House Upheaval, Sister Upheaval, and My Baby Outsmarts Me...Again

So I actually did it. I organized and cleaned and moved things around and made a trip or so to D.I. And it feels great. Although now I am acting kind of nazi-ish about people picking things up. I don't want to have to do a major clean like that for a while. It steals a piece of your soul. :)

I actually finished the house two days ago, but didn't get around to blogging about it because I didn't have photos. Every time I thought to blog Maddy was sleeping up there or I was too busy or too lazy. So this time I have some lame cell phone pics, but that's better than nothing, right?

So here is my updated room and guest room. You may not be able to tell a difference, but I sure can.

This is my bedroom. New big bed and we moved John's desk out and our "end of bed" chair to a new reading nook location.

Here is the location.

Here is John's desk that I refinished for him for Christmas in our guest room. Maddy's huge toys/house got moved back to the basement.

One of my cheap ideas for putting something up on the wall was to take my vintage trays (that used to be for sale on my etsy), had John drill some holes into the tops, and hung them on the walls. Then we hung some vintage presidential flashcards I found for fifty cents onto the new "magnetic boards." Cheap and kinda fun looking.

To add to the vintage feel (and match the bright blue chair) I put my old blue typewriter onto the small table (thrift store find again of course) next to his desk. On the bottom shelf is the new age printer.

The nightstand. The lamp was too short so I propped it up with some vintage books. Practical and a little bit of style.

I always saw this trick on t.v. shows, but decided to try it myself. I bought a bunch of mismatched thrift store frames, painted them all black, and then hung them in a fun pattern on the wall. It takes up lots of blank space and looks kinda cool. The bedding was our old bedding from our queen size.

Now this is just a project I finished tonight. I bought this little jumper for Maddy from the thrift shop because she is in dire need of warm dresses for Church. This one looked a little faded and dated because of the velveteen bows. See below.

See what I mean? Faded and all wrinkled up. Made it look very eighties. So I decided to simply take them off.

Voila! Seriously, didn't it make such a huge difference?  Now I think it looks like something that you would not only pay good money for, but also something that your fashion conscious toddler could be proud to wear. ;)

Speaking of toddlers, I want to finish with a funny story. Tonight I thought I would have some fun with Maddy. Although she doesn't understand everything we say yet, usually she will repeat either Mommy or Daddy if you say either of those names in a question or sentence. Knowing this, I decided to ask her while we were finishing up dinner,

"Maddy, who is your favorite? Daddy or Mommy?"

I put my own name last thinking she would recall that one more easily. She had other ideas however and pointed at John and say proudly, 

"Daddy!"

We both laughed. Undeterred I tried again.

"Maddy, who is smarter? Mommy or Daddy?"

This time I switched the names thinking I had outsmarted her this time.

Her answer, however, showed that Mommy and Daddy had underestimated her again.

Without missing a beat she answered how any self respecting super genius would. By pointing immediately to herself. Touche Madeline, Touche. LOL. We must have laughed for five minutes over that. I don't know where she learned her sassiness....;)

Well I guess that's it. I just had to mention that we helped my sister and her family move from Tooele today and it was a sad thing for me. It was so nice having Kelly nearby, and not just for the convenient day time babysitting. Kelly, if you're reading this, I'm going to miss you lots. Luckily, you're worth traveling to visit in nearby Salt Lake, so I'll still see you soon. (Although this next week is shaping up to be busy with two photoshoots, sharing time (tomorrow) about dads (always an interesting topic for me to address), and busy life in general. So we'll see if I end up seeing much of anyone this week!)

Goodnight!

Am I Suffering From Winter Craziness? You Decide.

Time to switch up the old header on my blog. I decided to give my blog a name too. We are now Endearingly Savage. Why? Well I am a fan of oxymorons or ironies or whatever that is, so it made me smile and I decided to go with it. Just in case you were wondering.

Not much to report today. It was busy but full of ho-hum activities such as making soup, disciplining a toddler with extreme amounts of love (and time outs for Mom and baby), playing with alphabet magnets, changing diapers, having a dance party in the kitchen, kissing things "all better," falling asleep for (I swear) only two minutes during Sesame Street and waking up to find Maddy coloring on top of my white laptop and her dolly, scrubbing said laptop with fervor, keeping toddler and cat from causing bodily harm to each other, watching toddler and cat snuggle for two seconds, making breakfast, lunch, dinner--and cajoling baby to eat something at each meal, playing tag around the tiny circle of our kitchen, and lots lots more. That is a day in the life of me. And that's why I always feel busy but sometimes can't remember what I was busy doing.

