sweet pea's corner

Featured Writer

2012-02-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!

Do me a favor and head over to the Smartly.com today where I'm a featured writer!!

"Talk, Chew and a Revolution - filling the Oprah void"

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

How do you feel about daytime TV now that Oprah's out of the picture?

Baby Ninja Lovin

2012-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

Whew! I am one pooped mama!

We were blessed enough to have been given a baby shower this weekend at my father-in-law's house hosted by my mother and sisters in love and my mother.

It was family craziness all day Saturday and we are so blessed to have so many who love us in this kiddo's life!

me & my mom

me & my daddy

Sweet Pea got a fair amount of 'big sister' gifts too which just about melted my heart.

They were all perfectly tailored to her - and to our activities (baking..etc) so it meant a lot to both D and I that people thought of her too.

I also got a lovely "mommy gift" from my godmother of relaxing/soothing lotions and balms to help me chill out both now and postpartum.

my godmother, my mother-in-love, mom's friend and my mom

I was super jazzed as I got to utilize my Pinterest skills for creating some decorations and was happy to see how they turned out and to put my creativity and late night pinning obsession to good use!

Unfortunately I slipped on one of the steps by the pool and seem to have done sprained my toe or something as its a bit swollen and painful.

Sweet.

Upside is I was able to bust out some of my new favorite eyelashes that I purchased awhile back and they looked fabulous with my fun dress from Vestique.

me & baby ninja

Our whole family chipped in and helped out with all the yummy food (taco cart, 3ft burrito & enchiladas), drinks and desserts (cupcake tower!) so it was an all day affair.

cupcake tower courtesy cousin Jodi!

fancy cake

custom cake pops

We got some great things for Baby Ninja and enjoyed a lot of laughs with all of our favorite people.

all the Dorsey "kids" w/ their dad

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to celebrate our little man and who took the time to contribute to the joy/laughter/love of the day!

We could not have asked for more!!

Now we just have two more weeks to go until he gets here!!

T.G.I.F.

2012-02-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

TGIF!!

I'm so happy its Friday!

The end of a rather slow moving week and one step closer to meeting my occupant.

37 weeks this Monday......yikes!!

Tomorrow we are heading to a baby shower in our honor with all of our local family and friends and I am super excited about that.

Mexican food......yummmm.

I've spent the week crafting decorations for it all and I can't wait to see how they look set up.

Some might say that I shouldn't have done that because its a shower for me (well my baby bump) but I had a whole Pinterest board full of ideas and why not use them?!!

Upside is I can re-use most of them in the nursery anyway!

Taadaaa!

On top of all that, the weather is supposed to be fabulous so I'm pretty excited to bust out a fun dress, some eyelashes and get all prettied up for the day.

Had my regular check up with the doctor yesterday and all is well.

No fun happenings on my end so I don't go back until the week before my scheduled C-section unless something wacky happens next week.

No contracting as of yet (not even a Braxton-Hicks) so looks like things will be going according to schedule.

After a few sleepless nights this past week I'm so ready to meet this guy!!

I'm getting more excited as each day passes and I think my other +2 are just as excited.

We've really been focused on relaxing and enjoying each others company all week long.

No one makes me laugh like Babe & Sweet Pea do.

They do & say some of the craziest things that just kill me......

I am really loving this place we are in.

I'm off to get a mani/pedi and run some last minute errands.

What are you all up to this weekend?

Savoring

2012-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

There are moments when I forget that I am actually a 9 months pregnant woman.

Particularly when I realize I have to potty first thing in the morning and I try to sit up too suddenly and am immediately weighted down.

Aside from the fact that there is a person living inside of me, if he's not moving around I kind of continue to think I'm still "me".

A quick glimpse in the mirror rectifies all that for me, but its not to say it doesn't happen.

In my mind, I can still sprint up the stairs to grab whatever it is I've forgotten, then reality sets in when I find myself huffing up the last few steps.

But it's almost done.

I literally have 3.5 more weeks of this little boy living inside of me.

Kicking and pushing against my skin.

Stretching my stomach to an uncomfortable state and making sleep close to impossible.

Soon I will get to gaze into the face of the person who has made the last few weeks a little more uncomfortable than I would like.

I can't wait.

People keep asking if we are "ready" for this change and the honest answer is " yes....We are so ready to meet him and see how our lives will be forever changed.
And..no".

I mean we have the "things" we need ; minus a few essentials (more diapers, blankets, towels & whatnots)

No bag has been packed.

No going home outfit washed, ready and waiting at the door.

But the car seat and stroller are sitting in the living room just waiting.

A constant reminder to get on the ball and get our ish together.

But I'm savoring these last few weeks.

As much as I am 'over it' and ready to meet this little dude, I am also relishing the act of carrying him.

Because all too soon it will be over.
I look at the calendar and think to myself: "really? 3 weeks is all I have left?"
It is both an eternity and the blink of an eye.
Funny how that works isn't it?
36 weeks this week and counting.
3 more to go before our scheduled meet & greet.
I've been focusing on just spending a lot of quality time with the Sweet Pea.
She is so important to me.
To this family and we don't ever want her to feel as though she is being passed over.
She has also been extremely helpful in the last few weeks.
She picks up the things I drop and can't quickly reach.
She brings in groceries.
She gets all A's on her progress report.
I am one proud mama.
And my husband has been a gem.
He brought me Girl Scout cookies yesterday.
And ginger ale the day before.
That rocked my world.
He makes me laugh and giggles with me at the awkwardness with which I sit on the couch or get up from it.
These are the moments I need to savor and file away for later.
This has been an emotional journey for sure but one I wouldn't go back and change for anything.

fashion fantasies

2012-01-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

There is a woman at my daughter's school who was pregnant like me and I presumed she was either a few weeks ahead or a few weeks behind.

I used to see her everyday when I went to pick up the kid from school.

She was pretty much always cute and stylish and never seemed to appear uncomfortable or awkward.

She gave birth sometime in the last week (the week of MLK's birthday) and by that Thursday she was back in regular clothes picking up one of her sons.

I can only assume that because this was baby boy #4 that he pretty much just slid out and it was easy for her to bounce back.

I was extremely impressed with the fact that she was even wanting to venture out of the house 3 days postpartum but hey, what do I know?

This is only my second child so maybe it gets easier after the first three?

Anywho - I saw her again yesterday and today and was struck by how non pregnant she looked.

I mean, she just had a baby! Shouldn't there be some sort of post pregnancy bulge or squish in the mid-section?

How is that even humanly possible?

And perhaps there is and she just has on a belly band to keep it tight but it didn't appear that way from my angle.

Of course that could just be my gestational jealously talking.

But I'm pretty sure this is the fastest recovery I've ever seen!

I honestly can't wait to get to get back to that point.

I long to be able to slip into my own jeans once again (however long it may be until that's possible)

If only for the simplicity of getting dressed each day.

At this point its a bit of a struggle to find an outfit and I find myself (gasp!) repeating clothes two and three times in a week.

I have reached the end of my stylish pregnancy rope.

I'm to the point where I'm not really interested in wearing pants as they feel oddly restrictive and would much rather stay in my nightgown for the majority of the day.

Fortunately for me, the weather was cooperating and I was able to don a lovely maxi dress today that I am thoroughly enjoying wearing but who knows how long this will last?

My sartorial desires are manifesting in a major way via my Pinterest style board and I was thoroughly bummed that the GAP boyfriend jeans I have been jonesing over were not available in the color I wanted while they were 40% off.

Checked back today and the color is available but not the size.

GRRRRRRR.

The other jeans I'm stalking are way too expensive for me to justify right now (+$100) and are known to run a size bigger.

Oy. clearly it's not meant to be at this time.

So I will wait and see if any of my favorite sale sites (Hautelook, My Habit, Gilt) have sales coming up with the style I'm looking for.

It's humorous to my husband and other friends that I'm so fashion obsessed when I have no idea how my body is going to be post baby.

But since I have a "post-baby body workout plan" I'm not as concerned or amused.

Perhaps it's shallow to be focused on my outward appearance right now and if you think that then, fine.

I'm okay with it.

Right now, in these last few weeks before Baby Ninja arrives I am not focusing on the birth (no need to freak myself out about what could go wrong and all the other "fun" stuff that comes along with it)

I am thinking about my closet and how to make it work even better once the baby is here and I am a mommy of two.

Because while yes I am thinking of the health of my child I am also thinking how my style will need to switch up a bit and whats going to be kid friendly as well as cute.

I mean, I've got to have something to wear to Sweet Pea's 10th birthday don't I?

Does anybody else think about their mommy style as much as I do??

random thoughts....

2012-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have been.....basking in the nothing-ness for a few days now and it's high time I got my act together.

Or so I feel like.

I was sick so I do have an excuse but to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of enjoying it.

I know this time of relaxation and preparation will be gone all too soon.

Everyday I get a text or a phone call asking "you in labor?", "you ready for all this?" etc.....

And for me - I don't think you're ever really "ready" per se. I think it's all a state of mind.

The nursery is done minus the art work.

My creative muses are taking a break these last two weeks

( much needed after the OT they put in last Saturday)

We have gone through the many baskets of clothes given to us by friends, a few shower gifts have arrived and we (read: Babe) has put those in his room as well.

Yesterday I picked up the stroller car/seat combo and Babe assembled that in the evening.

As I placed the carrier on the car seat base it hit me- "here we go again".

Reading instructions on how to install, properly latch and fold the stroller up and down.

It was shocking to come downstairs this morning and see it just sitting in the corner waiting.

It's really happening.

As much as I may kvetch about the sore muscles, the lack of sleep and the general discomfort - I've enjoyed being pregnant.

I'm much more present this time around.

I'll even admit I'm going to miss the little nudges and pushes and swooshes around in my tummy.

It's become such a part of me I don't really even notice it

(unless I'm trying to sleep and he decides to use my bladder as a punching bag)

But I'm grateful for the movements - it reminds me of this little life we've made.

So it's all good.

These final weeks as a party of 3 are waning faster than I expected.

I am excited to meet this little boy who's been tearing up my insides but I'm relishing our days - just the three of us, with absolute fervor.

I have no idea how Sweet Pea is going to react to suddenly being placed on the back burner while Mommy & Daddy get their heads wrapped around a new baby.

I can only pray we fortify her with enough love and strong memories right now to hold her over until we come up for air.

Fortunately she also has an abundance of family members who will dote on her and continue to make her feel just as special as always and for that I am eternally grateful.

My brain is pretty much a mix of all things pre-baby and post baby body shenanigans so it's all I can do to whip together a decent dinner these days.

But these are the simple times I'm going to look back on and cherish when it all gets crazy and I haven't slept or showered in days.

Surprisingly though, I can't wait for that to happen.

this weekend.....

2012-01-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the window seat of my kitchen, eating waffles and looking out on the rain it suddenly hits me how tired I am.

Tired, but incredibly happy. And truly blessed.

I had a long weekend but it was all worth it and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it all turned out.

I made it a point to rest a LOT last week as I knew this weekend was going to take a toll on me, I just didn't realize how much until today.

Friday we went to the movies and the kid got sick (like throwing up sick) 15minutes in. Being the awesome parents we are - I gave her the empty popcorn bag to yak into and held her hair back.

Once she was finished I pulled up the armrest and let her sleep in what's left of my lap and there she stayed until the movie was over.

By the time we got home she was fine enough to eat some dinner and have an ice cream sundae.

Random act of vomiting?

Saturday I was up at 6:20 (haven't been up that early in a long time) dragged myself out of bed and hopped in the shower.

Made myself a small cup of coffee and some oatmeal to fortify me for the long day ahead.

I had a wedding to do and would be gone all day.

Makeup for an entire bridal party beginning at 8am.

Fortunately my good friend Ebony was coming with me as the Bridal party's hair stylist.

It was pouring when we left. Visibility was less than great so we were running a little late to get to our destination.

Once arrived we went straight to work and began a feverish pace to make up for lost time.

In the end I made up 8 faces and she did 6 heads of hair by 3pm.

Not sure that was the best idea for a woman who is 8 months pregnant but I love what I do and powered through.

By the end, my back was on fire but when the bride looked at me and told me she felt beautiful and personally thanked me for making her day bright - it was all worthwhile.

This is why I do what I do.

And it was great to spend the day with my friend. We work quite well together and have learned how to maneuver around one another to get the job done.

But poor preggo body was not pleased with me.

I felt broken and by Saturday evening was reminded why they refer to it as a "delicate condition". Getting up to go to the bathroom hurt and I thought I was going to fall apart.

Sunday I woke up early again (not at 6am though) as my hubby was not feeling well and had been tossing and turning all night.

And it was baby shower day!

One of my girlfriends was hosting a shower for me at my mother's home and I was excited to see and spend some time with my friends.

It was truly amazing to see how much work this one person put into this event. Just for me.

She is such a great friend.

I brought my camera but ended up taking minimal pictures as I was just enjoying the moments.

I cried when my friend Jen walked in - I hadn't seen her since my wedding (she lives in San Diego) and I had no idea she was coming.

It made my heart dance with joy to see a former co-worker Sandra and her one month old baby boy as well.

My mafia girls represented of course and catching up with them over mimosas (for them) and blood orange soda (for me) is always a good time.

I felt so loved and had such a full heart that I could not stop smiling.

My little man is coming and I got to celebrate him with my friends!

Yes, I am sore and moving slowly around the house. Using the rain as an excuse to not do anything of real substance today and to have grilled cheese and soup for dinner.

But I am enjoying these moments.

This stillness.

The calm before the inevitable baby storm if you will.

I am basking in the ability to be still and just rest the way I'm supposed to and enjoy the gift of rain from the safety of home.

My cup continues to run over with the love and support of good and true friends and I am forever grateful for all them.

How was your weekend?

Not what I planned

2012-01-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

I was NOT planning on being up this early this morning.

I wanted to get a head start on my day sure, but actually staying up once I finished Sweet Pea's hair after 7:30am?

Not in the plans.

However, she was coughing a bit and I wanted to see if we had anything to help her out and came downstairs to find a crap ton of ants in my kitchen.

Not looking for anything in particular but I guess since it's going to rain they were planning on making a new home in my sink.

Not cool.

I DESPISE ants. They are the bane of my existence and I will destroy them if they cross my path.

So that took about 20 minutes to get rid of them.

Grrr.

Now I'm up and feel like well, I could get my day started but suddenly can't remember what it is I'm supposed to be doing!

So why not write?

We went out to dinner last night at a super trendy burger joint Eureka Burger in Claremont (conveniently located close to the colleges for all the hipster college kids) to celebrate the 34th birthday of Babe's BFF and waited for a table for about an hour so we could sit in our waiter friends section.

Poor Sweet Pea was super hungry and the baby ninja was kicking the stew out of me in his own hunger.

However, I had already perused the menu and knew exactly what I was going to have so that saved some time.

The food was good, the company was better and the atmosphere was entertaining to say the least.

All I could think was; I am so glad I am where I am in my life.

I could not imagine being some hipster 20something hanging out at a local joint on weeknight all the time!

I'm sure I did my fair share of "kicking it" as a youngster but now it just seems silly.

But I digress.

It was kind of fun to get out of the house in the middle of the week and I'll take any excuse to not have to come up w/ some brilliant dinner plan.
And the kid enjoyed herself but knocked out in the car on the way home, staying up past 9pm on a school night was apparently too much for her.
Either that or it was the butterscotch pudding that did her in.

I'm still nesting a bit but moving slower and slower.

Actually taking the time to "be still and put my feet up" like I'm supposed to.

But I need to light a fire under myself if I expect to finally finish the baby's room by the end of the month!
Not to worry though, I'm sure I'll rally and get it together in the nick of time!

Anything not go as you've planned so far today?

Fashion, Fitness & Inspiration on the Internet

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

January often represents a "re-birth" of sorts. A chance to start over. Begin fresh and with a clean slate.

31 days of those chances to be exact.

I've read a lot lately about how things are changing for other people and their excitement about the new year.

I must say that my situation is quite different.

Different from years past.

In previous years I would be fervently planning for the year.

Looking at the calender, marking off birthdays and special occasions and giving in to wishful thinking.

But this year - I'm just waiting.

Waiting to see what happens and when this little boy will make his debut.

But that doesn't mean my mind hasn't been fervently working.

I do have some exciting things in the works that I can't wait to share once they are solidified but for now I will savor the moment, and just wait it out.

********************

There is a line from the first Sex and the City movie that I love:

"Every year the women of (New York) come together to forget their pasts and look forward to the spring"....or something to that effect.

She was talking about fashion week and how there is a certain 'renewal of spirit' that comes along with the spring line.

I must admit, I too am looking forward to warmer days and a lighter wardrobe.

Winter has been fun with it's boots and sweaters, layers and pops of color but I long for the days of sorbet colors and relaxed attitudes.

Normally, my closet would already be in transition.

I would have purged things from the previous year that managed to escape the last purge but didn't quite live up to their potential (read: they were never worn)

I would be re-organizing my shoes and taking inventory on what I need vs. what styles I want.

And I still have a strong desire to do that.

But there is a little voice inside telling me to wait.

Just wait it out and see how you feel after the baby.

See what your body looks like and then make a decision based on that.

I have to admit I am nervous about that. I despise waiting.

I am ready to have my body back. To get back to working out and getting into my "pre-baby" jeans.

But will it really happen?

I've had numerous people remind me that I'm "older now than when Sweet Pea was born" and I may not "bounce back the same".

That scares me a bit. But then I remind myself - the body I had when I got married almost 2 years ago is not the one I had post Sweet Pea.

