I'M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!

My first children's book has just been published, and I couldn't be more excited! It's something I started a while ago, but getting that first author's copy in the mail made it seem absolutely new, fresh, and exhilarating. I'm extremely proud of myself, and soooooo incredibly motivated to get my next book published, so jump on my happy train and get to reading the world's newest literary gem, "If You Live Here," by me. Of course :)

Hey, October!

Yeah, for October and a fun month for decorating!

Today is exactly the kind of day I expect to look back on in the near future , and wonder why I ever looked for something else. Sure, there are reasons- important ones, even- but on days like this, I'm jealous of my own life.

Woke up this morning feeling uber rushed, yet more than satisfied with my four rounds of snoozing (sorry neighbors!). Found enough time to locate my yellow heels and enough hairspray to show last night's do who's (still) boss.

Started my work day dashing in and out of a flurry of cinnamon toast waffles, semi-healthily pack lunch-boxes, The Backyardigans and flying Cheerios. At ten till 8 it was time to buckle in Boden and Brinny- we were called upon to drop Burke off at pre-school this morning, which turned out to be quite a treat. The ride was longer and curvier than usual- Kansas City's 'construction' is spreading like wildfire. Burke used the time to share with us common folk the different powers his various weapons had when placed in his hands. Sitting beside him were 3 toy guns, a bow (with no arrows), and a glove from his Ironman costume- all of which came with accompanying sound effects (compliments of Burke).

After drop-off, it was just me and the babies- both sporting wild hair, 'pajamas', and bare feet. So, naturally, we took a trip to the grocery store.

By the time we got home, Boden had fallen asleep in his car seat, and Brin was itching for a snack and movie which I was happy to do with her seeing as Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorites, and she was in an uncharacteristically cuddly mood. Half way the movie though Boden woke up and I was thinking of ways to continue the day's good feeling. One look outside, and I had the perfect idea.

The weather was perfect. I mean kick off your shoes, run in the grass, spin in a circle, draw with chlak, hug a stranger, smile at nothing kind of weather. The kind of weather that goes great with a pinic. So that's what we did. I quickly shed my dress, slipped into a sports top/yoga pants combo and packed the perfect picnic.

We drove to the plaza, walked around for a bit, played, in the grass, took some pics, ate our lunch, and tossed nearly two dollars in pennies into the big fountain, after which, Brinny pulled me in and gave me a kiss. With feet in the water, sun on my face, and happy babies on either side, I sat there thinking life doesn't get much sweeter than this.

The euphoria of it all, however, was suddenly interrupted when I started packing up the stroller to find that I had misplaced the keys to the car. When I asked Brin if she'd seen them, she said she threw them into the fountain. Great. 

So I started look in the water, thinking (hoping, really) that she was confusing the words 'keys' and 'pennies.' I double and tripple-checked my purse and tore apart our cooler and stroller. No keys. No bueno.

So we started retracing our steps (which we had taken a lot of). Finally, after I had given up thinking they'd actually appear and started putting my brain power into how I was gunna tell thier mom I lost her keys and had no way of gettin gher kids home, I found them! There, on the grass, was a silver message from God saying "Here ya go, idiot. Enjoy the rest of your day." I snatched the keys and scooped Brinny up to spin and 'dance' to the tune of an original number entitled "Ahhhh, We Got Our Keeeeeeeeys Back, We Got Our Keeeeeeeeeeys Back." 

After that, we hit up the library and then walked over to a nearby ice cream shop (and my favorite place to eat in Kansas City), Yogurtini. Mmm, mmm good :)

Not surprisingly, they fell asleep in the car. Brin made the easy transition from garage to crib with no problem. Boden? Not so much. I went back down to the kitchen to make him a bottle and returned to his room to sing him a string of my favorite Disney songs. So, there I am, pleasantly tired from a day of sun, penny wishes, and frozen yogurt, rocking Boden to sleep and wondering how much longer he'll need me to do this before he gets too old. When do babies stop being feed bottles? When exactly does he stop needing to be rocked everyday? And suddenly I stop worry about how long it's taking, or what other chores I should rush off to. The kitchen can wait, in fact it's been doing it all day. 

