Gettin' By

As if Barbie needs any more exposure.

One of the many things on our to-do list this weekend was to get Riely a haircut. Her super fine hair had gotten long enough to be a tangled mess every morning (remember these photos?) and I tired of dealing with the tears and screaming that came along with combing it out. Admittedly, most of those tears were from me, but DANG those knots were impossible to get out!  So I told Riely it was high time she had her first official trip to the salon for a new, lower maintenance, bob haircut:

 

And she was thrilled, as you can see. 

I finally realized her big beef was that fact I called the new haircut a bob, which as every 4-year-old knows, is a boy's name.  For a boy.  As in, NOT A GIRL.   And she had no interest in getting her hair cut LIKE A BOY.  So I creatively renamed the haircut a Barbie, which made her much happier:

 

Never mind that I sounded like a complete imbecile trying to explain to the lady at GreatClips how to cut a bob without actually using the word bob.  Thank goodness Riely doesn't spell quite yet.  And is easily distracted with a zoo animal cape, so I could discreetly explain we'd like a B - O - B but please don't call it that because SOMEONE just might have a complete meltdown right here and now if you use that term! Just say BARBIE instead! wink wink!  Oh, the lengths we'll go to to keep our kiddos happy.  Even so, Riely wasn't completely convinced she was ready for the big trim:

Could that bottom lip stick any further out?

But she soon gave in to the salon experience and actually cracked a few smiles:

 

And she ended up loving the result, though the free temporary fairy tattoo she received for sitting still was probably a bigger hit than the actual haircut.  (She's kissing it here).

 

After a shampoo and blow dry at home, we're all super happy with the new 'do.  No tangles, no knots, and most of all, no tears in the morning (from daughter nor mama):

 

 

But for pete's sake, just don't tell her you like her new bob.  :)

Whew.

This back-to-school-training-for-a-half-marathon-backlog-of-freelance-work-school-and-client-meetings-football-practices-dance-lessons-shuttling-all-over-town-trying-to-sneak-in-an-occasional-shower-and-maybe-clean-my-filthy-house schedule is kicking my butt.  Can you relate? 

Taking a quick breather to share with ya'll some sneaks of the September kit from Jenni Bowlin Mercantile, featuring original paper designs from our own Amanda Johnson:

 

 

And with that, I'm jumping back into the crazy race my life has become lately.  Peace out!

Just pretend it's Monday.

I had a whole post planned out for yesterday, but somehow the crazy schedule of the day just didn't allow me one free minute to post it.  So here's what I was gonna post yesterday, had I been able to find the time.  Roll with me, umkay??

Today this little girl headed back to preschool.  This year she's attending the morning session instead of afternoon, which means a little more hectic a.m schedule, but allows Mommy the chance to get a run and shower in before mid-afternoon - always a plus! Though the staff at the school will probably not recognize me without sweaty workout clothes and a ball cap.

Riely also had an appointment with the pediatrician in the afternoon, enduring both a finger stick and shot without blinking an eye.  I rewarded her bravery with a vanilla milkshake from Sonic, though it was really ME who needed the ice-cream soother afterwards.  I HATE watching my kids get shots - ack!

Today this boy began his first full week at school, with much more enthusiasm than last week.  Which I'm guessing has a lot to do with his teacher's extensive library of Goosebumps and other assorted scary tales.  He's counting the days until Halloween, when he'll be able to don his Grim Reaper costume and terrorize the neighborhood.  I'm still trying to talk him into something a little less ghastly (SpongeBob, maybe?!? How 'bout Luke Skywalker?!?), but so far, he's not going for it.

He also had his first flag football practice this evening, and he and his teammates had a ball playing in the late-day rainstorms. Mud? Football? Oh, yeah baby!  Even thought it's just the first practice, it's amazing to see how much more confident and sure of himself he is compared to last year.  He even scored a touchdown during the end-of-practice scrimmage, which had him simply beaming all evening. (Though my suggestion to be Peyton Manning for Halloween was met with an annoyed eye roll.)

This guy went back to work after a few days off last week, during which he caught up on yardwork and maintenence around the house, and spent a few lazy afternoons with the kiddos, riding bikes and hanging at the pool.  Riely asked for him the minute she woke up this morning, and was not happy to learn Daddy was back at work. Yep, we miss him.

