I've Been A Busy Girl

We just recently got back from Cozumel, Mexico.

This is one of the things you probably know about me...
I love tropical vacations.
I love laying on the beach and reading a book.
I love drinking froofy drinks.
I love an ice cold cerveca in the hot sun.
I loooove to sun bathe.
(i know it's not good for me but really do feel skinnier when i am tan)




On the way to the airport via Park & Fly.

Bradley loved being buried in the sand.
We just dug a deep, deep hole and dropped him in.
He's such a good sport.

Asher being proud of his master piece.

There is something about a little boy playing in the ocean.
This photo makes my heart melt.

Taking pictures of Asher taking pictures.
He used my good camera all week and I used the point and shoot.
I can't wait to get my hands on his photos!!

As you can tell there is a mutual love these two boys share.
They are the only ones who get it.

Silly, silly boy.
Sometimes he acts just like his mama.

There were these peacocks all over our resort.
LOVE THEM!!!
You should have seen me chasing these things all over....
PRICELESS~

Even iguanas need to get a room.
Just kidding... they were trying to get past each other and apparently the only way to do that was to climb over each other.
At least that's what they told us.
Frisky little iguanas.

This is what we all felt like at the end of our trip.
Totally relaxed.

I begged Bill to call the airlines to extend our stay.
He tried but their were no seats available.
What a guy!!
That's what happens when you travel over spring break.

I can't wait to go back.

Did any of you go away for spring break or did you have a staycation??


PS....i have made some big life changes....can't wait to share them with you!

Sisters

Sisterly love runs so deep.

They are the people who drive you crazy but yet you love endlessly.

They are the ones who just "get" you.

They are the ones who don't let ya get away with anything.


This is the sister that drives me crazy(because she knows me so well) and yet makes me laugh harder than anyone else in the whole world.

This is my sister, Kelly.

She is the sister who:
used to pay me to do her laundry
took me to the beach
took me bowling
took me to the movies
I shared a queen size bed with while growing up
used to let me use her ID so I could get into bars before I was 21
(SSSSHHHH don't tell anyone)
when we get new wallets we do the "toll booth"
(that's when we act like we are paying a toll so we can show off our new wallet)
shared her son's halloweeen candy with me
(we actually ate it ALL while playing Mario Brother on Nintendo in one night)
eats whatever she wants and NEVER gains weight
(I know, I hate her too for that)

The list could go on and on..
I'm just lucky to have someone in my life that was there all those years growing up....
through the good the bad and the ugly.

I hope she reads this. She would kill me if she knew she was on my BLOG.
See, only sisters can do that.

Happy Monday!!!

Looky, Looky

So imagine this....

I'm in my yard...

minding my own business....

and this little thing pops into my view.


Yep, that right...
it's a Crocus.

It has been a long, white, cold winter her in Chicago.

This is just what I needed to get me through until my upcoming beach vacation.

Happy Tuesday!!!!

Out With The Old....In With The New

Have I mentioned lately that I LOOOVE me some daisy's?

Wait...I'm pretty sure I have.

Well look what I found at the Crate and Barrel Outlet store.

I filled my kitchen cupboards with these.
(I thought cupboards would sound better than cabinets...don't ya think it does??)

These glasses actually make me a bit giddy.
I have been drinking lots of water so I can use them.

Yep, that's how I roll.
Whenever I clean out and organize my pantry I always find myself more hungry.
That way I can go in and see how good it looks.

When I organize my basement I find myself going down there more.

When I clean out my closet in my bedroom I find I don't wear sweat pants as much.

Any-hoo...where was I??
Oh yeah...the new glasses.

I 'm so happy about them...
I better wrap this post up.
I'm feeling thirsty again.

Happy Weekend!!!

FREAKY

I have this new little freaky obsession.

Hubby thinks I'm a bit cooky.

He just doesn't get it.

While I was on my "computer break" I discovered some new TV shows.

I call them my "Ghost Shows."



I like that these 2 guys and their team are out to give a logical explanation for what people are experiencing. They are not there to prove that there are ghosts. They are out to prove that what people are experiencing are NOT ghosts.

The reason why I love this show is that it allows me to see some really old castles.
I am an anthropologist at heart.
I love to see how people used to live.

I just like this show.



Hubby really does think I'm crazy. My kids think I'm funny.....I'm not sure in a good way though :)

Hubby gave me a gift certificate for a Chicago Ghost Tour.
He even told me he would go with me.
Can you believe it? Sheesh, he's a good guy~
Now....that is love.....true love!!!
He would ONLY do that for me.

