What?

I have to say that my blog name, Be Swanky is what I hope to be. What I want to project, swankiness. I have to say, I am anything but swanky lately. I've worn the same cardigan for about, um, 4 days in a row now. I'm not completely too far gone, I've changed the shirts underneath. But it is so frickin' cold here, in Florida. And my party-cardi keeps me warm.

Months ago, I wrote about my boys making it snow in Florida. We had sleet last weekend. It has been literally FREEZING at night for the past few weeks. Snow was in the forecast. Oh, and I made the mistake of calling sleet, hail. My bad. I've lived in Florida my whole life and haven't experienced sleet before. I'd like to not experience it again. BTW, what do people do when it is cold outside for months? Do you stay inside all winter? I can't imagine being outside more that it takes to check the mail. Just wondering.Stinky Pete and The Funky Bunch at Stone Mountain. We went to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. it was good times. It was cold there too, but I stayed warm. My mom has heated mattress pads for the beds. My mom rocks. Seriously...

We rocked the top of Stone Mountain. I'm not really oompaloompa orange. I don't even self tan, it must have been all that natural lighting. Anyway, I'd like to say that we hiked up and then back down. But we didn't. We took the tram. I have 2 boys and the thought of chasing them all over the largest exposed piece of granite in the world made me panic. As it is, I yelled at them to stop running and climbing on things when we were up there. I worried that they would chip a tooth or fall off the side. Not sure how I would explain that one to LD. Thankully, everyone made it down with all of their teeth intact and I only need a bottle of wine to lower my blood pressure.

There Are No Words

I'm quite saddened today. Learned last night that a sorority sister's husband was killed while biking yesterday morning. Chris Livingston, husband to Cathy Zorovich Livingston and father to Benjamin, who turns 2 today. Chris was only 36 years old. I keep thinking about it and the fairness of life and death.

I know from science that energy is neither created or destroyed, that it just changes shapes. I know from my religious beliefs that our time on earth is short compared to the eternal glory with our Lord. But how do you go on with your life until you are reunited with loved ones that have passed on? I don't know.

A month, almost 2 now, a dear friend, Sylvie, lost her baby girl Sydney to congenial heart defects. Sydney was only 6 months old and the love of Sylvie's life. I can't explain the connection between a mother and child, it is something that transforms a woman to a mother instantly. And I can only guess the longing and heartache that she feels not being able to nuzzle her sweet baby.

So how do we make sense of lives that are taken too early? Do we hold on to the belief that we will be reunited in our Lord's kingdom? Do we just wish the years to pass quickly and go through the motions of the day? I don't have an answer at this moment. But I think that it is ok. I think that I can be sad for these two families and I can pray about about it. I think it is a reminder to hold my own family a little longer and savor the time that we are all together.

Overheard This Week

Last night was The Boy's last fall baseball game. It was a fun season.

On the way home he was telling The Little Boy about night time and he said,"How old was I when we got Aaron?".

"You were three."

"No. When we got him. You know when we got him out of your belly."

Larry and I just looked at each other and chuckled. Like we picked out a dog or something.

Today The Little Boy cracked me up too and I thought to myself that I must remember what he said. Here we are and I don't remember. Sigh....the joy of being the second child. But we did play at the park today, it was beautiful out.

The Boy turned 6 in August. After a few weeks of trying to convince him that I just couldn't do another army party, we decided that I could do a Star Wars party. I searched galaxies far and wide for party ideas. I found these.

From Make & Takes ... Seriously, this party looks like it was crazy fun. I liked the Jedi robes and really wanted to make them for all 12 kids at the party, but I was too lazy and I didn't.
Picture from Makes and Takes...These are not my children, I repeat these are not my children.


But these are my coke bottles.
Not too bad, huh? So much easier than making 22 Jedi robes. I wish I would have taken pictures of the party decor. I hung black streamers, one of the useful things I learned in College, and put out The Boy's Star Wars toys and figurines. I'm a big fan of hanging stuff from the ceiling so I hung his starships up too.

We had Yoda soda and the little Jedi's loved it. Since The Boy's birthday is during the dog days of summer, we rented a waterslide. The kids had a BLAST!


Now I have to start planning for The Little Boy's party for the end of September, which is next week.

Giveaway at The Inspired Room

I stumbled upon The Inspired Room while I was looking for ideas for our white kitchen. I've been hooked ever since. Today Lisa Leonard is giving away three $50 gift certificates to her on-line store as part of A Beautiful Life Friday that Melissa hosts every Friday at The Inspired Room.

I've admired Lisa's designs for a long time now. I adore the necklaces imprinted with your children's names. There is just something sweet about holding your children's names close to your heart.

But, if I am the winner, winner chicken dinner I would choose the Sweetheart Tree Necklace. Because this little family of mine started as K+L= True Love Forever!

Would it be odd to add Palms?

Is this too much for Florida? We don't have a change of seasons for Halloween. During Christmas we string up lights in our Palm trees. I really like this look though...

Picture from Country Living

Too early for Halloween? I didn't think so either...

I've always loved Fall...Football, crisper weather (ok, so it "cools down" to below 90) and all getting dressed up for Halloween. Halloween has become my FAVOR-ITE holiday. I'm inspired this year to try something different and I saw this.

Image BHG

Really, it's too cute and inexpensive. Floating black jack-o-lanterns...spooky enough, yet it won't keep the neighborhood kids away from our house.