TBT: Halloween

It's Thursday. 

And you know what that means...

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Edition: HALLOWEEN!!!

We are joining our fellow BCS Bloggers this week to highlight some of Halloween Past! Make sure to follow the loop so you can check out all the posts... and maybe get some awesome ideas! So, here we go... 

The Brown Girls: Melinda and Cindy

Circa: 1980 and 1978

OMG, right?!?  Those Strawberry Shortcake costumes are scary!  Y'all remember those plastic mask?  They would break if just put them on wrong!  Goodness.  Eek!

Now, have you ever seen two cuter angels?  I think NOT!  And we totally were and are angels so that makes the costume even that much more fun!  But the best part of these costumes is that they were made by my mom and grandmother.  They're pretty darn talented!  Thanks Mom and Mid!

And for your continued viewing pleasure:

The Guercio Kids: Jody, Jeremy and Katy

Circa: 1983 and 1986(ish)

Mom always let us pick our costumes. Naturally Jeremy's stature and size made him a great candidate for Superman, my cuteness made me the perfect tiger cub (or was it my Dad's LSU thing) and Jody was a zombie. (Please note that zombies can't stand upright. Clearly.)

A few years went by and Jeremy's con-man cuteness lead him to choose Pirate, me, well... I was a good witch. And Jody outgrew Halloween, or maybe he was just "the boy next door". 

 

Happy Halloween from the Merry Mommas! We clearly could have benefited from some makeup tips which is exactly what you will get when you visit Making Mrs. M - she's giving some tips on simple Halloween make-up that even beginners can master!

TBT: JOY from Craft Cuts

Happy #TBT friends!

Do y'all remember this card?

We blogged about it way back in September.

When we were brainstorming about the 12 Days of Merry, we discussed calling Craft Cuts.  We weren't super optimistic.  (Just being real here.) They are this huge company and we are, well just a couple of moms that love to blog about Christmas cards.  BUT. Y'all.  They were super nice and called us back immediately and said, "Yes, we'd love to participate!"

So, for the

We proudly introduce

They have great stuff...not just JOY letters!

One of their most pinned pins is this cork ampersand, isn't that cool!

They even give a tutorial on how to make it!

Remember our Naughty or Nice cards?

Craft Cuts can help you make your own version of Naughty or Nice!

 Craft Cuts has lots of ways to do a monogram.

Wouldn't this be a darling alternative to the traditional wreath!

While the Merry Mommas {CLEARLY} love a Christmas card,

we also love spreading the MERRY all throughout the year.

We would absolutely be giddy if we received this Valentine's card!

It spreads the LOVE!

And love is actually all around!

(Name that movie?!? :))

Craft Cuts is spreading the MERRY by giving away $30!

Thanks so much Craft Cuts!

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TBT: Visiting Santa & 12 DofM - Day 4

Have you gone to visit Santa this year?

The Merry Mommas love this tradition, in fact we took the Merry Littles to visit Santa at Santa's Wonderland this past weekend!

 

5 out 6 not crying = WIN!

Visiting Santa is not a new tradition, not in the least.  And while we didn't do extensive research, we do know that visits like these have been going on for over 50 years. We know this because Merry Momma Cindy's parents were kind enough to share their Santa pictures with us.

Don (4) (Cindy's Daddy) and Dean (2) - 1956 

 

Terry (4) and Brenda (5) (Cindy's Mom) - 1957

Aren't these pictures precious!  Looks like Santas of the 1950s use the same bribes as Santas do now!  And we so want to know what Brenda is thinking about...the look of wonder in her eyes is magical, just like Christmas should be!

(As an aside, Brenda has these pictures restored and  framed and now displays them during the holidays.)

The night before Christmas is such a magical time for kids...do you remember really believing that Santa was going to come to every house in the entire world and bring toys to good little girls and boys?  We do...and while you can debate the pros and cons of Santa...watching the wonder in our kiddos eyes as they lay their heads down on their pillows...well...we LOVE it!

Speaking of pillows...(you like that transition?!?)

is sponsoring today's...

and giving away a PERSONALIZED PILLOWCASE!
There are tons of styles and colors to choose from and you could even bring in your own fabric! 