In fact- it was BETTER.

WAY better, to be honest. So that gives me some comfort.

Yes, I know the road back will be wrought with set backs and being tired due to having a newborn, a 9 year-old and a husband but I am up for the challenge.

I have so many fashion dreams I can't imagine giving them up and 'settling'.

It won't happen.

I am determined.

Is that selfish and vain? Maybe.

Will it help me to be a better mother & wife?

Yes and no - if I feel good everyone wins but when I am in the dumps.......well lets just say no one wants that.

I've already picked up Jillian Michael's 30 day shred which I did to get pre-wedding fit.

(Babe cracked up when I came waddling up to him with the DVD and my excitement about it)

And my copy of 'Bootylicious Buns' should be here any day - also a pre-wedding workout

($9.99 on Amazon.com)

and I have the pre/post-natal DVD from Moms into Fitness by Lindsey Brin that is focused on a post-natal workout so that makes me excited.

Genuinely encouraged actually when you see the journey her body has taken after 3 pregnancies.

Three C-sections at that.

It gives me hope.

My style board on Pinterest has also re-whet my sartorial appetite yet again and inspired me to incorporate some new looks into my wardrobe by working with what I have and adding a few key piece:

like these boyfriend jeans from the GAP

And this top from Target which I ordered in two colors (if you like it buy it in every color!) it was on sale for $14.00 so how could I say no?

All inspired by this outfit Pin

Simple "mommy chic" but still quite stylish no? I have most of the pieces already so it's not too far-fetched to re-create the look.

I have a pair of similar flats but if I find another pair for under $50 I may be "encouraged" to purchase them to complete the look.

I can't wait to work on my closet, wardrobe and fitness and see how our new family of four all works together!

Maybe I am in the ' inspired renewal' stage in January just like everyone else after all.

Just from a different angle.

What has inspired you this month?

Today

2012-01-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Today I am celebrating the life of one of my favorite people in the whole world.

My Dad.

He is AWESOME, let me just tell ya.

Most of my friends who have experienced his generosity of spirit or warped sense of humor would be inclined to agree with me.

He's just a cool guy.

Very intelligent and a modern marvel.

He's taken such good care of me over the years there is no way to ever repay him.

I love him to pieces.

My relationship with him wasn't always so peachy keen.

No, the teen years were rough (who's weren't?) but going back and forth between houses was really stressful for me.

And then college - I couldn't wait to get away.

But then I moved back and moved in with him and that changed everything.

We began to talk. A LOT. well I talked, he mostly listened.

To my hopes, my dreams, my crazy stories.

And he supported them. As random as they were.

Getting older has only strengthened our relationship.

He is one of my best friends. Kind of weird to say about your dad but it's true.

I talk to him no less than once a week for over an hour each time. He knows all about my friends and their drama. He offers words of wisdom and "old people" humor & insight.

He is a champion for not only me but for our family.

My biggest cheerleader for all my harebrained ideas and ventures.

He loves my husband and his granddaughter and can't wait to meet the little ninja as well.

He's hella old-school but has a Facebook and an i-phone (which makes me giggle like a school girl).

But most of all - he is just a great Dad.

He's everything to me.

So today, I wish him a very happy birthday or Feliz Cumpleanos as we like to say and tell him how much I love and appreciate him.

And this weekend - we will treat him to dinner and regale him with stories from our week.

He will smile as he sits next to Sweet Pea and tucks in her napkin.

He will beam when my husband takes my arm to help me wriggle my pregnant body out of the booth and he will smile with pride as we watch my swollen stomach and speculate on the life inside.

And me?

Well I'll be holding back tears (hormones you know) as I tell him how much he means to us and how excited we are to have him be a very active part of our lives.

Happy Birthday Daddy.

Progress: Decor Update

2012-01-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

I want to say that I have been a whirling dervish of activity this week but that's not exactly true.
More like a slow moving top.

I haven't been "relaxing" as much as last week but I've still managed to make a dent in my never ending "to-do" list.

I started by sorting out said list into categories: Home, Baby, Business and that has helped focus me tremendously (there's that word again!)

So I must say I'm pretty excited about that.

I've made it a point to tackle at least ONE THING from each section of the list each day and this way the tasks are not as daunting.

It also makes me feel like I'm actually doing something instead of being discouraged by the lack of check marks on said list.

One thing I've really been wanting to do is spruce up the downstairs bathroom.
It's been kind of blah since we moved in as we were focusing on other areas of our home.
(I basically just threw some rugs and a set of hand towels in there and never looked back)

We have a ton of black and white photos in there (not intentionally, it just happened that they ended up in there) but they didn't really go w/ the burgundy rugs and towels that I threw in there. I was kind of inspired by the photos and decided those should be the focal point.

We're not painting this space so I needed to do what I could with accessories.

I had a gift card and store credit to Bed, Bath and Beyond so I started there. An hour later I was headed home with my purchases.

I decided to keep it really simple - go with a black and white color scheme!

Black rugs and a jazzy hand towel, a simple black soap dispenser made "custom" with vinyl lettering and we were good to go!

I also wanted to add a sign for the outer door designating this a restroom so I painted a wooden plaque I picked up at Michael's awhile ago my favorite shade of turquoise and some black vinyl lettering and viola!

A "new" bathroom!

And I spent no money of my own!

Then I started thinking, well, we have this blah tray on top of our ottoman in the living room.

What if I painted that as well and modge podged some scrapbook paper on top to give it a more modern effect?

But I'm having a hard time deciding on whether to paint it the same shade of turquoise or go with a nice glossy black for contrast.

I can't decide.

Did I mention I found fabric for the couch pillows?

My good friends Grandmother agreed to make some pillow covers for me, until I break down and buy a sewing machine, and those are screaming: COLOR!!

I am still hell bent on stenciling a new rug for the living room and am hoping to convince my husband to go with me to IKEA this weekend to pick it up. ( along w/ some new curtains to stencil as well)

I've already got the stencil, paint colors & the fabric medium needed to "make it work"

I just need those final pieces and I don't think I can carry the rug by myself.

Well rather, I don't think that I should.

I know he won't see my vision just yet but once I'm done he'll have no choice but to surrender to my monumental creative genius!!

(muwwhahahahaa!)

And I'd like to have all my painting projects done by the end of this month.

I'm getting bigger by the day it seems and this belly is not conducive to laying on the floor and getting my craft on!

There is something about the new year that brings out the creative in people don't you think?

What projects are you working this year?

Naturally Inclined

2012-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

I think the word "natural" is being a bit misused as of late.

Being that I am in the home stretch of this pregnancy (thank you Lord!) I am getting inundated with emails about preparing for labor.

There are at least 75 articles a week that I get sent about how to have a "natural birth", how to avoid a c-section and preparing for a 'natural vaginal birth' both with and without the epidural.

I'm amused that there are no shortage of opinions on how a woman should behave and respond in labor a "natural" process that our bodies know how to deal with all on their own.

Whether we are prepared or not.

In a recent statement it was said Beyonce gave birth "naturally" to her new baby girl, while prior reports said that she had a C-section.
Who's to say what they meant by "natural"?????

I also find it intriguing that there are so many definitions as to what is "natural".

Some would define it as giving birth with no drugs what-so-ever.

Others still would say no anything; no drugs, no use of medical intervention in any way, just good old fashioned lamaze breathing and pushing.

Others might say a "natural birth" is doing exactly as God intended.

Whatever, that may be.

Epidural, C-section, medical intervention - whatever is necessary to aid the process.

The point is: there are many different ideas.

And in this case, it really is "to each their own".

No one can knock anyone else's decisions on what to do with their body and how they choose to deliver their child.

For some women - they dream of natural birth (i.e. no drugs) and others just want to push a baby out of them to have "the full experience of motherhood" others still, just want to get the baby out healthy by any means necessary.

I think I fall into the latter category.

I have made no secret of my decision to have a repeat c-section.

I know what the risks are, what complications can occur and what the recovery will be like.

And I am still choosing to give birth this way.

I've realized along the way that this bothers some people.

I'm not sure why, but it strikes a chord in them.

I was asked recently when I was due and made the mistake of telling them I was having a c-section about a week before my "due date".

I received a flat "Why?" in response.

As much as I get asked that and have had to defend my position I wasn't really expecting it at that moment.

I could feel my hackles being raised but then I realized, perhaps, she really was just curious and was not questioning ME as a mother.

Interesting how perspective works isn't it?

So I explained: It's in my best interest and that of my child.

I had one for Sweet Pea.

I went full term (40 weeks) and nothing was happening.

It's been said that I don't really have the body for labor (no hips to speak of and a small pelvis) so I'm not sure that I'm able to push a baby out. Nor do I want to risk extra days in pregnancy to satisfy my own selfish needs or desires to prove myself a "real woman".

And I'm totally okay with that.

We did what God intended for her birth, and this time, well this time we are preparing to do it the same way again.

If something different should occur, then so be it. I'm okay with that too.

But right now, I'm going to do what feels "natural" to me ; and that has already been scheduled and penned onto the calender.

Anyone ever question your decisions you felt were "natural"??

whats in a name

2012-01-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

so we are in the pregnancy home stretch and I for one could not BE more excited.

It's been fun, but honestly, I am over it.

I want to meet this kid! See, face to face, who has been kicking me for the last several months and if my dreams of what he looks like are accurate.

I'm also over being uncomfortable and unable to sleep, pick up items from the floor, and move fast.

But I digress.

So throughout this pregnancy I have been referring to the baby as "Baby Ninja" due in part to his ninja like movements on the ultra-sound and the fact that I'm convinced he's doing tae-kwon do (or something along those lines) in my belly. He's also been - "the occupant" or "tenant I'm ready to evict".

But we've had a hard time picking out a name.

Maybe it's because we had mostly girl names picked out originally and had to suddenly switch gears.

Perhaps its because we have had so many suggestions (no Q - Britannicus is NOT happening) and ideas offered to us it's been overwhelming.

But we wanted to take our time.

Sweet Pea was a bit easier.

I had a list of names I liked and just ticked them off with potential middle names, found one that fit and thus

Camryn Alexis was born.

This kid - well like I said, it's been different all around.

And it seems like everyone wants to know "what's the baby's name????"

Guess what? We want to know too!! Ha!

We haven't told anyone what the names are though they are displayed in plain sight in the house but we are really having a hard time.

We've now narrowed it down to three (no I'm not revealing them just yet) and are planning on letting our friends and family vote for their favorite at the baby shower.

From there we will make a decision once he arrives.

D and I both are feeling like we need to look at him to see which name fits.

Of course I have my favorite, D has his and Sweet Pea for sure has her personal preference

(side bar - every single name she has suggested has been for kids we already know or kids in her classes. It's pretty funny)

So there you have it.

Oh and for those that are really curious - all the names we have chosen begin with either a "B" (which will make us the alphabet family : A,B,C,D) or a "C" (keeping with Sweet Pea's first name).

I must admit I'm excited to see what people will vote for as I think that will possibly sway one of us to the other's side as well!

Wish us luck!

Monday miscellany

2012-01-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

My friend Katie tagged me in this post and since it's so much like completing a survey (and I LOVE surveys) I decided to participate as well. I won't tag anybody since I doubt they'd do this but I appreciate the love from Katie all the same!

[the rules]

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag 11 people and link them on your post

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

So my "fun" facts

I am a huge book nerd. I love to read. All.the.time. I would rather read than do anything. and that's saying a lot
I wear makeup in some form EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. even if I'm not leaving the house I at least put on mascara. it's a sickness, I know.
My favorite color is not just purple. It's actually lavender. I lost my favorite lavender members only jacket in 2nd grade and still haven't recovered
I've been engaged twice. to the same man. eventually I married him =)
I'm not very "outdoorsy". I like to be outside and hang out but I'm not a camping kind of girl.
I'm obsessed with game shows. Jeopardy and Family Feud are my favorites
I would rather write out my feelings than talk about them. I get too emotional and flustered because I can never find the right words.
I am incredibly sensitive for someone who is constantly sarcastic. It's a defense mechanism.
Pinterest is my crack, Hobby Lobby my drug dealer and my imagination fuels the fire
I like to have private dance parties in my bedroom. It's only awkward if someone else is home and catches me mid booty shake.
I love to host functions at my home. I am a home body that likes to be around people and this is the best of both worlds.

[questions from Katie]

1. If you could only own cats or only own dogs for your entire life, which would you choose?

Dogs. I'm allergic to cats

2. What was the last dream (sleep dream) you had that you can remember?

I was looking for curtains in IKEA and they didn't have the ones I really wanted and my hubby was trying to make me settle for the others. I was not pleased.

3. If you had no fear of failure, what would you do?

Everything.

4. If you could save only one photograph, what would it be?

One of the three of us from our wedding day. There is so much joy in that one photo it makes my heart sing.

5. Deserted Island: What three books would you take?

Dorothy West's "The Wedding", Pearl Cleage's "What looks like Crazy on an Ordinary Day", Anything by Patricia Cornwell

6. What skill do you wish you had and why?

The ability to sew. I think it would be handy to hem my own clothes, make pillows and other fun items

7. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Anything in my crock pot or dutch oven. Lately it's been bbq chicken in either - it's just so tender and falls off the bone....mmmm

8. How long does it take for you to get ready to go out of the house?

Used to be 20 minutes (providing I've already showered) but now its a bit longer since I'm not moving as fast as before

9. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Going to the Cayman Islands with my Dad and brother. It was so relaxing and beautiful and its on my top 10 list of favorite trips

10. Deserted Island: What three movies do you take? (and yes, this strange island has a DVD player, don't ask!)

Clueless, Pirates of the Caribbean or the Star Wars Saga, The Color purple

11. How long on average does it take you to read a book?

2-3 days give or take

Focus on Friendship

2012-01-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about change,timing, relationships and priorities.

Partially due to the little ninja who will be arriving next month and that will be a huge change for us. But also in part to a lot of things I've been reading, hearing and seeing.

It seems that we are in season of change over here in so cal.

Not a bad thing but just a growth period for us. And within that growth our priorities are being re-defined and re-focused. This is a good thing. We are finding ourselves drawn to more like minded individuals and pursuing relationships with them rather than just accepting or creating any old friendship.

That's not to say that we can't be friends with those that have other views or ways life but just that lately it seems the relationships we are growing in are the ones that are much like our own.

This holiday season it was definitely evident how our lives are changing yet again. We've spent more time with friends, building our famdamily, and reveling in those relationships than we ever have before.

Christmas Eve, we went by the home of one of D's best friends homes to just hang out before the hoopla of the next day that was to be spent with our kin......and there was something so cool about the simple joy of spending a few hours eating snacks, the kids playing, babies toddling and hubby's domino-ing (yes I just made that a word).
It was so simple but we had a grand time.
As we were on our way home I mentioned to D that we should do that every year from now on. Alternate houses, of course, and just spend Christmas Eve together as a group. He agreed it was a great idea.
Particularly since our older kids have grown up together ( we have photos of the Tweens back when they were 5,7&9 now they are 9, 12 and 15)

and we would like our younger kids to have the same opportunity.

Especially as the older the kids get the busier our "schedules" get and the less time we seem to have to just "kick it".

It's also been interesting to me note the changes in D's relationship with his closest friends over the last year.

They have been friends for a few decades and grew up together.

Now almost all of them have experienced fatherhood for the second time around in the last year and a half. They are older and wiser....and they have begun to realize they have to make more of an effort to keep up w/ each other similar to the way us women do.

There need to be boys nights filled with poker, cigars and video games, boys trips and excursions (there is a reason that paintball gun is sitting in our garage) and grill offs. They need to take time to nurture the friendships they have built before they look up and realize how much of each others lives they have missed out on.

Similarly we women need our ladies nights, spa days and the like.
We need these relationships to strengthen ourselves and when we get that time away we come back to our daily lives refreshed and with new perspectives.
It's all relative.

This year we've decided to really focus on these relationships, be they new or old. Make the effort to reach out and find out what's going on. Be supportive and nurturing in all things and generally spend more time together.
Its been sad to see some of our friendships fall by the wayside due to lack of communication but thus is life and we will continue to look forward and not back.
I'm excited about the coming year and the many activities we will all get to participate in and how our kids will grow up together and one day when we are old and gray we will look back on these memories and say:
"It was all worth it. Thank God we put in the time and effort. These people have been a source of support for us for the last__ number of years."
Even better - is that our kids will have these memories and this famdamily for a lifetime if they so choose.

And in the end.....that's really what it's all about.

little pleasures

2012-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

Today was unlike any other day I've had in a while.

I did absolutely nothing.

And by nothing I mean, I did not work on a craft, run 25 errands by 2pm, workout or anything of the sort.

I got up earlier than anticipated and prepped for my doctor's appointment only to receive a call that she was at the hospital and would not be available until late afternoon.

So I took advantage and had a brief nap. A rarity for me.

I had to stop at the store to pick up a few things for dinner

(which I won't be cooking in part to my lovely husband and my mother.....courtesy of the Kansas City Steak Company).

I picked up my favorite lunch of a personal pepperoni pizza from Round Table, came home, plopped on the couch and watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

I rocked in the glider in the nursery to get a feel for it.

I didn't even look at the things in there that need a 'home' and was content to put my feet up for several hours.

I've had a very simple day and I liked it.

There are things that I could go do and take care of but I realize (as I've said in the last day or so) that I'm slowing down.

All the hustle and bustle of the last month has finally caught up with me and my body is having none of my brains urge to 'get 'er done'.

And for once, I am listening. No mind over matter here. Because at this stage in the game, matter is definitely out weighing the mind (quite literally).