That means I'm gonna have to do something for him now.
Huh....what should I do?
That is NOT a rhetorical question. Really....what should I do??

I want him to know how much it means to me that he would actually go on a ghost tour with me. I know in my heart it's the last thing he would want to do.

Do you have any interests that other people don't "get?"
I want to know I'm not alone in this.
Come on girlies...help me out here.

Maisy...Daisy

Maisy love her some Daisy's



I really am a pretty simple girl.

I don't need much.

I know lots of girls love roses.

I am not a rose girl.
(don't tell my hubby...he just came home with a dozen for me the other night. i don't have the heart to tell him i'm not a big fan of roses.
hey, it's the thought that counts.....right??)

Any-hoo....
It was my mom that brought daisy's to my attention.
She always said that they last long...
They never look bad.
And they are just simple and pretty.
Have I mentioned lately how smart my mom was??

So, about 2 weeks after she died my sister and I went off to the tattoo parlor.

Yep, that's right....
MAISY HAS A TATTOO
(actually i have 2....thinking about another one)
I have a daisy tattoo.
(the 2nd one i have is a celtic shamrock...i'm an irish girl)

I have never had a regret since I got it 13 years ago.
It makes me feel so good knowing that I permanently have a piece of what my mom loved with me...well on me....at all times.

Do you have a tattoo?
If so I would love to hear what it is.

I think I know what my 3rd one will be.

Well...happy rest of the weekend.

PS... I got the second one in Mexico over spring break 3 years ago with all my children watching.
I know....I know....I never said I was mother of the year.

February 13, 2010

PART I






On Saturday Jen and I held a bloggy get together.

Oh what fun it was...


There we are.
Two happy friends...
Happy to be meeting more friends.

Here is our welcome sign.

Well...that's it for now...
you will just have to wait to get the rest of the story and photos.

Sorry....
A girl only has so much time.
I have to still go through all 100 photos.

Until...next time...part II

xoxo

i'm back

ok...so it's been awhile.

please excuse my absence.

it has been much needed.

i thought i would let you know what i have been up to.
are ya ready for this???
A BIG FAT NOTHING!!!
that's right....a whole lot of nothin'.

well...aside from laundry, cooking, cleaning, volunteering, get a daughter ready to study abroad, packing lunches, helping my boy with his homework, basketball, soccer, tutoring, traveling, spending some amazing time with the hubby, talking on the phone....etc.
that's right...i have gotten back into talking on the phone. i was maintaining some of my relationships via e-mail. i am so happy to hear voices again.

in my absence i have been doing some real, true soul-searching.

i would like to let you in on what i have learned about myself:

1) i need maisy time. not just a minute here and there but time to just veg out by myself. no phone, computer or any other electronic for that matter.....ok...maybe the TV~

2) i really only need a few friends.

3) i need to read every day.

4) i do not have to cook, clean and keep my house kept up to be happy. it's actually just the opposite. the less i do out of obligation the happier i am.

5) it's important to me to say what i mean and mean what i say. i also need that in return.

6) the problems that my husband and i have had in the past have only made out marriage richer, deeper and stronger.

7) i really do believe that i need my family more than they need me. i have always prided myself on not needing anyone. boy, was i way off base.

8) i need to not allow fear to rule my life. this is my 2010 resolution. wish me luck.

9) i am a homebody. there is no where else i want to be other than in my home.

10) this is the big one....things that have happened in my life no longer need to drive me. i have spent 40 years revisiting things that were not happy times in my life. i WILL not allow those experience to take any more time. i will not look into the future. i WILL only do what needs to be done NOW to make this very moment special.

thanks once again for allowing me to share.

i have missed all of you. it was time i truly needed to spend alone.

xoxo

New Year Sale

I wanted to wish everyone a BIG FAT Happy New Year.

This has been a year of lots of joy. This has also been a year of tremendous sadness.

I have decided that I would like to stay focused on the joy.

I wanted to be sure to pass my joy onto you.

So.....I have decided to have a sale at my store.

For the next week for every $25.00 you spend I will give you a $5.00 credit back through PayPal once I receive payment. *Sorry, this does not include shipping*

Now I'm going to be honest here.....I have loads of stuff to get onto Maisy's Market and I'm just buying myself some more time.

