Call Me, Maybe.

I have to tell you this story. It is too self deprecatingly perfect no to tell.Today we went to the pool. (For the first time all summer as an entire family. How did that happen? A whole summer, gone.) (I apologize ahead of time for the length. I just had to get it recorded so I can remember what a total dork I am.)

There I find myself getting all giddy because I spy a very pregnant chick who appears to be around my age in the kiddie pool with her little one. He turns out to be two (perfect). She is due in a month (perfect). She is friendly enough to chat here and there with me as her son paddles around and around and around me on his spiderman boogie board (which Evareaux thinks is THE coolest, and so she chases him.) Could she, would she, be my friend? (Man, I am pathetic. But I know I need buddies and I have already declared to Hottie that the "perfect fit" would be someone my age-ish with a kid under 4 and a baby, or even better.... pregnant.) I feel like I have hit the jackpot when it dawns on me that this is a community pool, which means she lives in my neighborhood somewhere. I make off-handed comments about how I need to get Ev more "social" and help her make "friends."(Again, pathetic using my child as bate... what-evs.) Hottie even jumps in and tries to help out saying that we just moved here from CA (good move babe.... it's like, "Hey, I have no friends, you could be my friend!") She seems intrigued but is having the same problem making a real connection that I am... distracted by trying to focus on keeping a toddler from drowning, kicking her in the stomach, or cracking his head on the edge of the pool. It's just not conducive to bonding with other adults.

Why can't this be more like dating? I think. I was always so great at just point blank asking guys out... or giving them my number. "How about coffee sometime," I'd say. (Even though I don't drink coffee.) (Hey, it worked on my now husband.) Trying to find a friend to hang out with is so much harder than that for me. I don't want to seem too forward and needy....even though I am. :) I feel the need to "play it cool" much like meeting someone at a bar and then just hoping he'll be there next week so we can talk again.  (Ok, I never did that... but I could imagine. As we left I caught myself wondering how often she takes her kid to the pool..... I should have asked. shoot. Then I'd know when to go too.)

The silliest part of this...ok. There are two really silly parts. One. It feels so incredibly bizarre to be "hitting on" (that's what I'll call trying to make a friend) a woman as an adult out of the blue. Simply because she seems nice, and fits my wish list of potential friends on the surface. (and she is my only potential thus far.) It's weird to do this surrounded by my kids and husband. They immediately latch on to the idea that this could be a match for me.... they can tell that I am kind of putting myself out there by making conversation. This is foreign to them (I didn't have many friends back in CA... certainly none I had to go out and find.) Hottie even tries to help by keeping the dialogue going here and there. It feels just plain silly to try to "make a friend."

Two. There is this other element. I have had what I have referred to as a "friend at first sight" encounter. Silly me. I declared to the heavens (and my kids, and husband.... embarrassingly and simultaneously shamelessly.) That this could be my friend-mate. The first weekend we moved to Lexington there was a community garage sale. As we were driving around the hood I spotted a couple walking on the sidewalk.... the Dad pulling a red flyer wagon with a 2-3 year old boy in it. The mom walking a few paces ahead up a hill, water bottle in hand... round pregnant belly... looking a tad bit miserable. "Hm," I thought. "She's pregnant... maybe we could be friends"...... as we drove past I looked in the rear view mirror......... she was wearing a Dunder Mifflin tshirt. "THE OFFICE!!" I squealed in my most excitable pregnant voice. "I LOVE The Office! She LOVES The Office, enough to wear the tshirt!...... (then the statement of all statements.....) "She could be the one!"

And there you have it. I have declared that this woman and I will be bff's based on a two second glance, a well placed tv ad, and a hint of misery during a walk. I truly know nothing about her.... and if she heard this story she would probably run screaming, no matter how nice she is. But I had made it into a "thing"... talking about how maybe I will be able to track this chick down. Introduce myself. Of course we'd hit it off if only I could just find her................somehow. someday.

I am 92% sure that this is the same chick.

