My future holds a project related to fortune telling. I can't reveal all now, but I need your help! That's right all of you reading this, I need your help. I need eight highly entertaining fortunes similar to those that you would find in a fortune cookie. I want them to be actual fortunes about things that will happen, not, "Confucious says . . ." Something that would make you smile or giggle if you got it in a fortune cookie. I've come up with five decent options so far, but I need at least three more. Obviously, they have to be fortunes you wouldn't mind me using in one of my designs, but there's something in it for you too. If I use a fortune that you came up with, I'll mail you a copy of the finished product.
On a sidenote, have you been reading Eva's blog? She started doing profiles of creative people every Thursday and she posted a little about me yesterday and you can check it out here. Be sure to check out the rest of her blog for more of Eva's thoughts and projects and some updates from Kirk in Poland too.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
You're never too old to play dressup
One night while Candice and Marissa were still in town my aunt babysat after the babies went to bed so the grown-ups could go see a movie. We saw Get Smart because it was the only movie that no one objected to seeing. I was not that excited about it, but it was actually surprisingly funny and I'm so glad that I went.
Well, after that we had spies on the brain so we decided to do our own secret agent photoshoot. We dragged Eli along with us for some thrift shopping where we all picked up sweet jackets and then we picked up wigs at a costume shop. You weren't allowed to open them so we didn't know until we got home that I ended up with the ugliest wig you have ever seen. I'm not kidding, it looked nothing like the package, and it was getting late so we had to smooth it down as much as we could and go ahead with the shoot. It looked sort of like Mary Ann from Giligan's Island's hair; ratted up huge and flipped out at the end, just like every cool spy wants to look. At least it was dark so you can't tell how huge and horrible it was compared to Candice and Marissa's sleek wigs. My parents kept cracking up while my dad was shooting these pictures; I'm not sure if was the wig, the weird poses that we were coming up with, or the people staring at us posing in the street as they drove by, but whatever. You're never too old to play dressup.
Well, after that we had spies on the brain so we decided to do our own secret agent photoshoot. We dragged Eli along with us for some thrift shopping where we all picked up sweet jackets and then we picked up wigs at a costume shop. You weren't allowed to open them so we didn't know until we got home that I ended up with the ugliest wig you have ever seen. I'm not kidding, it looked nothing like the package, and it was getting late so we had to smooth it down as much as we could and go ahead with the shoot. It looked sort of like Mary Ann from Giligan's Island's hair; ratted up huge and flipped out at the end, just like every cool spy wants to look. At least it was dark so you can't tell how huge and horrible it was compared to Candice and Marissa's sleek wigs. My parents kept cracking up while my dad was shooting these pictures; I'm not sure if was the wig, the weird poses that we were coming up with, or the people staring at us posing in the street as they drove by, but whatever. You're never too old to play dressup.
Why it was a bad idea to give Creed Chef Boyardee
Subject: Creed
Problem: Subject refuses to consume pasta of any kind
Hypothesis: Subject may be lured into eating not-so-healthy Chef Boyardee ravioli with meatballs (which technically should not even be called food) and then adapt to eating actual pasta.
Result: Complete and utter failure
Evidence 1 - Subject was died orange and left an orange ring in the tub
Evidence 2 - Subject used his hair as a napkin
Evidence 3 - Subject picked apart the ravioli to eat the "meat" and left all pasta to be analyzed
Problem: Subject refuses to consume pasta of any kind
Hypothesis: Subject may be lured into eating not-so-healthy Chef Boyardee ravioli with meatballs (which technically should not even be called food) and then adapt to eating actual pasta.
Result: Complete and utter failure
Evidence 1 - Subject was died orange and left an orange ring in the tubEvidence 2 - Subject used his hair as a napkin
Evidence 3 - Subject picked apart the ravioli to eat the "meat" and left all pasta to be analyzedPicture Perfect
My whole family hadn't been together in ages and we almost forgot to take a new family picture. In fact, we didn't get our act together until after all of the husbands were gone so it's just the Borups. I'm wearing Cacndice's clothes because I was only down with Creed for the night, and I only brought shorts and t-shirts.