The day this sale ends I will be landing at an airport in Mexico.
(it was a surprise from the hubby)
With that in mind....I am going to take a little vacation from the Market.
On Saturday, January 16th the store will be loaded up with all sorts of new items.
Below you will find a sample of some of the items that are in stock now!






French Gravy Boat

Vintage Flatware

Milk Glass Bowl

Vintage Aluminum Canister Set

Vintage Flash Cards from 1959

Vintage Green Metal Flower Frog

Vintage Post Cards.
They all date back from 1891-1915.

Vintage Gray Buttons in a Sweet Jar

Vintage Bowl with Lid

Set of Vintage Milk Glass Vases





I just want to end by saying THANK YOU to each and every one of you for being such amazing bloggy friends.
It has been a tough year and I can't imagine walking this path without all of you.

Happy, Happy, Happy New Year!

P.S. if you stop by my shop be sure to send me an e-mail to say hello! Would love to know that you are all thought about~

xoxoxoxoxo

UGH!!!!!

So....here I sit...
in front of my computer....






and I can't come up with a darn thing to write about.

That has been my problem for a while.

So...I thought I would write a letter to my writer's block....
Here I go....Wish me luck~

Dear Writer's Block,
I'm not sure where you came from.
I'm not sure why you think you were invited.
I'm not sure why you have decided to target me.
Seriously, WB...I want you to go away.
I want to come up with cute, funny, inspiring, meaningful, heartfelt things to write about.
So...you need to go back to where you came from.
Goodbye....please don't come back...
You are no longer welcome!!!!
Have a great day....Happy Holidays....Happy New year, WB...!!!
Sincerely,
Maisy

Do tell....do you think it will listen?
Do you think it will go away?
Maybe the new year will turn my creative juices back on.

In the meantime....

I must really start Christmas shopping.
Maybe that will give me some funny stories to write about.
Like the lady who cut in front of everyone(like 15 people) because she refused to wait.
WAIT...WAIT...WAIT....I think I just came up with something to write about.

Wow...thanks everyone for giving me that idea.
That was really sweet of all of you :)

It really is a funny, in a not so funny way, story.

Well...now you know what my next post will be about.

Gift Giving

I am a person that loves to find that special gift for people.
Something special...something I have put thought into.

Below you will find some items from my Etsy store that I would love to recieve.
I know...I know...You are all thinking...
"Maisy, then why are you selling those items?"

I can't keep everything, ya know!




This could be used for cheese or better yet....to display your favorite things.
The teak base could be painted any color.

Can a girl have too many cloches? I think not~

The perfect silver tray. It could be a jewelry tray or imagine chocolate covered strawberries on it. *sigh*

The most adorable little jar of buttons. Would look great on a shelf or table~

This silver bowl is GORGEOUS! Would look perfect on your holiday table.


Feel free to stop by and check out my "Market".

Happy Weekend to all and to all a good day~

All I Want For Christmas Is My........

Over the last few months I have gotten myself back into reading.

This always happens to me.

I read allll the time.
I finish all my books and I'm just toooo lazy to go to a bookstore.

Then, I start to really miss reading.

It's the way I unwind before bed.
If the book is really good I always seem to find ways to read during the day.
Usually I tell myself that I'm really cold so I need to take a bath.

Then I sit in the for an hour or two and read away.
I ALWAYS come out looking like a raisin.
That's the price I'm willing to pay for a great book.
Aren't I a trooper?
I'm always willing to take one for the team~


I usually have a laundry list of things I wish for every year.
Nope, not this year.

All I want for Christmas is a Kindle.
The ONLY thing I want for Christmas this year is a Kindle.

Don't tell Bill but I know he already ordered it for me.

I asked for a screen protector and a cover for it from the kids.
Sure do hope they were listening.
I even told them what color I wanted.
Sure do hope they were listening.
I told them that I need a screen protector.
Sure do hope they were listening.

KIDS....IF YOU ARE READING THIS PLEASE GET ME A SCREEN PROTECTOR AND A CASE. I picked the case out and showed Jakob which one I wanted. Ask him about it.

What are you hoping for this Christmas??

PS. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We had to cancel the holiday at our house.
The little guy got the chicken pox.
Don't worry...I still cooked the 22 lb. bird and all the fixin's.
That's a lot of turkey for 3 people~

Hubby went to the ER. He got poked in the eye by a branch.
It was gross....They had to scrape his eye on Friday...Something about cells...
He's feeling much better now. *PHEW* I was a bit worried.

Silly Things I am Thankful For

Tomorrow is finally here....MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!

