Introducing Konfetti Kids

In November, my friend, Glisa and I, started a new blog/website called Konfetti Kids. It has taken us a little while to get it off the ground, but we are finally able to say that it is up and running. Yay!

It all started after I had Walker's pirate birthday party, back in September. I had several people tell me that I should start a birthday party planning business. The more and more I thought about it, the more I realized that I do love to plan a party, but birthday parties for kids are usually on Saturdays, which is time away from my family...no, that didn't sound good to me. I also toyed with the idea that it would be good to have a partner in crime. Glisa and I have worked on several projects together and I knew we complimented each other, not to mention she's a stay-at-home mom, also, and could use some extra cash. So, I had a brainstorm with the help of Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight (at 3 am...thanks to nursing!). I learned about Google Adsense and how it works and wondered why we couldn't put our party ideas on a website, free to all, with advertising that would bring in some revenue. Glisa was all for it and so we began putting together all kinds of parties. We decided to add holiday parties and mix in some just plain fun stuff to do with kids. Right now, the site is run through Blogger, but hopefully, we will be able to move to a regular website in the future. The catch is - we need lots and lots of traffic...the more the better!

So, we would love for you to check us out, give us some suggestions, leave a comment, etc. We are adding new stuff everyday, so check back often. Oh, and please tell all your friends, especially if you find some information useful. Thanks!

B is for....

Baby

Owen is now 4 months old, and growing like a weed. I can't believe four months has already gone by! Here is what is going on with him right now:

• He is smiling and laughing a lot. He has this deep, belly laugh that cracks us all up.


• He grabs at toys and books.


• He likes to sit in his bouncy seat, and Bumbo seat (see previous post), but does not like the swing.


• He slept throught the night, last night (8:00 pm - 5:00 am!!!!) and he has been doing great with naps.


• He has great head and body control. He has been leaning forward, some, too.


• He loves his passy, but lately, has taken an interest in his fists.


• He is so laid back and pretty much goes with the flow (I don't think he has much choice, though).


• He loves to be outside.


• He follows moving objects with his eyes.

Birthday

Tim's grandfather (Big Poppa to Riley, Walker, and Owen) turned 92 last week. We celebrated with a family get-to-gether at Macaroni Grill. Here are a few pics from the evening:

Walker, Riley, DD (Tim's mom) and Big Poppa

Riley reading her "birthday story" to Big Poppa

Belt

Lately, Walker has been infatuated with a certain elastic belt. It came wth a pair of jeans that he has long since outgrown. It has a plastic buckle and must be very comfortable, because he wears it all day long and to bed at night. We have learned that the belt has several different uses. Here are some of them:

1. a "head light" or thingy that miner's wear so they can see in the mine (where he came up with this one, I have no idea...)

2. a lasso (great for catching the family dog, Rudy)

3. a fishing pole...if you can picture Walker standing on the piano bench, holding one end of the belt and slinging it...all in an effort to "catch" the chandelier. I didn't take a picture of this one, for fear I would encourage the craziness.

4. last but not least...a holder for his beloved swords. I bet you had no idea that a belt could be so useful :)

Basketball

Riley is about to start playing Upwards basketball. Upwards is a really well-organized, instructional, church league for children. She played Upwards soccer a few years ago and decided she wanted to try basketball. She is so excited and practices every day. It is so nice to have such a self-motivated child! Practices start in December and games start in January.

Brothers

I have to end this post with a picture that I just love. The picture itself isn't that great, but it is worth a thousand words. While I was putting a load of laundry in to wash, Walker decided he wanted to be near his brother and this is how I found them...

Tricks and Treats

We had our annual Trunk or Treat at church Sunday night. Riley dressed up as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walker as Superman, and Owen was just dying to be a dalmation! :) We all had a great time.






We finally carved a jack-o-lantern, last night. As you can tell, we couldn't agree on what kind of face to give him...so, he has one rectangular eye and one circle eye.

Happy Halloween!

I've Been Tagged!

Here are the rules--1) Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I love to fold clothes. I guess it's therapeutic or something, but I truly enjoy it. It relaxes me. However, I don't particularly enjoy putting clothes away. Weird, I know.


2. I cannot stand to hear people say, "Look it!", instead of "Look at him/her/it!". I also get squeamish when someone says,"Do you have it on your person?", instead of "Do you have it with you" or "Are you carrying it?" Ugghhh! Where did these phrases come from????