You know the drill!
** Don't forget - you may only win ONCE during the 12 Days, so if you are already a winner, please don't enter.**

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And...because we have a wicked sense of humor...enjoy 2 crying babies, 3 awkward smiles and a boy for the win!

TBT: That time we went to NYC (again)

So maybe this week's throwback isn't so long ago, but we promised a recap of our little trip to the Big Apple and couldn't very well wait an entire year to post, could we! We don't think you'll mind! 

May we present...

1. Be a tourist. Don't be afraid to "look like a tourist." NYC is filled with some of the nicest people we have met. Ask questions, get recommendations on locals favorite spots to eat and shop, ride the subway, hail a cab, take silly pictures in subway stations, eat food from a street vendor, spend too much money on something you don't need. Visit St. Patricks, try something on at Tiffany, go to a museum.  BE A TOURIST.

2. See a show. Even if you aren't "show people". You will not forget it. Tickets seem pricey but it is worth every penny to see live theater and if you hit up the TKTS booth at Times Square you can find some great deals. This time we ventured away from musicals and hung out with Orlando Bloom for a couple of hours. Not to shabby. Especially since we were THIRD ROW! Matinees are awesome, but they are only offered on Wednesdays. Check out the Broadway website for a list of current shows!

3. Throw away your normal schedule. This one even works with kids! (Merry Momma K and Ryan took the kiddos in 2011 and had a blast!) Sleep in, stay up late, eat at random hours. It's all part of the fun of being on vacation! The picture below is us at dinner...at 10PM. Which may be about 5 hours later than our normal dinnertime. Don't judge.

4. Take a stroll down 5th Avenue. Buy something. Be happy. We also like to play the "guess how much this costs game" at Bergdorfs. That is until they kick us out. :) (Just kidding.)

5. Make unexpected stops. Both times we have been to the City together our plan has been "let's not really have a plan" in the sense of we don't need a minute by minute of each day. We have items that we want to accomplish but that's about it. On this particular day we were just walking around and stopped into a random Italian place around 49th and Broadway. For over 2 hours. We were pretty merry after that. ;)

 6. Take a tour. We can't recommend this enough! We also think if it is your first trip, then you should schedule a tour on one of your first days! It is a great way to get to know the sites and sounds of an amazing place and really orients you to your surroundings. When we went in 2004 we took a Sex and the City tour. If you are fans of the show then you will love it! This time we did a Night on the Town Tour through GrayLine and can't recommend it enough! We had so much fun, learned a lot about the history of NYC, saw some amazing sites (like an up close and personal view of Lady Liberty), ate at a yummy restaurant in Little Italy and ended our night on the Top of the Rock. Seriously. Take a tour.

6. Take a walk through Central Park. No matter the time of year. Venture down to 59th Street and 5th Avenue and take a stroll. 

We are ready to go back! Who's coming with us!?!

TBT: NYC 2004

Roughly nine years ago this was us. Living it up in the big N-Y-C...

Things of note: 

1. The Statue of Liberty was still open but it was too cold to climb to the top. (Read: we were lazy)
2. We liked to take pictures with our hands in the air.
3. Katy tried to be as cute as Cindy is with short hair. And failed. (Seriously, never let me do that again).
4. This was over New Year's...and we tried to act like we were too cool for school to be at Times Square when the ball dropped. And then, just as Harry realized he couldn't live without Sally, we went RUNNING to see it happen. All the streets were closed as far as Central Park but we made it in time just to see the crystal ball disappear.
5. We fell in love with a restaurant in Little Italy "Sorrentos"... so much in love that we ate there two nights in a row! #fatties
6. We are in head to Gap in all of these pics.
7. Cindy convinced Katy that she should totally use her credit card for the first time. $900 and a "fresh off the floor" dress from Bloomies later and Katy was done. (The dress was only $100 - Cindy is just a great influence and convinced Katy that she "had to have" all that other stuff too)
8. We had flip phones.
9. We did a SATC Bus tour and got to see all our favorite spots from the show - Carrie's Apartment, Magnolia Bakery, Samantha's place in the Meat Packing District, Big's Place and more!
10. We discovered there is nothing like spending time with the bestie in the best city in the world! 

