Drive

Wow.

So I have just spent a week in Indianapolis, Indiana learning, growing, and discovering at the Scentsy Family Reunion!

I absolutely love my business. I don't think that that's a secret to anyone that knows me! But after reunion (the warm fuzzy name we Scentsy sisters have for our annual convention), I always feel rejuvenated and more ready than ever to work my business and share the Scentsy brands with everyone. Honestly, we have something for every person... It's unreal.

Aaaaanyway, I wanted to share my experience at reunion here, and slowly unveil some of the pictures that I took of new product that's coming out in the fall. I'm particularly fond of these guys...

Me and my new friend Barnaby the Owl!
He is so soft and snuggly....
and will clearly be living with me.

and, if you love Whoot - like I do! - you're going to love this little egg that hatched at the reunion!

Whoot and Whoot jr!
Our fine feathered friend looks great as a plug in!

Who doesn't love an owlet? I know I do...

Keep checking back as I reveal more everyday about what I saw and smelled while I was away. There are some incredible new things coming your way, and I can't wait to share with all of you!

The Little Birds Nest

I'm really proud of what we did with the nursery for Little Bird, and since everyone loves nursery photos, I thought that I would share them here with all of you! I'll do my best to remember where we got everything!

crib; target

  bedding; target/amazon

 lamp; kirklands (no longer for sale on the website)

 paint colors: ballet pink and fairytale pink (both from valspar); 

decal; zulily

warmer on the nightstand; scentsy

[Please disregard the lamps on the floor... they're still there and still homeless. Whoops.]

Amazing artwork inspired by pinterest

but made especially for the little bird by our dear friend EM

who should soon be opening her own Etsy Shop!!

(She makes excellent burp cloths too!)

glider and ottoman; babies 'r us

[which caused us much grief... the glider is/was discontinued AFTER we got the ottoman as a gift. 

Really Babies R Us? Really?]

lamp; ikea (about 5 years ago. I don't think they carry it anymore)

curtains and sheers; ikea

little rug; lenox

yeah... I think I went over all of this already...

changing table/dresser; storkcraft (though we scored it on craigslist!)

lenny the lamb; scentsy

prints; zulily

frames; ikea

shelving; lowes

diaper pail; amazon 

(we cloth diaper and this pail is just the perfect size for one load of laundry in our machine)

diaper pail liner; planetwise (the pink that we have isn't available at the moment)

some other awesome stuff.

bookshelf close up of all of our favorite books!

vases; ikea

custom made shadow box is by our very dear friend SH

who has her own Etsy Shop! 

You can have one of these too at Owl House Designs!

tall dresser; storkcraft

laundry hamper; thirty-one

humidifier; target

polka dot toy bin; babies 'r us

frames; ikea

[They're $2, and we got a trillion of them.]

There is actually an entire wall that I don't have pictures of, with another really cool decal. I would go back and take pictures of it right now, but the Little Bird's room is a disaster mess because I've got some BumGenius all in ones laid out to finish drying... and I haven't picked up since one of the cats had a zoomie overnight and rearranged EVERYTHING. I blame Sookie.

All in all, I love her nursery, and she does too. The best part of her day is when she gets to be naked on her changer. She's all laughs and smiles. This doesn't bode well for her as a teenager, but for now, it's the best part of my day too.

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Dragon Bink Love or Why we love Paci-Plushies!

Holy new favorite thing, batman.

So, we have a love/hate relationship with pacifiers here in the nest. Little Bird loves to work on her binks, and I hate having to put them back into her mouth when they fall out and she immediately screams. I was having to rush back to her during naps (on the rare occasion that she takes one) and more often, stop working or eating every 60 seconds, and when one hasn't eaten for all day, those moments are sacred!

I had been pointed in the direction of Wubanubs by a friend in nursing clinic, but Little Bird doesn't really love the soothie pacifiers - she seems to prefer the shape of the Nuk brand - so it seemed ridiculous to invest in something that she wouldn't really enjoy, no matter how cute and functional.

Enter Nookums Paci-Plushies!

I stumbled on these guys completely by accident (Thank you, Amazon for playing matchmaker!) when I was looking for something completely unrelated, and was SO EXCITED when I saw that they were Nuk compatible, and even better than the pacifier could be removed to be sanitized. I paged through the website and settled on....

Dimples the Dragon!

Every single little cutie is adorable, however, we have a special nickname for Little Bird here at home that makes her having a dragon with her all the time pretty cute. I definitely also love the elephant though!

