in pain there is wisdom

 

Good morning, Dear Readers. I'm happy to be alive...I didn't mention to you all that, up until a few weeks ago, skull surgery was in my future. It was really scary - I'm not going to pretend it was "no big deal" or that I'm all better as I type this post. In fact, I'm not really able to write about the experience (or much of anything) just yet, but I did want to break the silence and write just a little something to say how happy I am that I'm still here, enjoying my family while I recover, feeling the transformativeness (is that a word?) of physical pain and the wisdom it provides, still going to blog, and still loving life... among many many other things! Thank you for reading... until next time :)

hello, october

October in New England is a gamble; it might be rainy, cold, raw... so miserable that you're begging for those oppressively hot August days. Or, it can be the most beautiful, colorful, crisp time of year... days that are bathed-in-sunshine. Kind days that are made for light weight sweaters, skinny jeans and leather boots, jacket optional. This October's temperament has yet to be determined, but I am hopeful it will remind us New Englanders why we live here and bestow us with the beauty of a kind October.

who has tomorrow?

My stepmother has a phrase: "who has tomorrow?" As we remember the people who perished eleven years ago today, let us not forget that tomorrow is never a guarantee. Let's honor the lives and sprit of all of those who died by appreciating the good things we, the living, have in our lives. Hug your children, call your friends and your family and tell them you love them. Hold onto the people you love and live each day in gratitude of them. Hope springs eternal and love conquers all... hold onto hope and love. Find them in your life and in this world. Appreciate the basics of life. Smile, be happy, find peace and share it. No one has tomorrow, but we all have right now.

image source unknown

house

It's been a long past few weeks. Lots of anxious feelings and late nights involving calculators, spec sheets, fax cover sheets and wine. Anyway, we're 99% on our way to making a big move - to a new house. The property we'll call home in a few months needs a lot of work, but that's Hero Hubby's expertise and my passion! Some bathrooms will get ripped out and replaced, floors will be refinished ceilings will be torn down, walls will be painted, and some not-so-pretty kitchen cabinets will get a major makeover. And that's just the stuff on the inside. I hope I can keep up with blogging and report from the front lines of how home renovation, motherhood, small business and designing all come together! It will be interesting. I'm getting the wine bottles ready. For now, I've posted some color schemes I'm thinking of for the bedrooms. I love lilac and sherbert together for the girls' room and a light robin's egg blue seems like a peaceful choice for the master bedroom. Am I bold enough to paint the guest bedroom that lovely coral?

one | two | three

to grow a garden

Hero Hubby and I had a major garden fail last summer - that might have something to do with having our second baby... Anyway, our tomatoes rotted before they matured, our beets vanished (a mole, maybe?) and the few snap peas that actually grew looked like they were giving us the finger. Not a good scene. We thought we had done everything right - rich soil, good starter plants, lots of water. But, we got neglectful and. So, this year we are determined to start everything off right and keep up with it! I loved reading this gardening 101 post over at a beautiful mess. I also  love the idea of planting in containers. It makes everything seem much more manageable and I like how creative I can get with choosing the actual containers!

a busy week, indeed

Good morning, Dear Readers, and Happy Monday! Last week was action packed - sorry for not posting a thing! I will elaborate more when I have (hopefully) some rock solid news to share. For now let's just say things are "happening."

This gold dipped notebook project has me aching to do something creative. And, here are some images that have me inspired {one | two | three | four}

image via etsy

day three, year thirty

On Saturday I turned thirty. "It's about time!" my neighbor said with a smirk. I took it as a compliment to all the good things my life has seen in the years leading up to my thirtieth. Entering a new decade is a good feeling. The vast landscape of the new age rolls out before you and it's kind of like a clean slate - a blank canvas to create the next ten years. I remember turning fifteen and thinking how "old" I was getting. I remember turning twenty and thinking how "young" I still was. Now that I have arrived at thirty, I'm thinking about how old and young I feel and I am enjoying the gift only time can give: perspective. In my twenties I graduated from college, started my company, met my true love, became mama to my sweet baby girls and somehow managed to keep my long shiny hair. Four apartments, three vehicles, two children and one full decade of twists, turns, surprises and lots and lots of love from my family and friends. I am blessed to have this life as each year brings an opportunity for growth, love and wisdom. I look forward to the years ahead and fondly at those years gone by.

happy spring + taking a break

This is my favorite day of the year, even if our fickle New England weather makes it impossible to pack away winter coats and hats just yet. Happily, this year I'm staring at a sunny 68 degrees on this first day of spring!

