{Dress It Up Day - June 6, 2008}

Happy Dress It Up Day!! I hope you enjoy the many dresses posted below ...
Ahhhh the power of a dress and a little imagination - Enjoy :)

Go ahead ... post something dressy up on your site.

{For the Beam Me Up Moments}

Ever been on a date where you wish you could just say "Beam me up" and be transported to another place and time? Well, this dress was designed for that very purpose! It's called the Spock Collection and includes: Star Trek earrings, a UFO cell phone, and a very Trekish dress.
(When you are ready to be 'transported' - simply say "Beam me up" into the UFO Cell Phone)!

{The Wendy Bird}

OK I have this friend (who I've known for 20+ years) and she calls me Wendy Bird. It's her name for me... Why? I don't know - I need to ask her! Anyhow, this outfit collection was inspired by her nickname for me! The Wendy Bird - Dress, bird handbag, slip on heels (3") - complete with nest on top of shoe. Perfect for a "Free Bird" dance or concert ...

{Whimsical}

This dress is for those of you who loved the movie Ever After starring Drew Barrymore (PG, 1998). I have always loved butterflies and find them to be so inspiring... It may have something to do with knowing that an ugly worm can turn into something beautiful and fly away!! :)

The purse says imagine which happens to sum up this entire outfit!! Set includes: Fairy dress, butterfly shoes, imagine purse and sparkly wings - Enjoy!

{The Blooper}

I think there needs to be a shoe called The Blooper. There it is ... It goes with anything!

designs by Wendy Christensen

More dresses - keep reading ----

{Dress It Up Day Gallery}
Dress Inspirations ...
Enjoy the dress collection below ... More to come!!

{Learning to Fly}

Dress Designer: Lauren

Sometimes, you just need to feel like an angel. Please notice the green and pink dress above. It was created by my Angel for other angels to wear and enjoy! This dress comes with pink wings, a green purse and pink square (block) shoes. If you would like to purchase the angel shaped earrings those are sold separately. The next dress in this collection is called the Nest. This dress is available for moms and children. If you'd like matching nest dresses please let me know. This dress comes with a nest purse (there are eggs on the purse) - Lauren just informed me that they will not hatch. The shoes have bird nests on the top with polka dot fabric. The earrings are eggs and are sold separately. Cheers to spring and all things that are growing/hatching and learning to 'fly'!!

{The Furry Kind}
Dress Designer: Lauren

Please notice the 3 dresses above. The first one is called the Squirrel. Feel free to purchase the acorn earrings and adorable squirrel purse and shoes to complete the squirrel look. PS: The fabric for this dress is fuzzy brown fur. The second dress is called the Rabbit. The outfit is complete with heart earrings and a little rabbit handbag. The final design in this animal collection is a hula dress. This is a beautiful creation perfect for summer nights on the beach (or at the park) - no need to bring your hula hoop (there's one built in the skirt)! Hula away kidos! :)

{Prom dress dreams ... back in the 90s}
Dress Designer: Katie Lichfield

Back in the early 90s, I was a student at college and mail from home via the mailman was like heaven! One day, I received a very fun letter from my sister, Katie. Inside was this drawing of her dream prom dress! I loved reading all about her plans for the big night and was happy to know that I was not alone in realizing the power of a DRESS! Don't you find it amazing how planning for a big event can add a spark of magic to all involved?!... For the record, the dress turned out beautiful and looked gorgeous on 'Princess Katie'!!

PS:

Cheers to your style and panache that makes YOU YOU!!

{A prayer on the sidewalk}

Yesterday was a dark and rainy day. It rained all day and felt like we were back in Noah’s time when the earth was being cleansed by a flood! Luckily, we know that will never happen again … (the flood part).

