loving: being home with my sweet family.  i got quite the welcome from both EBN and ABN and while it was so fun to be away, there is simply no place i would rather be, than right here.  i’ve been indulging in extra hugs and kisses from both the BNs and it’s been pretty nice. (although EBN isn’t such a fan of when ABN and i snuggle close.  i think she feels left out – as evidenced by the quivering lower lip that seems to pop out whenever ABN and i get too close.  it’s equal parts hysterical and inspiring – clearly the only way to get her passed this “issue” is to expose her to more of it.  i think ABN and i are up for the challenge.)

reading: i mentioned that i bought THIS book while in the minnesota airport during my layover on sunday.  i’m not sure why i reached for it over the other options – it wasn’t on a list of mine.  but every now and then i pick something up and can’t seem to put it down until i’m finished.  it helps that i had a good 4 hours of reading time on the flight home – and even though i’ve only read for a couple of hours since returning, i’ll finish it in the next day or so for sure.  it’s about a group of friends who went to college together who are reuniting for a week in paradise, some 15 years later.  as you can probably guess – trouble ensues in the form of adultery, an allergy to shell fish and a hurricane – just to name a few.   it’s not great – and i’m pretty sure there is no character that i’m rooting for (i hate that).  i’ll take on Where’d You Go Bernadette (which i started on my red-eye but then my kindle died) next and then THIS.

watching: oh you know me.  a little of this, a little of that.  Nashville continues to rank number 1 as far as i’m concerned.  i’m pretty much over Scandal (because i’m not sure there is a like-able character, see above….) although i love me some scott foley for no good reason other than it broke my heart when he and jennifer garner broke just because she got famous (i mean, i’ve always assumed).  we’re two weeks behind on Mad Men which causes great anxiety in my life.  i live in fear of the spoilers and at the same time i need.to.know.  in reality tv news, i’m watching Best Ink on oxygen and i’m not one bit embarassed to admit.

listening to: volume two of the Nashville soundtrack.  whatever, i’m obsessed.  that show can do no wrong.  i want rayna’s hair,  scarlett’s wardrobe, juilette’s house (really, any of them up until this point) and deacon…plain and simple.

eating: i just made myself some chicken salad and it was absolutely delicious.  hit.the.spot.

working on: letting things go, enjoying the moment, not anticipating what’s coming next, focusing on the people in my life that make me happy.

looking forward to: this weekend.  it’s mother’s day and we’re headed to sacramento for two nights for a special family adventure.  an outdoor swimming pool, the train museum and a trip to the zoo are in our future.  can’t think of a better way to celebrate being a mama!

thanks again, Danielle, for the inspiration behind these posts.

as soon as DBN announced her engagement (over skype!  from taiwaan!) i got i got excited about planning a shower.  DBN is a girl who deserves a celebration and i couldn’t wait to do it up right.

did you see those awesome tea cookies?  yeah, my dad gets full credit on that one.  and the flowers?  one of DBN’s friends came up with the great idea of gifting mason jars labeled with chalkboard paint (she got a full set and the supplies to make more – totally jealous!).

each woman was asked to pass along words of wisdom or life lessons to share and their gifts went along with these traditions and tidbits.  i put together a book of all their words and gifted that to the bride to be.  also a preview of what is to come:

the cat is finally out of the bag. this is the HUGE crochet project i’ve been working on. a queen-sized blanket for DBN for her wedding. and i’ve been making major progress, until…i found a mistake that i just couldn’t live with. and so, i started pulling…

that’s my pissed off pulling face.

and pulling…

and pulling some more…

it’s stinking pretty and i’m glad i’m taking the time to make sure it’s done right.

july is right around the corner…

did you feel abandoned?  totally not my intention.  the end of my week got a bit crazier than expected with last-minute prep for my lightning-speed trip to boston and before i knew it i was up in the air (literally) without officially signing off from this space.  not my intention.

to catch you up to speed, let’s break it down in numbers

3 – airports visited.  terminal 2 at SFO – you win.  logan – you suck.  and minneapolis, where i had a longer than expected layover on my return – you are one hell of walk.

21 – women who gathered to toast the bride to be (more details on the shower itself later this week).

