Carving Pumpkins

October 29, 2009

Tonight we carved pumpkins at the Halterhome. 
This is always Tom's forte'.
Although Grace wants to take over the carving...

Grace made a Jack-o-lantern with braces . . . how clever is she?!  Although Tom forgot to make teeth, so we improvised. 

This one is Tommy's . . .very traditional.

Here there they are all lit up.

SPOOKY !

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Karen

Fall Weather...Finally

October 28, 2009

Today it felt like fall.  Actually a little chill in the air.  Kids wore hoodies to school!  I broke out the furry boots and a sweater.  Because, as Tom says, I  have a two degree comfort zone. 
Today was definitely cool and I was downright cold tonight leaving book club.  I even turned on the "bun warmers" (seat heaters) in the ol' minivan.  I think they are my second favorite feature, after those handy-dandy automatic doors.
Despite the lovely fall weather we are having, which started only today, the stores broke out the Christmas decor a while back.  I can't stand when they do that here in AZ when it is still H-O-T hot. 
Grace and I were at the Biltmore Fashion Park (a lovely outdoor shopping center for my far-flung readers...all none of you) last weekend and this is what we saw:

Yep.  That's right.  Christmas garlands.  Fake of course, 'cause here in the desert, we don't have that kind of greenery e-ver.  Grace and I were wearing shorts and t-shirts and had the a/c going.  Not in the "Christmas" mood, not even close.

Today, however, is a whole different weather report.  A high of little ol' 65 today.

I L-O-V-E the cool fall weather.

Karen (aka Climate Control Karen as Tom calls me)

I Love My Neighborhood

October 25, 2009


As much as I have loved shopping outside of my own little 'hood latey, I have to say I hade a very fun, very busy weekend right here with the best friends and neighbors anywhere. 

It's gotten cool enough at night now that the ping-ponging has begun.  Our neighbors are avid ping-pongers and extremely competitive.  We've spent the last two evenings outside in heated battles with the neighbors.  Actually, Tom does all the battling for the Halterhome.  I just chat.

Saturday was our neighbor, Taylor's, birthday.  It was a biggie.  He and his lovely wife, Sheila, invited us to a dinner party at Arizona Country Club.  Lucky for us, and Taylor, there was special event that night and so Taylor had a band at his birthday dinner!  Here he is making his birthday wish...

Look how much fun he's having! 

And I bet he wished to win the hula hoop contest the Club had that night.

No such luck with the previously unknown Hula Hoop Champ, Jeanette, my lovely and oh-so-talented next door neighbor. 

Look at the joy on her face!

I swear she was so good, she could have been washing dishes or ironing while hooping it up. 

The men could not be outdone, so they too gave it a whirl.

Not nearly as talented.

Another reason I love my 'Hood is because after we were done having fun at the Club, we all came back to our house for, you guessed it, a ping pong party. 

And who should show up from a Halloween party down the street but Ugly Betty.

Where is there a more fun place to live??

This has to be the funniest costume I've seen!  The reason it is such a hoot is becaue Ugly Betty is, in real life, my beautiful (on the inside and outside) friend and neighbor, Cathy.

Here she is looking much lovlier at our ski trip (she's in the middle).

You would have never guessed that was her in the Ugly Betty photo, right?!

Finally, I must add Jack to my list of why I love my neighborhood.  This is Cathy's youngest of three.  Every day after school, he can be found running (not walking) home from the bus stop.  Just cuz.

And he is cute as a button and I had fun hanging out with him Friday night playing on my iphone.

He needs a "buddy" dog and an iphone, Cathy. 

Those are some of  the reasons why I love my neighborhood.

(Every time I write the word "neighborhood" I hear the Mr. Rogers song in my head, do you?)

Karen

Happy Birthday Grandma Joyce!

Today is my mom (aka Grandma joyce, or Grandma Jewlry if you're Emmie).  Happy Birthday.  We had her and Don over for lunch from Honey Bear's BBQ.  I am still stuffed. Grace and I made a lemon cake and it tasted good, but was a little LOPSided.  Oops.  And I have no pictures of her that I can find speedy quick.  I promise to update by tomorrow. 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

7th Aveue...Who knew?!

October 22, 2009


Today I tried to get a jump on a little Christmas shopping.  I am sure you know there are only 63 days till Christmas!  I have this discount card, The Care Card, that is only good until Sunday (you buy the card and the sales proceeds go to charity and thn the stores give you 20% off for a week).  So I planned to buy a few Christmas goodies.

I learned from my new favorite store, Domestic Bliss, that there is a similar store on Phoenix on 7th Avenue, called Melrose Vintage. Lucky for me, they take the Care Card.  So, I scooted on over there, but wait!  I found this adorable sore, storeS actually, just down the road on 7th Avenue.  Rust & Roses is a little antique store with a clothing boutique attached.  Check it out here:  http://www.rustandroses.com/ .  The clothing store is Sirens & Saints.  I love, Love, LOVE these stores.  I could buy everything in them, except maybe the belts with the really big bling-ed up buckles (think Electric Landyland or North Scottsdale). 