But with all of this going on, I have started getting the itch. The itch to organize.

 

To buy millions of baskets and bins and go to town on my house. I want to clear out the stuff we really don't need or use, donate it to D.I. (and probably buy it back by accident) :) but just get this place in tip top shape. Has anyone else been feeling this way? Is this a winter craziness thing? Better yet, does anyone want to do it for me? I can pay you in vintage goods, such as a pyrex bowl. I know you're tempted, so you know, just let me know when you're coming over.  Thanks! ;

The Mixed Up Files of Jennifer L. Savageweiler

So I signed up for this "contest" where I might win one of her five homemade surprises. The only thing is that you have to then offer to give five surprises to five other people on your own blog. Well I haven't won (yet) but if I do, I've been thinking about how non-crafty I am. So I've decided if I win, I will be giving out vintage finds surprises. I think that should count. So keep your fingers crossed for me and that I win, because my friends if I win, YOU win. :) Of course if you leave a comment on her blog and win, then I could win from you as well. So let's just both of us win. Okay thanks.

So I am the queen of random on this blog. Hope that's okay with you, because I like it. That just goes to show you how my little mind works.

Speaking of how my mind works, I want to list a bunch of random facts about me, or John, or Maddy. No reason other than I just think it sounds like fun.

1. I hate leftovers. I try so hard to love them and eat them. But I just don't like them. There is only two exceptions I can think of to this: chicken casserole and dessert.

2. Once I got spotlighted in Primary as a teacher and I had put down on the sheet that I liked indie folk music. What got pronounced is that I liked indian music. I'm sure some people thought I was very culturally snobbish/hip. But I'm not. But I've seen some indian movies. I like indian food. Does that redeem me? Am I snobby now??

3. John puts Maddy to bed by himself on a regular basis. I love it. It's not that I don't like giving Maddy baths, but it's a nice little break, and I usually clean up the downstairs while he does that so he can come down to a clean kitchen/living room and we snuggle on the couch and watch something on t.v. In a word- Heaven.

4. Maddy was playing with John's headphones this afternoon holding them up to her ears, so John turned on some internet music. First was some big band which she seemed to like. He then switched it to "adult contemporary." A song by Sting came on and Maddy immediately started saying "uh oh! uh oh!" I don't think she likes Sting. My baby is cool.

5. I found a copy of the next month's book club book at the thrift store. This is the second time I've been so lucky. I wasn't even looking for it. I love that.

6. If money were no object I would plan a surprise Disney trip for John's birthday this year. You know, plan the whole thing, buy the tickets, everything, and then just pick John up from work with our suitcases and tell him I'm kidnapping him.  That would be the best time ever. Someday I am definitely going to do it! (How I'll hide the money spent from him so he doesn't figure it out...well I'm working on that!)

7. Madeline loves it when we sing to her. I can usually stop her from crying if I sing one of her favorites: Pop, Ducks, Monkey, Eensy Weensy, Doggie, or Bus. (Those are what she calls them. Translations? Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree, 5 Little Ducks, 5 Little Monkeys, Eensy Weensy Spider, How Much is that Doggie in the Window, and of course The Wheels on the Bus).

8.I take a Mommy tax on fruit snacks. It's my duty (pun intended).

9. The best soda in the world exists only in Honduras. It's made by a company named Tropical and it is Passion fruit flavored. I'm not kidding you, it's to die for, and I crave it very regularly.

10. I love brand new cotton socks.

Okay, well I just felt like doing that. I think you should tell us some random facts about you too!

Some Pretty Things

I have a new hero my friends. Her name is Joy, and she is who I want to be in twenty years. Or even right now (but she has a grandchild, so that would be a stretch). Have you seen her blog? Check it out...pure thrifting and re-doing love.

