the return of fashion friday

Don't get too excited...I am not making any promises. But with the arrival of the Kentucky Derby this weekend, today is all about hats.

Here are a few that I would sport in a second.

When you are thinking Derby, the bigger, the better.

Philip Treacy is a genius.

Love anything with a 1970's feel to it.

This chick not only models, but makes her own hats! I am in love!

Couldn't leave out an adorable pill box.

The 1920's were such an awesome time for females. Women were so cute and stylish...and hats were totally in. 

You will not believe how many of these I found for sale on Etsy! Completely worth checking out. I have decided to start a collection...could be my new obsession...move over shoes!

silly billies

In trying to make an effort to blog more often, yet not having much energy to, this is the best I can do.

Can you tell that my kids like to make faces? We are a proud family of goofballs.

home

One of my brothers recently asked me to send him some photos that I had taken of the house we grew up in. It inspired me to sift through the photos and take a trip down memory lane, a trip which I am going to share with you.

Before we begin, here are some facts:

1. The house is over 200 years old
2. The house is located in the Catskill Mountains of NY
3. The house served as a party hub whenever my parents were away
3. The house is still in the family, although my dad got it in the divorce and completely ignores it
4. The house is haunted

 Ah yes, the roller rink....I lived only a couple doors down

I got there just as they were burning down the barn in the back - so weird to see the 3 story beast gone

 Found this in the pile of rubble

I was so upset I couldn't rescue this to use with my kids

 This used to be an awesome garden - my parents grew a lot of their own veggies

 My father decided to add a tree house finally when I was like 15 - needless to say it was a "party box"

 I couldn't believe this was still there after all these years

 I used to go down to the creek to write in my journal - very dramatic teen of me

 Cellar Door - they do say it is the most beautiful word

 The sad part is, we used to tie my youngest brother up and lock him down there to torture him - I have apologized a million times for that...even still to this day

Even looking through the photos creeps me out a bit. Like the spirits who "lived in my closet" will come through the picture and haunt me now.

But, I can say I do have an appreciation for the quaint beauty of the house and the land. I hope my brother makes it work this summer with the "artistic retreat" he is planning on having in the house with his buds...maybe I'll just stop in for a bit to reminisce and tell some ghost stories.

Stream of Consciousness...While Vacuuming

Man that rug looks dirty...


I can't walk by it again...


It's getting vacuumed.


(Head to garage to pull out the vacuum, which immediately has pieces fall off as I pick it up) Ugh! Shitty ass clunky vacuum!


Man this vacuum sucks! (angrily hit the power on as I start humming a tune from Tangled, which at this point had been watched 3 days in a row with the boys)

(Abruptly stop humming as I feel debris hit my leg for the third time) I swear if it shoots something out instead of sucking it in one more time!

(As if to tease me, a small bit flies out from under the vacuum and hits my foot) Damn it! That is it! I am getting a new vacuum tomorrow...and never buying a Bissell again! No...this time I'm getting a Hoover....

Or an Oreck.....or a Kirby...those vacuums used to be so good...what happened to them?

Hmmm that reminds me of that movie I used to love....The Brave Little Toaster....the vacuum was named Kirby....I wonder if I can find that movie...the kids would love it, it was so cute...


As soon as I'm done I'm looking for that online....maybe I'll blog about it.

 If a dog can do it, WE can do it! 

and sometimes they sit still....

Because I am tired and lazy...and because they are just so damn cute...

I probably could have picked a better time, like when they were clean and well dressed (as in the first 5 minutes of the morning), but it was an opportunity not to be missed. 

what to do when you don't know what to do

Today was an interesting day for me as a parent. It was the first time I was completely stumped with a toddler situation that I had to seek advice on.

Both Tim and I had late work meetings, so we had to set the little guys up with the sitter for after hours. In the middle of indulging in rosemary bread, pasta, mozzarella, and wine during my work dinner, a little light bulb flicked on in my head.....it was going on 7:30 pm and I hadn't yet checked on the boys (by this time I was imagining them having thoughts of abandonment).

I shot the sitter a quick text to make sure they weren't calling for mommy at the door.  I shortly received in return the following:

...Their good...eating dinner. Jonas got in trouble twice for squeezing my daughter's boob. Please discipline him when he gets home about touching girls...

Now, my immediate reaction was, "oh crap, how the hell am i going to handle this?!" My next reaction was, "the kid just turned 3...he couldn't have been serious about his positioning of the squeeze...what does she mean by 'discipline him'?"