What's that you ask? Who was the photographer? My dad paid Grant $5.00 to take our picture while the babies watched from their carseats. Pretty good for five minutes of work, eh?
What's that you ask? Who was the photographer? My dad paid Grant $5.00 to take our picture while the babies watched from their carseats. Pretty good for five minutes of work, eh?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Muppet Movie
Last Friday we decided to take Creed to see an outdoor showing of the Muppet movie. We weren't too optimistic about his ability to make it through much of the movie, but we thought we'd be able to see a new part of town, play around a bit, and as an added bonus, we found out last minute that one of my favorite bloggers Design Mom's Gabrielle was going to be there so we got to chat with her.
It turned out that Creed loved the outing.
This is a horrible video clip, but you get a glimpse of how he stood up so attentive and danced through most of the movie and kept pointing excitedly at the screen. We finally took him home at 10:00 so he wouldn't be too cranky in the morning, but he would have been happy to stay longer.
It turned out that Creed loved the outing.
This is a horrible video clip, but you get a glimpse of how he stood up so attentive and danced through most of the movie and kept pointing excitedly at the screen. We finally took him home at 10:00 so he wouldn't be too cranky in the morning, but he would have been happy to stay longer.Things That Make Me Happy Right Now . . .
Larry and I finally joined 1999 and got cell phones when we moved out here. Since we've never had cell phones, the sales person convinced us to get whatever phone and use it for a while and then bring it back to exchange it for another phone once we figured out what we wanted. Well, that turned out to be the best advice ever because thanks to huge demand for the new Iphone (which I would love, but cannot justify at this point in my life), all the other nice phones aren't selling so they were offering huge rebates. For $20 more than the cheapo phone I had that didn't do anything, I now am the proud owner of this Palm Centro, which does everything I can possibly think of.
What girl could resist putting her shoes away if she gets to put them away like this?
This new charm (mine is orange instead of pink). I had the pleasure of meeting up with two blogging friends, Elisa and Cristin and they gave me this beautiful charm, which is actually made on a scrabble tile. The night before, I had just been talking to Larry about ordering the poster version, which Cristin owns, and how I think I need to adopt "Keep calm and carry on" as my mantra for this move. I couldn't believe my eyes when Cristin handed me the charm. It couldn't have been a more perfect gift.
And the frames and alphabet prints that I designed for Eva have been getting some really lovely compliments that make me happy too (and yes, this feels like bragging, but I can't help it, I'm so proud of what a great job Eva did with them)
Penelope on DVD
Pepperidge Farms honey goldfish grahams, Creed's favorite new on-the-go snack
My new dress from Target
Finally having a closet in our room, even if it isn't finished. Our bedroom had a two foot wide closet so Larry and I have been living out of suitcases until we finally got this closet up. It was our one totally impractical splurge to make living in our rental here a little more comfortable. Besides our bed, it pretty much fills up the tiny room, but I love it!
What girl could resist putting her shoes away if she gets to put them away like this? This new charm (mine is orange instead of pink). I had the pleasure of meeting up with two blogging friends, Elisa and Cristin and they gave me this beautiful charm, which is actually made on a scrabble tile. The night before, I had just been talking to Larry about ordering the poster version, which Cristin owns, and how I think I need to adopt "Keep calm and carry on" as my mantra for this move. I couldn't believe my eyes when Cristin handed me the charm. It couldn't have been a more perfect gift.And the frames and alphabet prints that I designed for Eva have been getting some really lovely compliments that make me happy too (and yes, this feels like bragging, but I can't help it, I'm so proud of what a great job Eva did with them)Being featured on Poppytalk Handmade
and this mention on A Little Sussy, a blog that I LOVE
and this mention on Decor8
and this one that makes me laugh on What Designers
and last, but not least, this amazing post on Apartment Therapy
Lest you think my life is perfect . . .
