Mooooommy!

She's actually thrilled at the prospect of being Auntie's flower girl in April. Shrug.

 

Bewildered Birthday Girl

The first year flew by, and so have the subsequent 3 months!

 

Messy Mouth

First self-feeding. Priceless!

The loves of my life

There they are...back in the summer months! Aren't they a gorgeous pair? I'm so blessed! 

No contest

big surprise:

You scored as English. You should be an English major! Your passion lies in writing and expressing yourself creatively, and you hate it when you are inhibited from doing so. Pursue that interest of yours! English 100% Journalism 100% Dance 92% Theater 92% Philosophy 75% Linguistics 75% Sociology 67% Art 67% Anthropology 58% Engineering 50% Psychology 42% Mathematics 42% Chemistry 25% Biology 25% What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3) created with QuizFarm.com

In the spirit of my new title

You may have noticed a somewhat sudden departure from what we'll call an "e.e. cummings-esque" blogging style, to one that is decidedly, well, grammar textbook-ish. The thing is, in my new capacity as Editor for Red Ink Revisions (www.redinkrevisions.com) I feel an unprecedented responsibility to represent a certain level of individual grammatical integrity. Shrug. There you have it...

On the prowl

Ok, for all you hip mamas out there in cyberspace, I'm searching high and low for cool kids' music. Nothing contrived, syrupy sweet, or "endurable", thank you very much. I'm talking things in the vein of "For the Kids Too" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0003JANQE/qid=1138627218/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-7138898-0347040?s=music&v=glance&n=5174. Silly is ok. So is upbeat. But the music and vocals must be adult friendly. So....comments, anyone?

That blessed thing

One blessed thing I miss about my nursing relationship with Ella is that while she was nursing she never got sick. Truly...in the nearly 12 months that she nursed she got sick not a once. And by extension, neither did I. But alas, she is now nearly 15 months, completely weaned, and I am sick. First, she came down with a runny, yucky nose. And being that she smears the leaking contents of said nose on every surface in her tiny arm's reach, Mama followed soon after.

Yesterday was the first weekend day in many in which our family had nothing scheduled to do, no where we were expected to be. And as fate would have it, I awoke to a swollen, throbbing throat, an aching body and a clouded head. So, rather than do something fun and spontaneous with Ella and Robert, I spent the entire day confined to the couch, and cuddled up with the remote control.

Yesterday it was nearly 20 degrees above the regularly scheduled temperature for January, and I managed to inhale only 2 or 3 glorious breaths of that springlike air, while retrieving the mail. The sun beat down on our cracked sidewalks, and beckoned the weeds to reach their scrawny arms to the sky. Meanwhile, the only thing beating down on my head was the cold that was busy taking up residence there.

Today I feel much better, and while the temperature is still acting out of character, the clouds have moved out of my head and are bearing down on us here in Barrington. Phooey.

our home

i'm posting these pictures, because we're homeowners. and because after years and years of renting creme-colored apartments, we finally dwell in a cozy land of color! seriously, i love our house. it's small, and old, and will probably take as long as we live in it to "touch up" to our satisfaction. but it's a house. with a yard. and cheerful, colorful rooms that we not only live in, but occupy as well.

so, for anyone wondering about this place of which i speak, on with the tour:

(**quick disclaimer- all of the pictures posted today are interior pictures. on the day i shot them, all of my digital camera batteries were dead until well after dark. in the next few days i promise to get outside in the light of day, and document the exterior as well!**)

another disclaimer: TEMPORARILY YOU'LL HAVE TO LINK OUT TO THE PICTURES, UNTIL I CAN GET BLOGGER TO POST THEM DIRECTLY ON THIS PAGE. GRRRRR!

from our enclosed front porch, you enter directly into our living room:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/LivingRoomfromPorch.jpg

the living room boasts 3 windows, which will soon be dressed in roman blinds made from this fun and funky fabric: http://www.tonicliving.com/details.asp?productid=194&currentpage=2 the color pallete for the room was chosen with this fabric in mind.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/LivingRoomfromDR.jpg

our favorite bookshelves found a home in our living room:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/2fe9eec8.jpg

to the right of the living room you look directly into the dining room, which is painted a rich, chocolate brown:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/DiningRoom.jpg

and from the dining room you enter into the kitchen:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/114933fc.jpg

2 more views of the kitchen, from the opposite doorway:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/94f85b7c.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/cb9e9bb6.jpg

also on the first floor are,

our one and only bathroom:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/Bathroom.jpg

our guest bedroom (robert calls it our "ode to autumn"):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/90682e0f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/2bc9c143.jpg
(the boxes in this picture contain white 2" wooden slat blinds for all of the 2nd floor windows)

and ella's purple playroom (featuring magnetic walls):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/PlayroomEntry.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/PlayroomStorage.jpg
(this is our favorite "storage solution" in the house, holding all of ella's picture books and toys!)

and now, follow me to the 2nd floor. (technically, a 1/2 story. we live in a bungalow built in the early 1900's, with lower, sloping ceilings on the second floor)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/StairsFlightOne.jpg

around the corner, and up again:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/StairsFlightTwo.jpg

to the landing, which we've converted into an office.

rounding the corner at the top of the stairs:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OfficeCloset.jpg

looking back toward the staircase, at our corner-situated desk/workspace:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OfficetoStairs.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OfficeDesk.jpg

and turning towards ella's room:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OfficetoElla.jpg

upon entering ella's room (notice the quilt hanging where the blinds await installation):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/3c1e5f26.jpg
(also, the all-yellow walls will one day boast white and pink stripes)

and to the left:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/acde4997.jpg

further left (featuring the closet awaiting a door!):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/9c2952e3.jpg

and back to the right of the crib (built-in dresser awaiting trim, and wall art awaiting hanging):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/c9bb5903.jpg

and further to the right:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/75b6ffe9.jpg

and last, but not least, the master bedroom (window also awaiting blinds):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OurRoomEntry.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OurRoomBed.jpg

also boasting great closet space, lacking only a door:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OurRoomCloset.jpg

a nice nook for a vanity (with a mirror longing to be hung):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OurRoomVanity.jpg

and finally,another built-in dresser, awaiting finishing/trimwork:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lmgdimples/House%20Pics/OurRoomDresse.jpg

hope you enjoyed the tour...as you can see, we're still working on our house, but feeling fully at home!