Resolutions, Looking Back

2011 was a dream. I woke this morning and can only remember fuzzy bits and pieces. And as the day goes on the memories only seem to escape me further.

So, I went back.

To my place here.

Oh, yes…

We made a monumental decision.

We moved from our home in Michigan to my in-laws to a friend’s house in Kansas City, and ended the summer with our final move to Lawrence.

I started working as a youth librarian.

Will went back to school.

LBD grew from baby to little lady.

And we read. We read A LOT.

We went through a lot.

Laughter, tears, trials, and joy.

So ends the year.

On to new

Resolutions:

Fear less.

Write more.

Worry less.

Play more.

Be still. Be loud.

Create,

Music. art. love.

Take a chance.

image source via pintrest

Texas Holiday

Under eight hours from Lawrence, Kansas to Dallas, Texas.

Southbound 35.

We were a bit hesitant to make the trip in the car with an extremely active 17-month old, but she did so much better than expected. The primary duration of the trip was occupied with books (two gym bags full!) and toys (likewise!). Had one rough patch at the end, but I called my sister who sang to LBD for 20 minutes. Her singing was made bearable only because it ceased the crying.  Thank you, Rachel.

My girl.

The last time we were in Texas was March. In March, I had a little baby who couldn’t yet walk or talk.

My girl is growing up.

We went to an aquarium with my Dad a couple days before Christmas…

She absolutely loved it.

The fish, the turtles, sea horses, sting rays…. I have an affinity for sting rays. They so effortless in water. Like birds gliding on a breeze. There were plenty of little viewing pockets in the tanks for an even closer look.

And then along came the night before Christmas with all it’s trimmings…

Grammy made sure LBD was fashioned from curls to toes for the event.

Chez Santa made an appearance.

6am Christmas morning.

I heard LBD wake. She immediately sat up in her crib and looked over at the bed I was laying in.

“Do you think Santa came to visit last night?” I asked.

“YEAH!”

Do you want to go see if there are presents under the tree?”

“Yeah. YEAH! YEAH!”

Just when I start to feel old, or tired, or stressed, or like a grinch, she always brings me back around.

Back to magic and wonder.

We returned home from our holiday on Monday night.

Had old friends over for lunch Tuesday.

Went back to work that evening.

Unpacking, cleaning, catching up on laundry,

Back to life.

On to the New Year.

Season’s Greetings

Hello and Merry Christmas!

We’ve been spending the holiday at my folks houses in Texas. Have some great pics to share with you upon our return this week!

Hope everyone is at home safe and cozy with friends and family.

Much love to you and yours,

Rebecca

image source: greetings

Seeing Red

… and white… and pink…. and speckled cream.

LBD and I venture over to Sunrise Garden Center on a weekly basis to visit their resident doves and on one October morning, it was hard not to notice the huge shipment of poinsettias the center had received. Rows and rows of green with only brief hints of red and white reveling the plant’s true identity.

I’ve been documenting their transformation.

October

November

December

We have one on our dinning room table. It’s name is Elmo.

Now, can anyone tell me why that isn’t a classic already?

Have a great weekend!

December

December, December, how is it already December?

Found the above chalkboard at the Habitat for Humanity restore. We had lots of fun with it for Nacho Normal Thanksgiving…

Thanksgiving was just the right amount of chaos to take us away from our usual chaos. Lots of family. Lots of friends. Lots of love.

Before Thanksgiving I was such a grinch about the holidays, but since last weekend’s visits, the surprise Christmas tree I found in our living room from the cowboy when I got home from work Sunday evening, and the hour spent dancing to music with my daughter today could lift any gray clouds lurking overhead.

It was time to get in the spirit and dress the house in holiday attire.

Like the chalkboard, this light-up Victorian house was another thrift store find.

Look at that… The house aglow and all Christmasey.

Feels like the most wonderful time of the year.

This Week

There will be no Storytime Sunday post this week. I was off last Sunday. BUT, they will resume next week and owls will be the theme! While I’m still contemplating which stories to read, I’ve already picked out a fun, owly craft. As family and friends slowly trickle in for the holiday weekend (the head count is continually rising still), I’m sure a lucky few will be selected to help prep it. I have my extra scissors out and ready.

This year, we’re hosting a non-traditional, “Nacho Normal Thanksgiving”. Minimal stress, Tex-Mex cuisine including main dish fares of carnitas and crispy shrimp tacos, with visitors from Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Alabama, and Colorado all meeting in the the middle in our little home.

My husband’s twin got here Friday and it’s been such a treat to have her here before the whole gang arrives. Mornings aren’t such a rush (I took longer than a three minute shower today!!), we can cook and clean without having to juggle watching the baby, and we get to do what we love the most; sharing laughs and laughing loud.

What are you doing this year for Thanksgiving? Making anything new? Or old favorites?

Art Appreciation

Next child art prodigy?

LBD has recently taken an interest in the art of coloring. She’ll sit down for up to 10 minutes (which is hours in toddler world) scribbling away before trying to color her face. After watching this evolution I got to thinking…. Am I a creativity encourager or an inhibitor (e.g. “Don’t color on your face”).  Should I be more concerned with cultivating creativity than teaching boundaries? (“We color on paper and not our face. Or the walls. Or the kitty cat.”)

