WPC #10

The Weekly Photo Challenge Word of the Day for this week’s theme:

fustian \FUHS-chuhn\,
noun:
1. A kind of coarse twilled cotton or cotton and linen stuff, including corduroy, velveteen, etc.
2. An inflated style of writing or speech; pompous or pretentious language.

adjective:
1. Made of fustian.
2. Pompous; ridiculously inflated; bombastic.

Most of today was spent in the realms of Microsoft and Windows. I know, I know, the Dark Side. We even paid a visit to the Evil Empire itself to take advantage of a friend’s discount at the Company Store. Am I slipping? Actually, I really don’t get too caught up in waving my flag too vocally in the Mac vs. PC debate, though I am fully invested in one team. I think both have pros and cons. But, man I am so used to Apple. They just work. It is easy. It is beautiful. I realized I am such a Mac snob. It seems so archaic to be in the Windows environment. We just made our first large(ish) business purchase, a new 24″ iMac. Drool. It’s wonderful. We also just bought a full version of Autocad 2009, which Autodesk monopolizes that market and has resisted releasing an Mac OS version. So our objective is to run CAD through an emulator, like VMware Fusion or Bootcamp, which we have tested at the Apple Store and worked flawlessly. It is the only program keeping us with one foot in the Microsoft pool. This requires the purchase of a Windows Operating System, which I spent the majority of the afternoon installing on the iMac. And wow. It was so cutting edge 1994. We had a good laugh at the graphic presentation of the installer and the language highlighting all the wonderful new things XP offers. Wow. I think I am rather Fustian-ated from this process, don’t you think? Or am I the only one that found this funny?

  

We’re on Ohdeedoh!

Check out out the Nursery Tour of Araiya and Tallis’ room HERE!

What a surprise this morning when I cruised over to Apartment Therapy and Ohdeedoh and saw my own house. Crazy. I thought the nursery tour wasn’t going to be posted until Monday, so I was caught a little off guard (in a pleasant way!). I was contacted a few weeks ago and asked to submit photos, which has been a huge honor and incredibly humbling. Fun too, as we did a little photo shoot of the girl’s room this past weekend with the Nikon D3. It’s a little nerve racking putting our house out there like this, you know, that excited nervous. Here it is, our clean and modern nursery!

So go see the tour and let me know what you think!

Two-hundredth

This is my 200th post in this journal. Wow. That seems like a pretty significant milestone to me. 200 entries in a little over a year. That equates to an average of half-a-post-a-day. Rather, a post Every-other Day, that makes it sound like a better accomplishment. There are so many things I could say about how keeping an online journal has impacted my life, made me more disciplined with my consistency and follow-through. How I have connected and reconnected with so many people who have been separated by time, distance and circumstance. How I have come to really treasure this little collection of my family’s day-to-day adventures, change, growth and reflection on who we are. I wonder what it would be like for Araiya and Tallis to look back on this when they are older. I hope they would appreciate getting to know their Mamma and their Baby to Toddler-selves through the imagery and writing. I hope.

The blog became this little creative outlet for me to share my creations and life happenings and take photos of the whole process. I thought it would be mostly intrinsically for myself and family. I wanted to be able to share life with parents and extended family who we don’t see that often. But it has really become more than that. I appreciate it most for the learning tool it has become and the ways it has stretched me to be both introspective and self-editing. I love the interactivity of blogging. I never projected this space would get to where it is now or how profoundly it has impacted me. I assumed it would be something done for me, with very little reward or attention, which I accepted and still would be totally fine with.

And somewhere, somehow other people started reading this blog. Well, at least what I think of as a significant number of people, because my little graph consistently keeps going up and up and up. There are like 5 times the number of people who come here every day as there was a year ago. Every day. More people a day then in an entire month our of last summer. I don’t even know how or where you came from, but I am so glad that you did. Because I know you are out there. Sometimes I’ll post something and someone will actually leave a comment and I’ll think “Really? Someone has something to say about that? Someone is actually reading this??” Every comment just kind of leaves me in awe. I try to respond to nearly all of them. Granted, there aren’t hoards of blog hits and hoards of comments, but to me, the numbers here are pretty darn significant.

