Category Archives: just plain drivel.

disaster zones.

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I got a lovely e-mail from one of my three fantastic sister-in-laws the other day, asking me how I manage to do everything. I just chuckled to myself because this came from a woman who has three (3!) children, manages to always look amazing and I don’t think I’ve ever heard her raise her voice to anyone. “If only you saw the state of my affairs today,” I thought… I often ruminate on my domestic accomplishments, but today I’m going to ramble a bit about some of my disaster zones. (No, I’m not going to show you a photo of my cellulite.) We’ve all got at least one disaster zone, right? Please tell me you do too.

Disaster Zone 1

The catch-all craft/office/blech room that has yet to be officially unpacked since we moved in about eight months ago. Every day I work in this room and just about go over the edge. Where to begin? I’ve been procrastinating this project because I have no definitive vision for it yet. Dear readers, do you have some ideas or inspirations for this space?

Disaster Zone 2

My rain boots. I love these boots and I’ve only had them a little over a year, but they’ve acquired cracks. This has obviously rendered them useless. But I decided instead of buying a new pair, I would fix them! Great idea, right? Chris reluctantly picked up a roll of brown electrical tape that I requested from Home Depot. He was not optimistic, but I was. So the color wasn’t quite right, but it was close enough and I could get another season–at least–out of them. Wrong. The first time I wore them through the sloppy mess out there, the tape began to peel away. Damn! Now what, dear readers, do I do with this pair of boots? Is there a better way of fixing them? Is it worth it? Should I try brown duct tape? HELP!

Confessions.

  • I know many people in northern Michigan are appreciative of this thaw we’re experiencing. I am not one of them. Double yuck!
  • Orange is my favorite color today. Yup.
  • Wren has to have her flu booster shots this morning. Trying to figure out how I’m going to treat myself after dealing with that. It’s got to be one of the hardest things as a new parent and it doesn’t get easier, does it? I think she fares better than I do. Maybe I’ll get a mini Frosty. That always does the trick. At least for a little while.
  • I might need to invest in a pair of ear plugs because Wren is practicing a new very high-pitched squeal. OUCH!

Best!

Resolutions.

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1. Get skinny. Wear a bikini!

Happy New Year! I love the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes I rewrite the list several times if I don’t like how my hand-writing looks. The better the list looks, the more likely I am to succeed? Like most people, however, I don’t even remember what I wrote by the time the snow melts in June (our nest is in northern Michigan so yes, I meant June). Usually I resolve to do pretty much the same trite things that could be on anyone’s list: get skinny in time to wear a swimsuit that I don’t hate in July, reach out to more friends and family on a regular basis, control the clutter, wipe away all consumer debt, start painting again, save the world. You know, the basics.

But I find myself in a different plane of existence this year.

I actually really truly might be able to wear a swimsuit I love even BEFORE Lake Michigan is warm enough to swim in. For the first time in many years, I’m well, not really very chubby anymore. I’m not what you would call thin exactly, but I’m in need of a smaller pair of jeans. And the fat lady sings indeed! Did I finally find self-control and muster up some will power? No, not really. Did I start running every day and eating lots of celery? Err, no.

Truth? It’s actually all Wren’s fault. She’s literally been sucking the life out of me for the past 7.5 months. I recommend the breastfeeding diet to everyone. If only everyone could go on the breastfeeding diet… Can’t believe the medical community hasn’t come up with a way to recreate this diet for all walks of life? But it’s not just that. When I gave birth to Wren without the use of any drugs, surgery (thank God!) or strange metal implements, I was simultaneously knocked on the head with a new body awareness. I might even call it “empowerment,” although that’s a pretty hackneyed phrase. This new sense of me has helped me to be a more mindful muncher. In addition, my new life as Wren’s Mamma makes me incredibly happy (albeit sleepy) so my consumption of ice cream has dropped. Operative word: dropped. Not ended, silly. My husband still thinks I would live on ribs and ice cream if it were up to me. I would add coffee to that list.

So now what’s a gal to do? I haven’t even written my 2010 list yet because it feels strange to have (almost) accomplished something that’s lived prominently on the top of the list for at least 16 years.

Here’s a start:

1. Get skinny. Wear a bikini!

1. Come up with a post-breastfeeding plan for later this year on how to stay smallish. Or skip it altogether–too much work!–and just get knocked-up again. Eventually that cycle would have to end or I’d end up like the woman across the street with thirteen (13!) children. But she’s very thin and always wears high heels so maybe we need to get together for a cup of coffee soon.

Confessions.

  • Talking on the phone? Yuck. I’m good for about the length of a Beatle’s song.
  • My latest pet-peeve is when people comment about my Facebook postings to me in person so I know they’re on Facebook…, but they haven’t updated their own status in eons. It’s just creepy.
  • Orange is my favorite color today. Still is.
  • Trying to turn our nest a bit greener and realizing it’s easier to buy something green–a soy candle or a bamboo hand towel–and greenwash myself than it is to actually make significant changes.
  • When you name your child after a bird (ahem, Wren), everyone gives you bird stuff. Please don’t give us anymore bird stuff. Yes, it’s seriously cute, but I don’t need any more knick-knacks to watch collect dust.
  • Loving our thigh-high snow.

Enjoy resolving something today.

Best!

Welcome!

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Welcome to my Blog about creating a nest worth sharing. Yet another fantastic Cyber time-suck for both of us! Hopefully it becomes a bit more than that…

Sunday morning coffee

Something about me.

I’m a new mamma to one seven-month old dynamic and lovely daughter, Wren Sabina. I never thought I’d be a “house wife,” with a lot of expensive liberal arts education behind me while still paying off student loans, but alas, here I am on a new adventure. Working from home in several capacities keeps me out of too much mischief: taking care of Wren (obviously), domestic goddessing (guffaw) through cooking, crafting, gardening and begrudgingly cleaning, and then there’s the work that helps pay the bills — and provides me with some cerebral activity — too. I have a wonderful husband, Chris, and we enjoy fixing up our 1928 “bungalonial,” but we’d rather sit on the porch together and wait patiently for the hairless cat across the street to emerge.

Confessions.

  • I love coffee (strong, black, with a bit of cream; just like our President). See how I just threw in some politics?
  • Be squirrely? I have a long-standing love/hate relationship with squirrels. They amaze me with their tenacity, but I also despise them when they eat my crocus bulbs. Therefore, I eat them to please my dear husband.
  • Orange is my favorite color today.
  • Procrastination is my primary character flaw. Right now, this Blog will serve as my way to procrastinate what I need to do today. Someday, I’m sure I’ll find something else that I will use to procrastinate updating my Blog.
  • When Wren’s asleep, we look at photographs of her. We are obsessed and think she’s one of the coolest people we’ve ever met. She’s incredibly charming and has excellent peripheral vision.

Enough for today. I need to change someone’s diaper STAT, organize the tea caddy and design a few fliers.

Best!