Actualizing Amy

Happiest

2012-02-15T23:26:00.000-08:00

I regret not taking more pictures.
I regret not buying chocolate fudge.
I regret not riding The Haunted Mansion.

But each memory made, was never a moment wasted.

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2012-02-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Wonderful wonder full eyes.

{Miller's first trip to Disneyland 5/10; Miller's second trip to Disneyland 2/12*}

What's got you mesmerized today?

*more pictures to come...

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2012-02-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Remember the way the wind pinched your cheeks?
A heartbeat racing down a hill?
Skin tight and flushed riding so close to the edge of all this newness?

He will remember it too.

Superbowl snackery at its finest!

2012-02-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

I've had a few new chocolate bark ideas rolling around in my head since Christmas.
One hope with these ideas is to create familiar desserts and translate them into bark form. My first two endeavors were quite the success.

{Red Velvet Bark, Blueberry Streusel Bark}

Red Velvet Chocolate Bark:

Melt together 1/2 a bag each of good quality white chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips by microwaving and stirring in thirty second increments until smooth.

Stir in red food coloring a few drops at a time. (About 6 in total.) If the chocolate seizes up from adding the coloring, just stir and re-microwave the chocolate in ten second increments until it's at a smoother texture again. (I'm sure there's a more professional chocolatier way to stop this or fix seizing chocolate, but I am lazy and this easy fix seems to work just fine for me.)

In another bowl melt one cup of white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until smooth.

Spread out the white/milk chocolate mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Drizzle melted white chocolate onto main chocolate. Swirling into chocolate with a fork or toothpick, if desired.

Cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Break apart into bite size pieces.

Share and enjoy!

Blueberry Streusel Bark:

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Cut 3 tablespoons of butter into mix until it's at a good sandy texture.

Spread mixture evenly onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown. Stirring about halfway through. (About 10-12 minutes total.)

Set aside to cool.

Melt good quality white chocolate chips, microwaving and stirring in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.

Spread onto parchment lined baking sheet.

Drizzle blueberry preserves or reduction if you have the time (I used Bonne Mamam Wild Blueberry Preserves.) Swirling into chocolate with a fork or toothpick.

Sprinkle streusel topping and press into chocolate before it cools.

Cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Break into bite size pieces.

Share and enjoy!

{Miller liking it now.}

{Ivy liking it "later".}

I'm thinking about a tiramisu bark and/or a carrot cake bark next...
Any other ideas I should play with? Or any other ideas that you've made, had or seen?

Monday Motivators

2012-01-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

A morning memory and a wish that they'll always be more friend than foe.

I love naps. And love.

2012-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

I've been coordinating the kids' afternoon naps to happen at the same time. Those 2ish hours are a heaven sent treat to finally finish a cup of coffee, shower, nap on the couch, watch "Pan Am", and sometimes even all of the above.

Lately, I've been trying to catch up on some ideas I've had bouncing around in my often foggy head. This Valentine mobile has been one of them. Thankfully, I had quiet hour to finally execute my idea.

{Sticks found on a walk.}

{Sticks wrapped in yarn with felt scraps and thread.}

{The hardest part was deciding where to hang it. The front door was the winning choice.}

***BONUS! BONUS! BONUS! I loved making this so much that I'd love to make you one too! From now until Monday February 6th at midnight pacific time I will send you a mini version with each purchase you make in my etsy shop. Just enter "VALENTINE" at check out and I'll be sure to add a sweet treat to your package.***

Also, if you are inspired to make a mobile of your own, I'd love for you to comment here with a link or email me a photo of your creation.

Monday Motivators

2012-01-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

I started roller derby classes a few weeks ago. Completely random, completely wild, and completely awesome. Evan thinks I am nuts. My poor swollen ass thinks I am nuts too. I have never had more fun.

It's been a challenge to find my balance on wheels. My feet turn and twist and I'm lost in a battle to grab a solid step. I fall. A lot. But I'm getting better.

I feel like my life is this same battle sometimes. That feeling of your feet slipping out from under you. Steps taking you away from your glances ahead. A blink and you have no idea how you got to where you are.

Twenty three days into the new year and I'm still in denial that it's no longer summertime. Where did the last six months go? Don't even get me started on how the holidays flew by and I feel like I barely had time to enjoy a good cup of hot chocolate.

I could get lost every time I fall. Every time I feel like my days have slipped away from me. Lose myself in self pity, shame, and jealousy while watching others gracefully speed on by. It's a lot easier to stay down.

Or I can take a deep breath, find my stance, look ahead, push off and smile. I seem to have some catching up to do.

Melting

2012-01-18T12:44:00.000-08:00

There's a crisp sickness
like snow
slowly melting out of our home.

It's been days since feet
like stars
tickle twinkling on the sidewalk.

Hold warmth, crisp snow.
It's time.

There are teeth popping up. Dishes yearning to be cleaned. And memories ready to be made.

2012-01-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

I admire and soak in success.
Bouncing light and bright and smiling.
Feet turned and ready to burn.
It's a shame there are only 1440 minutes today.

Yarn Wrapped Bracelets

2012-01-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've been so inspired by all the colorful yarn wrapped wreaths popping up around etsy and the DIY blog world (see some cute ones here, here and here), that I decided to shrink that inspiration and make some yarn wrapped bracelets for a few of my gals for Christmas.

Each one took me about 5 minutes to make and made for a nice excuse to sit down in front of the tv while the new "Bachelor" was on.

Supplies needed:
bracelets (I used a $4.99 set of 6 bangles from target.)
yarn (each bracelet needed about 3 1/2 feet)
glue (I like this "3-in-1 Advanced craft glue" the best. It dries clear, smooth when manipulated and actually adheres to felt, yarn and other fabrics rather quickly.)

Just tie the yarn to the bracelet,
wrap over the beginning knot and around tightly until the bracelet is covered,
add a strip of glue the that last half inch of yarn,
and hold tightly for about 30 seconds so the glue has a solid chance to grip.

These would be so much fun in a ton of different colors and variegated threads or fabrics or ribbons too. I'm now hooked and adding "find various bracelets" to my thrifting hunt list.

What have you been inspired to make lately?

Cheers to newness!

2012-01-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

I sip some tea.
I listen to some Eddie.
I am settling into 2012.

{new styles}

{new tastes}

{new fears}

There's another great year ahead. I hope you'll enjoy sharing it with me.

"Very Christmas!"

2011-12-22T23:55:00.000-08:00

"Miller,what are you going to say when you see Santa?"
"Trick or treat!"
"Well, what else might you say?"
"Very Christmas!"
Close enough.

I'll be enjoying family, gifting and frequent trips for hot chocolate the rest of this week and next. Computer dieting is mandatory.

I wish you and yours many enjoyable moments as well!
See you next year!

Barky Bark

2011-12-21T21:04:00.000-08:00

Confession- I'm not a good baker.
In fact I'm a pretty lousy, lazy and very impatient baker.
Which is why come holiday season (or any and all seasons I find justifiable for eating and sharing sweets), I always stick with my go to chocolate barks. (No peppermint bark recipes here since my pregnancy with Miller permanently turned me off. My stomach is literally knotting up as I type this. YUCK!)

My photos may not as pretty as these ones from Poppytalk. (Honestly?! With toffee too?! I wish I would have thought of that!)

But it is just as simple.
And it takes less than 5 minutes.
And I promise you just as delicious.

5 Easy Steps, Endless Possibilities
Melt good quality chocolate (double boiler or microwave for 30 second increments)
Stir in fixings
Spread out on parchment lined cookie sheet
Cool in fridge
Break into bite size pieces

{The stand by crowd pleasers: semi sweet chocolate chips with crushed pretzels, white chocolate chips with crushed oreos}

What's your favorite holiday treat to share?

Monday Motivators

2011-12-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

That last stretch of a triathlon is much nicer when there's someone eager to cross the finish line with you.

Clarity

2011-12-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

One year ago this week we were told we were pregnant with Ivy. She was so new that coupled with a painful ovarian cyst and low low hormone levels after an empty ultrasound we were told the pregnancy was ectopic.