Shock. Awe. Embarrassment. Excitement. Shyness. (Why? She doesn't know the story..... yet. Hottie said I should ask if she owns a Dunder Mifflin shirt & I was incredulous.... why would I do that?! Then I would have to tell the story & she would waddle away as fast as pregnantly possible! No, that is more like a ..... now that we have been friends for awhile..... hahaha... isn't that fun-weird.... a little weird but mostly just funny? certainly not crazy at all..... hahahaha. look how things have worked out....... "the one" "friend-mate"..... hahahahahaa. hahaha. ha. ha. Yeah, that timing would be far less creepy. (I might as well create an imaginary friend for all of the fantasizing about this relationship I am doing.)

As we are pulling away from the pool today my 15 year old says, "hey, is that the Dunder Mifflin chick?"

"I don't know,"  I reply wistfully.

"Maybe you could be friends," he says.

"Maybe," I say. "Maybe."


By the way..... No, I didn't get the digits. Maybe next time.

Happy Anniversary

Four years. Four loooooong years. hahaha just kidding. Actually they have flown by at a rather rapid pace. Four years ago today I married the man of my dreams.... my best friend..... the wind beneath my wings and all of that other gooey stuff. Not much has changed during this time.... oh wait, we had a baby, with another on the way, moved across the country, bought a house, I "retired." So a lot has changed. But one thing that stays steadfast and constant is my love for this man. My happiness. How lucky I feel to be his wife. How much I look forward to seeing him each day. 

Yesterday I took some time to make a couple of layouts with photos from this happy day...

 I don't often make time to create projects around him or I. I should do it more often because it made my heart swell with love and contentment.

Happy anniversary babe. I didn't get you a card or a gift and we probably won't go out to a fancy dinner because that really isn't our style. But know that I love you now as much as the day we said "I do." And I can't believe how fortunate I am to have you in my life, always and forever.

Rockets & Robots Nursery Blast Off

All systems go on the rockets and robots nursery. Have I explained how much I love this theme? The challenge of finding things to fit into it has forced me to be creative and make a lot of my own accents. Fun. Fun. I love excuses to be crafty. There is a LONG way to go (and lots of money that needs to be spent. man, babies are money pits!) but I'm exited to show you whats in the works....

Made this robot dude out of felt. I have plans to make two more.

Kinda in love with the heart and eyebrows.

 Painted this on canvas. The saying fits my theme perfectly.

By doing it myself I was able to keep to the color scheme I wanted as well.

 Also painted some robot love on an October Afternoon Rocket Age patterned paper to frame for the wall. I love this line. It will appear a lot in this room, I think. It was an integral part of my brainstorming for the look of the nursery. 

 The first step of the rocket mural, sketched out on the wall. It's hard to see because it's just pencil on what was a pink wall. (No, we were not premature painters...it was like that when we bought the house)

 Ah, now you can see it better. Some colorful paint makes it's appearance. Finally. Chomping at the bit to finish it already. But I can't seem to stop starting other projects.

I ordered these prints on etsy and bought simple silver 11x14 frames for them. (50% off. Cuz I wait for the bargains, ya'll!) I am super excited about these gems.

Guess in order to see them on the wall I would need to paint the rest of the room.... and buy the dresser that they will hang above for placement..... and that will need to be painted too..... and I need to build that rocket bookshelf.... and figure out some curtains... and wow. I have a lot to do. Well, it's a good thing I got started then, isn't it? Let the countdown to a finished nursery begin.

That's What He Said

Hottie has been saying the funniest things lately & I just wanted to write a quick post about it so I don't forget.

He says stuff like: "I thought of a great name for the baby........ Ready for it? Bro. Spelled BREAUX." Of course he was kidding. I almost died laughing.

And when I said I really want a pet he responded with, "you'll get one soon, it's gonna be a baby."

Then after a long day at work he came home to find me painting & I asking for help. I said it might actually be fun if we do it together. His answer: "it's only fun in the movies.... When they throw paint at each other and make a big mess. I'll help, but don't get excited because it won't be any fun."

