Don't be a drag, just be a queen: Stacie

 Queen #3: Stacie

It's not every day you meet someone as genuinely cool as Stacie. And if that day happens to be the one where you are a total greasy slob frantically searching for circus cookies and tiny red balloons through the aisles of Target (like i did) then...that means the universe hates your guts. But, much to my delight, she still agreed to represent the "brand new" non-drag queen mommas of the blogosphere right here on team Boo. Even as a self proclaimed "anal retentive", Stacie (momma to "baby V") oozes admirable positive Lorelai and Rory Gilmore-ish mothering energy (minus the strangely fast dialogue and theatrical co-dependency :) So without further ado, here is her two cents on motherhood...

Whenever I'm asked about Motherhood, I always think about the day we brought Ivy home with us. When Ivy was born she was immediately rushed to the NICU to be monitored for the remainder of her hospital stay. There they placed an IV in her head, hooked her up to an EKG, inserted a nasal tube, etc. It was terrifying. However the real terror sunk in when it was time to bring her home. You see, thanks to NICUs protocol, I wasn't allowed to nurse her, change her, or hold her whenever I pleased during the entire hospital stay. When it was finally time to go home I was like, "I seriously have no idea what I'm doing." (direct quote).

I was totally shaking in my boots trying to get her ready to leave. You'd think I was handling a live bomb while strapping her into that car seat. Once we were in the car and driving home (20 miles under the speed limit), I had an overwhelmingly calm feeling that everything was going to be just fine. Sitting in the backseat with her I realized that I was completely smitten with this sweet baby of mine and that it really didn't matter how clueless I was, I was just excited to be her Mother and that's all that mattered.

For me, this has been a total learn-as-you-go experience. I am by no means in the position to give out words of advice, (because let's be real that's like a newlywed handing out marriage advice) but I'm going to anyway: Celebrate Motherhood! It's something to be proud of and it's definitely worthy of a daily celebration. Just to name a few, celebrate the fact that you have created something beautiful, something that you love to pieces, and something that has made you a better person! It's all so exciting and rewarding and I think recognizing it really helps you to be a better Mother... even if you still have no idea what you're doing. 

...and if you're not in the mood to celebrate...like for instance if you haven't slept in over 30 hours and you've been wearing the same Yogurtland shirt for over 3+ days (true story) then you should probably just celebrate in a hot shower and a cold diet coke. Either one.

-Stacie

team Boo ♥'s you

sober photobooth

{photos by Lang photographers}

You know all those wedding photo booths that circulate the blogosphere where everyone gets crazy and looks like they are having the time of their lives!? Well I hate to break it to you, but without alcohol, that's about as likely as cowboys synchronized dancing to Kenny Loggins in an abandoned wheat mill while it rains glitter and people cheer in a giant circle where everyone is awesome, for your prom. So since Kevin Bacon never showed up to our ward Christmas party...things stayed pretty mellow behind the photo booth lens. But we still had fun...in all our straight laced glory ;) 

team Boo ♥'s you

team Boo gets cheesy.

Thank you Geoff and Stacie (yes, they have real names!)...we will surely be back. As for the rest of you...well you haven't seen the end of us yet (cause doi, you read our blog) but also because we have a fun thing we are making with these pictures, but it's a gift...so it's top secret until christmas. shhh.

team Boo ♥'s you

t when tea ate.

{by Lang Photographers}

Unfortunately for you, in this picture my thighs got their immodest birthday wish. Takes every girl back to when they got their first pair of spanx (*sigh*). I promise this is the most you'll ever have to see of them. And even though this pic is almost crotchtacular, i am going to post it anyway because i want to remember those sparkly legs when I'm old and fat. happy birthday to me.

team Boo ♥'s you

(I know you've gotten snippets of the Dikefest 2010 photo shoot, but now its been so long that the build up is getting stupid and you'll be like "whats the big deal? its just your same old stupid face." The hold up is that I am making a christmas book for my parents with them, but maybe i'll just show you now anyway??)

sneaky peaky...

So i can't divulge too much yet

but here is a preview of Dikefest 2010
with more to come...

p.s. Steoffrey is as cute in person as they are on their blog.

Don't be jealous now that we are basically best friends.

p.p.s. Don't tell them i said that. They don't know yet ;)

team Boo ♥'s you

lets get physical.

Some of you have wondered how I can stand to run on the treadmill for such far runs. the short answer?...the people watching.

I love the diversity at the gym. There's the middle aged men I'm praying won't get on the machine next to me (as their BO is most likely to burn my eyes). The Chatty Kathys on tandem machines...how do they have SO much to say? Their lives must be very exciting...the scandals! (i'm just jealous they have a friend) Then there are the sweet old folks that work out in jean shorts and fanny packs, so cute you could just put 'em in your pocket. 