I could not pass up this gorgeous sweater...or is it a coat? 
In Arizona it could be a coat. 
Look at the details!!  And who doesn't need a faux fur collar in her wardrobe?  This is my first faux fur.  Oh, la la.
I Heart this! 
Now if it would get below 80 degrees I could possibly wear it. 

Details up close.  Love the ginormous buttons and the little sparkle on the cuffs.

They had it displayed with this black velvet purse.

I felt bad separating the two, so I brought them both home. 

The purse is locally handmade from vintage fabrics and a little old-fashioned bling, I mean broach. 

A little bling is OK. 

Yes, I did eventually (like and hour and a half later) end up at my intended location on 7th Avenue,

Melrose Vintage.

I got some gifties there, but since some of the recipients might be among the four of you reading this blog, I can't tell you what I got.

Trust me, it's a great store!

They had these little guys hanging over the cash register. 

Alas, they were NFS ("not for sale" for those of you who do not frequent antique stores). 

: (

So I snapped a picture with the best-ever gadget, my iphone, bought some paper and the garland stuff.

Grace and I can do that.

Easy, peasy.

If you see it on my blog, you'll know it was a success.

OK, off to bunco!  I got a great gift.  I may even try to bring it back home with me.  Check back to see.

Karen

Miss Halter Goes to Washington

October 20, 2009
My niece, Emmie, and her mom, Kathy, spent their fall break in Washington D.C. It was much cooler and wetter than Arizona.
They saw lots of cool monuments and museums.
Now our family wants to go visit the Nation's Capitol. Maybe Spring Break?
My one request to Emmie was that she bring me back something with Obama on it. Apparently, the vendors in D.C. slap Obama's image on just about anything. They had a hard time choosing




I love this one of Emmie reading the Gettysburg address.  Hope she has a good memory because Tommy had to recite it in sixth grade.




Here are some of the Obama souveniers Emmie picked out for me: a deck of playing cards and a keychain. 

The deck has joker cards and to my disappointment they did not have Bush's image on them. 

: )

 Sorry.  I try not to be political, but I had to get that one in.

Thanks Emmie (and Kathy).

Kare

Fall Break

October 18, 2009

Today is the last day of the kids' fall break.  It has been soooo hot here that it feels more like summer break.  It's been 100 degrees the past couple days. Too hot for "fall" even in Arizona. 

But I digress. 
Back to what we did all week with the sunny weather.  In no particular order, here are our Fall Break Highlights:
Grace and I made a cake and pumpkin bread and lasagna, all in one day. Not that you can tell from this photo, but we are in teh kitcen in our matching aprons.

Grace and I went to my favorite store, Domestic Bliss, for a Halloween craft class. 

We made these fun decorative "hats."

Tommy went to his first bar mitzvah for his friend, Nicholas Shein.

Daddy helped with the tie.

Look at all the handsome fellas heading off to the ceremony.

Tommy, Grace and I rode the light rail downtown to have lunch with another handsome fella, Daddy.

The kids and I met up with Grandma Joyce & Poppy Don over on their side of town.

We went to a farm with a corn maze.

The kids pumped water,

Posed on a tractor,

Rode pedal cars and saw lots of farm animals. 

Grace and I went to the zoo.

This was in the spider monkey exhibit...the monkeys are right there walking the rope over your head!

We just monkied around all week.

Back to school and work tomorrow. 

Karen

Braces for Graces

October 14, 2009

Today, my baby Grace (aka Gigi, Goose, Dean, etc.) got braces on some of her top teeth. 
Here is the before:

And the during. . .

(check out the bling-y shirts on the assistant. They make too much money at this place). 

Waiting for the glue to dry. . .

And the final result . . .

Lovely, if you ask me. 

She was an awesome patient.  In and out in less than an hour.

From Grace herself:  and they said it would hurt (not).

Karen

Halloween Treat from My Hubby

October 13, 2009

Today Tom came home from work and announced he bought me a present.
And it's not even my birthday (only 22 more days, but who's counting?). 
He said he saw a this and thought it was "cute" (his actual words) and thought I'd like it. 
How sweet is he?! 
I told him he was starting to behave like me . . .buying things we don't need just because they are cute.
He got me this cute Halloween mug from Starbucks.

And on the inside. . . this cute little guy.

Trick or Treat.

Thanks Tom.

xoxo

Karen

Spooky Look at Halterhome

I did it!  I have been thinking about attempting a blog makeover.  I gave myself a Halloween look, except for that little orange bar across the top.  Yea!  Not sure how to get rid of the orange bar without messing up the whole thing, so just ignore it. 

Here's some of the real "Halterhome" Halloween decor.

Got these Boo-tiful little letters from my friend Diane.

I made this little ghosty garland myself.  It's rick-rack, so cute...but you can't tell from these photos. 

Bad lighting, I know.

I think this is cute, but I plan on finding some black jelly beans soon to put in some of the other jars.

I got this HUGE spider last year on clearance.  I love him.  He just needs some of that webbing stuff.

The jar has spider rings in it.  Kathy, my Martha Stewart-like sister-in-law, has done even better and has two jars: one with eye ball bouncy-balls and the other with little skulls.  Way spookier. 

Recognize the House of Wax?  By the way, it was on the Blissful Living website.  I'm famous (actually a lot of the houses from the class were on it).

Happy Halloween!
Karen