I promptly ordered, through Amazon since we have an AmazonMom account and live for the free shipping, and got the shipping confirmation email very shortly after. I was stoked that it would be here so quickly! It arrived two days after I ordered, which was awesome. I loved the packaging when it arrived also. Very very cute.

I opened it immediately, and found that poor Dimples was damaged!! Poor fellow looked like he had had his throat cut - shanked in plushie jail! I was disappointed and prepared to pack him back up and return him to Amazon, but something stopped me and told me that I needed to contact the company and let them know that there was a problem. So I did. I emailed them through Amazon, and they wrote me back within minutes. I sent photographs of the damaged item, and was told promptly that a replacement would be shipped out that day after a sincere apology (which I totally didn't need... I just wanted them to know that there was a quality control slip up. I would appreciate someone telling me that if it was my business!). Impressive! We received the replacement within two days, attached our favorite Nuk pacifier, and the love affair began!

We started calling it the "Dragon Bink", mostly just for ease of asking each other where it was. M loves to hold onto the legs and wings (which have two different textures, so she gets to do a little exploring.), and I love that her bink is held in place even if she spits it out and immediately wants it back - the dragon holds it right there for her to grab back into her mouth!

It's gone on many a trip in the car with us, and definitely keeps the bink from falling (being thrown) on the floor of the car or onto the floor at Target, and has definitely saved it from a toss to the ground when we are out for walks in the stroller.

It's so cute that we get comments all the time when we're out. I (literally) ran into a gal (with the shopping cart) in the baby section of Target, and she (stared daggers at me until she saw M and) started cooing over her and asked where I got "such a cute paci clip"! Apparently, she has the same problem as I with a bink tosser, so I told her the website, we both agreed it was a genius idea, and went our merry ways.

We absolutely love it. I even got a picture of it with the bink in her mouth! Little Bird moves very quickly when she wants to.

Thanks for an excellent product. WE LOVE IT!

Oh, and just to be clear, I wasn't paid for this review nor did I get anything for free - although I do love free things! - this is a completely honest and unsolicited review of something we couldn't live without!

It seems like naptime is over... the Little Bird is chirping!

the great return of friday letters.

The last couple of days have been interesting. My mom left on Wednesday morning, after being here for a week. It was a tough transition back to just me and the little bird. It was so nice to be able to hand her to someone when I had to pee and walk the dogs without having her strapped to my chest, but we're back in the swing of things now. I'll shut up now and get to the letters...

Friday Letters... oh how I have missed you.

Dear Ameda, While I appreciate getting the Purely Yours double electric pump for free with my health insurance (see below letter), I hate it. It doesn't drain me well and I end up with more milk on my hand than I do in the bottles, especially when I double pump. I've been doing single side recently, and having more success, but it takes FOREVER. I'm thinking of just sucking it up and buying the Medela to see if it works better.

Dear President Obama, Thanks for the free pump, bro. Good work on being the leader of the free world and still thinking of the breastfeeding mama. You're no President Bartlet, but hey... no one is.

Dear Netflix and Aaron Sorkin, Thank you for The West Wing. There are no words for my gratitude.

Dear Mary Louise Parker, Your performance in Weeds is to die for. I love you as Amy on West Wing. I love you in general. Remember that one time we met and I panicked and hid from you? *sigh* Its probably better this way. I only would've embarrassed myself more if I'd allowed myself to speak.

Dear M, Thank you for being such a good sleeper today! You've been a doll so far today... I hope it sticks! 

Dear Cotton Babies, I am in love with you. Flip Diapers are my fave. BumGenius ain't too shabby either. Please give me free diapers to review here on the blog.

Dear Lexi and Conrad, My beautiful, fabulous dogs... thank you for not barking at the roofers and allowing M, and in turn mama, to get some rest. I promise you a nice long walk this afternoon.

Dear Laundry, I'm gonna crush you today.

I think that's all for me today folks. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!

a visit with great-grandma and "have I always been cross eyed?"

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday, my mom (who is visiting from Pennsylvania) and I took the Little Bird on an adventure! We drove two hours to southern NJ to meet my Nana, who will be 93 in August. It's not the longest road trip we've made with her, but it wasn't long enough for her to really settle in and sleep - too much stop and go traffic and not long enough to really nap. So, it was a very screamy trip, but well worth it so that my Nana could meet her 4th great-grandchild!