But my absolute faves are the "My-ipod-Makes-Me-Invisible" ladies:

-We have the J-Lo-Stair-dancing-Mamacita: complete with side kicks, dips and twists (in her defense, she has the booty to pull it off)

-The Tammy-Faye-Motivational-Listener: tons of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane make up, a giant perma grin and makes an occasional shout out of "YES!" or, on a good day, an "I am capable!"

-And the newest to this club is the lady i recently saw lying on the ab rolling machine. Before she began, i watched in delight as she spread her arms out wide (as if conducting an orchestra) waved them around a bit and then drove it home with a few fist clenches (for added drama)...then casually went on to strengthen her core. I imagined she was listening to Celine Dion...so, the fist pumps made sense.

I'm sure you are expecting me to call them a bunch of nut jobs, and based on my first reactions to their public displays, you'd be right. But actually, i'll tell you why I cherish these ladies so much: I truly adore their lack of inhibition. You may or may not be surprised to know that i am actually pretty retarded on the spot. It makes for really awkward pictures, missed opportunities to make memories with my loved ones or meet new peeps. I have a family photo shoot coming up on friday with Steoffrey and i can already feel my elbows and knee caps fusing together...my face has prematurely started to contort into various drunkface positions (caught between a split decision to make a cute or silly expression)...

exhibit A:

Like those at the gym, i wanna not care who is watching me and the judgements they may or may not be passing. Who cares right? I realize judgements are a way of life. It is one way we gauge how we will behave, the people we want to be, and the environment we want to experience. The tricky part is avoiding getting carried away with this. My goal is to (after i stop giggling) avoid assuming those ladies were crazies, and instead applaud their right to go with what they are feeling. And also avoid judging myself too harshly. The truth is I'm gonna look like an idiot sometimes, but if im gonna do it, i gotta do it all the way...or not at all. Otherwise all i'll be left with is a rigid sense of self (aka: a stick up my butt) and a couple of fugly pictures. 


But...you'll probably still never catch me salsa dancing solo on a stair stepper in the middle of a gym, because seeeriously.

;)
team Boo ♥'s you


p.s. I get so annoyed at blogs that are novels...when did i get so long winded and "thinky"?? If my blog were an outfit right now it would be Michael Scott in an unintentional woman's pants suit. I'm ready to be legwarmers again.

good old fashioned lover boy

Remember Stacie and Geoff?? (aka "Steoffrey ")

well....just when you thought they couldn't be any cuter....here is another reason to envy their love .  They drew us in with their yellow balloons and wedding headbands and now vow to keep us enchanted by their suspenders and innocent vintage picnic togetherness! It is no secret that I am in love with loving the love of these two...lovers. Or that my mind is (clearly) running on mere fumes every time I sit down to blog, and that the fusion of those two ingredients (not to mention my savage jealousy of all things un-pregnant) makes my brain feel swollen and tired.

Of course neither photo op would have been half as amazing if it weren't for Matt and Angie Sloan, the visionaries that make up Sloan photography (aka "Mangie") whose behind the scenes adorableness is enough to make me want to kick puppies.  And their talent....oh the TALENT!!  Hey Mangie...if you ever have any artistic vision for an out-of-breath-resentful-chubby-girl-in-maternity-pants photo shoot, you know where to find me ;) Or if you just have some advice on how to convince my husband to dress in something other than basketball clothes for the sake of a old world lovers photo shoot, that would work too. Here are a couple gems of inspiration to get to get your ball rolling...

you're welcome.

And Steoffrey...if you ever want to like...hang out, or even just let me sit on your couch while I watch you giggle and make frozen pizzas together...Mangie knows where to find me.

In the name of love...

I know i know i've been all gushy and lovey dovey with my posts lately. Fortunately this is really how i feel. In the face of great divide in the world, i choose to love as many things as i can. Be it my family, my church, sweet pork salads, or these darling strangers...

(with their yellow accessories, and their tiny balloons.)

Love them with me...

This beautiful couple just got married...and frankly if i could french kiss their adorableness I would.  Are you from a magazine??...No, your just really that quirky and cute and spunky and in looooove.  You know there are people like me that would love to hate you. {jealous bastards}. As for me i choose to adore you and the amazing photographers that captured your magical day.  You see, i have a soft spot for weddings. More specifically, for girls who get to wear yellow shoes and calf length dresses on their wedding day. Some dictionaries would argue that a girl like me (who had a wedding like mine) was, well "bitter"...heck, it might even go so far as to use me as the example sentence: 'with each wedding she envied, the bitter young bride's soul turned a darker shade of black'.

But not this time fools...today i shout "HOORAY to your adorable and equally impossible for me to pull off wedding head band! HOORAY for your husbands willingness to wear a skinny tie! and HOORAY to your killer style and sweet love!  May all your wedded days be as blissful as this one" (cracking psychotic smile).