everything which is yes

that toddlin' town

We're headed to Chicago and I am positively giddy.  If you know me, you know I'm one of those annoyingly-proud-to-be-from-Chicago people.  It's still home, in many ways, to my heart and it's where my family still lives.  And where we don't get to visit nearly often enough.  In fact, it's been a year and a half since our last visit.  Since we last got to hug our nephews.  And walk with my grandpa.  And talk and visit and just "be" with my family. 

So we're off for a visit.  We're hitting the open road (goodness, help us).  And we'll be back in about a week and a half. 

Don't go changin'....

a (not so) love story

So I’ve had my first and last lesson in “surefire ways to waste a lot of money: the mistakes of gifting”.

We got Bugga this adorable little doll from the Pottery Barn for Christmas; her name is Chloe. And I thought when I saw her that the bug would just be so in love and it would be the beginning of a beautiful little “friendship” with her toting Chloe around and having little tea parties with her.

And Ummmm...not so much. 

Turns out Bugga doesn’t like Chloe very much. And 6 months later the poor little doll mostly gets no attention from bugbear whatsoever. Dolls just aren’t her bag, I suppose. She prefers animals and puzzles and creative games much more. She’ll chatter away with her animals all the live long day, but bring Chloe into the mix and it’s lots of ambivalence. And even outright salty-ness.

Take this afternoon. I tried to see if there would be fresh friendly feelings for Chloe, and I asked Bugga to hug her and kiss her and mostly she just shouted “No! Not Chloe! I no like Chloe!” I did capture one brief hug, which I think was her way of tossing me a bone. It was quickly followed by her tossing Chloe across the room and onto the floor. 

So I’ve learned my lesson. No more Homer Simpson esque gifts for you...this was your “bowling ball”. I promise from here on out, to follow your cues and likes and not get you a gift I *think* you should like. Even if it’s super adorable Lesson learned.

And I decided to scrap this lesson learned for posterity.  And to remind myself forevermore (please click for credits).

 

p.s. and ohmygracious! I'm soooooooo excited to say this is my very first layout as a Polly!!!  I'm still pinching myself that I have this opportunity to work with the amazing talents at The Lilypad!!  Dream.come.true.

Yesterday was fabulously low key and vanilla.  Just how I like it.  We enjoyed a wonderful morning at church and came home, shot a few photos of my pretty little princess in her pretty little dress, giving me a pretty good show of her very best "I am three years old" attitude.

Incidentally, David and I are thinking of making a shirt for her to sport on her sassiest days where we are out in public that reads "I'm three".  Think that will help people understand?

Really the day was wonderful in every way.  Got lots of cuddles, eat some yummy foods--all my favorites, and even got to take a nap.  In the bed.  Alone.  And uninterrupted.  Best birthday presents ever:  good company, good food, and good sleep.  And a couple beautiful shots like this:

thirty one

So, it's my birthday.  I'm officially in my thirties.  Last year didn't count.  It's a cusp year.  Those never count.  So anyway, I'm thirty-one.  I'm not one who is overly anxious about growing older, so I am facing the year to come with happy hopes and optimism.  I do feel like there is less tolerance for people my age not knowing what they want to do with their lives, so I'll have to work on that one.  But I'm looking forward to the year to come.  I'm hoping it's filled with lots of laughs, lots of scrapping, more growth in my faith, more goals reached, some travel, some baby-making, and fewer sweets eaten.  Here's to a fabulous year, even better than the last.  Cheers!

Note to Self: Yummies in your Tummies

Note to Self:  In a pinch, or anytime really, s'mores made can be made in the microwave and are really quite yummy.  Very yummy in fact.  Easy peasy and yummy.  No need at all for the whole scene: the family sitting around the crackling fire in some fabulously tucked-away-from-all-the-trappings-of-the-busy world location, with a myriad of stars glittering in the sky, stories being told and yummy s'mores enjoyed.  No!  Now you can enjoy the tasty goodness of the sweet treat anytime and minus the mosquitoes.  Yum!

Dear Buggaboo

Dear Bugga,

I'm not sure how I feel about your calling me by my first name this morning.  To be honest, I wasn't sure you really *knew* what my "real" name was.  I've always been Mommy.  And well you're going to have to get the distinction down at some point I suppose...come to grips that I am my own person and not just your mommy.  But I really love being your mommy.  And I like it when you call me "mommy".  There's nothing quite like the sound of your saying that word.  "Mom" I could probably handle, but even that sounds like "I'm too old to need you anymore" in my brain.  So I think I'll let it slide this time, because it was rather funny, but can we go back to you being three and not, you know, some 30 yr. old adult child trapped in a preschooler's body (and I'm even that old and still call *my* mommy, "mom").  Can we get back to my being "mommy"?  Thanks. 