We snapped a few pictures of the oldest and the youngest member of our clan! (for now anyway, K and D are due to have their third little boy any day now!)

2 months and 92 years!
Both in fancy outfits.

I just can't deal with M's face here.
or her hair.

Me, the Little Bird, my Mom, and Nana
Also, my Uncle B photobombing in the background.

I need to know...
Have I always been cross eyed?
I don't think so. I feel like this is just a fluke.
But I'm definitely cross eyed here.

I also took the opportunity while in suburbia to stop at WalMart (keeping is classy, as always) and pick up a few sewing notions that I needed to start my next project! I'll be posting the progress of my project here, but it should be a good one. Here's a hint: It's a functional thing for baby!

The car trip back was a little better. M didn't scream as much, until we got about a mile from home in intense Brooklyn traffic - that is to say that there was a premium amount of honking and insane delivery bikes weaving between cars. I am not the most composed driver, in fact as soon as Little Bird can start mimicking language or repeating things that I say, I probably shouldn't be allowed to drive with her in the car, or her first words will have four letters.

We were both annoyed and tired, my mom seemed fine though.

In completely unrelated news, I have a lot of really great stuff coming up. I have a feature in a HUGE giveaway, I'm making some fun stuff for M, and we're working on our plans for summer. Exciting!

And now, a bonus for all of you that made it to the bottom of the page.

I'm so cool.

Who am I?

Let me start this by saying that I haven't eaten breakfast, had tea, or drank water yet today. I really can't be held responsible for anything I say.

Since my fantastical comeback to the bloggerverse, I've been struggling with what my new angle will be now that I don't really see the outside world anymore. Seriously, I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been outside of my apartment in the last week. I spend my days bouncing, feeding, changing and generally pacifying the Little Bird, grabbing strange handfuls of random foods that are laying around my kitchen, and watching Criminal Minds on three different channels.

So I have a crush on Dr. Reid. So what?
Genius is hot.

Some days, I speak less than 100 words before B gets home, and the things I do say out loud are more, "LA LA LA" than actual words. When people call, I don't screen based on whether or not I want to talk to them anymore (apologies to anyone that has been screened in the last 10 years), I screen based on whether or not I think the Little Bird will scream while we are talking. I usually let everything go to voicemail, just to be safe.

She just made a sound, and I started bargaining with the universe to give me 15 more minutes of silence. It's not sounding very promising.

So I wonder, what is there to say? I am still me... I think. I still feel like myself, despite not having gotten really "dressed" in several days. I might not wash my hair on the regular like I used to, but that doesn't matter because you can't see me! Muahahaha! 

I suppose this is a question for the mommies out there: 

How do you stay at home and not get bored with the sameness of the days?

How do you spend all day worrying about your littles and not lose yourself in the process?

When do you find the balance of being a mom and still being a human, and dare I say it...

a woman?

I'm really struggling with these questions.

I don't want to become a "mom blogger", not that there's anything wrong with mom bloggers - I like a LOT of mom bloggers and did before I was a mom, but I don't feel like that's me. I would be happy to talk about my favorite cloth diapers (which honestly, I probably will, because I'm OBSESSED with my stash), my struggles with breastfeeding, and day to day cuteness that is my daughter, but I don't believe that that's all that I have to say. I don't want to give up Jackie... Jackie is really fun.

In the meantime, Little Bird is waking up, and I need to find something to eat before I can handle any more crying (she's a spirited child [I refuse to call her colicky, even if two doctors and a lactation consultant already have], so I only get brief reprieves from the shrieking). Please hand me any advice that you can. I'll take all of it.

And now, please enjoy a gummy grin...

where and how I've been or... I've been missing you.

You guys.

I am fully aware of how long it's been since I've blogged. I'm the worst. I'm sorry, and I've missed this.

I hate that I've left you out of some really important stuff in my life, like the most important stuff that I'll ever do, but it's been insane and scary and hard... Let me see if I can put it all into words enough to explain it to you.

Once upon a time...
    There was a girl and her husband. They did some really grown up stuff - like adopted pets, bought a condo, bought a car, paid off debt, struggled with many many things, and got stronger than they thought they could be. And then, they had their greatest accomplishment.

I'm really pleased to introduce you to our gorgeous daughter, Matilda. For the purposes of this blog, I will likely call her "M" or Little Bird going forward, but I wanted to give you a proper introduction for her first appearance here.