We promise a recap of our trip when we return!!!

TBT: 30 years ago...

THIS HAPPENED!

According to the trusty ol' internet,

Christmas 1983 will always be associated with

the Cabbage Patch Kid CRAZE!  

Did you get a Cabbage Patch Doll in 1983?

What do you think will be the toy hit of 2013?

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Cindy's Thoughts: Friends, my parents are awesome, like really awesome.  I love them...but...that picture below is from 1984!  Yes, 1984, not 1983.  I don't know if we received Cabbage Patch Kids in 1983, but I guess we did in 1984.  And frankly, I guess that just goes to show you that stuff doesn't really matter, but love does!

(Don't you just love the scanned pic from my Mom's 

Christmas photo album! {It's a POLAROID, a Polaroid!})

Katy's Thoughts: There are few kids that are as loved as my brother's and me. Seriously - countless stories of my parents going above and beyond the call of duty, especially my Momma. Well, the year I decided I "MUST HAVE" a CPK was beyond 1983 (because I was 4 in 1983 and probably didn't pay enough attention to what was all the rage). However, at some point I was old enough to care and be jealous of everyone else that had a CPK. So of course, I wanted one for Christmas. And as fate would have it - there were NONE left in the great city of Waco, TX. So because my Momma and Mrs. Nancy were SUPER moms and loved Susan and I enough...they drove to SAN ANTONIO to get us one.

Y'all. That's three hours away. On Black Friday. Where people are even crazier than normal.

But, we got them....

(I don't think Susan had opened her gift yet... please check out the way she is eying**  my newly adopted child).  And now all these years later, what I really "get" is all that love that drove them down there for plastic dolls in the first place! Thanks, Mom!  

** Y'all. Did you know that you spell "eyeing" like that??? How weird is that?!? Eying. But I looked it up. And spent way too much time reading all sorts of writing forums in dispute over the spelling of that word. So. Not only did you get a fun TBT - you also got some free education today. We spread merry any way we can! :)


 

TBT: A Merry Husband's Best-Friend

Animal week continues, THROWBACK style....

This is Ryan, Merry Momma K's fantastically adorable husband. 

The reindeer is really just Kasey, Ryan's dog. 

Who: Ryan and Kasey 

Where: College Station, TX

Props: Santa gear and stockings

When: 1999

Comments:  Radley is basically obsessed with this picture. So much so that he had it in his room on his little bedside table until I convinced him that this lovely "framer" should really only be displayed during the holiday season. He was slightly concerned that we were throwing it away when he saw it out of the frame, but we assured him we were attempting to preserve it forever by scanning it in and saving it on my computer.

Something extra: 

This picture was taken while we were in college. Ryan and his roommate, Layne, decorated their fire place and took pictures with their canines as gifts to their momma's. Sweet, right?

(Note to ALL the Merry Littles - we're gonna need a little more than a picture of you with your pets for Christmas, mkay?)

(Just kidding)

(but really...)

The funny thing about Kasey is that she wasn't Ryan's dog to begin with. My brother, Jeremy, is a sucker when it comes to puppies. He is notorious (or once was) for bringing animals home. In college alone, he owned: 3 dogs, mice, some fish, and a flying squirrel named Capone. So it was no surprise when he came home with this "adorable little puppy". 

Until he saw the light and decided that maybe we didn't need a puppy. 

But I felt bad for the dog and didn't just want to give her to the pound. So I came up with the PERFECT solution. There was this "cute boy" I knew and kinda liked and he kinda liked me and he would surely take the dog. 

And he did.

And then we kept liking each other, so we dated. For a long time. And then we got engaged. And then we got married. And that cute little dog is still here. 

Yes, that was the "perfect" solution. 

TBT: Pigtails

It's Thursday and your know what that means...It's TBT!

Wahoo!