The animal two by two did happen again. – Two dogs showed up on our front lawn late in the evening. (One female and one male) they ended up here on accident or they followed the scent of a happy house full of happy people and couldn’t help but stop by! Luckily, one had a collar with info so we returned it to its home. The other dog was completely lost and thought my husband was his master. He also thought he could come into the house. After an hour of trying to help him find his way home (with no luck) we decided to call around and see if there were any shelters that would take him for the night. They were all closed… Finally, we had to just come inside and turn out the lights. That poor dog stood on our front steps and barked for an hour. I’m sure the barks would have translated into – “Why, can’t I find my home? Why was there thunder in the sky tonight and why did I run away?
And finally, why can’t you just let me come in?”

Eventually the barking and whining stopped and he made his way out into the night
in search of his home.

PS:
The cutest part of the whole night was watching (from the front door) as my husband and our 3 children said a prayer (out loud) in the rain on the sidewalk for the dog and master to be reunited!

Dog, wherever you are, know that there are 5 people hoping you find your home full of love and yummy dog treats … :)

Blogger DRESS-IT-UP Day!!
YOU are Invited!!

{GET YOUR FASH ON}

Friday June 6, 2008

I thought it would be fun to create a few blogger holidays! The very first Blogger holiday is June 6th, 2008. Want to be part of it? Here’s how –

Step 1 -
Design a dress and post it up on your blog.
Or
Post a picture of your favorite dress up on your blog
Or
Post a picture of you wearing your favorite dress on your blog
Please post on Friday June 6th (that's the holiday) :)

Step 2 –
Add commentary… Tell us the juicy details about your dress. Why do you love it, who designed it? What accessories go with the dress? How do you feel when you get all dolled up - where do you want to go??!

Step 3 –
Send me a comment so I can check out your blog and share your link on mine!

Step 4 –
Be creative, have fun and get 'dressy' :)!!!

PS - Invite your blogging buddies to join the FUN!

{Shiver Me Timbers and Yo-ho-ho}

It's off to a birthday party we go!

Beware! Priates afoot ...


Kade and Lauren on the treasure hunt ...
What aarrr you seeing matey??!


Walking the plank ...
This was dangerous as there were giant crocodiles looking for a meal!
(Tick-tock)



Ahoy ...Treasure!

Pirates of the Yakima - Wendy and Kaleb

Happy Birthday Isaac :) ... We loved being part of your BIG Pirate Party!

{Happy Birthday KADE}

Our oldest son, Kade, turned 12 yesterday!
Its hard to believe I've been a mom for that long... OH the things we've learned together.
We celebrated last weekend at the park with a big family and friends party! We played kick ball for 2 hours and enjoyed an ice cream cake, friends and a pile of wonderful gifts.

Last night I made his favorite dinner - Tacos! For dessert we had brownies and ice cream. It was perfect. Love you Kade - Thanks for being such a GREAT person.

Fast facts about Kade - He loves art, soccer, friends, tennis and reading.
His teachers call him the leader at his Middle School and say he's the kindest kid on campus...

I agree!! :)

{Take your Mom to work day ...}

Like these earings? You can find them and many others at http://www.1928.com/

The jewerely shop in Fred Meyer - where my daughter (who is 5) works carry this 1928 brand. I love them!

Inside the mind of a child -

My daughter, Lauren, who is five loves to pretend she is an employee at Fred Meyer. They have a jewelry section (not the one with diamonds and REAL jewels) but the other little section in the store next to the socks and watches. She has ‘worked’ at this shop for over a year now!

We wake up some mornings and she informs me she has a very important meeting she must attend. So, we hurry and dash off to the shop so she can be on time. Today, I was having a turtle day (bit slower than usual) and she kept telling me that she couldn’t be late for the meeting at the jewelry shop! I started to laugh and said: “Lauren what is so important about this meeting?” She said, “Its take your Mom to work day!”

So again, we dashed off to the shop so I could see just exactly what it is she does there. Once inside, she informed me the meeting was cancelled. She was thrilled about that and just showed me around the jewelry. When we had enough of that, she informed me she was such a good worker she was given a job in the garden section too.

Yup, we went to check that out as well. I had the grand tour of the garden section and learned things about flowers and plants I never dreamed possible. When it was over I thanked her for taking me to work with her and she assured me that we could do that everyday if we wanted :)!!