It's funny to me to be in this state.

I'm usually a constant ball of motion, rarely sitting still for more than a few minutes before jumping up to tackle the next project/task.

Matter of fact a Christmas card from my dad mentioned his desire for me to relax and enjoy things. Take it slow.

And New Year's day I got a mini-lecture from my mother about resting and taking care of myself.

My husband tells me about it all the time too. He's constantly reminding me that I am pregnant and somewhat limited in the things I can do. He encourages me to not push myself too hard. Which is great.

However, being the spitfire that I am......it's kind of hard.

I don't believe in being sedentary (even though I am inherently lazy) or not taking action in some way whenever the mood strikes.

But today....I have done nothing.

I am doing nothing.

Sure I'm writing a bit but all that's done from my ipad and doesn't require a lot on my part other than sitting still long enough to form a coherent sentence.

Perhaps later in the week I'll bust out some paint and finish the sign for the downstairs bathroom, make that trip to Staples to print my Subway Art(thank you blogland for the tutorial), bake something yummy for my family, finalize the baby registry, make that IKEA/Barnes&Noble/HomeGoods run........or something.

But right now, today, all I am doing is taking it easy.....and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

enjoying waiting and incubating

2012-01-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

The decorations are down, the festivities are over and tomorrow everyone heads back to work and school.

Suddenly I'm left with morning and afternoons to myself to write, finish art/craft projects and nap at my own leisure.

And oddly, I'm kind of bummed about it.

I've enjoyed the last two weeks more than I thought which is always a good thing right?

Not realizing the blessings you have coming and then being astounded when you receive them?

I enjoyed having Sweet Pea off and doing fun things, just she and I.

Then we had Babe home for a week and we ran errands, laughed, watched movies, read and just enjoyed each others company.

It's exactly what we needed.

In the coming weeks I know things will pick up as we prepare for our little man's arrival and we will be busy and distracted with tiny things.

I also know that I am moving slower and slower and am losing my "umph" so to speak.

It's just not there like it was a few weeks ago.

So I am cherishing this time.

Granted there are days when I forget that I am pregnant and attempt to hop out of bed or off the couch like I could 7 months ago, and am quickly reminded how round and awkward I am.

Sigh.

I am still however obsessed with decorating and adding more color.

The lack of Holiday decor is definitely fueling that as well but it's less of a

"OMG. I MUST DO THIS IMMEDIATELY" type of feeling and more like an "okay so if I get an opportunity to do this, then I will."

I think my hubby will like that more as there is less of a sense of crazy-pregnant-lady urgency on my part.

I just want this space to be cozy and comfy.

I'm realizing that I need to slow down and, as much as I hate to admit, I can't do everything that tickles my fancy right now.

I might not be able to even do it for a while so I need to just relax and let it go.

So I'm working on that.

I'm going to put my feet up and make an effort to 'be still' as much as I can and listen to my body more.

I'll let you know how that works out for me.

Expectations

2012-01-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone!

I hope you all had an excellent NYE and are looking forward to what all this year may bring as much as I am.

Saturday was a bit of a whirlwind.

I'm a firm believer in having a clean house heading into the new year so we spent most of the last few days cleaning, organizing and laundering.

As we prepared our house for the New Year I was struck by a few things:

One - I am REALLY pregnant. Like I can barely bend down to pick things up off the floor pregnant and sometimes I forget that

Two - it has been a GREAT year. I can say that with confidence and smile.
But I digress.......

I was reading another friends blog before I ran off on my errands and she was discussing her past year and what she was looking forward to in 2012 and it reminded me to work on my 'word for the year'.

For the last three years I have picked one word to concentrate on.

One word to articulate what I want for my life in that year.

In 2010 it was all about Faith and learning to lean on it.

In 2011 it was Simplify and discovering what it meant to do with out.

And I can honestly say that those were chosen at the end of the previous year without any thought as to how the year might turn out and the things that would be in store and yet somehow they ended up being so incredibly fitting.

So while I was driving around with Rachel's post still rattling in my head it hit as soon as I pulled in to Party City.

FOCUS.

That is my word for this year.

I want to maintain a level of focus like never before.

Interestingly enough, since I am the queen of scatter-brained, multi-tasking; focus for me has so many meanings.

It's also been my husbands nickname for the better part of 20 years.

One that I always thought was supercool.

I thought about what all that the word Focus meant to me.

More than the obvious of just concentrating on one thing (which we all know is ridiculously hard for me to do).

It's about paying attention to what really matters.

I spent the last year of my life simplifying it.

Getting rid of clutter in all forms (drama, friendships, commitments etc) and really learning to enjoy the simple things that make me smile.

And not just enjoy them but to be present for them, not thinking about how I'm going to post them on the blog, or the next new thing to want, or taking a ton of pictures and not being an active participant.

But to just be.

It was hard for me at first.
I took fewer pictures, I posted a bit less but I grew more as a person than ever before.

I remembered events and inside jokes because I was a part of them instead of looking through my camera lens at all that was happening.

I was purposeful about my blogging and other writings and only wrote when lead to do so and not because of a want to be noticed.

I spent more quality time with my family.

This year our family is changing in a most significant way.

After more than a decade we are adding a 4th member.

And I want to cherish this time more than anything.

I want to focus on the things that are really important to me.

My family.

My friends.
My relationships.

My writing.

My makeup.

My creativity.

These are all things that make me, ME.

I looked up the exact definition of the word (because I'm a nerd) and was pleased to find that the concrete definition fit what I'm looking for:

Definition: focus

The concentration of attention or energy on something

That's it in a nutshell. Basically just concentrate my energy and attention on the things that really matter.

So this year there will be more laughing, loving and spending time with family and friends because that's whats important to me.

There will be time spent on writing and growing as a writer.

There will be makeup done and beauty created when there is time and I won't be trying to be something I'm not.

Just doing all things in the timing that the Lord provides and being okay with that.

I truly look forward to all that this year has in store and can't wait to look back and see how my focus has changed over the course of 12 months.

I'm not making any strong "resolutions" this year other than to stick to this word.

To come back to the definition if I somehow feel stuck or conflicted in some way.

I hope you all stick around for the ride......

Sayonara 2011

2011-12-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

I had planned to do a "Christmas wrap-up" post but honestly I've been lazy and feeling every bit the 7.5 months pregnant this week.

And I've been really enjoying having my people out of school and off work to just hang around the house with.

We've been sleeping in and staying up late and working around the house a bit and it's just been fun.

I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2011.

It seems this year has gone by so fast!

There have been so many ups and downs but I am thankful for it all.

It was a pretty good year.

I can't say that I'm oh so sad to see it go but 2012 means we are that much closer to meeting our new baby ninja!!

Can't wait.

So thank you 2011 you've brought us so much:

Sweet Pea turned 9

Our first trip to the Jazz Festival

We celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary

We lost a dear friend

We found out we were pregnant with Baby Ninja

We found out Baby Ninja was a BOY!!

My brother got into grad school

My god-sisters got engaged

I joined and became addicted to Pinterest (follow me!!)

I've pushed myself when it came to my crafting adventures

I had to take a leave of absence from work

Growing my makeup business into something I'm really proud of

We've made this house more of a home than we thought possible

I read approximately 45+ books

I bought about 10 pairs of shoes (thanks Hautelook and Sole Society)

I cherished my new friendships and cultivated existing ones

I began to explore other avenues for my writing and became a featured writer at The Smartly

The birth of several friends babies.......the list goes on.....

All in all it has been a good year.

There are no complaints in the Dorsey household and we can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!!

We will be celebrating at home with a few friends and our Sweet Pea and by midnight I will be sipping on Sparkling Cider and wearing a very large grin remembering where we were last year and how very different this NYE is from those past......and I wouldn't change a thing.

So from my family to yours.....

Happy New Year!!!

See you in 2012!!!

wish list

2011-12-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

I've been a really good girl all year and have a few items I'd like to see under my tree this year.

If any of you could make that happen - that'd be swell.

Silhouette Cameo

Clairsonic skincare brush

O.P.I for Sephora - nail color set

black leather booties

Bootylicious Buns DVD

Jonathan Adler decorating book

Ridiculously large makeup carrier to cart around my goods

What's on your list this year???

week in review

2011-12-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

What started out as a pretty calm simple week got a little bit hectic without my even realizing it.

Monday it decided to rain so I pretty much stayed in until it was time to pick up Sweet Pea.

view from my "office"

The weather inspired me to whip up one of my favorite Pinterest found dishes Chicken Tortilla Soup and it was a wondrous hit.

I also managed to finish up some artwork for the nursery.

Tuesday I had some quality time with my other favorite guy, my Dad. We went to get Sweet Pea's gifts from him (read I picked them out and he went home to wrap them)

Wednesday was pretty chill. I had to run some errands before getting the kid and was subsequently whipped by the time she got out of school.

Upside was Babe got to come home early as his office "holiday party" was that afternoon and they all got sent home by 3pm.
It was nice to have him home earlier than usual.

Thursday was a short school day so I had to quickly squeeze in a workout before dashing out the door to get the kid. Well let's face it, I'm not really "dashing" anywhere these days. More like walking (waddling?) quickly and awkwardly to my car.

She and I then went to Target to pick up a book for her Holiday book exchange and $100 later we left.

I have no idea what happened there.
I also managed to finish wrapping all the gifts!! I have a few more handmade things I'm going to whip up this week but those won't take long so I'm JAZZED.

taaa-daaah!

Friday I attempted to go get the kid a few things from my mom for Christmas (cuz MY shopping is all done!) but once again it was an early day so that threw my whole morning off.

The kid and I also made Cream Cheese Lemon Bars - I highly recommend this recipe.
It's super delicious.

Later that evening I was able to have a rather lovely chat w/ my BFF Michelle in Connecticut. The time difference usually works out for us to get in at least an hour long convo if her hubby is working and we're dilly-dallying about what to have for dinner.

I heart her. She just gets me.

Saturday I slept in. I was tired. Then we hit up Babies R' Us to work on the registry.

Babe felt like they have a broader selection than Target.

I've already started one online for Target. So now we have two.Swell.

After that we went to IKEA - to scout a chair for the nursery. I found one I liked

Babe is not so sure about the width of the seat. I tried to remind him it was mostly for me to sit in while nursing in the nursery......he didn't see it that way so we're kind of back to the drawing board.

We did however end up with a night stand.

Not the fabulous flashy one I posted last week.

over-budget option

Something a little more simple and streamlined.

As much as I loved my flashy version, I realized it I would be doing a lot of cleaning on that glass and that is simply not how I wish to spend my time.

Maybe when the Ninja baby is a bit older.......

Upside is I now get to use my HomeGoods gift cards on something else to quench my nesting instincts!! whoo hoo!!

I did also check out the rug I've been thinking about painting.

I needed to see how soft (or not) it was and its about the same as our current rug so I will be heading back there after Christmas and getting my creative on!

I've found a couple of options and am having a hard time deciding on which would be "perfect".

We also found a great desk for Sweet Pea's room for under $100 so that was wonderful.

It's plain white so we can get creative with vinyl or stencils if need be when the time comes.

I'm pretty excited (as is she) about the room re-do process for her. She's outgrown the current style and 'theme' so now its time for something a little more fun.

(insert onslaught or pre-natal hormones and tears here).
Sigh.

Today we are pretty much just staying around the house, football in the background, candles lit and just enjoying being still for a bit.
Yeah right.
I'm going to find some project to work on (sign for the downstairs bathroom door) and sketch out the layout for the living room.
I would like to add new curtains but am uncertain (as always) as to which direction I should go in.

fabric chosen for pillow covers

I was thinking I may just find some solid fabric in coordinating colors for the rest of the pillows and possibly stencil one or two of those but I definitely need a second opinion.
Fortunately I have a sister-in-love who has a degree in Interior Design who will, no doubt, be happy to offer up her opinion as well as a few friends coming by that who's ideas I can solicit as well.
I can't wait for it to all come together!
Bring on the color!

What did you all do this week?

2012 - big plans for a big year

2011-12-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

Next year is going to be life altering for us here at Sweet Peaz corner.

We will be welcoming Baby Ninja into our homes in February and that's going to be huge.

Sweet Pea will be turning 10 the following month and I don't know if my hormones will ever recover.

Babe will be celebrating his 10 year anniversary at his company, which is spectacular for someone in the banking industry in this day and age.

My brother will begin graduate school to work on his Masters.

Both of my god-sisters are getting married in June.

I'm going to be 33.(oy)

Times they are changing.

So I've compiled a bit of a list of things that I'd like to see happen next year.

I feel like I have so many things I'd like to do all the time, but it's generally just a mental list and most of it I never get around to until it's too late.

So I thought while I have some time, why not compile my "To-Do List for 2012"

12 in 2012

Buy a sewing machine and learn to sew - I'm not trying to make dresses or anything major just yet. But I feel compelled to at least learn to make pillow covers and curtains to start with. Then perhaps I will make a cute scarf like my friend Shanna or slip cover a couch / chair like I do in my dreams.
Sell wedding dress. Sorry folks I love it but it's really just taking space in my closet and we haven't the room for it.
Do more freezer cooking. Let's face it, with a new baby the odds of me feeling like cooking dinner 4 nights a week are slim to none. If I already have some meals prepared it will definitely save some time. If not my sanity.
Get a better cleaning schedule. I am terrible about this. I clean sporadically and maniacally. If I had a schedule it would definitely be beneficial.
Be more organized. I.E. use the ideas I see online and implement them!!! I have a boatload of nifty organizing tips but have only utilized a handful of them. I want to make it a point to make this house more efficient.
Re-do Sweet Pea's room. My baby girl is growing up. She is entering the "tweeny bopper" stage and her room should reflect that.
Go on more dates with my husband. We spend time together and hang out but it's been awhile since just he and I got away for a decent dinner.
Sell my Cricut and get a Silhouette. I need to stop talking about it and just 'do it'. I know what I want and why I want/need it. So it's time.
Return to the Playboy Jazz Festival. We had such a good time last year and I cannot wait to do it again!
Do more makeup. Professionally. Not just for the family. Really build a business that I can be proud of and that allows me to spend time with my family while nurturing my passions.
Write. Again professionally (as in get paid for it) and expand my genres and horizons. really push myself.
Plant an herb garden. I've been saying for years that I want to do this so it's high time I stopped talking about it and became about it.

I think 12 things is a good list so far. I'm sure I will come up with a few more but for now these are what are near and dear to my heart.

And the ones I think I can feasibly accomplish.

Anything on your 'to-do' list for 2012??

the art of saying "no"

2011-12-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

I read a fabulous essay the other day about a woman ( a mother) who had recently moved to a new town and who's daughter wanted to be a girl scout. So they signed up. But there was no one to be in charge of the cookie selling and the mother reluctantly went to the first meeting knowing all the while that she did not want to.

Apparently none of the other mothers did either. She felt bad as her daughter had her heart set on this aspect of being a girl scout but simply realized it was not within her power or family's best interest to attempt to take on this added responsibility.

I had to give her props. It's hard to say no. Especially to your children. And to others who have certain expectations of what a mother should be doing. going above and beyond for those in her family. Pushing herself to the limits until she is ready to break.

Go hard or go home right?

And then I saw this fabulous poster on Pinterest

Wow.

How appropriate is that?

At first I wanted to be offended.

Of course I can do it all!

I am superwoman/mom!!!

But then reality kicked in. No, actually I cannot. Nor do I want to.

Because "doing it all" means sacrificing something at some point.

My time with my husband, sleep, my sanity, time with my child or just simply time with myself.

Doing things I need to do to take care of me.
To run this house efficiently and effectively.

See, the past two years I've learned the hard way what happens when I stretch myself too thin and I don't choose to go back to those ways/days so I make it a point to limit myself.

It's better for all parties involved if I do.

But admittedly, it's hard.
You want to be there for people, be everything to everybody.

Support that friend, go to that lunch/dinner, make those treats for the classroom and then volunteer for the party, help out a family member.

Those are all things we can do daily but when those extra things creep up (being a GS cookie leader for instance) it just stresses us out even more.

It's not helping anyone.
One of my girlfriends and I have a similar personality streak in that we are people pleasers.
Chalk it up to a warped sense of inadequacy as children and always wanting to be the best, or the very least 'helpful', a need to be needed, we have a tendency to do for others.
And that's all well and good if we limited it to what needed to be done and within our means.
But there have been times when we both have gone above and beyond for someone who is not likely to return the favor to us.
And that stinks.
Both of us have learned that sometimes we need to just say no - it's not always pleasant and guaranteed some people will not like it or be pleased but hey what is it they say?
"you can't please all of the people all of the time"????
The major point I guess I'm trying to make is that it's completely okay to say no to things from time to time.
Especially if you get that little nagging voice in the back of your head that groans inwardly when asked to do a favor or go out of your way.
Just simply say "No. I am unable to at this time"
You don't really have to offer an explanation for why, it just simply is the way that it is.
This time of year is especially hard for us people pleasers.
We want to say yes to every party, event and occasion.
We want to get gifts for all on our list even if that means breaking the bank.
It's been hard getting out of this habit but little by little I've been breaking it.
I've had to turn down offers to do things I think that I could handle, but would have required a fair amount of juggling, and I'm okay with that.
Because as I've learned,
I can't do it all.

decor dilemma

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes being somewhat indecisive can be a good thing.
It saves me from making rash decisions and a lot of impulse buying.

My compelling need for a second (and sometimes third) opinion has proved to be quite the money saver over the years.

However, there are times when I need to just go ahead and make a decision on something but I get stuck.