So what's all this about taking a break? Well, I'm sick. With the flu, or some sort of horrible body-aching-sore-throat-fever-head-pounding thing that has left me helplessly drinking tea and eating not much other than grapefruits and crackers. With a mountain of work in front of me and little time to waste (or relax) my body has reminded that rest is essential to health and so it has given me the gift of sickness. I say that last statement half sarcastically, but also half sincerely. Sometimes it takes a real smack in the head to realize that you need to re-access your situation and organize your life according to what matters most now. On that note, I'll be taking a short break (I won't stay away for long - you must know me by now). I'll see you in April just in time for my other favorite day of the year, my birthday. Just kidding that is not my other favorite day of the year - maybe it was when I was a kid and cake didn't make me fat. This year is a big one, too... more on that in a few weeks. Until April!

image source

love is around the corner

Hopefully love is already with you! I've been think a lot lately about Valentine's Day (just four days away!) and how this day is a nice puffed-up opportunity to express your love to everyone in your life, not just your main squeeze. I've made a list of all the fun DIY Valentine crafts I've been seeing on blogs lately and thought I'd share my discoveries.

I might save this idea for next year when Violet is a little older and won't want to try and stab something with the arrow/pencil (although she still might want to do that next year anyway). I think it's more appropriate for older kids...bookmarking! Thanks, Sweet Muffin Suite.

I really like this idea and might make my own "Scrabble Gram" for Hero Hubby's upcoming birthday (it's a big one). Perhaps I could make each letter in postcard size, send the individual pieces out to our friends and family and ask them to mail each back to him with a birthday wish written on the back? I'm thinking as I type... better perfect this idea and get on it quick (I have less than a month). Thanks, oh, happy day.

This card is so clever! The tutorial is a visual treat, too. Love it! Thanks, minieco.

What better way to jazz up a plain old chocolate bar than with these super cute printable wrappers? This might have to be the sweet surprise I send along with the Valentine cards we are sending to the Grandparents.

The idea of making my own scratch-off cards is very inspiring. Great technique to know about and perfect for creating some fun Valentines. Who knew dishwashing detergent could be so much fun? Thanks, Better Homes and Gardens.

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thank goodness for makeup

A friend of mine has a saying she uses to bestow the ultimate compliment upon something: "it's almost as fun as makeup." I couldn't agree more - for me, makeup is the ultimate "thing" that is just pure fun. Instantly, I am transformed into a nine year old girl swiveling up a tube of petal pink Christian Dior lipstick and marveling at the candy-like color when I dive into my makeup bag. I don't expect everyone to relate - to some, makeup is weighted by a world of marketing, controversy over the definition of beauty and damaging body image issues. In my world, nothing replaces the feeling of having a slick of lipstick, a brush of eye-liner, a wash of blush and a coat of mascara. I just feel *dressed* and that makes me happy.

image via

and the winner is...

Joanne! A pair of sky blue bonbon Earrings is headed your way. Thanks for participating in the give-away!

Today I was awakened by the gleeful cries of a toddler who wakes up to see the first winter snowfall. "We need a sled... make a snowman... MAMA... DADA... QUICK!" It was the nicest sounding alarm clock, but then I realized I couldn't hit "snooze" and sleep for ten more minutes. So, I sit here typing a post while Violet is picking out which pair of snow boots to wear and Laela is happily chewing on something soft (a blanket? a stuffed animal? I can't tell... don't have my glasses on - a pair of little hands snapped them last week). If you are gearing up to tumble through the snow today, I wish you good luck, warmth and lots of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or whatever warms you (bourbon? I won't judge) at the end of a winter adventure.


image via gabbysworld

best chocolate cupcakes ever

I would not make such a dramatic claim if this were not true. Of course, we all have different ideas of what "best ever" really means everything is relative. Since I'm a sweets junkie, I cannot be relied upon to objectively rate baked goods, so I put these chocolate cupcakes to the test by swaying my Hero Hubby to try one (the man does not like sweets, crazy right?!) They passed with flying colors. Thus, this recipe is now filed in the "best ever" section in my recipe book. Try them with vanilla buttercream frosting and you and your sweet (or not-so-sweet) tooth will not be disappointed. My little sweet liked them too!

recipe via SimplyRecipes

move over, June

Someday I will wield a glittery pink spatula while wearing an apron with frilly white trim that nips my waist in and makes me look like a baking goddess while I effortlessly make (from scratch!) cookies in all sorts of ingenious flavors. Someday.... or, perhaps never now that I have found a prepared cookie dough that tastes like it came from the oven of June Cleaver and is made with all natural ingredients. Joy! After a weekend of drunken debauchery (perhaps just a few too many cocktail parties), house chores and general child related chaos, The Hubs and I were ready to relax. It's almost physically impossible for me to relax without quelling my voracious sweet tooth. Since the oven was still hot from having cooked dinner, I decided to pop a few (ok, eight) little rounds of Triple Chocolate cookie dough by Immaculate Baking Co. How liberating it felt to simply break off however many cookies I wanted to bake, plop them onto a pan and bake for ten minutes. Yum! Considering the speed at which we ate these cookies, they could very well be re-named Vanishing Triple Chocolate. Enjoying a treat without having to clean up a cataclysm of batter and bowls was a divine way to end the weekend. No frilly aprons necessary.

image via muffintopmommy

two things

ONE: 

Since we're all still battling the sniffles over here, I was comforted by this article at Refinery29. I practically lived on Ramen noodles when I was an undergrad and would have loved a few tips as to how to give them a foodie twist. This is the ultimate comfort food, 

TWO: 

Check out my guest post over at the Immaculate Baking Co. blog.

nobody sleeps...