1 – dress packed for the event – which i have to say was sorta a mini-miracle.  i’m the queen of packing lots of options and feeling unsettled.  but thanks to stitch fix i was feeling super sure of decision (yep, i ended up just going for it and wearing the red penguin dress!).

5 – hours my parents drove roundtrip so that my mom would be able to toast the bride to be and so that my dad could show off his contribution to the favors (just wait…).  also to squeeze me and (most importantly) to hand off a gift for me to bring back to EBN.

2 – times wireless failed to work on my flights home.  thank goodness for an old fashioned notepad in order to get work done (or at least, jot down some stuff).

18 – minutes that my kindle worked before dying, again.  it seems to not be holding a charge and needs to be reset often.  this development makes me sad because my kindle is my very favorite and because i had just started THIS book, while sipping a glass of wine in the airport before take off.  also, see above, i was unable to download anything new to my iPad.  so much for technology.

2 – books purchased on the last leg of my journey – 1, a gift for EBN (always gotta bring home a little something) and 1 to keep me busy because of my afformentioned technological issues

0 – friends visited on this too fast trip.  it makes me unbelievably sad to have been so close but still so far.  that and not being able to eat HERE.  i’ll have to find my way back soon.

1 – skype date with EBN and the rest of the post-shower-party guests.

1 – narrowly avoided barfing episode on the red-eye.  every now and then, on flights i get this weird dizzy/lightheaded/goingtopukeatanysecond/drenchedinsweat sensation. it comes on fast and there’s sorta nothing to do but pray it passes – quickly.  in my distant past i’ve actually passed out a couple of times (once on a train…that was…weird) but this time i put my head between my legs and eventually i was okay (although soaking wet).  so…

0 – hours slept on the red eye

2 – dunkin donuts coffees consumed #sogood

14 – hours spent in the air

22 – hours spent on the ground

6 – women who started off as DBN and ABN’s mother’s friends…who have become our family

1 – excellent vodka tonic (apparently, costco sells 1 uber-good vodka and 1 uber-good olive oil.  both are under the kirkland label but made by the fancy schmancy people who make fancy schmancy brands.  you gotta know the label in order to buy the right vodka/oil – because there are many kirkland varieties. but now that i am in the know…life changed.

1 – awesome and jam-packed trip.

can’t wait to get home to see my two favorites.
xo, LBN

1. i broke out my sewing machine this past weekend.  it has been – forever.  but i had seen a headband on etsy that i just had to recreate for EBN (at $30 for 3 and a 2t size limit – what was available wasn’t going to work for us).  and i’m feeling pretty psyched about the outcome – i made 4 in various colors and have supplies to make many, many more.  i’m not above bribing her with bubbles to get her to keep the accessory in place.  she just has to get used to it – at least that’s what i keep telling myself.  i’d like to do a lot more sewing this summer and so i’m thinking about signing up for this online course (i’m pretty sure i’ve said i was going to do it before but this time i’m serious…or whatever).  i’ve never taken an online course like this before but you gotta start somewhere, right?  oh, and if your interested in some headbands for yourself (or your little one) let me know – i could use the practice.

2. we had a contractor come out to the house and walk through the basement.  we talked about our ideas for turning what is now a glorified storage space and half bath into a guest room and play room and full bathroom.  it was exciting and relieving to hear that our ideas were doable and the project itself would take a matter of weeks rather than months (i’m not crazy – i know it will end up taking at least twice as long as they think, but still).  we sent over the deposit this morning which means we’re on our way.  hopefully we’ll be getting started at some point this summer which means by fall, you can book your room in pacifica!

3. fresh flowers in my house, each and every friday.  it’s become a ritual (or, it’s becoming a ritual) and when EBN and i drive home from “school” we often stop at the grocery store and it’s the perfect time to pick a few blooms to place around our house – with additions from our own garden of course.  i’m continuing to love my office and my rediscovered folk music and having a vase full of yummy smells and beautiful colors only sweetens the deal.

thanks again to JESS for the inspiration behind these posts.

it’s become our mantra around here.  for the last 24 hours, EBN has been dripping snot and now there’s a nasty cough to go with it. i don’t know how she does it, but it feels like whenever i turn around, she’s found herself with a cold.  i’m hoping if we lay low today she’ll be good as new by tomorrow or thursday at the latest.  we’ve got things to do and people to see and this cold is really cramping our style (plus – the weather is i-die-gorgeous and being stuck inside is exactly the last place either of us want to be).

