The winner is...

Our M&M.  I was going through pictures from November and December and it occurred to me that our third child wins the prize for funniest pictures of the year.  I'd like to dedicate this post to M.  Whom, as of late, is more often on the naughty list than the good, but she adds spice to our lives in a way that is endearing. She has the mouth of a sailor (if words like stupid and poop count) and yet she is the most animated and funny girl too.  She is rough and tough, but changes her clothes about ten times a day.  She loves nail polish.   I've learned a lot about nail polish removal...it seems to find its way on everything BUT nails.  There are days when I want to go find a job or reside at Pine Rest Mental Institution. ;)  I kid.  Well sort of...
Today as we snuggled in for a nap (because if I didn't lay down with her we were liable for any damages that may incur while we "thought" she was napping) and after we read "three books" she laid her sweet little hand across my shoulder and says "I love you mommy."  Melted. 

Goofball

Fearless

The classic Christmas picture

So precious in those Christmas jammies...uhhhh

 

 The seals smelled really bad!

 

Please note the roped off area and where M is standing...Rule. Breaker.  Was giving her momma a heart attack in the process!

And then there is little sister...safety is our goal in this relationship ;)

Dad's girl

She is the one in the glass bowl...with her tongue hanging out...

  She LOVES the snow and often asks to get her "snowing clothes" on to play outside

 

Grandma got this perfect shirt!

This picture speaks for itself...

Whats Not to Love?!?!

Sew, Sew, Sew Cute!!

My sista has some mad crazy sewing skillz.  Okay, talking that way + sewing don't really mix...when I think of someone sewing my mind goes all quiet, dainty and towards a cute little house wife.  That is one thing I like about my sister, she is that and she isn't...maybe I just know her fierce inner, wild side. ;)  This ALWAYS happens. Me gets sidetracked  (and yes, you grammatical freaks, *cough* Janelle and Julie) I meant to say "me gets". :P

Insert gorgeous sista:

See...she is cute even in a mustache!! Not many ladies can say that...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My sister made, as in bought the material and stitched together, MADE these bedding sets:

See that animal print?  Yup, I called it...fierce.

And the dainty side *blinks rapidly* :)

I adored the ribbon ties!

The coordinating pillows - she sewed these too!

The fabric print choices could not get any cuter! She even made the underside of the duvet cover out of a soft sheet so it would be cozy.  That is the great thing about sewing - sew custom! ;) Ok, I promise no more corny jokes.  She also did the bedskirts.  *swoon* 

Some other DIY likes:

Hanging baskets

Loved the mirror.  My sister and husband made the frame and added the corner details

Cute fall table runner she sewed

This table she re-finished to black...she is the queen of Craigslist finds!

This bathroom deserves its own page!!  The stripes were amazing and just the perfect accent.

New dining room wall decor.  We had a lot of fun putting this together during our visit.  Nothing screams girls night more than drilling holes in a wall!  She already had the black shelf and we found the shutters at Home Goods (coming soon near us!!!).  The clock we also found on one of our shopping outings

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On our first day we took my nieces to get their hair done.  They have a really cute "kids salon" in their town.  Check it out...want the kid to look down?? Plop a puzzle in their lap. Genius.

Donating to Locks of Love

One cutie patootie!!

The girls "fed" their hair into a machine and out came a prize!!

 

We were able to celebrate my niece turning three - very special

Cousin love!

What Is Better Than The Mall of America?!?!

