In my appreciation for free enterprise I made the mistake of allowing a frickin' Kirby vacuum salesman into my foyer to clean the carpet. Grrrr! Honest to god I did not even think such a concept (or product) still existed. And, obviously I knew it was a promo, but I thought it was for a SERVICE, which is a SERVICE that we would be in the market for...Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!
Today I took the day off to be with the boys on a "FREE" day. We had a hike on Black Mountain, and then off to run errands. TORTURE. The trade off for the post office, bank and dry cleaner run, was lunch out. Okay, true confessions. We went to Carls Jr. - MAINLY because it was so completely convenient and the boys have been drooling over their play structure for a year. I'd actually never been before--don't get me wrong, I heart my burgers, it's just that I'm true to Hodad's and In-n-Out. Whatev. LONG story short, we got to talking about burgers, and monsters, and so on. The result: The boys are going to open a food joint called Monster Burger--Beck is going to build it, and Max is going to paint the floors--diamond shapes. Also, Max is going to do his art, and Beck is going to put it on the walls, and people can come and buy it. It will only be open for lunch.
In this stressful time (globally) I'm making an effort to be more grateful. I've always been driven by the "little things" and feel it might provide me a better perspective if I make these acknowledgements known.
I'm thankful for the beautiful view from my backyard, classic fragrances by Jo Malone, great children's books like The Big Orange Splot, by D. Manus Pinkwater, and man-size safety glasses that turn boys into super-heroes.
"There is a side of friendship that develops better and stronger by correspondence than contact.... The absence of the flesh in writing perhaps brings souls nearer."
- Emily Carr
I just finished working on a heap of thank you notes and it feels great. I'm making it my goal to write my pals not just when I need to say thank you, but to say hello.
Words cannot express my total disgust for the nation's apparent lust fest with Sarah Palin. I wouldn't hire her to be my goddamn intern. WTF?
Today at Von's the boys were behaving so badly, that when we got back to the car (and the situation had escalated to a high pitched chorus of screams) the guy next to us offered to take my cart back. He looked at me with empathy and said he'd heard that song before.
Maybe I should have just named this blog Pulp Fiction. By writing my thoughts here, it's as if I think they have importance and meaning outside my head. Not a good plan according to Eckhart Tolle (I'm almost done, Oprah!). Well, I can only take so much enlightenment at a time. That's why I have Project Runway, Top Design, and Entourage to fill in my spiritual gaps. Oh yeah, and The Daily Show, The Office, and possibly Lipstick Jungle and the Rachel Zoe Project. Reality Slut! This is when I start referring to the characters as my peeps. And frankly, Kenley really bugs me.
So, it's a perfect time to reflect on being mom. Just over 5 years ago I was bursting with Baby A and Baby B. 39 weeks and more than 15 lbs. of baby later, I was gently surprised to have two BOYS. Good lord. They are totally off the wall and I love it. Except for tonight. This is a warning to my PQ pals: I think there is crack hidden in the G-Spoon mini servings.
This always happens before the boy's birthday...it's fall, back to school time, and i need to plan and execute a great party (of my own high expectations, of course). This is also the time i realize that i need to catch up on bills, my business!, exercise, filing, piles of shit, other. Basically everything i've ignored all summer. How did that happen? We didn't spend THAT much time at the beach. HOW DO YOU DO IT? I need more time in my day. I need less reality TV. I need to commit to my priorities. UUUgh. Are you feeling this? How DO we do it?
The boys were cruising around the house all weekend squealing "Double Yikes" as inspired by 70's most revered role models Scooby and Shaggy. Honestly, I'm still questioning the underlying reefer reference, and the whole Scooby Snack phenomenon. Mystery Van? Really? As Jarrod pointed out Fred looks to be at least 30 years old, and I think he looks like he hitched a ride fresh off the S.S. Minnow. Just a thought.
I have discovered a new disorder. And yes, I'm afflicted with it. It's called Obsessive Aesthetic Disorder (OAD) and is characteristic of people that notice all varieties of aesthetic details--for better or worse I might add. Yesterday I became freakishly obsessed with all things ugly broken or in general disrepair. Crooked signs. Dust. Wilting flowers. Misspelled words. Chipped formica. Dreary, homely people placed in very "public" oriented jobs or posts. It's so beyond my control, and therefore so very frustrating. Frankly, quite disappointing. I would like tomorrow to be filled with little aesthetic miracles to make my mind mellow. P.S. I'm adding this one to the lexicon...
I heart wordle.net.This fabulous website, which i found through my required dose of Daily Candy, creates little word "clouds"--a montage of your text. You can change the color, the layout and the font. So fresh.