All We Need

Ten years ago, they fell onto a city paved with fear and heartache, and the world stopped to fall on its knees. Today I'm back on my knees, unaware of the moment when the world got back up and continued to turn. Evil can be incredible at times, but love is our greatest power. It is our greatest gift- both to others, and to ourselves.

To Gloss or Not To Gloss

Question of the Day: Is it awkward to put on lipstick for a 'woman's exam'? 

I struggled in the hospital bathroom with the possible interpretations of a 23 year old wearing hot pink lips (my signature color) topped with shimmer gloss for such an occasion. Would it make him think I was some kind of slutty weirdo? Like I was misinterpreting normal procedure for some kind of sterile first date? Awk. Ward. But then I was already anticipating the ugly cover-up I'd have to wear, and the fact that I'd, inevitably, be feeling more than a little awkward and out of my comfort zone. I mean, the guy was already gunna see me without any of my (specifically planned out for the event) clothes on, did I really have to go through this with naked lips too!? 

The truth is, at this point in my life, a good stick of color and a tube of gloss can instantly calm me down or liven me up; In short, it makes me feel good. So I did it. I laid down on that paper-covered, privacy-snatching slab with a flower in my hair, and lipstick on my lips, and I felt good. Well, pretty at least...

April here. Reporting from another rainy day in the City of Fountains. Talk about a lot of water. 

Today's post shall feature New Found Favorites.

NFF number one would have to be Kale salad. Love, love, loooooooooove me some good kale these days. For all you folks who haven't tried it, do it. For all of you who have, do it some more. It's easy to find, mixes well with almost any veggie, and keeps for days even after it's been dressed. My biggest tips would be to chop everything up pretty small. The smaller the pieces, the better the mixing, the yummier each and every delectable bite. The last salad I made was with kale, green onions, cilantro, yellow onions, green pepper, yellow cumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes (a MUST), sprouts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and a light Asian ginger dressing. 

Like I said, kale goes well with almost anything, so just take a walk through your grocer's produce section, and start grabbing all your favorites.

NFF numero dos would have to be curly bangs. When you have hair that looks different everyday on its own, it's hard to want to throw in additional variables. It's easier to establish two or three looks you know will work at least 80% of the time, and hairspray the shit out of them. However, at the request of a close friend, I let my bangs hang curly one night (I was wearing a new leopard print dress, and Katherine felt that wild hair could enhance the exotic kind of beautiful I'm so desperately reaching for). Since then, I've fallen in love with my curly bangs. Not all the time- sometimes they don't curl just right. Other times it goes against the look I'm going for. And then there are days when they are just annoying and need to be pinned back in time-out. 

Moral of the story: try something new. Especially if that means embracing more of your natural beauty. For me, the change makes me feel more myself, get more compliments, spend less time getting ready, and use less hairspray. Not too shabby for such a small change, eh?

NFF number three, and the closing of this New Found Favorites chapter, is crafting without the craft store. This is a HUGE revelation for me being that I have always had a special place in my heart for art stores and craft supplies. I'm that weirdo that gets turned on by aisles of scrap booking paper and overpriced, 3-dementional stickers. I can get lost for hours planning DIY projects, and buy canvases before I know what I'm gunna paint or even that I'm going to paint. But I've recently found a special kind of excitement and satisfaction from creating with what's already in front of me. Like most ideas, this NFF came to me as a solution to a reoccurring problem: the kids I was nannying for often felt like crafting on days when it just wasn't practical (or even possible) to take a trip to the nearest Hobby Lobby. Not wanting to waste their creative spirits, I took the situation as an opportunity to challenge myself and create something fun and super. Here are my three favorites from the last couple weeks:

Flower Faires. 

This project was a total success, and has become my favorite thing to do with Bella. We walk and talk around the yard, filling up our bags with leaves and petals. After the fairies have been arranged, glued, dried, and named, we cut them out and hang them from strings around the house. Some of our flower fairies will become part of Bella's Book of Fairies (our next project).

Building Robots. 

