The Fish lost a tooth today. It’s not the first one, but it is the first of his front teeth. He looks so cute to me. Classic kid.

 


 
T has a loose one as well, and naturally, he’s full of questions about the tooth fairy.
How does she get in? How big is she? What does she do with all the teeth?
Fish already knows the truth about the tooth fairy. And, since he’s in on the secret, he’s doing a good job of keeping it up for T.
I don’t know how long people let kids believe these silly things we tell them. What’s normal?
I mean, when Fish lost his first tooth, (read that traumatic story HERE.) and I told him to put it under his pillow because a little fairy was going to come in the night and take it, leaving behind cash, he raised his eyebrows and said, “Ok. Whatever.”
Then, when he lost the next tooth, he came right out with this question, “Mom? Are you really the tooth fairy?” So I just answered simply, “Yeah, dude. I am.”
And that was it.
I still gave him a buck though. You never outgrow cash.

I had to work a bridal fair today. It was at the Grand America Hotel, and did you know that they have thee nicest bathrooms in like, the world?
I’m talking about pressed, linen hand towels to dry your hands on. Lotions in shiny, gold dispensers, mints on the counter, and floor to ceiling doors and walls on the stalls. Marble floors and counter tops, crystal chandeliers, and plush upholstered furniture in the “lobby area” of the bathroom.

And yes, I am devoting an entire post to a public restroom. It was far and away the highlight of my day.

 
PS. If you are wondering where I got that super-cute bag, click HERE.

To start off the year right, both Fish, and T are sick and barfy. They stayed in their pajamas all day long, watching movies, nibbling on crackers and throwing up.
The Little Guy didn’t want to be the only one not wearing pajamas, so I let him be lazy too.
I didn’t leave my house once today. The phone didn’t ring, nobody rang the doorbell.
I filled bird feeders and cleaned out my bird bath.
I made a bunch of scrabble tile pendants. And Kelly D. helped! We sat at our kitchen table chatting and crafting. (isn’t he precious?)
It was quiet here. And non-eventful.
It was perfect.
I think every New Year’s Day should be like this.

 
I was thinking about whether or not I would make a list of resolutions, and I decided that I wouldn’t. Because I am still working on one from last year, and it’s kicking my butt.

 
But I have been having the feeling that I need to do something. Something to recharge my batteries. Something creative and invigorating.
Sometimes I get like that. In a rut, maybe feeling a little uninspired, uninteresting, un-awesome.
I want to be awesome.
If I think about it, I always start to feel a bit funky in the winter. I know this is common, but I don’t want to let the winter cold freeze my mojo.
So I have some plans. Some ideas. I’m not going to write them down, though because then I’ll feel like I have to do them, and anyone who knows me, knows that I resent being obligated or tied down to a schedule.
I will tell you one though. One that I am committing to.

 
I saw a challenge in a photography book I read that talked about how just looking at an assignment in a different way can help you fulfill it more creatively. The challenge it posed was to photograph the same object, person, place, etc., every day for a year. That’s 365 times. And each time, you have to change the way you capture it. Change the perspective, change the light, change the setting, just change how you present it.

 
I have chosen myself as a subject. (it was the obvious choice, really. I’m always available, I’m easy to work with, and I usually bring snacks, so…)
I’m going to post them in the sidebar. See that box over there on the left? That’s where they’re going. A new one every day.

Kelly Anne-
Worst: Being burglarized.
Best: (can’t pick just one) More meaningful friendships, and watching The Little Guy transform into a small person with a big personality.

 
Kelly D.-
Worst: The basement flooding.
Best: iPhone acquisition.

 
The Fish-
Worst: Being attacked by bees!
Best: Starting school.

 
T-
Worst: Fish not letting me out of my bedroom.
Best: Having a snack in kindergarten.

 
The Little Guy-
Worst: The grocery store. (he really said this when asked what he didn’t like about last year)
Best: Bear Lake

Fun with a Lensbaby.

 


 


 


 

Here are some pics of a few of the jewelry pieces I made as Christmas gifts. I had to make them in duplicate because I couldn’t bear to part with them.
I know I am not a fabulous jewelry designer, but about a year and a half ago, I stepped into a bead store in Salt Lake and I felt my soul stir, and I haven’t been able to get this new hobby out of my system since.
So. Friends and family…please bear with me as all of the gifts I give you will probably be jewelry until I move on to something else. Pottery, maybe?

 

I have developed a love of turquoise. I used to think it was just for old people, but the color is irresistible!


 
This next one has kind of a winter feel to it, I think. Like icicles.


 
I found these glass lockets, and I just fell in love with them! They are so neat in person. You can put anything inside from a photograph to a dried, pressed flower. Whatever object is inside becomes magnified by the glass. It’s special enough that I thought a simple chain was the best way to wear it.

I took two pictures of this next bracelet because the beads look different depending on what kind of light you view them in.
I bought this adorable sterling fish, and as I tried to think of something to do with it, I found these quartz beads that are almost clear, but have a blueish cast to them. They looked like bubbles to me. So I thought it would be just too cute to have the fish blowing bubbles along the chain of the bracelet.