There is a lot that I choose not to share on the blog, but for what I do, I feel I have been continually surprised at the response. I had thought about doing some sort of give-away or game to celebrate this occasion or a meme on me. Instead I just want to say THANK YOU to every one of you who stops by to visit me each week. i am increasingly grateful there has been so much more than the impersonal world of The Internet out there. Each and every hit and view and search is a person. Whether they like this or not, stick around or not, think good or bad, there is ever increasingly a personal connection between this space, me and whomever you are and regardless of if I know you in the real world. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to share myself and my life, if you are so inclined I invite you to share yourself in the comments. Ask a question, say hi, crack a joke, tell how you found this site. Otherwise, you keep reading and I’ll keep writing and we’ll see if I can hit 400 posts by the end of the year.

Italian indulgence

Okay, so maybe you won’t be able to take advantage of this same indulgence. But if you happen to be around Seattle, Tutta Bella Naeapolitan Pizza is hands down a must indulge in kinda place. Heck, make a special trip up to visit us and we can go with you. I keep coming back to this picture. This Tiramisu was so good (and so good looking). We have been here about a handful of times. It is a great place for a date night or to celebrate with family, in this case Uncle Kevin’s Birthday. I had kinda forgotten about it, as we hadn’t been there since Araiya was about a year old. But it had been lurking on the list of date nights for a while. Lunch was equally as good.

There’s nothing like watching kids devour delicious food. Such a reminder of enjoyment of life through the taste buds and stomach. It seems like everywhere we travel most of the trip is remembered by what we ate. Equally, when people come here, we usually recommend cool architecture and design-y things to look at and places to eat. There is such a plethora of amazing and diverse restaurants in Seattle, I think it would be hard to not eat well in this city. There are a few key places which rise to the top, and Tutta Bella’s is pretty high on the list.

I felt really spoiled by the food- I had a Cappuccino with biscotti, yummy pizza, breadsticks, and Tiramisu dessert. The only thing missing was a good bottle of red wine. AH. I keep thinking about it. Now I can continue to relive lunch vicariously through these photos and share the indulgence.

Hair deuce

Wow, thanks for all the hair advice. Really need some direction because today I am feeling like the cut, or rather the lack of me styling it correctly, looks a bit too matronly on me. The previous pictures were from right after it was done. Now off on my own with my trying my hand at ’styling’ it, I am afraid I am falling rather short in the making it look good category. Regardless, getting it cut is a good thing. It is good to change, it is good to revel in doing something counter to the norm, it is a good learning experience. All the replies have given me plenty of direction to go in and things to try out. I appreciate the feedback.

I have to say, a little nerve racking too. I really dislike most nearly all photographs ever taken of me. I think that was the most in succession I have ever liked enough to show, or even to not delete immediately. Maybe I can try to blame it on the low light and the fact I wasn’t taking them. Or the great hairstyle job the gal at the salon did. Part of it too is going out on a limb a bit. It has been good to be adventurous in new ways. Not just getting it cut, disliking it and throwing it back into a ponytail again, but to show that process and risk putting myself out there and not be so uptight about me liking or disliking the results. I think it has been easier to do with things like sewing or design work, There is still several levels of separation. This is more uncomfortable because it is hitting closer to the mark of extremely personal. The discomfort exposes where I feel uncomfortable with myself, and just the realization of that is an introspectively good thing. My instinct would be to hide the things I feel aren’t good, or don’t look good, or wouldn’t be perceived as good, or to me aren’t good enough.