Cheers to the power of imagination and going to work with a child.

PS: Ask your kid where he/she works – it may totally surprise you!

{Greenies}
pedal.kayak.organics

Have you ever been kayaking? I have not but want to try it out! A new shop just opened that offers kayak rentals - My husband and I can hardly wait to get a tandem kayak for the day
and paddle away :)

Thanks Matt and Patti Murphy for opening such a fun store…

Their site is under construction but should be opening soon – http://www.greenlife.com/

Cheers to trying something NEW!! :)

{The Savage WEST}

On Monday night, my son, Kaleb informed me that his class needed another parent to attend their school field trip the next day. I had somehow missed the sign up sheet to volunteer and was thrilled to be part of the adventure! Care to join us? OK come on – keep reading and learn some very interesting facts about the savage west.

What to pack:
Rain gear, warm clothing, walking shoes, a sack lunch and a spirit of adventure!

Whitman Mission
Walla Walla, Washington
(National Historic Site)

Back in 1836 five missionaries made the long trek across America for the Oregon Territory. Two of them were a newly married couple – Marcus & Narcissa Whitman. Marcus had 6 weeks of education and was a Doctor. (Amazing how things have changed!) Narcissa wanted to come out west so badly that she agreed to marry Marcus without having met him. Their honeymoon was their journey to the west. Narcissa was one of the first white women to ever set foot in Oregon and Washington.

The reason for their journey was due to the Indians requesting a copy of the White man’s religious book (The Bible) and they wanted to learn what it said. So these missionaries agreed to come to the west to meet the Indians and teach them of the white man’s ways and about the Bible.

Marcus and Narcissa set up the Whitman Mission and had a lot of interaction with the warlike Cayuse Indians. They were not as receptive to the Bible’s teachings or the ways of the white people as was hoped.


(Covered wagon like the ones used long ago)
The kids loved seeing this ...

{Tragedy Strikes}
This is the Great Grave at the Mission where the 14 people killed are remembered

After episodes of illness and other hardships, the Cayuse Indians attacked the Whitman Mission (known as the Whitman massacre) killing 14 people (including the Whitmans). There is a monument at the Center that stands way high on a hill. It is beautiful and you hike up to it. Once at the top you can look out over the place where the mission used to be. I couldn’t help imaging what it must have been like to live in such hard times. I am always amazed when I learn or visit places of our past how strong and brave our pioneer anscestors were. They inspire me.


It was a really cold, rainy day and as we toured the site, pelicans flew above us ...

Cheers to history and the past that we LEARN from ...
Thanks for joining us!!


PS -
I really enjoyed the field trip and would encourage any who visit Walla Walla to make this part of the trip. Tid bit: The elementary school I attended was called – Marcus Whitman Elementary. It’s nice to know I attended a school named after such a good, brave man!

Whitman Mission web site -
http://www.nps.gov/whmi/

{Wendy’s Pasta Salad}

16 ounce bag of colored rotini pasta
1 can sliced olives
1 can baby corn
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts
Kraft zesty Italian dressing
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour cooled pasta into big serving bowl and mix together with - olives (drain them), corn (drain those too), artichoke hearts (drain them). Then coat with the Italian dressing. Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese, cover and chill in the refrigerator. (You may want to add a little more dressing just before you serve the salad).

This salad is a hit everywhere I take it! Enjoy!
PS: What is your favorite summer salad? :)

{Superwoman cape - use it!}

Yesterday, my oldest son (who is in middle school) forgot to take his freshly washed PE uniform to school. I realized I still had time to drive to the school and get to his locker before the first class began. I grabbed the uniform and dashed for the middle school. To my surprise, there were kids everywhere all wearing strange wigs and funky hair. I completely shocked my son when I touched him on the arm at his locker and said, “You forgot this.” His first period teacher was standing there and said, “You fit right in – it’s crazy hair day!” I laughed really hard at that one! (Hey when you need to be a hero, you don’t stop to look gorgeous).

