I'm Not Homesick...

…or some other lie I kept telling myself.

Feeling "homesick" is not an emotion that I have had much

experience with.

I remember as a kid my sisters getting homesick on long stays

with extended family.

I remember the other kids at sleep away camp crying the selves to sleep because

they missed their mommies.

Even as an adult I have seen my peers plagued with the old homesickness.

But myself, nope, never experienced it.

Over the past few months I've been trying to convince myself that this was true.

I can't be depressed or homesick, 

I love my new life here way too much.

It just doesn't make sense.

It was absolutely not and option for me.

But as the days got closer and closer for 

my quick trip back to Lake Worth, FL,

it became very clear to me.

I was feeling it.  That void.

dun dun duhhh 

I was homesick...

and in denial.

(As if the moping around and unexplainable tears were not a dead giveaway.)

I missed the familiarity of all of it.

Knowing where the good thrift stores are, knowing where 

to eat a good dinner with perfect strangers, 

spending hours just laughing and talking

with women who know me and accept me.

Slumber parties with crafts and Neil Diamond.

Breathing in the salt air.

I missed it all.

The only solution was to be immersed in it for 

a few days.

Now I am back to feeling like myself again.

Back in my home.  With my boys.

In Colorado.

Right where I belong.

But it's as if someone hit my reset button.

Thank you so much to my amazing host,

Kelly you sure know how to make me feel better.

And a big thanks to everyone that took time out of their busy lives to 

come and cure my homesickness.

Today.

After a stella early morning play date at the beach,

the boy asked so sweetly and politely if we could have 

lunch on the pier.

I couldn't say no.

The smells of pancakes, bacon, and warm maple syrup filled the air.

 

He was such a good little man.

He sat quietly and ate every last drop of his lunch,

only stopping in between bites to ask 

questions of 'why' and 'how'

Still in our bathing suits and covered in sand,

we made our way to the farmers market.

I love going there with him.

He makes such wise decisions about food,

and loves when I tell him about all the crazy produce and where it comes from.

After packing up the car full of fresh fruits and veggies,

we took a long stroll through the Nursery.

As we literally stopped to smell every flower,

we found our selves amidst a little game of garden 

hide and seek.

It was a perfect morning and afternoon.

Now if I could only convince him that we should take naps.

10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. after a few weeks of having to skip ballet (due to the hubs insane work schedule), i went at if full force. i felt like i was having to make up for some lost time. i was so incredibly sore come tuesday morning. like 'take one step out of bed and fall on the floor' kinda sore. and i am not going to lie...my calves...they still hurt. they will probably be better tomorrow....just in time to make them sore again.
2. the tuesday duck park followed by taco tuesday lunch date is really starting to become quit the tradition. but this past tuesday, i was pleasantly surprised to find one of my friends, lily, from orlando working at the restaurant. she was in town doing some interviews for managers and was just sitting down to eat some lunch when we rolled up. how awesome for me! so it was great to spend the hour over tacos, swapping stories of how we have been for the past year or so, and chucking over the boys antics.
3. we had an amazing story time this week. the boy has been so good at story time after spending a few months away from it. he sits cross legged and listens and answers questions and tells little stories. it's really cute. we love the lake worth library and story time!
4. the boy and i went to our first real beach playdate of the year. it's crazy to think about it being january and playing in the sand and sun, but it happened. we ran up and down the beach. splashed in the waves. and we both suffered our first sunburn of the season. note: sunscreen expires.
5. i finally opened my etsy store this week. i have talked about and planned for this shop to open for what seems like years. but i did it. i finally did it. if you haven't stopped by yet, please take the time to check it out.  i will eventually adding some vintage clothing and some of my handmade goodies. if there are any pieces that i have made and featured here on the ole' blog that you would like to purchase please let me know and i will list them for you.
6. i was asked this week to be a featured blogger for UK shopping blog called Shopaholic. I am so stoked for this opportunity and it just kind of blows my mind.
7. after the hubs crazy work schedule this month, spending the past two days with him has been amazing! i always love it when he is off, but these have been really good. we've stayed up way past our bed times trying to take advantage of every minute that he doesn't have to be at work.
8. oh man i made the best mac and cheese friday night for dinner (and i can't wait to finish off the leftovers for dinner tonight!) i used this recipe from country living, but added a bit more cheese and an entire package of thick cut bacon. it was amazing! by far the best homemade mac and cheese ever!
9. we took the boy to the fair last night. it was a blast. the last time when just the boy and i went, he didn't want to go on any rides. this time (probably because his daddy was there) we went on tons of rides. at first the hubs and i were super nervous that the ride was going to start and he was going to freak out and we were going to just have to sit there and watch him panic. or as the hubs declared...he would have jumped in front of the ride so they would have to stop it.  so we waited and waited for the first ride to start. i could feel our nerves getting higher. then it started. the boy looked a little unsure at first, but then almost in an instant a smile spread from ear to ear and he was laughing so hard. he loved it. it was pretty much on after than. he rode so many rides alone, and we even found a few that we could all ride together. we ate more deep fried food than i care to admit to. played carnival games. and touched a lot of stinky farm animals. the boy was passed out in my arms before we even got to the parking lot!
10. this may seem silly to some, but i have to say that this is one of the biggest highlights of my week....we finally got a new rug for the family room. i loved our old rug. simple cream colored shag. or at least it was when we got it. over the years the dog and the boy have destroyed that rug. the few beginning months of potty training is what really did it in for that poor rug. but now we have a lovely mustard yellow pee free brand new rug.