Burke, age 4, is a special kind of kid in that he always has to be doing something. The problem is, it's hard to really pin-point what that 'something' is. One second he's a Spy Kid with a squid launcher, and the next he's a baby named 'Jack Jack' who lives with Peter Pan. Connecting with Burke is a challenge I find fun and extremely rewarding and I've found that building robots is something that always excites him and consistently proves to hold his attention for longer than most activities. He enjoys a big box and a can a metallic spray paint almost as much as I've come to enjoy the subsequent robot competition his father and I seem to have started. Now days, most of mine and Burkes conversation revolves around robot designs- secret compartments, removable brains, wheels for legs, eyes that shoot out lasers and kill pirates...It's crazy to see that what began as a tuesday's cure for boredom has now become such an important part of mine and Burke's relationship.

Recycle City

Recycle City is great because there's sooo much creative freedom and room for expansion. The two buildings here are milk cartons covered in construction paper and stickers. The kids love paint and glueing things, so, naturally, there's tons of that going on. The strip of feathers you see laying across the top is Burke's rendering of God. No, those feathers do NOT represent angel wings- he's made that very clear on numerous occasions; it's just God.

Welp, that's really all I have for you right now. I'm off today, so no kiddos. Which usually (but not always) means no crafting. Instead, I have plans to pay bills, clean house, and join a friend for Happy Hour, which may be a first for me (us nannies don't often meet up for drinks in the afternoon- although I think most people would understand the need).

Until next time, I encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open for your own New Found Faves. Or try some of mine. I mean, who couldn't use a good robot building session?

Rain, Rain, Run Away

Woke up this morning (after just a few hours of shallow sleep) with faaaaaaaar too much energy to waste on grocery shopping or unpacking from the weekend. So what did I do instead? I went for a run. In the rain. I realize this is an image that people either find super sexy or gross and moronic. And the soggy, frizzy version I found in my bathroom mirror 30 minutes later was definitely the latter. Strangely, however,  it's the only time I can recall being that comfortable on a run. For me, I don't run because I enjoy it or use it as a way to clear my head. If you need to think people, go for a drive. Or take a shower. No, running is something that usually shoves my butt out the door after seeing a photo of Kate Middleton or seeing a mother of four with a body half my size, and twice as much muscle.

Things I hate about running:
- The fact that, lately, the only time you can run without the death of a thousand suns scorching through your skin is super early (when I'd rather sleep) or super late ( when I'd rather do ANYTHING else)
- It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to find a pair of earphones that stay in my ears. Annoying.
- Having to take a shower right after (I have a lot of hair, and it's a big deal. Don't judge.)
- Being sweaty
- Running shorts. Eww.

Things I like about running in the rain:
- I appear to be very disciplined/dedicated to fitness
- There are zero expectations for my hair
- I have a surprising amount of songs about rain on my ipod that are much cooler in this moment
- I don't feel sweaty
- I just feel like an overall badass

In conclusion, (and in the words of country singer, Luke Bryan) Rain Is A Good Thing.

It's my day off today. Which is great since there's nothing that wears a girl out more than a day of swimming, smoothies, crafting, and dress up. Not to mention the kind of planning and pressure that goes into a Spy Kids marathon. Prob spend the day working on illustrations for a children's book I'm publishing - meaning I'll do almost nothing but paint and watch movies (not the most unfamiliar way to spend my time). Maybe I'll hit up the pool later. Or pop in at the 'office' to get my fill of  Spy Kids and Lucky Charms. Decisions, decisions...

Anywho, here's a sneek peek of the book:

(I write the story. Mom draws the pictures, and I get to color them. Score!)

Pretty Pretty Princess :)

Spent the better part of my day playing 'Cindy & Ella' - Bella's version of duel Cinderellas and my version of getting a five year old to help me clean. Most of our work is done in matching polka-dotted aprons with a rag in the front pocket. When we run out of (my) chores around the house, we find costumes (left by an invisible, but generous, Fairy Godmother) and go to the ball where we dance, exclusively, to Selena Gomez songs. 

Nine Hours and six kids into my day of nannying, I get off just in time to take a trip to Walmart and make the terrible decision to run in 90 degree heat. Come home, take a luxuriously cold shower, and cut myself in a pretty painful/awkward spot (hint: it rhymes with 'magina'). Stung a little. Freaked out a lot. Hey, told you Cinderella was the better part of my day. 

