David Bowie supports ch ch changes.

Things I won't do in 2011:

-give myself a schedule (i hate looming obligations)

-remember birthdays (creates unintentional favoritism)

-stop eating dessert (cause that is a sick joke)

-stress about having a clean house (but when i do, i always wear this exact outfit...)

[via italian vanity fair]

my theme for 2011?...my year of "absorbtion and practice" Translation: give patience to the skills i want to learn. No starting a business talk or getting ahead of myself. No quitting cause i'm unoriginal on the spot. No feeling overwhelmed cause I didn't start it all ten years ago. Not letting my embarrassment (of my output) deter my future efforts. I am dedicating myself to learning to learn and letting myself be inspired. blahbitty blah...more cheesy stuff...amen.

here are a few less vague goals:

-give my hair a pulse again (it's time.)

-get some certifiable skills (as in college classes)

-get a big girl camera and not be afraid to learn how to use it (i've done everything short of selling my plasma to save up)

-run 1000 miles (this number keeps going down)

-read 5 books (this makes me sound like a retard, i know.)

-make a quilt for each of my kids (cause it's a sentiment i know they will love)

-only buy things that i L.O.V.E. (food, clothes, shoes, toys, etc)

practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice. practice......

Happy New Year Friends!!

team Boo ♥'s you

back in the saddle.

{picture via Delighted...who is rather delightful herself}

This weekend I made three public appearances (All of which i felt way "too pregnant" to tell people i was only 3 1/2 months along).  I showered, I curled my hair to cover to monster blemishes that are now gracing my complexion, i ate, i laughed, I got the bakery guy at Whole Foods to give me a free Creme brulee (which along with orange creamsicles is my new favorite treat...a sure fire way to be much more ashamed to announce how far along i am next week) I wore makeup, I organized my pantry, the list goes on....

And despite my new rear view renaissance silhouette...it's great to be back!! (FYI: just as two wrongs don't make a right...non elastic jeans and a jersey top don't make an flattering maternity outfit for me)

I made a promise to myself that I would make some changes...inspired by Polished Pickle and Owwy's summer to do lists I am gonna do more of the following as a "back to school list" of sorts:

-begin plans for halloween costume party...if you live in AZ you are invited ;)

-finish 2 concepts on my poster art idea

-learn one three chord song on my guitar

-make a quilt 

-actually plan something special for husband (our 7th anniversary is approaching)

-make dinner for my family three nights a week (this one is haaaaaaard!)

wish me luck!

*Also...look at what you did at the voting polls this week ! To that i say...

"a BOO yah"

"someone just got SERVED a BOO sandwich"

"that's what i call getting BOO-slapped"

see what i did there?? now make a momma proud and don't make me regret coming up with those "catchy" one liners, which by losing will make sound really stupid...but otherwise are very cool ;) 

keep voting!...

summer days...

I have spent so much time lately complaining about the AZ heat, i've in some ways given up on the possibility of enjoying myself at all in the next six months. I have central AC, a basement, a house for heavens sake! Also as i recall, roughly 7 years ago i signed on for a job that does anything but revolve around my personal pity party ;)  

It wasn't until i read this wonderful blog that i had a moment of clarity. When did i morph into such a resentful wank? The heat waves really do a number on my disposition as a mother...but aren't i supposed to be teaching my kids {by example} to make the best of what they have?!? When did i forget that life isn't about living in ideal circumstances, but rather how we fair with what we are given. Frankly i should be ashamed to think that i have a reason to complain. Anyway if you need dose of perspective like i clearly did, read {my newest mommy inspiration} Megan Marie's sweet snippet of ways to enhance the summer months...

{which for me is basically making a long list of whimsical ideas to distract myself from the fact that my kids are not in school anymore and the only way to keep from punching myself in the face is to trick them into lots of sweaty and/or indoor fun. but then there i go again....}

 "I am a tour guide. Each day my babies hear language they don't really understand, and witness events and objects that are completely foreign. Everything is new. In the past I have taught them colors, introduced them to letters and numbers. Taken them outside to name the bugs, the sky, the trees. Why though? So they can recite the names of things back to me? Ever so much more than that! I get to teach them to live!"

A few favorites from her summer "tour" list:

*have a yellow day where we wear only yellow, and eat only yellow food

*make a sand castle and then stomp on it

*roast a hot-dog over a fire

*put on a puppet show

*have a major dance party...with decorations 

*eat a really messy dinner with no utensils

*build a catapult and shoot things

*shadow puppets late at night

*make a gift for a friend and doorbell ditch

*rent a projector and make our own drive in

*go on a treasure hunt

*make bird-masks and wings with feathers and pretend to fly

*record our voices and play them back and laugh at how silly we sound

*have a mud fight

...find the rest here .


Needless to say, i am starting my own list. What do YOU have planned??


FYI...this doesn't change a thing about wanting to move. The second a window opens I'M OUT!!.... just saying ;)

good 'n' plenty?

What happened to the days when I used my Visa with a smile? When I made fun of people who gawked at gas prices. Justin Timberlake had just brought sexy back, and i was strutting into IKEA like it wasn't no thang.

Don't say it....re...reee...recession!

Let's face it. We're screwed.  Just when online shopping and i were moving past that annoyingly awkward "acquaintance" phase...sigh. To our sad basement that i had such glorious plans for: i am sorry.  No worries though, getting a pedicure and a bimonthly house cleaner is SO last year (you mean, i have to scrub poop off the what?) And I know better than to even think about stepping foot into target (and their stupid genius marketing). 

Now as I forge ahead into the giving season, since now is as good a time as any, i will resist my urge to splurge, and instead get in touch with my inner sewer/quilter.  My dusty Viking machine and vintage fabric will unite at last! (Flashback: to the atrocious hankerchief shirt i forced my one year old daughter to wear before she could enforce her own good opinion) This ought to be interesting, but homemade gifts are the most thoughtful, right? 

"Dignity for recession proof presents!" (declared in unison)...they are the new ipod. 

In the mean time: let us swallow our pride and be find the joy in what we do have. As long as i have my family and my faith, i am okay with cleaning a few of my own toilets...okay...aaaand eating my food storage ;)

**On a serious note: Please don't misunderstand my sarcasm for complaining. I am truly blessed in so many ways, and realize there are much more serious struggles in this cruel world. I pray for it's relief daily.

my lovehandles' nightmare...

I will be running the PF Chang's full marathon in January if anyone is interested in slowly killing themselves along with me.  I'm going to start training mid to late October.  Don't all jump at once, i know, but you will be soooo happy when it's over....and don't be scared, for what can be worse than "Laughing Sal?" (see above)

(I'm going to go ahead and directly correlate the number of takers on this one to how many people like my non-blogged-real-life company....don't let me down stalkers...i mean friends).