Anyone reading that knows us in life, apologies for this section, but I know there are people that read here that don't know us, and there's a full story that I feel needs to be told, and explanations about why I didn't blog during the pregnancy. When I first found out that I was pregnant, I was being very cautious and didn't want to announce too quickly - or really, at all. Shockingly, I'm a fairly private person, and it took a lot to convince me that I wanted to share this baby with everyone. B was excited to tell family and friends, but I wanted to wait until we were out of the first trimester and it was "safer". I was feeling terrible - the first trimester was really really hard on me. My back felt broken, I was super nauseous, and I was EXHAUSTED. The only foods I could keep down were watermelon and ice pops (it was the height of summer by then, and summer in NYC is misery). I had never felt so awful. 

So, understandably, I wasn't terribly interested in talking about how happy I was, mostly because I wasn't.

Don't get me wrong, I was excited and happy about the baby, but I wasn't in any mood to talk about it.

In my mind, it was too hard to talk around all the things that were going on in my head and body here on the blog. I didn't want to just complain about how I hurt or felt sick, so I didn't say anything. I tried writing posts about other things, but that baby was all over my mind and heart, and stole all my words from me.

The second trimester was excellent. I was working, feeling so much better, and we shared with our friends and family. We found out she was a girl, and I couldn't have been happier. She was coming! The little girl that I had always dreamed of! And I didn't know how to share it here. There just weren't words for what I was feeling, so I didn't share.

Third trimester was good, but harder than I expected... I worked up until 38 weeks, and then I started to get a little mean - the filter between my brain and my mouth was malfunctioning! So I went on maternity leave, since the filter was pretty important in my line of work, and expected baby girl to show up in those two weeks.

She didn't.

On February 22nd, after 41 weeks and 2 days of waiting for her, and 26 hours of labor, M was born. Things in this nest will never, ever be the same.

So I hope you will join (or rejoin) me in my adventures as a stay at home mom. I promise to still be funny and not talk about poop (unless it's a really funny poop story). Right now, though, I have to go. M is crying (as usual), and I have to go through the checklist of what could possibly be wrong, only to find out that nothing is wrong and she just wanted to hear herself cry. Just like her mommy, she's dramatic and loves the sound of her own voice.

Until the next nap, here's a picture of our little family.

caryn leigh photography

SoCal Cheapskate gets it done for freesies, or vacation brain.

Happy Tuesday, friendies.
I'm home from the beach, BUT I'm also trying to get caught up on everything that I've missed/skipped/ignored over the passed three weeks. So, I have a super treat for you today. Melanie, the amazing, fun, weirdo behind Metropolitan Money Pit (A blog I LURVE) is here to teach you the ways of the cheapskate...

Take it, Melanie...

~*~

Hi Perched readers! How's it going? My name's Melanie and I blog over at Metropolitan Money Pit. I'm a confirmed cheapskate but love to go out and have fun. How do I combine the two? By finding the best cheap activities in Southern California. And if I think they're great, I share them with my readers.

Since I just admitted I'm a total cheapskate I thought I'd take the time today to share a little of what that means. Call it my confessions if you will. Confessions of a Confirmed Cheapskate. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

- I always, always try to find the cheapest parking when I go to a concert or event. You want to charge me $20 for parking after I've already paid a crazy amount for this ticket! I don't think so. I've been know to park at the movie theatre down the street when going to a hockey game and in the neighborhood down the hill when attending a concert. It saves me money and I burn calories. I call it a win win. Oh, and speaking of concerts, I will go out of my way to go to the box office if it means I don't have to pay extra fees. You want to charge me an extra $20 for your "service?" Get out of here, Ticketmaster!

- I am a regular patron of my local library. So much so that the librarians know me. Seriously, I go there about once a week. I love to read but books ain't cheap. Well, except on Amazon, but why buy it when I can get it for free? And I'm extra lucky because my library also has a huge film collection. I'm talking new releases, not just documentaries and how to videos. And they don't charge anything to rent them! Goodbye, Netflix. Oh, and when I do buy books, I resell them when I'm done on Half.com.

My trusty library card

- I religiously cut coupons. I use them everywhere - the grocery store, Target, the drugstore, restaurants, clothing stores...if they offer a coupon, I'll be sure to find it! And you want to hear something really embarrassing? I've been addicted to coupons since I was a teenager. So much so that I took over the grocery shopping for the family because I loved them so much (coupons that is. But, don't worry, I do love my family a lot, too). Yes, when I was a newly minted 16 year old driver I would borrow my parents' car so that I could go to the grocery store.

