little bits...

okay
so
the stacks of dishes...
they turned out so fun!
oh you would love them!
if only i had remembered my camera...

so until i can get back & take some shots
here's some goodies
from some of my wednesday wonder-wanders
(just came up with that
sounds like a children's book doesn't it?)
i wanted to do some fun posts
about those wednesdays when i get to go explore
& see new, cool, different things...
but i haven't so
for today
just pictures & links...

glory days antiques, springfield


i love this sign & just the whole idea...victoriana antiques, cottage grove
petticoats...
fleur de lis cafe, cottage grove

cheesie elves, eugene

carved in the sidewalk...
:)

a note (in the form of a video) to facebookers:

it's funny
(& disturbing)
because it's true...

(thanks to tara for this one...)

:)

stacks & stacks

for the last week or so
i have been digging through thrift shops
in search of...

bright

fun

sweet

for my next display at the spa
i'm headed there tonight
& so excited to make what's in my head real...

:)

little gold man...

oh how i love the academy awards
i think it's the combination of
movies
fancy dresses
song & dance numbers
serious actors reading dorky lines
photo montages
teary acceptance speeches
funny acceptance speeches
boring name filled acceptance speeches
going over the allotted time
i love it all...

tonight i'm going to my dad & tam's house
to watch
free of elves who want me to get them food
when hugh jackman is dancing around the stage
(kids! so selfish!)
& free of dishes that need to be washed
when kate winslet is crying through her adorable acceptance speech
(& that's a prediction you can take to vegas)
& they have such a comfie couch
& i might have a guest star with me...
we shall see

anyway...
it's only five hours until the show starts
so i am getting my oscar hopes & dreams & winners
out there

here we go
(if you are a facebooker
& have visited my page in the last day or so
this might look familiar:)

okay so full disclosure?
the only movies i have seen on any of these lists are
the dark knight & bolt...
impressive, i know...
but i listen to TWO movie podcasts
& they are really comprehensive
so i FEEL like i've seen them all

& on that note
here's the key
* = who i think will win
:) = who i want to win cause i like them
? = whaaaa?
{} = i think it would be cute if they won because they are a couple,
though it would be cuter if they were married

also
my tabs are all over the place
i apologize in advance

ps feel free to copy this list & do your own
i would love to see it!
:)

& in addition
the opinions expressed are mine
& mine alone
they have no bearing or basis in the real outside-of-the-internet world...

thank you & good day...

Performance by an actress in a leading role
{} Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (get married already!)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep in "Doubt"
* :) Kate Winslet in "The Reader"
1/2 :) Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married"

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor"
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon"
:) Sean Penn in "Milk"
{} Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (ask her already!)
* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in "Milk"
? Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt"
* :) Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (sniff)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
:) Amy Adams in "Doubt" (& retroactively for junebug & enchanted)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
* Viola Davis in "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler"

Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt"
:) "Kung Fu Panda" (because jack black deserves an oscar & this may be
the only way he gets one..though technically he wouldn't actually get one, but he might
be near it sometime...)
* "WALL-E"

Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" David Fincher
:) "Frost/Nixon" Ron Howard (ritchie cunningham! come on!)
"Milk" Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" Stephen Daldry
* "Slumdog Millionaire" Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
* "Man on Wire" (sounds incredible...)
:) "Trouble the Water" (sounds heartbreaking)

Best foreign language film of the year
"The Baader Meinhof Complex" Germany
* "The Class" France
"Departures" Japan
"Revanche" Austria
:) "Waltz with Bashir" Israel (intriguing...)

Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (odd)
"Frost/Nixon" (boring)
"Milk" (inspiring)
"The Reader" (depressing)
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (all of the above, except boring i would imagine)

& so there they are...
predictions from an ignorant film buff
(who is fully dressed, thank you very much)

enjoy the show
if you're watching
& if you aren't
well, that's another post...

:)

it's all about the love...

(font by Q)

today
make every heart you see
be a super secret gift to you...

look at that!

you are so loved!

:)

not very valentine...

& so here
is Q's interpretation
of why i have been absent for a few days
& why very valentine went south...
i debated on just having you guess
what happened
using Q's drawing
& your own deductive reasoning...
i really would love to do that
but a few of you already know
so that would be unfair
& i don't want to endorse cheating...

okay so anyway
ugh
i don't want to draw this out
& make it bigger than it is
(too late)
so
we got into a car crash on monday
it was not fun
(excellent observation!)
& let me first say:
everyone is fine!

we were in one of those neighborhoods that
have tons of criss crossing streets
& no stop signs
& i reached down to get something
& when i looked up
a big black suv was crashing into us
& then i drove into a tree...
(see Q's tree?
it's more of a symbol of a tree...
though it was a pretty small tree)
both of the vehicles were only dented
on the sides we hit in front of the doors
does that make sense?
she hit on our passenger side
but it was far enough up that the
passenger door could still be opened
& on her gigantic car
there was just a dentie thing on her driver's side
bumper corner in front of the wheel
so her door opened no problem too...
my front wheel did not fair well, though
it was sticking out perpendicular to the rest of the car
not a good sign for driving it again...
& then there was the tree...
it was small
about 8 inches in in circumference
(or is that radius?)
so actually it stopped us so that we didn't
run into someone's garage
that's a good thing...
i know you are so interested in
the injuries of the cars right?

anyway
neighbors came from far & wide
it was really something!
two ladies in particular helped out so much
they were so wonderful...
helped get a hold of brian
& helped with the kids
& prayed for us

in the end
merra had a little scratchie-rubbie-owie type of thing
(is that a contusion?)
on her shoulder from her car seatbelt
she didn't even notice it...