alterior motives

i am sitting hear mentally planning the trip of a life time! my sister haley will be here in one week. i get 48 hours to spend with one of my best friends. i am not sure that she knows exactly how pumped up i am for her arrival.

as i have mentioned before, i am much older than all 6 of my siblings. they range in age from 9 to 21....and me, well i am about to celebrate my 29th birthday.  haley is the closest in age to me (21).

it's been what feels like years since we have spent some quality time together. there have been a few short visits or getting to see each other in passing, but no real one on one time. and this trip in particular is especially important to me.

for one, i am considering it her birthday present to me! gracing me with her presence is about all i could ask for! and two...well two is my alterior motive. you see haley is recently done with college and at a point in her life where she is ready for a new adventure.  currently living way up in the pan handle she is so far removed from all of her family. i have been there. when i was her age i felt a little removed from my family as well, and i remember how badly i wanted to be with my sisters.

here are some facts about my sister:

• she is incredibly free spirited.
• she is far more beautiful than she knows
• she is a zoologist
• she belongs on the beach

here are some facts about lake worth:

• i describe lake worth as a bohemian mecca
• we can ride our bikes to the beach
• we have an awesome zoo
• the people here are awesome

so if you can't read between the lines here....let me spell it out for you.  i want haley to move to lake worth. bad. my plan? well it's going to be a whirl wind tour of everything awesome about south florida. bike rides, beach trips, zoo visit, maybe some bar hopping, adventures galore.

november is for giving thanks: day 17

i am thankful for days full of friends and tire swings.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. at home play dates! i always forget how much fun can be had at someone else's house.  we had a fantastic time with christine and ebba at their new pad this week. love these ladies. and thank you for the stinky fish fertilizer and delish mint iced tea!
2. you know that adorable burton family i am always gushing about....well it was announced this week that we can be expecting another baby burton in the spring! congrats to you guys! oh so cute.
3. i have been an anxious mess this week with all the upcoming changes in our house (i will be reporting this amazing news soon!) and that hubs has yet again proved to be just the best! he knows just how to soothe my soul...and did i mention that he's doing all of this while completing week one mission quit smoking! he's so awesome!
4. oh sweet delicious cookies! so i used the island cookie recipe, but subbed the coconut out for dark chocolate chips and crasins.....holy smokes! so good!
5. went to an amazing fashion show put on by bika swimwear, the davidk space, and the cottage. thanks you so much to one of the greatest friends in the world for accompanying me and sweating it out....boy was it hot!
6. i can't believe that it's taken me this long but i finally discovered the greatness of groupon and living social this week.  while i have been members of both websites for quite some time now i have never actually purchased a coupon, well i don't know what i was waiting for! this week i scored a half off dog grooming and half off admission to leapin' lizards. i am hooked!
7. did i mention the dog grooming! hahaha stella was getting shaggy and stinky! now she looks like a prize winning pooch! the folks over at milton's grooming parlor did an amazing job. usually when i pick stella up from the groomer there is an underlaying tone of "don't bring that dog back here".....this time was a completely different story. i showed up ready for the worst, and found my dog (or at least i think it was my dog) sitting completely well behaved for kiki.  meanwhile kiki is telling me that she would like to show stella next year at a groomers show, that she was the most beautiful and unique dog she's seen in a long time. all i could think was..."are you crazier than the stella....because she's nuts".
8. i have to just give a shout out and major thank you to all the special ladies in my life from my friends to my mother to my step mom and mother in law....all of you have been just the biggest help with helping me handle the boy and his "tude".
9. after about a month off, between all the traveling and being sick, i finally got back in ballet this week... it was a huge eye opener to how much a month can do to your body. i ached, pretty sure i groaned, and tweeked my neck and ankle, but i loved every second of the torture.  this week i will be pushing my limits and taking two classes back to back....trying out a contemporary class right after ballet. i kinda can't wait! the only thing that i am afraid of is falling in love with the contemporary class! haha.
10. we are two days diaper free (with the exception of naps and bedtime) and have only had a few accidents. we even ventured out in public in big boy underpants! really proud of the boy and how fast he's growing up!