Even though I didn't think I was ready for a second child, the heartbreak came immediately.

I knew I loved her.
Tons.
I knew I would miss her.
Tons.

Two days later I sat on the cool crisp paper in the doctor's office. Again vulnerable. Again with an emptyness. Again with a loss.

"Before we give you this, let's just double check some things."

Deep breath and a faint faint faint glimmer of hope...

...
...
...

THERE! SHE! WAS! Tiny and waiting to be known.

We sat in a doctor's office today. Parents' instinct led us there.

"There's trouble with her eye."
"A malformed optic nerve."

Surprisingly, I wasn't sick with the news. I was calm. Proud of the questions I knew to ask. Proud of the big life I know she'll still get to have despite a difference. Grateful that it's a minute difference.

"Different, not less."

I get sickening chills when I think "what ifs". What if a day earlier? What if a different doctor? What if?...

Instead I have what was.
And now this lovely, amazing what is.

Science is a fantastic, magical thing.

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful that this is my largest mountain this week. (That is, of course, if you don't count my laundry pile.)

I hope your mountains are small this week.
And if your mountains are big, then I hope you know they are never bigger than you.

Evan just made a batch of cookies for me. Too bad I can't smell them.

2011-12-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. Evan's sick too.
Fever, chills, congestion.
Oh, and I have pinkeye.
I feel awesome.

We now have super plans this weekend.
Plans that involve couch naps and movie watching.
And eating cookies.
And blowing our noses a lot.

Speaking of couch naps and movie watching... we started Christmas decorating this week. Now our fevered (and my pink) eyes can lazily glance up from the couch and dream of far off wintry villages.

{Thrifted ceramic holiday houses}

{Houses now painted white}

{What Miller lovingly refers to as "Christmastown". Tree forest from Ikea, ceramic houses and glass church thrifted.}

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-12-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

"Look, Mommy. I fistbump Ivy."

Miller's been using the word special a lot. Anything with sparkle, glitter, or glass is met with "Tat's spacial, Mommy."

I'm tempted to gold leaf the two of them so he can see just how "spacial" they are to me.

"Treat Yo Self 2011" (AKA this year's advent calendar)

2011-12-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to be ahead of the advent game this year.
And by "ahead" I mean finishing just before midnight last night.
That counts enough in my book.

Taking inspiration from this pin, I had an 11x14 white canvas lounging around so I covered it in 24 squares of felt- gluing only along the vertical sides and bottoms to make tiny pockets, cut out and glued on some numbers (this was the most tedious part. thank goodness for small scissors and entertaining shows on my dvr.), and finally tucked in some teeny chocolate santas. (The pockets are pretty small, so if you'd like bigger treats, I would suggest starting out with a larger canvas.)

Once the kids are older and more heartily involved in the holidays, I'd love to tuck notes and poems and other holiday acts of kindness into the pockets. Until then, chocolates will just have to do. Darn. :)

**Update: Wondering where to place our new advent calendar, I remembered I had some strips of magnets. They easily attached to the back of the canvas and now we have a great holiday reminder greeting us on our refrigerator.

Dear Santa... (Kids' edition)

2011-11-30T15:40:00.000-08:00

It will still be a few years before these kids really understand Christmas and gifting and wishlists of their own, so I'm glad Evan and I still have a bit of control over what toys or special gifts we want them to play with. (Even though it never fails that Miller's favorites are often the dollar bin extras at target.)

Until our two little ones start asking for the trend of the moment toy, I'm hoping Santa's filling their stockings with some of these classic and handcrafted goodies this year.

{Pirate Ship Wood Pull Toy by Armadillo Dreams}

{Custom Fancie Heroes and Villains by Fancie Fannies}

{The Car Kit by Fidoodle}

{Giraffe Pillow by Kate Durkin}

{Transportation Matching Game by Little Sapling Toys}

{Heirloom Growth Chart by Miss Natalie}

{Cupcake Cutie Embroidered Onesie by Posh Plums}

Santa should probably also get on top of making sure her own children have felt books too...

{Custom Felt Name Book by To Be the Bird}

Monday Motivators

2011-11-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

A long week of work and missing my usual daily routine stretched me SUPER thin last week. I was infinitely thankful for family and family feasts to re-ignite my sagging spirit.

I hope your feastings refreshed you as well.

Monday Motivators

2011-11-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

Feeling blessed because you've just realized that discovering your voice is a lifelong adventure...

What I'd rather be wearing...

2011-11-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

On mornings when we don't need to be anywhere, it's not unusual for me to wear pajamas until the early afternoon (once the kids are both napping and I can attempt a real shower).

Today has been one of those mornings. The music on my itunes is inspiring a day filled with plans.
And a couple of great (non pajama, but just as effortless) outfits to match.

Bike riding through the woods. Listening to Ben Howard: Every Kingdom

Girls' Night Out. Listening to Robyn: Body Talk

Tell me, dear readers, what are you listening to that's opening your eyes to a closet filled with action?

*to see further outfit details visit me at polyvore

(Monday) Motivators

2011-11-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

I've been a little "off" this week.
Instead of turning this space into a place I vent and complain, I decided to take a break from here until my head was a little clearer. Luckily, thankfully, peacefully, it only took a few days and I'm back to my old self.
The old self that sure does enjoy a comment (or two), so please tell me what's motivating you this week.
That means you, family, friends, interneters...

As for me, right now I'm inspired by watching little eyes soak in the magic of the everyday.

Halloweening

2011-11-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Miller hated his hat. And his train box. And the idea of dressing in a costume.
But then he remembered he loves candy.
He quickly forgot about his troubles.

Ivy didn't seem to mind her costume. She knows a cute outfit when she sees one.

Little, Big Me

2011-11-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

There's bigness in this longing to be far from little.
A whole world of big.
Whole bits of little me.

There's tenderness in this longing to be far from little.
A whole rooted tree.
Whole limbs of longing me.

There's hope in this longing to be far from little.
A whole wide road.
Maps laid out in front of me.

Some days I wonder why I blog.
Here's this tiny space for me.
Here's this tiny voice for me.
I share my life.
Pictures of my family.
Words.
Recipes.
Ideas.
My heart.

But why?

Today it's because I feel very small. Sometimes that makes me feel an emptiness. An unsatisfied wanderlust. A list of goals so far from reach.
Instead, today it's making me crave bigness in goals I can meet-

Read one book a month.
Weekend trips somewhere new each year.
Volunteer- my hands and my heart.
Learn to garden.
Share somewhere bigger than this tiny space.
Finish a quilt.
Enjoy more picnics.
Learn to rollerskate.
Learn how to properly blow dry my hair.
Learn how to not feel awkward at parties.
Conquer yoga classes.
Drink more water.

It's just a start.
But that little start sure helps me feel much bigger.

Why do you blog, read blogs, read my blog? And what is on your little list today?
If you are reading this, then please answer. Don't be quiet. I love hearing what you have to say.

Monday Motivators

2011-10-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Toys shine so much brighter when they are shared.
Or napped in.

Let's hope he has a little more enthusiasm about his costume when it's all together...

2011-10-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

Just a little pre-Halloween costume teaser.
Just a little pre-Halloween "I don't want to wear this" costume meltdown.
Maybe a trial run at a local festival tomorrow will cheer his spirits.
Or at least the candy will.

{Coloring the outside of a covered diaper box...}

{He'll be less defiant when the straps are on his train box and his engineer outfit is on. Right?!?}

Monday Motivators

2011-10-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think Ivy doesn't like us.
Do I play with my iphone too much when she nurses?
Is running after Miller taking away quality facetime with her?
Are my hormones still wonky and do I take it personally when she fusses?

These answers are probably all yes.
But...

She melts those doubts away the second she does this

Recognize this room?

2011-10-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

{It is not even close to being this clean right now...}

Yesterday our little home was featured on Apartment Therapy with a mini tour. If you have a minute and you find it worthy, I'd love for you to comment on the post. Check it out here.

Also, on Apartment Therapy this week- "How's a new mom supposed to get a shower?" It looks like I'm not the only one who can't remember the last time she washed her hair. Just doing my part to help the environment.