I waiver. I mull it over and over in my mind. I weigh the pros and cons.

And then I ask for a second opinion.

It's kind of a pain in the ass really, but this is just how I roll.

When it comes to home decor this strategy is particularly ineffective.

I usually find a piece I think is perfect for the house, fall in love with it and convince myself how well it will "work" and then spend the next few minutes/hours/days deliberating about my choice.

I take pictures to show Babe of something he could care less about, take Facebook polls and send mass texts/ IM's to my friends inquiring as to their opinion.

It usually works out but I really need to just go with my gut.

I know what I want (sort of) I'm just so unsure of how it will 'flow' with the rest of the pieces in our home.

Right now - our place is a bit of a hodge podge of style elements.

There is no one piece that screams: THIS is who we are. this is what our style is all about.

No - we just have pieces we like here and there.

And that's fine with me. I don't need a polished look.

I'm far too eclectic for that.

My husband however, is a bit more of a traditionalist.

Which is why I am generally against throwing caution to the wind and just getting what I want.

It does happen from time to time but it's rare.

However, when I do - it generally turns out to be fantastic and something I adore.

The whole catalyst for this rant began a few weeks ago when we realized I desperately needed a nightstand.

Babe and I switched sides (of the bed) so now I have no place to put my water in the evening.

Now, most would think to just move the side table from one side to the other but the alarm clock is plugged in on that side and I do not wish to be responsible for turning it on or off.

Last week he turned in our bank rewards points and we got a few fun gift cards with them. One of them being for about $75 to HomeGoods/TJMAXX/Marshall's.

I know what I want and was thrilled to began my search at HomeGood's on Monday.

I spent over an hour in there just wandering and found a few pieces to my liking so I was jazzed.

Unfortunately they were a bit over my $75.

kind of blah - would spruce up w/ paint/stencil

however it was on sale for $69-definitely within my budget

FAB but it's $55 over my budget

equally fabulous but still way over the budget

Therein lies my dilemma.

Do I go ahead and splurge on the fabulous mirrored night stand or settle for something a bit more practical and then spruce it up w/ a stencil or vinyl decal?

The upside to not splurging is that I found some wicked cool pillows for my couch downstairs that would add the 'pop' of color I have been ~~missing~~ longing for.

Those coupled with a fabulously stenciled rug with the same color accents would definitely snazz up the joint.

And there were also some fun hand towels to jazz up the downstairs bathroom.

So I'm torn.

For what I would spend on the fancy mirrored stand I could use for a new rug + paint.

But I'm in LOVE with those blue pillows as well.

Decisions, decisions.

Tell me: What would YOU do?

Featured!!

2011-12-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot - (blame the baby brain)

I'm featured over here today!!

Go forth and come take a trip with me down my fashion memory lane!!

Let me know what you think!!

quick thoughts on thursday

2011-12-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful my morning and I am up out of bed before 9am.

This is a rarity for me.

Sleep is not really my friend right now so I try to get in as much as I can when I can, lately that's been from 7:30am - 9:30am.

But today I'm up.

I'm not super articulate just yet so you get bullet points:

I was super productive yesterday - kicked Wednesday's "hump" if ya know what I mean - 4 loads of laundry (washed, folded AND put away), changed the sheets on our bed, cooked dinner and managed to squeeze in a yoga session in the late evening.
Had a wonderful weekend so I went into the week feeling great. Spent Saturday with my Sweet Pea watching movies and having floor picnics until about midnight.
Sunday was a work mafia reunion- brunch that lasted for about 4 hours. My face hurt for hours I laughed so hard and so long. I love those girls.
Finished wrapping gifts on Tuesday. I have 3 more things to buy, a couple to make and we are done! I aim to be completely done by next week so as to free up my time once Sweet Pea goes on break.
Worked on the baby registry and this weekend we will be heading in store to complete it.
Routine Dr.'s appointment. Confirmed Baby Ninja is head down (hence the rib kicking), heart rate is excellent and I'm measuring about 2 weeks bigger than I actually am. Swell.
Still haven't started my nursery art projects but have ~~delusions~~ plans for that on the distant horizon.
Installed Google Chrome on the computer and am finally able to post into TheSmartly!!
Found out my god-sisters are getting married a day apart this June and I've been volunteered for makeup duty for both. I am over the moon excited!!!
Mapped out a birthing plan and post baby body plan. Feels good - even if it is only on paper.

So yeah - that's what I've been up to all week.

Now I'm off to allegedly get in a work out (we'll see how that goes) and perhaps fold some laundry before I have to go get Sweet Pea (today's her minimum day).

How's your week going?

the situation

2011-12-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

Being pregnant is probably one of the most blessed experiences a woman can have.

You are creating life within your very being.

There is something really magical about that.
But can we get real for a minute here?

The flip side of that is that wreaks havoc on your body in ways you never could imagine.

We all know the obvious, your stomach swells as do your feet, there is nausea to be dealt with followed by a voracious appetite.
But what about the stuff that no one talks about?
I was on the bump.com the other day and somehow got into an article the 10 strangest things about pregnancy.
I was cracking up.
No one tells you that not only will your boobs grow twice their normal size, they might leak, itch and otherwise be a complete nuisance.
Oh and you might lose your voluptuousness post baby.
You know that your belly will swell, thusly making it hard to see your shoes but does anyone talk about how you can no longer shave your legs?
Not too mention the bikini area. Yikes.
No one wants to feel like a hairy beast on top of being a roly poly.
And on the subject of hair, lets talk about how rapidly it grows!
Oh.my.word.
It's great for the hair on your head, I've gotten an extra two inches at least and I couldn't be more thrilled with that.
What I'm not thrilled about is the rapid growth under my arms and the sudden appearance of hair along my stretched and swollen belly.
Babe and I were joking about it the other night much to my chagrin.
Then there's the hair loss that some women are subject to postpartum.
Shedding at its finest. It's insane.
You spent 10 months growing all this extra hair and then suddenly it just begins to fall out???
How is that fair?
The other thing women don't discuss?
The gas.
Let's be honest here: we all burp and we all *toot* as it were, but the difference between pregnant gas and everyday gas is the lethality (is that even a word?) and consistency of said gas.
Once pregnant you turn into a frat boy in a beer belching contest and there is no stopping it.
As for tooting.......well let's just hope there's a dog around to blame it on cuz it is usually just all kinds of wrong.
And what about not being able to get in and out of things as easily?
I'm not talking about small spaces either.
The other night I got stuck in my pants. Got them all the way to my calves and couldn't really reach the hems to tug them off.
Embarrassingly enough I had to call my husband in the room for assistance. He found me laying on the bed with my pants just past my knees, feet in the air, desperately trying to reach my ankles.
I laughed so hard I cried. He cracked up as well.
And at least twice a week he has to help me pull my boots off as I can't really reach the bottom of the heel anymore.
But no one talks about those things.
There are others I could mention but I'll choose to keep those a "surprise" for my never-been-pregnant friends.
It's quite interesting to me that most of these topics aren't usually broached by women the world over.
I'm sure some ladies discuss it but only amongst their closest girlfriends and if it's brought up in a group, looks are exchanged and denials are issued "well that never happened to ME".
Isn't it ironic, the one time/ topic we should be willing to go full monty on (in regard to disclosure) we somehow find too personal to share?
Strangers see your goods ladies, at that point, nothing should be too personal to discuss with the ladies.

Were there any surprises that you discovered when you were pregnant?

Craft-a-holics anonymous.

2011-11-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

Once again I feel as though I might burst.

Baby Ninja is pushing and stretching, trying to turn his one bedroom apartment into a penthouse and I devoured a delicious dinner at Wabi Sabi with my dad & family.

Not a good combo.

But it's all good.

27 weeks down and only 13 more to go!

I've mentioned how badly I'm nesting and it's getting a little bit out of control.

I have all these ideas and crazy urges to get stuff done in a major way and it seems as though time is slowly slipping through my hands.

However, today I had to do my glucose screening (yuck) and had nothing to read for the hour they made me wait so I made a rather extensive "to-do" list.

That made me feel a bit better to have things sort of written in stone - now let's just hope I can remember where the list is and to do it all!

I think I will also put it on my phone and set reminders as well.

I also have a bad case of the "I wants".

What can I say it's Christmas time and as I'm knocking items off my list for others I can't help but see things that tickle my fancy as well.

Unfortunately my budget is slim and my dreams are big.

I am currently obsessed with the Silhouette Cameo.

OBSESSED I tell you.

I entered 3 separate giveaways Thanksgiving weekend but sadly did not win any of them.

I do have the original Cricut that I was able to purchase second hand from a friend of mine earlier this year and it has been super fun to play with but shortly after I got it I heard tell of this Silhouette machine and was all a flutter.

Then I forgot about it.

But now I'm obsessed as most of my favorite blogs use it for decorating their own homes and creating magnificent gifts, labels and other treats.

My mind is spinning with all the things I can do and the more I read about what others have done the more excited I get.

I can do a lot with my Cricut but because I have the basic version I am somewhat limited.

Factor into that, the cost of cartridges + the cost of diapers we will soon be investing in and you have a lot of money being spent.

So, now I'm working on a few resourceful ways to get my Silhouette machine.

I would of course sell my Cricut + the cartridges once I got the other machine so that's an extra bonus.

So that's where I'm at right now.

That and my new love of all things stencils.

I mentioned my desire to paint a rug no?

Well I found another tutorial on The Idea Room and they got their stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils - a fabulous site full of.....you guessed it...STENCILS! In all shapes and sizes and I am over the moon excited about it.

(oh and did I mention I could create my own stencil with the Silhouette?)

So yeah - I have a crafting problem right now.

Pinterest isn't helping the situation any either.

I have about 6 wrapped canvas's in my living room that need to be painted, stenciled/designed, a nursery that needs finishing, vinyl laid out and ready for me to cut to label my counter top canisters, rugs to vacuum and all I can think of is "what more can I make???"

I think I may need an intervention.

This is getting out of hand.

black friday= crazytown

2011-11-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

so Sweet Pea stayed out in the Valley on Thursday to spend time w/ her auntie & cousins.

Which left Babe and I with two whole days to ourselves.

We came home after dinner and laid about on the couch for a bit and then hopped up to go join the crazies at Wal-mart for their 10pm sale to see if we could get Sweet Pea a couple of Wii games on her list.

Oh.My.Lanta.

I have never seen such chaos in my life. And not like organized chaos, but frenzied, body crushing, sweat smelling over-crowded chaos.

And here I am, 6 months pregnant, gently trying to push my way down an aisle to see about some games.

Turns out the games were not where they usually were(of course not, why would they be?) but back in the direction of where I'd come. Swell.

So I went, found the line and stood in it. Chatted with some characters (the couple behind- the wife had been there since 7am!) and waited for my husband to come rescue me from the oddities.

At one point I looked at D and said "these people are nuts". He looked down at me and smiled: "Babe- we ARE these people". Ohhh....right.

We managed to snake our way through the line that cut across the main aisle and intersected w/ the shoppers trying to check out (that line was over an hour), got all the way to the front only to discover the games we wanted were gone.

Suhweet.

So we left. As we were walking out we noticed both firemen and police stationed outside and another line of customers forming waiting for the 12am sale on electronics to begin.

I can only presume that they had them outside due to the fact that,even though it's a super wal-mart, the interior of the store was a full blown fire hazard.

We then cruised by Best Buy as it was 30minutes to midnight but that line was wrapped around the building and we both vetoed the idea of standing out in the cold.

So we went home.

The next day however, we were off by 1pm, armed w/ the kid's wish list and Babe's list of things he'd seen online.

We started at Target where we scored on all items and even got a $10 giftcard to use towards our next purchase!

But I was in full on sensory overload with the amount of people and stuff everywhere.

Things were not where they should be and since I love Target this bothered me to no end so we ended up leaving quickly.

Up next was Michael's for some art/craft supplies for me and with a 50% off coupon we did pretty well.

We then hit, Barnes & Noble for some reading material/gifts and were feeling so good we decided to head back to Best Buy and see what was left.

It was scavenged. We did find one thing on our list for a steal so that was nice to cross off.

As we were leaving Babe asked how I was feeling and I told him fine so he suggested we run into Costco to look at the TV's really quick and I said - "swell. I have to use the bathroom anyway".

See? Win-win!

So we made note of a few TV's to replace the one in our bedroom and then we moved on in the store.

Found another item for Sweet Pea and some DVD's and we hightailed it out of there before we got carried away.

All in all we hit 5 stores in about 5.5 hours and spent minimally but got all we needed.

Score!

We even had time/ energy to stop and pick up a movie and Babe built a fire!

Yesterday, I swung back by Micael's to use my other 50%off coupon (c'mon like I was going to turn that down) on Martha Stewart stencil for my potential rug project and lucked up on some fun scrapbook paper as well.

Came home to the hubs putting up the tree, and hanging stockings and I spent the rest of the afternoon pulling out Christmas decor and setting up my 'arrangements'.

I even got creative and re-purposed the mason jars my dad had used for BBQ sauce!
Filled them with ornaments and a branch and placed them on our side board.....taadaaah!

I left the tree decorating for when Sweet Pea returns.

All in all it was a productive weekend and I'm so happy to have a lot of our gift list knocked out so the next few weeks can be spent hanging out with family and friends and just enjoying the season!

Did you have any fun Black Friday shopping experiences?

stuffed turkey

2011-11-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

I think I just might burst.

Partially out of happiness & pure joy that the Holidays are "officially" here and partly because I've eaten myself into a permanent state of oblivion.

It's been a good weekend. Scratch that, a GREAT weekend.

The kid was off from school all week and we spent it doing crafts w/ our friends the Pierre's, she went with me to my doctor's appointment where she got to hear her brothers heartbeat, and topped it off by spending time with friends and family.
Thanksgiving was a blast as always.
Football blaring from all the tv's, family bustling in and around the kitchen, food coming in droves and when it was all said and done: everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
We ate until we couldn't anymore.
There was more food on that one table than a buffet at Caesar's.

carnage

the aftermath

where did all the pie go???

It made my heart happy to see all the love and care that folks put into their dishes and how we can all come together each year and get our grub on and just enjoy each other.
I was doubly blessed in that one of my best girlfriends was visiting from out-of-town and her mother lives down the street from Babe's uncle so Sweet Pea and I stopped by there before dinner to catch up with her, her sister &mother.
She was making the whole dinner this year and was a little on edge as her mother was hovering in the background,offering up suggestions as mothers are wont to do.
Fortunately me & the kid provided some much needed comic relief right on time!

I also managed to grab a few photos of the family before my preggo hormones took over and forced me to eat.....

Auntie Mimi + Muffin +Sweet Pea

the "Grands"

bookends! Babe & Anthony

traditional pose

mysterious Mai & Me

Dorsey girls!

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (thank God for stretchy pants) and I personally can't wait until next year!

How was your holiday?

giving thanks

2011-11-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

In 2 days time we will be gathered together eating one of the most massive meals in history.

I'm seriously looking forward to this meal.

In fact I have been since I found out I was pregnant. To be pregnant and enjoying food during the holidays is one of the best gifts ever.

Seriously. You should try it. Stretchy pants are in.

Sweet Pea is off from school all week so we have a few relaxing and fun activities planned (if getting rid of toys is fun or relaxing) and some baking.

Soon enough it will be time to get all our ingredients for some delicious mac'n'cheese and I have serious plans to put the kid to work grating cheese.

Mostly I'm looking forward to spending time w/ the family.

Hanging out and sharing laughs while breaking bread is one of my favorite pastimes and something I look forward to.

We're spending the day with Babe's side of the family + my dad.

I know there will be a ton of food, many laughs and good times to be had by all.

The whole season just makes me feel all kinds of good inside.

This weekend we will be pulling out the Christmas decor and making it sparkle up in here!

I'm DEFINITELY excited about that.

But mostly I'm looking forward to curling up on the couch in front of a fire, with candles lit and watching a terrible trilogy of movies and/or reading a good book.
As much as I L-O-V-E summer I am growing to enjoy this time of year as well.
Festive lights and music, family & friends. And food. glorious,overflowing in abundance, food.
Some of what we will be consuming:
3 turkeys (2 fried , 1 oven roasted)
Prime Rib
Honey Baked Ham
Paula Dean's Ultimate Lady's Cheesy Macaroni
Monkey Bread
Oyster Dressing
Cranberry Sauce
Candied Yams
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Banana Pudding
Apple Pie (4)
Jambalaya
Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Pie
Red Beans & Rice
String Beans
Honey Baked Ham
Peach Cobbler
Greens

I may be forgetting a few items but you get the idea. I told you - we go hard.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
What foods do you look forward to?

wherein my husband is ready to kill me

2011-11-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

I've think I might have mentioned how motivated I am to "redecorrange" things around here?

I have all this time and all these ideas, and it gets a little overwhelming sometimes, what with Pinterest and all the blogs enticing me to "whip up something" each week.

And my budget being what it is.....well new and fancy are not always feasible.

I made a trip to Michael's this week ( I honestly think I could've spent the rest of my afternoon happily wandering the aisles) to pick up some supplies for next weeks nursery art projects.

I think I spent a good 45minutes in the paint and stenciling aisle.

Holy sweet biscuits and gravy!

First I had no clue how many options there were for stenciling and what all they could be used on!

slow party of one!

So as I perused the aisle I found several that would work for my art projects and was excited.

I moved down the row to the extraordinary Martha Stewart section and was absolutely floored by all the fanciness!

But what could I possibly use these extra large stencils for?