...when the kids are sick. Yes, I have the daunting task of managing a sick toddler, sick baby and sick self this week. Hopefully it's only a short bout of stuffy noses, mild fevers and loss of sleep (thanks, daylight savings, for f*cking up our sleep schedules). To think that just a week ago Violet was "doing make-up" while Hero Hubby and I got dressed up for a Halloween party. I can't promise a week full of amazing blog posts, but I'm already thinking about some comfort food to get us through this not-so-fun time. A rustic apple tart... some beef and barley soup? I'll keep you posted.

changes

 

Since becoming a mother, I've noticed several small, but dramatic changes in my approach to life. I'm not talking about the big changes (more on those in a later post). Just a few seemingly small ways in which I do things differently now. Here they are - you might find some are ridiculous "issues" to have in the first place, but we all have our hang-ups, right? Please don't judge... but feel free to laugh!

I'm fearless when it comes to killing bugs. And I mean big, juicy awful bugs that previously I would just barely manage trap under a cup and wait for Hero Hubby to take care of. Now they just get squished by moi - sometimes without a tissue... eek.

I'm no longer superstitious in my mother's basement. It used to be, even up until a few years ago, that I still carried the paranoia that a trapped soul would devour my own if I lingered too long in the basement. Not quite a fear of the dark, just a creepy feeling every time I went down there. My mother's basement is not out of the ordinary - it's just a silly hangover from my youth. Present day? I could care less. Go ahead, ghost, take me away from my nagging children.

I love doing the dishes. Prior to my lovely brood, washing the dishes was not an activity I rated high on my "likes" list, nevermind my "loves" list. My how things change. Doing the dishes is like a zen state - a form of meditation. No one will interrupt me, lest I enlist their help.

Very small things make me happy. This one is almost in the category of big changes. Never before had I elated at discovering the Market Basket circular in the mailbox every Wednesday morning, nor did I think twice about the delight found in taking more than three sips of a steaming hot cup of coffee. It is said that it's the little things that make all the difference. Right now I understand that more than ever. Ah, the little things... like getting to write an entire blog post (almost) uninterrupted.

hello birdie

Earlier this morning I sat down to write a blog post when I heard a thump on the glass door of the breezeway. I got up to investigate. When I opened the door to the chilly, damp morning I found a small woodpecker laying defeated-looking on the threshold. After a little nudge and few strokes of affection on top of its head, the bird hopped down the steps and zipped off into the bright blue sky.

It was a nice moment; seeing something falter and then take flight reminded me of how many times us humans are forced to take a pause from the action in life. Whatever that pause may be (great or small) it's important to allow... and hope that there's someone or some force to give us a little nudge and affection to help us on our way again.

iSad

I was just a girl all of five years old when I first gazed upon the Apple IIe. I would stare up at the green glow and play number munchers with reckless abandon until my father would walk into the room and announce that it was my bedtime. Times have changed since then and Apple products have gone through much transformation. In light of Steve Jobs' passing, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the transformation and vision he brought to the Apple brand. Thanks, Steve, for making a great product and bringing such innovation and inspiration to the world of computers and technology.

Wired Magazine put is best:

A visionary inventor and entrepreneur, it would be impossible to overstate Steve Jobs’ impact on technology and how we use it. Apple’s mercurial, mysterious leader did more than reshape his entire industry: he completely changed how we interact with technology. He made gadgets easy to use, gorgeous to behold and essential to own. He made things we absolutely wanted, long before we even knew we wanted them. 

image via wikipedia

oh, wear!

 

Just thinking today about the (almost) weekend with Hero Hubby and the girls and how nice a crisp and sunny fall day is. Not quite overcoat weather, but a warm sweater will do just fine. Have a cozy weekend!

sweater | jeans | flats | bag | earrings | scarf | lipstick

eye-yi-yi

My littlest one scratched her cornea yesterday. It was scary seeing the doctor patch up her eye, but even scarier knowing that such a delicate part of her was injured. As I learned, the eye has an amazing ability to heal itself after a scratch like that. A blob of antibiotic cream and a patch to keep the eye protected while it heals is the simple treatment. Basically, it looks worse than it is, but it's a reminder (especially to all of you with young ones!) to keep the eyes safe. My new daily task will be to keep Laela's fingernails filed daily - not just trimmed short, but filed to keep any sharp edges away...