May 20, 2011

As Promised

Baby fever takes over your brain like a BORG (those of you who don't know what a BORG is... you are probably better off not knowing.)  It infects you with its sly tricks.  It reels you in.  Every time you see a baby it says "Oh... look how cute and cuddly this baby is.  It is so sweet and warm... and, what's that... it has a beautiful baby smell?  Don't you like that baby smell? If you do, repeat after me: I WANT A BABY."

But I know better.  I know it's cute now... but as soon as that baby gets out of my earshot, it will start pooping and screaming.  Then, when it gets older, it will throw up on its parents, get them sick, color on the walls with permanent marker, get in fights at school, argue, and become a teenager.  At that point, it will do the most dangerous thing of all: develop its own free-thinking personality.

I know all of this.

So why is it so hard to just say no to babies?
Probably because I know they will look something like this:


Adam and Me @ 6 Months Old


Adam and Me @ 1 1/2 Years Old


Adam and Me @ Two Years Old


Adam and Me @ 4 Years Old


And Adam and Me @ 6 Years Old



Oh great.  These pictures just "done me in."
I'm doomed.

May 19, 2011

Stylin' and Profilin'

I'm pretty sure "Stylin' and Profilin'" is a saying.
And if it's not... who cares?  I don't.
Because I'm so stylish.

That's right.  Little me.  I'm stylish.
And to prove it, I have won the "Stylish Blogger Award," which has been bestowed upon me by April of Two Mathewsers!
In all seriousness, this is actually a very big honour for me (see, I even spell 'honour' the stylin' British way... I was posh before I knew it was cool to be posh!).  Ah hem... where was I?  Oh yes, I'm honoured.  You see, April's blog is one of my favorite blogs in the whole interwebs.  It's seriously pee-your-pants-laughing-because-it's-so-true-but-no-one-ever-admits-to-it funny.  She uses sentences like "...My sister told me not to write this, but I think it will really benefit you to know that it was so thick, I seriously felt like I was pooping out of my throat."  See!  You don't even need any context for this to be awesome.  April's blog is a very honest, refreshing look at everyday life.  Reading it helps to remind me that, when it comes to blogging (and real life, for that matter) I don't need try to be someone I'm not.  I can just be plain old me.


I especially like being "plain old me" when it wins me an award.

Okay... enough with the bragging.  I'm done.

Upon accepting this award, I must 1.) tell you seven random facts about myself and 2.) point you in the direction of ten stylish fellow-bloggers.
I am up to the challenge.  And so, without further adieu...


1. I sing.  Way too often.  My grandparents' nickname for me is "Little Song Bird."  I walk around the house, my work, the grocery store, and just plain everywhere humming and singing quietly to myself.  I don't usually mean to do it... and I can't even stop myself if I try.



2.  There is something about trees that I just really love.  I especially love painting them.  Trees carry some sort of symbolism for me.  Something about those earthy, life-giving roots being planted deep in the rich soil... I want to be like that:  planted, firm, secure, statuesque.  I want birds to live in my branches.  I want to grow moss.  Wait...

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

I've already shared this video... but I'm sharing it again because it is so freaking beautiful


3.  I don't mean to sound dumb and cliché, or like I'm making this up so that I can sound "spiritual"... but God (for real), very clearly and distinctly, told me that I was going to marry my husband before I had even seen his face or knew who he was.  That's right.  I saw him from the back of the church on a Sunday morning, and God was like "BAM!  I'm awesome.  Here he is!  Oh and guess what... don't introduce yourself to him yet."  And I didn't introduce myself or talk to him at all.  For another two years.  And then we randomly met (at a very interesting point in both of our lives) because he almost bought a painting of mine at an auction.  And then we were married within the year.  He didn't find out about that whole God-telling-me-I-was-going-to-marry-him part until after we got engaged.  Life is CRAZY.


Our first date at the Oregon Vortex.  Yes... that's right.  The Oregon Vortex.


4.  I LOVE sleeping.


This picture was taken while Adam and I were dating.  I was SO tired, and had fallen asleep in this incredibly strange position while we were watching a movie.