3. I graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I taught Kindergarten for three years. I love working with children, but decided that staying home with our own children was better for our family. I love being a stay-at-home mom!


4. I have two fears: 1. Bridges collapsing and 2. Our house catching on fire. I am constantly devising a plan that will allow me to get myself and all 3 children out of the car if a bridge
collapses. I also have a fire safey plan and check our smoke detectors very regularly.


5. When I was in the third grade, I started playing fast-pitch softball. I fell in love with it and played until the summer before I went to college. I played first, short stop, third, left field, and I pitched.


6. The clothes in my closet are arranged according to color and type. I love the sense of order and makes me feel somewhat organized.


7. Since I am up in the middle of the night nursing Owen, I have gotten hooked on investigative crime shows. Two of my favorites right now are Forensic Files and Investigators. If I don't already have one recorded, I scan the channels until I find one. Usually MSNBC or Court TV has one playing.


8. My pinky finger on my right hand is much shorter than the one on my left hand. When I was in the first grade, I fell while running around the track at school. I fell on my side on top of my hand and broke the growth platelet in my finger. Needless to say, it did not continue to grow.

Now, I tag Anna Leigh, Amber, Kate, Kristy, Julie, Heather, Amy C., and Jen

Happy Fall!

Finally, it feels like fall. Yay!!...highs in the '60's and lows in the '40's. It has been kind of rainy and overcast the last few days, so I am definitely in the mood for soup. Here's what we will be having for dinner tonight:


White Chicken Chili

1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
3 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2 cloves, garlic, minced
3 (15 1/2 oz.) cans Great Northern beans
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese
salsa
sour cream

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add beans, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and continue cooking 1 hour over low heat. Serve with shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and corn chips as toppings.


I have to share a story that Riley wrote at school a few days ago. I thought she did a great job! I love the part where she writes that "Mary got a surprise to herself...". Not bad for a first-grader...but I am biased.

Walker had his last soccer game last night. He had a lot of fun playing and we got a kick (no pun intended) out of watching this under 6 league. At one point last night, I heard Walker say to another boy, in the middle of the game, mind you, "I can run faster than you!", with a mean, eat dirt look on his face. Later, I saw the same boy push Walker, probably because Walker was talking smack. O.K. so maybe last night's game wasn't as much fun...but, overall it has been a great experience. Here are some pics from earlier games:

Here are some recent pics of Owen. After taking what seemed like hundreds of pictures, I finally caught him smiling. Such a sweet baby!

Lots of Halloween events going on around here: parties at school, church and one that will just be friends getting together for some frightful fun. We have yet to carve a jack-o-lantern this year...maybe tomorrow (When I was teaching Kindergarten, I carved one with my class, every year. A couple of times, we carved it too early and boy, did we have an awful smell to deal with. I have been trying to avoid that and wait until the week of, to carve one here.).

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! ;)

Pea Pods and Bumbos

It seems everytime I turn around, the baby equipment gurus are improving their products. When Riley was a baby, we had what I thought was the best stroller, baby swing, pack 'n play (the three even matched) and exersaucer new parents could ever want for their baby. Then when Walker came along, all the same products seemed to be a little more colorful, more appealing to baby, and easier to fold or carry. I found myself saying, "Hey, they didn't have that when my babies were little!" Now that we have Owen, the baby equipment gurus have definitely stepped it up and invented some wonderful products. I don't know how we lived without these:

1. Bumbo Seat

Many of you probably have this, but because it has been 4 years since our last baby, this one is all new to me. I love this product. Owen can sit in it and play or watch Baby Einstein. Amazingly, it provides just enough support for his upper body and he loves it. I like the way he fits snuggly in it and I don't have to worry about him sliding out of it. It is so light-weight that I can take it anywhere. I have even seen people with them in restaurants.



2. Pea Pod

I chunked the 'ole Pack 'n Play that none of my babies liked sleeping in (actually, I sold it in a consignment sale). Even though it had a net to elevate the mattress to seem more like a bassinet, Walker and Riley both hated it and didn't seem to sleep well when we traveled. I never really used it as a playpen, either. We were recently introduced to the Pea Pod by Kidco. It is basically an air mattress with a netting around it so baby doesn't scoot off. The best part, is that it folds up like a car shade and fits into its own bag. When we went to Chicago, we were able to fit it into a suitcase. Owen slept really well on it and I really like that it is so light-weight that you can move it around with one hand. It can be purchased at target.com for around $50.