The bubbles are in a random pattern in various sizes. This might just be my favorite thing ever.


 
But then again this last item is up there on my list because it involves birds. And I really, really love birds.

I made one of those wrapped wire nests I posted about a while back, but instead of doing it as a ring, I made a pendant. I attached it to a silver chain and added a little silver bird that looks like she’s flying back to her nest to watch over her eggs.
Perfect for a bird lover like me. But as I stared at it, I thought that it seems like a mother’s necklace.
Unless you turned the bird so it was flying in the other direction. What a fun gift it would be for a girl moving away from home for college.
Leaving the nest, as it were.

Have you been to Zupas?
This salad is my attempt to recreate the most delicious lunch I had there. The salad is pretty simple, but the dressing was the tricky part. This is as close as I could get to theirs, and it’s pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

 
We had it with Chicken Pot Pie tonight and it was a perfect companion.

 

Vermont Maple Blueberry Salad

2 granny smith apples, diced
Romaine lettuce
1/2 C. blueberries
1/2 C. crumbled bleu cheese
1/4 C. candied nuts (I used almonds)
1 shallot
2 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

 
For the salad:
The candied nuts need to be broken up somewhat.

Place them in a large ziplock bag and give them a good smack with a meat mallet or the back of a skillet.

Toss with the rest of the salad ingredients.

I made this salad for a party, but by dressing it too early, it became mushy and unappetizing to look at, so this time I let everyone dress their own.
For the dressing:
You need to end up with about 1 T. chopped shallot. I used half of this one…

Place shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper, and syrup in a food processor and puree.
Add olive oil gradually with the food processor on to emulsify.

The finished vinaigrette will be this color…

Dress just before serving.

 
I know this is a very simple dish, and almost doesn’t qualify as a recipe, but I wanted to share it because I love it so much and I just know you will too.
Try it!

I can’t stop myself. I took all the Christmas decorations down the day after Christmas. I actually asked Kelly D. to bring the boxes upstairs on Christmas night, but he looked at me like I was a crazy person and said, “No. I will not. Why don’t you just relax tonight like normal people do.”

 
So I tried really hard to be normal. But man, I had the itch to get it all put away.
I took it all down the very next day and boy, did it feel good. Every thing seems so clean and light now! Vacuuming up glitter and pine needles (okay, fake pine needles, but hey…fake trees shed a little) was such an invigorating thing to do that all I want to do is clean and organize.

 
We have this weird cupboard in our kitchen that houses a tool box and whatever other random crap I throw in there. Every time I open it, half it’s contents fall out. And then, when I retrieve whatever item I was after, I just shove everything back in there, hold the door closed with my shoulder and use the child lock to secure the doors shut.
But look!
Before….

After….

And then look at my closet! I removed anything I haven’t worn for a year and then I (get this!) organized the hanging shirts by color! I can’t be stopped!

But the best thing of all is the new bag storage idea I took from the January issue of BH&G.

It’s a shower rod with my bags hanging neatly from shower curtain rings. I wish I would have taken a before pic because this used to be a heap of bags on a shelf. And now I can clearly see that (a) I have too many bags and, (b) I don’t really need to get a brown leather shoulder bag before I go to San Francisco because, Oh, yeah! I already bought one last year that I love and had forgotten about.

 
I meant to tackle the linen closet next, (don’t you love the smell of your linen closet?) but there was a stack of boxes containing baby pictures and I made the mistake of opening one.
I pretty much killed the rest of the afternoon looking at photos and remembering how sweet my boys were as babies.
Which was a good thing because let’s be honest, when they’re out of school for weeks at a time it’s hard to think about anything but different ways of tying them up and gagging them.

I miss my blog.
I miss paying special attention to my thoughts. I miss writing them down and trying to make it into entertaining reading.

 
But, as it always seems to happen this time of year, every spare minute is taken up with last minute trips to the store and answering the door or the telephone, blah blah blah.
There is no time to ponder anything, let alone write about it.

 
But! I am so excited that Christmas is almost here. Because I can finally give away some of the things I have been making. I keep wanting to post pictures of these things but then I remember that the intended recipients are probably also reading my blog (if they’re not then they should be!) and it would ruin the surprise.
But just wait till you see a couple of these jewelry pieces. They are my new favorite things, and when I finished making them, I sat at my kitchen table (aka: workshop) coveting my own creations. I even debated keeping them and giving my friends gift cards to Target. This is because I am exceedingly selfish.
But then I decided that I could make two of everything and make both of us happy. This is assuming of course, that my friends and family even like what I’ve made for them.
But you know what? Even if they don’t like their gifts, I know they will pretend to.
Because that is what love is all about.
You know what else shows love?
Not deserting my blog even though my posting is sparse.

 
XOXOXOXOX

So I’m thinking that when the two year old dry heaves from the smell of his own dirty diapers, it might be time to try potty training again.

Last Friday I arranged an evening out with my man.
Babysitter arrived at 5 pm. Five dollar pizza for the her and the kids and off we go.