And I'm already excited for next year...

2011-10-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

Five years we've made this trip.
Five years of gorging ourselves on delicious food, apple hoarding, late night giggles, and dreaming of our futures.
Moments.
Memories.
A history.
I can't wait to keep on building.

Monday Motivators

2011-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Walking beside a great friend

Autumn, Autumn, where for art thou, Autumn

2011-10-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles lacks seasons.
Los Angeles also has amazing taco stands.
Priorities.

{It's a hundred degrees outside. So we stayed inside and made a tree.}

{Miller helped me pick out orange pages from a magazine. I drew some leaf like shapes and quickly cut them out.}

{Miller colored a simple tree picture while I cut the leaves.}

{Gluing leaves.}

{Proudly displayed on the fridge.}

Monday Motivators

2011-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Because everyone should have someone to whisper secrets to.

For the Fans

2011-10-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is the closest we've been to getting Ivy's smile on camera.

That's okay, because those eyes seem to do most of the grinning work anyway.

Have a wonderful weekend soaking it all in and grinning away too!

Project Runway, here I come!

2011-10-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

I finally used part of my birthday gift certificate to Sew L.A. and took a sewing refresher course. It had been well over 10 years since I've used my machine. And even then, I didn't really know what I was doing with it (or to it for that matter).

After a few hours of hearing that machine stitch away, I'm now hooked. I'm hoping that this newly reborn passion can get some ~~easy~~ special projects finished for Christmas gifts this year.

Lately, I've been browsing a few of my favorite sewing blogs for some inspiration. Each of these gals is RIDICULOUSLY talented and often I tend to feel overwhelmed with how effortless their sewing skills seem to be. I have to remind myself that I'm only going to get better with practice and that these gals started at the beginning at one point too.

Luckily, there's this whole wonderful blogging world I'm obsessed with that can guide and inspire me through it.

{Made}

I'd love to know where you like to go (blogs or otherwise) to get your sewing eye candy and ideas...

Visitors, icees, onion volcanoes, peeing rhinos and more. How was your lovely weekend?

2011-10-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

*Thank you Shannon for that lovely rhino shot. :)

Monday Motivators

2011-10-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

Washing away the noise of the day.

It's a double dare physical challenge obstacle course of laundry piles in our bedroom right now

2011-09-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

Instead of ~~getting off the couch and turning off "Mythbusters"~~ waking the adorable baby snoozing in her bassinet to clean our bedroom, I browsed Pinterest and I am now dreaming that my pajama-ed body is going to snuggle up in some of these cozy, clutter free beds tonight...

{NY Times via Black Eiffel}

{The Style Files}

{Source Unknown found via Pinterest}

{Desire to Inspire}

{House and Home}

{Alvhem: Makleri & Interior}

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Shifting seasons.
It all seems so big.
I find comfort in my world so small.

P.S. It's FRIDAY!!

2011-09-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

Evan doesn't know it yet, but we're turning a side table I found this week into a play kitchen for Miller and Ivy's room. See the inspiration here and here.

I'm also trying to get a head start on some christmas shopping/crafting. Hopefully, on Saturday I can make it out to oh, hello friend's vintage pop-up shop for some inspiration.

Speaking of vintage, check out Miller's favorite toys this week.

{Handcarved wooden animals found at the Melrose Trading Post last weekend. The poor ostrich needs to be leveled so he can stand up properly with the rest of his buddies. }


{Fifty cent camera. Say "CHEESE!"}

And by "favorite toys this week" I mean "the latest toys we're finding stuffed under the couch cushions."

What's on your agenda for the weekend? And what awesome new treasures are you obsessed with?

Jumping for Joy!

2011-09-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ivy started smiling today!!
No pictures of the smirky gal yet, but Miller's excitement should keep you satisfied for awhile.

Monday Motivators

2011-09-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Some days there's a squeeze to my heart when I hear Miller say the word "Mommy."
An itchy throat, just on the verge of sobbing messy tears.

"Daddy" squeezes just as hard those days too. Some days even harder.

I can stand in the kitchen cursing a monstrous pile of dishes and a couple of arms reach around my legs.
"Hug you, Mommy."
Melts me every time.

It's simple this parenting thing.
Just be squeezed.

Is it appropriate for a 32 year old to play Barbies on her living room floor?

2011-09-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Because that's exactly what Miller and I did yesterday as we weeded through 2 buckets of my (and my three younger sisters') Barbie dolls that my mom found in her garage.

I picked through and set aside all my old favorite outfits and teeny accessories (a bike, boomboxes, sunglasses, windsurfing, scuba gear, etc.) You know all the usual things a gal has in her closet.

While yes, I do agree that Barbie's proportions are a tad unrealistic for a young gal's easily impressionable self esteem, that 11 inch doll is no stronger an influence than movies, tv and advertising can be. And we know we won't always be shielding Ivy (or Miller for that matter) from all of that. My hope is that Evan and I can build our kids' positive images of themselves from within the loving, welcoming, unconditional, supportive home we create.

Playing dress-up with Mommy's old Barbie gear can just be a bonus.

Honestly, how AWESOME are these dresses?!

And no Barbie should be without her fanny pack, record player, typewriter, camcorder, and... ashtray?

Even my favorite Barbie (the one with the sweet haircut my older cousin talked me into doing) made it through the rounds of 25 plus years of play.

What are you excited to share with your family today?

Monday Motivators

2011-09-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

"So, what do you do? Besides making babies?"
"Hmm, well..."

While I do have a part time job that I LOVE and I'm very proud of
AND has grown into a solid (and recently validated!) space for me to stretch
AND I do have pipe dream gigs I'm still reaching for (slooooowly, but still reaching)
how do I really explain
(at a casual and intimate backyard wedding reception)
that my full time job
the "making & taking care of babies" part of my career
is more than just changing diapers...

How do I sum up all of this into a quick, witty, stimulating "I'm trying to be cool at this party where all of you guys are young and fearless and beautiful" answer?

It's...
...hoping the neighbors don't hear my toddler and I dancing to Sisqo's "Thong Song"
...2pm and I still haven't dressed myself (or brushed my teeth) for fear that I'll wake a sleeping baby.
...finding a moment of peace by doing dishes with the water at full power to drown out the whiny toddler who's angry that his juice is in the wrong color cup.
...planning the day's outfit around whether or not I'll need to breastfeed in public.
...planning the day around whether or not I'll want to breastfeed in public.
...knowing every Pixar movie by heart.
...knowing all the drive thru Starbucks in my surrounding areas by heart.
...stopping what I'm doing, no matter what, to help my 2 year old get up on a chair to watch the firetrucks scream by our living room window.
...bathing with baby wipes.
...every cardigan I own, no matter how many times I wash it, always smelling like spit up
...yes, sometimes I am that mom in target with a screaming kid. I need toilet paper, batteries, ziploc bags and facewash just like everyone else.
...watching BURLESQUE while both kids nap.
...wondering what exactly is that sticky substance on the back of my iphone.
...eating my kid's leftover mac and cheese for lunch. And dinner. And sometimes breakfast.
..."hug me, mommy" curing any temper tantrum disciplining
...knowing the appropriate thin line between shaken baby syndrome and bobbing an infant to sleep.
...counting EVERY time I am on a set of stairs
...playdates and sand toy sharing and juice boxes in my purse.
...week old string cheeses in my purse too.
..."more stories" before bed.
...being splashed from a bubbly bathtub.
...trading cocktail mixers and movie premiere parties and sushi lunches for a tiny set of peach fuzzed earlobes.
...so so so exhausting.
...so so so lovely.
...so so so much more than I'll ever know how to say.

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-09-06T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like this

When I don't get enough of this

Thankfully, I have this

{*Picture taken by Miller}

Don't mind if I do!

2011-08-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's been too hot to bake.

And before this blasted Los Angeles muggy heat moved in, I was on a strict no sweets diet plan. The three weeks since Ivy's birth I've been able to indulge my sweet tooth with ice cream and limeades and fruit any time I want. (Ha! Take that, pregnancy related insulin resistance!)

