shorts...". That's when I responded, "Well, aren't we bitchy today" and punched her in the face....JUST KIDDING.... I work in a school, where violence is frowned upon, but apparently bitchiness and back stabbing is a noteable and noble behavior. My actual response, with a smile might I add, was, "I'm a runner, this is what I work out in" and then happily turned around and walked off.

So, it is to all of you girls out there, that have in so many instances been completely wronged, backstabbed, frowned upon and dismissed, that I loudly and proudly proclaim the word "bitchy" to be deemed useable and free flowing from your lips, from this day on!

Don't Step on My Grey Suede Boots

Oh grey suede boots, how I love you, and your cousin, grey leather boots and your neices and nephews, grey ankle boots and grey knee high boots....I HEART YOU ALL! Oh how my feet are calling for you, to be the one essential to my fall wardrobe. And how you will effortlessly compliment the shades of plum, gold and blue that will soon grace my closet! In time, we will be together.

To be continued...

Where I'm From

So as I was running today, listening to my iPod, one of my new favorite songs came on. Actually, the song came into my life by my little sis, Brooke. She was over the other day and we were talking about some of our favorite songs. She mentioned a song that she had heard on the radio that made her heart happy. After some iTunes searching, we finally came up with the tune, "Where I'm From", by Jason Michael Carroll. We immediately purchased the song and cranked it up, and that's when I completely understood what she meant by the song making her heart happy! It's one of those songs that is so true and reminiscent of your childhood, or....um....for those of us who had the privilege of growing up in small country Texas towns, as I did. True, I left my hometown as soon as I could, right after graduating high school, and don't think I'd ever go back, but, there's just something about being a small town girl and finally understanding at the age of 32, the hand it had in molding and shaping me into the person I am today. So if you ever have the inkling to ask me where I call home, I'd proudly say:

I'm from the front pew of a wooden white church,
A courthouse clock that still don't work,
Where a man's word means everything,
Where moms and dads were high school flames,
Gave their children grandmother's maiden name,
It may not sound like much,
But it's where I'm from

Introducing....Hippie Woodstock!!!

I finally got my betta fish for my classroom and I already love him! I've been going to PetSmart for like three weeks now waiting for the perfect betta! Yesterday I went to check them out and I was instantly smitten with him! I knew he was the betta for me, yesiree! I named him Hippie Woodstock because his colorings remind me of the tie-dye shirts that hippies wore back in the Woodstock era! He's a very active guy and is so pretty to look at! My students ooh and ahh over him, which makes him flare up like the proud betta that he is! I was originally going to go with the vase/live plant set up, until I started researching about bettas and learned that wasn't the best environment for them. So I opted to go with a 1.77 gallon tank that comes with a filter (that I'm currently not using). This way he has more room to swim and be a happy fishy! I hope he is with me for years to come! Yay for bettas and responsible betta owners!

My Ever Growing Wish List

I'm a girl, who loves to shop...big surprise...ha! I'm also a girl, who is on a budget...hmmm....budget....lots of super cute things that would look fabulous in my house....husband who likes to make sure his wife sticks to the budget....YEAH, not a good combination. So, I've learned how to live vicariously by spending hours surfing the net, finding things I love but can't buy...or atleast not immediately. My momma always said patience is a virtue!

Right now, here's a few things that rank high on my wish list:

Kate Spade Owl Handbag

All I can say about this amazing, super mod, breathtaking purse is....NO-SHE-DIDN'T!!!! Kate Spade, what have you been doing in my head lately, because I'm almost sure there's no one else in the world that you created this handbag for more than MEEEE!!!!!! Darn you Kate Spade and your brilliant overpriced purses! There's nothing I would love more than to have this wise owl perched upon my arm....guess it's time to start dropping hints to the hubby;)

Molly Mutt Dog Duvet

I love my hounds and spending money on them. With that said, I already have their new dog beds picked out! Check these duvets out:

These dog duvet covers come from Molly Mutt. These duvets are not only cute and stylish, I love the fabrics used, but also green earth friendly! Gotta love that! You fill the duvets with old blankets, pillows, clothing, towels, whatever you have laying around your house that you no longer use. A great way to recycle and help keep heaping mounds of textiles out of our landfills! I can't wait to get one (or two) of these for my babies...I'm sure they'll be very comfy!

