Whoa! The weather has taken a turn. A turn toward cold, dark and WET! I seem to be entering hibernation mode. All I want is my sweats, big cups of coffee and comfort food. Last Friday I decided a pot roast was the key to my happiness. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for the Perfect Pot Roast. Using one pot and simple ingredients {chuck roast, vegetables, beef stock, and herbs} it fit all my criteria for a great recipe. The meat was so moist and tender it fell basically fell apart when I sliced it. I will warn you. It cooks 4+ hours in the oven. With busy weekday schedules, it is most likely a weekend or Sunday dinner. But it so worth the wait! Plus, we had a huge amount left over. It gave us a bonus meal of French Dip Sandwiches {using this au jus recipe}. Who doesn’t love bonus meals?
Little Man asked me to help him write a sign and then slapped it up on his door! {Only 7 and under.} For the most part my boys are good friends and love spending time together. I guess last week things weren’t going as well. My youngest had reached his limit with his brother and a sign was going to take care of it.
It got me to thinking. If a sign on the door actually works, maybe I should give it a try. What signs might I hang on the door?
Or possibly just keep it general and use one that works for any situation in my home.
What would your sign say? {Happy Monday. Mother on!}
I am down to the finishing touches on my closet TLC project. I want to choose one of these prints to accompany the other items I have gathered to make my closet the girliest place in my home. Obviously, the message is the same, so it comes down to a matter of design. Help me decide. I am so close to finishing and I can’t wait to share the results with all of you.
There have been many chats about hair cuts this week in our house. Big W is unhappy with a cut he got on Monday. It isn’t a bad cut, but it is much shorter than he is used to and he isn’t a fan. At dinner last night I told him that every adult could understand his pain. We have all been there. You know the story. You sit down in the chair, chat with your stylist and then something goes astray. To your horror, you see it happening {the train running off the tracks and hair falling to the floor} and there is nothing you can do about it. While breezing down memory lane with the help of a few photographs, I found much of my hair history falls into two categories. A bad cut OR a bad idea. Either way it has been quite a bumpy ride!
A few highlights: From a young age I wanted long hair. However my mom was in charge of styling decisions, so long hair was out and the pixie was in. It actually was a darling haircut, but not what I wanted. When I finally got a bit of power, I grew it long and a massive amount of bangs. To my own defense, it was the 80’s and everyone was doing it. Still, it was really bad idea. In the early 90’s, I went through a mid-high school crisis. My answer was to cut all my hair off. I walked into the salon with hair down to the small of my back and walked out with a pixie. It was a shocking change. The bad idea came when I was trying to grow out my hair. {If you have ever done this, you know it is long and embarrassing process!} So, I decided to perm it. Bad idea. Who does that??? However, the worst of the worst came in the summer of 2000 {a mere 12 months before my wedding day}! I loved Rene Russo’s hair in The Thomas Crown Affair. Actually, I was obsessed with it! So I took a picture with me and asked for the exact cut. A girl with curly hair, that frizzes at the sign of any moisture, has no business with this style. This was a horrible cut. Oh my gosh. It was so, so bad. Now, looking back, if I don’t laugh about it -I may cry.
Truthfully, I hope you are laughing. I am. How can you not? It is quite an unglamorous hair past. Please tell me you have pictures like these hidden somewhere. Commiserate with me. What is your worst hair story?!?
Reading should be fun and funny! Oh my gosh, your boys {and girls} will totally dig these books. The humor is aimed directly at boys, in my opinion. You be the judge.
A line from The Dumb Bunnies’ Easter: ” Poppa Bunny carved the turkey, Momma Bunny tossed the salad…and Baby Bunny cut the cheese. ‘That’s my boy,’ said Poppa Bunny.
Nothing like toilet humor, right? The 4-book series is written by Dav Pilkey, under the pseudonym “Sue Denim”. It follows a hilarious family of dumb bunnies. Giggles, from kids and parents, are guaranteed. The plot lines are outrageous and full of backwards adventures. Little Man asks for them over and over. Big W loves to be the one to read them to him! Win-Win.
PS. I kind of have a crush on Dav Pilkey. He writes books kids WANT to read. {It is quite a mind blowing concept.} In addition, I think his autobiography {read its entirety here} is the coolest thing around! Check it out.