Enter Pinterest and the IHeartOrganizing blog where they painted a rug for their boys playroom.

Um....sold and sold!

I immediately jumped on Pinterest looking for other links to painted rugs an oh boy did I find them!!

(Jen- the lovely lady behind IHeartOrganizing had a great tutorial to check out)

I've been stuck for the last hour or so plotting.

Jen kept if fairly simple with plain stripes but I saw other links for chevrons and Moroccan inspired prints.

Moroccan Painted Rug by A Little Bite of Everything.

Ikea Numbered Painted Rug by La Factoria Plastica

And then I remembered the lovely stencil I saw at Michael's that tickled my fancy so:

Oh hecks yeah.

I'm so all over this.

Babe came home and found me all aflutter with excitement about my potential project and he just shook his head and said:

"You're really on a painting/crafting kick aren't you?"

Hello? where have you been?

YES!!!

I am unstoppable!!

Or so I think until I actually attempt to tackle a project......but I have no fear that I will succeed.

As the days grow colder and my desire to be out and about is less and less I will need these kinds of things to get me through.

The best part is - I will be so frugal doing a project like this!

Instead of doling out major bucks ($150+) for a brand new rug that may have some of what I'm looking for - I can spend less than $100 on the rug, stencil & paint and get exactly what my little heart desires!

I love it when a plan comes together!

Now I just have to decide on a color scheme!!

Can't wait to get started!

Any fun projects you have planned?

let it be

2011-11-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

I'm finding this quote to be so true at this season in my life.

Even though I'm currently a SAHM - there are still things I want to do, people I want to see, books to read, projects to work on and posts/essays to write.

But I find that I am limited in my hours to do it all.

That vexes me.

I am doing my best to maintain a current state of "presence" at all times.

I want to be cognizant of the time I spend with my Sweet Pea, with my husband and with my friends, with our family before I become all consumed by Baby Ninja and his many wonders.

I know it will happen, just as it did with Sweet Pea, that he's all I will be able to think about and focus on.

So right now I want to just 'be'.

Be in the moment.

Be present.

Be fun.

Be positive and encouraging when needed.
Be home.

But sometimes, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

I find myself forfeiting my much needed afternoon nap in order to run errands so I can be done by the time Sweet Pea is out of school so all we have to do is go home, do homework and chill out.

But then I'm cranky come 5:30 and its too late for a cat nap as dinner needs to be started.

Lame.
I get frustrated and want to move on so I zone out with a book and the next thing I know I've become slacker mom & wife.
I need to get back to my "to-do" lists and focus on tackling a maximum of 3 things per day.
If it doesn't get done the world will not end.
But I will not get this time back.
Ever.
These Thursday moments with my kiddo where we can have lunch, do some homework, get cozy and watch a movie/do a craft/bake something and then perhaps take a nap.
Pretty soon she won't want to hang out with me, she'll be occupied with her friends.
And these evenings with Babe, where we sit and watch TV or read while basking in the delightful fragrance of a fall candle.....those too will be gone all too soon.
Baby Ninja will be here before we know it and much of the evening will be spent tending to him, folding laundry and other mundane chores.
So I for the rest of the year I am making a choice to just "let it be".
Let all the outside stressor go.
Let it be that my floors aren't sparkling if that means we were able to do a fun project and it got a little messy.
Let it be that the laundry sits for a few days if that means I spent time with my husband.
Let it be that I don't make some spectacular straight out of the cook-book, visually appealling dinner if that means we ate leftovers, but had quality time after dinner.
It's going to be hard since I'm a small time control freak but I look forward to the challenge.
My word for this year was "simplify" and I've been focusing on doing that more and more.
Lately, it has been at the forefront of all that I do.
So - I will tell myself that it's okay to just "let it be" and "simplify" what I can and just........enjoy.

what I want.....now

2011-11-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

Right now its one week til thanksgiving and I'm super excited for it as I've grown to really love all the ~~eating~~ family gathering that goes on.

However, that also means there is about a month until Christmas and I haven't even begun to get gifts for people!

Well, that's not entirely true - a few things here and there but the question is: where did I hide them??? eek!

So while I'm doing that, of course my mind starts to wander to MY wish list as well.

I generally have an eclectic assortment of things on my Amazon wish list and it's been growing in the last few weeks as I'm not able to shop for clothes right now.

The new SEPHORA catalog did not help my situation any.

They have so many great items that I definitely need to add to my repertoire.

See examples below:

The Clarisonic Mia complete with samples - a steal at $119 (value of $199)

The Clarisonic is the ultimate facial cleansing tool and I have been lusting after it for quite some time.

Might be time to break down and purchase......unless someone wants to buy it for me?

Fresh Sugar Lust Set $28 ($66 value)

Complete with Lip Polish, Lip Treatment and the Brown Sugar Body Cream + a bag.

Who doesn't love a set that comes with its own carrying case?

So excited!

SEPHORA by OPI 18 piece mini set $48 ($81 value)

An array of nail polish in a spectrum of fun colors?

Umm YES PLEASE!!!

This would last Sweet Pea and I for quite some time and I might even be willing to part with a few of them as individual gifts (stocking stuffers and the like).

What a great deal!

NARS Yorokobi Super Orgasm Set $39 ($51 value)

OMG! I already die for their Orgasm blush (it looks great on absolutely everyone)

so imagine my excitement when I saw this!

The blush, nail polish and lip gloss all in one fell swoop!

I also just realized I have a SEPHORA gift card I've been holding onto since my birthday so score one for my team!

But what to buy???

I'm sure there will be other 'things' that strike my fancy in the coming weeks but this is what's on my mind....NOW.

What's on your holiday wish list?

weekend wrap up

2011-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Is it really already Wednesday?
Holy smokes I'm behind!

My body is thoroughly confused as is my mind.

I kept thinking Friday was Saturday (since Babe & Sweet Pea were home) and then spent most of Saturday convinced we had to head home early due to it being a "school day" the next day!

Oy!

But nevertheless it was still a great weekend. We were busy for sure and we actually haven't been that busy in awhile.

We had something every single day.

Friday I went and did wedding makeup all day.

Saturday we had the pleasure of cheering on our dear friend Al at his graduation from the University of Phoenix.

We had great seats down in front and were able to get a few good shots of the graduate.

Mostly we were just proud to be able to share the moment with him and his family.

Graduations are not normally fun events if you're not the graduate, as they tend to be long and drawn out and somewhat boring but Babe and I made do w/ the little Pierre's and baby Madison to distract us.

Not to mention enjoying the variety of names being called.

After the graduation I went to get Sweet Pea from her Granna's (she enjoyed an evening at the movies watching Puss N' Boots) and we went a birthday party for a girlfriend's daughter.

We walked in the house to pure limbo madness (it was a Luau theme) of 31 kids + adults mingling in her living room!

Yowzers!

Yanina knows how to put on a party though and her decorations were quite Pintersting and cute (get it? Pinterest?)

Sweet Pea had a blast and it was great to catch up w/ my Boo.

Sunday we went by the William's to watch a few football games as Charles and Babe were playing each other this week in Fantasy Football ( Babe won) and we love any excuse to hang out with the "Quartet".

Quenisha went all out and had a variety of snacks for this preggo mama to enjoy and good eats for the Sweet Pea as well.
The guys had fun talking trash about the games and their fantasy football, while Q and I brainstormed a bit on the baby shower, and chatted about life in general.
The girls had long since retreated upstairs and all we heard from them was the occassional thud and & giggle.
Mr. Quentin however, was quite the entertainer and was happy to show off his baseball and bubble blowing skills.
Went home exhausted and full of food and laughs and ready to start our week!
It was indeed a Sunday Funday.

What did you all do this weekend?

2011-11-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

There is something comforting about getting a new book in a series. It's like meeting an old friend at a favorite stomping grounds where you know you'll find instant comfort and warmth.

I stopped by the bookstore to get the Hunger Games and noticed that right in front one of my favorite mystery/crime authors Sue Grafton had a new book in her latest installment of the Kinsey Millhone series "V is for Vengeance".

I've been reading Ms. Grafton's work since I was in high school when my mom was big fan of books on tape and would listen in the car.

At some point I picked up the books for myself and have read them all from A to V.

It's been some time since the last book came out so I was really jazzed to see this book out.

I immediately started reading once I arrived home and was happy to find Kinsey right as I left her.

There is something, so familiar about a book character that you feel like they are a part of the fabric of your life and in a way, this one is.

She has been a part of my life for over a decade and I hers. There are familiar characters and quirks that once re-visited are as welcome as my own family members.

I must admit it did my heart good to read some familiar names and already know their history with Ms. Kinsey.

It's like running into an old friend from high school or college that you haven't seen in awhile but you still "know" without KNOWING.

ya know?

Sometimes it's the littlest things that make the biggest impact.

So that made me quite happy this week.

What's been rocking your world this week?

Friday Fancies

2011-11-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a pretty good day I must say albeit a bit confusing.

It being Veteran's day, Babe and Sweet Pea were home thus leading me to think it was Saturday for most of the day.

I got up pretty early (for me) and high tailed it down to Redondo Beach to do some wedding makeup for a lovely lady.

What a special occasion wedding's are!

And to be married on 11/11/11 - there was definitely some magic in the air.

Specifically since there had been reports of rain today for most of the week.

And it rained a little bit.

But not enough to ruin this lady's special day.

There is something about doing makeup for weddings that makes me all kinds of giddy.

It reminds me of my own special day of course but it's also such a precious time in woman's life and to be allowed to share in that day........well it's an honor.

I felt truly blessed to be a part of Dionne's day and to meet her friends, family and groom.

And she looked pretty good if I do say so myself.

On the way home I had a lovely chat w/ the BFF which is always a good deal and finally took the time to sync my blue tooth to my phone so I could be super hands free.

Of course I was quite confused why there were SO many people on the freeway at 8:30 on a Saturday and then I was reminded that it was 5:45 - on Friday.

Yaay rush hour traffic.

No worries as I had some good tunes and was in great spirits.

I must say , doing makeup while 5months pregnant is pretty interesting as I can't see my belt the way I'm used to so I have to wear it a bit higher on the tummy to be able to reach my brushes.

It looks awkward but it works like no one's business.

I did stop to pick up pizza for my familia which just put a cherry on top of an already stellar day.

Now I'm ready to put my feet up and relax.

********
Oh and a special shout-out to all the Veterans who take such good care of us.

While politicians argue over pieces of paper, those guys are out there getting dirty and gettin it done!

Dad, Alfred, Marc - Love you guys lots.

So what did you all do today? What do you have planned for the weekend?

I am NOT the one

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Someone women adore being pregnant and are quite good at it. They make it look so easy and are absolutely glowing, full of life and love for everyone. I am not that lady.
I am the slightly cantankerous, somewhat snarky, mildly uncomfortable lady who will cut you if you look twice at her snacks. Seriously.Yeah I'm that pregnant lady.
Not to say that I'm a witch or anything I'm just not the most pleasant lady day in and day out.
I'm not running through wheat fields and smilingly jubiliantly at the camera while my husband looks on lovingly and our Sweet Pea smiles angelicly. More like I'm waddling through Target on a mission to get more snickers while Sweet Pea stops in the toy aisle and Babe sighs heavily when I get distracted on my way to the checkout.
My husband just laughs at my attitude and rubs my feet in hopes that will make me feel better. He thinks I'm nuts. And he knows better than to mess with this feisty mama bear.
I was the same way with our daughter except then I thought I was supposed to the be other way. All sunshine and roses and love.
Now I know the truth: not all women are joyous when they are with child. And that's okay.
Yes, there is beauty in it. The wonderment of creating a life and watching as it grows inside of you, feeling all the movements as you shovel ice cream into your mouth while catching up on 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'. It's all fabulous and quite magical. Watching your feet slowly disappear from view and getting up to use the bathroom four times a night - not so much.
And I love the idea of making a tiny human, the one child mutiny happening from within I could, however, do without. But that is a small price to pay for what the end result will be so I guess I can deal for the next 16 odd weeks.
The upside to all this is that my creativity is through the roof. I have a million ideas all floating around in my head and on my Pinterest boards. From the baby's room to sprucing up the house to how I'm going to get back into my skinny jeans. I've got it all planned out. The amount of inertia it would take for me to get off the couch and get it all done is the only thing holding me back.
But pregnancy has been a wonderful boon to my creative process.
Writing has increased tenfold as well, however, usually while I'm trying to get comfortable and fall asleep I find myself mentally writing essays that are full of wit and candor. Getting up to put on glasses and jot down these witty phrases and brilliant essays is a whole other story.
I know that this time will be over all too soon and then I will be obsessed with my tiny little man and his poop and that will be all I can talk about and I'm okay with that. In fact I'm kind of ready for that. But I will miss the ability to sleep late, take several naps and still have the energy to write, cook and create.
I realize that I am not one of those fabulous earth mamas that gets "the glow" and is brimming with love. I am not really interested in having strangers touch/rub my belly (let's be honest who is?). I don't want to discuss cloth vs. disposable diapers, breast milk vs. formula and my delivery decisions.
Nope - I really just want to put my feet up and relax with a margarita, but we all know that's not going to happen.
In the meantime I will settle for a second slice of cake even though my last one was less than 30 minutes ago and I haven't had "real food" just yet. Don't judge me.
I'm pregnant.

what we wore

2011-11-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

In an effort to maintain some semblance of style I'm back to documenting what's working for me on What I wore Wednesday's at The Pleated Poppy.

For the Baby Bump edition we have the below ensemble.

I was pretty jazzed at the idea of getting out of the house and into the public.

And not just the Target/Michael's going public either.

I had a doctor's appt. and could see no reason to not get a little snazzy.

So I did.

apologies for the blurriness - this is what happens when you ask a 9yr.old to use a cell phone camera

On me:

Leggings: Mossimo for Target

Tank: Motherhood Maternity

Jacket: Forever 21

Necklace: Forever 21

Boots: Steven by Steve Madden from Hautelook

isn't she just adorable?

On her:
T-shirt: Target
Scarf: Target
Earrings: Target
Skirt: Target
Tie-dyed tights: Target
Boots: Target

Sweet Pea hadn't been to school since last Wednesday on account of her sickness so I figured she should at least look super cute on her first day back.
Even if she does still have a terrible sounding cough.
We got this outfit during back to school shopping with my Dad and I don't know who was more jazzed about the tights, her or him!
I thought they were pretty cool though so we bought them.
Babe added the scarf in the morning to keep her warm and it ended up being a stellar outfit.
Now that,my friends, is teamwork!

Linking up with Lindsey

finished project!

2011-11-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

So I mentioned I painted the cabinet that is in our entryway?

Basically we use it put our keys and other random ish on.

I like to drop the mail there on my way in from the garage.

And it houses most of our board games in the bottom and a few magazines and books in the middle.

I have been hankering to paint this thing for quite some time.

It was such a boring, blah brown color and since I'm obviously nesting, I got a bug up my butt to get it done once and for all.

before: blah brown

Once I convinced my husband to spruce it up I had to get him to agree on a color.

He couldn't see why it needed to happen but I told him we needed COLOR in this room and he finally caved.

Originally I wanted turquoise but he was adamant about it not happening.

So we agreed on red.

And then I couldn't decide on a red.

But while getting color swatches for Baby Ninja's nursery, I stumbled across this lovely Mermaid Treasure turquoise from Behr.

I was in love.

So we got two samples of the California Poppy Red and the Mermaid Treasure.

The red was kind of 'meh', I liked it, but it didn't WOW me.

And that's really what I was going for.

So Mermaid Treasure it was!

He took it all apart for me and Sunday morning I got to work.

It was hard to see how it had turned out while in the dimly lit garage but I was loving it so far.

Last night he put it all together and here is the finished product!

after: Mermaid Treasure!

I'm really pleased with it.

You'll notice the multicolored scrapbook paper on top.

That's because I'm trying to decide if I want to modge podge one of those to the top portion and the other to the inner wall of the cabinet.

Stay tuned.

Linking up with Kimmie....

What have you whipped up this week?

saturday love

2011-11-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

things are brusqely underway around these parts.

I've spent the last few days cooped up in the house with a sickly Sweet Pea, there is nothing worse than hearing your baby's incessant coughing all night long while you can do nothing about it.

Unless that coughing fit is followed by them throwing up on their sleeve, which is exactly what happened late last night.

Swell.

So I was on my own for my O.C./LBC run this afternoon.

I got a call saying our baby bedding was ready to pick up and that made me super excited as I was planning on heading down that way to the Fabric Barn anyway.

I have a ton of ideas for my holiday decor (thank you Pinterest) and wanted to get a head start before all the good stuff in my color scheme was gone.

I think I did pretty good.

Got some ornaments from Target in the dollar aisle and the Fabric Barn had some other key pieces I needed.

Needless to say I'm pretty psyched and definitely looking forward to the day after Thanksgiving for our decorating to begin!
The swap meet also had my dream dining room set up and a cozy looking bed so of course I snapped a photo to show Babe.

While I was down that way I stopped by my favorite hair salon to catch up with my good friend and hair stylist.

It's been a minute since we had a 'sista-girl' chat so it was nice to catch up for a bit.

And since I was down that way I decided to for-go a trip to my dad's and just stop off at Super Mex (their salsa is BOMB) and pick up some yummy eats for mi familia.

Muy bueno.

I was quite a happy camper.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better - I'm making chicken tortilla soup in the crockpot.
And painting my cabinet Mermaid Treasure Turquoise.....

What have you been up to this weekend?

what's working for me : week 24

2011-11-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted an outfit in weeks because, well basically I've been at home and my fashion game is not as demanding as it was if I were going into HL everyday.