we did venture into our backyard for a couple hours early in the day, and we’ll probably head back post (extended?!) nap.  we watered the plants that EBN and ABN planted on sunday and spent some time blowing bubbles and playing with the water table.  now she’s watching “penguins” and i’m taking a break from being her human snot rag cuddling to connect with the outside world (sorta) and hopefully, get a little work done.

and proof this kiddo is mine – she turned to me, wiped her nose on the zebra blanket and said, “i love relaxing.”

me too kid, me too.

once again, i’ve dropped the ball on my stitch fix posts.  i think i’ve had two fixes since my last update – oops.  but i’m back, with my best score to date.

so we will start with what i sent back:

in this awkward photo, in which both my head and feet are cut off, i’m trying to show you that i don’t like the neckline.  it’s not good for me and my big chest.  it reminds me of a kardashian.  not the dress, but the neckline.  i also happen to own two other red and blue sleeveless dresses (that’s embarassing) so this one was easy to send packing.

this post is noteworthy because i am not only wearing makeup (i know!) but i wore shoes with each ensemble.  it’s like a revolution or something.  moving on to the dress.  i think i’m just not a fan of the see-through, hi-lo, trend that is currently…everywhere.  i mean, i’ve seen it work on some people, but it’s not for me.  also, the under-layer in the above BARELY covered my tush.  (and i have a cream and black maxi…oy).  and i’m rarely a fan of a rope belt.  see ya!

i’m 99% sure i had this skirt at some point in high school.  mom, can you confirm?  it’s stretch cotton and polka dot and just not me/age appropriate/anything i would ever wear…ever.  AND it has a drop waist.  yeah, no.  BUT….trying on this skirt did remind me i have these ridiculous rachel-zoe-esque sky high wedges that i need to make more use of.  so all was not lost.

okay now is when things get interesting.

before we get all crazy – i sent this dress back too.  I KNOW.  i’m sorta regretting it but…i couldn’t figure out where i would wear it.  also, the waist hit me too low.  it was like all of a sudden i became short waisted…which i’m not.  the color was amazing and it made me realize i should go for cobalt blue (i never go for blue) and also i should wear heels all the time because look at my legs!  but i don’t wear heels all the time and the dress didn’t look quite the same in my go-to flip flops.  also the material felt a little bit like wearing a wetsuit…just saying.

so now for what did keep.  best.stitchfix.item.ever.

i’m not going to lie. i knew i was keeping this before i even tried it on.  that belt.  i die.  it’s just.  it’s perfect.  this dress is the perfect example of why i love me some stitch fix.  in my last fix (which i forgot t blog about) i got a cute little light blue skirt with the same print – penguins.  i loved the print but the skirt was a bit big and a lot of money for a “cute skirt.”  when i wrote my feedback i mentioned that i loved the print.  and then this time around, same print – PERFECT dress.  i love the collar detail.  and the fit.  i thought about wearing it to my sister-in-law’s shower this weekend but it feels a little dressy (but i might not be able to resist) so i’ll save it for something else.  want to hire me to give a presentation on social media?  i’m there – and dressed to kill!

if you haven’t tried out stitch fix yet – now is the time.  i mean between the blue dress (which i should have kept) and the penguin dress…how can you resist?

this past thursday, EBN and i (oh, and DEEK, let us not forget the ever present, DEEK) put on our cutest duds and took the train into “the big city.”  we’d been trying to find a time to meet ABN for lunch for weeks but due to busy work calendars, unpredictable weather, and a nap schedule that is not to be messed with – we kept putting it off.  but at the every last-minute, i deemed thursday the day and i’m so glad i did.  not only were our schedules wide open but it also turned out to be take your kiddo to work day!  clearly it was meant to be.

the train continues to be the highlight (for her, not for me).  she was sure to talk for the entire ride – saying hi to every stranger, more than once, lest anyone feel left out or ignored.  she then climbed all 37 stairs from BART to the street before i quickly whisked her inside ABN’s building before she got a chance to play peace-maker with the two men fighting on the corner.