I immediately turned to the only other mom at the table (who also happened to have 2 boys...one of which was also 3)....and asked her for some mommy moment advice. I showed her the text, gave her a look of panic, and desperately asked her what to do. She looked at the text, looked at me and said, "absolutely nothing."

I cocked my head to the side and twisted my entire face into a huge question mark. She continued, "He's 3. If you make a big deal out of this and get real specific about not squeezing boobs, he is going to go right back and do it again."

It made perfect sense. I decided to take a little of her advice, and mix it with a little of mine, with a dash of advice from another. I wasn't sure how to approach the whole situation about being told to "discipline" my kid, but I let that part go.

When I picked the boys up, I made it a point to let the sitter know that I would have a conversation with Jonas about keeping his hands to himself and minding people's personal space. (I wasn't about to put my kid on time out 8 hours after he did something wrong).

Of course when I got home and brought Tim up to speed on the situation, he immediately acted upon it without letting me give him my opinion by telling Jonas that he can't go grabbing and pinching girls, that it was bad, and needed to keep his hands to himself.

What did Jonas do? Immediately start reaching out to pinch tim on his shoulder and chest over and over again.

The moral of the story is that I learned a very valuable lesson in parenting today. Sometimes your kid does things that they shouldn't do...including grabbing boobs....but there are some situations that aren't fully understood by a newly turned 3 year old...and those situations need to be dealt with immediately and then left as they are, or else the intrigue from reminding them only perpetuates the issue.

I am sure his infatuation with boobies will only grow...lets just hope he keeps his hands to himself for awhile.

born a ramblin woman

Traveling for work hasn't been easy. It isn't exactly peaches and cream to fly into a city you've never seen for a few nights and examine nothing more than cheesy drapes and a board room while leaving your children behind. On occasion you are actually given the chance to go out and explore the locale. Such instances can drum up interesting conversation between a native and the naive.

My recent travels, both personal and professional, have brought about some interesting sights and sounds that deserve recognition for being out-right ridiculous, and at times, completely heinous. Here are some prime examples from 2 of my most recent trips:

Bahamas (personal trip, but with my professional besties)

• In getting off the cruise boat in the port: "Pretty ladies want some braids?...braids?....ladies want some braids?...how 'bout some braids for the pretty lady?"
• In laying on the beach: "Jet skis...jet ski rentals...want some jet skis....ladies rent jet skis?"
• "Banana boat ladies?...ladies want to ride banana boat?...banana boat ladies? (Repeat 2 or 3 times while laying in same spot on beach and giving the same answer each time to the same people asking...which results in...)
• Ladies want jet skis?banana boat?...no? how about bahama papa?...is free of charge! all the pleasure you desire! no? how about some jet skis? (at this point the only reaction is laughter...did I seriously just get asked if I wanted a "bahama papa"...free of charge!)

Kansas City (current work trip still in motion)

• In getting on the plane and sitting next to a single lady: "Whew! Ladies! YES! No Men! Boy am I glad! You will not believe!....my husband just left me for his high school sweet heart!" (Just clicking my seat belt) "I'm heading out to help her husband and tell alllllll about it in court!" (story continues for about 30 minutes as flight takes off and attendants come to order our drinks) "I'll take a bloody mary" (leans towards us) "never ordered a drink before on a flight...yes, first time!" (woman proceeds to make drink and down it as fast as possible...giving me the thought that this may not be quite her first time)
• In sitting in the hotel lounge overhearing a seemingly well-off southern/mid-west couple's conversation: "We are heading to our favorite spot tonight...yes...they have got this group...all blacks...but boy they can sing!" (do people seriously talk like this?!) "But thank goodness it isn't Saturday...or else all those hoodlems would be out!" (Now, what do they exactly mean by this?....I then turn to my gal pal and breathe a sigh of relief for the fact that I may not have money, but at least I am not ignorant!)
• In sitting in a good 'ol Kansas City bbq joint when the waitress approaches us: "fruit punch!" (huh?) "you have got to try jack daniels and fruit punch...goes together real well" (look at my lowly jack and ginger and give a nod in acknowledgment that a jack and fruit punch might not taste all that bad)

All in all, finding out about new places can be both fun and alarming. I consider myself a yank...and will continue to be a little naive in certain areas of the world that don't fall into my common place. No matter where my travels may bring me, I can't help but be that outsider that eavesdrops, and asks dumb questions, and down-right stares.....for better or worse, it's just in my nature.