What is better?  Well, a lot of things. ;)  Lest I sound so shallow...let me back up.  A couple weeks ago I was SO blessed with the opportunity to go visit my little sister.  Her new hometown is in Minnesota (or as my daughter's say "tiny-sota").  My sweet husband agreed to be Mr. Mom to three of our four children.  He did great, although one time when he called (toward the end of my trip) he told me it felt like there was a death in the family with me gone - dramatic?? Yes, we are a dramatic peoples.  I am convinced there is some Italian in our bloodline.  We are also loud.  WHAT??  Where is this going?  Oh yeah, Mall of America...that is just one of those things being girls and sisters/mom we always talked about doing.  Mall + Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead = dream vacation (we were sheltered, what can I say?).  The mall was fun, big, & overwhelming.   My first reaction when we walked in was "keep the baby close...very close, where is my purse, and there are a LOT of people here."  I'll admit it...  paranoia set in.  Any and every walk of life.  You couldn't help but think and wonder who needed Jesus.  That made me sad.  We made it out alive and with the mere purchase of only two scarves!  Yes, I want to make a t-shirt that says "I went to Mall of America and only bought two things."  It must be some kind of record.  The other side to that story - the day prior we had gone to an outlet mall and I only had one suitcase so I was limited.  God works in mysterious ways. :)  We were most impressed with the store next to the mall...IKEA!!  On our way out we noticed that they even had a "daycare/drop off" play type area for kids.  My sister and I looked at each other with huge eyes.  "Could you do it?"  Sister: *gasp* NO!!!"  Seriously, I don't think I could leave my child with complete strangers and shop at peace.  Nope.  Nada.
Fast forward a day "Then Came Sunday"...(anyone who knows our choir is singing this line in their head right now). 
First of all, I am so thankful my sister (and her hubby) found a perfect match in the way of a church and church family.   I couldn't get over the parallels from the previous day as I walked in the front door.
#1.  I wasn't clutching my purse like someone might rip me off.
#2.  These people KNEW Jesus.  So warm and loving!
#3.  I didn't even think twice about leaving my baby in the nursery.

Worshiping our God was by far the highlight of my weekend.  It made me really grateful for the body of Christ! 

We did  have loads of good girl time, we had fun celebrating my nieces third birthday, shopping, doing some crafts, and a fun DIY project...more to come on that soon!  My sister is super talented and I can't wait to write about her sewing abilities. 

Laundry Room

Have you ever heard of the Rust-O-Leum Cabinet Transformations?  They also make a countertop version.  One of the last things "oak" to go in our house was in the laundry room.  Here is what it looked like when we moved in:

 

Mid-Summer progress...laundry day.  In general, the state of this room 90% of the time!

I wanted some more detail on the flat cabinet so I got a sheet of beadboard at Lowes...they even cut it to the exact size right in the store!  It was incredibly easy to tack up and added a lot of character!

The Rust-O-Leum kit worked great! No sanding, it included everything (except the paintbrush).  The prep was the most time consuming, taping everything off and wiping down the cabinets. 

  The glazing part was the most nerve-wracking 

It came out ok though!

All clean until the piles come in...5, 4, 3, 2....Yup, that is precisely how much time I enjoyed this view...approximately five seconds. ;)

We will also be changing the countertop...the black/gray just isn't working

New hardware

The ironing board cabinet I left white...was thinking about glazing it, but glad I didn't!

Coat/shoe closet...open at your own risk ;)

New lights

 

 

 

That's it...I have to give props to my sister  who recently did her ENTIRE kitchen!  That makes this look like child's play.  Perhaps she will let me do a post on that!! :) 

Goat Cheese

Mmmmmm....goat cheese.  We like cheese in general.  My dear (ironically, slightly lactose intolerant) hubs will drool as we stroll the cheese isle at Costco.  I've been known to sneak a block or two back on the shelf!  Whenever we are eating out and he sees goat cheese as a listed ingredient he lets out a big "Mmmmm".  He hearts cheese.
I've been trying a few new recipes this week and last nights was a score so I thought I'd share it.

Ingredients:

2 TBS butter
4 TBS olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 lb portobello mushrooms, cut in 1/4 " strips (or your favorite...I had Bella so we used those)
3 TBS chopped parsley (or 1 TBS dried)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 lb ziti (I used penne - any pasta will do)
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

In large frying pan, melt 1 TBS butter with 2 TBS oil over moderate heat.  Add onions, 1/2 tsp salt, and sugar.  Cook, stirring frequently until onions are well browned about 15-20 min.  Remove from pan.