there was some brief coloring and extended chair spinning and then we ventured downstairs to the food trucks which resulted in someone having a furrowed brow:

turns out “the big city” might just be a tad overwhelming. she much preferred running circles around the lunch table back up in the office, high-fiving ABN’s male coworkers (she’s already SUCH a flirt) and most of all, spending quality time with her daddy.

not sure if we’re invited back (we tend to make a bit of a scene) but i know the little one is already plotting her return.

the kiddo and i headed into the city yesterday to have lunch with ABN. she marked the occasion with a peter pan collar – i chose eye liner. go big or go home.

also…

i was looking for a slip and realized i need everything on the free people website.  but i’d settle for this (and yes, i’d wear pants underneath…promise).

i’m in love with each and everyone of these dresses but especially this one.

i’m making these baked avocado bacon and eggs for breakfast this weekend – ABN is going to be so excited.

loving these adorable birth announcements – and also the name!  for a jewish girl i sure do love a good celtic name.

seeing a recipe like this makes me want to take a paleo break.  it’s not that i’m craving unhealthy food.  this looks so good and so fresh and i want it in my belly.

i love me a good stack (especially in yellow gold).

if you follow me on fb then you know my current crochet project has hit some bumps along the way.  thinking this might be my next BIG project.

next time ABN goes away and EBN and i need a project – we’re taking this head on.

yum.

i get really itchy and scratchy when i think about the possibility of having another kid – until read a post like this one.

i want to kick my sweet family out of the house so i can have a day to myself to make a couple of these.

i mean, have you ever seen anyone do pregnant better?

alright, is that it?  i sorta think i’m tapped.  next week is all about making final arrangements for my sister-in-law’s bridal shower, on saturday in boston.  that’s right friends, i’m heading across the country for a whopping 36 hours.  while it is sure to be a whirlwind i can’t think of anyone better to celebrate.  but before i go, check back next week for a stitch fix update (it’s been SO long but this week i got my favorite.dress.ever.) as well as a photos from our day in the city.

until then,

xo

LBN

time passes too quickly it seems.  or life is busy.  or quiet time for reflection is few and far between.  whatever the case, months have gotten away from me and while i’ve shared stories and photos and videos, the type of record keeping i know i’ll crave one day, has been few and far between.  there’s no point in trying to catch up, but i’ll try to capture the moment we’re in right now, before it too passes us by.

my kid never.stops.talking.  she comes by it honestly.  and while her constant chatter is nothing new, it now comes in full and flowing sentences.  expressing real thoughts, feelings and opinions.  she questions everything.  accepts nothing at face value.  she’s a girl who loves a good catch phrase, and if she gets a response, good or bad, she’s bound to repeat it again and again.  if you find yourself at our house, you’re likely to hear the following, “i don’t remember,” “i can do it,” “mine,” “i’m still doing,” “i’m nervous,” “that’s humongous (in reference to bubbles, and poops, mostly), “i would like my vitamins, please”, “help me, mama, ayudame” (and a long list of other spanish words and phrases).  she’s also, finally, started using proper pronouns – not always, but at times.  so if she’s referring to herself, she’ll only call herself EBN 50% of the time, and relies on me and i the rest of the time.

we’re super into fairy princesses right now (although i’m not convinced we actually know what a fairy princess is…) so when this nightgown arrived in the mail from nani – life left pretty complete

when she wants something she can’t do quite yet, i tend to assign an arbitrary age to when it will be possible and so she walks around town telling strangers that when she is 6 she is going to play baseball with the big boys and that when she is 7 she is going to light shabbat candles all by myself.  she’s already counting down the days until she is 12 and she can paint her nails black.  gonna be a long wait kid.

there’s a lot of singing as well – baba black sheep, london bridge, the abc’s, row your boat and there’s a dinosaur knocking at my door are current contenders if she ever finds herself auditioning for american idol.  our music class is on hiatus until may but she looks forward to shaking her sillies out each week like no other.

sometimes she likes to wear my smelly running shoes #kidsareweird

my little one is turning into a bit of a picky eater – which i’m mostly certain is my fault.  it’s not that she doesn’t eat balanced meals – chicken and broccoli and quinoa and yogurt and fruit, as well as her fair share of french fries and hotdogs and bagels and cream cheese, and if she could subsist on a goldfishy diet, she would – it’s just that is basically all she will eat.  try to introduce something new and different and she will, literally, turn up her nose.  it makes it difficult when we go to friend’s houses.  i mean, i know there is nothing better than a taco bar but the kid won’t even consider it.  in the last week or so i’ve tried hard to have EBN eat whatever we are eating for dinner but that means starting my dinner prep hours earlier than i typically would (because she eats before we do).  and managing it all is just hard work.

