Monday Motivators

Because everyone should have someone to whisper secrets to.

For the Fans

This is the closest we've been to getting Ivy's smile on camera.

That's okay, because those eyes seem to do most of the grinning work anyway.

Have a wonderful weekend soaking it all in and grinning away too!

Project Runway, here I come!

I finally used part of my birthday gift certificate to Sew L.A. and took a sewing refresher course.  It had been well over 10 years since I've used my machine.  And even then, I didn't really know what I was doing with it (or to it for that matter).

After a few hours of hearing that machine stitch away, I'm now hooked.  I'm hoping that this newly reborn passion can get some easy special projects finished for Christmas gifts this year.

Lately, I've been browsing a few of my favorite sewing blogs for some inspiration.  Each of these gals is RIDICULOUSLY talented and often I tend to feel overwhelmed with how effortless their sewing skills seem to be.  I have to remind myself that I'm only going to get better with practice and that these gals started at the beginning at one point too.

Luckily, there's this whole wonderful blogging world I'm obsessed with that can guide and inspire me through it.

{Made}

{The Purl Bee}

{See Kate Sew}

{I Still Love You}

{Cotton & Curls}

I'd love to know where you like to go (blogs or otherwise) to get your sewing eye candy and ideas...

Visitors, icees, onion volcanoes, peeing rhinos and more. How was your lovely weekend?

 

 

*Thank you Shannon for that lovely rhino shot.  :)

Monday Motivators

Washing away the noise of the day.

It's a double dare physical challenge obstacle course of laundry piles in our bedroom right now

Instead of getting off the couch and turning off "Mythbusters" waking the adorable baby snoozing in her bassinet to clean our bedroom, I browsed Pinterest and I am now dreaming that my pajama-ed body is going to snuggle up in some of these cozy, clutter free beds tonight...

{NY Times via Black Eiffel}

{The Style Files}

{Source Unknown found via Pinterest}

{Desire to Inspire}

{House and Home}

{Alvhem: Makleri & Interior}

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

Shifting seasons. 
It all seems so big.
I find comfort in my world so small.

P.S. It's FRIDAY!!

Evan doesn't know it yet, but we're turning a side table I found this week into a play kitchen for Miller and Ivy's room.  See the inspiration here and here.

I'm also trying to get a head start on some christmas shopping/crafting.  Hopefully, on Saturday I can make it out to oh, hello friend's vintage pop-up shop for some inspiration.

Speaking of vintage, check out Miller's favorite toys this week.

{Handcarved wooden animals found at the Melrose Trading Post last weekend.  The poor ostrich needs to be leveled so he can stand up properly with the rest of his buddies.  }

{Fifty cent camera.  Say "CHEESE!"}

And by "favorite toys this week" I mean "the latest toys we're finding stuffed under the couch cushions."

What's on your agenda for the weekend?  And what awesome new treasures are you obsessed with?

Jumping for Joy!

Ivy started smiling today!!
No pictures of the smirky gal yet, but Miller's excitement should keep you satisfied for awhile.  

Monday Motivators

Some days there's a squeeze to my heart when I hear Miller say the word "Mommy."
An itchy throat, just on the verge of sobbing messy tears.

"Daddy" squeezes just as hard those days too.  Some days even harder.

I can stand in the kitchen cursing a monstrous pile of dishes and a couple of arms reach around my legs.
"Hug you, Mommy." 
Melts me every time. 

It's simple this parenting thing. 
Just be squeezed.

Is it appropriate for a 32 year old to play Barbies on her living room floor?

Because that's exactly what Miller and I did yesterday as we weeded through 2 buckets of my (and my three younger sisters') Barbie dolls that my mom found in her garage. 

I picked through and set aside all my old favorite outfits and teeny accessories (a bike, boomboxes, sunglasses, windsurfing, scuba gear, etc.)  You know all the usual things a gal has in her closet.

While yes, I do agree that Barbie's proportions are a tad unrealistic for a young gal's easily impressionable self esteem, that 11 inch doll is no stronger an influence than movies, tv and advertising can be.  And we know we won't always be shielding Ivy (or Miller for that matter) from all of that.  My hope is that Evan and I can build our kids' positive images of themselves from within the loving, welcoming, unconditional, supportive home we create.