PS: Do you have a red Superwoman cape? I do! This cape gives me powers beyond the normal average powers that come with being a woman. If you don’t have one – I recommend you get one! Cheers to super powers ....!!

:)

PS: click on the cape photo above to see it better!
The little hook holding the cape reads - hers.

{Race Chariots}

My Grandpa Lichfield (who is no longer alive) used to own a race chariot business. He made these amazing chariots and when we would go visit him, they were in his backyard. The older cousins would pretend to be horses and pull the chariots full of the younger cousins around ...

We recently sold our house and I'm trying to de-junk and go through everything as we will be
moving (in the not too distant future) and I came across the above bumper sticker.
My Grandpa used to give those out to everyone he met!
I always loved his sense of humor and his ability to tell stories!

I can just hear him saying -
"The Surgeon General said nothing about smoking the competition!"

Funny :)

{Mother's Day ...}

Wendy, Kade, Lauren and Kaleb Christensen
Mother's Day 2008

A breakfast of LOVE ...
Special thanks to my husband and kids for the heart shaped pancakes - they even spelled the word love in panacakes for me .... I love you guys too!

Wendy, Lauren and Gwen 2008
(A BBQ after church with my Mother-in-law and family)
Very fun! :)

I took these gorgeous flowers to my mom and had a very fun (late night) visit with her...
I love you Mom!

A card from Kaleb

A card from Kade
(Loved the humor and creativity of this one ...$25 worth of chores)
The back of the card listed the prices of things he would do ... Funny!

A card from Lauren
(All girl - full of hearts, flowers and love)

**********

Have you ever had such a perfect day??!
:)

{Lauren the dress designer ...}

Have you ever turned your kid’s schoolwork over …. Just to see what’s on the other side?
I have and on the back of my daughter's papers, I always find an amazing line of little girls in dresses!

It’s possible my daughter may one day have her own dress line …
:)

2008 designs by Lauren, age 5

{A Hat Thing ...}

With my sisters, Mom and my 2 sons ... Whistler, British Columbia 2001


Wearing an old hat at an antique shop in Cle Elum, WA 2008
(Bought it) :) ...

At the Mariner Game - Seattle, WA 2008
Let's play ball!

What hats do you wear??!

{The Acorn}

One day while my daughter Lauren and I were waiting for Kaleb (my son) to finish baseball practice, we stumbled across a pile of acorn tops. We looked up and realized we were standing underneath a giant acorn tree.

Hmmmmmmmmm - We decided we would find some food for the little squirrels that wonder into our yard. After hunting and hunting, we found one whole acorn. I’m guessing a squirrel herd already pilfered the place.

Last night, I found the acorn tucked in a safe place in her bedroom. I almost grabbed it to take it out to the backyard (for some lucky squirrel) but decided not to.

I figured that acorn deserved to be in a happy room with a very happy little girl who was so thrilled to find one whole acorn with her Mom…

I love how the little moments linger – (sometimes in the form of an acorn).

May 1, 2008 - National Day of Prayer ...

Pray (out loud)

{Humility}
The quality or state of being humble;
modest opinion of one’s own importance.

Prayer is a powerful and beautiful gift we can enjoy anyplace and anytime. Our Heavenly Father loves to hear from us and wants us to be happy. It is His desire and promise to bless us as we strive to do what is right. But, we must invite him into our lives, our hearts and our homes. This is done by praying.

How often do you talk to our Heavenly Father? Is it once a year, once a month, once a week or three times a day?

Maybe praying is not a part of your daily routine. Do you think you could make it a part of your everyday life? Have you ever tried?

For those of you who are not in the praying habit, commit to making it part of your life.

A great time to pray is at night (just before bed.) When the house is all quiet, kneel down and talk to Him like you would a close friend.

Tell Him about your day, thank Him for your abundant blessings and then invite Him to help you with your challenges.

