RIP special christmas decor

i have a sad story.  after searching everywhere in our house and in several other houses, our box of christmas tree decor is missing.  last year i bought the most adorable little 1960s angel with big blond bouffant hair and a little yellow dress.  she belonged with me and i was excited to give her a home.  with her as inspiration, i made, bought, and borrowed handmade or vintage looking ornaments.  among the many was an ornament made from the champagne corks we drank at my parents' house after we got engaged, brightly colored paper chains my sister and i made many christmases ago, and the first ornament my parents bought for their very first christmas tree.  sadly, the only picture we have is a terrible one, but i know it has all our christmas tree treasures on it and it is now so special to me.

 

 

 

christmas eve 2009 with the pastor and baby little dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i can't bring myself to buy other ornaments yet ( i am still beyond hopeful and not ready to give up that they might be found).  however, i did adopt another very special angel that belongs with me.  she is being shipped today.

happy christmas mate...

15 days and counting till london... i can't wait!


i also can't seem to get any work done, but can only seem to look at maps of london.

this saturday should be pretty crazy.  team o come all ye faithful (gabe, stephanie, and myself) are running the jingle bell 5k.  should be interesting considering i got sick and my training maxed out at 1.53 miles.  how do i get myself into these messes? remember this? the jingle bell should be an experience of the same caliber.

in other news...

we got a christmas tree!

it is still undecorated and the little dog won't stop licking it.

the mums in the bathtub are dead and i am hoping to get mini christmas trees for it.

thank you allyson cary photography

survival countdown

12 more days of work till i get 3 off...

then, parent observation = worst week of the year...

after that, one week of classes before the studio closes ...

two days later, last parks & rec class...

two days after that, LONDON = no work, christmas festivities, tons of fun with just the pastor, but the little dog will be missed...

hurry up!

pam reynolds

i saw her walking on belmont the other day and i really just love everything about her.

life is good.

i just realized today that in my "about me" section it says, "daydreaming about living in the city again" and i realized that i am so lucky that has become reality.  and as i was thinking that, i started thinking about how much i love my city, my new house( i am never moving),my friends, my family, my little dog, and the pastor.  we are so lucky to have all these things and eachother. even though the pastor and i will always dream about wining the megamillions and running away to paris, i wouldn't change a thing about our life.

found this picture form a long time ago and it made me smile.

shoot.

i need $300 dollars and a place to wear this outfit.

 

v-i-c-t-o-r-y!

i know it is only saturday evening, but i have already had one of the most relaxing and enjoyable weekends ever.  we woke up at 9 am and the pastor made a big breakfast that i made gabe get out of bed and walk over to enjoy.  we ate lots and had coffee and talked and laughed and had a fun morning. 

then, after hearing about all the festivities in carytown...i mean scarytown, i headed to walmart to make the little dog a costume for the contest.


meet franklinstein...

 

as we walked to the competition, the pastor was majorly doubting our chances and then...

 

we won!

don't get me started on the duggars...

"it's ok that i drive a hummer, my baby is wearing a cloth diaper" - anna duggar

yard work with the little dog...

our accomplishment ( sorry for the terrible pic. it was infact taken with photobooth)

then we snuggled on the porch and admired our work.

life long project

i love everything about victorian family photographs.  i wonder if the conversation went like this, "we need to take a family photo." "alright, everyone out in the yard, grab and animal or possession" "ok ready no one smile....1.....2......3..."

ok so where is the life long project coming in?

here it is...

every year i want the stephen, myself, and franklin to take a picture like this.  then when we are old, every year our family will be captured in hopefully at least 50 of these pictures filled with lots of people that all started with just me the pastor and the little dog.  any photographer friends want to help?

this picture from our wedding begins the series...

virtual try on

thinking of getting these...just virtual try on makes me nervous.

however, $95 dollars for frames and prescription lenses is a beautiful thing.

he pronounced them husband and wife.

the pastor did his first wedding...

photo by nick kessler

and i was very proud.

the past week in a blog post.

for starters, we celebrated the little dog's 1st birthday.  i can't believe that the little dog is the biggest now.  he was so tiny the day we brought him home.  i also can't believe that a little dog is a staple in our family.

the day we brought him home.  tiny little one.

also, the event that makes me hate my job more than any other thing happened last week.  video dance camp.  here is my finished product.  i am officially the worst videographer and editor ever.

laughs and ridicule are allowed.

thirdly, the new house is coming along. we are adjusting to it and getting to know the neighbor hood.  when this house is cute, i will love it here. little dog has adjusted and is acting normally.  see below:

his post as usual.

sarah and kristen came to visit twice this week.  visitors definitely makes it feel like home.  i didn't realize that we had become used to never being alone in our house.  the change is really nice, don't get me wrong, but sometimes a little lonely.  they harassed frank as usual.

 at least no chick-fil-a nuggets were involved this time.

