100th post Giveaway

I know this is last minute but, Check out Debbies site at http://myshabbyrosesblog.blogspot.com/. I like the the shabbiness of her blog. She has wonderful ideas too! One of her giveaways is this Apron*ology magazine. How funny that I just recently posted a subject on my aprons. With that, she added a tote that she made using a pretty Spring print called "Barefoot Roses". I love being barefoot! Of course, the package wouldn't be complete without a Starbucks gift card ($5.00).. Hurry, because she is having her drawing tomorrow on the 4th!

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Happy Birthday Jorge and Diego

Los Pitufos? I guess that's how you say the Smurfs and since I'll be going down memory lane, it's purr-fect.
Today My brother Jorge, or as some call him George/Zach/Dad, turned 37 and My Cousin Diego, or as everyone calls him, simply, Diego/Dad, turned 30, so Happy Birthday.
First, let me say that Diego is like my little brother. He always counted our family, along with his brother Leonardo, in all happening events. They would always call us on the phone to come their home. Even if my Tio Juan and Tia Mara had their social parties and didn't call my mom to invite her. Diego and Leonardo would call and say hurry and come over to the party.

Diego always loved his family and extended family. Still to this day, at Christmas Breakfast, Thanksgiving dinners, and family Birthday Parties, if Diego and Maren are not over, I ask, "Where's Diego?"

Here is Diego with his Beautiful Wife, Maren. He has two precious children; Melia and Jace, who I call Diegito, because he is his mini-me. Below is a picture of Diego this past summer, he like most men I know, has not grown up.

Notice the updated sip and slide, with the new soft landing? I remember it a long plastic liner with no soft landing. If you go back before the slip and slide, you would just hose your patio really good and just slid on the bare concrete. If you were a dare devil, had some dish soap and your really slide of the water and into the bare, bare, in this case, AZ hot griddle bare sidewalk!

Feliz Cumpleaños Jorge!

Anyways, in case you haven't guessed this is Myself and my little brother Jorge at the ages of probably 5 and 2, Luisa wasn't born yet and we stilled lived at Hobson Street. Everyone used to say I looked like Nadia Comaneci, the Romanian Gold Medalist. Anyways...Here's to my brother.

George,

Remember when we would watch Thunder Cats and you were Lion-O and I was Cheetera?

or we would stay up late to watch Cheech and Chong movies

or Bruce Lee Movies and laugh because the words never matched the lips and you would try to mimic by moving your lips and then say something.

Remember begging mom for money till, I think it was more for her sanity than our enjoyment, she would cave in and we would ride our bikes (remember the big wheel and then we upgraded to the GREEN MACHINE)

along with Darren your best friend to

and we would buy...
and

Then Atari was invented and you would rather spend your money on games than staying alive to eat. Or remember the time Grandma sent you and Beto to buy tortillas and crema with a $20 dollar bill and there was none. So instead of coming home with the money, the two of you spent the money on Pac-Man and Asteroids games.

We would play with your Original Star Wars Characters and none of this Episode Crap.

We also fought a lot, cried a lot, did mischievous stuff together. But I miss you George. I remember that everywhere I went you went too. Birthdays, we had to celebrate it together. Trips, together. That you and I would wish we were apart from one another. Belinda used to tell us, "Someday you'll be apart and you'll always remember that I told you you'll someday miss each other and wish you were never apart." She was right. I wish you were here in AZ or that we just lived nearer to each other. I miss you sooo much. You always knew what I was thinking without saying it. You always know when to call and cheer me up. So if you were here, I would say come over for some carne asada, as we have every Sunday. And I would make your favorite side dish of Spaghetti with meat balls.

Mama would make your favorite, German Chocolate Cake

and we would sing the Mañanitas, if mama Hasn't already awaken you up with a serenade.

Have a Happy Birthday and we hope to see you soon with Jorden and Caleb.

Love,

Arnnette

Here is my niece Jorden, Jorge's oldest and only daughter. Look at the Kentucky Hollars.

Here is a beautiful Father Son Photo, my nephew Caleb.

Here are my four brothers in Kentucky.

From Left to Right, Derrick, Jorge, Josh (who's b-day is on the 4th), and Britt.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Here's a Topo Gigio, Mañanitas for Jorge and Diego! Click here. Or school to Las Mañanitas on my Playlist at the bottom of the blog so you can hear a birthday serenade.

Have I ever mentioned that I love aprons?

What does this?

and this, have in common?

I participated on a Secret Santa Gift Exchange for the holidays. We did little daily giftsand the final gift I gave... you guessed it, an apron. Jessica, the person I had, loves cats. She also loves vintage and retro looks. No offense, because I'm a dog lover instead, but it was hard to find a cat fabric that I didn't grose out with. Even as a dog lover, a pet apron just doesn't go with a kitchen for me. Except maybe chickens and rooster or cows and pigs, Ironically. I think it's due to the fact that I've visited kitchens of friends with litter boxes and/or in the bathrooms, eww!