I know so many people's lives look perfect on their blogs, and I don't want people to have a misconception of my life around here. On average, I try to focus on the positive, but I want this blog to be an honest record of my life so I try to do a little reality check around here once in a while.
So the truth is, I'm leading a pretty lonely life these days. I'm one of those people that needs some alone time, but lately, almost all of my time is alone time. Someone called the other day in the middle of the day and thought they woke me up because my voice was husky from not using it (I do talk to Creed, but I guess we'd had a quiet morning of me following him around an empty playground and then he'd taken an extraordinarily long nap). Larry works six days a week and he's on call six days a week (it is home call, which is much better than residency, but those calls while we're trying to spend time as a family are so annoying). His only day off each week is Sunday, and since we're Mormon that means three hours of church in the middle of the day along with other meetings and we will never get a chance to explore some of the fun places around town together since we try not to do anything that requires anyone else to work on Sundays. And did I mention that's his schedule for the entire year? That means no long weekends to escape and take a road trip, and no time for Larry to watch Creed so I can do things around the city that aren't fun for a toddler like explore boutiques or buy new jeans or have lunch with friends. Larry has always had to work some Saturdays, but I never realized how important it was to me to have him around for a Saturday here and there.
So people out there who wonder how I do all the things that I do (and I really don't do much, you just get the highlights on my blog) I have more time to myself than I know what to do with. I'm busy with Creed, but at some point, he has to sleep and then I'm on my own.
And speaking of Creed, I love him and find myself constantly blinking in wonder at how cute he is and how quickly he's growing, but it's really tiring being in charge of him 100% of the time. Larry's been trying to help out and take him on some jaunts in the evening, but by the time he gets home and we pull together dinner, Creed is getting tired and cranky and it's probably better for him to stay home and wind down.
And I have so many insecurities as a mother. Am I feeding him well enough? There must be other healthy foods that I can get him to eat. Should I convert to one nap a day and how do I know when that nap should be? And he has a farmer's tan, which means I'm not making him wear enough sunscreen. And we don't know any kids in our neighborhood his age so should I be taking him to playgroup or something so he's used to being around other kids his age? And it is so crazy hot in the afternoons that I feel so bad every time I have to put him in his carseat, aka insulated oven, and he looks at me with those sad eyes. And I'm worried about his loss of vocabulary lately. And . . . and . . . and . . .
I definitely have my flaws. I'm not a good cook and I'm so uninspired in the kitchen. I HATE exercising and tell myself that chasing Creed is enough right now. I keep saying the word "stinkin'" which I hate (why did I even start saying that?) and I can't stop! I'm obsessed with finding a new rug for our living room that's beautiful, yet affordable and it's driving me crazy that I can't find one. I have a totally irrational fear of ducks and geese and they are all over the parks here. I stay up later than I should and I'm grouchy in the morning. I'm terrible at returning phone calls, not because I'm busy, but because I especially don't like talking when I'm feeling blue. If you came to my house right now, you'd think we moved here a week ago instead of a month because I'm not in a hurry for this new place to feel like home and it's not like I have any friends who are coming by so I still have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do (which I guess is a sign that we own a lot of stuff that we don't need).
I totally have a lack of focus these days and am not really sure where I want to head from here. Do I want to try to work as an adjunct professor if it would mean adding more chaos to our families schedule and less time together? Do I want to keep selling fairy doors if that sucks up a lot of my creative time? Do I want to keep accepting freelance graphic design jobs? Do I want to be a little more active in the children's literature blogging world? Should we have another baby and could I really handle that and still be the kind of mom that I want to be to Creed? Should I be focusing more on writing while Creed naps? Should I just drop it all and focus on Creed while he still wants to shadow my every move? In what areas should I really be trying to develop and why do I let all this other stuff get in the way?
I'm not saying all of this to get down on myself or make you think that I'm depressed. I know that I'm blessed and I'm really happy with my life. I just want you to know that I'm not even in the same realm as perfect and I embrace that. Someday, when Creed is feeling lost or lonely or questioning his parenting skills, I want him to be able to read this and know I was there and it's ok. You don't need to be perfect to be happy.