Playing dress-up with Mommy's old Barbie gear can just be a bonus.

Honestly, how AWESOME are these dresses?!

And no Barbie should be without her fanny pack, record player, typewriter, camcorder, and... ashtray?

Even my favorite Barbie (the one with the sweet haircut my older cousin talked me into doing) made it through the rounds of 25 plus years of play. 

What are you excited to share with your family today?

Monday Motivators

"So, what do you do?  Besides making babies?"
"Hmm, well..."

While I do have a part time job that I LOVE and I'm very proud of
AND has grown into a solid (and recently validated!) space for me to stretch
AND I do have pipe dream gigs I'm still reaching for (slooooowly, but still reaching)
how do I really explain
(at a casual and intimate backyard wedding reception)
that my full time job
the "making & taking care of babies" part of my career
is more than just changing diapers...

How do I sum up all of this into a quick, witty, stimulating "I'm trying to be cool at this party where all of you guys are young and fearless and beautiful" answer?

It's...
...hoping the neighbors don't hear my toddler and I dancing to Sisqo's "Thong Song"
...2pm and I still haven't dressed myself (or brushed my teeth) for fear that I'll wake a sleeping baby.
...finding a moment of peace by doing dishes with the water at full power to drown out the whiny toddler who's angry that his juice is in the wrong color cup.
...planning the day's outfit around whether or not I'll need to breastfeed in public.
...planning the day around whether or not I'll want to breastfeed in public.
...knowing every Pixar movie by heart.
...knowing all the drive thru Starbucks in my surrounding areas by heart.
...stopping what I'm doing, no matter what, to help my 2 year old get up on a chair to watch the firetrucks scream by our living room window.
...bathing with baby wipes.
...every cardigan I own, no matter how many times I wash it, always smelling like spit up
...yes, sometimes I am that mom in target with a screaming kid.  I need toilet paper, batteries, ziploc bags and facewash just like everyone else.
...watching BURLESQUE while both kids nap.
...wondering what exactly is that sticky substance on the back of my iphone.
...eating my kid's leftover mac and cheese for lunch.  And dinner.  And sometimes breakfast.
..."hug me, mommy" curing any temper tantrum disciplining
...knowing the appropriate thin line between shaken baby syndrome and bobbing an infant to sleep.
...counting EVERY time I am on a set of stairs
...playdates and sand toy sharing and juice boxes in my purse.
...week old string cheeses in my purse too.
..."more stories" before bed.
...being splashed from a bubbly bathtub.
...trading cocktail mixers and movie premiere parties and sushi lunches for a tiny set of peach fuzzed earlobes.
...so so so exhausting.
...so so so lovely.
...so so so much more than I'll ever know how to say. 

Monday Motivators (on a Tuesday)

Sometimes I feel like this

 

When I don't get enough of this

 

Thankfully, I have this

{*Picture taken by Miller}

Don't mind if I do!

It's been too hot to bake. 

And before this blasted Los Angeles muggy heat moved in, I was on a strict no sweets diet plan.  The three weeks since Ivy's birth I've been able to indulge my sweet tooth with ice cream and limeades and fruit any time I want.  (Ha!  Take that, pregnancy related insulin resistance!)

Today has cooled a bit.  Not enough to swelter in our apartment with an oven on, but cooled enough for me to plan some future desserts (found via Pinterest) to stuff my face with.

What's your vote?

{Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars via The Girl Who Ate Everything}

{Cinnamon Roll Pancakes via Recipe Girl}

{Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies via Very Culinary originally from Picky Palate}

{Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread via With a Side of Sneakers}

{Strawberry Cream Pie via Sweet Fine Day}

Monday Motivators

This is my day.

 

But now that both (BOTH!!!) kids are napping soundly, the AC is cranked to high, I have a chilled diet coke by my side, I can focus on a few writing projects and other creative endeavors I've been procrastinating.  (I'm not talking to you, laundry.)

Although, I really should be napping too.

In other Monday news, how awesome is this stuff?!
David Bowie's "Space Oddity"
Make your own oilcloth fabric
Broken glasses, schmoken glasses.  Oh, how I wish this ring wasn't sold out.
JGL