G is for Gone.

See this and many more of my paintings at my etsy shop here!

Kids say the funniest things when they are trying to figure something out. My son, who turned four this week, is currently trying to process where daddy has disappeared off to for the last few months....

"Daddy's on a sub-ma-mine."

"Are there sharks?"

"Can we go get him?"

"He's in the ocean?"

"Daddy has the i-pod? On the sub-ma-mine, in the ocean?"

"Are there monsters on the sub-ma-mine?"

"Are there monsters in the ocean?"

"Is he lost?"

"Can I swim over there and give him a hug?"

Mommy: "So, sonny, what is daddy's job on the submarine, what do you think he's doing?"

Scotty: "He's jumping on a trampoline!"

Mommy: "Daddy is jumping on a trampoline, on a submarine?"

Scotty: "Yes, in the ocean."

Mommy: "Do you miss your daddy?"

Scotty: "Yeah, he's on a sub-ma-mine"

Mommy: "Do you want to play with daddy?"

Scotty: "Yeah, but he's on a sub-ma-mine."

Mommy: "Do you think daddy gets to play on the submarine?"

Scotty: "Yeah. He plays with Lightening McQueen."

Mommy: "Scotty, do you wish you were on the submarine with daddy?"

Scotty: "No, Scotty has to go to gymnasitcs."

We love you daddy! 

We miss you! 

Come home soon!

-DD

F is For Fashion

See this and many more of my paintings at my etsy shop, here!

1997 Journal Entry:

"When I'm married, I will never wear the same dress twice. I will probably have the biggest wardrobe in the world. I will spend millions of dollars on JUST clothes." -Heidi Kohler age 13

Today's theme is fashion. Something, I have always loved. And while I do not spend millions of dollars on clothes, and certainly do not have the biggest wardrobe in the world, I do have a great fashion tip for your wardrobe today. I call it the rule of three, and it works like this.

If I have one pair of pants, I will only keep it in my closet if it coordinates with at least three shirts.

For instance:

 One pair of adorable cut offs in salmon pink, definitely a keeper in my closet because it pairs up with 3 or more shirts. 

In fact, these pants are not only adorable with three of my shirts, but six so they really pull their weight. The rule of three is fun, because it only allows colors and styles you really love to remain in your closet. I apply this rule to all of my tops, bottoms AND accessories.  You never have to wonder what to do with that impulse buy that doesn't go with ANYTHING else you own. The magic in this rule is that pretty soon, your wardrobe is focused in such a way that you only need two or three pairs of shoes because they are so versatile, without spending all your money on 50 pairs of shoes to go with a kaleidoscopic of color in your closet, you can splurge on a nice purse instead, because one color goes with the majority of your ensembles.

 Another delightful result of this practice is that your closet is not over crowded. This is especially important to me as I do NOT have room for a huge wardrobe. However, everything in my closet is something I LOVE to wear. I periodically try on all of my outfits and move along anything I feel no longer tickles me pink. (Which, as you can tell, happens to be one of my favorite colors to wear!) You will also find when you shop that you exercise a lot more judgment in deciding if something should come home with you. Your wardrobe will express a very clear style, and it will be obvious when something belongs there or not, regardless of the current fad.

So, as you jump into your spring cleaning, try applying this rule of three and see the wonderful results you get!

What is your favorite color to wear?

What are your best secrets for keeping your

 wardrobe under control and filled only with things you LOVE to wear?

-Domestic Diva

E is for elephant

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My Elephant is Missing

I cannot find my elephant. He must have run away. He isn't on the sofa where he promised he would stay. I've looked around the living room, the kitchen and the hall. My elephant is missing and I'm not sure who to call. I'll need to get a bloodhound who can track him by his scent, or hire a house detective to discover where he went. He isn't in the basement or the attic or the yard. You'd think, to find an elephant would not be quite so hard. Perhaps I'll make some posters, and I'll offer a reward. I'd make it more, but fifty cents is all I can afford. If you should see my elephant, he answers to "Jerome." Please tell him that I miss him and I wish he'd come back home. He knows the way. It's up the street and down our garden path. And next time I won't warn him when it's time to take his bath. --Kenn Nesbitt

D is for Dinosaur

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One of my very best friends growing up was a boy named Jacy.