So...those are my new favorite things right now! If you are a new mom or soon-to-be mom, these are must-haves for your sanity! :)

Weekend in Chicago

Last Friday, Tim, Owen and I left for Chicago. Our main reason for going was for Tim to run the Chicago Marathon. We went with two other couples and good friends, Mark & Mary Mike and Andy & Glisa. We had been talking/planning this trip since January, so I was so excited when it finally arrived.

Our flight left Birmingham at 6:30 am, which meant leaving our house at 4:30 am, and getting up at 3:15 am. That definitely made for a long day! Owen was awesome on the plane...nursed during take-off and slept during landing....I couldn't have asked for a happier baby. When we arrived in Chicago, we checked into our hotel in Oak Brook (suburb of Chicago, but very nice) and headed across the street to McDonald's for some breakfast. This wasn't just any McDonald's, either. It had a McCafe, which we had never heard of, but was very similar to Starbucks. It was the nicest, cleanest, brightest Mickey D's any of us had ever seen. We quickly learned the reason it was so nice was because McDonald's headquarters was across the parking lot. We went downtown to the Chicago Marathon Expo for the guys to register, buy some goodies, pick up free stuff, etc. Then for lunch we ate deep dish pizza at Uno Pizzaria...yum! We went back to the hotel and rested for a few hours before going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner...double yum!

On Saturday, Glisa, Mary Mike and I left the guys (including Owen) at the hotel to rest and hydrate (basically drink water or Gatorade all day long in preparation for the race). We shopped along Michigan Avenue (a.k.a. The Magnificent Mile), went to the American Girl Place, ate at Ralph Lauren Cafe, and went to the Navy Pier. After buying some souvenirs and doing some sightseeing, the guys picked us up around 4:30 pm. We ate dinner at the Weber Grill. We had a big day ahead of us, so we were all in our rooms by 8:30 pm.

Sunday was the big day. We left the hotel around 5:30 am and headed straight for Grant Park. This is where the marathon was starting and finishing. The guys checked in, went to the restroom, and then headed to the start line. Glisa, Mary Mike and I walked 5 or 6 blocks north of Michigan Avenue (with a pitstop at Starbucks) and waited between mile 12 and 13 to see the guys and have a dry shirt for them. On a side note: I had never been a spectator at a major marathon before. Tim ran in the Rocket City Marathon (in Huntsville) last year, and it had a mere 1,000 runners in it. I did not know what to expect really with the Chicago Marathon...45,000 runners and 2 million spectators! When we arrived at our spot on the curb, there was no one on that street. But by the time the first group of runners came by, we were having to fight for our spots and keep people from putting their grubby hands all over my stroller!

Tim had signed up to receive emails on his blackberry that would allow me to track where he was. I knew that at 9:21 am, I should receive an email saying he had reached mile 9. I waited and waited and waited. About 15 minutes later, I got an email saying he had reached mile 9 and was projected to finish at 4 hours 44 minutes. I was sick. You see, my dear sweet husband, had been training for this day since June. He had put his blood, sweat and tears (literally) into the training for this marathon. Every Saturday he ran for between 10 and 21 miles. On Mondays he ran for 5 or 6 miles, on Wednesdays he did track workouts, and on Thursdays he ran about 6 miles. This was a big deal. His goal was to finish in 4 hours and I knew that would not happen. When he finally ran by to swap shirts, he told me had almost vomitted 3 times, but he was feeling better. He ran on and we waited on Andy. When Andy came by, he informed us that the water stops were out of water. He was obviously very frustrated. What??!! Out of water??? It was 90 degrees and they were out of water??? I thought he was talking about 1 or 2 water stops. No, every water stop was out of water. We found out later that there is a water stop at every 2nd mile, and the second water stop he went to, was out.

