• Adventures with Suzette,  Apartmentlandia,  house stuff!,  rando bits

    Got my mojo back, maybe.

    fabulous-at-50.

    I actually woke up excited to blog today. That is huge! It’s been probably fifteen years since I looked forward to blogging. It was such a job there for a while, you know? It was fun when I was famous but then blogs fell out of fashion and mommy blogging was so overdone…I was kinda ashamed to be part of all that but I think in spite of myself and all the flubs I’ve committed over the years, I finally have a great corner of the internet all to myself. I really look forward to the comments here and I feel like you are my real friends. I love updating you. I love the inside jokes we have. So here I am, back!

    I’ve felt slightly better over the last few days. Payam and I are friends and today I walked the dogs which was a HUGE serotonin hit. I follow a bunch of golden retriever accounts on Instagram (to combat depression obviously) and they make me miss Cody so much! Of course, I miss Whiskey too but there aren’t as many cute wheatens on the internet as there are golden retrievers. I’m a sucker for a good puppy video. They get me every time.  It was really fun to walk them. I walked them all the way to Starbucks and got them big glasses of water and puppuccinos. They were so happy. I might make it a regular thing.

    boho-apartment

    Yesterday I got a bee up my butt and I rearranged the living room furniture. That’s definitely a sign that I’m feeling better. I also re-covered that chair you see on the left. I bought it at an estate sale for ten bucks. It was soooooo dusty. I think the original owner must have been in dead or in a home for years before they opened up the house and decided to sell all the stuff. There were so many amazing antiques. I bought a pot and a can opener and a chair! I love a good estate sale. It’s been nice to have a new place to furnish. I wish I was a professional estate sale shopper. If anyone needs unique furnishings, email me. I’m great at finding unique things!

    my-goober

    Oh yes, remember this goober? She still steals my phone and takes hundreds of silly selfies. I love it.

    bug-got-her-bike-stolen

    In other news: Bug’s bike got stolen right out of our carport. It was locked to the trellis wall with my bike (Suzette the bicyclette) and the thieves just cut the lock and took it. We are so bummed. They didn’t take Suzette though so I whipped her upstairs and have her stashed half in my closet and the other half sticking out. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement but nobody’s going to steal my bike if I can help it. We filed a police report and an officer actually came out to talk with us. He said there isn’t much we can do but they took all of our information and they were really nice about it. I’m so glad Toby still had the serial number so if they do find it they can return it to us. Sigh… thems the breaks of apartment living.

    blood-moon

    Last night Bug and I crept onto the golf course to take a photo of the super moon. It was so fun to sneak around in the dark where we normally are not allowed. I didn’t even care that I was wearing my pajamas.

    feelin-it

    This is definitely proof that I’m getting my mojo back. I think I want to throw a “fabulous fifty” birthday party and ask all my friends to dress up for a pool party at the clubhouse in our complex. I’m planning the ultimate photoshoot and everybody must dress up. The more fabulous the better. I was thinking crazy flowered pants and Elton John style glasses but when I went to a thrift store to find some “70’s glam costumery” all I found was this amazing peacock green gown instead. It is truly AMAZING. There is so much fabric and it’s super heavy and stretchy like a swimsuit. You can tie it a million different ways and every way is flattering. I’m also working on a Brendarita invitation with real margarita powder and freeze-dried strawberries (just add tequila)! If you want to be on my exclusive mailing list email me. Because if you are still reading here on this corner of the internet you deserve to be at this party!

  • artsy fartsy,  domesticity,  house stuff!,  Shop Talk

    Back Home Again

    new-office-of-2022-2

    And just like that, I moved my office back home again.  I know what you are thinking. You saw this coming a mile away…

    It was an incredibly difficult decision that I went back and forth over for MONTHS. I hemmed and hawed every day. Some days I loved the separation of home and work and the blessed peace and quiet of the office, other days I missed my bright sunny room, the proximity to all my many boxes of craft supplies in Diagon Alley, all my happy sunny photoshoot spots, my plants, my animals…my family. I wish I could just keep both but then the expense. I can’t stand spending money on something I’m not using every day.

    driving-the-office-crap-home

    So I packed everything up in my car and two loads later everything was back at home.

    a-place-for-everything-and

    It seems overwhelming, right? Not to me. Clutter like this is a joy to me. I LOVE organizing a new space. I see this as a challenge that I can conquer in a day. Bring it on! I sing. I know I should hire myself out to do this for others but nobody ever wants to really hire me. Plus there is a lot of psychology that has to go into sorting and when it comes to someone else it’s almost like doing hours and hours of therapy. I know this because I’ve spent my entire life doing this with my mom. My stuff: no sweat! Other people’s stuff… well, it depends on how attached you are. If you are ready to be ruthless then I am your girl. Call me.

    everything-in-its-place

    It took some time but bit by bit I found a place for everything and everything found its place. Lots of envelopes got donated and my new toaster and printer found new homes.

    new-office-of-2022-1

    I have to say I’m really happy with the new space. I’ve figured myself out: I just need change. Every six months I need to rearrange or up and move, get a new hobby or try a new work-out. I just crave change. It envigorates me and helps me feel like I’m making progress. I can’t stand feeling stuck. I’m sure there’s a lot more to unpack there mentally but for now I’m sticking with actual physical unpacking.

    new-office-of-2022-3

    Besides the hot weather of this room (that is very sunny, bright, and unbearably hot in the summer) one of the things I was trying to escape when I moved to an outside office was how my homelife edged into my professional life. That is still going to be my biggest challenge. When I’m home I like to tinker. I like to clean, I like to garden and I like to make things. I love having a sewing room next to my office and a painting studio in between. I can slide my rolly chair from one project to the other with ease. It’s super fun but it’s also not so great for focusing on work projects. I can spend my whole day organizing the kitchen, baking bread, driving the kids around, and never touch a drop of work if I’m not careful.

    My plants missed me. My garden has been terribly neglected, my kitchen too. The dogs are super happy to have a playmate back home again. I can get more walks in… it’s just going to be nice but also difficult.

    headphones-yes

    We’ll just have to see. I did talk to the office manager and they will welcome me back anytime. We’ll see if I can make it till summer.

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