Today has been an interesting day. Lots of discussions and going over the same questions over and over again from five million different angles. It was both a good and frustrating experience. I am not really at liberty (yet) to reveal what these discussions were about, but I'm sure you can relate without knowing the topic. You know the kind of big decisions that take days and days of saying the same things over and over? Thinking that if you keep talking about it you'll figure out the exactly perfect thing to do. And then you call your Mom and she figures it out in five minutes. That's what Moms are for. :)

We also made a D.I. trip because we were cooped up all day (all week really) and I found some lovely finds. I think I've decided to not do my etsy shop anymore. The shipping was too much of a headache, so I'm going back to selling my things in Salt Lake at my favorite consignment shop. I'm going to take a huge lot of things up. If you've spied something on my etsy shop that you want to buy but pay me less than what I've listed it for, feel free to make me an offer before I heft it all up to Salt Lake next week. I added to my treasures a vintage typewriter that I got for a fabulous deal. It is cute. Not as cute as the one that my sister gave me (Kelly, did I mention how very very much I love it? No?) Well in my sister's honor I am posting a picture of the super fabulous vintage typewriter that I now have on the super fabulous vintage radio that John's parents gave us. It looks perfectly at home there.

What else should I post? The (to keep with the pattern) super fabulous vintage melmac cups and saucers that my Mom bought for my birthday (which is in August, but still!) from etsy. I showed them to her while swooning on the phone and I got them a week or so later. They are the most fabulous thing I currently own (in addition to aforementioned typewriter and radio).

Well I said I would post about those things a while ago and now I am all caught up. One other thing? Our current latest obsession is watching old episodes of the the show 30 Rock. Everyone I know has been raving about this show forever, but after watching one episode a while ago (apparently one of the few duds) I gave up the show for dumb and possibly lewd. I'm not sure how the show gets in its later episodes, but the early ones so far have made me laugh so hard. That is a rare thing for me. I usually laugh in my head, but this literally has me laughing out loud and uproariously. I love it. Hope it keeps being good! I love starting a show much after it's been on--you get to watch lots of episodes all in a row. Now maybe I'll listen to all of my friends and watch the Gilmore Girls for the first time ever too.

Any other recommendations?

Get Cozy!

Not a fluke....Unfortunately it was probably the flu. Luckily no more throwing up, just a sick little tike with some montezuma's revenge (that's the polite way of saying it). Poor baby! Luckily she didn't seem to realize that she caught what I had and was running around for most of the day happy (when she wasn't feeling sick and snuggling). So I'm hoping she got the much milder form of it.

Sorry to be so boring. What is exciting around here? Well, let's see.

1. I love my husband. He's cute and I didn't even tell you what he got me for Valentine's Day. He let me pick out some new clothes and he sat there while I tried everything on for him. TRUE love my friends.

2. Maddy has begun saying, "Co-ee? Co-ee?" Which means, "Cozy? Cozy?" It's so cute! Apparently we always say, "Do you want to get all cozy?" whenever we wrap her up in a blanket or snuggle with her. So now when she wants to do either of those things she starts saying cozy. It's about the most adorable thing known to man.

3. I got to take a shower, blow dry my hair, and wear earrings today. I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

4. Albertsons sells naan bread. This has changed my life. This week on the menu is my famous Creamy Chicken Curry on fragrant rice and a side of garlic naan bread. I'm still a-flutter every time I think about it.

5. We had a budget meeting (John and myself) and it was fun. No really, it was. I like being on the same page and making all sorts of goals.

6. Oh, and I need to take back my library books. Today.  Well, now tomorrow. But overdue fines are exciting, right? :)

What was exciting around your house today?

Some Vintage Fun and Cookie Requests

Why am I posting this self-portrait? Mostly because I thought it turned out halfway decent and because I really need to stop being so anti-camera when it comes to myself.

Well I feel much improved today. Still not up to maximum mommy speed, but able to go out to the grocery store (where I saw a couple of friends--why do you always see people you know when you look your worst?? Luckily, it's just fun seeing my friends and I don't worry too much about being high maintenance. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have even wandered out of my house), and also able to cuddle my cuddle-bug (I missed her, and I think she missed me from the amount of snuggles I got today), and to eat some solid food (which we now have thanks to said huge grocery shop).

These are all really great "feeling better" milestones.

Anyway, enough about being sick. I hate being sick. I hate talking about being sick. I came on tonight because I wanted to show you a little something I found. Ohhh, it's so cute. Okay, if you're a vintage lover like me you'll love it.