After seeing Andy, Glisa, Mary Mike and I headed back towards the finish line. By this time, it was really hot. Here I was pushing Owen in the stroller 6 blocks, in the blazing heat and my husband is running a little over 26 miles in the same heat. What were we doing? Tim had gotten us tickets for priority seating at the finish line. I knew Owen was getting hungry and I was ready to sit down and watch the runners cross the finish line. Ohhhh no! Everyone in this little section of bleachers WAS STANDING!!! Glisa, Mary Mike and I fought our way through the crowd, with Owen in tow. We finally found a seat, stood for a little while, I nursed Owen in the middle of the craziness, and watched for the guys. We had already missed Mark at mile 12, so Mary Mike really wanted to see him finish. Thank goodness I brought an umbrella along...it provided just enough shade for Owen, but I was still worried about him getting dehydrated. About that time, the announcer said that they had turned the race into a fun run. They didn't say this at the time, but we later learned that a 35 year old, father of 3, from Michigan collapsed and died, around mile 20. Andy called Glisa (by borrowing a random person's cell phone) and said they had rerouted him at mile 16. He was made to cross the finish line but didn't officially "finish". Tim finished the race, but was told by police to start walking at mile 16. He probably just missed being rerouted. Mark finished the race in 4 hours 45 minutes. After finally seeing Tim finish, in 5 hours 14 minutes, Owen and I headed to Buckingham Fountain where runners could reunite with family/friends. I was expecting an orderly line, maybe 20-25 people in the C-D group (by last name). No, mass chaos! I finally had to stop and park the stroller and hold up the sign I had made for Tim that said "Go Tim!" and just hope he would look up. Several people were doing this in hopes of finding their runner. He found us, but was severely dehydrated. Looking back, we should have realized something was wrong when his shirt was completely dry. Because we had to meet the rest of our group, he was not able to stretch or sip a cold drink. I found out later that he did get sick 4 more times. Today, he is finally feeling like himself, but we both feel like he was indeed dehydrated and probably suffering from heat exhaustion, as well.

Here are some things that we witnessed during the record breaking heat of the Chicago Marathon:

• Before the race: 50-60 ambulances in case of emergencies; After the race: none
• Sirens being heard all day, all throughout the city.
• Chicago Fire Department helicopter flying overhead shouting from bullhorn, "Race over. Start walking!"
• Policemen forcing people to walk, saying, "Runner down!Runner down!" (referring to the man that collapsed) and "The hospitals can't take anymore people!" (312 people were taken to area hospitals, and thousands were cared for at aid tents at the park).
• Andy saw people going into convenience stores to buy their own water.
• Many residents brought out their garden hoses and allowed runners to get drinks or to be sprayed.
• One restaurant owner filled a large white garbage can with water. He filled large styrofoam cups and handed them out to the runners (and they didn't care what he had used the garbage can for!)
• On two separate occasions, Andy saw people pick up cups of water that were half empty and drink the contents...without thinking twice about it.
• Many spectators purchasing water and handing it out.
• Spectators allowing runners to get the ice out of their coolers.
• When water was found, runners practically fighting over it. Tim likened it to animals devouring their prey.
• Tables being folded up at water stops because there was no more water.

Here are some funny/interesting things that we witnessed along the marathon route:

• 2 women runners wearing tutus
• a runner running barefoot
• a runner running and juggling at the same time
• Spiderman and Superman running the marathon
• a bride with a veil attached to her cap...We couldn't figure out if she had gotten married during the marathon or was about to get married.
• one runner proposing to another
• a man coming out of the port-o-potty, holding his cap up that had obviously fallen in, and carrying it off like he was going to wear it.

Race organizers are still declaring that they never ran out of water (yeah, right). They obviously were not prepared enough for the heat and going from 35,000 runners in last year's race to 45,000 runners in this year's, was too big of a jump. However, they did do the right thing by cancelling the race, before many more people died. Who knew the temperatures would reach such an unseasonably high level. You can read more about this crazy, near catastrophic day at the Chicago Tribune website.

Here are some reasons why I will take Riley and Walker back to Chicago:

• Lincoln Park Zoo (and it's free!)


• 532 parks


• public beach on the shore of Lake Michigan


• Navy Pier...has ferris wheel and other amusement park rides, and a children's museum


• Chicago Cubs game


• American Girl Place...Riley is infatuated with American Girls (Molly in particular); Here they can watch a play with the characters, eat lunch in the cafe, and have their hair (and their doll's) done the same way.


• Field Museum (all things science related)
  
• Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium


• Planetarium

We absolutely loved Chicago. It's like the best of Los Angeles and New York put together and very family friendly...