Now, maybe you have to know my husband to see the humor. You'd have to know that he really never says a mean thing or tries to be hurtful. Sometimes he just tells it like it is & it makes me giggle, cuz it's true. & then other times he just comes up with pure gold.... Like Breaux. Then I picture us naming our newest boy "Guy Dude Bro." Hahahahaha. Don't tempt me, I love a good laugh.

Feeling Kinda Cute

Still attempting to embrace the bump even though I am feeling big. This is the heaviest I have ever been. I'm trying not to focus on that because I know I can lose the weight after the baby comes over time. Still, some days feel "cuter" than others. I'm continuing to take photos of myself regardless of how I feel. In no time this pregnancy will be over (two and 1/2 months to go! ah!)

Honestly what I think about when I see these photos has shifted a little. Instead of focusing on my size I am now just freaking out about how little time I have left before delivery day. I have a LOT to do in two months! SO much to do!!!!! Creating a nursery. Shopping for baby stuff. Getting the house in order. Figuring out who will stay with the kids while I'm in the hospital. etc.etc.etc. Ok, I'm freaked out by the to do list... I have to go shopping now. Keep ya posted on the progress.

*******and just now as I am editing this my son says, "You took a picture of how fat you are?" And now I am back to feeling huge. .....rotten kid.*********

Meet Virginia

We had a whirlwind weekend. Hottie's brother and his family are moving to Virginia at the end of the summer. They were out this weekend looking for a place to live. With them being just 6-7 hours away we figured why not hop in the car and say hello. ROAD TRIP! It was our first time visiting West Virginia and Virginia. I just love checking new states of my list. Isn't that the best?

Evareaux and all of her travel companions...

We piled in on Saturday afternoon and went for it. I have to say, considering that we have a wee one the spontaneous trip could not have gone much better. It was a little over 6 hours of driving and the kids were both great sports.

After a quick pit stop for dinner little Miss Muffet passed out (always helpful).

 He was bored but didn't complain much (thank goodness).

 He didn't complain either, even though he had been up since 4 am for work. I think he was just happy to have the chance to see his little bro and try to help with the transition.

 The drive from Lexington to Virginia is beautiful. It can't be beat.

 First thing the next morning we linked up with family. The kids got to spend some time with their newest cousin, Cambry. They both loved playing with her. It was so great to snuggle her and hear her high pitched squeals of delight. We look forward to seeing the rest of the kids next time.

 Isn't she a doll?

 This is an Instagram from one of the areas around where they will live. I just love when the trees grow so tall that they form a sort of canopy above the road. So pretty.

Sadly, Hottie had to get back for work so our trip was short and sweet. But I am so glad we went. I think they will be happy in their new city. And, it's nice to know that we will have family close enough to visit come September. 

After 14 hours in the car in just over 2 days it was nice to be home again.

Ev promptly did this....

and I just looked on in jealously.

Spontaneous road trip success. Hm. Maybe planning a little family getaway is do-able this summer. Where to go, where to go. Being so new to the east coast we certainly have some more exploring to do.

Oops.

You might remember awhile back when I left my iphone on top of my car and sped away oblivious. Hottie went to track it down via tracking device. Isn't technology amazing?) and, well,.... the second I saw the result I thought "pulverized" (a la A Christmas Story.) 

Why not scrapbook the occasion? It was quite memorable and more than a little traumatizing... and I do like to scrap the everyday things. This is no exception. Now I will never forget (as if I ever could) what a destroyed iphone looks like, that Hottie was so cool about it, that it still vibrated with phone calls and texts.... besides it looks cuter now, which takes the edge off a bit. :) What kind of oopsy have you had lately?

Another Washi Wednesday

Last week I decided it was high time to give my cheesy baby journal a little make over. The chances of me filling it out are waaay higher if it looks cute and is not embarrassing to pull out in public. Washi totally did the trick. 

It went from this...