My handy dandy coupon book. I made it out of a cosmetic bag that I (shocker) got for free.

I think I'll leave you on that note. I'd better stop my confessions before I reveal anything even more embarrassing!

~*~

I have numerous follow up questions... 

How do you remember to USE the damn coupons anyway? I always clip them, and can't remember to bring them with me anywhere important.
How do you learn to match up sale ads to your coupons and get massive amounts of shit for free like Extreme Couponers on TLC?
And, in all seriousness, how do you find HEALTHY options with coupons? I feel like all coupons are for junk food and things that will make me very fat.
Think on it. We'll wait.

I'll be back with you tomorrow, darlings.
Until then...

the gift of pie.

Happy Friday Fools.

I'm still at the beach, which is DIVINE.

Today, I have a treat for you. Literally. Miss Amanda from Cupcakes and Corsets is here to share some pie with you, and since I don't do pie (I do do a mean dump cake... and my friend Sweets kills it at pastry), this is actually a real treat.

Enjoy!

~*~


Hey everyone my name is Amanda and my blog is Cupcakes and Corsets.  I am a pastry chef and I'm guest posting here today.

Thank you Jackie for letting me post! I'm glad to be here!

Today I'll be sharing a recipe for a delicious summer pie. I tweaked a recipe I found in bon appetit to make it a whole new pie. It has lots of berries so you can take advantage of all the summer fresh fruit.

Here's what you will need

1 small container of fresh blue berries

1 small container of fresh raspberries

1 small container of fresh black berries

1 small container of fresh strawberries

1 lemon you will need the juice and zest

3/4 cup of sugar

3 tbsp of cornstarch

1/4 tsp of cardamom

1 tbsp of vanilla

2 pack of ready made pie crust

1 whole egg whisked

tin foil

pie pan

1 large bowl

Preheat oven to 400

First clean all the fruit thoroughly, then cut off the tops of strawberry and slice in half then in half again.

Line the bottom of your pie dish with 1 of your pie crusts take a fork and poke holes in the bottom

Add all your fruit to your big bowl, add  1 tbsp of lemon juice 1tsp of lemon zest ,sugar,cardamom,vanilla,and cornstarch

I would use your hands to stir and be gentle this way you don't mush up all the fruit

Pour mixture into your pie dish and spread out

Now take your 2nd pie crust and cover over the top fold under any extra and you can use a fork to close and mark the ends around the pie

Make slits around the top of the pie like in the picture above

Use your egg mixture to brush atop the whole crust

Bake for 30 min then take off the foil and bake for another 10 min or until pie crust is golden brown

Take out of the oven and let sit before serving you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well

Just a side note you can use from scratch pie crust if you like I normally do but i made this for a dinner party so I didn't have to time to do so

Also to keep the ends from burning use the tin foil to cover just the ends of the pie crust

I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a great week!

~*~

I will absolutely never be able to make that.

But I hope that one of you tries and sends it to me as a thank you for having Amanda over today. Like a hostess gift!

glamour shots with michelle.

Kids.
WHAT A FREAKING MONTH! I can't stand how busy and crazy I've been...
Vegas for the Scentsy Family Convention.
Kicking my own ass into gear and getting excited about my business.
Quitting my freaking job.
And so so so so so much more.

But, right now, I'm on vacation in the glorious Cape May, NJ... which I wrote about in this little ditty for Michelle while she was on vacay in MY glorious city of NYC.
*cue music: it's a small world after all*

And Michelle is here with me today, picking up my slack while I get my tan pasty paleness on.

Thanks, babe. Hit it!

~*~

I'm so happy to be Jackie's guest today.  She's definitely one of my favorites and has been for a few months, even though our paths came thisclose in June when our family visited NYC and made a stop by the Life Suck but stupid Colin Powell kept us from meeting (w/ apologies sort of to Colin Powell...).

I'm Michelle and I unload my inner dialogue over at You're my favorite today, much to the relief of my 2 daughters and my long-suffering husband.  We've lived in Minnesota for 14 years (and no, we are not in the witness protection program) and it took me about 10 of those to stop crying and trying to escape.  But when I learned to accept that which I cannot change I realized that Minnesota is not, in fact, Siberia, and is actually quite a lovely place to raise a family - 8 months of the year.  

So for those of you who have never been to MN, I thought I'd give you a few reasons it's not as bad as you might think (it's really a wonder that the Minnesota Tourism Dept. hasn't contacted me about a job, isn't it?)