Q had nothing except a scared look on his face
poor guy
he was right there
it hit on his side...

the other driver's air bag deployed
& hit her arm so it was hurting
(go figure
her suv had a three foot (at most) dent
& the air bag deployed
my little civic was dented from mid bumper to
passenger door
& no air bag love for me)
(& she possibly had other things
that was the only thing she was saying hurt at the time)

& then there's me:
big long red owie from my shoulder to my cleavage
(i'm sorry! that's the only way to describe the area!
well, maybe mid-chest is better
or perhaps 'the valley'...)
bruises from 'that area' to my waist
a huge giant crazy bruise across my stomach
that just changes everyday
purpler & purpler...
& then also my knee
which we can't quite figure out
the doctor thought maybe it hit the steering wheel?
it was bruised & swollen
now it's just competing with the stomach bruise
for who can look the most like an inkblot test

ugh
i was crying half because it was scary
& i was in pain
& the other half because i was so
relieved that the kids were okay...
it's amazing how their well-being is
so much wrapped up into my everything.
i know it's like that for all parents...
we would always take the pain for our kids
if we could...

my dad & stepmom
who are always wonderful & would drop anything to help
did just that
canceled their whole weeks
& came to get the kids
& kept them for two night so that
i could have some recovery time
& it was a good thing
because when i woke up tuesday morning
i just started crying...
brian was already gone to work
so i was all alone
& it's predictable for anyone who has known me
for more than ten years:
i was just overwhelmed with
thought of my mom's car crash
(note to those who haven't known me since
the valley was shallow:
my mom died in a car crash in 1997
my sister & her friend were in the car, too
kate was in the hospital for 10 days
with many difficulties
& her friend was in a coma for a while.
the guy who hit them was drunk.
the guy had his kid in his truck with him.
the guy was the least injured of anyone (of course).
the guy escaped from the hospital.
the guy got arrested in a bar.
the guy is in jail.
where the guy belongs.)
so i'm crying & sobbing
& then my dear bff for over 20 years now
texted me:

bff: how are you this morning?
me: sore & sad
(phone rings)
bff: spill it
me: boo hoo hoo...

that's good stuff...
at least
it was for me that morning...
thanks ang!
:)

anyway
the tears & sadness?
totally predictable
but still really sucky

& Q...
dear Q: mom? i wish that car crash had been a dream

& the artsie, emotional, psycological probing part of me
(wait...is there another part of me?)
was so glad that he drew that picture...
you know?
i like that he's getting it out.
no stuffing 'round here...
except on thanksgiving...

also i wanted to
give a big emily ruth shout out
to my friends & fam who
called
emailed
texted
stopped by
face booked
smoke signaled...
thanks, friends!
you make yucky times bearable
:)

& so very valentine
is supended until next year...
maybe
who knows maybe i will pop up with
another entry in the next day or two...
or just bust one out in the middle of july...
you just never know around here...

in the meantime...
you know one of my favorite
forms of secret messages
is the word verifications
that you have to type in
when you comment on some blogs
or when you friend someone on facebook
so that the computer
knows that you are not a computer
(irony, no?)
& today this was one of mine:

hylve

i think it was a lovely little valentine note
to me from the computer...
'hi love' to you too, sweet mac
:)

vv 2/14...cheesie hearts

i love to send out valentines!
have i mentioned that?
i love to think about them
& design them
& make them
& send them...
love it!
one thing that i always like to do
(when i am in gear & planning ahead)
is take a picture of the kiddos
in some sort of valentinish looking way...
(that makes no sense & sounds kind of weird)

anyway
a few weeks ago we were painting
& miss m wanted me to paint her face
& i seized the moment
& painted little hearts
& then inexplicably was able to convince Q
to let me paint his too!
it was a random day miracle!
& then if that wasn't enough
they consented to get their picture taken
TOGETHER!!!!
& the icing?
they smiled!
seriously!
that was my valentine gift for the year
(that doesn't mean i don't want something on the day...
are you reading brian?:)
i so as you can tell
by my reaction to the angelic state of my kiddos
i don't expect every kid to be into getting their faces painted
or smiling
& i don't recommend that you
wrestle them to the ground
to paint their faces...
first of all
that would only result in smudged hearts
& second
not really a great valentine memory
valentine scars, really
& they will get those in middle school
no need to rush...
but maybe heart tattoos?
or
when Q was a baby i just cut out some big hearts
& gave them to him to play with
& took pictures...
super cute!