It's a blessing and a curse.

I looked up Wednesday (after rushing to pick up a sick Sweet Pea from school in the early a.m.) and I was wearing the dreaded sweat pants when Babe got home.

Granted they were Juicy Couture sweat pants but still not quite the impression I wanted to give.

So I'm working on me a bit.

Yesterday I finally busted out my pre-natal workout DVD with permission from my doctor. She said the excercise might help me sleep better.She was right. I moved my bedtime up a whole 30 minutes so that was impressive AND I felt like I did something for myself. I do enjoy working out I must say. Mostly because I love the results but finding the time and energy had been somewhat of a challenge as I've had this DVD since June. But it wasn't like I was doing "the Shred" and it felt good and still wore me out just enough. And I skipped my afternoon nap.
Fashion wise , I'm still on a leggings and tunic/tank kick and that's fine because it's comfortable,fashionable and the weather has been tricky! But this morning, I was excited for the rain because it meant I could wear my boots on the quick errands I need to run!
I tried a new recipe for Creamy Italian Chicken I got from Pinterest and it was delicious! Babe was super impressed as was I. Sunday I'm trying chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot. I figure I need to try as many recipes out as possible now, that way when Baby Ninja gets here I can already have a better idea of what to throw together while he naps and I won't be such a crazy lady.
Babe finally got the nursery painted and it looks great! and now I think I want him to do one more wall. He just shook his head but told me to go ahead and pick up the paint if I felt up to leaving the house w/ sicky in tow. So thats on my list of things to do so he can get that done tomorrow and then put the crib together and then I can begin the creative process of fabric gathering for the window seat and other decorative accents.
I'm also thinking I may make a run to my favorite craft store in the LBC tomorrow and see what they have for my Christmas craft-a-thon. This way I can thoroughly enjoy my jolly-holiday December and get some QT in with some of my favorite creative ladies as well.
I'm 24 weeks along and feel like I'm getting bigger by the minute. Everyone else says I'm fine but I feel ginormous around the middle but...duh. I'm pregnant so that's to be expected. I'll have to get the hubs to take a photo later in the evening for me to post for next week.
We still haven't decided on a name either.

I'm off to get it together and run our errands so we can come back and have hot cocoa and watch a movie.

What have you all been up to this week?

times they are a changin' - halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

My how times have changed.

In my day Halloween was spent preparing for weeks for the 'perfect costume' be it scary or sweet.

Rushing home from school to finish homework and squeeze in dinner all so we could get ready to 'go out'.

We'd hit the main street (my brother and I) and by the time we got to the end of the block I was usually done.

I'd gotten scared out of my mind by the older kids on the block one year and a couple of houses had really spooky decor.

I was not excited about it.

On occasion we might go one or two streets over but that was a rarity and all based on my mood.

No we were old fashioned and went door to door asking our strange neighbors for candy.

And oddly enough - most folks participated even if they didn't have kids.

I guess it was the spirit of the community.

These days "Trick-or-Treating" is kind of a thing of the past.

Kids still get dressed up and are pretty excited at the prospect of an assortment of goodies and their parents encouraging them to grab as many as possible, but there isn't the same level of neighborly participation it seems.

Houses are dark and kids aren't wandering the streets as they were in my day.

They go to church for Trunks'n'Treats (which I think is a brilliant idea) or they go to their local mall or downtown civic area where store owners hand out candy.

There's usually a band and a bouncy house of some kind and everyone is in a spirited mood.

Oh and it starts at 3pm.

From what I remember you don't go out until it was good & dark and you had take your flashlight with you!

Somehow Halloween has evolved from being a dark and spooky evening with children wandering the streets to being that of a festive afternoon at the local shopping center, chatting it up with friends and perhaps grabbing a bite to eat.

In previous years Sweet Pea didn't really participate in Halloween.

She just wasn't really keen on it and her dad had never done it growing up so he was not a big fan.

And like I said before it's never really been my cup of tea either.

(thanks neighbor boys for ruining it for me)

However last year she got her first 'store bought' costume,carved a small pumpkin and went trick-or-treating with some friends and it was all good.

So this year we did the same.

However, there are rules for our participation.

Nothing scary, or skanky or super expensive.

No witches or goblins or anything 'dark'.

We only want light and fun creatures prancing around our home.

Saturday we went by our friends the Muhammad's and participated in their neighborhood's annual costume contest and pumpkin carving.

Today I picked her up from school, she did homework and off we went.

She got a bit of candy but at the first stop but was a bit tuckered out to hit up our other local shopping center.

Go figure.

We were home by 5:30pm.

Having skipped my afternoon nap I was totally okay with that.

Babe had gone and picked up a bag of candy much to my chagrin as I think in the almost 3 years we've lived here we've had maybe 3 trick-or-treater's?

We had one tonight.

So guess who will be forced to eat all the Reese's peanut butter cups?

Oy.

color bind

2011-10-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read a blog that moved you to your core randomly?

Like you've never met this person and this is the first time you've read their words but suddenly you find yourself sobbing in front of your computer?

Yeah - that's what happened when I discovered Life in Grace.

Edie had just lost everything in a devastating house fire and was grateful to escape with her life and that of her family in tact.

I was terribly moved and crying at work.

She was so full of grace and Christ's love while suffering a tragic loss and it just rocked me to my core to see how her faith was overshadowing her loss.

I've followed her blog for the last year as she posted about their re-building process and found myself scouring older posts to see the wonder that was her house before.

This month she's working on a 31 day series documenting the transformation of her new living space.

It's awesome.

Edie's workroom. I die for that chair. this speaks to my heart

This morning over my spiced cider and pumpkin bread I was able to catch up on the progress and fell in love.

You can tell how much she loves her home and the people who reside there.

How she wants it to be a place of rest, worship and comfort for all who enter it's doors.

I dig it so much.

She is not afraid to go out on a limb and use color.

Mix fabric and textures or color schemes.

I admire that.

And in my current state of nesting-ness it's been a huge boon to my creative spirit.

Currently I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place as I have a strong desire to "redcorrange" things around the homestead but it's a bit difficult to get things 'just so' when you don't outright own the place.

So I'm making do with what I have and changing a bit of the scenery if I can't change the landscape.

Does that even make sense?

I want new pillows for the couch and would love a new rug but that would take eons to mull over and finally decide on one we both like

(for some reason Babe likes to insert his design aesthetic into my ambitions- go figure)

But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

No for now I'm quite content to imagine and use Pinterest as a medium to house all my ideas until I'm able to put them into action.

It's also helped me realize what my house 'style' is.

I think I described it last week as a modern, eclectic?

i love this whole scheme

hello color!

Anyway - in reading Edie's blog and touring a few of my friends homes (whom I consider to be swell homemakers) I've found a certain vibe that I am slightly consumed by.

I want my house to be cozy & fun.

Functional but modern and still whimsical.

I am not stuffy and matchy-matchy and I strive for the space I reside in to have the same feeling.

There is something about all the homes I love that has a re-curring theme - they have no fear.

No inhibition when it comes to their decorating style and layout.

As a teen I spent a lot of time moving furniture or adding posters to the walls and as a young adult we lived in the 'crayola house' (each wall was a different color in our living room)

It's made me realize I need to get back to that feeling.

Looking at Edie's home brought out something in me.

Her unabashed love of color and seemingly reckless abandon when it comes to mixing patterns,textures and colors in a room just rocks my socks.

Because right now it's just a lot of brown and tan.

an old photo as things have since been re-arranged but the color are still pretty much the same

The whole nursery decorating process has really brought that into focus.

It's been awhile since I was able to design a room from scratch if ever, and there are so many good ideas out there it makes me slightly overwhelmed and anxious to narrow it down.

But I do know this - I like bold and bright colors that are also inviting and warm.

So while I'm pretty sure this will be a work in progress there will be plenty of updates on how I we fine tune this place and make it our own.

And who knows what type of inspiration the next house will bring.

Tell me, do you have any decorating aspirations?

What's your home's style?

getting it done

2011-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is my last week home with Babe and it has been a doozy.

We've spent the majority of the week cleaning and organizing everything.

I've mentioned before I'm a little obsessive compulsive about my things and where and how they are put away so having him 'help' me was a bit of a challenge on my part.

Top that off with being a natural procrastinator (I am notorious for starting projects and not following through) and you have a recipe for FUN!

However, it turned out better than expected.

Monday I had lunch w/ my girlfriend and her mini-man (my boyfriend) and we ran errands and caught up.

Tuesday was another trip to the doctor where I discovered I've gained 7lbs.

In. two. weeks.

Perhaps I should lay off the bacon covered everything?

Meh.
(yes, that seems a bit vain and I realize I'm with child but that doesn't mean I should turn into a whale does it?)

awkward angle trying to see how far my toes stick out while not tipping over

Then our computer went black.

Insert panic attack here (no internet!!??? how will I survive?)

Wednesday I cruised on down to my parents neck of the woods to pick up/ drop off some things.

Stopped by my mothers to get a basket for the changing table and subsequently set off the house alarm.

Sweet.

No police came crashing around the corner and I called to let her know it was me lest she think there was a robbery gone wrong.

Decided to cruise by Chartreuse Home Furnishings on the way to my dad's and finally purchased the famous pinecone candle as I have been obsessed by candles lately and I am so happy I did!

My whole house smells delicious!

Went to my dads to chat it up and bring him some of the delicious pot roast from Sunday and we started discussing our computer issue (mainly that it's time for Babe and I to get a new one and upgrade) and he happened to have a brand spanking new HP still in the box just laying around.

What the what?!

Who does that? Oh my crazy dad + a late night QVC marathon.

So he generously offered it to us and Babe set it up yesterday.

It's fabulous.

Web cam and all that so now I can skype w/ my long lost bff's!!

When I returned home I settled in for a nice nap and then got busy going through my 500 million bins of random things I've had since the beginning of time it feels like!

I found old fliers from my promotion days in Atlanta, business cards for friends, prom pictures, and the blessed mixed tapes!

It was so fun to go through all that and take my trip down memory lane.
Ahhh, the memories.

Babe was also super impressed that I actually sat down to do it but I chalk that up to the fact that I finished my book early Monday morning and haven't really gotten sucked into a new one yet.

It feels good to have made such progress in such a short amount of time.

I'm really proud of us.

I organized all my craft things

(note to self - you have a ton of craft paint, the only other ones you need are the glitter paints.)

And labeled all the drawers and am super pleased with the resulting organization.

So now Baby Ninja's room is all cleared out and ready for Babe to paint.

I'm pretty excited to see how the grey turns out on the wall and to get the crib put together.

I have a few other projects I want to do for in there but am trying to take it slow and do one thing at a time.

Well try to anyway.

What have you accomplished this week?

significant chatter

2011-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

there are times when we (women) like to run our mouths for no particular reason.

just make conversation with folks and get our chit-chat on.

most days its simply because we require some kind of adult conversation and some days we just need to vent.

However, I am a fan of significant chatter.

You know conversations that actually mean something?
Where you skip the banal pleasantries and get down to the nitty gritty?

Those are my favorite.

It doesn't have to be deeply profound - it can be as simple as discussing paint colors or as deep as discussing our place in life.

All the same it still moves me and re-kindles something inside me.

I had the pleasure of spending some QT with one of my favorite ladies and we chatted it up all the day long.

And then we went to dinner with her and chatted it up some more.

And it was good.

My heart was full and happy.

Aside from eating at one of our favorite restaurants it was just a good time to catch up and share thoughts and ideas.

It's funny, how a few moments with quality women can affect your life in such a positive manner.

It seemed we touched on every topic under the sun - family, friendships, kids, husbands, life.

It was good indeed.

To take a moment out of our super busy lives full of kids, family and other commitments and just be.

Enjoy one another's company.

And it got me thinking - I have been truly blessed in the last year regarding my friendships and how they've grown.

I lost a few along the way that I thought had potential but in the grand scheme of things it was for the best.

I gained some quality folks and couldn't be happier about them.

They are some choice ladies let me tell ya.

And also my friendships with my other girls was strengthened as well.

I was reminded why God chooses to place people in our lives at seemingly just the right time.
I love that about this season in my life.
Things are falling into place in a most magical way and it just makes me grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

Souful Sunday

2011-10-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I am super jazzed and in an excellent mood.

Not much could thwart it to be honest.

Babe let me sleep in way past what I wanted but exactly as long as I needed.

I have pumpkin bread baking in my oven (thank you Trader Joe's) and thusly my house smells DIVINE,

the sun is shining, I got all my items at the grocery store for under $40 (whoop whoop!), my Sweet Pea is happily hanging out in her room in her jammies and I don't have a problem with that.

Babe is hunkered down on the couch for his weekly Sunday football fest.

I'm making a pot roast with smoky new potatoes and green beans for dinner and possibly cornbread or biscuits ( I haven't decided which).

Life is pretty good.

This has been my first week "off" of work and while it has been busy doing things around the house (hello clean kitchen sink, bathroom and mirrors) it has been quite relaxing as well.

We are getting into a familiar routine and that soothes my soul.

I can pretty much feel the stress melting away and the anxiety is waning each day.

God is good.

It's also helped that Babe is still off and has been around to help with a lot of things (ahem....scrubbing the bathtub) that my burgeoning belly won't allow.

It's been actually nice having him here.

Friday we picked up the kid early from her after school program and went to lunch at Mimi's Cafe, picked up the crib and headed over to Home Depot to get our paint colors.

We chose a lovely grey tone for the one wall we plan to paint and two fun options for a cabinet I have been dying to spruce up for the last few months.

It makes me excited to think about the changes that will be happening around here.

I am nesting for sure.

Then Babe and I geeked out and had a Lord of the Rings marathon - we got through the first two and 1/3rd of the way through Return of the King before we had to tap out and go to bed.

Saturday was just as lovely.

I spent the day with my dear friend Amber and her adorable son.

He makes me excited to have a boy. He is just plain awesome.

We went to the Orange County Swap meet in search of "The Baby Guy" - a local legend who makes baby bedding, car seat & shopping cart covers as well as blankets and other items.

Since I have strong ideas about what I don't want it was kind of hard to figure out what I do.

But they had exactly what I was looking for.

Literally.

I explained what my colors were and I wanted a more modern feel which I think slightly confused the young girl who was assisting me.

I latched on to a fabric sample they had out (grey with a geometrical design in white) and she went to show me a custom order they had done.

It was perfect but I wanted more colors so Gerry came over and walked me through step by step to get exactly the accent colors of our room (thank goodness I had the paint swatches in my purse) and I placed my order!

I am so excited!

It was a bit pricey in my opinion but I've seen the work he's done and heard the feedback from friends so I was willing to fork over the dough and get it done.

Plus this is about the only pricey thing we will be buying (minus the stroller) for this kid and his room so I figured I could deal with it.

I couldn't believe he had exactly what I wanted but didn't even know existed!
Just makes my heart happy.
Today we are lazing about a bit.
I'm making Pot Roast from the Down Home with the Neely's cookbook (my first ever!) alongside smokey new potatoes and green beans + biscuits.
Hello Soulful Sunday!
So far it all tastes great and my kitchen smells spectacular!
It's still humorous to me how much I enjoy cooking for my family when years ago I thought it somehow beneath me or beyond my skill level.
It's an act of love or service and that's one of my love languages.
It's how I show I care and oddly I think has been done throughout the ages.
I'm pretty proud of myself and the look on Babe's face when he 'taste tested' the roast was priceless.

What have you been up to this weekend?

up all night

2011-10-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Monday night since we finished dinner early and had plenty of time to kill, Babe and I had an "on demand" marathon.

this where we watch several episodes of a show that we haven't had time to catch to determine if we want to add it to our DVR schedule.

Last night it was "Up All Night" with Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett

I have to say - I LOVED it and can't wait to see more.

It's funny, it's relevant and it makes parenting seem "cool".
Sort of.

I was listening to the radio the other day and Carson Daly (former MTV veejay) stated he thougth the show was brilliant and could totally resonate with a lot of 30 somethings out there right now.

I have to say I agree.

If you don't know, its about a couple who has a baby that ultimately changes their lives and are still trying to hang on to their "cool factor" while reconciling the fact that they are indeed.....parents.

It's hilarious.

Damon and I often chuckle about how "cool" we used to be and how much our lives have changed since having Sweet Pea.

And now with Baby Ninja on the way they are about to change that much more.

We used to be about going out to have a good time.
Eating out, dancing/ drinking the night away only to sleep in and do it all again the next night.

There were some epic good times and fortunately for me (unfortunate for a few others) I have most of it captured on film in a photo album.

Yes a real one - that you put actual pictures in. (gasp!)

But now - we still are about having a good time, but we are definitely more focused on the kids and their needs.

We go to the fair and other amusement parks, for the kids.

We choose restaurants that are 'kid friendly' and have decent booster seats.

We choose neighborhoods based on the school district, not the proximity to the best mall/club/restaurants.

It's funny how time moves and things change isn't it?

I never would have thought at 16 that at 32 I would be a married mother of two and living in suburbia.

And that I would like it.
I used to dance on speakers for pete's sake!
Crazy huh?
And with baby ninja moving like crazy and not being able to sleep for longer than a few hours - I too am "Up all Night" so I can doubly relate to the sleep deprived haze this couple is walking around in.
Being pregnant is tough, having a new baby (especially the first one) is even tougher.
Learning to laugh at yourselves and taking each day as it comes is a lesson all parents have to learn.
You have to learn to balance who you are with who you were and learn to be okay with that.
It takes time and there will be moments of confusion as you look at your life surrounded by colorful squeaky toys, sweat/yoga pants, spit-up stained shirts while an abundance of "uh-oh's" and "whoopsie daisy's" punctuate your conversation and be like "who am I???? What have I become?"
And then there will be the days your little one is cuddled in your arms, smelling sweet after a bath and looks up at you adoringly and you know......you're a parent.
In it for life, for better or worse and wouldn't have it any other way.