So the truth is, I'm leading a pretty lonely life these days. I'm one of those people that needs some alone time, but lately, almost all of my time is alone time. Someone called the other day in the middle of the day and thought they woke me up because my voice was husky from not using it (I do talk to Creed, but I guess we'd had a quiet morning of me following him around an empty playground and then he'd taken an extraordinarily long nap). Larry works six days a week and he's on call six days a week (it is home call, which is much better than residency, but those calls while we're trying to spend time as a family are so annoying). His only day off each week is Sunday, and since we're Mormon that means three hours of church in the middle of the day along with other meetings and we will never get a chance to explore some of the fun places around town together since we try not to do anything that requires anyone else to work on Sundays. And did I mention that's his schedule for the entire year? That means no long weekends to escape and take a road trip, and no time for Larry to watch Creed so I can do things around the city that aren't fun for a toddler like explore boutiques or buy new jeans or have lunch with friends. Larry has always had to work some Saturdays, but I never realized how important it was to me to have him around for a Saturday here and there.
So people out there who wonder how I do all the things that I do (and I really don't do much, you just get the highlights on my blog) I have more time to myself than I know what to do with. I'm busy with Creed, but at some point, he has to sleep and then I'm on my own.
And speaking of Creed, I love him and find myself constantly blinking in wonder at how cute he is and how quickly he's growing, but it's really tiring being in charge of him 100% of the time. Larry's been trying to help out and take him on some jaunts in the evening, but by the time he gets home and we pull together dinner, Creed is getting tired and cranky and it's probably better for him to stay home and wind down.
And I have so many insecurities as a mother. Am I feeding him well enough? There must be other healthy foods that I can get him to eat. Should I convert to one nap a day and how do I know when that nap should be? And he has a farmer's tan, which means I'm not making him wear enough sunscreen. And we don't know any kids in our neighborhood his age so should I be taking him to playgroup or something so he's used to being around other kids his age? And it is so crazy hot in the afternoons that I feel so bad every time I have to put him in his carseat, aka insulated oven, and he looks at me with those sad eyes. And I'm worried about his loss of vocabulary lately. And . . . and . . . and . . .
I definitely have my flaws. I'm not a good cook and I'm so uninspired in the kitchen. I HATE exercising and tell myself that chasing Creed is enough right now. I keep saying the word "stinkin'" which I hate (why did I even start saying that?) and I can't stop! I'm obsessed with finding a new rug for our living room that's beautiful, yet affordable and it's driving me crazy that I can't find one. I have a totally irrational fear of ducks and geese and they are all over the parks here. I stay up later than I should and I'm grouchy in the morning. I'm terrible at returning phone calls, not because I'm busy, but because I especially don't like talking when I'm feeling blue. If you came to my house right now, you'd think we moved here a week ago instead of a month because I'm not in a hurry for this new place to feel like home and it's not like I have any friends who are coming by so I still have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do (which I guess is a sign that we own a lot of stuff that we don't need).
I totally have a lack of focus these days and am not really sure where I want to head from here. Do I want to try to work as an adjunct professor if it would mean adding more chaos to our families schedule and less time together? Do I want to keep selling fairy doors if that sucks up a lot of my creative time? Do I want to keep accepting freelance graphic design jobs? Do I want to be a little more active in the children's literature blogging world? Should we have another baby and could I really handle that and still be the kind of mom that I want to be to Creed? Should I be focusing more on writing while Creed naps? Should I just drop it all and focus on Creed while he still wants to shadow my every move? In what areas should I really be trying to develop and why do I let all this other stuff get in the way?
I'm not saying all of this to get down on myself or make you think that I'm depressed. I know that I'm blessed and I'm really happy with my life. I just want you to know that I'm not even in the same realm as perfect and I embrace that. Someday, when Creed is feeling lost or lonely or questioning his parenting skills, I want him to be able to read this and know I was there and it's ok. You don't need to be perfect to be happy.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
You don't gnome me!