Today has cooled a bit. Not enough to swelter in our apartment with an oven on, but cooled enough for me to plan some future desserts (found via Pinterest) to stuff my face with.

What's your vote?

{Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars via The Girl Who Ate Everything}

{Cinnamon Roll Pancakes via Recipe Girl}

{Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies via Very Culinary originally from Picky Palate}

{Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread via With a Side of Sneakers}

{Strawberry Cream Pie via Sweet Fine Day}

Monday Motivators

2011-08-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is my day.

But now that both (BOTH!!!) kids are napping soundly, the AC is cranked to high, I have a chilled diet coke by my side, I can focus on a few writing projects and other creative endeavors I've been procrastinating. (I'm not talking to you, laundry.)

Although, I really should be napping too.

In other Monday news, how awesome is this stuff?!
David Bowie's "Space Oddity"
Make your own oilcloth fabric
Broken glasses, schmoken glasses. Oh, how I wish this ring wasn't sold out.
JGL

Monday Motivators

2011-08-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Miller's kissing Ivy's arms as I type.
He sticks his tongue out every time and mimics a loud kissing sound.
She flails her arms and continues to snooze in the afternoon sun.

Evan's only days away from the new school year.
Days away from a new and valuable position.
I'm days away from anxiety with how to leave the house, climb a flight of stairs, and attempt to run errands/ play/ experience life outside these apartment walls with two extra arms to wrangle.
Don't even get me thinking about how I'm taking Heidi for a walk in the mornings...

I'm taking deep breaths.
I'm listening to Miller say the word "sithster".
I'm indulging in the last few precious days of our summer.
And I'm smiling.

Fall is, afterall, my most favorite season.

Sweet, sweet thank yous

2011-08-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's rather tough to get anything productive done around here when all I want to do is snuggle up with the kids, my pillow, or a crispy cold diet coke.

{Honestly, how cute are these two? And by cute, I also mean very demanding of my time. :)}

Needless to say, among many other tasks, I still have a few thank yous to send out from birthdays last month, my sprinkling a few weeks ago and tons of other recent gestures from friends and family that we are definitely grateful for.

I have been meaning to share one thank you I'm quite fond of that I managed to get done on time for the gals that threw my recent shower.

The weeks before the shower, I searched local thrift stores for unique planters that matched each of the four ladies' personalities. Even though I was only looking for four, it still took a little patience searching a few different spots. I'm glad I waited to find just the right piece.

Loaded with some jade ("lucky plants" or "friendship trees") and a quick note of thanks, I made sure those four ladies knew how much I appreciated the efforts they made to make me and not yet born, Ivy, feel truly celebrated.

She fits perfectly.

2011-08-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

We can already tell she has big dreams for her little life.

Monday Motivators

2011-08-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

When reading to one turns into reading to two...

I'm still on a bit of an internet diet while I adjust to our newest family member, but I promise to have more frequent posts very very soon...

Guess who's here?

2011-08-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

World, meet Ivy.
Ivy, meet the world.

She cried.
We cried.
And we love her.
Immediately.

Monday Motivators

2011-08-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

No amount of nesting, book reading, class taking, friend advising or documentary watching could have prepared me for those first few seconds after Miller's birth.

He cried. I cried. Evan cried.
Miller wasn't a future dream.
He wasn't a close friend or family member's new addition.
He wasn't an abstract idea.

Miller was ours.
And he was real.
And we loved him.
Immediately.

In one week we'll be at this moment again.
No amount of nesting, book reading, class taking, friend advising, documentary watching, or even memory recalling can prepare me for it.

{Soaking in the last few days as a family of three}

{Loving Miller even during a temper tantrum}

Sprinkling

2011-08-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

I may not have captured as many photographs as I would have liked.
I may not have been able to eat any of the delicious looking sweets.

But I did soak in and appreciate every second such wonderful, caring, inspiring and lovely women spent doting on the newest lady in our lives.

(And like I mentioned last week, I sure appreciated an excuse to finally wear that killer sequined dress.)

Seven more days (or hopefully less?) and I'll finally be able to celebrate her in person...

{Posing}

{Giggling, Diaper Cake, Tempting Candlelit Sweets}

{Proud Grandmas, Default Camera Face}

Keep your head in the clouds

2011-08-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a dreamer. It took me years to take ownership of that and not feel faulted by it.
I'll take as many years as I need to to make sure my kids take ownership of it too.

I'm hoping this mobile I just finished for the little gal is a constant reminder for her to always keep looking up and allow herself to be defined as a dreamer too.

{I traced and cut 2 layers of felt with cardstock cloud shapes, wrapped the inside of an embroidery hoop with yarn, and blanket stitched and stuffed the felt layers.}

{Hung the clouds to the hoop with white thread and criss-crossed clear thread at the top of the hoop to center balance the mobile to the ceiling.}

{Floating in the late afternoon sun*}

*Pink photo series above the crib are the 5x5 versions of these from the beautiful etsy shop of one of my favorite blogs Little Brown Pen. The photo above doesn't even do them justice. The chunk of drywall missing under the last picture on the right doesn't do them justice either. :)

Monday Motivators

2011-08-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

8 years tomorrow. what a couple of kids we were. 2922 days behind us. millions more ahead. what are you most proud of this week?

i'm curled up on the couch waiting to watch the bachelorette finale! finally an end to this trainwreck. are you watching it too???

except for washing a load of blankets and a good ol' car detail, i'd say our little family is beyond ready to meet its newest member. 2 weeks from today or sooner? what's your guess?

waking up earlier than i'd like can be tough. waking up to "wook it, mommy" or "kisth me, mommy" is not. what makes your early morning risings easier?

9 months preggers and i finally decided to rock the vintage sequined tube top dress that's been waiting patiently in my closet for about 8 years. my watermelon belly only made it that much more bad ass. what have you bad ass-y rocked lately?

have you seen these pictures??? not only do they cause me to lust after a beachy swimming retreat, but i desperately want an underwater camera shell ASAP! what have you seen lately that's wanderlusting you and/or you're ready to drop some serious cash on?

my good pal julie's getting married. no further explanations needed to feel uber excited for that one.

speaking of good pal's though, sequined tube topped dress was rocked for a lovely LOVELY mini shower some of my besties threw for me this weekend. i am still glowing from feeling so celebrated. pictures and details to be posted soon. what has you glowing this week?

and best of all- dinosaurs.

Friday! Friday! Friday!

2011-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

A shift in the weather lowered the temperature just a few degrees these last few days.
Which in turn, shifted me a few degrees. A few LOT of degrees.

I can see the outlines of my anklebones again.
I don't feel like a sweaty hobbit around 5pm anymore.
And I've had energy to catch up on (or start) some much needed nesting projects I had hoped to finish by the end of this month.

Enjoy a few teaser photos of the kids' room we're hoping to finish this weekend.

And of course, enjoy a picture of some socks too while you are at.

I'm wishing you have an ankle viewing, less sweaty, productively wonderful, celebratory, socky kind of weekend ahead of you as well.

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-07-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

While I am grateful and still loving a million things this week, I'm in a funky funky mood and desperately need some extra pick me ups.

I'm in that late stage of pregnancy where one stops feeling "cute pregnant" and is now "puffy, uncomfortable and limited pregnant". (Remember how puffy I was before?) I've also just been lately diagnosed with gestational diabetes and even though I know that it's just genetics and a roll of the dice, I'm having a hard time not feeling like it's my fault for enjoying milkshakes, lemonbars, and olive oil grilled country white bread on a regular basis. Shame can play funny tricks on this gal.

Needless to say, I'm not enjoying this. At least yesterday I wasn't.

And yes, I know how amazing and truly blessed I am to be able to take part in this awesome miracle. I wouldn't trade it no matter how comfortable and energized someone could make me right now. It's all so SO worth it. But I'm also allowing myself little windows to so SO complain about it too. I am only human. :)

So today I'm looking elsewhere for motivators. I hope these etsy quotes perk your spirits the way they are doing mine.

