You like me. You really like me.

I am just so humbled by the number of followers I'm fortunate to have and provide mild entertainment for since starting Good Gravy! just three years ago. 

I'm not known for my mushiness so I'll just say this: Thanks for being the outlet I've always wanted to have to share in the wackiness of my day-to-day, photos and doings of my family, my endless practical jokes, and my unhealthy fear of dolls. 

I {heart} you all.



PS: And to my in-real-life friends, thanks for not blowing my cover when running into me at the store wearing dirty clothes and no make-up, or hearing me swear up a storm, and turning a blind eye to my poor choices in footwear.  I have an image to maintain, people.

DIY free printable: "It takes courage"

I like this quote from e.e. cummings:

I found an inexpensive 5x7" frame, threw the quote into a quick design layout and printed it.

 Like this quote, too?  Click here to download your very own free DIY print.

Brunch, bubbles and buckets

We had Easter brunch with our friends from Into Ablivia on Sunday. 

In her kids' Easter baskets, Holly included washable colored bubbles despite a store employee's warning "it's messy." 

Um, messy hardly described it, and we were unprepared for the color-carnage that was about to unleash despite this note on the package:

The coloring from the bubbles got on everything: clothing, hair, faces, appendages.  It was a huge {albeit fun} mess.

Since the ink was e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e, it was just easier to let the kids play with soap and warm water buckets before running back indoors.  Which unexpectedly brought us to this:

"Brunch, bubbles and buckets."  Our new Easter tradition.

Stirring the text pot

My husband, Eli, recently got a new cell phone number and whoever had it before him apparently didn't tell anyone of the change, so Eli gets pinged with random, misdirected text messages quite often, like this one:

These messages -  to who we've determined is named "Mike" - have been going on for a while and at all hours, so instead of ignoring, Eli now engages and responds on behalf of Mike (shown in green):

There have been other exchanges including "Dude, you were such a jerk last night," and Eli responded, "I have tickets to the circus.  Want them?"

Nothing like stirring the pot with random strangers.

Yuck E. Sneezes + Hip Hop

I thought it would be neat idea to let the Gravy Kids have a say in where they took me for my birthday this past weekend.  This was the first and last time I will let them decide.

They enthusiastically announced that that establishment which rhymes with "Yuck E. Sneezes" was the numero-uno place to be.  Not one to burst their bubbles, I reluctantly conceded and we went.  For my 34th birthday.  And for proof, here is the certification of "Hip Hop Dancer" I received:

Represent.

Thirty-something

It was my birthday over the weekend and at 34, I am officially in my mid-thirties.  Wowser.

Let's celebrate how, based on today's infant-raising standards, I managed to  survive the late 70's with a fluffy pillow in my bassinette, a my-first-string-around-my-neck-bonnet, and what appears to be socks on my hands:

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Me + Stationery = Potty Mouth

Caution: This post is unintentionally inappropriate for work/children.  But it's darn funny if you care to continue reading.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Every so often, I get a request to imprint the back flap of invitation envelopes.  And sometimes, the layout falls short of what was actually intended:



Good thing I realized what this was saying before sending the project to the client...but not before producing an entire batch of envelopes.  My bad.

I love you, coffee

It took years to convince my husband to buy a Keurig coffee machine, and he recently caved.  What he is unaware of is that while our kindergarten tuition bill will soon disappear, I'll most likely be trading the expense into bins full of delicious little k-cups...

...and teeth whitening strips.

Save, Give and Spend Jars

At nearly six years old, we decided it's time for Waverly to understand earning and spending money.

Each week, if she completes her "chores" (i.e., bringing her dish from the table to the sink), she'll earn a small allowance delivered in coins.  With that allowance, she can choose to divide it into SAVE, GIVE and SPEND jars.

We explained the concept of GIVE to her and she decided that when the jar was full, she'd use the money to buy groceries for our local food pantry.  I found it important at her age to offer tangible giving options to so she can see immediate results of her charity.  Buying a book and donating it to the library was another tangible option. 

Let's face it: we could all use SAVE, GIVE and SPEND jars no matter what our age.  Get started and click here to download a FREE printable sharing these jar tags.  Happy coin collecting!

The captain has turned on the fake reasoning sign

Earlier this week, I flew out for a one-day workshop to NYC and my flight back home was mysteriously cancelled by the airline for reasons of "too much air traffic," leaving me stuck for an extra day.  Hey, U.S. Airways: I'm calling you out for fibbing.  And just because I live in New England does not mean I'd be okay with a diversion to Massachusetts or Maine instead.  Because guess what?  If I preferred to fly into a neighboring state, I wouldn't have flown out of and parked my car in, oh, call me crazy: the New Hampshire airport in which you choose to operate from. 

But, Good Gravy! readers, you know me to find the funny in anything.  Including the airplane guide: I get the whole "no radio signals" rule, but the thought of a little race buggy hauling up and down an aisle was funny.

With such a nice drawing of the race buggy, did the artist simply give up when it came to drawing this guy a clean, pressed shirt?  I'm just saying.

PS: The winner of Monday's five 18 designs giveaway is Tara Follett!  Thanks to everyone who entered and provided me some great laughs with your random comments.  Super great, all of you!

DIY seed packet wrap

Now that my stinkin' hard cast is off my arm, it's time to get back to crafting, and let's kick off spring with DIY Free Printable Seed Packet Wraps!

You'll need:

• Free printable printed on heavy paper{click here to download}
• Scissors
• Glue or tape (I used double-sided tape)
• Seed packets

Once you print and cut your wraps, fold along the white dotted lines:

Turn to back and glue or tape on small tab.  Don't forget to write in your "To/From."

It'll probably take you more time perusing the seed aisle and dreaming of spring gardens than it will be to complete this craft. 

This packet idea would be great for school teacher appreciation gifts, wouldn't it?! 

A goodness giveaway!

Let's start the week off with a fantastic giveaway! 

Tracey from five 18 designs has graciously offered Hello, Good Gravy! readers the chance for one lucky winner to receive two original handstamped goodnesses which include:

• One personalized name shirt
• One personalized birthday shirt

Oh, and did you know?  Tracey from five 18 designs is also the creative genius behind Tiny Sprouts!  Seriously, her talent is amazing.  Says Tracey:

"I use only the thickest & most durable fabrics. All of the garments I sell are made with super thick interlock cotton. The inks used are non-toxic, ecofriendly, water based inks that are safe for baby & child! I take great pride in only selling items I'm proud of. Each garment is made to order & is one-of-a-kind, just like your little one!"

To enter, all you have to do is leave one comment to this post about anything: How your day is going, your favorite donut, a funny joke, just to say hi, really... whatever. 

Winner will be selected at random on Thursday, April 7 and announced the following day, so tell your friends.  :)