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. the boy is obsessed with lizards. he calls them "dino lizards". living in the tropics for the past year has introduced me to all kinds of strange lizards. some so big they would make the average person jump out of their skin. it's no wonder he thinks they are dinosaurs. the other day, on a walk that the boy tricked me into, we caught ourselves a lizard (with a butterfly net...i won't bare hand it). not a biggie, just your run of the mill yard lizard. this was the first time i showed the boy how to catch a lizard. he was pretty excited about it. later that same day he caught his own lizard. we were in the back yard and he came running towards me with a fist full of lizard. by the time i realized what he had in his hand he had squished it so hard that it's guts were bulging out of it's side. he had no idea that he had just killed the poor thing. he was so excited and proud of his "dino lizard" catching skills, then i had to go and crush it all my telling him he killed it. ugh. but at least he now knows that he has the skills to capture and the strength to kill.

2. dark chocolate elvis cupcakes! yum! but more importantly lets talk about the beauty/danger or homemade peanut butter frosting. not only is it delicious on cupcakes, we had it on waffles, pretzels, gram crackers, you name it...i put frosting on it.

3. swim lessons started this week, and although it's nothing like last years lessons, they are still fun. my standards were set very high last year with the boys old teacher. she had been teaching swim lessons for some 30+ years, and she was awesome, by the end of last summer my one year old could practically swim on his own. our local pool has since been shut down due to budget cuts/renovations. so i was forced to find lessons else where. well the girls that are teaching him are good and fun, but i feel like his skills are digressing a bit. at least we get to be in the pool 4 days a week...it's some relief from all the heat.

4. the boy climbed a ladder at the park this week that i was scared to let him climb. but i figure i was the only one holding him back and to let him try it. it was very tall...taller than i could reach. but he did it. he's growing up so fast.

5. i had a fantastic time with brad and randi serey at their maternity photo session. these two were a great sport in the blazing sun and heat. the pictures came out beautifully and we got them done just in time, because the serey's had that baby 4 days later. congrats to you two and welcome to the world ellie....can't wait to meet you!

6. while doing the above photo shoot, i got to go on the lake worth pier for the first time. i am not really sure why i have never done this before. i think that the fact that they charge a fee to get on the pier was deterring me, but now that i know it's only $1...i can't wait to take the boy out there. we saw so many different kinds of fish, and let me stress the SO MANY. it's crazy to think that all those fish were right there where people swim. fearless. it was great being out there with someone who knows so much about fish too....i was like a little kid. "brad, what's that one? what's that? oh...look at that!"

7. the boy and the hubs had a daddy/son beach day. i love it when they go do stuff without me. don't get me wrong, i miss the fun, but i think that it's really good for the boy...and the hubs. the boy is so used to being with me ALL THE TIME, i think its a fun change of pace for him to spend alone time with daddy.

8. the boys first trip to the fire station. we stopped by the other day to just see what would happen, and the fire chief ended up giving us a personal tour. the boy got to climb up in all the fire trucks and he learned all the names and functions of the different trucks. i think he was a little confused as to why it took me so long to take him there. he loved every minute of it. he even got his very own helmet...but due to his mega-head it doesn't fit. so i have started planning out a felt fire hat for the boy...i am having a little trouble committing to starting, i am afraid i am going to mess it up. i've never made a hat before.

9. my new favorite band...boom chick! we were introduced to this band when the hubs old high school buddy called him up to make a skateboard deck for this band. we instantly fell in love with the old school surf rock feel and come on....who doesn't love a girl drummer?!?!?

10. i finally decided on a design for some floor pillows that i have been wanting to make for the play room. i have been crunching numbers and converting measurements (because inevitably the tutorial i found is in german). now the fun part starts...deciding on fabric.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. some amazing 4th of july activities. i had so much fun setting off tons of fireworks with the hubs and watching the annual lake worth raft race. to bad the boy was terrified of the fireworks this year.

2. coffee! i probably could have used about twice the amount that i actually consumed!