Today I am tackling a few new freelance projects, as well as finishing up with my Jenni Bowlin September kit.  I also registered for the Boulder Backroads race on September 20, so I have to figure out how to fit some long runs into my schedule before then.  Time to wrap this up, finish this cup of coffee and get moving!  Have a great day, alrighty?!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...just don't ask Hayden how he feels about it.  He headed back to school on Wednesday and was less than thrilled with the demise of summer days:

Yes his eyes are partially closed in this shot, but see that smirky little grimace on his lips?  He wasn't about to crack a smile on this dreaded day of doom. Luckily, a bike ride to school with Sophia lifted his spirits:

And when he learned there were some of his buddies from last year in his new class, things were looking up.  Besides, who can suppress a smile at the thought of fresh, new Crayola markers?? (Or maybe that's just me, the crazy marker-sniffing girl.)

When I picked him up at the end of the day, he proclaimed it to be "GREAT!" and told me his teacher was the best one he's had since first grade, mostly because her library contains Scary Stories and Bunnicula.  Crack me up.

It's been a bit of a challenge for all of us getting back in to the school routine.  We've been biking to and from school, an event that proves (to me, at least!) that you never forget how to ride a bike....and your pelvic regions never remember how much that damn bike seat hurts.  Yeow.  Alison and I have been heading out for a run after we drop kids off at school, and with that and the biking, my exercise has increased significantly this week.  All this calorie-burning and I'm going to waste away to nothing. (Um, stop with the marker sniffing, Lisa!  You're hallucinating!)  But a good reason to scarf a few extra cookies today, right?!?

Hoping by next week we will be back into the swing of things and I'll be blogging on a more regular basis.  Speaking of which, I posted a new challenge over on the KI Memories blog, so go check it out.  Have a fabulous Friday and wonderful weekend, OK?!?

Back from Broadway...

I know I'll be in trouble with you all if I don't report back on our wonderful theater weekend and, of course, the outfit that won the most votes!  So here's a quick update.  We had so much fun - the drive up to the mountains with filled with long-overdue girl talk (and quick stops at Starbucks and Taco Bell).  When we arrived in Grand Lake, we wasted no time cracking open the first of many bottles of wine and got ready for our evening out.  Dinner at The Rapids restaurant was delicious - perfect food, a beautiful setting, great company, and of course, more wine!  We got a quick shot after dinner by the river with the camera timer:


As you can see, I opted for the overwhelmingly popular outfit #2, though I ended up pairing it with a more dainty shoe -  red patent open-toe heel.  (And I'm pretty sure the fact that I had THREE options for red heels to pair with this outfit indicates I just may have a slight addition to shoe shopping. Ahem.)

After dinner, we headed to the theater for the production of All Shook Up, which was complete fun, in a delightfully hokey sort of way.  We laughed lots, due in part to the wine, but mostly from the lively and animated cast and their spirited delivery of favorite Elvis songs.  We even got a photo op with the lead male, Dylan Paul, after the show:


He was in the middle of telling us that this shot would be our "normal, smiling pose" after which we would do a "sultry Elvis-lips" pose:



Notice he is the only one who actually did the Elvis pose.  I'm guessing this is why he has a career in theater and the rest of us don't. :)


So onto other business... the winner of the PixiePetals giveaway!  Here's your random number:

And here's your winner:


Email me your address, Erica!  And have a great Monday everyone!

TGIF Giveaway!

I recently discovered a new Etsy shop while looking for crocheted flowers to adorn a t-shirt (I had seen a similar one at Anthro and was determined to make my own cheaper!) I found just what I was looking for at PixiePetals.  These petite, delicate flowers are inspired by authentic crochet patterns and are perfect for scrapbook layouts, cards, or mini books. The sweet owner, AesaLina, sent me some of the blooms to play with and here's one of my creations:

Super cute, huh?!?  So do you want to win some of these vintage flowers or what?!?  If you'd like to be entered to win the set pictured below (the same set I used on my page), just leave me a comment today.  Comments will remain open all weekend, and I'll draw a winner on Monday!

Have a great weekend my friends! Ciao!

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Where's Clinton Kelly when I need him?

So this weekend, my sister-in-law, Ali and I are headed up to Grand Lake for a girl's weekend with our mum-in-law, Linda, who has generously offered to take us to dinner and the theater.  We're having dinner at The Rapids (the restaurant where, coincidentally, my parents had their wedding reception!) and then we're going to see the musical All Shook Up.  After the show, we're invited to a dessert reception with the ladies of the theater.  And of course, all of this info leads up to one critical question:  What am I going to wear???