 To this...

in less than 30 min. Just 7 rolls, a stamp that counts to 9 (how perfect) and done-zo! I even made a little pen holder because I hate having to hunt down certain writing tools when I am ready to journal, it make me lose my mojo. 

Here's the back...

Amazing what a little tape can do. And it inspired me. Since the makeover I have gone from filling out 10 pages to having almost 10 left! Not too shabby! 

Since this did nothing but fuel my obsession. Here are some new rolls I got in the mail the other day...

Our First Home

One of the things that I am so proud of, and love so much about moving here is that we were able to buy our first house. Of course there are so many learning curves and stresses in this process, and it is very intimidating. But here we are, two months under our belt and I couldn't feel more at home. 

I had to make a layout about it to preserve the first time we walked through the door as homeowners...

The anticipation of showing the kids where we would be living for the first time... and hoping that it would live up to everything I remembered from when we first saw it was unparalleled. I'll never forget that feeling as we walked around and saw it empty. Beautiful. Better than I remembered. A (huge) blank slate for us to fill with love and laughter and memories for years to come....

and to fill with "stuff." You know, decor, furniture, etc. I'm still working on that part. Decorating is slow going, sadly. I would love to have each room done to my taste, like, now. But, I think a goal of before the baby comes is a little more realistic. Three months. Then again, I may not even be able to pull that off at this pace. It's really important to me to do it right. I can't wait to show you once I make some progress! (Hopefully sooner than later.)

Typical

Since I went all negative nelly on this here ole blog yesterday I thought I'd do some damage control. Switch gears, if you will. Leave you with some happy images....

This is a typical afternoon around these parts...

 So typical.

A sweet embrace ends up in a wrestling match...with the littlest winning. I wouldn't trade it for the world. (Man she is ruthless!)

Happy Fourth

A belated happy Fourth of July to all.... we had a day. That's what I'll tell you. Get ready for a loooong, whiney post. Poor me. Boo hoo. If you want to nod off now I won't judge.

I tried really, really, really tried to do it all. I took the kids to downtown Lexington where they had a day full of events planned. My goal was to watch the parade, walk around the festival, find something fun for the kids to do, have lunch together, maybe a treat. Then come home and make a big bbq feast where hopefully Hottie would be able to join us. (he had to work. again.) And finish the night off with fireworks at home.

Well. When we got there it was 100 degrees. By the time we walked from the car to the festival (only 2 blocks) I started seriously wondering what would happen if I passed out from heat stroke. (yeah, 7 months pregnant here.) Ev proceeded to drink 2 bottles of water and her apple juice in a matter of minutes. But. We will see this parade, I thought. Only and hour away. Surely we I can pull this off for an hour. There was plenty to see and do. Margaritas around every corner (I have never wanted one more!).

Cut to me buying lunch that then proceeded to get spilled all over the top of the stroller as we tried desperately to find shade. Once in the shade Ev spilling one of the last Gatorades I brought not once, twice, but three times. Gone. Ok. Ok. Not a great day, I thought.

I have to say, the kids were troopers. I never heard a word of complaint from either of them. Although, they had NO interest in doing any of the bouncers, or crafts, or activities they would normally love. I think they just wanted shade and something cold as much as I did.

We ended up salvaging some lunch and treats and found a nice spot on the curb (again, 7 months prego, why do I think I am capable of cop-a-squat-ing on a curb for over an hour in 100+ degree weather while my toddler climbs in and out and in and out of her stroller? I really need to stop thinking I am superMOM. I am so NOT.) We watched the parade (No candy, by the way. Aren't hometown parades supposed to throw ungodly amounts of candy? I was kinda counting on that to single handedly redeem my kids day.) for a bit over and hour when I get a call from Hottie. He's been at work since 11 am the previous day... 27 hours. (Yeah, he's been working "a lot." I have another way of saying that, but it involves swearing and I try to keep the blog clean.) He lost his keys and can't get home. So I take one look at my overheated offspring and we leave before the parade ends.

