HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Hope it's a rockin one - I know mine will be. Pics will be taken tonite and posted in the next few days of my horror scene set up on my front porch!!! Don't be scared - come and get some CANDY!! Guess what kind of candy I am giving out???? Almond Joy, Skittles, Kit Kat and Starburst!!!

xoxo A.Joy

My daughters top front tooth finally came out yesterday - now the other baby tooth has loosened up quite nicely and has centered itself kinda in the middle. She looks like a cute version of Nanny McPhee. If you haven't seen this movie yet - please do! It's a really great movie.
xoxo A.Joy

#1 - I wear contacts
#2 - I forget to take them out last night
#3 - I put on my glasses this morning
#4 - Everything looked weird

xoxo A.Joy

Check out the latest family friendly Detorit comp CD. There is a review in Zooglobble http://www.zooglobble.com/. Thank April Boyle for putting this together!!

xoxo A.Joy

I am selling my beloved leopard couch on craigs list. I thought I would give Candy Band fans an opportunity to purchase this one of a kind sofa - the cushions do need to be re-done though. Asking price?? A mere $750. Email me if interested. Or make a comment here and give me your email address!

xoxo A.Joy

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the World Series game #2 last night. My brother Brady (who works for the AZ Diamondbacks) was nice enough to take his sister to the game! We had awesome seats, 20 rows behind homeplate. We were sitting by Michael Moore, Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, and family members of the St. Louis team. Needless to say, we had a great time... at least up until the 9th inning when I almost had a heartattack when the bases were loaded and I thought we were gonna lose. But thankfully, Todd Jones pulled it out! Thanks go out to my brother who gave me the ticket, and my other brother who gave up his ticket so that I could go! Go Tigers

This weekend, three out of four Candy Band members had a great time at Camp. It's become an annual treat to take our kids to a halloween weekend where the get to climb trees, go for a hayride, and basically run around while the mom's are drinking tons of coffee in the lodge! Lot's of fun! Maybe we can talk Almond Joy into coming with us next year!

Wow - here is the man - Kenny Rogers. What a great pitcher. I think pitchers in general are pretty emotional guys, but this one takes the cake. Plus he looks kinda like George Clooney - but obviously not in this picture. What an amazing game last night - GO TIGERS!!!!

xoxo A.Joy

I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with my girls this afternoon. I don't really like to bake, so I thought I would get them into it - in hopes that maybe one day they will take over. Well, I dug out alot of eggshells, and had to wipe off batter from everywhere. When I had to finish filling up the little cake pans, because they got bored and quit (I ran out of cupcake papers - and used a bunch of little aluminum pans), I was stirring and there was something super lumpy in there - it was a little spoon buried at the bottom of the bowl (how did that get there??). Anyways, pictured at left is cacao in its rawest form. Doesn't look as yummy as our cupcakes will. Can't wait to decorate with chocolate frosting - I am sure that will be a super huge massive mess and if you know me - you know how I love to clean up messes NOT!

xoxo A.Joy

5 minutes before my daughter left for school today - she said "Mom, can you curl my hair real quick". Obviously she has no concept of time.

xoxo A.Joy

Here are some questions that were asked of me for a magazine interview - let's call it "Getting to know Almond Joy!!"

What do you wish you had invented? The “E” chord
What do you consider your greatest professional achievement? My kids!!!
Tell us the URL of one site (other than your own) that you think is essential for doing business on the Net, and why. I love www.accuweather.com because it helps me figure out what to wear on any given day.
If you weren't doing what you're doing now, what would you be doing?
I would love to be a hor’s devours chef at a restaurant.
What is your favorite word? Yes
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Cool guitar riffs
What turns you off? People chewing gum
What sound do you love? Cool guitar riffs
What sound do you hate? People chewing gum
What profession would you not like to participate in? Mortuary
If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You are welcome here!!
Why I'm a geek- I am an obsessive compulsive recycler
Why I'm cool -I have messy hair
My addictions -Cheese
My heroes Willy Wonka
Music I like Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Weezer and much, much more
Movies and TV I like Jaws, Lost
Subscriptions Blender, Detroit Free Press
Favorite Sesame Street Character? Cookie Monster (cuz he has messy fur)
If you were on Wheel of Fortune would you be the type of person who buys a vowel or wouldn't ever buy a vowel? I would never buy a vowel
First Job? Secretary at a heat treating factory
Best Job? Playing guitar in Candy Band
What book do you casually put out on your coffee table to impress visitors? I have this really cool book of letters and receipts from a store in the 1890’s – it is really smelly though!!
What is the strongest asset you bring to your career? Passion
What is the most important thing you've accomplished in your career? Making people smile and dance (no, really!!)
What is your favorite food? Pizza
1. Living arrangement? Living with my husband and 2 kids
3. What's on your screen saver? My kids
4. Favorite magazines? Blender, National Geographic, In Touch
5. Favorite smell? Lillacs
6. Least favorite smell? Bad breath
7. Favorite sound? Les Paul and Marshall combined
8. Worst feeling in the world? Roller coasters
9. What is the 1st thing you think of in the morning? coffee
10. Favorite color? Green
11. How many rings before you answer the phone? 2-3
13. What is most important in life? My kids
15. Do you like to drive fast? yes
16. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? no
17. Do you like storms? no
18. What was your first vehicle? Plymouth Scamp
19. If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would that be? Jim Morrison – he’s hot and poetic
20. Favorite alcoholic drink? champagne
21. What's your zodiac sign? Leo
22. Do you eat the stems of your broccoli? yes
23. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Playing guitar for Chris Cornell – as in resurrecting Soundgarden
24. If you dyed your hair, what color would you pick? Blonde
25. Have you ever been in love? Yes
26. Is the glass half empty or half full? Half empty
28. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? yes
29. What's under your bed? shoes

