a sense of wonder: september 2010

*taste*
caramel apple spice...



















it says fall to me :)

*smell*
the harvest scented candles
(& non-candles)
are out & burning
(or not burning)...

*sight*

watching: all the new episodes!

parenthood

gossip girl

modern family

apprentice

survivor
the amazing race
& of course

glee

reading:

an interview with gwenyth
in entertainment weekly
about her new movie where
she plays a guitar playing country singer:

How are your guitar skills now?
Can you hold your own on stage?
"Uh...you know. More or less.
My husband* says I'm better than Bono,
worse than the Edge."

uh...you know.
that's craaaaazy...
if i was answering that question it would go:
"My husband** says I'm better than
the kindergartners,
worse than the 4th graders"

* chris martin, the lead singer of coldplay
**brian, teacher of 5th graders

seeing:
people in summer clothes...
trying to get that one last wear before
the rain starts...

*touch/feel*

those crunchy leaves under my feet
(& in the car
& ground into the carpet)

*hearing*

music actually made in 2010...

(disclaimer:
the lyrics to these songs are not
exactly kid friendly....
or people-who-who-don't-like-
swearing-or-or-inappropriate-references-
in-their-music
friendly...
but if you're a swearing, inappropriate adult,
these are for you! :)

lady gaga
(thank you, glee)

eminiem
(thank you wendy & the vma's)




& that billionaire song that was on glee last week

(apparently the tv is now my radio)

***extra sense*****

(fashion sense, that is)

fall fashion!
i heart sweater weather...







i loooove this one
from faith21
(it's plus size, even...
imagine!)




anthropology has
so many cute sweaters
(big surprise :)
&
no plus sizes
(no surprise
but
(& i've talked to many girls about this)
if they did, they would sell like crazy!)










another
anthro...


&
this sweater dress is so great
(stinking target won't let me post a picture
even though i would totally link back to them)

viva sweater weather!

:)

sblog: the tools don't matter, the story does...

i used to scrapbook
oh, did i used to scrapbook
(you can see some of it here, if you're so inclined)
& i loved it
loved it so much
but
i haven't scrapbooked
in the literal 'paper & glue'
sense for a long time...

not because i don't like it
just because life goes in so many different directions
(usually all at once)
& right now
the road to traditional scrapbooking has a detour sign on it...
blogging has become my scrapbooking
memories
pictures
words
the only thing missing is the glue :)

one of my favorite modern day philosophers
stacy julian
is known for saying (in regards to scrapbooking):
'it all counts'**
everything you are writing down
no matter where you are writing (or typing) it,
everything & every way you are taking photos,
facebook,
twitter,
backs of envelopes...
it all counts!

i love what rachel briggs said on her blog:
I am expressing my version of events of my life.
(this entire post is really great)

just because i haven't sat down with my
supplies doesn't mean i don't have
things to say
things to remember
things to be excited about...

but within the blogging format
i have held myself back:
'i waited too long to post about going to the county fair
& now it's been three weeks...
it's too late to post about it!'
i put that on myself
& now i'm ready to break away from it...

stacy
(& many, many other scrapbookers)
also talks about the idea
that you don't need to scrapbook in chronological order...
a trip to the park with the kiddos last week one day
& my high school senior trip the next...
& when i scrapbooked
i was all about that...

& so decided to call what i'm doing a sblog
a combo of scrapbook & blog...
rules:
none
just tell whichever story i want to
whenever i want to...
i'm going to label it with the date the event happened
because that seems logical :)
but beyond that i'm just going to get my stories down

i'm super excited about this
because boy, do i have some stories!
triathalons
& parties
& that aforementioned fair...
things from this year
& things from years ago...

the tools don't matter, the story does...

i need this...
for my family
& for me...

rules?
what rules?

:)

** one of the places stacy has said this is
on the paperclipping roundtable podcast...
this podcast is so wonderful
even for a non-practicing scrapbooker such as myself...
love it!

:)

dream dresses...

it's my favorite color combo
(yellow & grey)!
& polka dots!
& great collar!
& fun tights!

i can totally see miss m

in the cute ruffles on the little girlie dress...
maybe with some leggings
we have some dress length rules around here...

my dress isn't in my size
or my budget...
but i like to
dream big dreams
(or small ones
if i want to fit into a dress such as this :)

dresses by princess lasertron
she's the one who does the awesome
button bouquets
that i would totally get if we had another wedding...


she has lots of other dresses
soooo cute!

:)

gleeking out...

one of my little mash-ups was featured in
a treasury on etsy...
so super cool!
& it's a glee treasury so double super cool!

it was compiled by the paper punch...
(which has adorable tags & cards, by the way)
thank you so much!

:)

the last night...

before school starts....

we had such a fun summer in our driveway...

Q & miss m looooove our neighbors...

so cute!

:)

magazine monday: schoolhouse & sparkles

country living, october 2010

this home
in an old schoolhouse!
oh, i loooove it!*
i love the idea of school so much...
actually going to school
not so much :)

that top picture is a bench made from an old pommel horse!
this is the sort of thing that makes me so happy...
who would think of that?
& of course it makes the perfect bench...
love it...

next shot...
i adore the giant blackboards on the walls...


check out the bedside table...

an old school desk!
so genius...
i love the idea of having
a little seat next to the bed...
not sure why you need one
but i love it...

check out this yellow, yellow YELLOW kitchen
i'm not that brave
but i always love to see a giant chalkboard
& this girl's dress is too cute...


this next house is just adorable
it's like 1000 square feet
& seems to me that every foot is too cool...
i love the grey walls
& check this kitchen island


the little bar on the side is part of a mantle
& that refrigerator!
gorgeous...

& my favorite!
this room in the basement...


it's a wine cellar/dining room!
i love how the wine bottles are displayed...
those boxes are awesome...

i love magazines so much!
they are little presents in my mailbox
& at barnes & noble
& costco
& sometimes i find
an old one under the bed
& it's a present all over again...

:)


*i have a secret dream of opening
a business in an old schoolhouse...
i have it all planned out in my head:
vintage class photos lining the walls,
collections of lunchboxes,
a cafe in the cafeteria,
a spa in the nurses office,
bookstore in the library...
anyone out there with the desire to fund my dream?
let me know...

;)

thanQ....

after a week of
'miss m touched my legos!'
& 'why do i have to do EVERYTHING?!'
& 'can i have another snack?'
& 'but i'm still hungry!'
& 'i'm going to run away!'

finding this on the refrigerator
was quite sweet...


i'm almost sad that school starts on tuesday...
almost.

:)

heart broken...

one of my very best friend's dad died yesterday
& i am so sad for her
& so heart broken
& so helpless
& so not-knowing-what-to-do for her

except i do know
because i remember
when my mom died...

so i will call her
& i will text her every day
& tell her i'm so sad for her
& that it's heart breaking
& 'how can i help?'
& 'what can i do for you?'
& 'he was such a great guy'
& 'i love you'
& i will not forget
& not say nothing...

because even though it was 13 years ago
i remember...

♥