Now we're home and Hottie sleeps and I try not to cry for the entire rest of the afternoon, because frankly I am dehydrated and can't afford to lose the fluid. (Thank you Ev, for drinking ALL of my water and then the extra water that I bought along the way.) :) Instead of a feast I crack open the frozen pizza, cuz nothing says the Fourth of July quite like DiGiorno. I try to pull it together that this day is so much less than I was hoping for. Try not to desperately miss my family and friends who we left behind, and think, why did we do that? Try not to focus on how this is the WORST Fourth of July I have EVER had. Try not to lose it and make my husband feel bad for working so much. Just like the day, I fail. I cry and cry and cry. and cry some more. I don't do well when holidays don't come together as planned. This is an epic failure & I am so tired and dirty from being outside & everything seems terrible.

Luckily, Hottie wakes up and stops me from crying with a big hug and offers of slurpees, and ice cream, and whatever else he can think of... all of which I decline... and you know it's bad when I decline those! He assures me that I did not make him feel bad & let's try to make it a fun night.... and doesn't say a word about why there are no hamburgers.

We wrap up the evening with some tiny fireworks out front. Things that remind me of childhood like the ones called flowers and sparklers. I am feeling better because for once Ev is in my lap, wrapping my arms around her (because she is a bit scared-- but I count it as cuddling.)(she never cuddles.). Nakiah is playing with his glow stick-light saber thingy & doing countless poppers. Hottie feels like he's 15 again, because that is the last time he lit his own fireworks.

Not so bad.

As with any holiday what it really comes down to for me is being together... celebrating the occassion... doing something festive. ... and in the case of KY, where the fireworks are legal, not burning your new house down. We succeeded on a couple of those endeavors. So, that's that. Here's to hoping your fourth was a little more of a bang.

Thoughts on Thirty

There I am, thirty years old. (Thank you Instagram editing.)

This time last year I remember thinking of what my 30th bday would be like.....what it would feel like to cross this milestone. It's nothing like I thought it would be. I don't have a single ounce of dread getting older. I'm not inspecting my face in the mirror for new wrinkles (ok, maybe i did one day. don't judge.) I don't look sadly back on my twenties like, there goes the good old days. Nah. Don't get me wrong I definitely had some good times. 

In my twenties I: had two beautiful children and became stepmom to a third//married the man of my dreams//bought a house//held a full time job as an artist//earned two Disney half marathon medals//was published 10 times in scrap magazines//threw tortillas during the midnight premiere of LOTR(ask Hottie)//cave tubed in Belize, ziplined in Honduras, relaxed in Jamaica, & swam in the Caribbean//became Mac loyal//partied in Vegas//watched a niece being born//went to Disneyland hundreds of times//celebrated the Centennial of the town my Grandparents and parents grew up in//ran a marathon in the worst storm LA has ever seen//became a good cook//punked out at a Blink 182 concert with my best friend//laughed inappropriately at Kathy Griffin live five years in a row//hosted a killer halloween party--for kids//moved across the country//found the perfect caramel apple dip recipe//decided I want to be a stay at home Mom.

It's been pretty epic.

But this next chapter holds so many possibilities, I can't help but look to the future. This is the happiest I have ever been in my entire life (aside from Hottie working 8 days in a row 14-17 hour days and the kids behaving like wild animals...but that's another story). This home is more amazing than I could have ever pictured. We love Lexington and are discovering all it has to offer. I have time to spend with my kids and make life what I want it to be.... 

There are so many things I plan to do in my thirties: see the Eiffel tower and visit the Louvre//learn how to garden//get in the best shape of my life//travel around Italy//perfect holiday dinners//take the kids to Yellowstone//raise a puppy//Disney cruise//start new traditions//have a baby boy//run the Goofy Challenge//decorate my home//visit family//get on the design team for a major scrap manufacturer or magazine//start a consulting company//ride epic rollercoasters//learn to speak Italian//the list goes on and on....

Hello 30. I think I like you.