As for this evening? Harry Frick'n Potter!!!!!!! (in costume). duh. 

Can't Sleep

-which makes total sense since it's 2:42 in the morning. The cruelest thing about insomnia is that your two biggest battles (and most passively suicidal thoughts) come when your trying to 1) go to sleep and 2) wake up. I mean there are mornings where I'd rather sell my soul than roll out of bed to brush my teeth and put on makeup. Yet here I am, night after night, forced to waste precious sleep time being a baffling combination of bored and restless. So what have I been up to tonight? Reading, painting, snacking, thinking, trying on dresses I haven't worn in a while, snacking again, reading pages from an old journal, thinking again (about what to snack on next), wanting to write a to-do list but having nothing super pressing to do.... tis the life of an insanely underworked individual. 

A poem for my mom- a lover of birds and koi

You dream of an open sky, though I see lively waters.

A still pond that's been turned alive by royalty's scaled daughters. 

Golden freckles lay upon an orange both ripe and true. 

With slender whiskers and flowing fins, I'd dance the pond for you. 

So when your frantic, feathered wings have tired from the day

Settle on a branch nearby, and soak up an aqua ballet.  

Catch 22: Busy blogger Vs. Lazy blogger

Woah-kay, people, I've figured out the gargantuan problem with blogging: When you're out doing blog-worthy things, you have zero time (and/or effort) to blog about it; Likewise, when you're stuck with all this free time, you don't have much to report. I mean, it's a wonder there aren't more blogs diving into the wonders of napping, willing away dust, almost doing dishes, abandoning laundry, and thinking about possibly going for a run. That being said, I think I'll ditch this evening's to-do list, and go dancing. Hey, if something exciting happens, you'll be the first to know. Well, second to KC's Thursday party crowd.

#3

#2

Two canvases meant to be hung side by side (obviously).

Project Peacock

A few months ago, I was asked by one of my nearest & dearest friends if I could paint her a peacock picture to hang over her bed in her new apartment. "Easy peezy," I said, hoping my mother's artistic talents and mastery of rendering all things peacock were swimming in my genes, ready to prove themselves at any moment. It wasn't until last week that I realized said friend's birthday was fast approaching and it was high time I put myself to the test. Who knows how much practice it would take to produce something I could be proud of. Like I said, she's a very close friend of mine, and she would probably feel obligated to showcase the piece even if it were horrendously ugly. And she does not like ugly. Like, REALLY doesn't like ugly. So..... I have decided to dedicate the next month to painting strictly peacocks. Here's painting #1:

Thank God For Bangs

There was a time, in the not too distance past, when I thought having your two favorite necklaces tangled together was the worst kind of torture. Now I know that's not true. Having to grow out your eyebrows is way worse. 

Feathers and Flowers and Hats, Oh My!

All the recent Royal Wedding Coverage (yes, I'm one of those) has really led me to do some serious reevaluating of my hair wear. I've always had a special place in my heart for strange bands and over sized fabric flowers, but it seems I have been upstaged ten times over by all of these English fashionistas. I mean, WOW. Many of these creations, so surreal and extravagant, should be displayed in glass cases like precious art, not used as toppers for old, stiff-lipped women, seemingly obtuse of their fabulousness. So, in my (slightly bitter) jealously, I decided to craft something for myself and, of course, take a bunch of pictures. Here's to feeling pretty:

Feeding Creativity :)

Intense day at work. Today's Mission: Successfully pull off the world's greatest 'Dino Day.' This pic pretty much sums up the day's success as well as my borderline creepy obsession with presentation (Thanks to my mother who always says 'it tastes better when it looks pretty.' So true.) :

Pretty Pretty Pillows :)

So, the reason I was 'treating' myself to a surprise yesterday was because my World Market birthday coupon was about to expire and I thought I had given myself clear (albeit, internal) instructions to spend the free money ($10) on something small yet fabulous, and walk away a winner. But no. Check out these gorgeous throw pillows to see the culprit behind my $59 (although formerly $69) birthday surprise purchase. Surprise! You're an idiot. World Market wins again. 

Tuesday, Shmoozday...