 
We did ALL of our Christmas shopping in 1.5 hours. We had a fine meal at the O.G. aka: Olive Garden. (Kelly likes to call everything by it’s initials…it takes some getting used to.) I had the mushroom ravioli.
We then ventured to a sweet little store called Game Night. I really hope this store succeeds because what a fun place. Nothing but fun. We found a great game to play at our company Christmas party called Curses. (follow these links you guys! They are here to help!) It was the so much fun. Like, where your face hurts from smiling and you have to sit with your legs crossed to keep from peeing kind of fun. It was a great find, and I would like to take this opportunity to invite anyone reading this over to my house to play with us on New Year’s Eve. (you know I’m kidding, right?)

 
After we scored that game we headed over to the multiplex to see Twilight. That’s right. Kelly D. went with me to see Twilight. He didn’t think it sucked. That is his review. Oh, and Edward is dreamy. But I think he was saying that with heavy sarcasm.

 
On our way to the theater, we drove through our old ‘hood. The one surrounding our first apartment. We had a few laughs recalling some stories from when we lived there.
Like the time I was propositioned by some pervert while taking my dog outside for a potty break. (did I forget to mention we lived right next door to a motel known for housing prostitutes?)
Or the time when one of those very same prostitutes thought that when I pulled into my driveway that I was trying to pick her up.
She sauntered (sexy!) up to my window and said, “Hey there. (wink) You looking for some company?” And I stuttered, “Uh, no. I actually l-l-l-l-live here.”
Good times.
I recall sitting on our porch every Thursday evenings in summer. Sipping lemonade and watching the cops bust the customers. They had a sting every week and the same idiots would be circling the block waiting for the hookers to come our from their last job…..looking for love in all the wrong places.
But these are my memories, and I cherish them.

 
There is a 7-11 near our old apartment where our neighbors stopped to buy the sacrament bread on the way to church on Sunday mornings, and that is what we think about every time I see it.
We were going to stop there to pick up candy for the movie (yes, we sneak it in, and so do you.) but, we decided not to because we thought it would alter our fondness for the place.
You can’t go back, you know. Some things are better left untouched in our memories.
So we drove out of our way to a different gas station down the street. There were hookers there too, though.
The old neighborhood still has it’s charm.

But….
The other day there was an unidentifiable stink in my bedroom. One night I was laying in bed and I thought I smelled something unpleasant, but after a brief investigation, I gave up. I couldn’t smell it after about 5 minutes anyway so I just forgot about it.
Next morning, the whole family was hanging out on my bed and The Fish started blaming T for stinking up the place. You should know that The Fish has a super-smeller. Seriously, he can detect chocolate on my breath hours after consumption. He could get a job at airport security sniffing for bombs, or at a high school sniffing for drug stashes in lockers. It’s really quite impressive.
So the stink. We made him sit away from his brother so he’d quit blaming the innocent for crimes he did not commit. This didn’t help. I finally got wind of it and I can’t even put a name to the smell. And, frankly, I don’t think you even want me to try. Let’s just say it was very unpleasant.
All morning long, I can’t get the stink out of my head.
And yes, I did a pit sniff and it was NOT me.
So I did what any normal, stink-hating person would do. I tore my room apart.

Curtains, down.
Bedsheets, off and washed.
Under bed, inspected and cleaned.
Blinds, wiped down.
Carpets, shampooed.
Etc, etc…

 
I sniffed every single thing I picked up and couldn’t find the offending item!
It nearly drove me mad! I spent at least three hours doing a hard target search for the stink.
I never did find it. But my bedroom hasn’t been this clean since we moved in. And it has disappeared for now.

 
I know what you’re thinking…

But you just leave her out of this.
There is no way the stink is coming from Molly.
And no matter what anyone says, she’s still sleeping in my bed.
I might give her a bath though. Just for good measure.

I got a pirate’s booty in my mailbox and from the UPS man yesterday! It’s all the stuff I need to make a Merry Christmas.
These came for packaging the herbs I grew (yeah!) and then dried. I thought it would be a fun gift for all the cooks I know, so I planted extra, harvested and dried them, and now I’m going to package them in these clear-topped tins (cute, no?).

In my mailbox were all of these fun little jewelry components that I scoured the internet for. They are going to be perfect!

I’m so excited to put these pieces together. I have been laying in bed at night mentally designing necklaces and bracelets for my friends for Christmas.

I have prepped all of the gourds and they are now ready for painting. I am making bird feeders for Christmas presents. (hey, if you get one of these babies…try to act surprised.)

And finally, our company Christmas party is tomorrow so I need to clean my house and do some last minute preparations for that.

 
At some point, I will also find time to get this kid dressed and wipe that clinging hunk of oatmeal off his cheek.

You probably already knew this, but there are like, a kajillion varieties of Hershey’s kisses now.
I went to the store today (innocently!) to get some candy for The Fish to take to school for a gingerbread house they are making.

 
I came home with:
Candy cane kisses
Hot cocoa kisses
Almond kisses
Original kisses
Caramel kisses
Mint truffle kisses
Dark chocolate kisses

 
And because I am a weak unit, I have eaten so much chocolate that I am now, at this very moment, doubled over clutching my stomach wondering if it wouldn’t just be best to get it over with and barf.

 
This is my report for today.