these are only highlights of an insane week.  so insane, that little dog and i went to sleep at 9 pm last night.  today? ikea.  woohoo no more sleeping on the floor!  also, we say good bye to holly hill officially with a dump run.  we love our new house and are ready to say goodbye, but probably we need to apologize for all the mean things we said about it.  deep down, we love that house.

the couch has changed locations.

i have sort of taken a break from blogging.  really, i just didn't have anything interesting to say.  the pastor, the little dog, and myself are now in our new house and loving life.  i can't wait until our house is all painted and decorated and looks pretty.  i can't wait for it to feel like home.  this is CRAZY and i can't believe i am going to admit this, but...

sometimes i miss holly hill.

it makes me sad to drive by and think of franklin's long days in the window sill.  our new house is perfect in everyway and is a much needed sanctuary.  however, it takes a while to be home.

me and brittany

oops i did it again.


played with my blog and ruined it.

new house calls for new wishlist.

1.  permanently on the list. always and forever.

2.  edison chandelier

3.  retro bar stools

4.  damask print (preferably yellow, but i like this too...) wall paper for the stairwell

5.  a million dollars to buy these things!


i always make these lists to make myself realize how ridiculous it is to always be wanting more than you have.  at the end of every wishlist, i am content to just live in the same house as the pastor and the little dog.

ahhhh....

to me this is perfection.

super tired.

i am so tired and have so much to do.

wishing i could take little dog for a ride in his basket.

i am not sure how i will survive a week away from him. 

pray for him...he's staying with uncle trav.

i'll never have another dog or a baby.

this picture makes me want to cry.

the little dog has gotten so big now.

i never would have guessed that any dog could make me love them.

i think the little dog deserves a birthday party.

the little dog's d.o.b...aug 11, 2009

  we tried to recreate the pic, but the little dog was a little playful.

joining the late nighters

the pastor always stays up way later than i do and sometimes the little dog joins him.  tonight, i made a poor life choice and all three of us are night owling.

you may or may not know this about me, but i am a horrible sleeper.  i all to often have crazy dreams where i wake up anxious, nervous, and feeling like i can't breathe.  in real life i am not an anxious or worrisome person, but in my sleep i seem to experience a lot of anxiety.

so where is the poor life choice?  i'm getting there.

so the second thing you may or may not know about me is that the only other time i experience severe anxiety, other than in my sleep, is in suspenseful movies or scary movies. you may be thinking that everyone does. however, i promise you my level of stress from the suspense is unlike any other person i have ever met.  its not even the scary act or the chase that gets to me.  its more the weight of the situation and the reaction of breathlessness of the people around me that sends my heart rate through the roof and leaves me with the same feeling that i frequently experience in the middle of the night.

so here comes the poor life decision...

i was exhausted today and the minute it became dark i justified getting in bed.  as i got into bed i decided to "on demand" the lovely bones.  i read the book in high school and hadn't remembered it correctly.  30 min later i was not asleep as planned, but sitting straight up in bed feeling rather panicked.  now hours later here i am making this observation of my insanity from the couch with the boys.

so here's my observation from the couch tonight...

i am totally and completely nuts.

Welcome to the Poore House.

if all goes well with the inspection and loan, this guy will be the new abode of the pastor, the little dog, and myself. 

a special thanks to any swipers who stayed away.

3033 Grayland Avenue

swiper no swiping!

we keep losing all these houses. it stinks.  maybe we will just stay on holly hill...

atleast i know no one can swipe it.  

so tired of all the swipers!

ceci n'est pas une bicyclette...

today i got a surprise from my sister in the mail.

this present has transformed my life and i have only had it a few hours. stephen gave me a bike for my birthday that i love.  however, when we leave for bike rides i miss my tiny best friend.

my sister solved the problem. 

yes.  she got me a basket for frank complete with saftey leash.

the crazy thing is he loved it.

today i love my life.

after going to meet with stephen's cousin who is a realtor to talk about some houses in the fan(which also makes me love my life), i rode my bike to the grocery store and brought home dinner for us and strawberries for the little dog in my basket.

who knew a basket could improve your quality of life?

bark in the park.

we had fun...sorta.

i liked it cause the little dog snuggled the whole time.

we missed the pastor though.

cross your fingers.

not going to say why...but keep them crossed.

franklin the healthy eater

most people would be excited if they had a little dog that didn't seem to care for people food, but it makes me sad that my little dog isn't interested in the yummy things i try to share with him.  however,  i have found that guy's favorite food.  fruit.  who would have guessed that franklin is a healthy eater?  so far today we have shared an apple and some strawberries.  best friends share everything.

monday monday...

i have not accomplished anything well today.

secrets secrets are no fun

i can't wait for stephen's 30th birthday!  i have planned a surprise trip. (don't worry he knows a trip just doesn't know where) i really love traveling adventures.  i am having an awful time not telling him. ughh too bad dec 16 is 232 days away.

a favorite. paris 3 am.

growing up is no fun.

i wish best friends lived closer.

i need loads of money...

i need loads of money.  enough said.

what would i do with said loads of money?

easy...be eternally happy.

why?  you might ask.

because then i would be constantly planning my next vacation and that is when i am happiest.

meant to be.

in my day dreaming and looking at houses, i discovered...