1.  Minnesota has the Mall of America (or as we local peeps call it - "MOA" - not "The MOA", just "MOA").

If you've ever wanted to shop at a mall with 4 Caribou Coffees, 2 American Eagles, 3 Engrave Your Memory Stores (because apparently in Minnesota we need a lot of shit engraved), a 2-story Old Navy, 2 Victoria Secrets, 4 Lids Stores (Minnesotans love them some baseball caps), a Glamour-Shots (that fact alone pretty much cancels out the cool and edgy vibe that Minneapolis has a reputation for. Good God), and it's very own Mall Gift Store (and 1 isn't enough...there's 2), then the Mall of America is the place for you!!  Oh, and did I forget to mention the full-sized amusement park and underwater aquarium?

I Like to shop as much as probably more than the next guy girl, but I only make the 30 minute trek to MOA if:

a.  I need a Nordstrom fix

b. I'm taking my kids for their annual Nickelodeon Universe trip 

c. I'm going to Glamour-Shots for my Christmas card photo

d. I feel the need to self-inflict pain

2.  Minnesota is home to arguably the best store in the history of stores (suck-it MOA) - TARGET.

I swear there is either a Target or a Super Target about every 5 sq. miles in the metro area.  And if I didn't already live here, this fact alone would get me to move here.

3.  Minnesota has kick-ass winters.

...and by 'kick-ass' I mean bitter and brutal and blizzardy beautiful snowscapes and plenty of opportunity for outdoor "fun" (if you don't mind frostbite on your extremities.  All of them).  With the exception of the gloriously mild winter of '12, we can usually count on about 10-20 days where the HIGH temp is a negative number.

I heard you....and I agree - it pretty much sucks from January through (not to) March.  2 feet of snow is beautiful until you have to shovel it and slip-n-slide around town.

But eventually, you'll reach the light at the end of the tunnel (mid-April) and you'll be looking ahead to the #1 reason I stick it out.

4.  Minnesota has Lakes...and fantastic summers to enjoy them.

If you visit my blog during the months of June, July and August, I can pretty much guarantee you will get sick of me talking about the lake.  We spend about half our summer at our little cabin on a little blue lake in north-central Minnesota, and it is seriously what fuels me the rest of the year.  

Sure you have to put up with swarms of hungry mosquitoes who magically appear at about 7 p.m. each night, severe storms and tornado warnings and a muggy day here and there, but it's worth it for sights like this.

So if I haven't sold you on a visit to Minnesota, at least stop by my blog, meet the family, and stay awhile!

I promise not to complain too much this winter (and I will try not to lie to you ever again).

You're my favorite today. 

~*~

I absolutely cackled. Mostly because there is still a Glamour Shots in the MOA.

LOVES IT.

tuesday 10: wishlist

There aren't many (material) things that I wish for. I'm generally not a girl that needs "things" to be happy. BUT, I'm going to try to scrape up a tuesday 10, because I like routine, and because I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to post much this week. I've got sooooooo many travel plans this week and next.

In fact, if anyone would like to guest post while I'm on VACATION, let me know. I'm more than happy to hook you up with some space to write.

On with the 10!

Hosted by Paige @ the eloping stethoscope

via apple

1. Fine. I admit it. I want an iPad.

I don't need an iPad.
There is nothing that I can't do from all my current technology that I would use an iPad for.

But they're pretty.

And I want one.

via

2. These beach chairs.
except in turquoise and white to match our umbrella.

I can't find beach chairs that I like ANYWHERE in nyc.
seriously. I need beach chairs.

These beach chairs.

via

3. mmhmm. I want a new beach cruiser.

preferably in turquoise, or cream and pink. 

not all pink, cause that's not how I roll.

and it'll be needing a basket.

duh.

oooh.... like this:

via

4. I wish, desperately, for my cats to toilet train!

(Like to the actual toilet... not just the litterbox. They're pro's at that.)
I thought about a picture here, but I figured I would spare you.

I would love to never smell cat litter again!

I'm not sure this will happen, but we'll keep practicing.

5. I wish for my Scentsy business to really take off.

I'm doing well with it, for sure, but I wish for a new party booking

or some kind of break that takes it to the next level for me.

6. Time. I wish for more time in a day.

For more days in a week, 

and for more time to do the things that are important.

Less time for all the boring stuff though.

via

7. Because paying for gas in nyc is like sawing off your right arm

every single time.

via

8. JG-L.

Because.... shut up, a girl can dream.