When we were very little, he wanted to pretend to be dinosaurs, and I wanted to play house. So together we learned the great lesson called compromise. Jacy tromped about as the great "Daddy T-Rex" while I, "Mommy Long Neck"  pretended to cook dinner. (Jacy of course knew our proper names in Latin, and could probably spell them, 20 years later, this is still beyond my capability.) We claimed the great dirt mound in his grandparent's back yard as our mountain. There we built our nest, I would protect our unhatched dinosaur eggs while he hunted bad dinosaurs, and the two of us would come home from the end of a day playing outside, our pockets filled with dirt and our hearts filled with memories.

Now, my dear friend is married to a beautiful woman and they are expecting their second "Baby-a-saurus". I still dream that one day life will magically bring them to live next door, and our children will enjoy childhoods filled with new dinosaur adventures all their own! 

Every girl needs a boy to teach her how to play dinosaurs.

And every boy needs a girl to teach him how to play house.

That's how we learn to grow up.

What friendships do you cherish from your childhood? What were your favorite games to play when you were little?

-Domestic Diva

C is for Cat.

See this and many more of my paintings at my etsy shop, here!

Oh to be a cat. Just for one sweet day. The hours would pass into dreams curled up in my plush window seat.. The sun dancing off my rhinestone collar. People shuffling by, stopping a moment to stroke my back, I open my eyes into little slits and decide if I want to wake up for a stretch or not. Usually, not....why would I?

No grocery shopping to do.

No rush to the speech therapist "We're late kiddo, come on!"

Only to turn around and race from that office door to the doctor's. "Noooooo! I don't like shots!"

No cooking. "Mama, I don't like it, chocolate chips."

No cleaning. "UGH! That organic carrot juice you just dumped all over the carpet cost $10.00!"

No bills. "How do I only have five dollars left in gas?"

No bribing a little boy who doesn't want to listen to anything mommy asks,

With more chocolate chips. "Paleeeeease, son!?"

No more explaining to a sad little face that his daddy is on a submarine, but he will come home again...

"Pinky promise."

No more Thomas the train ringing in my ears from dawn until dusk,

Whether the show is actually on or not....

Just a sunny window, and a nice long nap.

That is the life, of a cat.

What animal would you choose to be for a day?

Domestic Diva!

B is for Bumblebee

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I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee...

Won't my mommy be so proud of me!

I was terrified of bees when I was a little girl, and I still prefer they keep an adequate buzzing distance from me today.  One thing I'm not terrified of however, are flowers. I love flowers, and I've come to understand that when it comes to flowers bees tend to have a significant involvement in their existence and so this redeeming grace causes me to appreciate them for their delightful service of pollen spreading. Oh, and making honey. So, they aren't all bad. Those bees that do not spread pollen or make honey are a mystery to me. If only they would all participate in something useful, I may not find them so threatening.

What were you afraid of when you were young?

And does a hint of the fear linger still?

Enjoying the flowers,

And the honey on my toast,

Domestic Diva

A is for Alligator

See this and many more of my paintings at my etsy shop, here!

Alligator pie

Alligator pie,

If I don't get some

I think I'm gonna cry!

Take away the green grass

Take away the sky!

But don't take away my

Alligator pie.

"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

When you start to read,  you start with ABC..." ("Do Re Mi" from Sound of Music)

So for this ABC challenge, what better thing to share,

Than my favorite Kindergarden song!

Hugs!

DD

Be sure and check out some of the other bloggers joining in on the ABC challenge by clicking on my ABC button at the side bar! I am number 685 And I will be sharing my paintings and a thought for the month of April! :) Enjoy!