The darling sisters - Mendy & Heather - we are featuring today were Merry Momma Cindy's neighbors most of her childhood.  And, their mom  - Joan -  was also in MMC's Dad's class from 1st grade to senior year.  And, their grandparents' farm is still right down the road from MMC's grandparents' farm.  There are lots and lots of generational memories with this entire family.  Isn't that awesome!  The Merry Momma's kind of love small town life and all the fun stuff that comes with it - like having three generations of friendship!  Thanks Curry/Isbell family!

And now...the darling Christmas cards!  

Cindy's Thoughts: Y'all.  These sisters KNOW how to ROCK piggies!  I think piggies are awesome and I love how they portray a sense of "little girl".  We live in a society that rushes growing up and I think piggies maybe help {just a little bit} slow that rush down. 

Katy's Thoughts: When I think of pigtails, I think of Suzy Sandoff. My idol growing up. She was a cheerleader at Baylor (I know, I know) and she was my "coach". And she insisted that cheerleaders wore pig tails. And I am so glad she did. Because there is nothing sweeter than seeing my girls in piggies. 

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Get Pinspired:

1. Piggies are the essence of childhood and this picture does an awesome job reflecting it.
2. Messy piggies are DARLING - here and here.
3. Goodness...this face, those piggies!
4. And you can fancy up piggies! Check this and this out!
5. Piggies are practical!
6. This might be my favorite piggie pic!
7. And for TONS of super fun pics of cute sisters, click here!

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PS - Thanks Mendy and Heather for letting us feature you!  XOXO

TBT: Live Nativity

We have special treat for you today on TBT - a guest blogger!  The Merry Momma's friend Donna (you may remember her from this post) is here to talk about her awesome family.  Enjoy!

 

This picture is of my dad and 3 of his siblings.

My dad is the KING (training for future roles as you will see).

(Early 1950s)

 

Every year my church had a living nativity that involved the younger children.  I always wanted to play Mary, as I deemed her the star of the show.  Unfortunately, as the only blonde in my Sunday School class, I was quickly relegated to angel duty and the brunettes took turns playing Mary (or maybe it was because it would be artistically difficult to explain Mary's bifocal glasses?). 

My parents, pretty fed up with me crying about my "once an angel, always an angel" fate, decided we would put on our own nativity at home with me in my star-making role as Mary.  Afghans, sheets, and blankets became our garb, the top of our chicken shaped bread basket became my dad's crown, my less than enthusiastic older brother played Joseph, my parents became the kings, and my stuffed dog stood in as sheep/camel/donkey.  The true star of the show, baby Jesus, was played by my Cabbage Patch kid doll (the baby one, of course).  My older sister was the angel/photographer.

I would like to say this family nativity did the trick and cured my childhood Mary obsession but no.  However, it did provide a fun family photo and a memory that will always make me smile.  And for the record, I never got to play Mary at church!!!  Further proof of that claim....

Fast forward 10 years.  My church decides to do an outdoor living nativity.  See that white figure on top of the roof trying desperately to maintain outstretched arms?  Yep, yours truly.  They lassoed me around my waist with a piece of rope and attached it to a stick of lumber sticking up from the roof "just to make sure you don't lean forward and fall off".

What I have given to this role!

  

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Katy's Thoughts: Take away the packages. Take away the bows. And even take away the (wait for it...) beautiful cards that arrive in your merry mailbox...and what's left? Him. He is the reason for the season - plain and simple. And how thankful we are for that!


Cindy's Thoughts: First, I lived with Donna in college... angel, well...let's just leave that at that. ;) Just kidding Mrs. Strittmatter! Anyway...back to my comments about the pics - How awesome is a live nativity!  I love these things.   And isn't it wonderful that Donna has these pictures, and more importantly the memories that go with them of her childhood.  My husband's family's church does one every year and we all go and look at it, see old friends, gather with his home church family and really celebrate the Reason for the Season.  I have fond memories of my home church doing live nativities as well.  One year it snowed LOTS, but all the kids, animals and church members stayed outside for at least an hour watching, praying and celebrating.  Last year, we tried to take our Merry Littles to a live nativity...it didn't turn out so well...read more about that here.  Live nativities bring people together...and well, isn't that what Christmas is all about!  Thanks for sharing Donna and if you want...next time we are together, we can "play" Live Nativity with the girls and I'll let you be Mary! :)

TBT: Pajama Time

Who: Brooke (Merry Momma Cindy's cousin)

When: Christmas 1982

Katy's Thoughts: I can't even deal with the cuteness of this picture. I am 100% jealous that I didn't have pjs like this for my girls. I love that Christmas is just magic - for any age. Brooke may not have known what was going on, but look at that sweet sparkle in her eyes!

