gem

I stumbled upon this blog a month ago and have to share it with you.

So far, it's inspired me to write a family mission statement (along with the help of the family), put together a Home Management Notebook and to start seeing myself as a professional mom.

I hope it's helpful and inspirational to you as well.

right now

We are:
digging us some Edith Piaf
reading Stuart Little by E.B. White out loud
creating collages
dreaming of beachcombing
working on a new manuscript
creating our own summer reading program because the one here is PATHETIC
trying to figure out how I will physically return the 82 (no joke!) books I have checked out from the library
making some yummy mesquite chocolate chip cookies

klein bag

My latest addiction:

I've never been a purse girl. Yet, I have been struggling with how to store my wallet, keys, pencil and pen, moleskine, sunglasses, bandana and lip gloss.

And then I discovered these Klein hardware storage bags.

All my stuff fits in there, with just enough room to spare. I throw it in the passenger seat of my car and go, it fits into my grocery basket perfectly, I can toss it in my girl's stroller and we're off. It's just right. It's not too precious, so I can wash it in the washing machine. A practical, yet funky solution to keep my stuff together.

everything

I am loving everything this woman is creating. Everything. She is making me wish I had an extra $500 lying around while also making me reconsider everything I have ever thought about quilting. Enjoy!

trader joe's love

Let me introduce you to the best shampoo and conditioner ever. By "best" I mean a S&C combination that is affordable, contains no lauryl sulfates, makes my hair look great and smells delicious: Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle.

I am also loving their Trader Johann's Virtuoso Lip Balm which boasts olive oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E as its top three ingredients. A nice alternative to the lip balms that are packed with nasty chemicals.

zoom!

Driving. Zooming to a friend's house. Late. Late. Late. Very slow minivan ahead of me. Irritated because it's my own putzy fault that we're late. Grey day. Drizzly.

I slow my car to meet the curve of the river, which is what is shaping the road. My eyes flit to the river. It's rocky here, lots of rapids, dips, pools, plunges.

A heron is poised on almost every boulder I can see. Fishing.

I pull the car over. Let the minivan putter in peace. Take a deep breath.

My daughter and I sit watching the 20 herons fishing for their brunch. For seconds, minutes, hours. I don't know how long.

Right on time.

2011 & #9

I am not much for resolutions, mostly because of my enormous birthday List I make each year. A New Year's resolution seems redundant and a bit too type A++. No? I do love the clean slate of a New Year. There is something so clean and fresh and possible about January. And the ideas about how I could have a better year, be a better person, they are abundant. Most of these ideas I just put on next year's birthday List and that's what I'm doing now with every idea except for one: I need to give more to others. Perhaps it's been the isolating nature of having a young child, the amount of energy that it takes to keep my household sort of running or maybe I'm just not as ambitious as most people, but I have not felt like I have had much to give to my friends. I've been in "take" mode for the past two years. I am not ready to run out and volunteer. I am not ready to make a sizable donation to a charity. However, I am ready to be a better listener, to raise my hand more quickly when a friend needs help, to invite a new neighbor over sooner than later and to call my siblings more regularly (at least once every two weeks). I'm not going to light the world on fire with my ambitious giving, but I am going to try to give a bit more of myself to my circle of people.


Also, I think I can cross #9 off The List. No, I haven't sold any mixed paper journals but if you were on my Christmas gift list, you got one. And since I'm sort of feeling totally overwhelmed by my List, I'm giving myself a break and counting this as done. Whew! (5 down, 28 to go - what was I thinking when I made that List!)


Went to Border's today to help my daughter spend a gift card she received for Christmas and I walked away with a couple of moleskines on clearance for .98 cents. Oh yes, and she picked out Steve Martin's The Crow: New songs for the Five String Banjo and Natalie Merchant's Leave Your Sleep. Yes. Music is a good thing.


Sorry about my prolonged absence. Insert the usual post-holiday excuse here:_____________.

chalkboard paint

Finally! Chalkboard paint in beautiful colors. I discovered this web site and have been quietly painting furniture and walls in my imagination. Now you can too. I love deep ocean and oil spill. (Though, in real life, I like to keep those two things separate!)

Which color is your favorite?