Chicago-Town

Things to know about the Midwest:

1. It is GOSH DANG hot.  Humidity is no joke.
2. You WILL eat a cheeseburger everyday.
3. You will probably eat pizza everyday, too.
4. If a baby sits at the head of the table, he will be called "The Godfather" by every passer-by.
5. No one can read your sarcasm when you tell them you can hardly hear their accent.
6. There are bugs in the trees that sound like screaming demons.  
7. Corn on the cob is cheaper than, well... anything.
8. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen and bug spray in case you go outside for 5 seconds.
9. You have to drive a lot and it's flat and it's boring.
10. FROZEN. CUSTARD.

We are heading out the Midwest again to visit our family.  We always have a blast in the Midwest!  Last year it was over 110° and super muggy.  This year we expect it be a bit more mild - but still hotter and more humid that this Washingtonian is accustomed to.  

Here are some photos from last year...

Corn and flat land.

4th of July cake balls - because cake pops are sometimes too hard to make.

We have a lot of nieces and nephews.  This is about half of them...plus Dan.

More flat land.

Bad and Good

BAD
cloudy days in late June
chipped nail polish
a broken front door knob
blistered feet from half marathon training
bad reception in smalltown, usa - wherever Dan is

GOOD
a happy toddler playing with new blocks
hearing him call me "mama"
freshly bleached hair
packing for vacation
delicious, fresh peaches

baking peanut butter oatmeal cups at midnight 

Saturday and Sunday

We had the best weekend; although, it was a bit bipolar! Saturday was beauuuutiful! We basked in the sun and the BeeBs played in his kiddie pool - sometimes fully clothed before we were about to leave so mama could do a photoshoot. And then Sunday was all clouds and rain and we ran 8 miles together. BB in the BOB and me in my new bright yellow Sauconys. That's how we do the weekend, my friends! Hoping for more days like Saturday but a little rain's not so bad. Happy Monday! (We get to see Dan in a week!)

Style Resolution Review

I'm midway through my Style Resolution (Can you believe that 2013 is halfway over?!)  I might be failing.  I'm not sure.  Let's review.

The plan was to have less items of clothing to choose from and to be aware of what my personal style is so that I dont buy anything that doesn't fit my theme. So many times I buy something that I don't love and then it gets worn once (out of guilt) and then never again. I've done a good job with buying things in my color scheme and things that suit my body. And I am selling some of the things in my closet that I rarely or never wear

I guess the main goal was to get dressed everyday and to accessorize more, to take an extra 10 minutes of "me-time" to choose an outfit that is sensible and makes me feel good. I think I've done that. I've been more conscientious about accessorizing, too.

The main goal of my Style Resolution was to define my style. I think it's perfectly fine to change things up - for example: modern one day, vintage the next - but I wanted to have a reference guide for when I shop.  Sometimes something stands out to me and I buy it on a whim and then later realize that it doesn't go with anything I own.  So, I've labeled my style as "Vintage-Grunge-Chic" and I know that :  I like solid, bold colors like green and red and gold. I wear a lot of black, gray and denim. I like skinny jeans. I like flowy, chiffon dresses and skirts. I am scared of prints - except for plaid shirts and leopard print accessories. I don't accessorize nearly enough.

Above: Before Accessories.  Below: After.

Here are some recent purchases that I am pretty happy with. I think they fit my theme and will go with a lot of the things I already own. What do you think?  Did I nail it?  

Have you ever had a total style makeover or resolution? I'd love to hear about it!   

Happy Birthday, Ruthy!

Hey, everyone!  Head over to DiscoveryStreet to wish Ruthy a happy birthday and enter to win a $60 gift card to Target!  

or click here:  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Making the Most of It

Dan was only home for a week and a half and it was our only weekend alone, just the three of us - for two months.  That's what summer is like when you're in a band.  So, this past weekend, we made a conscious effort to spend as much time together as possible.  He's so busy but he always puts us first and we had a blast while he was home.  

I found a 7 mile hike I wanted to try on Orcas Island.  I did not know that you were supposed to arrive an hour and 10 minutes early for the ferry, nor did I realize that the ferry was $50 and I also might have cried when I found out we were too late for the 10:40 ferry and that the next ferry was in 4 hours. But, thanks to smart phones, Dan found a huge park near us and we decided to try it instead.  We are so glad we did.  Not only did we save ourselves a $50 ferry toll we found the most beautiful park we've ever been to:  Deception Pass State Park.  We bought chips and sandwiches at a deli in Anacortes, WA and ate them in the park before we ventured out.  These picutres don't show it but BB was a jewel the entire time.  He loved sitting in the hiking pack and was laughing and talking and pointing at things.  He really is growing up so fast.

We took a self-timed photo with Dan's Canon. We prefer self-timed photos over asking a stranger. Here's why:  when she saw us shooting this picture, a woman on the beach asked if we needed help taking a photo of the three of us. I politely told her that we got the shot we wanted. We ran into her later on the trail and she offered again so I let her and after we shuffled around the trail to get the best lighting she exclaimed "this is one of those old-timey cameras, eh?" and held it away from her, expecting to see a live video image on the LCD screen. After she got used to the old-timey camera, she awkwardly stuck  her eye up to the view finder, clicked the button and somehow the flash popped up, then handed the camera back to me... having never even taken a photo. I looked at the back of the camera and said, "Yeah, it's great!  Thank-you!", and she went on her way.  That is why we do not oblige when someone offers to take a photo of us. It was nice of her to try.