9. Central Air Conditioning.
'nuff said.

via

10. And these shoes.

But I also wish them to be comfortable.

BONUS TIME

and also this...

delish.

There's nothing more to really say about that.

Usually hosted at Mom 2 Memphis and Ruby but hosted at The Eloping Stethoscope until August!

friday letters

What a day this has been, folks. Let's be real, what a freakin' week this has been.... or Month.

I am just so exhausted. There's nothing that I want to do more than lay down... all the time. I basically pass out during dinner. Or on the couch immediately after. Or while B is cooking dinner. I can't keep my eyes open. Last night, I fell asleep at 8:30pm... woke up at 10pm for a brief snack, and right back to sleep until 7:30 this morning. Seriously?

When will it end?!?!?
I hear ya, I hear ya, quit yer whining. On with the letters!!!!

Dear Lexi, I think you're sweet. I really do love you. But I don't love it when you come in from your walk in the morning and then lay directly on top of me. You're big, and you make me hot. Not necessary. I also don't love it when you punch me either, but that's been going on far too long to complain.
Dear Lifesuck, I quit you! No seriously. I put in my notice. My last day is August 11th. I have never been more excited about anything in my entire life. Now... the big question is... what's next?
Dear NYC, this is MUCH better temperature wise, however, I didn't love getting wet this morning. I know, I can't have it all. BUT I WANT IT ALL!
Dear B, I love you (for lots of reasons) but today, it's because of this text convo: me: Batman. B: Horrifying. me: Well. Yes. But I meant I wanted to see it. B: oh. me too!...  adorable.
Dear next step, What are you? I'm so excited to leave the Lifesuck and try Personal Assisting for awhile, but I feel like I'm missing something. I don't know if I'll ever have a "real career". I've never felt "called" to do anything in particular. I hope that something comes along that sparks something inside of me... it's getting exhausting just being a jobber.
Dear Douchebag that I wouldn't give a bag to the other day, Buying a book to get a bag, and then immediately returning it and keeping the bag is an asshole move. You've wasted my time and you lose at life.
Dear Creator of books that make animal sounds and/or play music, You are the worst kind of person. Especially if you thought up the jungle one.
Dear Everyone on Instagram, thanks for posting pictures of your cats. It pleases me.

everyone (or, who doesn't want to talk about me?)

Tuesday's just haven't been the same since Lena took a sabbatical from her Tuesday10. So, when I was perusing my favorite blogs last week, and I stumbled upon this linkup, and an opportunity to answer cute questions about my favorite person (me. duh.) I thought, why not?

Without further ado...

with your hosts:Kristen @ confessions of a graphic design studentBreanna @ my beautiful crazy lifeShane @ whispering sweet nothingsDanielle @ framed frostingJenna @ the life of a wifeAmanda @ for love of a cupcake
Time to get to it!
1. What is your biggest phobia?Heights. I am afraid of high anything - buildings, elevators, rooftop bars, tourist attractions. I've never seen the view of New York from the Empire State Building or The Top of the Rock. I can barely stomach standing out on the roof of my four story apartment building. I can't look out of high windows. I can't stand high ladders. I'm terrified of scaffolding. 
I also am scared of: meeting new people, germs, bugs, change, and dark basements.
This morning, the largest cockroach in the history of ever was on my living room floor. At first, I thought the cats may have killed it, because it wasn't moving, but it was very much alive. DISGUSTING. I went into full scale sweats and panic mode, too terrified to scream. I then threw the heaviest books I could find on top of it. I then left it for B to deal with later. I hope it is actually dead under there and not waiting for me to return for it's revenge.
Geez, this makes me sound like a real winner.... I am cool. I swear.
2. If you could relive any day of your life, what would it be and why?I think I would choose my wedding day, because I don't really remember it. It's all a blur, and it feels like such a shame that the most expensive day of my life be a shadow of a memory. Does anyone else feel this way? I remember it in snapshots, sort of. But mostly it's just a blur. Good thing that there's pictures to remind me. 
3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what would it be?I don't know. Would I want to be young and completely fit and agile forever? Or would I want to be a little older with a little more life experience under my belt. I don't know. Maybe I'll play it safe and say that I'd go with now, because I like where we are, I'm okay with how I look, and I don't especially want to be 30.... ever.
4. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?I don't really. I don't look like anyone but my mom.If anyone has a different opinion on this, I would love to hear it.
5. What songs are included on the soundtrack of your life?This is an endless list, that I've already started in this post.But I can compound it a little:She's got a way (Billy Joel)I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)Opposites Attract (Paula Abdul)Long Live (Taylor Swift)The Luckiest (Ben Folds)If You're missing (Come on home) (Bethany Joy)Fast as you Can (Fiona Apple)We Belong Together (Gavin DeGraw)Collide (Howie Day)Samson (Regina Spector)Basket Case (Sara Bareilles)
Really, I could do this all day.
But what's important to note is that, if a song makes you feel something... anything... it's worthy. I love music so much it hurts sometimes.
Have a beautiful rest of your day, friends. I'll try not to melt in the NYC heat!