Today was the first day of "real" school for the boys. They are in the PEPP class, which is essentially a half-day kindergarten. For this first year, they will be at Sundance, where they are all Wildcats. Or mostly all...after Beck told me that school was "Great. Pretty Great." Max politely informed me that he had fun, but he is not a Wildcat.
I try to keep this "professional" and interesting devoid of tabloid style commentary. We'll see. Today i'm writing about my favorite color, BLUE. i love blue as a word too. I used to have a T-shirt that had BLUE written in all different languages. Beautiful as kek, bleu, or azzuro. I really am into the Morrocan rich blue that is featured in the recent issue of Elle Decor. Fabrics, pottery and tile. The gardens of Yves Saint Laurent's compound in Marakesh are so gorgeous and SO rich in color. I love it. I told Jarrod we should go there. We'll see.
So ONE more thing! In this issue of Elle Decor (Sept 08), they feature the unstoppable Nate Berkus. My best gal pals and I have been watching Nate's rise to fame via Oprah because we went to Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, MN with Mr. Berkus. We even shared home room, back when he rocked a pink polo shirt, collar up, layered with another preppy find. Cute then, cute now. Congratulations Nate!
Today I savored the last day of summer with the boys. They start school tomorrow so we headed to Fletcher’s Cove for some R&R. Something that continues to amaze me is the high body confidence of Europeans. Of course, this is a generalization, but honestly...aside from Mr. Phelps, what American guy is sporting speedos on the surf? His wife had the juiciest bottom EVER, and her bikini did not even come close to covering her assets. This tanned twosome had to be at least 10-15 yrs. older than me. Gutsy!
After a lovely trek to Boulder I'm back to the summer grind in sunny San Diego. Going to work after fun, family AND whitewater rafting is so so hard! I confess, i fell in love with the Denver Art museum, and did not once experience vertigo in their funked up space. Damien Hirst's ginormous ash tray, entitled Party Time, was a major highlight. It's large and filthy, but for some reason i loved it. I also was drawn to works on paper in a small exhibition assembled by printmaker Melanie Yazzie, Associate Professor of Art at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Really wonderful works, that i wish i could begin to acquire. Finally--new designer favorite: Johnny Was. Gorgeous material and colors. SOO cheery & fresh.
Dear Diary, I'm taking this quiet moment sans children, husband still in bed, to get back on blog track. It's so easy to let the daily grind take over my creative space-physically and mentally. I finally cleared a path in my office, and made room on my desk for a laptop. Forget that though...I'm drinking hot java, looking through a window with a view--hummingbirds, bunnies and a roadrunner are my friends today. Amy Winehouse and Rilo Kiley also keep me company. I love RK's "Under the Blacklight" album which i recently downloaded. a bit of country, pop and indie. Just right. Latest accomplishments: #1. I mastered the Mojito--pitcher style. While I pretty much cashed out my supply of fresh mint (found growing on the side of the house, SCORE!), I think it was well worth it. #2. Jarrod deconstructed our 80's style patio "gazebo" so that i will be able to turn into a chic cabana. Curtains arrive tomorrow. I'm getting garden inspired for our backyard redux, and I'm also scheming a facelift for the main bath. Marimekko shower curtain? Needs to be bold. COLOR. Yellow. So solstice-y....Cheers!
I've decided it would be fun to write about some of my favorite things--the themes i can cover are endless, and maybe it will help me keep on blog task! So to begin...I'm admittedly TYPE A when i comes to my supplies at work (home & museum). I might even compare myself to Milton and his red stapler in cult classic Office Space. {Note to all: PLEASE see this film. I guarantee, you are not sporting enough flair.} I've gone so far as to label my No. 8 Orange Fiskars, as well as my stapler and my wooden 18" ruler. The Fiskars must not be replaced by a cheap imitation. It simply won't do. I've added to my home office the Fiskars Titanium Nitride 9.5 In. Shop Shears which hang gleefully on my pegboard next to double-sided Scotch tape (i heart 3M) and an ancient pair of pinking shears. Speaking of labeling. My office would not be complete without the Brother P-touch 1750. I believe the latest version of this model is 1950. When a labeler is not necessary, Mr. Sharpie comes to the rescue. I'm especially fond of the retractable fine points for general usage, and the extra fine points for writing notes. Sharpie ALSO now offers highlighters (amazing) and you can personalize your pens with name, monogram, message or pirate clip art. Ahoy matey!
I realize it's been a bit since my last post. Not long ago I had the great pleasure of attending a "color seminar' with an international color guru. As many of you know, i am quite color obsessed. Therefore, this was an outstanding way to spend a Saturday. I am continually inspired by color, and this is evident to me every time i look at my inspiration board (shown above). I created this just less than a year ago to stir my creative spirits. Color and language make my heart spin. What makes you spin?