MY HOUSE IS STILL FOR SALE!


it's waiting for me, the little dog, and the pastor to move in!

home sweet home.

the beach was great, but we are glad to be back on our couch!

observations from the couch at the beach...

i love life with the pastor and the little dog at the beach.  i do not want to come home.  i have been happier today than i have in a long time.

favorites of the day:
french toast.
taking franklin to see the beach for the first time.
bike ride.
falling off bike.
sandwhich.
laying in the sun on the porch.
thrift stores.
finding bikes online for my birthday.
walking the little dog alone on the beach.
dinner.  
finding a dog basket for my new bike.
sitting on the couch between the boys.

a bike and a bike dress

for my birthday i need...

1.  two old crappy bikes...one for me, one for the pastor

2.  this dress...

3.  a basket...the kind that has a seatbelt for the little dog

where is the little dog?

this morning i woke up and couldn't feel franklin anywhere around me.  i sat up, looked around, and said, "where's frank?" a little sad that he had woken up and left without snuggling.  not knowing the pastor had heard me, i heard him groan and i turned to look at him.  then i spotted the little dog's head sticking out of the covers right next to the pastor.

i can't even believe how cute that little guy is.  i will never have a baby, because i can't love a baby more than i love that little dog.

i tried to take a picure, but when he realized i was awake he quickly came over to snuggle.

oops

ruined my blog. fix it later.

spring redecoration...i mean rejuvination!

on a day like today when it is chilly and rainy, but you can feel the change in temperature coming and the end is near, i am always wanting to completely redecorate. the refreshing energy of spring always makes me wish i lived somewhere like this and not in a house heavy with bright bold colors. somewhere clean and fresh with interesting things in every corner. maybe one day i will find it in me somewhere to paint light colors. maybe, just maybe.

oh lord...

do you ever wear something for comedic value and then realize later that while it may be funny, its the worst possible thing you could put on your body?  let's flash back for a moment shall we?

 

what was i thinking?  i mean come on...i look like i am pushing 200lbs! is there even a body in there?

when i put it on in the store, gabe couldn't look at me she was laughing so hard.

i just didn't know exactly why till now.

on the other hand...stephen and gabe looked fantastic.  kudos to me and gabe and our last min thrift store purchases!

                               oh gosh.  we rule.

vacation countdown...11 days

this is me at work today.

i need a break.
i am tired of this purple room with no windows.

i wish i was at home on the couch with the pastor and the little dog.

the countdown is on...

11 days 9 hours 3 min and 15 seconds

when all else fails...throw your steak?

once again i have failed franklin as a best friend.  we were sitting on the couch and truth be told, i was paying more attention to facebook than to the little dog.  out the corner of my eye i could see him sitting next to me looking disgruntled and i could hear him growling slightly.  then, out of no where, i was hit in the face with a rubber squeaking t-bone steak.  man. the little dog has great aim!

a series of hilarious pictures

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

i love our friends...

captured.

 

i really love this picture.

but, he thinks it makes him look fat.

i don't think so.

being nice for valentine's ...

as many of you have probably noticed and the pastor has definitly made aware to me, this blog seems to be more about life with a little dog and less about life with a pastor.  so i thought in the spirit of the season i would say something nice about life with the pastor.
no making fun.

"It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced-or seemed to face-the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

-the Great Gatsby

on the way to dinner at hill cafe, i was going on and on about something in the car being a little cynical and didn't really mean what i was saying.  ok lets be honest...  i was picking out my next victim to place all my energy in disliking.  among others, the duggars have been the pinnacle of this passion in the past,  just to give you an example.  I was going on and on and then i realized that instead of being annoyed and trying to tell me i was being ugly, i look over to see the pastor laughing and then we exchanged a smile described exactly by the great gatsby.  he completely saw me.  i couldn't help but think...this is my favorite part of life with a pastor.

ps...click on the picture.  it's better bigger.

blogging hiatus.

i had promised myself i would be great at this blogging thing and i have failed.  i blame the snow.   i took a hiatus to refrain from having the same snow day blog over and over again.

but now i am back.

i don't have any amusing stories about the pastor or the little dog.

the only exciting thing going on here is that i have now become allergic to every kind of shampoo, facewash, dish soap, and laundry detergent.

yes, the poore household is now a dye and fragrance free zone.

great, i am once again the weird allergy kid.

maybe this will be mildly entertaining...

over the snow days we couldn't walk the little dog, so we took him for a car ride.  he loved it. sike...