Sunday, March 29, 2009

baby come back!

the child is leaving again. this is always hard. tonight it seems even harder. i am not sure why...it could be because this is the first time she has said " i don't want to go, momma. i want to stay here." i think it is also hard because i didn't really think this trip was going to happen. i put it so far out of my mind that it felt like a cruel surprise.

we had a relaxing night. watched musicals. ordered pizza. i took a bath with riley. this is something we used to do so often....and now, not so much. partly because of her getting older, but mostly because i like my bath water a lot hotter than her and i am not so into playing with barbies. but tonight it was so lovely. we put on a moisturizing face masks (i washed the mascara off my eyes and she goes "whoa....you look freaky"....she said this in the softest, terrified cutest voice). we chatted. i explained the difference between smoke and steam. after we put on our cozies, cuddled up and read dr. suess.

i already miss her.

Monday, March 23, 2009

never thought i would go here....but i am totally here.

i MUST buy this sweater for coco. it is not an option. it is like i have no control over the hand entering credit card info.


















oh. um. she NEEDS this hat.




















for more awesome handmade dog sweaters and hats (and even matching human hats!) please click here.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

springaling

riley just burst through the front door and screamed "spring is here! come see!"

it still looks a little gray and wet to me...but every once in awhile the sun peeks out. our tulips are blooming...we have 3 that have survived the pitterpat of dog paws. i actually did some yard work yesterday....for about 10 minutes.

i had a nightmare last night that i went to paint our bedroom and the ceiling was like 20 feet tall. and i remember saying "i don't remember these walls being so tall..."

to do list for spring:

paint bedroom. this involves some moving and dismantling of furniture. we are moving our bedroom to the back guest room and repainting the guest room because i can't sleep in a green room for some reason.

move into back room, make new guest room into office

paint new office/guest room

front fence. this has been on my list for 4 years.

trim everything dead out of yard and plant living stuff



here is a color i was thinking about for the guest room. i think it looks calm and cozy. dan refusing to talk to me about potential colors or moods for a room....so i need input...too purple? too girly? too neutral? not neutral enough? i know this is wall paper....but i like the color. ps the guest bed is similar to this one....but white not ivory. i really like the ivory in this image because it adds a softness. i think it could still look nice with white....opinions?


















also, while i am asking the one or two people that read this for comments....and if my mom is the only one that posts i will not be surprised (hi mom!)......do we think i could wear this romper in public and not get laughed at (or offered money for services)? i really like rompers....and denim rompers are so ghetto fabulous and adorable....but i am slightly heavier than this chick. thoughts?

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

want

want want want. most days.....i think all this wanting is toxic. silly. unhealthy. i would like to reach a consistent place of content in all areas of my life....because....if i am really honest....i have everything i need. i have everything i want. my life is truly amazing.....why waste all this energy wanting? why do i always seek more and more? it is ugly, ugly ugly.

but my birthday is coming up. so that changes everything.


with that said....i want:




this baby otter










crocheted sushi















this puffy bunny ball













(oh and an anthropologie shopping spree, breast implants, and a gardener to make our yard look how i imagine)

Monday, March 16, 2009

mmm brunch

i just had 3 chocolate chip cookies for breakfast...and i don't feel at all bad about it.

i am pleased to say i started (it was actually dan) a lovely weekly tradition of Sunday brunch with my parents..hosted by us. the first week i made breakfast tacos with homemade tortillas and dan made smoothies. this week i made a beautiful and delicious dutch baby with fresh strawberries, lemon, and powdered sugar. i love brunch and this is a fun way to try new brunch items every week. next time i might do a fritatta. or some type of savory baked egg deliciousness.

also...

toasted smore cake for auction (could have been prettier..i was having an off day)













riley and coco watching snow

oh march...you silly lil confused month.

this weekend went like this:

Friday: SO sunny! 60 degrees! kick off the shoes and feel the grass. talk about spring cleaning and refilling the propane tank for the grill.

Saturday: cold. rain. very cold. drizzle.

Sunday morning: wake up to heaps and heaps of snow. everything white.
Sunday afternoon: rain. slushy. melty.
Sunday late afternoon: sunny and blue sky
Sunday evening: torrential downpour
Sunday night: wind gusts, tree branches breaking, house blowing away.


gotta love Seattle in March.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

things i imagine against my will

i am driving and get into a huge car accident (not my fault). the car flips and twists. it is a crumpled pile of metal. i am alive and gasping. blood is all over my face and many bones are broken. then i am in a hospital bed and unconscious with bandages on my face.

someone has broken into our house and taken riley from her bedroom window. i walk in to check on her and she is gone and the window is open with curtains blowing.

i am trapped in a snow cave with people and we must decide who to eat.

anytime i am in water, even pools, i imagine a huge shark/alligator/dead body/monster swimming toward me.

i am eating something hard and my teeth break off inside my mouth.

there is a dead body/zombie in my bed. hiding under the covers.

someone is hiding in the back seat waiting for me to return to my car. i am going to look in the rear view and see someone staring at me.


inspired by lists seen here and here



now i need to think about happy things like...

what i will buy when i win the lottery

sitting on a beach and watching our fantasy baby play in the sand with bleached hair and tan lines and diaper butt.

i bake a cake and someone famous or important tries it, is amazed, and gives me money to start a bakery and then i am on martha showing her how to bake my famous cake.

riley when she is in her 20's and we are best friends and have tons of inside jokes and we cook breakfast together and gossip over coffee.

what i will look like after my boob job and tummy tuck. how tanktops will work out for the first time in my life.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

quote of the year so far

" I think God is actually a fairy "


-Riley, age 6

dumb

so....the hair is not as platinum blond as i desired. it is more of a muddy, boring, frumpy, lighter version of the strawberry blond. i guess this is part of the process. she couldn't bleach all my hair or it would all fall off. hmpff. as it is i had to cut off about 2-3 inches of damage. arg. don't be a hair masochist like me. it is annoying and expensive.

i think i will wear a hat for the next month.

























































Tuesday, March 10, 2009

warm

*sigh*

i love that feeling after a full day in the sun...after swimming in salt water and taking a nap on a warm towel...that feeling after you shower off the layers of sand and salt. and the sun is going down but the breeze is still warm. your skin glowing and tingly.

and i love the feeling of looking over at him....the way the setting sun hits his eyelashes...and feeling totally lucky.

soon to be velcro head

after a brief strawberry blond experiment....i will be bleaching the crap out of my hair today. i am assuming i will have completely frazzled velcro head for awhile.....but whateves....

oh and i am going to run a 5 k on saturday. even if it takes me an hour and i walk the damn thing...even if my lungs freeze and my toes get frost bite...i will finish...

i am donating a cake to riley's school for their dessert auction. i decided to try a Smore Cake....chocolate cake, a layer of graham, fluffy meringue frosting (slightly toasted, of course). i made a test cake last night and holy crap! SO GOOD.

i mixed the graham crumbs with butter and some brown sugar and made a lightly packed layer on the bottom of my cake pan and poured the batter right on top. it bakes in and is moist and pretty. and the meringue frosting toasted better than i imagined under the broiler (the main reason why i needed to do a test run)

it is beautiful and delicious. and it better auction off for a lot of money :)



this guy is awesome. and seriously...rihanna...cmon...listen to this kid. he knows whats up. cut one side of the circle.