& then there was this one
so i made a couple that said
something like
'i NEED you for my valentine'
or
'i'm so sad without you'
or
'what the heck is my mom doing?'
something like that...
(check out that giant full diaper
perhaps that's why he was crying
you think?)


other fun accessory ideas...
*those cool heart deelie boppers
(that's what we called them in my day)
*heart shaped glasses
*draw a heart on a a onesie or bigger shirts for bigger kids
(or check old navy or target
they always have cute holiday shirts...
check out these super cute heart clothes!
perfect!
i should not have looked at that page...
this dress will haunt me!
too sweet...)
*write happy valentine's day on three sheets of paper
& have each kid hold one
or take three separate pictures
with one word in each
or three pics three words three kids
& how about YOU doing one of these things!
alone or with the kids
why should the kids have all the fun?
come to think of it
a spouse might enjoy finding a heart painted some place interesting...
i will let you take that one where ever you want to...
PG blog!

oh!
& in the absence of pictures
do handprints!

the grandparents & aunts
love to get kiddo-made valentines in the mail
(i'm assuming here)
but a picture too?
major points!

(this one has some photoshopping going on...)

oh & i just remembered too
if you're going to do this
& you can't get more than one kid in a picture to smile
you could do what we did
for our 2007 christmas cards
in the absense of one single picture of everyone smiling
just print the best pics of each kiddos
& tape them to a piece of paper together
voila!
there they are
smiling beside each other
& you thought it would never happen...

or you could always go with reality...
that works too...

:)

vv 1/14...group o' love

one fun way that i decorated for valentine's day this year
is by looking through some stuff i already have...
i like that i didn't have to buy anything new
& that all of this has a little history
that goes along with it
in the words of my grandpa cal
'i knew i was saving this for something'
:)
this little sweetie was made by my sister, kate
when she was just a wee girl
(no, not in ireland:)
i love groups of things
& crayon drawing
& kid created
& ragged edges
this is one of my favorites
& i'm thinking i need to frame it soon
some of you know my friend jessica
she's jmbmommy round here
& she is a quilting maven
if you haven't seen her quilting creations
you need to go look at her blog
but do it after you finish reading this post
because trust me
you will get lost in all the talent & beauty...
for my bridal shower she made this little guy

a jmbmommy original!
she also made baby blankets when both of my
little elves were born
& what did she get from me for her babies?
lots of good intentions
& sadly good intentions don't keep babies warm...
enough of my guilt
i love this quiltieone day
when my time was my own
& not spent hanging out with little people
(who i love with all my heart, of course:)
a little red plate fell & broke
& so naturally
i saved the pieces
& put them together
in a little mosaic heart
the grout part was so fun
i must say:)
& this one
is a favorite
for sure
vintage letters
(found at ruthie b's)
used for those changeable signs
(when i was on student counsel
one of our jobs during 'student counsel class'
(that was a class just chock full of learnin')
was to change the sign outside the school...
& let me tell you
it's not easy when the sign is 10 feet in the air
& all you have is a long pole with a suction cup on it
trying to make the letters stick...
of course when you convince the adviser
that it takes five people to do it
it does become lots of fun:)

& the letters do mean a little something to me:)

since this is my house
& my ideas
there are no rules
& so even in a valentine group
a heart is not required...
Q made this last year
& i love it!
& red fits just right...

one day when my generous friend
let me look through her
stash of stuff
i found these little heart pins
& now i use them all the time...
so sweet...
the wall that put this little group on
has been pretty blank since we have lived here
(almost 5 years!)
& so it is a distinct possibility
that it will remain like this for a while
& that is just fine with me...

:)

ps i am watching lost from last week
because i was working last wednesday
& i need to watch it before the next episode tonight...
i do love that show
we have been watching from the beginning
& are most definitely
wait wait wait!!!!!!!
i am literally watching it as i type
& only lost heads will understand this
but desmond & penny are talking
& he just said his son's name is charlie...
could it be THE charlie?
somehow with all of the time travel craziness
is charlie actually desmond's son?
or did he just name him after charlie
because desmond was there when he died?
oh that might be it...
my mind was just being blown
but maybe that makes no sense
(because this show is just full of logic, you know)
okay
maybe i have calmed down
but i'm still not sure...
ANYWAY
my favorite quote
which i think sums up the show
quite beautifully
was a few weeks ago
when lock woke up & said

'when am i?'

loved it...

:)

heartie...

i love hearts
i heart hearts
i always have...
in fact i just found my old sticker book
& there is a large area dedicated to hearts
(in the h section naturally...
yes my sticker books were organized alphabetically
& it's a good thing we have kids
or brian's socks would be too)
i'm not sure what it is about them
the symmetry?
the rounded edges that meet in a sharp point?
or is the symbolism?
love & all that crap...
don't know
but i love them
& so guess what my favorite holiday is?
easter!
no silly billy...
valentine's day
of course...
this holiday has never been about super romancie stuff to me
(not that i don't love getting romancie stuff...
note to brian)
i just love seeing the hearts
& making heartie stuff
just love it...
& so for the next couple of weeks
i will be sharing some 'very valentine' ideas:
cards
stuff to make
decorating ideas
my heart things
& other heartie goodies...

but not in alphabetical order...

:)

promise.

be back in this space soon...

:)