It's all fun and games, til someone puts an eye out......






Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to wish you and all your families a wonderfully happy Thanksgiving!

We are having a great time in Branson, MO and I will post a ton of pictures when I get home!

I did want to share the cutest image for Thanksgiving with all y'all.......


I just love these vintage postcards.  And this one is perfect for Turkey Day.

Hope all you turkeys are having some great turkey!

HeidiBelle

Monday, November 22, 2010

Monopoly

Monopoly is a necessary evil of every person's childhood.

Everyone loves it.

Everyone hates it.

It is so much fun spending someone else's fake money.

The game lasts FOREVER!!!

I loved it as a child.  I didn't usually win, that honor was always bestowed upon my cousin Ralph.  I think it was only because he could stay up longer than anyone.  All the rest of us passed out and he just kept playing!

I'm kidding.  He was just the most tenacious, brutal player I have ever met.  He wheeled and dealed and welched and belched.  He was good.

Well, my kids love Monopoly.

And they don't have just the original Monopoly anymore.

Nope.

They have Family Guy Monopoly:

          


And my kids LOVE Family Guy.

They also have sports Monopoly games.  Like Sooneropoly:

                               

Of course we own this one.

They even have The Christmas Story Monopoly:

                  

They even have the tiny leg lamp!!

My favorite, of course, because I am old school, is the vintage, original Monopoly:

                                      

They put out a reproduction a few years back with this same game box.  To die for if you are a collector.

Its not just the game anymore, that people love.  There are so many things you can do with Monopoly paraphenalia.

Check out this cute notebook with the covers made out of a Monopoly board:

                       

Or this altered cigar box made into a Monopoly purse:



Isn't that the cutest??

My favorite, right now, however, is my own creation.  Yes, I guess I'm biased!  A Monopoly charm bracelet.

Tell me what you think......




It is a must have for every Monopoly lover!

It has everything from the Monopoly game:


It has every denomination of play money in the game:  the white $1 and the pink $5.
It also has the infamous "get out of jail free" card.  That CHANCE card was coveted during our games as children.



The delicious FREE PARKING space on the board was also a favorite, especially since we put all our money in there for everything!!  I am sure that broke many of the rules, but we loved it!
The yellow $10 bill that used to buy so much....
The tiny green house that cost $18 in rent if you landed on someone's space.



The green $20 bill and the blue $50 bill flank the actual tiny Monopoly board.  It is about  a one inch square!



Collecting the $200 salary was also glorious, as well as the tiny dice and the gold $100 bill.



Everyone wanted to buy Boardwalk and it was always a race around the board to see who could get it first.  We didn't care if we spend our last dime on it, $400 never seemed like too much!
The electric gold $500 bill was few and far between, as were the tiny green hotels.

SIDEBAR:  If you are a true Monopoly player, yes, I know the hotels were red.  But they were way too big to fit on this bracelet, so I found one in another Monopoly game that was green.

Sue me.



If you find you love Monopoly as much as I do, please visit my ETSY site and purchase this collectible bracelet.

http://www.southernheidibelle.etsy.com/

It is $40 and well worth it.  Heck, if you don't feel like wearing it out and about, you can let your Barbie dolls play with it. 

Kidding.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Norman, Oklahoma

                        

Next stop on my crazy train is Norman, Oklahoma.

Yes, yes, yes.  Its the home of the Sooners.  If you are not a Sooners fan, I am terribly sorry for you.  I will keep you in my thoughts.  If you are a Sooner, then BOOMER SOONER!!!

It is a crazy cult like following, those Oklahoma Sooners. 

Truly, I don't know any different.  I was a Sooner born, and Sooner bred and when I die, I'll be Sooner dead.  RAH Oklahoma, RAH Oklahoma, RAH Oklahoma, OKU!!

Ok, I got all caught up in the insanity.

Basically, I never considered going to any other college.  And it was not because I was forced to go there, or my family pressured me.  After all, it wasn't like I was going to play on the football team, right?

So, I came.

And I conquered.

Or so I thought.

I loved being in Norman.  Quite frankly, I felt like I was at home.  It wasn't a huge place and the biggest thing there was the college.

And everyone loves college right?  Not the classes, so much, as I slept through my share of those...
But the whole experience.