Did you have any "who am I?" moments when you first became a parent?
If you're not a parent are you nervous about losing your identity?

labor of love

2011-10-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

To push or to section

That is a major question.

well for me it is. That's what I keep getting asked.

"Are you going to try and have a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) or are you going to take the easy way out?"

Umm. I don't think either way is "easy" by any means thank-you-very-much.

I've had a c-section and I had one for a reason. It wasn't mere vanity or a scheduling choice.

And this time well.....this time I am making the choice ahead of time.

I've decided to go ahead and schedule a c-section for Baby Ninja.

(insert shocked gasps, head shaking and tsk-tsking here.....I'll wait)

I am choosing to do this because I have no desire to put my body or my baby through any unnecessary trauma.

Now do I know for sure that my plan is going to go exactly the way I think?

Nope. That is the beauty of God's plan co-mingled with having children.

Nothing goes "according to plan". It's all a crap shoot.

I learned that with Sweet Pea and have seen how it's gone down with other friends in recent years.

A girlfriend of mine planned on a VBAC. Prepared for it and when it came down to it, the baby didn't budge so an induction and ultimately another c-section happened.

Another friend was preparing and planning for the 'marathon of labor' and things went awkwardly awry and a c-section was scheduled.

This just shows me how often things do not generally go the way we would like them to.

It's just the way that it is.

I'm laid back enough to understand that and also controlling enough to want to have some kind of "plan" in place.

I've spoken to the people that matter about it - my husband, my doctor (who by the way is beyond supportive) and my father (the retired OBGYN).

All are in agreeance. If there is a way to avoid any type of bodily &/or baby trauma the best thing to do is go ahead and schedule this surgery.

Yes, my recovery is going to be long and uncomfortable.

I am fully aware of that.

Yes, it will be that much harder with a nine-year old and a husband and a new baby.

But I am up for the challenge.

I have prayed about it and I just feel this is best for both me and the baby (do I sound like I'm justifying?)

I'm sure there will be nay-sayers and those that I am close to me that will constantly rib me for 'not having a "real" delivery/birth experience' or for 'taking the easy way out' and to those I simply say.

You can suck it.

I often wonder why women get so up in arms about the process. How I choose to give birth is exactly that: my choice.

It's like being upset for how I choose to celebrate a birthday. And to me that is ridiculous.

A lot of women, from discussions I've been involved in, seem to feel that they are somehow not real women if they do not push a baby out of their bodily orifice. That somehow, and someway they are 'less than' if they do not "suffer" the perils of labor.

Who in the hell thought up that load of crap?

Yes, I get that we all like to get together and compare our war stories much like soldiers from a hard fought battle.

And giving birth (in any form) is a battle. A real labor of love if you will.

We have a hard enough time being mothers and working out the battle of perfection as it is. Can we not just accept that some people have different birthing ideas than others?

I'm not going to judge you if you want to give birth at home, in a pool, on video, with a doula or in a hospital.

So don't judge me for having two c-sections because the honest truth is my body cannot handle the perils of labor.

We tried it and it didn't work.

No need to revisit it. End of story.

I can only hope women will at some point, learn to stop judging one another and just learn from each others experiences - both good and bad.

Have you ever felt judged by another mother? How did you deal with it?

35

2011-10-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated my husband's 35th birthday.

It was a perfect day.

Literally.

The sun was shining, the weather amazing.

We shared brunch with a few of his closest friends and their families.

And of course - there was football on all day!!

There was even a nap or two for me!

(double yaay!)

I love these kinds of days.

Relaxing and enjoying good company.

I have been thinking about this day for awhile.

35 seems like such a big number.

So much has happened to us in the last 5 years and we still have such a long way to go.

I remember celebrating his 23rd birthday in Atlanta with him.

I was barely 20.

And he seemed so much older than me at that the time.

Much more grounded than, flighty, giggly, young me.

He knew were he was going and had a plan on how to get there.

Not me - I was just going somewhere.

And now here we are.

A whopping 12 years later.

We finished college.

We had the Sweetest little Pea.

We survived our years apart and (finally) got married

We are expecting a baby boy.

Things are moving and changing daily.

I am so glad I went up to him that day in front of the gym and randomly struck up the conversation that led to the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

He has been such an integral part of my life.

I am grateful for all the time we have spent.

The laughs we have shared, the lives we have created, and the journey we are on.

It's not always peachy keen.

But it is riddled with joy and laughter and for me that's all that counts.

So cheers to my Babe on his 35th birthday.

I wish him many more and can't wait to see what the next 12+ years have to bring!

winds of change

2011-10-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

The time has come, to say goodbye to my Hautelook family.

Today marks the last day for several months that I will get up in the dark, the wee twilight hours and get dressed.

(because we all know that in a few months I will be getting up all the same but I won't be putting clothes on for that or showering for that matter)

Today I will race to the train station to get a "good space" both in line and parking and make the trek to downtown L.A.

My doctor has advised that I be put on early pregnancy leave so I will now be off work until further notice.
It is bittersweet.

I will miss all my HL friends & family.

The "train friends" I have made - some whose names I know others whom I do not.

There will be a small void left with out the "need to be needed"-ness of going to a job everyday.......however;

I have been overly stressed and working on a high level anxiety for the last few months.

A crippling anxiety that has left me feeling overwhelmed, under pressure and unsure of myself.

Not ideal for a wife and mother who has things to do.

It was making me insane. Not too mention it's not healthy for me or Baby Ninja , so...doctor's orders - I'm out of the 9-5 rat race for now.

The main question everyone sees to have is : What will you do all day with all that time?

Hmmmm......ummm... well..... how about all the things that I don't have time for now?

cleaning my house, no like REALLY clean it
organize the many "things" that are floating around with no home
work on the nursery
write!!!
find a home for all my craft supplies and organize them so they are easier to work with
redecorrange the furniture/pillows/sheets & towels
NEST!!

Just generally take care of me, my family and the baby to be!

I'm excited for sure.

Little nervous for what it means financially but I have faith that things will all work out in the end and that this is God's plan for us, so I'm just going to let it happen.

Stay tuned for some household updates in the next few weeks and other randomness.

What changes have come about for you this season?

Finding my Voice - featured essay

2011-10-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Would love it if you headed over to the Smartly.com and checked out my latest essay:

Finding My Voice

the beauty of what happened when I attended a conference and let myself be open to the possibilities.

Tell me, what possibilities have been shown to you lately?

the struggle

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

There are times in which we hope against hope for things we know will likely not happen.

Times when we pray for things just outside of our reach because that's what we think we need & feel we want.

Or is that just me?

There have been a few instances in the last month where things were looking gloriously bright.

But then the light abruptly dimmed.

My career as a writer, a makeup artist, a creative being has been challenged.

Things that I had hoped would happen haven't. Things I need to be doing, I have not.

I am inspired but lack motivation? I don't know.

I was hopeful that a few events would pan out and allow a bit of wiggle room in our budget but alas they didn't/haven't panned out.

I'm not 100% sure why so that is bothering me as well.

Part of my issue is I want things to happen when and how I want them to happen. Or I get an idea into my head and have already planned out exactly how XYZ will benefit my family's life and then when it doesn't happen or pan out exactly that way I am severely disappointed.

to the point of being a offended.

I have got to stop taking things personally.

But I am an emotional being (particularly lately) and it gets to me.

I know that I have such potential but my growth is somehow stunted.

Am I sabotaging myself? Do I l get my hopes/expectations up to high only to be pulled down into despair by any setbacks or disappointments?

I know I am designed and destined for a creative career. Of this I am certain.

But attaining that life I so dream of and long for is just out of my grasp.

The when and how of it all is vexing me.

There is also that line that I, like so many other women, walk between wanting to have some kind of fabulous career and just being a mom.

Of course I want to enjoy my family but I also require some type of creative outlet.

Perhaps I just need to take some time, sit back and get some perspective because I feel slightly out of control and I'm not really down with that.

But then - I'm not really in control of my life now am I?

So maybe my best bet is to keep on praying, keep on keeping on and have faith in my heart and my mind that God will continue to guide my path and show me what to do.

And then I open my email and see Today's word with Joel and Victoria Osteeen : Dreams in the making

The scripture for the day is “ ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other”(Genesis, 37:19, NIV)

How apropos is that? The whole point of the devotional was how Joseph was a dreamer and no matter what obstacles he faced he still kept dreaming and God was working behind the scenes to get him to those dreams.
Clearly I need to take a cue from Joseph and stay in faith, keep following my heart and believing in my dreams. (insert Journey's "Don't stop believing" here).
Love it when things like this happen. It's like I answered my own questions without even trying!

Tell me, have you been struggling with anything lately?

Soulful weekend

2011-10-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Is is just me or does the weekend seem to go by too quickly?

these days Saturday and Sunday just seem to fly by.

This weekend was no exception.

It seemed like Saturday was here and then it was Sunday afternoon and time to get ready for the week all over again!

But all things considered it was a good weekend.

We had no plans for once.

So I slept in ridiculously late Saturday had some breakfast and then realized I was supposed to buy some onesies from Hautelook so I quickly logged on to the computer to do so, then I proceeded to lay around on the couch and watch "Top Chef: Just Desserts" with my family.

Then Babe and I watched "Limitless" having fallen asleep at the end of of Transformers 3 the night before, I was unable to hang for one more movie at that point.

We finally all got ourselves together for an outing to the illustrious Home Depot to gather paint swatches for the nursery.

It was Babe's first time out of the house since last Friday. He was quite excited.

We then headed over to Babies'r Us to take a gander at what's new in the world of baby.

And the answer to that is a LOT!

oh boy!

We were a little overwhelmed with all of the "options" for the things.....but slightly underwhelmed by the bedding choices.

Everything is so.....character / theme-y like.

So not what I'm going for.

The stroller section however - yowzers is that overwhelming!

I have to do more research and ask my newer mommy friends what they have and what they like.

Sunday was super chill.

We usually do a family dinner but I was so tired and my allergies were out of control so I spent most of the day in my jammies as did Babe & Sweet Pea.

I even napped on the couch for an hour or so - by the time I woke up, my mother-in-love had stopped by and then my mom showed up.

We ended up kicking Babe out of the downstairs so we could watch a movie "Soul Surfer" that the Sweets really wanted to see.

Oh.my.word.

What a wonderful movie.

Talk about putting things in perspective.

I cried, I laughed, I hugged my kid super tight.

It was incredibly uplifting, enlightening and all around feel good.

At one point, I'm crying, Sweets is crying and so is my mother-in-love.

I don't even have words for how I was moved by that movie.

It's funny how something so simple can change your view on things.

All the things I've been stressing about - work, home, money, Babe's health, Sweet Pea, Baby Ninja, my parents, my extended family

It all seemed so trivial in light of what this family had gone through.
I was thoroughly moved.
If you haven't seen this movie - please check it out.
Before I knew it - it was time for dinner (creamy tuscan chicken) and then off to bed!
Sweet Pea has picture day today so hopefully her hair held up long enough to get a good shot!

What did you all do this weekend?

halfway there- random pregnancy ramblings

2011-10-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

" Congratulations you're halfway there!"
That's the first email I saw this morning from one of many baby/pregnancy email updates I get.

This growing a person inside of you deal is halfway over.

I'm that much closer to meeting my son.
(insert awkward happy dance here)

And all I can think is:

I have GOT to get on the ball! We haven't done anything it seems!!

Sure we got the would-be nursery semi cleared out
(where oh where will I put all of my craft supplies?)

And I'm starting to narrow down ideas for Baby Ninja's room and overall "vibe" which is good.
But danggit there are so many good ideas out there that I will never be able to do it all.
(thank you Pinterest for giving me all kinds of wacky ideas)
And lets talk about naming this kid shall we?
It seemed like coming up with a name for Sweet Pea was easy as pie and in fact it was my friend Pie and I who sort of finalized the name.
Babe gave his approval after she and I had narrowed down the list.
But this kid?
Jeez.
And everyone has an opinion of course and an idea of what they like, while we both have reasons for not liking said name ...i.e. "I knew a guy named ______ and he was a jerk" or
"I dated a guy named _____" so that won't work.
It just seems a lot harder now.
So we will probably be heading into February and still have no name.
Swell.
Another thing to think about - the baby shower.
Who throws it?
I don't know.
I've done a couple for my close friends even though they have sisters but I don't have any so I'm not sure how that works.
But thank goodness for my girlfriends who are super supportive and giving me TONS of baby boy advice (cuz I got the girliest girl ever and Lord knows I know nothing about boys).
But because we're due at the end of February and will be going into the holidays pretty soon, it's hard to plan when to do this shindig.
And y'all know how I love to plan a party!
Then there's the guest list - I guess it's like inviting people to your bridal shower - but there are a plethora of women in my life that I would love to be included in this event as they have in some way shape or form influenced me in the last several years even though we may not be super "close friends".
Is that weird?
Anywho - these are just a few of my preggo brain ramblings.
I'm off to work on "Operation Baby Nursery" and go look at paint swatches, bedding and get an idea of what's new in the world of baby.
Taking Babe & Sweet Pea with me so we'll see how long we all last.

What are you all up to this weekend?

week 20: what's working for me

2011-10-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

This week finally feels like fall around here!

Saturday and Sunday it was like 80-90 degrees but Monday was a little cooler and by Tuesday......well I got to rock my new boots!

Can you say excited!!?????
So I pulled together this little number and was off to work.
I was pretty comfortable for most of the day save for a post-El Cholo lunch throwdown where I had one too many chips y salsa.
That being said, I'm linking up with Lindsey again for WIWW!!!

Top: H&M
Jeans: Gap "skinny" maternity
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden
Necklace & Earrings : H&M

It's a rainy day today but I still wanted to feel "pretty" and rock my other new boots and my favorite sweater dress from last season.
Surprisingly if fits particularly well and I don't look super large!
Success!

Dress: Nordstrom Rack
Tights: Target
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden
Neckalce: gifted
Earrings: Forever 21

So what's been your favorite outfit this week?

Street Chic - featuring ME!!

2011-10-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Remember this when I said I was encouraged by a friend to post about what was working for me, fashion wise, while pregnant?

Well this is why

One of my favorite shoe sites, Sole Society did a Street Chic feature for some of their October shoes and they chose ME ( of all people) to participate!!
For some reason they seem to think me stylish - go figure.....
It made my week let me just tell you!

Oh and by the way - the shoes on my feet?
Yeah those are the "Amber"!!!
I have my own SHOES!!!!

Talk about a shoe lover's dream!
So if you're not a member for some strange reason please go here and sign up now.
You won't regret it.
Promise.
I think I may need to add both of these to my collection :

Hot pink patent flats?? Yes PLEASE!!!

oh and here are some random outtakes from my shoot:

thanks for the love ladies!!

What are your favorite shoes for fall?

Post -Op

2011-10-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Oh what a weekend.

At this point I wish there really were two of me.

One to take the much needed nap I am craving and the other to guzzle the glass of wine I am wishing for.

Clearly neither of those things are going to happen as there is laundry to be done and things to get sorted for the coming week.

My exhaustion is earned though and oddly not pregnancy related.

Friday I had to take my husband to the hospital to have his gall bladder removed.

Serious but yet not so much.

We were there waiting for several hours before they finally took him back to the O.R. at 4:45pm.

Pregnant lady in an uncomfortable chair, freezing room and with no snacks?

Oh I was PLEASANT.

Fortunately my mother-in-love came to check on her baby boy so she stayed while I rushed to get Sweet Pea from school.

She had to eat in the car.

I felt terrible.

We stopped home first for jackets and a change of clothes for me (those hospitals are COLD!) and a few items for Babe as he was going to be kept overnight.

Got back to the hospital to discover they wouldn't let Sweet Pea up as she is only 9 and not the required 12.

Awesome.

My mother-in-love wasn't answering her phone at the time either, so I did what any crazy pregnant wife/mother would do.

I left her in the lobby under the watchful eye of security while I scurried up the the 2nd floor to get her Granna.

Fortunately she was with the doctor so we just switched places and she went downstairs.

The doctor said everything went well but he would be staying overnight and definitely wouldn't be able to drive for at least 10 days.

Huh? 10 days?

He takes Sweet Pea to school - how is that going to work?

So I went back downstairs to let my family know what was going on and asked my mother-in-love to please take Sweet Pea home with her and I would be by shortly to come get her.

Spent isn't even the beginning of where I was.

Alone in the hospital I held back tears as I was overcome with emotion.

How is this all going to work out? Thank you God everything that went okay! When will I get to see him? How much pain will he be in?

There were so many thoughts running through my head I couldn't grasp them all.

When they finally brought him to a room (1.5 hours in an awkward chair later) he was coherent but definitely woozy.

Anyone who's ever hung out w/ someone post anesthesia knows how entertaining that can be.

But I felt wretched for him.

Here I was bemoaning the uncomfortable chairs and how exhausted I was and he'd had his body operated on.

Perspective.

I stayed until he got fully settle and finally left at his urging and insistence " I don't want you out late by yourself".

I was emotionally and physically drained and I still had to go get my kiddo and make phone calls.

