10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. while i know love bugs are a giant pain in the bumper.... the hubs and i couldn't help but laugh about them the entire drive to the west coast. we had to stop 3 times each way to remove the splattered on lovers from the windshield just so we could see.

2. an extra day at LBK. the hubs boss invited all the supervisors and families out a day early this year. what a great treat it was to have an extra day to relax at the beach.

3. watching the boy chase his best girlie friend around the beach for 4 days. he sure is smitten with that little lady.

4. one of the nights that we were gone the boy only slept for 4 hours - he woke up at 3 am and was ready to go for the day. now i am not saying that i couldn't live without that night, trust me...it was a tough one. that night made a few things very clear to the hubs and i: we are very lucky to have a child that rarely has sleeping issues, stick to the plan, and that in any time of trouble its always easier if we work as a team.

5. early morning kite flying will always be one of my favorite family activities.

6. all the great response from the mardi gras masks that we made for our friends. they were a huge hit at the party. what a huge pat on the back for me and the hubs.

7. getting dressed up for the awards dinner. we don't dress up much. we are a t-shirt family. but this annual event is our time to shine. haha i just love seeing the hubs all polished and this year he looked really good! and i got to wear a fancy new dress. did i mention that we didn't take any pictures while on vacation.

8. flip cup?

9. grind for life. i can't believe that we didn't know about this annual lake worth event sooner, but thanks to my friend "the mayor" we found out the day of and we were able to catch a few hours of it before the sky opened up for a much needed rain.

10. today's planned f.f.d. (family fun day) at the lake lytal water park. we love this place.

what happened to that "week without words"?

well for those of you who read frequently you know that when i do a "week with out words" i normally post a picture from every day that i am on hiatus. well, i'm sorry that this one was a bust. we are home now from the hubs annual work conference. most of the day has been spent cleaning and digging my way out from under a mountain of laundry.

we had an amazing time at the Long Boat Key Club, and can't wait to go back. i guess you could say that we had too much fun, so much that i didn't take a single picture. not even one. i think that there are some floating around out there from friends camera's that i am going to snag, but i was a very bad photographer/blogger for the past 4 days.

it was amazing seeing old friends, some of which these 4 days of the year are the only that i see them anymore, but it's always like we just picked up right were we left off. one of our best friends won the big time operator of the year / "cerebral assassin" award. we are so very proud of him. i also received an amazing michael khors watch as a "thank you from letting us work the shit out of your husband" gift from the hubs boss. it's to die for.

most of all it was just amazing to see the pride on the hubs face all week. pride for his team of managers, pride for his close friends winning highest honors, but mostly for the sheer pride of fatherhood. i tell him all the time what a great dad he is, but i think that when you are told for 4 days straight by all of your closest friends and co-workers and complete strangers it really hits you. and there is nothing better for this little lady that seeing a smile on her hubs face.

the last night there we had a little two much fun celebrating and we had to drive 4 hours home bright and early the next day with a car covered in love bugs and full of hangover.

{did i mention that super hubs came to my rescue}

{and packed the entire 5 bags of luggage}

{while i tried to not die. he's a keeper.}

this should sum it all up....

brainstorming

the hubs company hold an annual conference at the beautiful long boat key club. that weekend getaway always sneaks up on me.

for the few weeks of cool weather that we get way down here in the tropics i like to allow myself to hibernate (ie. not shave my legs, get fat, and majorly pasty)

every year the motivation to get my butt in gear (and in the sun) is the culminating event of this conference. the formal awards ceremony. that's right.... formal! well as formal as a bunch of restaurant executives get. every year i get so excited about putting on the dress and the makeup, and seeing the hubs in something fancier than a polo. yet every year i feel like i play it a little safe with my wordrobe.

since i have been so inspired to sew lately....here's what i am thinking for this year:

(source)

so i want to make a skirt like this. but not so heavy. i am thinking a silk chiffon, and possibly multiple layers. and the beautiful tropical watercolored fabric that i fell in love with is no longer available. i am debating dying my own. thoughts?

please let me know what you think! all feedback is encouraged and needed! i am still on the fence about wether or not i can pull it off.