{Den 10 Studio-Dr. Seuss quote 11x14 limited edition print}

{M Bart Studios- The Little Prince quote 8x8 clock}

{Lofty Mornings- Van Gogh quote 8x10 print}

{Lulu Bug Jewelry- Compass rose and "Invictus" poem quote necklace}

{Raw Art Letterpress- Winnie the Pooh Giclee print}

{Lindsay Dud- hand embroidered quote}

Tomorrow is a new day.
Hell, the next hour is a new day.
I'm planning on smiling through all of it.

Two'in it up

2011-07-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

I had grand schemes.

Rustic jars with burlap and pebble tablescapes. Papercut camping scenes throughout the food table. Butcher paper ribbons streaming in the breeze. Homemade mini pies. Toilet paper roll binoculars. Vintage sheets turned into tented sanctuaries. S'more pops.

I had grand schemes.

Then I remembered that he's 2. And I'm 9 months pregnant. And everything doesn't need to look like it's out of a magazine or event planning blog.

Evan and I re-focused our tasks and made sure we had the basics for a great party - good food, cold beverages, shade from the heat, and plenty of room for lots of littles to run off all those sweets.

The day was perfect.

And I know Miller thought so as well.

Monday Motivators

2011-07-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

some of my own simple pleasures this week... what's on your list?

after almost 8 years of marriage, evan has finally successfully killed a spider in our home. i can sleep peacefully tonight. and by "sleep peacefully" i mean "sleep for hour and a half increments until I'm woken by a leg cramp, a full bladder, and/or a kung fu master in training gestating baby."

making plans with some birthday gift certificates. hello, ice cream maker! hello, letterpress classes! hello, reintroducing myself to my sewing machine!

seeing family and celebrating lives

cringing and giggling everytime miller says "frog" or "clock". i really hope we never see a "frog clock" in public.

on my list of tasks to do this week: pack a bag for the hospital, wash baby clothes, nap

attempting to get a family picture after your 2 year old has eaten about 14 oreos

2 years and a lifetime

2011-07-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today I was confined to a bed, full of fluids and drugs and a heart full of chaos.
Chaos that grounds me.
Chaos that humbles me.
Chaos that loves me.
I proudly and joyfully feel blessed to share him with the world.

Happy birthday, Miller!

Karen Carpenter just popped up on shuffle reminding me of TOMMY BOY

2011-07-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'm drinking an iced coffee.
Miller's "sweeping" the floor with a foam sword and making monkey sounds.
It's almost noon and we're still in our pajamas.

So far 32 is shaping up to be a good year...

P.S. Do you think our dog, Heidi, and Miller can make me this cake before Evan gets home from work?

{Via Ohdeedoh}

P.P.S. In all seriousness, each year gets better and better. Challenges and hopes often dip and swirl, but with each new day I fall more and more in love with what the sunrise brings me.

P.P.P.S. Remember this birthday post from last year? It's funny how so many things are exactly the same, and yet so completely new. :)

Again,

from all my heart,

thank you for reading me.

Thank you for inspiring me.

Monday Motivators

2011-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

2 birthdays (Miller's and mine). 1 week. Lots of great plans. Most of them involve eating and I couldn't be more excited about that! One of them might be filling Miller's room with a good morning balloon surprise on Thursday.

I'm taking my leave of absence from work a few weeks earlier than I had anticipated. Let's hope I can waddle around long enough these last few weeks to actually use this ownership of time in being productive. Naps and watching Food Network (my favorite!) count as being productive, right?

Anticipation, anxiety and hope that owning a home in Los Angeles might be a sooner chapter in our lives than we had thought... It's already hard to not start ~~thinking~~ obsessing about paint colors and farmhouse sinks.

Did you see Miller's stamp invite DIY featured on Ohdeedoh this week?

I'm so bummed I missed this show. Check out the setlist on page 2. P.S. Evan, Ukulele Songs is on my birthday wishlist. You still have time...

Playing "Deserted island- what and who would you take?" and finding out some interesting facts about your significant other. Really?! REALLY?!!

Best of all this week- siblings!

{Miller, July 2009; "Girl", July 2011. You think they are related?}

One Hundred and Three

2011-07-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

My great grandmother passed away yesterday.
103 years young.
Passionate about all my own favorite vices- chocolate, celebrities, clothes, jewelry, shoes, purses, storytelling...
She spoke her mind often.
She whispered prayers louder.

Peaceful and rested she's moving on, embracing, living.

Celebrate this next step, Grandma O.

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-07-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Something happened after I had Miller. Even started during my pregnancy with him. Something I refer to as "getting all Mama Bear".

The idea, the feeling, the knowledge that if I needed to, I would have the strength to move a car, fight a lion, tear through walls to protect my family. A strength I never knew I had until a little one came along.

A strength I hope I will never have to access.

We watched WAITING FOR SUPERMAN last night. And while, like most documentaries, there were holes or unexplained statistics, it still hit at the core of my Mama Bearness.

Only deeper. In a spot that fears I cannot protect.

How do you keep your kids from being disappointed? Heartbroken? Rejected?

In my own life I try to take one day at a time. One fear at a time. One challenge at a time. But I would gladly take on all of theirs at once if I knew it would shelter them.

We'll have a house someday.
With a yard.
A shady tree.
A tinkering garage.
An automatic ice maker freezer.
A place to check in after a bike ride.
A warm cookie filled kitchen after turning in a science project.
An open hug and clean sheets for guests to rest on.
A hearth.
A home.
A shelter.

I'll fight the battles I can.
I'll rip to shreds the battles I can.
I'll humbly hold out my heart for the ones I cannot.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

2011-07-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm busy today trying to find the perfect sophisticated and yet awesomely nostalgic outfit to wear to the New Kids on the Block & Back Street Boys concert tonight.

Yep, you read that right. Don't be jealous.

Besides trying to find some sweet fluorescent puffy paint t-shirts, my weekend is already looking to be a great one.

I hope yours is too!

Put a stamp on it

2011-06-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

I love the look of linoleum cuts (or woodcuts).
But I don't always love the pricetag supplies for lino cuts can often have.

Especially when I just want it to stamp a party invitation for Miller's upcoming 2nd birthday. And would much rather use the extra cash to buy him a fun present.

So I opted for a much MUCH cheaper option by carving an image into a thick sheet of craft foam. So easy. So only 99 cents.

Here's what I did:

Cut foam to stamp size I wanted
Pencil drew a simple image onto foam (remembering that whatever you draw needs to be a mirror image)
Carved image with an exacto knife. (At first I thought I would need to actually carve out the lines [see the tent], but I quickly realized that the foam surface itself becomes compromised just by simply slicing into it)
Evenly painted watercolors onto stamp for each press
Pressed stamp onto already printed party invites

{Finished products}

With all the extra foam I had, I then made a set of alphabet stamps for Miller (and myself) to enjoy.

Monday Motivators

2011-06-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

watching 2 javier bardem movies in one week!

swimming pools, swimming pools, swimming pools

seed cathedral! or as evan referred to it, "seed-thedral"

do you think i could a) get this guy to make me a magnetic map of the world (like his USA map) for our fridge? and b) justify spending so much on a magnetic world for our fridge?

guess who's caught up on the mountains of laundry she always seems to have???

6ish more weeks and this (hiccuping at the moment) science experiment in my belly is definitely running out of room

finally getting to ride the trolley

what have you watched, contemplated justifying a purchase of, caught up on, finally getting to do this week?

Po-Tay-Toe, Po-Ta-Toe

2011-06-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Evan opened the fridge and totally called out my procrastination the other night. "Are you going to do anything with all these veggies from the CSA box we got a week and a half ago?"

I quickly searched for a response to defend myself, but the truth was in his hands like a bouquet. A bouquet of limp radishes, carrots and celery. I shifted the uncomfortable mass that has become my body, wiped away a milk mustache and declared, "We're having potato salad for dinner. Didn't I tell you?"