Today I am going absolutely mad! It is day 4 of my daughters bedroom strewn all over the living room. We are getting her floors refinished and I had no where else to store all of here furniture, toys, shelves, clothes, etc. I have to give guitar lessons this afternoon in the middle of all of this mess. I have tried to keep it somewhat neat - but it doesn't quite come off that way. My floor guy says I should have here moved back by Friday night!.
xomessy A.Joy

This is Bindi Irwin - Steve Irwins daughter. Isn't she cute?? I really enjoyed the croc hunters show and I know some people didn't agree with him (as my husband would say) picking on the animals. But his heart was in the right place and she will carry on the tradition of her father of enlightening the public on the wonders of the animal world. I saw this photo and had to print it.
xoxo A.Joy

Okay - I had all these cool pictures I was going to post - but blogger posting is down. Aarrgghh!
I will try again tomorrow:)
xoxo A.Joy

Rest my friends (aka the DETROIT TIGERS) - you still have to kick one more team worth of butts. What an awesome game tonite - I can feel the love!!! Way to go Detroit!!
xoxo A.Joy

This is what someone recently wrote to Candy Band on our MySpace site:

Candy Band, I saw you for the first time at the Zoo this summer, and bought your 3 CD's. I own a daycare/preschool center in Waterford and also teach our 4-year-old preschool. I introduced the kids to your music and your CD's are the ones they always request, thanks for making my days more fun by being able to listen to children's music that I really like! Thanks to your music we now pretend play "rock band" playing guitars, drums, singing, and dancing, it's been a great way to involve the boys who usually don't like to dance. I had many of your stickers and have been giving them to my parents--trying to get them to buy your CD's too! THANKS!

Thank you - I won't print your name - but I hope you don't mind that I put this on our website!!
xoxo A.Joy

Okay - this is NOT Detroit. But it could have been a scene out my living room window yesterday!! What's up with snow on October 12? The seasons are changing earlier every year. Pretty soon they will have to realign the calendars. My kids think it's the coolest thing ever - but wait till they have to trick or treat in the cold. Can't they make Halloween in September??
xoxo A.Joy

Read posting below before you read this one. Done reading? Okay - so I told my daughter about the dream when she woke up this morning and she said that the boo boo bunny is covered in playdoh. They took it outside last week at our party and put it in the playdoh box and it never made it's way back in the house - not likely that it's going to now!! Will my life ever be rid of playdoh??????
xoxo A.Joy

Wow - I just woke up and had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that I went to Japan (I have been there ya know) and had a great time, etc. Well, after I came home, one of my teeth poked through my gum and I put a frozen boo boo bunny on it hoping it would go back - and it didn't and I was due to get surgery (like my tooth pulled). Needless to say, I woke up and realized it was a dream. Whew:) I better borrow my daughters dream catcher tonight!!

xoxo A.Joy

In honor of my dog Priscilla's birthday this week (she is 14 - yikes a dog teenager) - I decided to post this cool doggie Halloween photo. Isn't it cute? I expecially like the whopper on the far right!!
xoxo A.Joy

Wow - what a beautiful day it was in Michigan today. I made an old fashioned bbq for dinner - burgers, corn on the cob and baked beans. I was going to write about something else and I had a cool picture in mind, but Blogger won't let me upload a photo right now - so instead you get to find out what I had for dinner - sorry!!
xoxo A.Joy

Need I say more. The Tigers kicked the Yankees butts!!!!! Way to go guys!!

xoxo A.Joy

Okay - so nobody called to help me paint - thank you friends!!! Anyways, I did it and it wasn't bad. I sure hope my daughter likes bubble gum pink - cuz it sure is pink!!!
xoxo A.Joy

Boy do I hate painting. I am currently painting my daughters bedroom bubblegum pink (2 shades) and I cannot wait to get it done. If any of my friends read this and want to come over and help me on Saturday - please call me - I will take you out for a nice dinner!!!

xoxo A.Joy

We had the pie eating contest last week and in yesterdays Royal Oak Tribune - they printed a picture similar to this. What a mess, I am glad I was in charge and didn't have to actually enter the contest. When a winner was declared from each "round" the other contestants would actually spit out what was in their mouth. YUK

xoxo A.Joy

C'mon Tigers. I watched the game last night and was sad!! They are up against the might NY Yankees (man those guys can hit!). I love how Ivan always does the sign of the cross before he bats - now ya just gotta hit a home run!! Did you ever notice how many ball players are named Rodriguez. We sure import alot of players from South America, Puerto Rico, etc. What's up with that? What about the Taiwanese pitcher for the Yankees. Baseball sure is a melting pot.

GO TIGERS!!!!!

xoxo A.Joy

My daughter wants to be Candy Corn for Halloween. So tonite we went to Joann Fabrics to find a pattern - couldn't find one. We ended up going to Halloween USA and now she is going to be a nurse. Any similarities there???

xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday we had our neighborhood picnic. With the weather being a little dicey, I decided to cancel the moonbounce and make a "playdough fun zone" in the street. All of the neighbors brought all of their unwanted playdough and we let the kids go for it on a table in the middle of our blocked off street. They had a blast and I was able to get rid of all my unwanted playdough (because you know how I feel about it). Well needless to day, I ended up stepping on a bunch of it this morning as I was cleaning up and now there is a bunch stuck to my shoe!!

xoxo A.Joy