He does hear you and wants to help. He is a loving person full of grace, charity and infinite love. He will NEVER let you down, He will NEVER lead you astray and He will NEVER give up on you!
Your prayers can be said in your heart or out loud. I recommend using both methods. And if you are not in the habit of praying out loud, try it.

There is a peaceful, wonderful feeling that comes by praying out loud. It makes the prayer more real, humble and sincere. Your desire and effort to communicate with our Heavenly Father will truly enrich every moment of your life!

This little moment matters –

Today, find a time to say a prayer out loud. You can say it alone, with a friend, or with your family. Feel free to say your prayer in the car, outside, or in your room. The important thing is to try it.

Feel the wonderful feelings that come from communicating with our Heavenly Father.

Take a moment after the prayer and just listen to His answers. Most often they come in the form of a warm feeling, happy thoughts or a reassuring feeling of love and acceptance. Once you learn how to pray, teach others in your life. Help your children learn to pray! This ONE habit will be one of the most powerful gifts you can give them.

© 2004 Wendy Christensen, It's the Little Moments that Matter

{Happy Birthday #10 to my son Kaleb}

Thanks for being such an adorable Curious George!
I love you...

{Lost in the 50s at the gas station ...}

It was Sunday night and the gas light had been on all day. Before I went to sleep, I made my Monday to-do list and the very first item read: Fill up the gas tank – get there on fumes if possible! Sometimes I write funny notes to myself on the to-do list to add a little humor to them. Then when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with all that needs to get done, I can look down and laugh (at myself).

Anyhow, I made it to the gas station on Monday morning (on the fumes). And for some reason, it was taking forever to fill up the tank. Usually, the numbers just fly at the pump and before you know it – the tank is full. Not this time! After 10 minutes of waiting for the tank to fill, I start looking around to see if other people have been there as long as me. Yes, the same 3 people are still at the pump.

So, I stand there and go into la la thinking land of random thoughts …
I wonder what it was like to put gas in a car in the 50s ...
I wonder if gas prices would go down if women wore aprons and hats.
I wonder what is wrong with this pump.
I wonder if this would be a good scene in my sitcom script ...

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the man across from me informed me a filter was out and was causing the slow speed.

“Oh, thanks” I reply.
Then he shouts – “The country is a mess because there are Republicans running it.”
“Oh, dear” I said.

After standing there for 15 minutes, I looked up at the price of $67.95 and decided that the tank had to almost be full! I can hear more complaints about the speed of the pump and the price of gas …I believe a frenzy about politics and gas prices is about to occur at the gas station.
Luckily, I was done and didn't feel the need to join the pumping madness.

(I flipped the switch to off and drove away).

I can tell you why the pumps don’t run on slow speed. People start getting crazy at the pump.

I know because I found myself wanting to don an apron and go back in time to the 50s and the man across from me wanted to ban Republicans from the Universe.

Note to gas stations everywhere – make sure the average pumping time is 4 minutes or less. It’s for our own good!

Cheers to gas stations and pumps that work on ultra fast speed!

{I hope you dance ...}

Have you ever bumped into a moment in life that brings up another moment from life? I had one of those 'bumping episodes' yesterday. Here’s what happened –

My daughter, Lauren, and my oldest son, Kade and I were dropping off some “Wiggle Like a Fish” CDs to the owner at Aunt Franny’s Toy shop. (In case you don’t know, my husband performs for kids and families). This musical adventure keeps us busy!

As I was leaving the store I noticed several guys coming out of the Tuxedo shop (located next to Aunt Franny’s toys) and realized it was prom weekend. I turned to my son and asked him if planned on attending the prom when he got older. "Yes!" He told me.

At that very moment I had a flash back to my younger years. I was a freshman in high school and my younger sister, Amy, and I wanted our older brother, Travis to go to the prom. We wanted to see him all decked out and mostly, we wanted to see his date and her gorgeous gown!
(I couldn't go to the prom until I was dating age: 16).

We devised a plan. We wrote him a letter and told him who he should ask and informed him we would pay for the date. How you ask? We had paper routes! We would pool the money together and send him to the prom. We were thrilled with our plan and slid the letter under his bedroom door.