So did you guess what they are? They are vintage pillowcases of course! I found a whole bag full of them (matching pairs each of them) all unused and nicely pressed. Some of them still had their embroidery paper! I snatched them up, washed them, and now they are on my new big bed. I am in love them them. (I'm saving the heart ones for Maddy's little girl room. They seem cutesy enough for a girls room).

Want to see my other project? I'm really quite proud of this one. Usually I leave vintage finds alone because they are wonderful enough on their own. But I found this little case at D.I. for $1.50. It had a bunch of little leather straps inside of each side of the case. At first I thought it was for shoes or a shoe shine kit or even to hold toiletries. I couldn't figure it out. Then I did a little google search, and though I couldn't find my exact case, I think I figured out what it used to be in the olden days. A portable bar. LOL! Yes, not so useful to a mormon girl. And since it wasn't worth too much on ebay if that is what it was, I decided to change it up so that I could use it as storage on my new side bed table (one that I redid a while ago and never got around to re-selling. Thank goodness! My old bed side table didn't fit with the big bed and John's desk).

Anyway, I took out one side of the case with all of the straps and found some paper I had that looked retro and matched the red perfectly. I think it turned out cute. What do you think?

Also, I had a request from a Grandma recently to post some more pictures. Since I am partial to my cutie pie myself here they are Grandma Jane (although I'm sure Grandma Carrie approves as well). :) She has been doing some funny stuff lately. Besides wanting to wear her sparkly D.I. shoes I bought her all of the time, she's found a few other accessories she's become attached to, such as these:

Yes, that is a diaper cover for swimming. I don't even know how she found it, but she would cry unless I let her wear it around for almost the entire morning. I laughed for the longest time and took a video. I'll have to post that another time. Watching her walk around in it was pretty fun. Also funny? (But not pictured, sorry) is her putting her too small swimsuit on her head and walking around calling it her hat. Um, ok, I might be slightly responsible for showing her that trick. Doesn't make it any less funny. :) 

Her other accessory is funny as well once you know it's NOT a baby cigar. Her Daddy likes to chew on cinnamon sticks. Apparently it's something he picked up when he was a little guy and someone at the Thomas Jefferson house tour told him that they used to chew cinnamon to have good breath. So anyway, Maddy always stares at John and wants to chew on a piece too. Finally he gave in, thinking she wouldn't like it. Wrong! Now I have two cute weirdos walking around the house with cinnamon clenched between their teeth. It makes me laugh.

A sad update within the last half hour. Poor little Maddy seems to have possibly caught my bug, or ate something bad. We just had our first walk in the room and find the baby/bedding/stuffed animals/bed skirt/ covered in vomit. It's actually a blessing that we found her because usually if she cries we let her cry a few minutes and she falls right back asleep, but this time it seemed so unusual to me that she woke up (she usually is dead to the world once she goes down for the night) that I decided to go up and check. I felt so bad for her! She didn't seem to know what had happened. In fact the first thing she said once I started changing her out of her jammies was, "Cookie?" All I could do was laugh and tell her, "Um the last thing you need are cookies. Girl, you just tossed your cookies." So she's all tubbed and scrubbed and watching a little Elmo to call her spirits before heading back up to bed. 

Hope it was a fluke and not the flu! Better go. Goodnight!

Surviving

Just popping in to say I'm not dead. Well I felt like I was, but it turns out I lived. I've been pretty sick. Ruined our Valentine's date (which was Friday) and Saturday I was a zombie, and today I am just starting to feel like I can walk around. We got our new bed. I love the new size, but now I'm feeling dumb about changing the firmness of the mattress. Is there such a thing as the perfect bed? Why am I so indecisive? Honestly, I feel like every big purchase I make (and make a big deal of) I end up hating. Maybe I'm just feeling sick and bleh about everything.

I'm going to take two of something and blog in the morning.

Holy Good Deal

I had to come online and share this deal. Too good to pass up my friends! A store that I never shop at is having prices that are competing with D.I. prices (as in used thrift store prices for my out of state friends). What store could it be?

 None other than The Children's Place! I was over at my friend's house today and spied some lovely clothes with tags still on them (and knew she was as practical and frugal as I am in such things) and asked if there was a sale or something (aren't I tactful). lol. She told me about their great sales and I decided to check them out today.

Can I just say I got a pair of warm, stylish fleece pants for 3.99 for Maddy? And other cheap cutenesses as well. 