her sleep is great – i’ve got no complaints – which means, after this post publishes, we’ll probably never sleep again.  day time potty training is done and done and she still sleeps in a diaper and that’s equal parts her and me.  i have no plans to make any changes to our system anytime soon and if i have to send her to college with night time diapers and slurp packs so she gets her servings of fiber in, so be it.

a friend watched EBN last weekend while we moved furniture and sent this photo over to show what “fun” was being had. i’m pretty sure it’s photoshopped – my kid isn’t really this much of a risk taker. is she?

my little one, who talks constantly and sings loudly and plays proudly, has never been much of a risk taker.  but over the last few weeks, the girl who has always clapped enthuastically as her friends climb and jump and run, has started to do her fair share too.  need a bit of evidence?:

basically – it’s a miracle.

in her old age, my kiddo has become a bit emotional – it’s to be expected, i know.  when her friends, who she loves, come to close, she yells.  when she doesn’t want to share, she yells.  when her hair is washed, or her nose is wiped, or she wants to get out of bed in the morning – she yells.  it’s something that we’re working on.  we talk about taking deep breaths and asking for help when she needs it.  we talk about using her words and telling her friends that she might need a little space.  we tell her it’s alright to cry but sometimes it easier for mommy and daddy to fix the problem when she uses her words.  it’s a slow process – that is quickly driving me nuts.

she continues to be super into electronica – screens – not music.  in addition to her ipad (which is really MY ipad that i was gifted for mothers day last year…go figure) we’ve swapped out most tv shows (other than dora, nothing replaces dora) with movies.  her current faves are free to be you and me, this babies video from the 80s that my mom somehow got on dvd – it’s awful, she LOVES it, and annie.  man oh man do we LOVE annie in this house.  although if you start singing “the sun will come out tomorrow,” most likely EBN will look at you confused – she insists on restarting the movie at each viewing so we have yet to make it that far.

we’re all set with our preschool decision for the fall which is super exciting and overwhelming all at once.  i can’t wait to have 3 mornings a week to myself (can you say, “mama’s gonna join a gym?!”) and i know my kid is BEYOND ready and going to love it.  but i just can’t believe she’s old enough to start school.  for the last week she’s woken up and looked and acted dramatically older than she did when she went to sleep.  her hair seems to be longer and curlier too.  it’s just all going by really fucking fast.

i’m writing from the back deck.  the sun is shining on my shoulders, clean and dry after a morning at the beach and a post-sand shower with the little one.  she’s blowing bubbles at maniac speed, as i type and sip on my arnold palmer.  i always thought an arnold palmer included vodka – and since it’s after 5 (barely) i’ve decided to make my definition a reality.  a few weeks ago ABN worked his magic on my phone, making it so that i could use it to connect my computer to the internet when wireless isn’t available.  and the problem i’ve always had with “working” from my beck deck is that our house signal was never strong enough.  problem solved.

the house next door to us, to the right if you’re facing the street, the left if you are facing our house, is sunshine yellow with mandarin orange trim and pansy purple accents.  in addition to its multi-generational inhabitants with a lineage way more complicated than i can understand, it also houses an rv parked in the driveway, a school bus between the early morning pick-up and late afternoon drop-off and a couple of rowdy pigs who squeal and argue with the dogs that live there too.  in our first few months living in our home, when adults still attempted naps due to a baby that kept odd hours, we’d giggle in response to the raucous, sure we’d never heard dogs, of any breed, that made such a noise, and hypothesizing they must be wild boars.  never to imagine we were right.

anyway,this long drawn out story, and scene really, is just to say…EBN, between blows directed at her orange bubble wand, asks, “what’s that?” in response to hearing the snorting and squealing on the other side of the fence.  “what’s that,” is one of her current catch phrases.  she has many.  to her question i respond, it’s the pigs honey.  we can go meet them if you want (please say no.).  “no mommy,” she says, “not piggies.  it’s lions.”

at this point, nothing would surprise me.