The late night, do whatever you wants,  the sorority functions, pizza 24 hours a day, controlling what classes you took, lots of boys to date.

What's not to love?

I must say the campus is gorgeous too.  This is one of the ovals:

     

They were always doing cool floral designs in both of the ovals.

Also gorgeous, the Bizzell Memorial Library:

                    

And here is the world's tiniest picture of the dorm rooms there.  (It was all I could find)

                               

And if you have been to Norman, then you know about the stadium.  The sight is unbelievable.



And now on Game Day:

                                     
                                       

It is like a sea of red.....

There are also the statues across from the stadium of our Heisman Winners:

                                              image001-1.jpg Sam Bradford Heisman Park Statue at OU image by robbiejr

My favorite is the Sam Bradford statue with his famous touchdown pose.

I also have to throw out some props to my old Sorority house

1105 S. College.  It is still the only address I can remember off the top of my head.  And I only lived there for three years. 

                                              

It was truly gorgeous.

I had some favorite places to eat there also.  Pizza Shuttle is the first that comes to mind.  Not because it was my favorite, but because it was open til 4 in the morning and I ate that pizza more than any other food my freshman year.

                        

I also loved Classic 50's.  It was the original Sonic.  It has been in Norman before Sonic even came around.  And it had fried pickles!  Here is their menu board:

                  

There were a ton of cool places to eat in Norman.  But most of them are closed down now.  A few to mention:  Pinnochio's (best breadsticks award) and Cocina de Mino (best queso award) are a few. 

Also, Harold's closed down.  It was the clothing store I worked at all during college.  It was a fun place to make a buck.  

But you know whats still there?  Brothers.

                 

A fun bar we went to on the weekends in college.  In fact, Keith, the owner, married one of the gals I worked with at Harolds.  Sometimes I see them on game days.

Most importantly about Norman, it was where my first son was born.  His first house was ironically on Texas Street.  Maybe that was a sign......

I still love to go back to Norman.   And when I do, I always go downtown and check out Campus Corner.  I always check out the stadium.  And then I check out highway 35 to see what has been built.

My boys love Norman. 

They all want to go to OU. 

I can't say I blame them............

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Busy Bee

I am sorry I am not posting often.

Not really even every other day.  I hate it.

I love writing about all my comings and goings.  Even if it is of no interest to anyone but me.

It is cathartic.

Did I mention I was the kid that always had a diary?

I have just been so busy that I have no time for my own personal fun. 

My Nana used to call that being a "Busy Bee".  I always loved that term.

Last week I posted my schedule each day.

Here is my new schedule:

Work
Make Jewelry
Tote kids all over the world
Sleep

That's it!!

Now, you will notice that I didn't say anything about eating.

I guess I don't eat anymore.

I have lost over 100 pounds.

Just kidding.

I eat.  And shower.  Occasionally.

See you after the holidays!

(Just kidding!)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Bartlesville, Oklahoma

                                                    
       
This is the first in a series of posts I am doing on the places I have lived.

I have lived in so many great places and have done so many cool things, that I wanted to share them.

I am starting with my birthplace.

Bartlesville, Oklahoma:

Home of Frank Phillips and Phillips 66.  The oil company that merged with Conoco years back.

                                

It was started by the brothers Phillips and once they struck oil, it turned Bartlesville on its ears overnight.

Frank Phillips has a mansion there in Bartlesville that we visit every time we go home.



                     

It looked so big as a child, and although it is still large, it is no longer the size that intrigues all the guests who visit.  It is the inside look into an oil mogul that was more giving than any other human being in his time.  He had wonderful, beautiful things, but shared them with everyone, even leaving his home and his weekend retreat to be donated to the public for all to view.

Speaking of his weekend retreat:

                               
                                  

This main living area in his lodge at Woolaroc, was always my favorite.  It is the coolest log cabin I have ever seen.  If you want to see more, go to http://www.woolaroc.org/.  The story of its origination alone is fascinating.

Also in Bartlesville, is the famous Frank Lloyd Wright Price Tower.

                     

It was built by the talented architect Frank Lloyd Wright and has that same green patina copper that is on the Statue of Liberty.  I took it for granted growing up and never really noticed what a treasure it was. 