And so ends the saga that was our weekend in Chicago...

Ahoy thar mateys!

We celebrated Walker's 4th birthday on Saturday with 8 of his closest friends. He wanted a pirate theme, so it only made sense that we have the party at a close friend's lake house on Lake Tuscaloosa. I had a blast planning the party...I tea-stained the invitations, which were written in pirate lingo and burned the edges; I made a treasure map table cloth from a sheet (also tea stained with burned edges); and I made a pirate ship cake and pirate cupcakes; When each child arrived they were given a nametag with their pirate name, bandana and belt, a tattoo, and an eyepatch. Some of the kids had a mustache and beard drawn on their face. It was so cute. Then they decorated the handle of a sword that I cut out of cardboard. After everyone was ready, we started the treasure hunt. Tim was in charge of this part. There were seven different clues that took the kids all over the property...one clue even suggested they get on the boat. Sailing Master Andy (a good friend) drove the boat full of little pirates (and a few parents) across the lake to Treasure Island. They looked for treasure on the island and returned with another clue. I incorporated two games in with the hunt : Musical Islands (played like musical chairs but with large rocks) and Walk the Plank. After the treasure hunt we had cake and ice cream and Captain Walker D. Plank opened up all of his presents. It turned out to be a really great party with no major misshaps, the weather was fantastic, and the kids all seemed to have a great time. Happy Birthday, Walker!

All About Walker

1. His favorite colors are gray, black, and blue

2. He loves Batman, Spiderman, and Superman

3. He still likes Nemo, Buzz Lightyear, Bob the Builder, and Thomas the Train

4. He enjoys riding his bike, swimming and watching movies

5. He can memorize and quote lines from movies, and will sometimes act out different scenes.

6. He will probably be the class clown when he gets in school.

7. He loves all sports: baseball, soccer, football, basketball, even hockey.

8. He told us not too long ago that running and swimming were not sports because they did not involve balls...

9. He has packrat tendencies...He cries when I take the plastic recyclable containers to the recycling center or give anything to Goodwill.

10. He will play with random household objects for hours on end...measuring cups/spoons - calls them his "scoops"; cables to any electronic equipment - pretends to fish with them or use them as lassos; handfuls of Riley's hair bands - calls them "buried treasure";

11. He loves anything having to do with pirates.

12. He likes to play games on the computer.

13. He is playing soccer this fall...#3 on the Eagles.

14. He wants to be Superman for Halloween.

15. He will turn 4 on September 27th.

16. His favorite foods are macaroni and cheese and hot dogs.

17. He loves orange Gatorade...just like his Daddy.

18. He is starting to love books, especially anything by Dr. Seuss.

19. He can't stand for any cabinet door or drawer to be left open.

20. He is definitely the "neat freak" of the bunch...most of the time.

21. He likes to watch "golfball" with his Daddy on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

22. He is a very outgoing child and likes to make new friends.

23. His Bible class teachers say that he loves to tell stories...the nice way of saying he likes to talk...

24. He enjoys holding his baby brother, Owen...and he will let you know when

he is done - usually about 20 seconds later.

25. He likes to eat marshmallows for snack.

This 'n That

Hope everyone is having a fantastic week. Just a few things that are on my mind:

We had a busy weekend...Tim went to the game on Saturday with a friend, while I stayed at home with the kids. It was an interesting game to say the least, but I am very glad that Alabama pulled it out. Everything will start buzzing around here on Thursday when all the rv's show up, ESPN will be here for "Gameday" on Saturday...I can't wait. Tim is taking his dad, who is a huge Georgia fan, to the game...ROLL TIDE!

Sunday, we got to see some wonderful friends of ours, Leah and Craig, that came in town for the game. Leah was actually our adopted student, for three years, through the college ministry at our church. They got married in May and Riley was a flower girl in their wedding. We have absolutely fallen in love with their family. Her sister, Abby and her boyfriend, are now our adopted students. They love our kids and actually ask to babysit. I have a hard time resisting that.

It is consignment sale time, once again! I have gotten over 200 items priced, tagged, the clothes hung on hangers and dropped off...whew! It is such a good feeling to get all that stuff out of the attic and closets so someone else can buy it and I can make some money. I am working the sale once again. I think this is probably my 14th sale to work. It is a lot of work, but a lot of fun also.