5.  I went through a very awkward, fairly ugly phase from the ages of about 8-13.  It's true.  And I have proof:


That is me on the left (holding my cat, Spot).  My sister is on the right (holding her dog, Nestle).
I had some serious teeth issues going on.  And don't even get me started on the jeans.


6.  The day I graduated high school, I thought it would be a really good idea to chop off ALL of my hair.  I was wrong.  Then a week later, I decided that since I had cut it all off in a moment of insanity, I would bleach it platinum blonde, purple and dark brown.  It was definitely freeing to not have hair to hide behind anymore... but let's just say I'll probably never cut my hair that short again.

You know that your hair is crazy when you are walking in downtown Seattle and people are staring at you as you walk past.


7.  And finally, I have been a ballerina for Halloween, not once, but twice.  Recently.  I wish I could wear that costume every day.  It's fabulous.  I actually had people ask me if I was an real ballerina when I wore it!  Also, a little boy fell in love with me the first year I dressed as a ballerina.  His mom told me that when they got home, he was saying his prayers before bed and said "... And Jesus, bless the pretty ballerina.  Amen."




And NOW for my favorite, stylin', hip-happenin' blogs.
In alphabetical order:

Boho Baby Bump - A stylish, bohemian mamma who decided that she didn't have to give up her hip style just because she became a mom.  This is her chronicle of daily stylin' life as a wife and mother.

bruklyn belle - Bruklyn is one of my best friends in the whole world.  She is super fly.  Read her fashion blog and you will become super fly too.  I guarantee it.

Color Me Katie - Geeze, talk about a inspiring color explosion!  Working as a photographer in NYC, participating in Improv Everywhere, inspiring total strangers with acts of zany kindness.  This girl is rad. 

Feathers and Things - The creative explosion in human form.  This lady is an artist, an earring maker, an Etsy runner, and an original soul with a jawline I would kill for.

MattandKaraAdopt - A very open, honest, big-hearted blog about the process that is adoption.  This wrenches my guts.

The Purloined Pizza Stone - A new blog full of wit and vigor, this one is.  And so grammatically correct, too!

seablanket - The creative space of a woman on a mission: to be crafty at all expense.

This Much - Full to the brim with some amazingly witty dry humor.  I die laughing when I read it.

tumor-ey side of me -  The "diary" of a very brave, uplifting, super beautiful young woman with a rare disease.  Warning: I found this blog this afternoon and I couldn't stop reading. 

When Body Becomes Word - And lastly, this blog is poetical gold.  Written by a for real artist and poet, it is full to the brim with beautiful poetic imagery.  Did I mention I'm a sucker for a good poem?


Writing this post has really motivated me to get back on track with blogging.  I WILL yet conquer laziness and busyness.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog where I will be talking about how wonderfully sucky baby fever is! 


 

May 18, 2011

Mother's Day... Finally

Oh my fellow bloggers... I'm learning how difficult it can be to find time to write when there are so many other things going on!  But I'm determined to write anyway.

Honest blog: I've had SO many fun, exciting things happen in the last few weeks and have forgotten to write about each and every one of them... including Mother's Day (which was what... two weeks ago?).  I had amazing plans to document the Mother's Day brunch we prepared solely for our beautiful mommas.  It was going to be wonderful and insightful... but then I got so enveloped in the drama of the frittata (aka actually making the brunch), that I completely forgot to take pictures. 
Thankfully, although I lack adequate documentation to prove this "brunch" happened, it was a beautiful Mother's Day.  We had super nummy food.  And super fun conversation.  And lots of laughter.  And we got to bless our mommas, who put so much of themselves into loving us and shaping us into at least mostly functional human beings!

Since I don't have pictures of the brunch, I will give you the mom pictures that we have in our stash.  
We love you mommas!

 Little blond-headed me and my mom.  How am I so white when my mom is VERY clearly very dark?  
Blame it on my dad.  I do :)


Adam and his wonderful mom as she was leaving the hospital with his newly-born 11 lb. self.