Much to our disappointment, he didn’t go to the prom – even with our very appealing offer. In fact, he never made it to any formal dance during his lifetime. That summer, he died in a car accident.

As we drove away from the tux shop, I turned to Kade and said – “I can’t wait for you to go to the prom!” I told him about Travis and how his aunt and I offered to pay for his date and about the letter that we slid under the bedroom door.

Kade wanted to know more and as we pulled into our driveway – we were both crying.

It’s amazing how one life can leave such a lasting impression.

Wendy, Tory and Kaleb - Children's poetry awards ceremony (April 2007)

{A Poet named Kaleb}

We have a little poet in our family. His name is Kaleb and last year he took 3rd place for a poem he wrote on snakes. We entered a few poems this year and he took 2nd place for his
poem called "Radio."

This weekend, he’ll get to read his winning piece at the Community Center as part of the annual children’s poetry celebration put on by our city and the YMCA. Way to go Kaleb!

Below is his winning entry -

Radio
By Kaleb Christensen

Radios sometimes have pounding music
Slow melodies
Rockin’ rock
But sometimes your radio doesn’t work

Cheers to poets and their poems - and all things lyrical ... :)

April is national poetry month - grab some Shakespeare and feed thy soul

“Love is born. Everything else is learned.”
The Dalai Lama

We were in Seattle the same time as the Dalai Lama. He was there for a five-day event about teaching compassion to children and youth. I bumped into the above quote outside an art gallery in Pioneer Square and was completely touched by it. Once inside the art gallery, I was moved (again) by the art on the walls.

The Dalai Lama posed the following question: What does compassion look like?
And children from all over the world drew pictures and wrote about what compassion meant to them. Being there and seeing their art was a very great experience for me.

Have you ever thought about compassion and the impact it has on the world?
What would you draw/paint/sculpt or write to depict that word?

http://www.seedsofcompassion.org/

{Safeco Field in Seattle, WA}

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Seattle to watch the Mariners play baseball!
They won and it was a perfect night in Seattle!! You could see the moon above Safeco Field and the place was so alive with screaming, cheering baseball fans! I loved every moment of it …
(Especially the 7th inning stretch and singing "Take me out to the ball game"!)

Cheers to baseball and America!

:)

No, I didn’t have a hotdog or a heaping plate of garlic fries – I ended up with a big cup of Ivar’s clam chowder (pure heaven) and a huge glass of lemonade – yummy!

{Sweet Dreams}

I had a very interesting dream last night about my brother and Grandpa (both who have been dead for a long time). It was sweet and I like to think that the dream was their way of saying "Hi" and "I love you ... "

So Grandpa & Travis - I love you too!

{Who do you look like?}

You ever get that? People stop to tell you you look like so and so ... It happens to me every now and again! Below are photos of people I don't mind being confused as!

If you have not tried this site - give it a shot! You can morph yourself too.
:)

I just tried it on my husband and he's 66% Mark Harmon or Carlos Bernard.

My son Kaleb looks most like Margaret Thatcher ... Funny huh??!

{Take Me out to the ball game ...!}

My husband and I are taking a little romantic getaway to the wonderful city of Seattle ...
Part of the fun will include watching the Seattle Mariners play at Safeco Field!!
I can't wait!! :) I love baseball ...

Everyone keeps telling me I gotta try the garlic fries at the ball park ... Bring 'em on!

{Monkeys ... Elephants and Peacocks}

OH MY!!

It's spring break so to kick it off, we took a road trip to Tacoma, WA to visit the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. It was such a great trip! We love the zoo! If you want to see a slide show from our adventure, I've posted a show below (enjoy).

PS: There were loose peacocks wandering everywhere ... Funny.

{You Are Not Lost}
*****
Are you a Michael Buble fan? I am :) - I love his voice and style.
This song is beautiful and has a wonderful message ...

Thank heavens for loving connections and the amazing ability we have
to help each other with the tough, dark days.

Happy Wednesday :)