Cindy's Thoughts: Y'all.  How cute is Brooke?!?  Cute, right!!  I love this picture for so many reasons.  First, Brooke was my the very first cousin I had and one of my first memories is of going to the hospital to peek at her through a window, I was almost 5 years old.  Second, I think I see a little bit of Merry Little M in her.  Genetics - they're fun!  And third, that hat is AWESOME!

Get PINspired: This picture was taken over 30 years ago, but it illustrates that there are a few things that stand the test of time - cute pjs and cute hats!

1. PJs aren't just for Christmas morning, this family showcased them on their Christmas card!
2. Stripes are always cute on the kiddos!  Your baby will look darling in this on Christmas morning or this!
3. Apparently, matching pjs was in style in the '70s too! (This almost has a Don Draper feel to it...Mad Men, please return!)
4. For our entire board of cute pjs, click here!
5. And...the hats...goodness...how cute are hats!  Check this, this and this out!
6. Here's the entire board, but this one may be our favorite! 

TBT: Aggies vs. Bama

It's Thursday and you know what that means...
THROWBACK THURSDAY!

And while technically we won't be showcasing a card today, we will be discussing that time when Christmas came early for Aggies everywhere...

Source: bleacherreport.com

Today we will treat you with a few of our favorite highlights from last year and maybe even some gameday predictions for Saturday. And don't be fooled by our expertise of all things merry - we are Texas girls, so we know football. We are expecting a phone call from ESPN shortly. 

Without further ado, our top 5 favorite moments from 2012...

5. As avid readers, we like a good foreshadow in the story. You can't get much better than this... 

 

Original Source Here

4. This:

 

Kliff, you know you miss us. You can come back to Aggieland anytime.

(And yes, we know this was during the Mississippi State game...but what kind of ladies would we be if we left it out of our top 5!)

3. Basically every time Swope had a reception....

2. Our personal text messages back and forth. Merry Momma K was out of town and unable to watch the last quarter of the game. She was dying. Seriously. There were lots of stares from random people at the reactions she had to the messages at the end.  Here are just a few....

Please note, dear readers, our love for you. We text each other at least 100 times a day. At least. This game happened almost a year ago. That's lots of texts to go through. :)

1.  Some believe it's the greatest play of the season. We believe it's the moment when we really discovered bladder control post babies.

And now for our predictions:

Katy - I think this is the time for us to introduce Aggieland to the world. This is the day when Kyle Field will yell louder, stand taller, and bleed maroon more than any game before. This is the day to prove that we aren't just "in" the SEC, but that we are major players in the best conference in the nation. 

I also predict that at some point, I will scream at the television, accidentally hit my husband, cry, and maybe even let my kids do whatever they want for the entirety of the football game.

And. I predict that at the end of the game, no matter the score, the Aggies will be more proud of their team than any other fans in the nation. 

Cindy - Predictions...I have a list. I like lists! :)
1.  The sun will shine down brightly on Aggieland Saturday morning!
2.  Aggies everywhere will put on their MAROON proudly.
3.  Aggies will get to game watching parties, tailgates, friend's houses, Kyle Field EARLY.
4.  Lots of good food will be consumed.
5.  Lots of good beer will be consumed.
6.  There will be an electric feeling in the air - It's called the Aggie Spirit!
7.  Kyle Field will be packed.
8.  Grandmothers may have to use sports words (my granny's word for cursing) because of some announcers.  (I'm mostly looking at you, ESPN!)
9.  The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band will win halftime.
10.  Johnny will do something crazy.

AND THE AGGIES WILL WIN!