Have you ever seen this video of Aelita Andre? I would love to be able to provide a creative space like the one Aelita has. I can only picture my landlords face now if he walked in and saw a display red and blue paint globs hiding the dark wood paneling that covers 80% or our home. I don’t believe L’s in line to be the next child art prodigy, but I do want to be able to give her the type of environment that will allow her to explore different artistic outlets.

Is there anything special you do with your own kids or students?

For now we’ll have to make due with a large pad of paper and a few crayons.

And because I can’t make it through a blog post without a book list… here are a few books we like about ART:

Art by Patrick McDonnell

Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Leonni

Action Jackson by Jan Greenburg, illustrated by Sandra Jordon

Art and Max by David Weisner

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Salzburg

Georgia’s Bones by Jennifer Fisher Bryant

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

And before you go. A gem of an outake…

Have a great weekend!

image sources: Art,

Wardrobe Cycle

A Three Part Story

Part 1: Deep clean

We have one (ONE!) very small, very narrow closet in our new house. While I love our house, space is hard to come by. All coats, clothing, shoes, linens, bath towels, pool towels need to be able to fit, so out with the clothing I haven’t worn in a year, two years, five years…. Out with items that don’t fit. Out with the city girl wardrobe. I’m talking 40% of my clothes and accessories.  I was ruthless. Afterward, I took a large box over to a thrift store, made a pretty penny, and was on my way. No store credit, thank you. Cash only, please. All proceeds donated to making LBD’s room look less like a dungeon and more like a little girl’s room.

Part 2: Fall cycle

Then there was this one day…. The air was fall, the trees were fall, my tea was fall, everyone I passed on the street was fall. Every corner turned was fall, fall, fall. So, I did a thing that only fall can do to me, I stopped inside the same place I sold my box of gently used items to a little over a month ago (Part 1). I slowly perused the wool skirts, admired patterned sweaters, and rustled my way through jewel tone scarves. Ahhh, fall clothes. They remind me of the days long ago when I would go to the department store with my mom for back to school clothes. I loved the anticipation of going back to school. The smell of cedar pencil shavings, the chalk dust, the swish of new corduroy pants walking to school on the first day.

Those memories are great and all, but with a husband in school full-time and a one year-old there’s absolutely no room for a fashion budget. But the beauty of buying vintage or thrift is selling for trade or store credit.

So, this is what I did.

Once the baby went down for her afternoon nap, I went through the items I was on the fence about with the previous massive closet clean.

This is what I took in for trade…

One MOMA-esque black and white skirt…

One canary yellow jacket with glittery buttons…

And two barely worn light-weight scarves.

Out of those four items I took in, this is what I got for trade along with a couple bucks for coffee and a scone…

Part 3: Old and New….ish

I also recently attended a clothing swap party with the leftover goods that didn’t sell from earlier and a few additional items that were weeded. Before I showed up, I had every intention of going strictly for the company and not taking anything home, but I caved and ended up with a few items I’ve been making great use of.

No matter how hard I attempt to stay away, I will always be draw to fashion. One of my guilty pleasures is following a small handful of fashion blogs and while I admire their ability to always seize the latest trend, I feel a bit removed from it. Long gone are the days with a disposable income. I’ve learned the value of need verses want. Not spending, not obtaining more than needed. Utilizing what I have and not taking in more than needed.

New is nice, but old is way more fun.

Skirt: trade (above), All other clothing and accessories: 4+ years old

70’s Plaid Shirt: trade (above), Sweater: 7+ years old, Vintage Levi Jeans: swap, Boots: swap

I’m much more comfortable behind a camera than in front of one, but every once in awhile (when I actually let him take my picture) my husband seems to capture a gem of a shot.

Orange is a Warm Color

This October, the warm days have far outweighed the cold. My mom was in town last weekend, so we all went out to enjoy the sunshine at the pumpkin patch. Even though I’ve been preparing LBD’s Halloween costume, as well as Halloween storytime at the library on Sunday, I keep forgetting that Halloween is right around the corner. On Monday? And then it’s November?

Do you have any exciting plans for this weekend? Carving pumpkins? Gorging yourself on treats? Reading any good books?

Tonight, I’m looking forward to attending a friend’s gallery opening and then tomorrow will be the first Saturday in a very long time that we have absolutely nothing planned. I see at least one nap in the very near future…

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cluck, Cluck, Who’s There?

Our chicken friend has made a few return appearances since the first encounter. She also has the three of us wishing for one (…or two, or three) chickens of our very own. But since we’re renting our house, having chickens is not in the immediate future. Regardless, Will and I have already been doing our research and these titles have us on our second round of renewals at the library– thought I’d share:

Homemade Living: Keeping Chickens With Ashley English: All You Need To Know to Care for a Happy, Healthy Flock by Ashley English is inspiring. We’re already set on what coop we’d like to build, plans provided in the pages. I first became acquainted with this author through her blog, Small Measure, which coincidentally did a recent giveaway of the next title I’m with in love with…

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life by Julia Rothman (who also has a blog home at Book By It’s Cover) makes me want to go buy property in the outskirts of Lawrence and start a farm. Tomorrow. Get up and leave city life all together. An expansive garden… no… a crop! And chickens, and cows, and bees, and freshly laundered sheets blowing in the wind, and open rolling hills, and bright starry nights.

But I enjoy being able to walk into town every day. Going to the park, the library, being around people.  Living on a farm doesn’t make these places off limits, but they aren’t as accessible as they are where we live today. The country farm picture is pretty one, and within reach, but would I be able to forgo my city life comforts?

We’re going to start small. Beginning with chickens.