Thats another segment.

The thought of an apron with cats, just didn't work for me. However, I found this fabric with cats and another cordinating fabric with paw prints that looked retro and didn't look like I would grose out if I visited a friend wearing this cat apron.

Anyway, I found the one I liked and wouldn't grose out with. Jessica loved it!

Last weekend, at a (15-20 year) reunion with old friends from the Young Women and Young Adults, we did the same kind of gift exchange. We had a friendship exchange with handmade gifts. The person I had was Veronica. She likes simplicity and collects "dust". Not really, she's a perfectionist clean freak. Somehow I figured her as a "green" person. Don't ask. I just somehow can guess peoples color and likes. I bought this fabric with green and chocolate colors. I bought a hook to hang the apron that was green with a humming bird. Since birds are like the "In" style, and I love humming birds.
Well, it turns out Veronicas favorite bird is a humming bird and loves green. She loved it.I had enough fabric to make a pot holder and I included her first initial.

I used to sell aprons. My mama, who on a tight Christmas on year, convinced me to sell my aprons. It worked! I was able to have a Christmas for my children when I had recently separated from my previous marriage. I still only sell aprons for holidays when requested.

For now, I thought I would share two of the aprons that I made recently. Hope you enjoy!

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Giveaway at 320*Sycamore

Woo-Hoo! Congrats to 320*Sycamore who just posted her 100th post!

She's celebrating by having a give away to readers, whether you are new or old:
a bag of 100% real Texas cotton, a hardback Pottery Barn Storage & Display book, & the ever-popular shower curtain from Target: out of stock in store and online. Just leave her a comment by Wednesday 11:59 p.m. (central time) and She'll announce the winner on Thursday. Good Luck!

Part II of Hannah

There is something I learned through all this excitement, NEVER TRUST EMMA TO TAKE MEMORABLE PHOTOS.

At the event, only one parent/guardian could attend or if more than two children that attend the school, then two parents could come. Siblings who did not attend the school could not come to the event. However, if siblings attended the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley, then they could attend if invited. In our case, Oscar was able to attend. I told Emma that she could take my place and take pictures with Alex and I would watch Ayla. Last minute I was asked to volunteer with staff and was allowed to bring Ayla. Ayla sat with Emma and Alex while I helped crowd control. Emma was also in charge of taking and recording the event. BIG MISTAKE! The photos that I'm including and videos are the best of the bunch. Hannah's performance was done in segments. She couldn't take pictures of Devan and Dorian, because she didn't see them up there with them. Devan said that Beyonce hugged him. We barely took one of Oscar shaking Beyonce's hand.

Above is Lebron James, Jay-Z, and Beyonce watching the kids perform surrounded by the piano, sport equipment, and instruments they donated.
Here you can barely see Jay-Z hugging Hannah, the one looking at him with the glasses. Hannah also said that Beyonce hugged her too, and kissed her forehead. Talk about being on cloud 9!

Below you can barely see Oscar, shaking hands. Does Emma need glasses? Yes, and she was wearing them.

I've included Hannahs Performance in segments as Emma recorded it. Hannah is the one with glasses and tossed in the air and lifted, I remember when I was tiny....hmmm.

Ciao for now,

Arnnette

Hannah was interviewed for the AZ Republic

Hannah, my fourteen year old, did a great job performing for Jay-Z and LeBron James. Infact, Beyonce, Jay-Z's wife end up coming and was an added guest. Hannah is still on cloud nine from yesterday's performance. There were a group of K-3 grade kids sing and dance Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life". While Hannah's group danced to High School Musical. She was chosen for an interview with the AZ Republic. The school received a piano, violins, band instruments, guitars, sound systems, and sport equipment. The school was presented with a $10,000.00 check as well and while Hannah help up the check, Jay-Z was hugging Hannah, and Beyonce kissed her forhead. You can just imagen how Hannah felt. Devan was hugged by Beyonce and was smiling all the way home. Dorian was upset that Lebron James didn't shake his hand. I had to explain how there were to many kids there. I'm having trouble down loading, so pictures to come later. Enjoy the news clip of the younger kids dancing and the article of Hannah.

We're proud of you Baby Girl!

Hannah will perform for Jay-Z & LaBron James

Jay-Z (musician/married to Beyonce)

and LaBron James,

#23 who plays for the NBA Cavaliers, are donating 150 musical instruments, sound system, and piano to our kids school and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley.

Fox Channel 10 News came to interview the school, click here to play the news clip.

You can catch Ayla, my little one, walk in circles behind the principle. You can also catch her when she went to the playground behind Ramon, Walking back and forth in the wee back. And she's not the student. Out of the 3 that goes to the school, 2 were in the news clip. While in the class room, Devan is in the right side standing taking the lid off the pen. You can see Hannah; third child from the right front, on the older kids, who was chosen to perform for the celebrities. Exciting?! You betcha!