Normally, a weekend in Grand Lake would not require more than a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, but we've all decided to dress up for our evening out.  Duh, because that's what girls do.  And since Clinton Kelly hasn't yet returned my emails (Clinton, baby - call me!  I just know we'd be BFFs!) I'm going to rely on all of you loyal readers to help me pick an outfit!  So, here's the contenders:

pleated peony skirt w/ sequin embellishment
simple white T
cashmere cardi in charcoal
accessories:  antique heart locket, ruffled pewter wedges

strapless chiffon dress w/ grograin trim
red patent heel
turquoise bead & ribbon necklace

So whaddya think, dear readers?  The first outfit is probably a bit more casual, but might work better for what will likely be a chilly evening.  Though I do have a little white cardigan I could throw over the second outfit...or would brown be better??  Help a girl out and voice your opinion here (unless, of course, you hate both outfits, and if so, I don't want to hear your opinion, you tasteless doof.)

Smooches, dearies - and thanks in advance!!

I'm alive, goose egg and all...

Just a short post today as I've got to get straight to my to-do list which includes going for a run, finishing up a couple work projects, scrap assignments, and cleaning up my disaster of an office.  Also have to shop for school supplies, groceries, and drop off boxes at the recycle center...oh, and pack for a girls' weekend in the mountains (more on this later!)  All this while sporting a big 'ol knot on the side of my head. (Hey Kimber, it's my very own Bump-It!)   But this morning my sinus passages are clear and I am singing the priases of Nyquil, which allowed me a coma-like sleep last night and has me feeling much, much better.

And since that last paragraph was completely dull and likely has YOU in a coma-like sleep, I'll leave you with a recent creation from my Jenni Bowlin bingo cards. You can read more about how I created these flowers here.   Have a great Wednesday!!

The hidden dangers of wearing high heels.

See that nice little piece of white molding above?  It adorns a column at the entry of my home office.  You could likely pass by it (as I do on a daily basis) with nary a sideways glance.  However, if you happen to be wearing new heels (see post below) which make you a towering 6"1", then the height of this molding is approximately eye level. So if you attempt to run quickly by it, in hopes of making it to the ringing phone in the next room, you will very likely impale your skull on said molding, fall on the floor in a screaming heap, simultaneously cursing yourself for being so spastically clumsy, and the ignorant contractor who thought it would be a good idea to install sharp-pointed molding in the abode of an accident-prone nit wit wearing high heels.

Ouch.

I suppose that's what I get for ignoring the "no shoes in the house" rule.

At any rate, I'm not feeling too good today.  It could be because of the run-in with the molding, consuming too much wine with our houseguests this weekend, or the giant ball of snot that had lodged itself in my left sinus cavity and refuses to be affected by repeated doses of Sudafed.  Take your pick. And please forgive me as that's all I can muster for the blog today.

Have a good Monday, my friends.

Proof that fabulous shoes can make any day better.

On Thursday, my week started looking up.  First off, I received news that Jenn-Air will replace the defunct parts on our refrigerator free of charge, we just have to pay for the labor. Excellent news, right?  And on that same day, one of my recent purchases from ebay arrived in the mail - a fierce pair of Frye wedges, never been worn, that I scored for the smokin' price of $26:

Coincidence?  I think not. 

Mike has affectionately dubbed these my stripper shoes.  I prefer to call them my kickin'-some-Jenn-Air-ass-and-takin'-names shoes.  Tomato, tomahto.

So yeah, things are happy in my world.  Tomorrow, our friends Dave & Alison arrive and they'll be staying with us through the weekend until they close on their new house Monday.  I am so excited to have them as official Colorado residents (and getting my running partner back will be good for my expanding butt!)  The only bad thing about them coming is that I will have to return their margarita machine, which I've been "babysitting" for the past few months.  I will miss it dearly. Any guesses as to what I will be serving at cocktail hour tonight?!?

In celebration of the good things yesterday, I set aside a bit of time to scrap a page for the Scrapbooks Etc.'s Make It Yours Challenge.  I used Kim Moreno's page as my inspiration and came up with this:

glitter lace, patterned paper, tag, brads, metal sticker (KI Memories)
chipboard letters (American Crafts)
ribbon (Offray)
font (Traveling Typewriter)

And, hey - have a great weekend!