Erika Ritzel Photography...

I love her photography. Kitchy-cool in a quirky Anthropologie-sort-a-way. Where else does Playboy live in Harmony with grannies dusty doilies?!? This is from her SOLD series of photos from estate sales and the like.

I bought this photo at the MCAD art sale last year and framed it in a simple, laquered white frame. It currently resides at my studio in my currently artistic (translation: messy) office. From her HOME series. My grandma had that EXACT same applique table cloth with the buttery yellow pear... I'm slightly nostalgic... and a sucker for anything pink...

Happy Birthday Miss Kato!

My girl is 8 years young today! Check her out with her red velvet puppy cake she got when I went to visit my friends Midnight and Harley in Kansas City. Ain't she cute as a bugs ear? She's got a bum wheel, but we aren't going to talk about that on her birthday.

Hope everyone is great and sorry Ramblings has been sort of mute over the past few months. I'll work on getting a bit better.

Good Ole St. Nick

See, when you don't have kids you do crazy stuff like this. You wait in line (thank God with one of your best friends) for 93 minutes to see the big guy. Hoping and praying your dog doesn't make you look bad or pee on anything/anyone. If you are lucky you can catch a couple of good shots and hopefully not the flu from all the sniveling kids in line with you.

St. Nick was a good sport and only slightly surprised I didn't want to be in the photo with them. My K-9 companion posed like a Westminster champ and couldn't wait to get the hell outta the sweat shop they call Ridgedale (what was the temp in there anyway?!?).

Zoom sat perfectly, Foster did his part, thankfully without any nervous diarrhea.

I saved a bundle by bringing my own camera and avoiding the highway robbers they call elves. $17-$45 for a mall Santa photo? Pah-leez!

Heart throb...

I L.O.V.E him...

Courtesy of MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was named the American League's Most Valuable Player Monday, beating out Yankee stars Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter.

Mauer received 27 of the 28 first-place votes and had a total of 387 points. Teixeira and Jeter finished second and third, respectively.

The other first-place vote went to Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera, who finished fourth in the voting.

Mauer, 26, had 28 home runs, 96 RBI, a .365 batting average and led the American League in batting for the third time in his career.

Mauer won the award, despite missing the first month of play because of a back injury. In his first game back on May 1, he hit a home run in his first at-bat. He was named the league's player of the month for May.

This year, Mauer also pocketed his second Rawlings Gold Glove Award and his third Louisville Silver Slugger Award.

Mauer joins an elite club of Twins who have won the MVP award, including Justin Morneau in 2006, Rod Carew in 1977, Harmon Killebrew in 1969 and Zoilo Versalles in 1965. The MVP award is based on votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Mauer is only the second catcher in 33 years to win the award.

Halloween 2009

I got the giggles. I mean seriously. Nothing is better than dressing up for Halloween. I thought of our costumes over a month ago, before I knew John and Kate Plus Eight was going to be a global Halloween sensation. None the less we donned our Gosselin gear and had a blast. I wish you could see the full glory of my Hubby's costume. We used a little chocolate brown eyeliner to enhance, "John's," eyes AND we borrowed a pair of vintage rhinestone clip on earrings from the Nickster (thank you love). But, JV's best prop was a pack of ciggies. We roared with laughter as he pretended to be a veteran smoker. He looked the part until he inadvertently dropped his unlit smoke in his cocktail. The cat was outta the bag.

And then he figured out a ciggy would fit perfectly in this baby's mouth.

I mean this is frickin' hilarious. Thanks to Hank for letting us borrow his stroller and the neighbor girl for borrowing me the eighth Cabbage Patch Kid.

The whole gang dressed up!

But the most creative costume was definitely Amy B. She was the above girl from the famous Roy Lichtenstein paintings.

I mean look at the work she went to. I just bought a stupid wig.

Happy Birthday Nooncy!

Dear, Sweet Brutha Nooncy...

Happy birthday my friend! Come on over and I'll make you birthday dinner tonight!

LOVE this photo-damn Twins-he shoulda caught that! Do I really have to wait until Spring to see Mauer again :) ?

Love you!

A New Blog To Luv!

Heart. Be. Still.

www.kateturpin.blogspot.com