I have been planning Walker's birthday party. He wants a pirate party, so I have really gotten into the pirate theme. I came up with a pirate name for each of the guests and made nametags in a piratey font, of course. By the way, there are some very interesting/weird pirate web sites out there. Some people play the pirate roll on a daily basis...I don't understand it. Anyway, I also made pirate invitations by tea-staining the paper, and burning the edges. I rolled them up and tied them with twine. I must say they were too cute! I still have a lot to do...the party is less than two weeks away. Oh, the things you will do for your kids!!

I am trying a new crockpot recipe, tonight. When I fix a roast, I usually put it in the crockpot with potatoes, onion, and carrots, some onion soup mix, and water. This time, instead of using beef, I am using chicken. I put carrots, onion, and potatoes in the crockpot, along with Dale's marinade, and water. We'll see how it turns out. A friend of mine did this in the oven and brought it too us after Owen was born, and it was very good.

I just read that the digital smiley face is turning 25 years old. :-) O.K. Call me stupid, but I didn't know that it even existed. I mean, I have seen people put :) at the end of sentences and thoughts, but I didn't know that was a smiley face. OOPS! My faithful readers probably think that I am absolutely crazy. I'm really not, just out of touch with technology. I think it is very cute...good job Mr. Fahlman...you are very creative, I must say!

Li'l O

Owen is now eight weeks old. Time is flying by so fast. It seems like just the other day we were coming home from the hospital with him. He is growing like a weed and is really a happy baby....most of the time. He doesn't go back to the pediatrician until Sept. 26th, but I think he weighs close to 10 lbs., now. He is a pretty good sleeper, too. He seems to be doing better taking naps during the day, and sometimes will sleep for four hours at a time during the night. Tim has been a huge help. A few weeks ago, he agreed to get Owen from his bed and bring him to me to nurse, and then I take him back to bed. This arrangement is working out great. I am finding it really hard around the 4 am feeding to return him to his bed, though. It is so much easier to just lay him down beside me. We both sleep really well during that time. I keep telling myself that since I won't be having any more children, I'm going to enjoy every last bit of this baby stage....and I have. Here are a few pics of "Li'l O" as we like to call him.

Houndstooth Hype

Life in Tuscaloosa gets pretty crazy this time of year. A huge number of college students come back from their summer vacations just in time for classes to begin at UA. If you live here, you know not to darken the doors of Wal-Mart or Target the weekend before classes begin, it takes twice as long to get across town than it did during the summer, and don't even think about renting a UHAUL trailer. All of that is somewhat tolerable, because we know it is time for some Alabama football. Gamedays on the Quad, tailgating, Big Bad Wolves Barbeque, kids everywhere dressed for the game in their cheerleading outfits and football jerseys, not to mention the actual game itself. These are a few of the fun things I look forward to. It's all part of the gameday experience, and a fun time here in T-town. This season being Saban's first season at UA, is especially exciting.

Lately, I have been in several shops here in town looking at Alabama gear. Oh yeah, that's another thing...you have to have something to wear to the game. Some go to more trouble than others, completing their outfit with UA or elephant jewelry, handbag, and shoes. I could go on and on. I am sure this is true for any school, but this just happens to be what I am familiar with. Anyway, when I was in these stores, last week, I noticed the abundance of houndstooth paraphenalia. For those of you not familiar with Alabama football: A black and white houndstooth hat was worn by Coach Paul Bear Bryant. He is considered by many to be the greatest football coach of all time and practically worshiped in Tide Country.

I personally like the look...maybe because I love Alabama football. Last season the big thing was houndstooth headbands and many people had the houndstooth cap (see pic below). This season, the options are almost limitless. I saw houndstooth purses (of all shapes and sizes), bracelets, covered notebooks and journals, wallets and checkbook covers.

You can also purchase umbrellas, koozies (holds a canned beverage...one store was even selling monogrammed ones..very cute), visors, neckties, sunglasses (notice in picture, the houndstooth pattern is on the lens), scarves, keychains, and my personal favorite: ponytail holder with ribbon attached...perfect for Riley's hair, to be worn with her cheerleader outfit to the game this Saturday! I couldn't resist...it is so cute.

Hope everyone has a great football/Labor Day weekend! Roll Tide!!!