Such as this cute little hoodie. (p.s. I am aware it's white. Please do not ruin my giddiness by lecturing me about the evils of white. Trust me, I know. This is a special occasion sweatshirt. So don't be tempted to leave me a comment about it  (ahem, Mom)! Enjoy the loveliness that is this cute hoodie!)

I bought them all for next winter--which I've heard other people do, but I never felt ahead of the game enough to try myself--until today that is (well, I guess I did it at D.I., but I don't think that counts).

Also, if you go to retailmenot.com, you will find a 15% off coupon code you can enter in. Um double yes! The only bad thing is that things are selling out fast (which is the reason I had to go with the white sweatshirt to tell you the truth, but it was so cute I didn't mind). So you'll want to head over there and see if you can snatch up some of the last things. But trust me, you'll love some of their prices.

I think that's it. Do you know of any other stores that are having fabulous online sales? Share and share alike.

A Long Post Discussing Our Fiscal Year (or something)

Hi Everyone,

Well I feel like I've been such a strange person on my blog lately. I haven't posted any of my normal type of postings, but I guess I've always felt in such a rush that it just comes out in list form and highly mysterious sounding. Sorry about that. I intend for this post to be more normal. We'll see if it actually is.

First, we have had many questions from friends in far away places about our van. Just so you know it's a "new to us" van, or in laymen's terms, used. It's a 2005 Kia. It's silver. It's a pretty average van. So average that despite several requests, I just can't seem to find the gumption to take a picture of it. Trust me though, it's the sort of van you've parked next to a million times in the parking lot (and probably cursed because the driver parked it so badly...sorry about that). So that's the last you'll hear about it. Unless you ask me about my embarassing story about trying to open someone else's van while they stood back and watched and laughed uproariously. That hurt. :)

In other non-exciting news, well I think Maddy and I have been a bit under the weather. She has been the champion of all whiners (really, I gave her an award for it and everything) and nearly drove me to distraction yesterday. She was much better today, but then I was feeling out of sorts. Finally I understood why she was so yucky yesterday. I felt kind of bad because I didn't win the most patient mommy award yesterday. But like I said, today was much better for her, plus Daddy worked from home. That makes everyone's lives better. Good heavens I love that man. Sanity, thy name be John.

Next, to answer bed questions. One of our goals at the beginning of this fiscal year (I just really wanted to use the word fiscal) was to buy a mattress at some point. That point being before we had another baby. This is NOT an announcement--Please be seated. I am merely saying that I refused to get pregnant again and have my back go out like it did when I was pregnant with Maddy due to a poor mattress. (It was extremely painful).

So we decided that we were in a position that we could get a new bed. Now here's the thing about mattress shopping. It stinks. As in, I hated it. We had to take Maddy along, who thought it would be fun to either run around the store, try to raid my purse for "snack" (fruit snacks), or jump on the bed while Mommy and Daddy are trying to make a sound decision on a mattress that will decide their sleeping fate for the next 15 years. People...it did not go well. We picked a bed that the salesman convinced me was plenty firm enough (I kept stressing to him that I needed good support and a firm mattress), but he said it was firm underneath all of the pillowtop. Sheesh I am such a sucker.

So to make a long story short, we got the bed, I HATED it with a deep passion, and managed to convince them to not only take it back, but to upgrade us to a king size (well we paid extra, but the great part was that they took the former mattress back).

Now I have kept myself from getting a king size because for some reason people always have an opinion about king size beds. Several people have told me how painfully large they are...they've stressed that I will never snuggle with my husband again because I won't be able to find him in the hugeness that is a king size bed... or that we'll never be able to move the bed again...or that it's too expensive....and the list goes on. I was nigh unto petrified to even go near a king sized bed. And then I had an epiphany. If you are a king sized girl, you need the bed to go with you. And I also know that John and I snuggle plenty. So I'm not worried at all. Mostly I am thrilled (or will be once my bed is delivered on Saturday).

So that has been taking up a lot of my thoughts and time lately. Beds are serious business. They are also expensive. I hate buying expensive stuff. Between the van (which honestly is less money than our previous car, but still, it's a big purchase) and the bed and all of the expenses that seem to happen at the beginning of the year, it has felt a little out of control and anxiety inducing over here. You know what I mean? But I'm hoping things will calm down and that I'll be okay with everything getting back to normal. (You know how normal can seem boring after so much has been going on?) It's a serious flaw of mine and I'm going to admit it to you. I hate being bored. With a passion.