Love you with all my heart,
Mommy

Monday Morning 10

With the resurrection of the blog comes the resurrection of an old pseudo tradition on my blog: the Monday Morning 10...where I subject you to a random sampling of what's playing on my iTunes.  Basically I turn on my tunes, shuffle them up and share my thoughts about what comes up in my library as I listen to it. 

I still haven't really figured out why anyone should be or would be interested in these tidbits, so I think I'm settling on the reasoning of "for my own future interest" for the "why" of this tradition.  Someday I can look back at my blog posts and remember in a jolly kind of way what I was listening to and what my thoughts were about the songs.  And so..today's 10:

1. "Jesus, Etc." -- Wilco (ahhh, sigh. Love Wilco.  There's such a relaxed ambling to this song. Love it).
2. "'Tis of Thee" -- Ani DiFranco (I've been in love with Ani's music for a decade now and this is one of her gems of lyrical and haunting beauty.  She has a way of delivering political messages and messages of any kind in such an honest and thought provoking way.  This is meaty.  It's no window dressing of pop and I love that about it.  And her.).
3. "You Are What You Love" -- Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins (from Rabbit Fur Coat and fantabulous.  And ease of harmonies with a touch of folk and still edgy.  Love her voice).
4. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" -- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (this is a song that just compels me to sing along through to the end.  Their voices mesh together so beautifully it's dreamy and fabulous.).
5. "Don't Take That Attitude To Your Grave" -- Ben Harper (I love, love, love Ben Harper.  His voice is so unique and emotive.  And I love the hint of twang married with the bongo-beats).
6. "Ramble On" -- Led Zeppelin (what is there to say about Zeppelin??  Rocktastic. Legendary.).
7. "Cinder and Smoke" -- Iron & Wine (if you've never listened to Iron & Wine.  Please do.  Sam Beam is brilliant.  There is such a beautiful flow to his songs and his lyrics are as rich and complicated as his melodies.  Fantastic.  Folksy.  Ridiculously talented.  I could listen to his music all day and be super mellow and happy).
8. "Little Respect" -- Erasure (ahhh yes.  Had to get a good dose of 80s in here this morning.  You can't listen to this song and not feel like hairspraying your hair and singing along gazing into the sky in some really cheestastic manner).
9. "Solsburry Hill" -- Peter Gabriel (this man is seriously talented.  And I looove the acoustics on this song and the beautiful tune.  One of my
10. "Teenage Caveman" -- Beat Happening (this song flies me straight back into life in college: 2208 Cedar hanging out with my girls. Still have a soft spot for Calvin).

Note to Self: Photography and Kids v.1

Note to Self:  Now that you have a brand new high speed and very special-to-your-heart camera and lenses that need to be babied and loved tenderly from time to time with a soft and cuddly microfiber cloth...be sure not to leave said cloth lying around just anywhere unless you want your three year old to use it as a kleenex.

Then and Now...

So as far as catching up with scrapping goes, goodness I don't even know where to begin.  I only started digiscrapping in May of last year, and I was totally gooped up on the gop about it because it was all so fresh and exciting to me.  Now, a year later, I feel like I've settled into a "home", found *my* hobby and my creative outlet.  Something I will love and be involved in until I'm old and gray.  There is just something so beautiful and emotionally special to me about sharing and preserving our family's stories.  

And I've been feeling really blessed lately as I consider all the beautiful opportunities I have had over the last year to grow and evolve in my creativity.  At first I totally went overboard and really stretched myself thin, dibbled and dabbled in many different styles and creative teams, as many new scrappers do, and I cherish every opportunity I had.  Still, now, I feel much more settled into my own style and I feel like I've evolved as a scrapper, if that makes sense.  And I'm certainly more balanced in my commitments.  I have been SO grateful to have been blessed to work with some AMAZING designers and scrappers over the last year.  And the best part has been the wonderful friends I've made along the way. 

So since I'm feeling all mushy and nostalgic I figured I'd do a little then and now.  Last year when I was posting about scrapping, I had literally just started out and was sharing pages like this with you all (please click image for full credits):

I can't believe I just shared that here.  It was an excersize in humility, believe me.  Now I have to strongly resist the urge not to rescrap all my first pages.  I still love my first pages, because they are mine and showcase my bugga, but I guess I just feel a little more comfortable in my skin as a scrapper now, and more comfortable in my program. ANYway, moving on...here are a few of my more recent favorites (for full credits, images are clickable):

Did I say how much I love to scrap??  (A LOT).

Note to Self: Cameras + Humidity

Note to self:  Your lens is not BFFs with humidity.  In fact, your lens does not like humidity at all.  Especially when it's spent all day nice and cozy like in the joyous cool that is your air conditioned home and then you rudely ask it to snap photos of your daughter dancing in the rain on a hot hot summer day with no time to acclimate to the ugly drippy wet of the outside air.