January 31, 2011

Backseat Dancer

IF you've taken the time to get to know me, you know that I've got a deep and unfailing love of old movies. Turner Classic Movies is one of the first 3 channels I check to see if something worth watching is on.

Seriously. LOVE.

IF you've taken the time to get to know me really well, you also know that Singin' in the Rain is one of my 3 all time favorite movies, tied for second with Inception. First place, naturally, going to Kelly's Heroes. 

I adore.

IF you've taken the time to bone up on your classic films, you'd know that Singin' in the Rain features Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. IF you know me really, really well, you know that Donald O'Connor is my favorite in the movie and I often daydream (kidding, or am I?) that Kathy and Cosmo end up together.

You see? LOVE.

SO when this commercial came on the other night while I was watching Kung Fu Panda on FX with Liam, you can pretty much see why my day was MADE.

I want a Jetta now.



... I want a Jetta now. But only if I get these men in the backseat. Or at least a DVD copy of the commercial.

January 29, 2011

perfect pachyderm

Sometimes, it's like people can read my mind. 
Lately, that "person" is Kate Spade. 



I came across the 2011 Spring Look Book this morning while I was marooned on the couch with a cold.
And I came across this:


That's the Royal Plantation Elephant Basket (retail @ $295) and I'm hoping and praying there's a way this little bugger could be mine. *sigh*


No, I don't know how I'd use it. No, I wouldn't carry it as a purse. But darnit if I don't smile from ear to ear when I see it.

January 28, 2011

a-whole-lotta-liam

I realized when I was "flipping" back through my more recent posts, that I hadn't posted any camera photos of Liam in a long time.All the ones lately have been off the Eris, and while I love my phone like a fat kid loves cake, I just can't try to argue that it takes good pictures. Cause it doesn't. I mean, comparatively. And there were some darling pictures trapped on my camera.

<--- Liam was showing off for the table at Panera one day. He would put a piece of macaroni in his mouth and then wait for everyone to clap for him. If we didn't hop on it fast enough, he'd clap for himself. Oy.


Liam's present from his GiGi... --->
He now "counts" and then throws the ball in the hoop on '3'.
He can't say "one, two, three" but he mimics the way I count for him, holding out each letter in the word. It's funny as can be. He'll count for more than his basketball goal, but this is exceptionally cute.

Mr. Mischief. 

Being silly on his way home from Sprinkles. 

His own Starbucks. PURE JOY.




<--- What a funny guy. He really doesn't like to be bundled up on the couch, so when he wrapped himself up and hunkered down to watch 101 Dalmatians, I couldn't resist snapping pictures as quickly as I could.

Playing cars like a big boy.

Possibly my favorite picture of us together ever.
I was blowing on his ear, and he was simultaneously loving it and trying to watch Phineas & Ferb.

A few snaps from Wednesday. 
Little man loves his pots and pans-- LOVES them. He also has a soft spot for my Starbucks cup, so when he got up from his nap and wanted to cuddle on the couch, he drank the rest of my tea. When I got up to make him dinner, he stayed on the couch, happy as a clam. 


SPEAKING of sharing drinks with my son yesterday...
Zach came home from work on Monday feeling crummy.
He's been sick since, and Liam and I have been avoiding getting close to him (sorry babe), sharing anything with him... just generally trying to keep away from his germs. 
Well. I woke up feeling crummy yesterday, and I'm fully expecting Liam to wake up with a cold today. WHAT a bummer. 
Looks like we're in for an exciting weekend. 

January 26, 2011

two down, one big decision to go.

So I spent the evening (baby went to bed, hubbers went to sleep at 7:30) playing around with the arrangement of the prints I blogged about earlier.

Here are the final options...

OPTION 1

OPTION2

OPTION 3

OPTION 4

OPTION 5


I have settled on for sure using frames, and doing as the wonderful ABQ recommended, and I'm going to paint them white. The prints don't look bad next to the white paint. It's not going to annoy me. And, I'm going to use mismatched frames, to work with the eclectic feel I'm shooting for. 


WHAT IS YOUR VOTE? Which layout is YOUR favorite?

opinions needed: frames for the famous

I'm sure you all remember the hulaballoo I went through getting myself a desk, and the work that my dad and I put into the one I have now...

A while ago, I found 7 wonderful, fantastic, terrific prints on Etsy that I talked about in this post. They came in the mail a few days ago, and now I'm trying to settle on HOW and WHAT to use to frame them. This is what my workspace currently looks like:


I really like the chalkboard and the two framed pictures, but am open to taking the PICTURES down. The chalkboard stays. My issue is that I thought all 7 prints were going to be 5 x 7, but two ended up coming in at 8 x 10:

I really love the way the white frames look against the grey paint in the room (see, ladies? I told you it was d-a-r-k grey!), but I'm not sure that the white frames will look great with the off-white paper they printed the images above on. SO...

I have frames around the house, frames like this one:

So here's my dilemma:

  1. Should I paint the frames white, or should I paint the frames to match the desk?
  2. Should I take down the photos and replace them with 2 of the smaller quotes, and then stretch the two 8 x 10s and the remaining 3 5 x 7s across the top? Or should I keep the photos and randomly arrange the 7 prints above them all?
  3. Should I try to get all matching frames for the prints, or should I just pick up pieces like the one above and a few random others and paint them all the same color to coordinate?

My initial thought was to keep the photos, buy mismatched frames for the prints and arrange them over the desk. I can't decide what to paint them. Then I thought if I painted them like the desk, I should buy wooden frames and sand them down. And then when I thought that, I figured they'd all have to match. 