And while I'm on the topic of things I want for my pups, here's something else to add to the list:

I love, love, love these Lucky Fiona dog collars! I'm completely smitten with the fabrics, as I'm sure Maci, Sybal and Red are too, cuz they told me so. Since most of our dog walks end up as "off-leash runs/swims" in the stinky, muddy, green algae filled ponds of my neighborhood (the dogs totally love it and I love watching them frolick through the ponds, chasing after frogs and rolling in all the hideous smelling dead things they sniff out), my dogs collars REEK of stinky pond water. My goal is to get them some of these cute and stylish collars to be their "prim and proper" collars, for times such as going to Gigi and Pappa's house, taking back road rides in the Jeep with the top off, visiting Dr. Loftis (oh joy!), and other outings where they need to NOT smell like stinky soured butt!

Basket Full of Goodies

Well, Easter has come and gone, but not without lots of laughs, food and, well, just good ol' fun!








When my precious niece, Madeleine, first laid eyes on my Easter Pops, she was immediately entranced! So she reached out and chose her favorite two and then walked around, with one in each hand, for about an hour. They went all around the house with her, outside with her, in the sand box with her, and I even think they received a few sly licks from Nikki, my mom's cocker.






It was only at her nap time that they parted from her hands, but they soon found their way back to her later that afternoon.

Here are some pics of her enjoying the pops:

And....me and my sweet joy girl, Sybal:

Well, heck, might as well throw a few of me and my sweety!

It's tradition in our family to make a coconut bunny cake each Easter, so Kelli decided it was time to introduce Maddi to this tradition.

Maddi's first bunny cake:

Wanna Be a Calla, Cake Balla...

What do you get when you mix cake with a stick and tons of yummmmmmmy candy???? You get the cutest, most adorable, yummy lollipops you've ever seen and tasted!!! And....here they are....TADAAAA!

So, I discovered these cute little cake ball pops on one of my most favorite blogs, Bakerella. When I saw them I knew I HAD to make them! So upon leaving work I rushed to about every store possible to gather up the supplies...Kroger, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Wal-Mart. After much searching, I finally found all the necesarry ingredients to create these cuties. Three days later....VOILA! Yeah, I know mine don't look near as neat and tidy as Bakerellas, and my pink bunnies look more like pigs, but I'm very pleased with the outcome! Of course, I probably did take on a little too much, especially with it being my first time to make these. I think I ended up making about 55 of them.....I finally called it quits at 11:45 last night. I wish you could have seen my kitchen after making these....it pretty much looked like the Easter Bunny and his basket of goodies exploded everywhere, myself included!

I brought them to work with me today and they were a huge hit! The students that saw them were wide eyed with amazement and I could literally see the drool dripping from their mouths as I walked by. I just love looking at them.....they're just so darn cute and happy! I think the fat little chicks are my favorite!

I'm thinking these pops would be a great seasonal seller at The Kitschy Cottage! They would look adorable wrapped in clear cellaphane with a pastel ribbon tied neatly around the bottom!

So, which one is your fave?

Here's some more pictures of my Easter Pops:

HAPPY EASTER!

Bright and Bold

Since I'm currently in the "visionary" phase of developing The Kitschy Cottage, I thought blogging about my ideas and visions would be a good outlet. We are currently waiting for our finalized business plan before heading to the bank (eeek) and if all goes well, we will be the owners of this cute little cottage!

Although I like the freshly painted green, I think it needs a little more kitsch to it, in a bright and bold sort of way. The other day on HGTV's "Curb Appeal", they painted an old bungalow a vibrant blue. Right away I LOVED it and thought it would be the perfect color for the house.

Here's a pic of the painted house:

I love how the white trim pops next to the bold blue! It looks like such a happy and fun house!

Here's a close up of the porch. I would have white planter boxes like these, filled with cheery pink flowers and fresh herbs. Oh, and I also love the hanging swing. I could just hang out on this front porch, sipping sweet tea with fresh mint, all day long!

Spring Time Blues

Ok, what's the deal? It's April in Texas and we just had a freeze last night?!?! I'm really needing some sunshine and warmth! This is the time of year when I'm suppose to rush out to my car as quick as I can, speed home, jump into my favorite asics, nike tempos and DRC shirt and run like the wind, but ohhhh, it's so hard when it's cloudy and windy and just plain cold outside!!!

But on a different note....The Kitschy Cottage is filling my mind and heart with excitement and totally has me drooling over some great finds!!! As my hubby says, "I think the only reason you want to open up Kitschy is so that you can wear all the cute clothes and stash our house full of all the wonderful home decor!" and I in turn simply nod my head with a happy smirk on my face...heehee!

I've gotten inspiration from many shops and sources, but my most fave blog of all, "Making It Lovely", has me drooling over her mock ups and ideas. I love her style and find that it mirrors very closely to my own personal taste and vision. Now if I can just figure out how that Adobe Photo Shop works....I'll conquer it one day....until then I'll waste my time living vicariously through everyone elses ideas and designs.