So maybe I'll end my post with a question. What do you do to alleviate boredom when you have a toddler in tow (that is cheap)? We built a little "play land" out of pillows and blankets on the floor yesterday. So what are some of your ideas? Especially in the winter?

Well there you go. A nice, long, boring post. Just to reiterate this...I'm not pregnant (you may think I'm over emphasising this, but I freaked out some very dear friends with all of my cryptic talk). We are considering our timing for baby number two, but number two is not currently on their way. Don't worry, I'll make it loud and clear when (if) it happens. Goodnight!

p.s. Why is a man wearing this shirt? Um, yeah.

If You Like Random Coolness....

First, a couple items of blog business if you don't mind. :)

1. Does anyone have their Albertson's flyer for this week and want to donate it to a worthy couponing cause? If so, let me know before my big shop tomorrow and I'll trade you something good like a mini lemon cheesecake. (Well, not like a mini lemon cheesecake. Exactly a lemon cheesecake. But it's goooood.)

2. Did anyone DVR the second half of Sense and Sensibility on Masterpiece Theater? I swear I have a timer set up for it, but I only got the first half. And it could quite possibly drive me mad. I might offer a cheesecake for that too.

3. I'm in love with my mini van. Oh, sorry, that's not official business. Ahem.

4. I am getting a little piqued with etsy and my lack of good shipping skills. Have any of you sold things on ebay or etsy that were all sorts of different sizes and weights? What is the easiest way to get this all figured out? Do I have to buy a postal scale? Does it have to cost forty stinking dollars?

5. Where can I find and buy a cheap king size bed frame/headboard with possible cuteness intact? I have searched ksl and craigslist. I am considering DI, but am afraid I would think it was King size and get it home and realize it wasn't. I am willing to paint.

I guess that's it. I take advantage of your knowledge dear readers far too often. It's just that you're all so smart. Does anyone have an ikea bed? Do you hate it or love it? Please explain the sturdiness or lack thereof in detail please.

I think that's it. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm forgetting something. Oh well.

On a lighter note, I got to go to my friend Eli's baby blessing. They have a little son named Cristian (Christian for all of you gringos) and he was adorable. My favorite part was when we all went back to his house and he started telling all of his family about how he convinced me to take a dead rat out of a toilet for him. Seriously...we all need to forget that story. Honestly, it should haunt him and his wussiness, but mostly it makes me look like a weirdo that will do anything for a McDonalds Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. Which I won't.

Well.

Not anymore.

Goodnight!

*Update: The 2nd half of Sense and Sensibility is on right now!! Be still my beating heart.

Embarrassing My Friends One Post at a Time

I've been pretty busy lately. I think I am always telling people that (when I call them back two days later covered in guilt and chagrin), but lately it's been true. Luckily, I prefer busy to not-busy. Especially since I tend to fill my days with FUN busy. :) Well as much as I can anyway.

So, like I said, I've been busy. But half of the time I don't think I could even tell you what I've been busy doing. I seem to remember driving into Salt Lake a few times. I remember something about re-covering an ottoman, something about playing tickle monster with Maddy, (something about disciplining said tiny person and trying not to laugh when she forget she's in time out and just sits there talking to her herself), something about cub scouts, something about millions of dishes, (something about feeling like poor cinderelly with all of those horrible dishes)

 and then feeling like Cinderella when my Prince came home and finished those dishes and gave the baby a bath and put her to bed. Yes...lots and lots of somethings filled my entire week.

I suppose I'm thinking about it because I just went over to my b.f.f. since 4th grade blog.