I get another opportunity to go out on a far different limb next week, where I will open myself up in the form of something I have worked on and created yet feel is not at a level where I have determined it is good enough to go show off. Just like my hair I would be fine leaving it in a ponytail when I go out, but instead have the opportunity to let it down, put it out there and hope I can learn from the experience. Already it has brought to light many of the fears I hang on far too strongly: Rejection. Not being successful. Not making it. People’s opinion of me. Failure. I am hoping the parallels between these two seemingly unrelated experiences will continue to push me past these hang-ups and show how ridiculous my perception of resisting putting myself out there really is. I have needed the motivation an opportunity to step out there. It will spur on change, spur on growth and push me into new areas I have previously held myself back from. Maybe I will wear my hair down for the rest of the day.

Mom Chop

My hair and I are in constant battle. A battle I most often loose. Wavy in the back, straight in the front, sometimes frizzy, sometimes flat. I don’t really know what to do with it, so have worn it in a pony tail since about the 5th grade. I’ve tried, really I’ve tried. I keep coming back for more trials, with all my good intentions, to wear it down. Heck, wear it anyway that isn’t tied back. Downhill, all the way. I’ve given up over the last year. I got a good cut right after Tallis was born, but I was right back to ponytail land within a few weeks. Then just stopped caring. And stopped having it cut. Why bother? But then it was about down to my waist. And heavy. And even more of a pain in the butt. I had been ready for a chop far too long. Finally on Saturday I used a gift certificate given to me for by Birthday (ehm, which was in August) and checked that to-do item off my list. I was over it. I wanted something far different. But still retained the ability to default to the ponytail. Maybe it’s not that different. Matt feared I would end up with a classic Mom-chop. Or worse, a Duck-butt.

Araiya likes it. Rather, she likes playing with it and styling it, to make it ‘nice and neat’. Good, cuz maybe I can get her to do my hair, since I am rather unwilling to take the time and effort each morning. I unrealistically want something I can wash, comb and do nothing more to and have it still look great for the rest of the day. Right. I think I will be needing to dig that big curling iron out of the basement today. Though I am optimistically trying the wash-n-wear this morning. So far the short layers in the back are waving up, and the front layers are layered so it kinda actually matches the back, but we still have frizz. Not sold on it, I feel it makes me look older. Perhaps this is my first real grown-up style. Still I wish someone would swoop in and teach me what the heck to do with this mop. Surely it involves some sort of magic products and techniques, because I liked it a lot better after the stylist finished. I think though I may be breaking down and buying a flat iron and some goopy gel, because I really do desire to begin to gain ground in this battle. At least the first step has been taken.

Update: Yup, today I am still not super thrilled. We got frizz. Bad. And waves, in every direction except where I would maybe like it to go. The above photos are from right after I got it done. So far have been unable to get it to look like that again. Why is that always the case? Here’s the back this afternoon:

Pretty sweet, eh?

Edit again: I think I need some product. And a straight iron. Any ideas??

Weekend BBQ

Most of this weekend was nice weather-wise. We needed such an excuse to get outside and so did everyone else, so it seemed. An impromptu BBQ formed for Friday evening right on Lake Washington in Madison Park. Beautiful and peaceful, perfect for a noisy toddler to run amuck, screaming and laughing at the top of her lungs as if to say, yes! I have been waiting for this!! The barbecuing was almost a no-go, as the event planner mixed up parks and there were no grills at the park. Last minute store run for a Smokey-Joe-style grill, and the Bratwurst were soon sizzling. I think Araiya ate two to herself. She must have worked up quite an appetite playing soccer with Daddy, Uncle Kevin (who was in town for his 21st Birthday) and some of the other guys. And she made her sister quite jealous. Tallis is more than ready to start running around with big people too. Those games are way more fun than just being a spectator!

Antics

Terrible two’s haven’t been so terrible. Araiya has been just plain fun. Even most of the ‘trouble’ she gets into I have to just laugh at her. Riddled with her cuteness, quirks, ingenuity and little person logic, she just makes me smile. Luckily most of the things she gets into are rather benign, though we have had our share of more serious trouble. I think Marcy posted a nearly identical picture as the one above of her little guy playing with eyeliner. Pretty good, don’t you think? I am amazed how much Araiya picks up on exactly what to do with stuff. She watches much too closely.