Roasted Root Vegetable Potato Salad

Cut, with skin on (what turns out to be about 3 cups) of your choice of potato (I think I used yukon gold) into about 1" cubes or quarters.
Add potatoes to a pot of boiling water for about 8 mins until they are "al dente". Remove from water.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop veggies (radishes, carrots, celery) into even sized cuts. (Radishes, in half and sliced about 1/4" thick. Carrots about 1/4" thick. Celery about 1/2" thick.)
Spread veggies (not potatoes yet) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix veggies around to get an even coated layer.
Spread al dente potatoes evenly onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix around to get an even coated layer.
Roast veggies and potatoes for about 20 minutes. Occasionally rotating sheets or stirring around to distribute roasting. When done, potatoes and veggies should still have a subtle firmness, but roasty and tender at the same time.
Let cool completely.
Meanwhile, mix 1/3 cup mayo (or more if you like), 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
Once potatoes and veggies are cooled toss them into a bowl with the dressing (adding more or less depending on your tastes).
Enjoy!

We threw a few spoonfuls on some romaine lettuce and topped it off with a crumbled hard boiled egg. DEE-LISH.

Nothing says summertime like a potato covered in a mayonaise based dressing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

(Grand) Father's Day needs crafty goodies too

2011-06-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

The ladies had their turns last month.
It was now time to turn Miller's (limited) crafting attentions to his three Papas.

I purchased some plain white mugs and let Miller go nuts with my porcelain paint pens. (FYI the paint your own mug kits at craft stores are not washable or even food safe. "For decorative use only" for a mug equals "Lame" to me.) We let them dry for the proper 24 hours and then baked them to seal the paint and make them dishwasher friendly.

It's nothing profound or even that fresh of an idea, but they sure turned out cute, purposeful and budget friendly. All the best criteria for a good gift in my book.

No laundry tonight either!

2011-06-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Instead I spent the last thirty minutes googling myself. Super productive stuff, people!

It's officially summertime and the weather is starting to kick into hot hot gear.

Which means two things- my feet and hands are already puffing up, and Miller is now officially justified in "no pants" mode.

I hope you are enjoying the start of your summer as much as we are. Pants on or otherwise.

Monday Motivators (TMI edition?)

2011-06-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

we had a momentary scare this weekend with a trip to the hospital, too much pelvic pressure and consistently strong contractions. after a few tests and a check-ity check, the scare diminished into something a lot of fluids and some antibiotics could fix. we're so excited to meet this little lady, but will patiently and non bedrest-y enjoy these next 8ish weeks waiting for her.

why am i still watching the bachelorette??? please tell me i'm not the only one...

coming home from an afternoon of work to evan's delicious homemade mac and cheese

refreshing our apartment patio by cleaning out the dead DEAD D.E.A.D dried out plants

guess who busted out the large pregnancy granny undies this week and is LOVING it? pretty sure it's not the most mutual love within my marriage right now...

if left on my own, i just might drink a gallon of milk. by myself. everyday. who am i right now?

i chose to rest my feet tonight and watch junk television instead of doing a few loads of laundry. i feel no guilt about it at all. looks like miller might be wearing his swim trunks tomorrow

enjoying a good cry after watching BLUE VALENTINE. man, oh man, that is an intense/touching/honest movie. p.s. ryan gosling still looks good even with a receding hairline.

celebrating the awesome father/best friend/role model that evan is in my life. part of the joy i get from extending our family is knowing that these little lives get to grow up supported and loved by him. these are some of the luckiest kids i know.

concentrating on the things you love doing

Every day is something new

2011-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

I caught Evan with a melancholy stare toward Miller last night.

"He's growing up."
I put my fork down, joined the stare and let sadness and pride choke my throat.

And then Miller threw his dinner plate on the floor and begged "peaz"es to get down from his chair.

He'll be two in one month. Today he's perfecting the art of eating cereal without spilling milk down his chest. Soon he'll be tying shoelaces, reading, times tables, stick shifts, college applications, pick up lines, rent checks...

I could so easily get lost in how quickly he's growing up. I could so easily miss out in how quickly he's growing up.

It's beautiful and it's terrifying.

I wouldn't want it to be anything less.

Monday Motivators

2011-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

here are some of the latest little treats that are shaping my week. i'd love to know what's warming your week too...

poetry bombing

miller saying "hmm, yet's see" whenever we open a fridge, a toy box, a cupboard, a magazine... apparently, i stand in front of the fridge and do this too?

"summa summa summa tiiiiiiiiiiime"

finally!! selling our huge headboard

watching each of my younger siblings (which, through the course of life events, i have 6) grow and shape themselves around their passions and talents.

it's been over a week since i've seen it, yet i'm still giggling from BRIDESMAIDS

celebrating birthdays and demolishing desserts

Minis

2011-06-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest gifts our friends and families blessed us with after coming home from the hospital with Miller was to organize and treat us to meals and snacks for those first few weeks of acclimating to a new baby.

Every other day we'd get an email or phone call from someone ready to know what time they could deliver the goods. Sometimes they stayed and shared a meal with us. Sometimes they stayed just long enough to smile at Miller and do our piles of dirty dishes. It was all so so SO heavenly.

Although I still owe one of two families that just had a new baby a foodie stock up (and don't even try to say "it's not necessary" because "it's so happening anyway", you know who you are...), I did manage to visit my dear friend, Erin, last week with some of my personal favorite food goodies.

I may have also just wanted to visit her to coo at her beautiful new baby.

{I forget how tiny newborns really are... and how they don't tell you "NO" every time you need to them to put on clothes.}

Instead of a full meal, I brought Erin and her husband a variety of fresh fruits as well as a dozen mini quiches which could be frozen and popped in the microwave for a quick breakfast, snack, power boost, etc.

{These cooling buddies have spinach, corn, tomatoes and zucchinis}

I used a friend's family quiche recipe (which I don't know if I have the liberty to share on here, but it is VERY similar to this one here from epicurious- which can easily be modified to suit your own cheese/meat/veggie likes or fridge inventories).

I rolled out some store bought pie crusts, cut them into square-esque shapes, molded them into buttered muffin pans and spooned out the quiche mixture goodness. (Some recipes call for you to bake a pie crust a bit before you add the egg mixture. Instead, I just made sure to turn the oven down a tad and let them cook for a few minutes longer. Eyeballing and covering with foil if necessary.)

After they had cooled awhile in the muffin pans, I slid a knife around the mini quiches and popped them out to cool completely before bagging them up (with a square of parchment in between each one) into a double sealed freezer bag.

When a snack craving hits, all the new parents need to do is pop one (or two... or six) into the microwave for about a minute and VIOLA! something other than a nutri-grain bar and a bowl of cheez-its for a 3pm (or 3am) food emergency.

Of course I doubled the recipe and had to make a large quiche for my own family too. When in Rome, right? Or rather when I'm surrounded by cheese and pie crust, right?

Monday Motivators

2011-06-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

i felt like an a-hole this week after calling a co-worker another name numerous times throughout the day. panic and embarrassment set in at about 5am the next morning when i realized my mistake. the things you remember when you're peeing in the middle of the night...

little imperfections like that tend to set off domino effects and pretty soon i'm tumbling down the rabbit hole of all the regrets, losses and potholes i've walked upon throughout my life.

it's a good thing that lately a simple smile can tug me back out of those often deep pits.

and helping evan shop for new clothes.

and birthday celebrations for friends.

and first outings (that don't involve doctors or trips to cvs) with a new (and naturally amazing!) mom.

and chocolate.

and hearing miller's whispering feet creep down the hallway each morning. even when it's too early for my tired eyes.

and reading damn you auto correct. ("...grandma wants you to pick up some smurf herpes on your way home...")

and clean highchairs.

What's helping tug you out of your tumbles lately?

Kids Room Upgrade: Stage 1

2011-06-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Speaking of great places to rest...

{Climbing, resting, soundly snoozing}

This room's evolved a bit since we first moved in, and it will definitely continue to evolve as the new babe moves herself in too, but this kid space is shaping up to be one that we are proud to re-putawaytoys each and every day.

Again, at least half of the room is done...

Master Bedroom Upgrade: Stage 1

2011-06-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I've lived on my own since I was 18. With each place I've always ALWAYS prioritized my bedroom as last on the list of things to organize.

I hate that I do this.