So, it's becoming more and more apparent that my dedication to this blog has a striking resemblance to the kind of effort I've poured into various diaries and journals throughout the years- now abandoned, forgotten, and growing old in a dusty corner of the universe. But fear not, I have rebooted my brain (thanks to the first month of my Happiness Project) and am ready to rededicate myself to whomever actually reads this from time to time (hi, mom).

It's actually surprising that I've been so absent lately seeing as I've had so much on my mind and virtually no one to talk to. Amy has moved back to St.Louis indefinitely leaving me to fend off loneliness monsters that follow me around the house and devour me at night when I realize no one is going to be eating soup with me, or watching Four of a Kind, or stealing my bobby pins. So, to get some sleep, I spend the night at a friends house watching movies and becoming more than friends. Which brings me to the next thing that's on my mind (not the boy- you won't find any juicy deets here. Although, I think he might be stealing my bobby pins now). I've been mildly consumed lately by solidifying my official list of People I Want To Be. The other night we watched Salt- you know, the one where Angelina Jolie is accused of being a Russian spy plotting to kill the president? Well, anyways, I want to be her. It started off as CIA Agent Salt, but I'd also settle for the real Angelina Jolie.  Emma Watson/Hermione Granger was the first to make the list back in 2001 when I saw Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- an epic film for any young aspiring witch, waiting for her letter from Hogwarts. Taylor Swift's Bestie 'Abigail' is on the list for the obviously fact that she can hang with t-swizzle whenever she pleases, but it's her shameless performance in a hilarious YouTube video that sold me a couple years back. Most recently (aka: this afternoon), I added Selena Gomez cuz she's gorgeous and is/has/was/whatever dating Justin Bieber which I feel is a pretty big frick'n accomplishment considering how many crazed 10 and 11 year olds she's up against. Her newest song 'Who Says' captures that 'girl-power' hunger that just hasn't been properly satisfied since the days of Hilary Duff (judge if you must). In fact, to illustrate just how much I love this song, my favorite CD right now is the disk I burned of just 4 songs- all of which are, you guessed it, WHO SAYS! So, yea, I wanna be her. There's more of course: Kate Middleton, Carrie Underwood, Princess Jasmine, Rachel Ray... the list goes on. But I think that's enough idol sharing for now.

It's time for me to stop fantasizing and start making things happen! Whoooo! Big plans ahead: shower, dishes, vacuum, and surprise trip to World Market! Okay, well the trip is not a surprise- but whatever I buy myself will be a surprise. I'll let you know what I find tomorrow. Until then, peace out, girl scout!

I'm a big girl now!

So, in my last weeks as a 22 year old, I've notice that I'm slowly but surely morphing into an 'adult.'

'Whatever do you mean, April? you ARE an adult.'

            Wrongo. BUT, I have been up to some adult things. Here's a list from just this week:

•  Pick up a friend from the airport
•  Become a Price Chopper Card holder
•  Make crab cakes (and sauce) from scratch
•  Pay my own credit card bill
•  Become an avid recycler
•  Spend good money on furniture you don't need to assemble
•  Buy and wear a knee-length dress (that's still cute)
•  Simultaneously pee, text, and hold a baby (can't explain it, but i felt strangely mature)

Still need to:

•  Clip and use a coupon
•  Get a 9-5
•  Make a casserole
•  Read the news
•  Learn how to get to Walmart without using the GPS

Zzzz

I enter this haven, cold, but mine,

Sleepily disposing the evening’s dress to a cluttered corner.

Outside, the sky has dimmed to nothing

And I find you lain across my bed

Waiting for my want of you.

To this skin, be comfort’s soft touch.

To this corpse, wrap warm around me.

Your muted fragrance of spring and cotton sings me to sleep

And stays till I’m waken by the sun’s golden kiss.

Thanks for the cuddle session last night. I love you, Snuggie!!!!!

Hey hey heyyyyyyy!

Wondering why I haven't posted anything in the past month? Here's a very official looking line graph to explain:

That being said, March has been neither kind nor cruel to me. No major changes to report on, except that I bought some new bowls the other day.