                              

It is in downtown Bartlesville, which is the epitome of small town mixed with corporate America.
Just look at the skyline:

                              

It is so cute, it looks like it could still have a Five & Dime store right in the center of downtown.  But it still holds a large oil company in a huge building. 
Bartlesville was a great place to grow up.  It had about 40,000 people when I was there.  Pretty small. 
Like in the show Cheers, its the place where everyone knows your name. 

Sometimes that can be a bad thing.....


The High School Building is one of my favorites.  Everyone in my family went to high school in this exact building.  Kind of weird, when you think about it....

                  

It says Senior High School on it because there was also a Mid High School (what used to be Sooner High).
This building used to say College High.  Isn't that kind of cliche, or High School Musical of Bartlesville?  Imagine calling a school "College" High.  Like the movie Grease, or something.  So, basically, Bartlesville was way ahead of its time....

                    



Bartlesville is also home to one of the few remaining vintage Kiddie Parks across the nation.  In fact, recently, there was an article about it and how it has held up through the years.  It has the cutest train that goes under a tiny tunnel.  It is pitch black and everyone screams when they go through.

                               

There is also one of the most endearing carousels I have ever seen.

                                 

It has been restored, since the many floods have swept through it, so it is in tip top shape. 

The tickets at the Kiddie Park are something crazy like a quarter and all the snacks are less than $1.  It really is vintage Americana at its best.

Another one of Bartlesville's hidden treasures is Murphy's Steakhouse. 

                              


My mom went here back in the 50's when she was a child, and we went as children as well.  I even take my boys every time we go home.

It is home to the hot hamburger, which is basically, a hamburger patty, topped with deliciously greasy fries, covered in hot, brown gravy.  Its to die for.

                              

If you have never had it, you really should come to Bartlesville just to experience it.  Then make sure you spend the night, as you will surely be in a food-induced coma within about 30 minutes.

The Community Center is another one of Bartlesville's highlights.

                             

It is huge and gorgeous.  Home to many things, mainly, proms and the Nutcracker.  That is what I think of when I drive by.  Take a look at the inside staircase.  Gorgeous.

                            

They really spared no expense when building this.  I do, however remember life before the Community Center.  I found this old picture of a performance from 1981.

                                         


We used to have to watch the yearly production of the Nutcracker at the Mid High School theater.  It was tiny and cramped and I can't imagine Baryshnikov would have ever danced there.  One of these days, I will post the story on how we used to start and end all the claps for all the Nutcracker performances.  Oh, how much fun we had......

Growing up in Bartlesville must have been as close to a Dick and Jane upbringing as I could have expected in the 70's.  It had many two children families where everyone knew your name and everyone had a picket fence around their house.  We had Pet and Hobby shows at our schools and people slept with their doors unlocked.
                                 

I only have my own memories that I can blog about and show my children.  I try to create a similar environment for them now and I know one day, when they are telling their own children about it, they will be thankful.......

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Golden Book Bracelet

I love Golden Books.

I mean, really love Golden Books.

I go to the Goodwill, Assistance League Thrift Shop, Salvation Army, and our local Half Price Books looking for old ones.

I have no idea why I want them so badly.

I am obsessed.

So, it is fitting that I made a bracelet with some mini golden books.

Call me crazy.

Actually, don't call me crazy.  It hurts my feelings.  Mainly because I already know.

Here is my obsession bracelet.  BEWARE!!  The cute factor is super high!


It has a variety of old Golden Books that I have made teeny tiny so I can wear them around my wrist.


I started with the Three Bears.  I can remember reading this when I was little.
And I LOVE Uncle Remus.  I love Brer Rabbit so much and silly Brer Bear and Brer Fox.
And you can't talk about Little Golden Books without talking about Sam the Firehouse Cat.  The image alone brings back so many memories.


Oh, Sam, you are so cute!
I adore the We Help Mommy and We Help Daddy  books.  They are so sweet and very 1950's.
The original cover of Frosty the Snowman also evokes strong memories of my childhood Christmases.  I love his coal eyes in this book.


And because I am so narcisistic, I had to include the Heidi Golden Book.  No, not really.   I just remember that cover so vividly when I was a child.
And it wouldn't be a Golden Book bracelet without the Pokey Little Puppy.  He really is the King of the Golden Books.

I love this bracelet and can think of a million different combinations of Golden Books.  I have tons of them.