Each new move I naively vow "BEDROOM FIRST!". Months later the bedroom is less the sanctuary I long it to be and more the laundry, craft projects, papers to be filed storage area it defaults itself to be. Most of the time I feel like our bedroom is one more pile away to becoming an episode of "Hoarders".


{In our defense, we were moving and reorganizing a bookshelf this day. Also, take note of the bulky, dusty, annoying headboard bookshelf behind the bed.}

{Anyone in the LA area looking to buy this?? Please.}

This summer I plan to grab this damn lack of bedroom sanctity by the balls and take ownership by defining our bedroom as a beautiful, peaceful, sexy, cozy and pile free space.

Welcome to Stage 1:

{No more nasty, bulky headboard. Eventually, we'd like to get matching nightstands, but until then this side table and cupboard will have to do. Curtains too, maybe? Definitely hoping to recover the antique chest at the foot of the bed. Maybe a yellow or light gray?}

{New to us $15 thrifted cupboard currently holding and hiding etsy goodies. I'm hoping to sand off some of the darkness of the blue stain. Eventually.}

{The rest of the room still needs a bit of work though...}

I'd love to know what tricks, ideals, convictions you use to keep your bedroom a sane space. Please PLEASE share. I can use all the help I can get. :)

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-05-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

having loved ones over for breakfast

meeting loved ones for breakfast

hearing miller say "peaz"

currently giggling because miller's stirring a wooden spoon into a rain boot and pretending to taste it.

pinterest for iphones

gratitude and admiration for those devoted to (and those who love those devoted to) our country in such a way that they'd risk their life for it. my simple thank you and a day off never seem enough.

2 1/2 more months to go before our lives tornado into a wild, sleepless, beautiful mess

snuggles, jokes and pretending to sleep

What do you have cooking up for your long weekend?

2011-05-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am equally glad and surprised that Friday is here already. Where did this week go???

On top of working and daily life, I've managed to squeeze in hours (HOURS!) of much (MUCH!) needed napping. (I'm starting to think Miller slips me roofies every morning so he can get extra Disney Junior tv time.)

A million projects (nesting, crafting and otherwise) began this week, but not finished. Stay tuned next week. I promise some goodies will be done.

Speaking of napping, I hear a certain someone who is supposed to be "relaxing" in his big bed playing with blocks...

I hope you appreciate your weekend. I hope you appreciate "relaxing" as much as I do. :)

Monday Motivators

2011-05-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

pumping up the excitement for miller's "big boy bed" being set up this week. i'm sure his new toy story sheets are helping a bit too.

csa produce boxes

chow fun

the new muppet movie

shorter shifts at work = longer, happier, more energetic days for my feet. and legs. and brain.

fresh story ideas and the hope that they'll actually complete without me hating most of it.

two new lives born to two great friends within two days of each other this week. congrats to both of you and your families! you are both such amazing and beautiful moms!

{fresh from a bath and a sweet part line; miller checking out a new baby}

More New (to you) Stuff...

2011-05-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Goodies galore!
Jewelry, postcards, notecard sets, home decor, abaci and more.

I hope you love them as much I have loved collecting them.

{abaci & silver children's cup, gold beaded bracelet, tapestry handbag}

{woodsy/manly postcard notecard set, vintage Paris postcards, comic postcard notecard set}

It's a beautiful day and we're stuck inside waiting for the cable guy. Again.

2011-05-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Staying inside is however forcing me to finish some more etsy goodies (vintage treasures and postcard notecard sets) I've been meaning to post (and had promised). Most items should be up by this evening. Stay tuned. :)

Until then, check out these vintage pictures I found at an antique store when Evan and I were in Santa Barbara

{Miller better get cracking on some chores. This kid's what? Maybe 2?}

{Yes, that is a gun and a dead bird in this (maybe?) 4 year old's hands}

{Siblings? Pals? Cute, definitely!}

{Nothing says mother son bonding then a little archery practice}

{This beautiful day calls for some croquet. And some sweet white knee high socks.}

I usually steer away from vintage photos. Something about them creeps me out. Like I'm bringing a bit of the ghost of someone into my home.

The adorable lawn mower guy was on top of the picture pile and I couldn't resist. The deeper I picked, the more I fell in love with this group of munchkins. I ended up with ten great shots of these great kids.

What do you think I should do with all these pictures? What's a honorable and decorative way to display the cuteness that is in these photographs?

P.S. Speaking of cuteness...

{He's not holding a rifle or dead bird, but that same look of pride sweeps across his cheeks as he shows off his "what else can I fit into my crib?" collection.}

Take me out...

2011-05-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a tip from my dear friend and awesome Los Angeles guru, Julie, I learned a couple of months ago that Dodger Stadium hosts a tour of the ballpark twice a day.

I've held on to this fact since then and saved it for the perfect opportunity to surprise Evan with a birthday outing. It helped that I had also peer pressured him for the last two weeks to take his birthday off of work.

Monday Motivators

2011-05-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

KALE CHIPS!!! Our family finds anything labeled "chip" irresistible. It's a good thing too because these are actually quite delicious and quite addicting and quite full of vitamins.

Speaking of food indulgences- owning the SILVER SPOON again after losing it a few years ago. Man, oh man, this is an amazing cookbook. (Thank you, Mother's Day Barnes & Noble giftcard!)

Kristen EM-EFFING Wiig (Who wants to babysit so Evan and I can go see BRIDESMAIDS??)

A ton of new stuff I'll be adding to the shop later this week.

Belly hiccups

Not spilling the beans early on great birthday surprises.

Not losing our cool when this becomes a standard eating in restaurants moment:

{Not everyone liked Umami Burger}

What a day to celebrate!

2011-05-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's a great thing he's playing hooky from work, because we've filled his special day with awesome adventures.

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend yourself celebrating birthdays, spring weather, playing hooky from work or whatever else the next few days has in store for you!

P.S. The main Blogger site was down the last few days and comments were lost for posts this Wednesday on. Which means I lost all the sweet comments you all made about Miller's mother's day painting.

I've read and loved them all and I love knowing that I'm sharing to more than my own ears. Thank you for listening too.

(Grand) Mother's Day Goods

2011-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Now that Miller's much more involved in kid friendly crafting, I wanted to make sure that he helped with this year's Mother's Day treats for his three grandmas.

I had him paint (with some practice and some help) terra cotta pots with outdoor/waterproof acrylic paints.

Maybe it was the color blend or his technique, but I'm a bit in love with his finished portion. I'm thinking of finding some dishes or tiles for coasters or something for him to paint for our own home. Any other ideas?

{Practicing on cardboard and annoyed with paint on his belly}

{Almost done and waiting for Grandma}

Monday Motivators

2011-05-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

having a cupboard filled with snacks originally intended for the camping trip

miller's new to him teeny guitar i found at an antique store and his ownership of "my songs, mama" whenever i pick it up (usually to fix the strings he's tangled up)

both evan and i finally knowing this little growing gal's first name. (sorry, but you all will have to wait another few months to find out. once a baby's born, she's open for all the world to connect with her. we love the idea that until that day, she's still our own private little wish. we did this with miller too, and our friends and families were on pins, needles and frustrated guesses until his birthday.)

learning to curb our "trucker's mouths" when driving. especially now that someone's little mouth is using new words almost every day. (even though evan yelling "thank you!" to a car that cut him off doesn't quite have the same sting to it.)

mother's day bbq dinner (and leftovers for monday's lunch!)

evan and my first overnight together without miller and feeling refreshed after spending two days and two nights in santa barbara later last week. (miller was DEFINITELY missed as each toddler we saw we wanted to scoop up and hug.) many, many, MANY thank yous to grandma mimi for taking such good care of "our most prized possession" and to evan's school district region for organizing (and expensing!) a great getaway.

{hotel views, expensing dinners (but not the scotch), walks, and missing this killer smile}

The camping trip that wasn't...

2011-05-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

After (safely) suffering and needing to recover from a serious health emergency late last week, one of the families on our tri-family camping extravaganza trip was unfortunately unable to make the trip to Big Sur. Not wanting them to miss out on a ton of memory making, the rest of us (sadly) decided to put a pin in this little vacation and look to the months ahead to plan a new one.