Monday Meetup: Starring Brooke!

Morning, everyone!
Today, on this Monday - start of the work week and crazy day for moi - I have the sweet and lovely Brooke from Covered in Grace, taking over and linking up with her weekly party.  Take it away, lady!

~*~

It's time for another Monday Meet Up!

Hello new friends!! I'm so happy to be blog swapping with Jackie today and to get the opportunity to meet you all.

My name is Brooke, and I blog over at Covered in Grace. There, I write about life as a mother, student, military wife, photog wannabe, writer and Jesus lover. You can find Jackie over at my blog today; be sure to head on over and check out her post! 

For those of you that don't know me yet, I thought I'd answer a few questions about myself so yall could get to know me a little better.

1. How did you come up with the title of your blog?

Covered in Grace was something that had been rolling around in my head for a while. I had been blogging at My Beautiful Brooke for a long time, and while I was ok with the title, "beautiful" because HE sees me, it still wasn't sitting well with me-not completely. Covered in Grace encompasses what I believe, how I live, and pretty sums it all up. I am Covered in Grace through faith in Jesus.

2. If there was one blog post that you'd direct your readers to, what would that be?

Oh man, I'd direct you to any of my faith posts, but right now, the one that I love so much, that really tugs on my heartstrings right now is "...all summer long."  You can also see a branch off of that post at From the Guest Room.

3. What is your go-to quick fix meal when you've spent too much time on Pinterest/Your Blog been very, very busy?

Ha! Pancakes? Biscuits with eggs? Anything breakfast!

4. What is something you're looking forward to this coming summer?

I'm finally going back home to Texas for a visit!! I have been stuck on this rock in the Pacific for two and a half years (without leaving) and I am sooo excited to finally head out for a little bit. My little brother is getting married! And I'll finally get to see my niece! Woo!

5. Do you have any goofy talents or specialties?

Why, yes. Yes I do. I can make a siren sound by throat-chopping myself. It's very, very awesome. I think I'll do a vlog to demonstrate. Stay tuned!

6. If you could be a character from any book through out the entire story, what book-what character?

Oh, that's easy. No question. I would be Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser...wife of Jamie Fraser. (oooh la la) She's the heroine in the best books ever....the Outlander series. If you haven't read these books, YOU MUST! These are the books I recommend over all others.

7. What is the best piece of blogging advice that you've ever received?

Be yourself. Write about what you want, feel, believe. And don't worry about the numbers.

8. What is your biggest dream?
To grow old with my husband. But after that...it's to become a published author...to just be a writer and have my words reach the masses.

9. What is your favorite Saturday morning like?

Waking up whenever, breakfast with the family, heading outside to be in this gorgeous Hawaiian weather...

10. Why do you blog?

I blog to practice my craft. To use my gifts. To reflect on my spirituality and faith. I blog to glorify God. To share my favorite things. To network with others. To maintain daily writing habits. I blog because it has become a fantastic hobby...and because I love it.

I would love it if you'd stop by and visit me from time to time!

You can find me here:

Covered in Grace | Twitter | HelloCotton | Bloglovin | Facebook

Alright Lovely Ladies {and Gents}...

It's your turn. 

Link up your favorite posts-all week long! 

Woo us to you blog. Let us get to know you! 

Meet other amazing bloggers and extend your blogging community!

Party Rules

1. Link up your posts, link up your page...it's up to you!

2. Grab a button to put on your blog post and/or include a link back to this post so your readers can come see what the fun is all about! You can find the code for the button on the sidebar or on the "buttons" page.

3. Make sure you visit (and comment) on other posts linked up-- what fun is a party if no one talks to each other? Make some new friends!

4. You must be a follower of Covered in Grace and Perched to link up.

~*~

That's a wrap! Can't wait to meet everyone and spend a week getting to know youuuuu!