 I love her spunk. It's embarrassing how much I have always looked up to this girl. I'm probably embarrassing her right now. But I think we have stayed b.f.f.'s for so long because she COMPLETELY (I like to capitalize, I'm not yelling in type form!) gets my Mommy and everyday life style. There will always be housework and bathrooms to clean and all of that useful everyday nonsense--

don't get me wrong, I LOVE (I'm sorry, I'm addicted to the caps lock tonight) a clean house. I fantasize about organized closets filled with gleaming baskets and labels,

 but I tend to put it all off if a certain little person comes and hugs my legs, smiles up at me with all the elfy cheekiness that she possesses, and tries to lead me by insistent hand tugging to read a book or play a game or chase the cat. (Oh yeah...we got a cat). :)  It's not always easy (and I don't always do it) to stop what I'm doing and remember that these moments don't last, but I make a very real (I mean it, I think about it often) effort to live in the moment that I've been given today. Because I heard somewhere that they don't want to play with you and be your best friend forever. So I'm thinking I need to take advantage. After all, I embarrass my best friends with cheesy affection on a regular basis. So I gotta take advantage while I still have some! :)

The Winner No One Expected

I did it, I finally picked a winner for my photography giveaway. It was SO hard even though it was random. I wanted to give it to everyone that sent me an entry. Having said that, I am going to make an exception on this blog that I won't mention on my photography blog.

The sweetest entry I received was from a husband hoping to win the giveaway for his wife for a Valentine's Day present. Isn't that the nicest thing you've ever heard?? Any guesses who it was? Right now, you are all wishing that your husband was that thoughtful (or that he read blogs so he could have even known about it to enter), right? Well the winner of the "Cleverest Husband on Valentine's Day Award" (besides my husband of course) was Bryan Brezoff. 

So in honor of such a sweet gesture, I will be giving Lori a free child (or adult) photo shoot. Happy Valentine's Day Lori!

Thanks to all of my other fabulous friends who entered. You made me feel so great with your support and entries!

love jenn

Awry

Today has been one of those kinda off days that aren't really bad per se, but kinda a lot of things went awry. I thought I would share for those of you that might possibly be under the impression that I'm perfect (come on, I know that's ALL of you). :)

1. While making dinner I managed to burn: chicken, naan bread, and the edge of a dish towel. Seriously, who burns a dish towel? Yeah, it almost caught on fire by the time I caught it. Dinner still turned out really good though. (okay apparently someone else in the world has burned a towel because I found this picture online. I feel better already.)

2. I suddenly got a bloody nose. I mean, I don't think I've had one since I was eight or something, and suddenly I'm holding my nose and running to the bathroom. It was so weird!

3. I sold some stuff on my etsy shop (yay!), and then realized that I underestimated my shipping costs. Um, badly. So I learned my lesson. Gulp. I had John up all of my prices by a fair bit to discourage buying until I figure this whole shipping stuff out. Bleh.

4. I didn't make my bed. Oh, who am I kidding. That rarely gets done any day! :)

So it wasn't a bad day, just a lot of weird little badnesses trying to get me down. But I'm not down. I'm just looking forward to tomorrow. :) Because on tomorrow's list are a couple of fun things like going with my sister to Joann's so she can buy fabric (I like hanging out with her. She's fun.) Then I might go with John and look at mattresses because I refuse to get pregnant and sleep on our current bed. Seriously people, I'm not a bed snob, but this thing was old when we bought it. I bought it used for $23 (well it was supposed to be $25 even but John forgot two dollars) from my old boss who had had it for many many years already. But we were desperate, poor, and moving so we took it. During my last pregnancy my back went out and I had to go to a chiropractor. So I'm trying to avoid that from happening. So I think I have John motivated to get us a new bed. Also, I keep trying to put going to the pool on my list because I love swimming and I had to get Maddy a new suit because she grew out of her old one. And it's so darn cute I have even more reason to go. So these are all reasons why tomorrow could be a bit less awry than today.

And in case I haven't hounded you enough, I'm going to keep reminding you about my giveaway. I want lots and lots of people to enter, so tell everyone you know. And even if you've gotten your pictures taken by me or someone else recently, sign up for the future, or sign up for a friend!  Okay, that's my blurb. I'll go to sleep now.

oh wait, my p.s. is a funny thing Maddy did today. I painted her nails randomly, and she kept walking around the house saying, "pity! Pity!" Or "pretty! Pretty!" Soooo cute. She would be playing and all of the sudden I hear from the other room, "Pity!" Adorable.

Be a Winner

And sign up for my free giveaway on my photoblog (see sidebar for the link or click the cute little girl above). I just revamped my site a bit (not fully bug free, can't figure out how to put comments back on), but I'm celebrating anyway. Tell all of your friends. Really, please do. :)

Now I have to go to bed so I can make some sort of sense during Primary tomorrow.

Let me know what you think of my pretty new site on this site since the other one is commentless lol. Goodnight!