Our weekend was then spent in town, but still filled with great memory makers especially since Evan's brother and his family were visiting my in-laws.

Despite not getting to sleep in a tent, we still managed to hit up most of the key elements in any great camping trip.

{cave exploring, climbing, bug investigating}

{trail riding}

{risk taking, hiking, rock throwing}

{buddy walks}

{and of course s'mores!}

Starry Starry Nights

2011-05-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'm belittling any anxiety I have about camping with a toddler/ sleeping on an air mattress/ hoping to not complain about hiking this weekend by window shopping for some sweet etsy outdoorsy treats.

The thought of seeing an outside of Los Angeles star fillled sky helps belittle any anxiety too.

{Custom Felt Campfire Set- Neafus}

{"The Campout" Glass Plates- Nuno Studio}

{"Starry Night" Organic Hand Embroidered Onesie Duo- Crzy Bag Lady}

{Set of 4 "Tents" Postcards- Gretchen Mist}

{"Enchanted True North" Silver Locket Necklace- The Enchanted Locket}

{"Milky Way Lodge" Print- Ben Canales}

Monday Motivators

2011-05-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

celebrating friendships with dinners, UCLA diaper cakes, weekly trade off starbucks runs/playdates, and an upcoming tri-family camping extravaganza.

wrangling a 22 month old to finish his (grand)mother's day crafts

6 months down and only a third as "huge" (as referenced by a 20 something gal yesterday when i helped her find a dress for her college graduation) as i was with the first little. (definitely not eating a third as much as last time.)

speaking of eating, 2 servings of ice cream in one day? why yes, that was me.

feeling completely comforted/proud/connected and yet totally intimidated/dumbfounded/overwhelmed by politics, world leaders and royal weddings

is it okay if i talk about how much i love ice cream again?

he might smell like poop sometimes, he might squirm when it's time to put on shoes and he just discovered picking his nose, but his morning smile wakes me ten times the half glass of iced coffee i allow myself a day.

"...they rock and rock and rock to sleep..."

2011-04-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

My under eye concealer's working overtime this week as I'm feeling a bit exhausted keeping up with work, a non-napping toddler, my growing body and (why do I always seem to have!?) mountains of laundry cluttering my bedroom.

I feel like the most productive thing I did today was to cut up an orange and to dream about napping in this bed we saw last summer in Cabo.

I am so grateful that our life allows me to stay home during the day and to be held accountable only to a 30 pound (highly energetic) little dude. Thankfully, as long as there's juice, a working dvd player and a spot on the couch for him to cuddle with me, he's content with my "exhausted" days.

Besides napping with a soft sea breeze, what are you daydreaming about today?

Monday Motivators

2011-04-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm swimming in deeper waters again this week to appreciate another close to my heart motivator... I promise, shallow, cute, mundane bits will be appreciated in the future too. :)

I've shared many times before how grateful, blessed and proud I am to be friends with and even related to (by blood and marriage) so many awesome quality people. What I'm even more grateful, blessed and proud of is that throughout the years of friendship I've had with so many of these awesome ladies and gents, we've been able to watch each other "grow up".

Careers.
Relationships.
Families.
We are all changing. Shifting. Moving forward on different paths.

And although we are each living lives so separate from the other, I trust our friendship,
whether its one of many years or of many months
or whether its one that spends time together many times a week or meets after many months apart,
keeps us bond,
grounded,
committed,
appreciated,
validated
and sincerely loved.

Evan has a weak spot when it comes to watching movies or television. Never fail, whenever a character enters a room filled with people and there's a great sense of pride and excitement and love to see that character, Evan's eyes tear up and he's lost in that moment. My eyes tear up and I'm lost in that moment. (Finale of "Lost", end of RUDY, etc)

"We are all really glad you are here."

I am really glad you are all here.
Thanks for being my friend.

*P.S. Here's the banana split I attempted to finish to motivate you this week too

{Dewar's}

Easter Treating

2011-04-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

{Well, good morning, Easter basket goodies!}

{Enjoying morning Easter basket goodies}

{A morning rain made an indoor (super obviously hidden) egg hunt a less muddy option.}

{Eggs filled with lego pieces, blowing bubbles and ladybug watching.}

{Making time to play with "choo-choos"}

{Coming down off of Easter candy sugar highs.}

Fun with Applique (A.K.A. don't read if you're our nieces we're having dinner with tonight or you are having a baby shower tomorrow)

2011-04-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

I've been busy catching up on a few projects this week. A couple of them being to finish some applique and iron on presents.

Thanks to Evan's help (he made sure to watch UFC fights while he stitched to off set the pink and purple sewing awesomeness), we finally finished the personalized blankets we ~~gave~~ promised our nieces we'd finish Christmas of 2009. Better late than never.

I bought cozy, soft and super cheap bright colored throw blankets from TJ Maxx, cut out some fabric letters and stitched away. They are a little more "rustic" looking than I would have liked, but hopefully that adds to their specialness.


{Anythings always cuter with your own name on it.}

Guess what else is super cute?

{Iron on tie onesies for a friend's soon to be born little boy}

With some iron on transfer paper, a little cardstock template and some boyish fabric, I was able to add a little something extra to that (always much needed!) target giftcard I'm giving the Mom (of 2) to be.

And the thought of a little chubby baby rocking a necktie always puts a smile on my face.

I hope you have a great weekend celebrating easter, passover, chocolate peanut butter eggs and whatever else!

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

2011-04-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm steering away from my simple list today to dive a bit deeper into what's motivating me this week.

Earlier this week I was caught up in another late night at work. My little tired brain and my little (but getting bigger) tired body numbly went about finishing the minute detailed tasks to get ready for the next day...

When a truth hit me, like it so often does when I'm numbly going about the minute detailed tasks- "This is my life!"

It may seem like a simple statement. A simple known truth. But to me, someone who often fantasizes about all the different lives I could be leading- horsebackriding in Texas, kneading bread in Tuscany, rocking a sweet peacoat in San Francisco- it's a truth my heart periodically reminds me to appreciate.

I've had moments in my life when this truth is something I'm rather terrified of. Something I naively thought I could run away from. Something I felt I had settled for.

Here I stand, light years away from that shaky, terrified girl. Here I stand with achy feet, Miller taking an hour to wrangle into a fresh diaper, my laundry mountaining up on the bedroom floor, a new life about to "tornado" our settled routines.

Here I stand. A wife. A mother. A friend. A woman.

This is my life!

I'm loving every second of it.

Spring Breakin'

2011-04-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

I hope you didn't miss me too much this week. :)
We've been busy soaking in some lovely spring sunshine and Evan's lovely daytime company.

{I'm working on this watercolor calendar; Miller working on the masterpiece he titled "Bread"}

{California living at it's finest- In & Out burgers and sunshine miniature golf}

{Finally organizing my jewelry space after living here for over a year. Hopefully, this organization will get me to start accessorizing more often.}

{Antique frame + scrap of window screen spray painted white = perfect way to proudly display (part) of my earring collection. And yes, those are a pair of unicorn earrings.}


{"COCO!! COCO!! COCO!!" He's just as tall (and, may I add, rather handsome) in person.}

{Travel Towning with some pals.}

{Loving every second}

P.S. Miller's "engineer" shortalls in the Travel Town pictures are from this great vintage kids clothing shop, Little Reader Vintage. Her stuff is too adorable to resist!

Monday Motivators

2011-04-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

making ~~a mess~~ cupcakes with a great friend
(i've said this before and i'll say it again and again) finding women clothes that help them feel great about their bodies
having the day completely off from any other responsibilities when your toddler has a fever and an extremely clingy need for "mama"
netflix (creepiest movie of the year!!)
spring break mini golf monday
did i mention it's evan's SPRING BREAK!!!
"be cool, my babies!"

What's making you smile this week?

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."

2011-04-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Check it out!
I'm the "Friday Favorites" blogger on A Few of my Favorite Things today.

Molly's blog was one of the first I started following simply because it's so sweet and she always has a great eye for "favorite" treasures, crafts, or moments she shares with her beautiful family.

I'm so excited to be a piece of that "favorite-ing" today. :)