In same pan, melt remaining 1 TBS butter with 1 TBS oil over moderate heat.  Add mushrooms,1/4 tsp. salt and cook.  Stir occasionally until brown (8 min).  Add reserved onions, parsley and salt and pepper.

In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until just done. Reserve 3/4 C of pasta water and drain.  Toss the pasta and 1/2 C of reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 TBS oil, goat cheese and Parm.  If the pasta seems dry add more pasta water.

*I inevitably ALWAYS dump my pasta before reserving the water - it drives me nuts!  I used chicken stock instead and it turned out great.

Even Miss A tried a noodle!  She is changing so much lately.  She is currently napping in her OWN room, she got a new top tooth this week, she is "starting" to crawl (does more nose dives that hand/knee action), and she has started eating veggies. She is one happy baby!

After getting scared by the flash she kept making this hilarious squinting face and laughing...

 Oh mom you are going to blind me!!  Poor baby!

A Condron Boy??

Does that title make you curious?  We get asked ALL the time..."going to try for a boy?"  The answer is still emphatically the same - NO! :)  Unless God places a boy in our path we feel our family is very complete.  We are quite content with our little girls; however, we got a glimpse of what a Condron boy might look like.
One word. Scissors.

Yes.  I cried.  The other side looks the same.  Apparently this girl took - the 80's are back - a little too seriously.  A mullet? Seriously M?
About a month ago I gave her a darling new haircut:

I could see the wheels spinning as I was cutting her hair.  I debated in my mind, should I address the scissors or leave it alone?  I decided to address it that way if she chose to get into them she had been warned and I could parent accordingly (ya catch ma drift??).   So we had the whole "ONLY mommy cuts hair or Miss Leigh Ann the stylist...Megan, scissors are for paper, etc."  She seemed to get it, you know raise your hand, repeat after me, blah, blah, blah.
Well, when mom and dad went out for a date she gave herself a "bang trim".  I think she figured the babysitter wouldn't be able to punish her so she took advantage of the situation.  Regardless, after dealing with that episode I thought at least the scissor thing was behind us. 
Apparently I was dead wrong.  On the positive side she doesn't have much more hair that she CAN cut!  That is a very small positive, we are grasping at straws.  I probably should have seen this coming.  Her track record isn't in her favor:

I realize posting all these is going to make people think I never watch the kid...go ahead judge me.  ;)

I seriously thought we had a chipmunk in our vent because I heard this *ping, ping...nope just Megan losing some of her candy during a raid of her sisters stash.

 

This picture doesn't do the nail polish on the carpet justice.  I have family (right Ryan??) that can vouch for me on this one...we were eating Sunday dinner and she couldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes when I went to check on her...I think there is video footage of this doozy too.

 

 

Grape juice meet carpet. I realize kids spill, you just have to laugh at this point - or call the carpet cleaners.

Anyways, I figure I have documentation of what exactly put me in the funny farm when the time comes, because at this rate the time WILL come!! ;)
OH and what makes things even more ironic...guess what I scheduled the morning of this infamous hair day??  Yup, family pics. Sure did.  Bring on the headbands.
After a lot of gasping, everyone pawing at little Megan's head, and the "I can't believe its", we stopped and I saw this pathetic little girl who is so full of mischief, but yet she can warm our hearts in an instant.  I made everyone promise that we wouldn't talk about it anymore.  We love her in spite of her craziness.  Bald and all. ;)  I am sure she will laugh at this one day or at the least understand when she is crying over her little girl's new hair cut someday.  (Yes, I still remember the haircut I gave myself...I was in first grade).  This morning before she climbed up on her daddy's lap she put a little hat on and smiled with that great big smile of hers, like "now I am good?".  It broke my heart.  God doesn't require that we come to Him with a hat on when we've been naughty, He loves us in spite of us.  He is a forgiving Father and full of compassion.  I want my kids to feel the same with us.  We can deal with it, but then its done, its over.  We love you M&M!  Now quick, everyone go hide every single pair of scissors you can find!! ;) 

See...you can't help but love her!