Then I caught her trying to walk the cat. Pretty smart to use her belt as a leash and collar. She picked this up from her Aunt and Uncle we stayed with in Portland last weekend as she watched them walk their dog. So it is logical to make that connection- why not take the cat for a walk? She somehow got Maya to walk with her from living room around to Mom&Dad’s room until this pissy cat would appease her no more.

She also ended up wearing a pull-up much of Friday, insistent she didn’t want anyone to see her butt. Why this was important on Friday and not any other day when I fight her tooth and nail to keep clothing on and she usually ends up standing on the chaise in the front window looking out over the street with no pants? No idea. I guess all that work being a wild two-year-old will get to you, so she passed out Friday afternoon, wrapped in my wool sweater, sideways in the Eames Rocker of all places. Too cute to not take pictures.

She didn’t stay here long, as we woke her up to go to a BBQ, where she ran around in circles playing soccer and eating Bratwurst for a few hours. I hope 3 is as much fun as 2 has been.

WPC #9

If you notice, my Weekly Photo Challenge post is a day late. Yes, it has been that kind of a week. Fitting to the weeks word, none the less. So better late than never, I guess, as the challenge theme culminates the state of affairs this week. From Dictionary.com’s Monday Word of the Day:

maelstrom \MAYL-struhm\, noun:
1. A large, powerful, or destructive whirlpool.
2. Something resembling a maelstrom; a violent, disordered, or turbulent state of affairs.

Things whirled this week. Messes. Many, many messes. Some rather benign, like toys strewn over every corner of this house or piles of laundry awaiting folding. Others, gross, like stuffed toilet paper in a potty then amply stirred and splash around the bathroom with a toilet brush or touching stinky dead mice. Deep cleaning and organizing, which inevitably produces a larger mess in order to reorganize, as I attempt to do a little photo shoot of the girl’s room this weekend. Being pulled in many directions. Kids to take care of, work to do at the house, architecture projects that need attention, business decisions to discuss. Missed opportunities. Missed storytime at Tougo’s coffee by less than an hour because my jumbled mind assumed when it started. Forgotten tasks, forgotten items. Like keys, grocery lists, phone, socks. Remembered only when direly needed. Trash and recycling forgotten to be taken out on trash day. Lost items. Lost one shoe, then found and pair restored. Then lost both, so Tallis doesn’t have shoes. Lost hairbrush, so my hair is a mess. Things put off. Hair cut, which I am in desperate need of. Caring for the front lawn. To-do list not getting smaller. Getting the backyard project underway. Getting sick. Tired. Starting to maybe feel a bit pregnant with achy loose hips. Flared tempers. Kids unable to share, getting too rough with one another. Tallis biting Araiya’s tummy as Araiya tackled her while they were playing inside the play tent. Roughhousing with retaliation. My frustration with their sudden inability to be gentle. Caught in a Maelstrom.

Little cook

Araiya loves to be in the kitchen, she loves to help out and play like she is cooking. Our little wooden stove and play food, which resides next to our big stainless steel prep table, is one of the most frequently used toys. She really wants to do real cooking. Constantly she is begging to sit up in a stool at the counter and help. I let her pour flour into the Kitchenaid mixer when we are making bread or cookies and help her to break the eggs. I have been slowly finding ways to include her help in making dinner too. So far the best I have found is making handmade pasta, the other night we made a mushroom morella, which is roughly rolled noodles. We have a pasta machine, but it is too hard to crank for a two-year old. But we had a blast rolling ‘worms’ together. Pasta is really easy too- it is essentially flour, salt and egg mixed into a dough. Great because the prep involves no knives, machinery, raw meats, and it is okay to use your hands and get messy. It was a special treat to cook with Araiya and now she keeps begging to make more ‘worms’, so I will have to be on the hunt for more recipes a toddler can participate in to expand our menu beyond cookies and noodles.