The other day, I came across the gnome onesies by Jasper Hearts Wren and due to Larry's love of gnomes, I decided to make Creed a gnome onesie (it was actually a gift to Larry, because I hate gnomes). When I looked up Jasper Hearts Wren online to give you a link, I found out that they actually do make toddler shirts and had I known, I wouldn't have made my own, but the store that I spotted them in only had small onesies so if you want one, I suggest going to buy one on their site (and check out their other cute kids' clothes)
Anyway, I have a habit of buying plain t-shirts when I see them on sale so I had this green one on hand and I just used a seam ripper to remove the pocket on it.
As far as gnomes go, I must admit that he doesn't look too sinister.
but watch out for the kid wearing it!
Actually he looks kind of like a gnome at work here, doesn't he?
At the moment Creed is VERY attached to that cheapo wagon. We have a real wagon that he can ride in and I can pull without hunching over, but he LOVES this one. He found it on clearance at Target a couple of weeks ago and pulled it all around the store with our purchases in it so we bought it. He wouldn't let Larry put it in the trunk so it rode home next to him in the car while he clung to the handle with his little knuckles turning white. Now it goes EVERYWHERE with him. I guess it was well worth the couple of dollars that we spent.
Anyway, I have a habit of buying plain t-shirts when I see them on sale so I had this green one on hand and I just used a seam ripper to remove the pocket on it.
As far as gnomes go, I must admit that he doesn't look too sinister.
but watch out for the kid wearing it!
Actually he looks kind of like a gnome at work here, doesn't he?
At the moment Creed is VERY attached to that cheapo wagon. We have a real wagon that he can ride in and I can pull without hunching over, but he LOVES this one. He found it on clearance at Target a couple of weeks ago and pulled it all around the store with our purchases in it so we bought it. He wouldn't let Larry put it in the trunk so it rode home next to him in the car while he clung to the handle with his little knuckles turning white. Now it goes EVERYWHERE with him. I guess it was well worth the couple of dollars that we spent.
Crib bedding
Ok, so I am not in the market for crib bedding, but I'm seriously tempted to buy a backup set of crib bedding for Creed because there are some designs that I love on clearance at Wal-Mart. I know, seriously, Wal-mart? Why didn't they have cool, cheap modern bedding when I was pregnant with Creed?
There's the American Rocket set for $31.00, which would look really cute with Creed's rocket mobile
There's the Orchard Park set for $39.00
And then most expensive at $50.00 (which is still ridiculously cheap) there's the Sumersault Blooming Delight
Which one do you think I NEED? Keep in mind his new room is apple green and he still has a bright red dresser
Monday, July 28, 2008
Utah is the place to be!
So the best part about moving to Utah is that many of our friends end up visiting Utah at one time or another so we still get to see them. We've been here under a month but it's still been so comforting to see some familiar faces.
Eva got a tour of our messy, disorganized, half-unpacked home while I forced her to write down her favorite things to do in Utah.
We met up with Greta while she was visiting family in Springville (and is it just me or so I look liked a crazed clown here to you too?)
And Reba, Ellie, and Moira picked us up to go to story time at the Provo library
Did I mention that story time at the Provo library is an amazing production? I mean, scripted, miked, well-rehearsed with music, and a puppet show and coordinating coloring all in a cool amphitheater. Wow!
And can you spot Creed begging another mom for treats? Maybe it's not such a good thing that he's getting over his stranger anxiety.
Eva got a tour of our messy, disorganized, half-unpacked home while I forced her to write down her favorite things to do in Utah.
We met up with Greta while she was visiting family in Springville (and is it just me or so I look liked a crazed clown here to you too?)
And Reba, Ellie, and Moira picked us up to go to story time at the Provo library
Did I mention that story time at the Provo library is an amazing production? I mean, scripted, miked, well-rehearsed with music, and a puppet show and coordinating coloring all in a cool amphitheater. Wow!
And can you spot Creed begging another mom for treats? Maybe it's not such a good thing that he's getting over his stranger anxiety.Now I need to get busy scouting out cool things to do around town so I can convince the rest of you to come visit soon!
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