Here's a little video of our time by the water.  This kid REALLY loves to throw rocks.

The Space to Dream

I get a little anxious when Dan goes on tour. Not only am I balancing a full-time job, motherhood and housework, I am training for a half marathon, and obviously I blog and dink around on Twitter and Instagram. Since I'm self-employed it's really hard to find the space and time to think about anything. Most of the time, when Dan is on the road, I just feel anxious and overworked.

While Dan was home the past week and a half we stayed up late, we sat and talked and he let me dream.  He let me talk about our future, my ideal future, all the "what ifs" that I never allow myself to think about. It felt nice to dream. Even if my life looks the same today as it does a year from now, if nothing comes to fruition, it still gives me hope to use my imagination.

We went out for teriyaki last night and our fortunes were profound. I dont believe in Asian-fortune-cookie-voodoo but these were noteworthy. I think we're going to make some changes. Changes that will give me the space to dream, perhaps. I cant wait to figure it out!

Ladies Night

Dan and I finally did something that we've been talking about for years. We went out separately for a guys night and a girls night.  We didn't really plan it.  He went out on Thursday because I had a meeting at our house. So, on Friday I wanted to go out and he stayed home. I met up with some friends at Matador where we met Caroline Rhea, Aunt Hilda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I was out with some really stylish ladies:  Danielle, Sarah and Lana. Sarah has a blog and and sells vintage items on Etsy and her friend, Abby, joined up with us just before the sunset to shoot some outfit photos. Sarah convinced me to do outfit photos, too. She said the world needed more tall, skinny girls to post fashion photos to inspire them. I was like, "you had me at skinny" so we did it. The funny thing is, all these clothes are super old -- but I do like this outfit! And I had fun. Can't you tell? Dan's leaving again but there are definitely more Ladies' Nights in my future! There might even be more outfit posts in my future but... we'll see!

Shirt:  Bershka, France (2007).  Shoes:  Thrifted.  Jeans, BDG, Urban Outfitters (2009).  Necklace, Forever 21  (2011).  Bracelets:  I dont remember.  Clutch:  Ross (2012).  Photos by:  Abby Williamson.

And then it was Sarah's turn and I tucked in her jean pockets for her.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to an amazing dad who somehow balances his many roles and busy schedule with style.   You are incredible, Dan!  We love you!

Responsible, Caring Humans

A guy named Caleb spoke at our church a few weeks ago and the words are still resonating with me. I can't get it out of my head.  Caleb told a story about a well-to-do family that left a cushy life to serve the poor in Calcutta, India. If you don't know anything about Calcutta it's where Mother Theresa served and is considered one of the most depraved and poverty-stricken areas of the world. I am certain they were met with opposition when they announced that they were taking their three small children to this place. Caleb got to meet this family ten years later and describes these kids, now 15, 13 and 12 years old:

[They are] some of the most brilliant, intelligent, kind and interesting people you have ever met. They saw their parents lose themselves for the gospel. They saw freedom sprout out of chaos. They saw women freed from sex-trafficking. I doubt if they're going to wish that they had a pool and fatty trust fund! If [this couple] can take three small children to Calcutta, then maybe we can make time for the homeless in Tacoma?

Don't worry, we're not moving to Calcutta.  But, I do want to instill some values in our child or children that are maybe a little different. And I want to live a life where my child sees me doing the things I talk about doing. All in all, I would like to raise responsible, caring humans. I want to be more intentional with my time. I want to be able to see beyond the nose on my face, to make time for relationships and for solitude. I want our child or children...

• to appreciate the little things
• to say "please" and "thank-you" 
• to have meaningful conversations
• to give and expect nothing in return
• to love without holding back
• to work for the things that you want
• to know that sometimes it's okay to not have things
• to look at every person and see a human being not so different than themselves
• to know that stuff is just stuff
• to value people and experiences more than earthly possessions

What have I left out? Surely there's more. What values do you want to instill in your kids?

Favorite Moments

It's so good to have Dan back! We love to talk. We have been planning and dreaming about our future lately and it's exciting. Even if our dreams never come to fruition it's still so much fun to imagine. 

This past Saturday we went on a hike with our friends who are visiting from Arizona. BB was a champ! He walked independently and climbed hills and picked up sticks and leaves and I was amazed! He's really not a baby anymore. The hike was bittersweet. It ended with a theft (our friend's purse taken out of her rental car) but the actual hike was perfection.

What's your ideal place? What are some of your favorite moments that you want to just freeze in time and relive over and over again?  

Colored Rice | Sensory Play

I am trying to incorporate more sensory play in our lives - but I dont like making messes. I'm learning that sensory play is necessary for every child but sometimes I just dont want to clean shaving cream off of everything.  So, I heard about colored rice and it turns out that making it is super easy!  (Unlike my slow-cook playdough).  All you need is uncooked white rice, food coloring and vinegar. 

1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of rice and however much coloring you need for the shade you desire. I made 3 cups of red, blue and yellow each. You can mix it a ziplocked bag or just stir it in a bowl. Then lay it out to dry.  It took about an hour.

We like to play with it outside or in the high chair.  You can give them scoops and funnels, toy cars, hide little toys in a it, or just let them feel it!  It's great sensory play, easy to clean up, and cheap and easy to make!

Such intense focus!  I wish I could focus like that....