3. my new stroller tire...i was starting to really miss those long walks/jogs with the boy and the dog. but no worries, we are back in buisness.

4. going out to dinner with some of my favorite lake worth ladies to celebrate lori's birthday. had an amazing time eating stone ground hummus and throwing napkins. opa!

5. got some serious crafting/sewing done this week. finished the project i have been working of for my cousin's baby. now it's hanging up in my living room and every time i look at it i fall more in love with it....it's a good thing it's so pink or else it might have found a permanent residence here at my house. haha hope to get pictures of the finished project up this week.

6. mod podge. i am not sure why it too my until now to try this wonder of the crafting world...but i am in love. i have been mod podge-ing anything and everything that i can imagine. and to top it all off, it's super fun to peel off your fingers once it's dried.

7. a fantastic playdate/lunch date at the south florida science museum. our friends christine and ebba are hands down some of our favorite people in the world. we met here in lake worth, but oddly enough christine and i went to high school together (although we didn't know each other then) in orlando. she is one of the sweetest ladies i know, and has impeccable taste in music! she has been a busy little bee with a work project that's finally over...so now we have her back in mommy world! did i mention what a joy her daughter is. ebba and the boy are just 2 weeks apart in age and she is definitely the apple of his eye. when they play together there is nothing but giggles, giant smiles, and tons of fun!

8. i know the hubs has got to be tired of my dropping hints in his ear about how much we miss him. he's been working so much lately. but i have to say, the other night the hubs had to stay out of town over night for work, and it was one of the most productive nights i have had in a while. i didn't turn the tv on once (except while i was trying to fall asleep - the irony in this is that i tell the hubs every night that he should try to go to sleep with the tv OFF. he will sleep better. and here i am tossing and turning with the tv ON). thrusday night i cut two friends hair, worked on baby k's gift, read a ton of my book, and even did a little laundry. but looking back on it all now, while i enjoyed my night of "me" time...i would have rather had the hubs with me, curled up on the couch, falling asleep watching tv.

9. saturday's much needed family fun day. we woke up to black skies, so we knew we had to set our sights indoors (which is kinda weird for us), we were not really sure what to do with ourselves. after much deliberation, and almost sabotaging ourselves at chuck-e-cheese, we decided to head to downtown west palm beach. we grabbed lunch on the water and then headed to leaping lizards. we knew that there was potential for this place to be out of control on a rainy saturday, but we didn't care....we were ready to play. it was a mad house, but then again we generally think that anywhere with more than 2 kids is a mad house. the boy had a blast in all the bounce houses and we watched and laughed about how smart/funny/silly the boy can be. 10. the boy peed on the potty like "daddy does" last night. it was so cute. for a few weeks he's been saying that he "wants to do it like daddy does", but i wasn't really sure that we could make that work for him, but turns out we could. he was so proud of himself. mom's of boys, how do you feel about potty training standing up?

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. got a "how to" up for you guys. this one is super easy and such a great blank canvas to really put your own spin on....the possibilities are endless.

2. jane, an old family friend, is a close follower of the blog. she's known me since i was a kid, as a matter of fact i used to babysit her two boys. love those kids. anyway she posted this on my facebook the other day:

Jane Nordstrom said... You inspire me everyday....

You have a gift and a heart of no one I have ever known...

You cherish from your heart!

i have to say that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. it honestly leaves me speachless.

3. putting exciting packages in the mail. check out what's inside here and here.

4. a healthy house. the hubs was sick all week, but he's finally feeling better. thank goodness.

5. a fantastic visit with with my mother in law, and finally giving her a birthday gift that has been in the works for quite some time.

6. making party decor for the boys 2nd birthday party. check out the tutorial coming soon.

7. the boys dino disco dance party. all of his favorite ladies were there....that boy, he's a stud. we got to hang out with all of my favorite lake worth ladies and their amazing familes.

8. taking my mom out on the town. we had a blast drinking snakebites and playing banana-grams....i am going to need this game.

9. long talks about life with my mom.

10. feeling lots of love from my family and friends this week. a lot of wonderful news has been coming my way, karma is not a bitch...karma is my biatch.

what a RAWRing good time

the boys birthday party was a great success! he loved the playlist, the dino pizzas were a hit, and fun was had by all. i was having so much fun i didn't take nearly as many pictures as i wanted but here it is.... the boys dino disco!

happy memorial day!

this morning i ....

...skipped exercising.

...got to go the memorial day brunch & browse garage sale all by myself.

...found the shirt of my dreams.