In other kitchen news, I have two new favorite eats:
1) Bread, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, salt & pepper
2) Sandwich with honey roasted turkey, provolone cheese, and granny smith apple slices- it's kind of the bee's knees, just say'n.

And These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

My biggest advice for happiness right now would have to be surrounding yourself with things you love. If you watch as many interior decorating and/or makeover shows as I do, you've heard this a thousand times and then some. But I swear, it REALLY works. And not only should you invest in things you like, but don't waste money or space on things that are less than amazing- the clutter just sucks out the beauty of your really great pieces. 

When I first started planning out how my living room would look, I chose safe colors. It was going to be a pretty space with a soft kind of comfort, but it lacked the personality that I was afraid to put in a room that would be used and viewed more than any other in the house. Late one night, I decided to start a new swatch board just for fun- the kind of room I'd create for myself if I had total control. And then that's when it hit me- I DO have total control. Yeah, a lot of people will see this space, but not as often as I will. And the people that come through my home will hopefully be fans of the kind of person I am, so it makes sense that they would appreciate and possibly love a room that actually reflects who I am and what I truly like- no, not like- LOVE.

Loves of my life:
- Books
- The color purple
- Beta fish
- Frida Kahlo
- Photos/art
- Flowers
- Shiny things
- Lace
- And, of course, my seeeeeeeeeeester!

Sooooo..... want to see how this concept looks/works in my life? Here's new and improved living room.

Something Old In Someplace New

Just this past Christmas my family and I made our annual trek from St. Louis to Texas to visit relatives. Excluding the cramped, seven-person, fourteen-hour car ride, it was- per the usual- a great way to spend the holidays. The three long days were a simple kind of fun- hot biscuts in the morning, presents in the afternoon, football in the back yard, good food all around, and naps as I pleased. But the absolute best part about the trip was the opportunity to scavenger for antiques in my grandparents' basement and attic. Among these dusty gems were an old fashioned coat rack, a wooden rocking chair, a gold clock in a fancy case, a bronze kettle, and this desk and mirror. Makes me feel kindda cool to have such old, family oriented pieces that are highly unlikely to be found in someone else's home (especially once I paint them purple). Plus, they're free!

Sometimes I'm just Sketchy...

I recently finished my small contribution to The Sketchbook Project. I had a lot of fun with it, and definitely appreciated having another outlet to spill some creative juices into from time to time. I can't wait to see this exhibit and checkout everyone's books!!!!!! If you want a preview of how mine turned out, scroll on down!

Copy: A little bird sits on a line, ready for a song.

But where are all his birdie friends he needs to sing along?

Are they snoozing in their houses? Are they snuggling in their nest?

If early birds get the worm what happens to the rest?

Copy: I think I'd like to live in a museum. I'd be taken care of, beautiful, inspiring, AND appreciated. I could be a painting you could feel yourself floating towards until you fall inside to escape the world. I could be a photo- a moment so important it couldn't be sacrificed to the laws of time and change. Or maybe a statue! A seemingly ordinary statue a young girl happens to notice more than any others- enough to sit, sketch, and imagine a life for someone she's not sure really ever existed... a life for me. 

Copy: A flower lives inside a vase-

Pretty, but alone. 

Does it yearn for garden friends

Whilst sitting in your home?

A shiny vase cages beauty, 

Unfolding petals glow. 

Protected and adored inside, 

She can no longer grow. 

Copy: I''m writing from a rooftop, 

Potted plants my company. 

I look unto a city,

And its rooftops stare at me. 

Fresh green grapes from market men, 

No shoes upon my feet. 

Pajama pants- a comfort blanket, 

Wooden bench- my seat. 

Prague is yawning, sun is setting, 

Clouds turn pearl to grey. 

A light breeze blows my smoky hair, 

And carries stress away. 

It's a funny feeling 

To forget how to be sad. 

To finally feel each moment, 

Is the best you've ever had. 

Copy: The plane ride was great. I love looking down at the shrinking squares of cluttered city life and seeing a million green blankets of nothing but breathing room. So often I feel like we are running out of space, like the planet is being weighed down by the mass of an overpopulated race. But a view from the sky tells a different story and I am comforted by the emptiness- an escape on the edge of chaos, waiting for me... to jump.