By the time we got home and I ate again (lest the child in my stomach start doing the running man....again) it was almost 11pm.

I had to go to bed.

I tried but it was a futile attempt. I was restless.

At some point I did fall asleep but it was not restful so I was up bright and early Saturday by 8am.

Anyone who knows me knows, I do NOT get up early on the weekend.

AT.ALL.

But I missed my hubby and was desperate to check on him.

So I gathered the kid (she was already up) and we were off.

This time they let her upstairs (Thank you Jesus!) and she was able to see her Daddy.

I could tell she was concerned but she put on a brave face.

It's scary seeing your big strong Daddy laid out w/ tubes connected to him.

His mom showed up shortly thereafter and because they wouldn't release him for another 45min - 1 hour we left to go get our hair done.

(pause for reaction - yes we kept our previously scheduled hair appt. while Babe was on his way home from the hospital; judge me if you like but this was the only weekend we had)

We got pretty, swung by my Dad's and then headed back home to relieve his mom who had been here all afternoon.

Poor guy was super cranky and uncomfortable but I understood having had two major surgeries myself.

He had a hard time getting comfortable to sleep and as a side sleeper, he was vexed he could not roll over the way he's used to.

It was a long night.

Today has been better.

He got himself up and came downstairs to begin his football marathon while I was still semi-passed out upstairs.

Then I got up to run errands and go grocery shopping to stock up on things for his doctor assigned low-fat diet.

It being Sunday it took me forever and was a lot harder to bring in the heavy items now that I had to do it myself.

Sweet Pea has been a gem - checking on him to see if he needs anything and helping me bring in and put away groceries.

She has since retreated to her room - no doubt to avoid me asking her to do something else.

As for me.....I needed to get this out before my brain melts and I am completely useless....and while he's napping on the couch.

Work tomorrow is going to be interesting I'm sure.......

One great highlight of the day is that my favorite caramel corn from Popcornopolis was hosting a road show at Costco and I was able to score 3 bags for $12!! Score!!

Highlight of my day.

*****************************************

I've had one strong observation from this whole situation:

It is a good thing God allows women to have the children. Otherwise there would be no babies after the first one. Men simply cannot tolerate that kind of pain and would be lost if they had to be in pain and do other things to sustain a household.

It simply wouldn't happen.

So yeah....that's my weekend in a nutshell.

What was your highlight of the weekend?

week 19: whats working for me....What I Wore @ Blog Sugar

2011-09-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

This week has been busy and I haven't been all that 'stylish' as I desperately need to do laundry.

Oh well.

So here's a photo from Blog Sugar on Sunday.

I had to put together something stylish & comfortable as I knew it was going to be a long day/night.

And this is what I came up with!

I look awkward because I was talking halfway through it (surprise, surprise) and the sun was in my eyes.

But pay no attention to my facial expression - it's the outfit that matters

Jeans : gap- "skinny" maternity

Shoes: payless

Tank: Mossimo for Target

Cardi: Forever 21

Linking up with Lindsey for WIWW!!

(I actually met her at Blog Sugar and she's doll I tell you!!)

What did you wear that felt good this week?

Drumroll please.....

2011-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well y'all yesterday was the big day.

Woke up full of excitement and wonder.

Kind of felt like Christmas but w/ out worrying about cleaning up a mess later.....

We had several doctor's appointments and were pleased to find out that Baby Ninja is growing nicely, everything is where it's supposed to be and the size it should be.

We got some EXCELLENT pictures and the lab tech was wonderful about showing us in detail all that was going on with our wee one.

And can I just say - am I the only one who finds ultrasound pictures slightly disturbing?

The fact that you can see a PERSON inside you and their whole skeleton......yeah it creeps me out a bit.

It's joyous.

But it's still creepy when you look up and skeletor is looking back at you.

But my thoughts on anatomy is not why you're reading this.

you want to know right?

Well we got a lovely surprise to discover we're having......

A BOY!!!!

Holy moly!!!

Babe was shocked (he was convinced he was bound to spend the rest of his life outnumbered) but I wasn't , I kind of knew and it was really awesome to see his reaction.

His first question to me was " So what colors do you want to do for the nursery?"

Ahhh he speaks my love language.

Swoon.

So now we have to figure out a name for this child.....

Wish us luck!

Anything exciting happen to you yesterday?

For Real

2011-09-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of dragging today but the sun is out this morning so that puts a positive spin on things.

I have no idea how I made it through yesterday save for the grace of God and being sustained by several chocolate chip cookies via my friend & co-worker.

I can't lie and say this pregnancy has been a breeze because it hasn't but that's another post.

I am still reeling from this event and all the beautiful people I met and messages I received.

I have so much on my mind, I will probably be talking about this for days and weeks to come.

I have struggled with the nature/ purpose of this blog for awhile and I'm always grasping for an answer whenever anyone asks "so what is your blog about? what is it's purpose?"
" Everything" seems so vague.

In the beginning it was about sharing Sweet Pea's antics.

That lasted about a month.

Then it became about getting people to follow me - to be excited about my posts the way I was excited about others.

At some point I realized that too was futile and if I didn't already, it was for sure hammered home on Sunday.

The main and resounding message that seems to be penetrating the "sugar high" on the blogs of those that were there is:

This blog is not about ME.

It's bigger than me.

It's about my voice, my message and my ability to share the blessings I've received and the grace I've been given.

It's become quite apparent to me in recent months.
But admittedly I was struggling.

For awhile I would obsess over WHY I didn't have a ton of followers, I think I'm funny, my content covers a range of topics and I know so many people so why don't I have the "public" I deserve?

And I would look at the writers of blogs I adore and feel inadequate.

I don't do enough projects with my kid, I don't cook from scratch or meal plan like I should, I'm not the best decorator and my house isn't "oh so cute and stylish".

Simply put,I had blog envy.

I would compare my writing to theirs or try to adjust my style to mimic theirs and realized somewhere along the way: that simply wasn't ME.

Not in the slightest.

And no matter how hard I tried, it never would be.

And that's okay.

Because as my bio states - this is MY story, MY way told in the only voice I have.

It's not perfect. It's not always fun but it's REAL.

And that I dig.
And I hope you will too.....in due time.

So here's a bit of the lowdown on ME:

I'm not very serious.

I am strong in my faith but not much of an evangelist.

I try to make the best of all situations but I have my moments of negativity

I am a happy lady 95% of the time.

I laugh too loudly and tell inappropriate jokes.

I love to read and write (duh)

I am sarcastic

I put my foot in my mouth more often than not

I'm short but feel tall (perhaps its those 4.5" heels I like to wear)

I am OBSESSED with cosmetics of all kinds, creams, shadows, blushes and lip glosses.

I love to make people over (and I mean in the makeup sense of the word not to really "fix" them - so not my job)

I am chatty and tend to be long winded (see exhibit A above)
I love purple and things that sparkle
I believe in happy endings and wish upon stars

I love my family with all my heart

My friends are the BOMB

I'm a little bit crazy and I'm totally okay with that.

So that's me in a nutshell - we can dig deeper next week and hopefully you stick around for the "really fun stuff"!

Who are YOU really?

Sugar Rush

2011-09-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's early and I'm pretty exhausted and have a bit of a sugar hangover but I had to get this out of my head before I lose any of the glow.......

Yesterday afternoon I had the absolute pleasure of dining at one of my favorite spots with one of my absolute FAVORITE people.

After a lovely lunch we headed over to Blog Sugar to meet up with all the ladies I've heard so much about, some whose blogs I read religiously and others I'd never heard of or met until yesterday.

It was amazing.

There was a buzz in the air and all the women were beyond excited.

There was a lot of whispering to one's friend "that's so and so from _________. I LOVE her!"

And it was so refreshing to be in a room full of women who write their hearts as I do.

Whether they craft or just write or simply post pictures I feel like everyone got something out of it.

I know I did.

And let's not even discuss the amount of sweets I had - SO good.

Thanks to April of the Modern Gourmet I'm now a fan of whoopie pies - particularly her strawberry whoopie pies

I was nervous about going at first, I have to admit.

Excited, but still kind of nervous.

I knew I was most likely going to be the only African-American woman there, and I also knew that while I would know a handful of people there were others I would not know at all.

And that was a bit daunting to me.

I make friends pretty easily but sharing my heart with stranger comes a lot tougher and I really wanted to be open to the experience and to meeting all these women and not being intimidated by them.

It helped to have Amber there as a "wing-man" so to speak so I had someone to consistently touch bases with after each session and at the end of the night.

I'll write more about what I got out of it but I have to get this out while it's still fresh in my mind.

I let myself be really open to all that was going to happen and basically just gave it all up to God as to how I felt.

And there were some moments of discomfort simply because I was surrounded by so much awesome - but then I was reminded and encouraged that I was pretty awesome too.

And that helped a bunch.

It was also great to meet HER in person.

Oddly we have several mutual "real-life" friends and I've kind of been stalking her blog for almost a year and I think she's pretty rad.

She's taller than I thought but still just as stylish and awesome as she comes across.

So to turn around from talking with a friend and see her smile at me, wave and come over with open arms just made my day.

Truly.

I also had a mini- high school reunion as the organizer of Blog Sugar - Rachel is a friend of mine from high school, the "ambassador's of goodwill" were all friends from BCHS as was most of the check -in crew.

The "bouncers" read strapping men who helped move/load things and open doors were all former BCHSers and husbands/brothers of attendees.

It was nice to catch up with everyone and share my joy and a few hours chatting.

I'm pretty sure I loved every minute of it.

I have a lot to think about over the coming days and weeks but I am excited, and refreshed and fired up about where this blog and my life are going.

Thanks for being along for the ride.

What did you do interesting this weekend?

the poll

2011-09-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Now that we've announced the pregnancy, told you how far along I am (18 weeks)

It's time to start the FUN!!

Who wants to take a guess at what's growing inside my tummy????

( is it weird that I kind of felt weird typing that?)

Here are a few fun facts to aide in your guessing:
I experienced morning sickness but not to the level it was with Sweet Pea (thank God) and still get queasy occasionally
Smells bother me
I crave certain foods both salty & sweet.....mostly sweet
I have a wicked sweet tooth (think Caramel Corn at 9am.....sometimes earlier)
The heart rate was 165
I've had sporadic headaches

The ultrasound showed a HUGE head but at 14 weeks I think all heads are huge!

My sisters in love and the majority of the family are convinced its a boy

All the "gender predictors" I've done say it's a girl......

what do YOU think????

*************************

Check back Wednesday the 28th as that's the next scheduled ultrasound......hopefully Baby Ninja will show themselves!!

Bump Style: what's working for me - week 18

2011-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers (and a super stylish mom herself) and I were discussing the challenges of dressing a growing baby bump in this day and age.

Well first it started w/ a discussion on the newest shoes Sole Society was launching in October and then we moved on to clothing as she kept proclaiming how "tiny" my bump was.

I on,on the other, hand feel a bit larger than "tiny" but I appreciated the sentiment none-the-less......but I'm getting off topic (as usual)

There are a TON more options than when I was pregnant with Sweet Pea but who wants to break the bank on purchasing a whole new wardrobe for yourself when you will have a little one to dress, a nursery to decorate and bottles to buy?

Not me for sure.

So she gave me the bright idea to sort of do a "what's working for me" series of posts to document.....well, what's working for me style wise.

No one wants to look frumpy while carrying the bump and I am not one to sacrifice style for a few months or however long it takes to get back into my pre-bump clothes (specifically my favorite jeans).

So, with that in mind I've made sort of a list (cuz I like lists) of things that I will for sure purchase to enchance my preggo style and things that I will "make it work" that I already own.

To Buy:

Jeans- an absolute must; I confess I am that woman who loves her jeans and owns about 20 pairs. these are a necessity.While I'm normally a "designer jeans" girl (think Paige, Citizens & James) I can't really afford or justify spending $100+ on limited wear jeans. So I won't. I recently purchased 2 pairs of "skinny" maternity jeans(ha!) from GAP and am quite pleased with how they look and for the price; I am doubly excited. I see about 2 more pair in my future.
Tops - while I am the t-shirt/wife beater queen I don't want to stretch out my favorite tops to "make them work" so I think it will be in my best interest to purchase a few tanks & tees to get me through.
Bra's - let's face it; this is a given - my boobs are growing at a rapid rate (hallelujah!) but my current selection of underthings is not accommodating them. So I need to up the ante so to speak - and I would like some pretty bra's at that. No ugly plain maternity/nursing bras here!
Flats- I'm not a big flats wearer. I love them on other people but since I'm 5'4" I tend to gravitate towards shoes with a heel. However, I know that during the latter months and post baby the need for height will not really be a daily requirement. Fortunately for me Sole Society has some super cute flats available that I can wear year round and won't break my bank!

Already own:

(and can wear during and after "the Invasion")

I just got two pairs of KILLER boots from Hautelook's Steven by Steve Madden blowout to add to the winterwardrobe.
My A-MAZING new Kenneth Cole wool peacoat arrived yesterday - it's a lovely berry shade and will last for many seasons. SO excited about this
Sweaters - I have a couple of my favorite sweaters that are already oversized just enough to allow me to get away with wearing them through this fall
Leggings - I own a few but will definitely be adding a few more as this is a fall/winter staple for me
Tunics - comfy, casual & chic - these will go well with leggings and boots and keep me & the "occupant" warm

And I think that's it really - I don't require a lot and plan to "make it work" with most everything else I have in my closet.
I'll post photos this weekend of my newly accquired items this weekend so you can see how I'm "making it work"!!

Occupancy

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Let's talk Baby Bumps shall we?
so here we are at just about 18 weeks
settling into the pregnancy if you will

and the main question I get is : Do you know what you're having?

and

Do you want to find out?

Unfortunately it was too early at our last ultrasound appointment and our technician wasn't even willing to hazard a guess.

And OF COURSE we want to know!

That's a must do on my "pregnancy checklist".

I get how and why a person would want to be "surprised" but that's not my idea of a great surprise.

I need. to. know.

I can't plan a nursery, or even begin to come up with names until I have some firm confirmation.

So we wait.

And guess.

Matter of fact - in about a week I will be launching a poll on here and FB and you can cast your vote on what you think we will have.

The majority of the family thinks one thing and I oddly don't have a feeling one way or another.

well a small feeling but it vacillates so I can't confirm.

However I have done a number of the "predictors" and all indicate the same thing.

Oddly I don't really mind either way.

I wouldn't mind another girl since I already have one and kind of know what to expect.

But I wouldn't mind a boy either to carry on the Dorsey name.

I really just want a healthy baby either way.

That's all I can ask for anyway.
On another note - I've been thinking on the best way to "document" this pregnancy.
Not really excited about doing an obligatory weekly update w/ the belly photo (cuz really it doesn't change that much from week to week in the begining)
Nor do I think the world (or the few that read this) want to see my burgeoning belly and hear about fetal heart rate.
So how does one come up w/ a cute and creative way to document their "occupancy"?
Pinterest of course!
I was looking at something on there the other day
(have you joined? if not you need to get on that. it's beyond amazing. seriously. do it.)
anywho - I was perusing someone's "baby" board or something to that effect and came across only the coolest and cutest idea ever!
A maternity photo book!
found HERE

It's basically a book that documents thoughts from mom to baby throughout each week!

The highs and the lows - which to me is GREAT.

And is a wonderful creative diversion from the standard "bump watch" emails and blogs we've all seen.

I'm doubly excited because I didnt do anything like this with Sweet Pea.

Sure I had a baby book that I hardly wrote in, and there are the random journal entries but nothing that really documents what was going on both inside and out!

So I'm pretty excited to attempt to re-create this.

And hopefully this will inspire Babe to get our camera fixed (again) so we can have better photos!!!

I also want to be totally honest with all the women out there.

Yes growing a person is an amazing thing but it takes a lot out of you and let's be honest - it's not all sunshine and roses.

So - check back for updates and see what's going on with my 'tenant' and hopefully you will be entertained!

Featured Writer

2011-09-13T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm featured over at TheSmartly today so head on over and check it out.

Even better - tell me what you think and score major brownie points!

Statute of Limitations

10

2011-09-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy hormones are out of control today.

It's such a beautiful day out.

Football is back on and Babe is yelling at the TV like it's his job, Sweet Pea is playing in her room & laughing at her TV.

That is so refreshing.

And I'm sitting here at the computer, looking at the assortment of postings on FB, Yahoo news and the like.

It's amazing to me see how my generation has been affected.

Similarly to that of my fathers when JFK and MLK died.

They knew where they were, what they were doing & wearing when the world went silent.

As do we.

10 years it has been since all of our lives were changed.

It seems like so long ago but feels like yesterday whenever I see any footage.

I'm making it a point to not watch anything about it today.

I can't.

It still hurts.

And we actually watched a bit last weekend and spent the week trying to calm down a 9 year-old.

No thank you.

Sweet Pea is 9.

She was just a little thing floating in my tummy when all this happened 10 years ago.

I will never forget what I was doing, wearing or feeling at that moment.

And here I am, a whole decade later, pregnant again and wondering where this world is heading.

But I look back and am proud.

Not of everything that has occurred, but proud of our people.

How we rallied and recovered.

How we have moved on but never forgotten.

How we have grown and gone forward.

It makes my heart swell.

So today, I say a prayer for all those families who lost someone, who's lives will never be the same.

I say a prayer for those who didn't and are still affected by this date in time.

And I say 'thank you' to all that raise their heads high and show their pride and their love.

Always looking forward, not dwelling in the past and 'what could've been'.

Today, lets rejoice in the family we have, the lives we live and the love in our hearts.