It will soon be on my ETSY site, selling for $35, so if you know anyone that wants to order one, please send them to my ETSY site at http://www.southernheidibelle.etsy.com/

It is a custom order, so it will take time, but it also means I will take requests for a variety of your favorites Little Golden Books.

Also, keep watching for my Monopoly bracelet.  Another one of my obsessions......

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

My Day

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. 

I didn't forget about you.

I have just been busy.

Doing what, you ask?

Well, let me run you through a sample day in my world.

Let me know what you think.

5:30 am- I wake up.
5:35 am- wake the Bull up
5:40 am- get breakfast started while he takes a shower.
5:45 am- start making lunch
6:00 am- start coffee, start a batch of laundry
6:15 am- get the Bull dressed and teeth brushed, any school papers signed
6:25 am- drive the Bull to football practice, hand him lunch, kiss goodbye
6:30 am- wake Tiny T up
6:35 am- start bath, get breakfast started
6:45 am- finish second cup of coffee
7:00 am- make Tiny T get out of tub
7:10 am- get him dressed, teeth brushed
7:15 am- start folding what ever batch of laundry is in the dryer
7:20 am- sign papers in Tiny T's backpack, sign agenda
7:25 am- drive Tiny T to school
7:30 am- wake big A up
7:35 am- force him into the shower
7:40 am- make his breakfast and his lunch
7:45 am- yell at him 40 times to get out of the shower
7:50 am- sit and have coffee with him while he has breakfast
8:00 am- start my daytime job for the next 8 hours
8:10 am- remind big A to get dressed and brush his teeth
8:20 am- wave goodbye as he walks to the bus stop
8:30 am- finish 3rd cup of coffee
WORK, WORK, WORK
3:00 pm- Tiny T comes home from school and starts homework
3:15 pm- answer any math questions, plus fix snack
3:30 pm- The Bull gets home from school
3:35 pm- pull the two brothers apart, as they like to wrestle and irritate each other while doing homework
4:00 pm- start processing my ETSY jewelry orders
4:45 pm- Big A gets home from the bus stop
4:50 pm- snack time for Big A
5:00 pm- come downstairs from studio to make dinner
5:30 pm- check all homework, check blog
6:00 pm- fill all water bottles, get all practice uniforms ready
6:15 pm- drive the Bull and Tiny T to soccer til 7:45 pm
7:30 pm- drive Big A to practice and pick up the smaller two
7:45 pm- realize the smaller two are not leaving and reside to walk around the track a few times
9:30 pm- leave the soccer fields for home
9:45 pm- round 2 dinner, all boys are hungry after soccer
10:00 pm- teeth brushing, forcible removing from the living room up to beds
10:15 pm- lights out
10:16 pm- I fall into bed and pass out (but only if I have all my jewelry orders ready.  sometimes, I work til about midnight on those)

Now, mind you, this is during soccer season only.  Sometimes we have football, basketball and baseball to add to the schedule.

Where, you might ask?

Well, you can go up through the schedule again and find a few minutes here and there where there was absolutely NOTHING going on. 

That's where we fit it in.

I have a new respect for EXCEL spreadsheets.

They are not just for work anymore.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Hostess Cake

No, its not a cake given to the hostess of a party.

Its the cake I made Big A for his birthday.

He is not into traditional. 

Thankfully for him, neither am I.


I saw it in the Food Network Magazine.  Only theirs was for a wedding.  And it was all pink and brown.  And all the cakes were unwrapped.  And there were about 100 more than this.



So, ok, it wasn't really like theirs.  It was my own silly version.

I used alot of fun hostess cakes that I have not eaten in years. 

Alot.

I gained about 5 pounds making it.

Here was my list:

snowballs, pink and green
swiss rolls
cupcakes
twinkies
zingers
yellow and chocolate cakes
devil dogs



I created a tower of old bowls and platters.  I hot glued them together.  Don't worry, the hot glue came right off when the cake was devoured.)  I hot glued each wrapped treat onto the tower. 

I actually did it all on his birthday morning, while having coffee with my mom and her husband.  I even topped it with a card.



It was super easy.

My son loved it.

And so did his friends.

You can do it too.

Make it for your next event.  It is easy, inexpensive and definitely a show stopper.

And a tummy filler......