Extreme Makeover: Chair Edition

Years ago- maybe five or six- I read about this girl who lived in a cellar, tied to a chair. She wasn't allowed to stand, walk, or breathe in summer air. She couldn't speak and she never showered or wore clothes. If she had any understanding or comprehension of her tragic existence in that dark hole, she must have thought she was born into hell- an experiment of the devil, crazed by authority and power. 

If I had to spend my days sitting in a single chair, I'd want it to be beautiful. It would have to have soft, purple cushions with a micro fleece blanket hanging on the back, ready for snuggling. I'd need there to be proper lighting- enough to read or draw. And it would have to be facing a window. And a TV. And be in a room that wasn't too cold. 

So where is all this chair talk headed??? Meet my newest DIY project!

This Week's Cliff Notes:

This past week was a bit of a roller-coaster- started off great with 2 snow days filled with soup and sister bonding and then went downhill from there. Shout out to Mother Nature who saw fit to combine my first three days of my p-did, the coldest three days of the year, and my first three days of my (outdoor) job. That was awesome.

Today: I got to sleep in, but I woke up with a stomach ache. My hair was not working in my favor, but I dressed up in one of my favorite dresses to feel pretty regardless. My GPS froze, so I got lost a couple dozen times. I got my second (undeserving) ticket in a matter of 4 days. The light in my kitchen went out.  Someone hit my car in the parking lot, but they left a note. And one of my headlights went out, but -hey- the other one works!

Here's to making next week SPECTACULAR!

Craft it Out

As my oh-so-eloquent pop mentor would say, today I feel like a plastic bag.

I had this huge list of things to get done today, and none of it worked out. At all.

Having just moved to KC this week, I’m still in the midst of setting up shop. Which, here, means scrubbing floors, staring at unpacked boxes, making maintenance requests, having sketch maintenance men stare at my broken shower door with an idiotic ‘solution’, fighting with sketchy maintenance men about said shower, and having my cable/internet company screw me over 10 ways to Sunday (which may or may not be the correct expression I’m thinking of). Alsooooooo, just found out I have no garbage disposal (and no dishwasher), my trip to Walmart was unsuccessful (which never happens and is a bad omen in itself), my front tire has almost no air in it, I’m having a fat day, AND Oprah was a re-run. What. The. Hell. This sux.

Anywho, you know how after 500 things don’t go your way, there’s that tiny, frivolous, should-be-insignificant straw that breaks your crabby, fed-up back? Well, today, that was my mailbox. After receiving a bajillion letters addressed to the former tenants (and only one for me) having to stare at Mike and Justin’s name really pissed me off. So, naturally, I made a trip to my favorite craft store to buy the best kind of medicine: new scrap booking paper J

This is how I made my day just a little brighter. 

I FRICK'N *BUILT THIS!!!!!!!

* assembled, but come on! Give me a break, I 'aint no carpenter.

Blessings

Turns out that when God closes a PR door, he opens an advertising window. And what’s even better, is that when He follows you out of a Jack ‘n the Box city, He leads you into a land of Chipotles. Today’s lesson: God is good. God is great. Let us thank Him for burritos (the job offer was nice too). 

Happy New Year Everyone!

I gotta say, I’m super psyched about starting a New Year on 11:11 (1/1/11). It’s like the perfect day for making wishes which, ultimately, is the same thing as making resolutions; you know, I wish I’d lose twenty pounds, I wish I’d take more pictures, write a book, or get a paying job that’s not babysitting. This year, my wish-o-lutions come out to over 15 different ways I’ve committed to change or improve in order to become a ‘super-me’: eat more vegetables (recommended by my incredibly thin vegetarian sister), run outside, read the news every day, publish a children’s book, read the bible, blah blah blah… and so the list goes on.

Last year I came up with the idea to create a list of 12 things and on the first of each month I’d pick one. It seems like a cop-out now because when the month was over so was that resolution, but it was fun and took the pressure off of holding myself accountable for things I wasn’t sure would work out. I have to admit though, I ended up sticking to most of them for the rest of the year simply out of habit. Anywho, it might be something for you to try.   

Best wishes ;)