The “before” picture was taken in the summer of 2009 on our 8th wedding anniversary. I remember loving this picture. 8 years, two babies, and still incredibly happy. Somehow I didn’t notice Aaron’s gaunt face. I didn’t notice how his shirt hung off of his ultra-skinny body or how his belt had to be cinched to hold up his pants. It all seems so obvious now, but hindsight is crystal clear. He was incredibly sick. It is very hard to remember, but using picture evidence, the physical signs began to show in 2007. He was also incredibly weak, always tired, and had horrendous intestinal problems. We attributed it to stress from a new job. The tipping point was an emergency hospital stay and the loss of more than 30 pounds. I finally forced my husband to see a doctor. With simple blood work it was confirmed that he had Celiac Disease. Gluten was gone, forever! Within a week of eating gluten free, he began to feel normal. He tells me that he didn’t realize how bad he felt until he started to recover. In the span of 6 months, he gained 20+ pounds and was feeling 100% himself. The “after” picture, taken in 2012, tells the whole story. {Isn’t he so handsome and healthy?}
Celiac Disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. This reaction destroys the tiny hair like fibers in the small intestine which absorb nutrients from food. {And that is no good!} There is no cure. It is 100% managed by diet. A diagnosis of Celiac Disease is really a diagnosis for the whole family. It can be extremely overwhelming and scary! It is NOT the same thing as being gluten intolerant. I must repeat. It is NOT the same thing as being gluten intolerant. Interested in things I have learned, resources I used, and products we love? Click through for the 411! Read the rest of this entry »
You know that moment when your girlfriend walks into the party and she is wearing the most stunning earrings? What is the first thing you ask her? Where did you get those? You know what they say- knowledge is power! The hard part is we don’t all have time {or the energy} to be in the know. Fret no more! Rank & Style has you covered. Seriously, it is kind of brilliant.
Rank & Style creates Top Ten lists using an algorithm {yes, I needed help spelling that} that researches and aggregates data from the department stores, boutiques, fashion blogs and style magazines you trust. There is a new list each day and you can search all the past lists on their site. They rank items in clothing, beauty, shoes, and accessories. Looking for calf hair pumps? They have a top ten list. Need the best hair dryer? There is a top ten list for that. Awesome, right?
I really do love this site! It is new {still in beta}, so check it out. I really think they are on to something.
Ever meet a girl and instantly know you could be friends? I know you would feel this way if you met Kim Guillet. She is the passionate, down to earth, creative force behind Kim Caron Designs. Her unique, hand-made jewelry is gorgeous. Her pieces range from statement rings to delicate necklaces and everything in between. {I am personally in love with druzy quartz. It is just so darn dreamy. Just look at that fabulous ring!}
I am trying something new. Just for fun, I decided to ask Kim a few questions about her designs and her inspiration. There is no better way to get to know someone!
When and why did you launch Kim Caron Designs?
I launched Kim Caron Designs last April. My neighbor Karla talked me into having a trunk show at her house. She has been such a supportive friend.
How did you get your start designing jewelry?
Over 20 years ago I was introduced to jewelry design- it was at Mercer Island High School. I had an awesome teacher, Laurie Hall, and I took the class multiple times. About 3 years ago I was admiring my friend Amy’s Jamie Joseph ring and realized I wanted to make something like that! I signed up for classes at BCC, Danica Design, and Pratt in Seattle to learn jewelry fabrication all over again. I still take classes all the time. There is so much to learn- it’s endless.
What inspires you when designing?
I find inspiration everywhere–from my friends, from the stones themselves, from looking outside at color combinations and of course from Pinterest!
Your studio is so charming. What do you love about it?
I love my studio. My husband Marin built it for me for our 15th anniversary. I think he was also motivated to get his workbench back. I had taken it over in the garage. For me time flies in the studio- I feel like I always have something new I want to try.
How do you name the pieces in your collection?
Every piece of jewelry is named after a little girl I know. My nieces Gracie and Sadie gave me that idea.
It’s a Monday morning. What jewelry are you wearing?
Right now I’m wearing the callie “hope” heart pendant necklace. 100% of proceeds from this necklace go to Ben Towne Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research. I hope to sell tons of these!!! I know Ben’s mom from college and have been absolutely floored by her strength and determination. I wanted to give 10% of all sales to a charity I believed strongly in. It was the perfect fit. Ben’s story is at bentownefoundation.org. You will cry.
My boys will have a special guest at school today. My father will sit with them on stage, as their elementary school honors Veterans at an all-school assembly. Their grandfather served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1969, stationed with the 27th Surgical Hospital in Chu Lai on the South China Sea. {A world away from our little rock.} My dad brought along a scrapbook filled with pictures taken during his tour of duty. As we looked through it and listened to the stories, I had a deep appreciation of the moment. You could see it on my son’s face. He was taking in every word, every picture, and storing them away. There is a deeper, personal understanding of war, history and service. It really is a precious gift.
My dad is a very humble man. He certainly is not one to boast. In his mind, he simply served in the military just as his father and brothers did before him. He deserves to be honored and it is certain that I will be beaming with pride when my oldest son introduces his grandfather as his distinguished Veteran.
Oh, hello November. The days quickly grow colder and shorter as we enter good ole’ November. That means plenty of time indoors with family and friends. Warm meals, roaring fires, and an extra cup of coffee in the afternoon are in order. How about a little inspiration for the eleventh month of year?