...ran into two of my favorite lake worth ladies, and also met some new friends (who you can find here and here).

i sure am one lucky lady. and hot damn i love lake worth. with an emphasis on hot...it's really hot today.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

this weeks "10 things" list is going to be a little different in honor of mother's day.

today we are going to focus on

"10 mothers i couldn't live without this year"

1. well of corse i have to start with my mom. my mom has gone through a lot of changes this past year and she has done it with so much composure and grace. thank you for teaching me so much about independence and the importance and inner happiness.

2. my step mom has always been one of my best friends and she is always there for me in my times of melt down. she always knows exactly what to say and when to call. just wish she was closer so i could see her every day.

3. when the hubs and i were dating, he told me he always wanted to marry someone just like his mom. i can't lie, this scared me a little at first. 6 years have passed since he first mentioned that and now that i have the relationship with my mother in law that i do, i get it. i totally understand why he would want to marry someone just like his mother. she is a saint, a matriarch, an environmentalist, and an amazing friend and mother. what a compliment that the hubs choose me, that he thinks i am just like his mother.

4. my dear friend mary has always been the mother on the other end of the phone when i don't know what to do. she is a superior mother to two beautiful children. she is also full of information on everything from how to use breast milk storage bags to how to get the boy to eat his veggies. but my favorite this about this mama is that she constantly reminds me how important it is to take a few minutes for me.

5. brenda is a constant motivator. she is so driven to be a great mother, and she is doing one hell of a job. she is also an extremely talented crafter, designer, and seamstress. she's basically wonder woman. i am very lucky to have her as a friend.

6. a huge congrats to the newest mommy i know, kelly h. and it's such an honor to be the mom on the other end of her line. keep those calls coming, i will always be here for you when you need advice on a blow out diaper or just a mom friend. haha

7. kelly w. is not technically a mom, but as all stay at home mom's know, there is a lot of work that goes into it and this lady knows how to work it. kelly is the boys best friends nanny. that's confusing. haha. anyway, kelly is always more prepared and better planned that i could ever be. she keeps emergency toys in her car and another box of toys at her house. she is fun, cool, and crafty. most importantly when i need an outside perspective on how to deal with a 2 year old boy, she always has an innovative answer. thank you for constantly making my think outside the box.

8. carey is a west coast of fl friend. we met doing hair and make up for fashion shows and photo shoots. we had kids and never got to hang out as much as we wanted. but it has taken me moving across the state to really realize how much i wish that we were a bigger part of each others lives. we stay connected and share emails about our beautiful children. i just hope she knows how much i have always looked up to her.

9. for some blog lovin'... i have to give a huge shout out and thank you to dana over at made. she dedicates a month every year to all boy crafts. it's hard to find fresh ideas for boy crafts, and she constantly provides a forum for all of us.

10. last i would just like to give all the moms i know a big thank you. we are sisterhood that can't be broken. and at the drop of a cheerio i would be there for any one of you. everyone of you deserves to have a very special mother's day.

10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. a well spent $10 at world thrift. this exceeds my normal couple dollar budget, but i just couldn't turn these down. after doing a little research i think the fiesta ware purchase might be the buy of the year. i priced out one cup and saucer set at about $40. that was a very good $5 spent. and then the linen blazer that i got the hubs fit's like it was tailored for him. my trick worked! and the hubs got some sweet new digs for his birthday to wear under that blazer.

2. getting to see all my lake worth mommy buddies. i love all these inspiring and talented ladies! their maybe a surprise here in the future.....all depends on what the mommy ladies say.

3. swimming pool playdates.

4. turquoise violets first ever homemade giveaway. don't forget to enter for your chance to win.

5. my impromptu trip to orlando for two important ladies.

6. lady #1. my momma. sometimes i need my momma, but sometimes my momma needs me.

7. lady #2. my favorite lady, Ms. Z if ya nasty. we had a mini farewell party at house of blues to see the Darling Cavaliers. they were amazing. saying goodbye to Jess was not. i take that back. in the past few years she and i have become so much closer than friends. she is my teacher, my shoulder, my colleague, my therapist, my inspiration. and i could not be more proud that she is doing it. she is jumping out of an airplane without a parachute, and she is going to land on one foot with so much laughter and grace.

8. the hubs birthday. when i met the hubs there was a strictly enforced "no celebrating the birthday" rule. it brings the utmost joy to my heart to see how much he enjoys his birthdays now. i have worked hard over the past 5 years to make it that way.

9. some fantastic haircuts given out by your's truly. now if i could just corner the boy....he's looking like he needs a trim.

10. auditioning for the one month to win it contest. keeping my fingers crossed.