I am most thankful for my family and friends.

Aren't we all though??
Usually, it is the little things that I just love.
I am thankful for things that help me get through the day.
Especially if it puts a smile on my face.


This video makes my day just a bit brighter.

I am also an animal LOVER!!!

If Bill would allow it I would have another dog,
some chickens...yes, I want me some chickens,
1 cow, 1 horse, 1 pig, a duck and let's not forget...
I would go over to my Dad's house and swipe one of his sweet alpacas.

Enjoy this special Holiday and....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU!!!

Wow....was this a totally random post or what....

Winterizing Miss Maisy

I love winter p.e.r.i.o.d! The thing that I just love about living in Chicago is that we experience 4 season.

I know lots of you live where you never get snow.
I can't imagine that.
I always pray for a white Christmas.
(OK, I mentioned Christmas. I know I just declared that I'm not skipping over Thanksgiving. However, this is a post about winter...cut a girl some slack.)



I love the silence that snow brings with it.
When I walk the dog(which by the way....my dog loves snow)after a heavy snow everything is so quiet.
I can only hear my footsteps and the occasional car driving by.
Oh, yeah, I can also hear Bradley's laughter.
He loves a good snowfall.
He smells sooo good after he's been outside in the snow for awhile.
It is different from the summer smell.
Man, was that a ramble....THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE~

There is also something about a fire in the fireplace.
I guess, opposed to a fire somewhere else.
Not sure why I needed to clarify that.
Man, am I struggling here to stay on topic :)
I love the light a fireplace gives off when all the other lights are turned off.
owever, that does not apply if it is during the day.
Daylight kinda ruins the whole fireplace glow thing.

OHHHHHHHHHH, and homemade hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. PERFECTLY DELICIOUS!!!

I also adore accessories that keep me warm and toasty.
This year I have already bought a pair of fingerless gloves.
*warning....do not use these while playing in the snow....not very effective*

I just thought this photo was so damn funny that I had to put it up on the Maisy Report. I was looking for a cute hat and came across this.
I just couldn't help myself.
Have I mentioned that I have self control issues?
If not...well, now ya know.
Seriously, who the hell would wear that?
*disclaimer....if you own this hat or a hat similar I'm sorry for offending you* Now, I must get going.....I need to get some shopping done to winterize Maisy.

~Skipped Over~

I get the feeling that Thanksgiving is getting skipped over this year.

I'm not sure why.

There is so much buzz about Christmas. Everyone is listening to Christmas music...people have already put up their Christmas lights. I know people who have already finished their Christmas shopping.
Not me....nope....haven't even given it an ounce of thought.

For goodness sakes......Target was setting up Christmas before Halloween was even here and gone.




Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year!

I grew up in a home that Thanksgiving dinner was a sit down, family style dinner.
There was NEVER a buffet set-up.
(Mom, if you can read my heart from heaven know that I cherish those memories)
We sat really, and I mean realllly close to each other.
My mom always set a formal dinner table.
We talked, laughed, argued, spilled and always laughed some more at the Thanksgiving table.
It always seemed to be the one holiday when my mom stood up and said a toast.
(if my bros. & sis's are reading this and I am wrong please let me know)

The other thing that I just love about Thanksgiving is that there is no giving....other than thanks.

All you have to do is show up....or if you are the host, cook.

There's no wrapping paper to throw out. There's no bows hiding under the couch.
There's no extra charges on the credit care. Your electric bill doesn't go up. There is no extra garbage for the garbage man.

To me it's a holiday about just being. It's a holiday about reflection.
It's a holiday that makes you want to say THANK YOU.

So...Christmas, you will just have to wait.

I'm just getting ready to enjoy Thanksgiving.



HaPpY MoNdAy!

Bedroom Dilema

I grew up in a family of 7 kids.

The house I grew up in was a 3.5 bedroom/1 bathroom.

I loved it!!!!!!

I never thought it was small or that we were cramped.

That is what gives me comfort.

Small and cozy spaces.








How did this happen??

I have a big bedroom with 22' ceilings.

It's so hard to get that small and cozy feeling.

I really don't know how to bring the ceiling down.

Do you have any suggestions???


This is the reason I haven't taken on the project of the bedroom.
I need serious help.....I need YOUR help.

Do you have color suggestions, bedding suggestions, accessory suggestions or any other suggestion for that matter?

THANK YOU.....I can't wait to hear all your ideas. You are all so inspiring~