"Fresh Fashions by Gigi"

note the use of both vertical and horizontal stripes.....the blending of "old" and "new"....
the back view......

and a close up.....

Fresh, if you are new to our blogs, is the blanket that Gracie loves beyond belief.....we gave it to her the night we first had her in China. I took 2 blankets: "Fresh" (a carter's blanket), which is a waffle weave, the other was also carter's.....that John Lennon collection that was more of a jersey cotton t-shirt fabric. I didn't know fresh would be "special"......

Of course, it was well into their relationship that I decided we would need a "back up fresh".....of course, those were DISCONTINUED! Aunt Amy was at the right place, the right time and found one at a consignment sale......fresh then got a sister....."sister fresh"....

Look at the difference in them......so funny!

Gracie uses fresh for everything......a turban, a cape, you name it.....but most of all, a best buddy of comfort. Truly, it was the first thing that WAS ALL HER OWN. No wonder she loves it so!!!! It got the name "fresh" because when she was learning to talk, I would beg her to let me wash it and when it came out of the dryer I would say "oh, smell how fresh it is!!!!"

You know, I'm gonna be sad when Gracie retires the old gal.....

Fresh is awfully faithful :)

Julie, Julia and a bushel and a peck.....

Today after school, Gi and I watched "Julie & Julia".....oh, how we enjoyed this film! Gi has always loved to watch cooking on tv. I had no idea that Julie started a blog (which is something I love....although I've been bad about doing it lately, well,......in a long time....) I am so very much like Julie.....Julie Powell made comments throughout the movie that she never completed things....she needed small deadlines......not good at housekeeping....felt like she was "ADD" with said things above. I can relate.

Meryl Streep has to be my very favorite actress. My favorite actors are Jimmy Stewart and Tom Hanks. She is incredible & I always want to see her in any movie is appears in.......

In the film, the score/music is wonderful too....."A Bushel & a Peck" from Guys & Dolls is included toward the end. I have it in my head now, but that's a good thing! (you get to see it below):) After the movie, I asked Gracie to write and/or draw a photo to put in her "extras composition book". Below is what she drew. She said she wanted it black and white, it would look best that way.....I like what she wrote: cooking is important for people. I'm glad she got that out of the movie, cause it really is so very true.

Check out her cursive "Julie and Julia".....I love it!

I love you, a bushel and a peck!

A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck!

A hug around the neck, and a barrel and a heap

A barrel and a heap, and I'm talkin' in my sleep.

About you. About you! About you! My heart is leapin'! I'm having trouble sleepin'!

'Cause I love you,

a bushel and a peck You bet your pretty neck I do!

Doodle, oodle, oodle. Doodle, oodle, oodle. Doodle oodle oodle oo.

I love you, a bushel and a peck A bushel and a peck, go and beats me all to heck!

Beats me all to heck how I'll ever tend the farm

Ever tend the farm when I want to keep my Arms - about you

- About you! About you!

The cows and chickens are goin' to the dickens!

'Cause I love you a bushel and a peck

You bet your pretty neck I do

- Doodle oodle oodle Doodle oodle oodle Doodle oodle oodle, oo!

Good-bye now!

*****Netflix can get their copy back of Julie & Julia, but you know that it is a "keeper" in the Bryan girls' library!*****

"Lovely Lady Liberty"......

".....with her book of recipes, and the finest one she's got.....

THE GREAT AMERICAN MELTING POT!"

(from School House Rock)

I've been saying for about the past 2 years that I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate my 40th in 2010. The birthday is at the end of this month.....we are waiting until mid March to go to NEW YORK CITY!!!!! Rhett and I went to cover the draft when the Titans got Vince Young, but we were "working" most of the time at the draft in Radio City Music Hall. This time, we are going for 3 nights and 4 days and taking Gracie with us!!!! I plan to nail down all the details in the next week or two, but you must know, we are going to make this a "learning trip" too! I have ordered a history unit on NYC and Gracie and I will be putting the notebook together and learning about some of the things we are going to see in the big apple! I'm so thankful that she enjoys learning new things as much as I do!
So far, we know we will go to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Ground Zero. We are going to see a broadway show and I believe our pick is "Mary Poppins" (so we must watch and read that between now and March as well!)

If anyone has suggestions/ideas/etc. , please let me know!
We will be NY experts before long.....

I'm looking forward to celebrating my big 4-0!

of card games & dictionaries.....

discovering a new game that was in G's stocking.....

I believe this will be a good learning tool for school.....how did Santa know that?

Looking in all of the children's dictionaries we have.....the gold-covered one was mine as a child....they are all different and the new game QUIDDLER, was what sparked this new interest......it's a small world building game and we LOVE it! Who says learning can't be fun?!!!!