If I were to keep the photos, and use all 7 prints over the top of the photos and the chalk board-- which I have plenty of space to do due to the 9 foot ceilings in there-- I would put each 8 x 10 in larger frames on the end, then I'd put three 5 x 7s across the top, with two centered under them. I don't know if I explained that well, but I think it'd look fine.

I'm kind of lost. I'd like to go looking for frames tomorrow- I want them UP on my wall for next week when my mom and I are starting our first weekly "Grandma takes Liam, Mommy works on her novel" dates. I think the quotes are just the right kind of inspiration for me!

THANKS a million for all the help y'all give. LOVE.

January 24, 2011

currently coveting: i can dream

So. The cool weather and dark days have led to long naps for Liam, and a lot of sitting on my bum time for me (because I busted said bum on Wednesday cleaning the begeezus out of this house). I spend a lot of it on my computer, perusing the digital aisles for pretty things. Right now, here are the things I'm loving (most of which are a little high in price for me to seriously consider).

Legra Bootie @ Coach.
     Um, so cute. Love the color, the heel height doesn't look too much for me, and I love the tassels.

Bridle House Check Stitched Patent Sling Bag @ Burberry.
     The COLOR on this bag just kills me. It's divine. And also, it'd be a great size for running around without the baby.

Sleeveless Frill Front Silk Georgette Dress @ Burberry.
     I'm loving the color of this dress and its relative simplicity. It'd be perfect for spring, summer and fall events. It'd look fabulous under a great jacket, with tights and boots too. So versatile.

Galleria Bette Dress with Bow @ Kate Spade.
     OBSESSED with this dress. If I had the money to spend on a dress I really don't need right now, this would be my first choice. The color is in-sane.

Come Up Smiling Idiom Bangle @ Kate Spade.
     with
Ahead Of The Curve Idiom Bangle @ Kate Spade.
     with
No Strings Attached Idiom Bangle @ Kate Spade.
     So I'm really into Kate Spade right now. I've never really thought twice about ksny, and not because her things aren't beautiful, but because they just weren't what I was feeling. But man, oh man, OH man am I ever feeling Kate Spade.
     I love these three bangles, and think they'd look wonderful stacked together. Or apart. Or whatever. I love, love, love the Idiom Bangles.

Great Expectations Book Clutch @ Kate Spade.
     I love these clutches. I'm not a big clutch user- I don't usually have a lot of opportunity, but this is cute and quirky enough that I'd love to pair it with anything.

Polka-Dot Jillian Dress @ Kate Spade.
     Like you even need to know why I love this dress. Seriously. It's perfection.

Randi Rain Boot @ Bloomingdales.
     I have a wonderful pair of Burberry Nova Check Wellingtons. I love them like it's nobody's business. But sometimes, they're not appropriate. These would match almost everything and be pretty all the time.

Karolina (aqua) @ Kate Spade.
     I don't like heels. I have trouble with them. But these look like we could become quite good friends.

Rufous Hummingbird Tote @ Bloomingdales.
     Because sometimes, it'd be nice to toss the diapers and wipes into something other than my Mia.

Rib Over The Knee Socks @ Juicy Couture.
     When the weather's cold, I want something like this really badly.

Swimwear @ Juicy Couture.
     I only wear swimsuits from Juicy now. I like the way they fit me and I love their one-piece cuts. I don't wear two pieces anymore because, believe me, don't nobody want to see the permanent damage my son did my body. Ew. Stretch marks aren't cute. Anyway, I'm loving the two one pieces Juicy is previewing on the main page of their website. SO cute.

January 22, 2011

color splash

When we moved into our house last November, I spent the few days between closing and move-in getting some paint on the walls. It was only the rooms we could settle on. We chose the paint for the bathroom, office, Liam's bathroom and his playroom easily.



(I didn't give Zach options on the last two- he didn't care!)



I wasn't really sure what direction we were going to go in our bedroom, so I didn't purchase paint, I didn't make any plans. Now, though, I'm ready to pull the trigger and get some more color on the walls in my house!


I love the colors we have going right now in our bathroom. I'm obsessed with the white, yellow and grey combination and love the way my framed pastel came out, the metallics and the grey.


The problem I have right now in the bathroom is that the painting didn't go so well. There's a lot of it that bled onto the ceiling under the tape and it drives me so crazy I cannot even be bothered to rip all the tape off the walls. Oh, and the tape is tearing the original paint off the wall when we peel it off too. 


What I want to do is repaint the bathroom-- get another gallon of the grey and cover up the little places where the paint didn't cover well, just finish the walls off so they're nice and even and deep in color. I've always wanted to paint a ceiling, and I think the bathroom would be the perfect place to do it because we need to cover up some of the blemishes we've got going on.

If I'm going to fancy up my bathroom and make it look gorgeous, I need to add some POP! to the walls in the master, too.

Here's our master bedroom:

The only thing I don't love in our bedroom is the curtains. We're planning on moving them into the office-- which is a bluer grey than we painted the bathroom. I'm planning on looking for an ikat type print in brown and cream so I can make four curtain panels and a bed skirt. If I can't find something I like, I just don't buy (unless it's necessary, like the curtains, but then I'm miserable because I've settled). So we haven't had a bedskirt ever. Partially because we've always had this brown bed spread, but the quilted shams and quilt are backed in a light, light turquoise (that doesn't match the Chiang Mai) and we'd always had those exposed until we moved here. I decided I was tired of the blue, so I reused all the accessories elsewhere in the house and flipped the shams and quilt back to brown.


Speaking of the Chiang Mai, it is our total inspiration point for the rest of the room. I think this fabric is quite possibly the most perfect fabric on the face of the planet. The colors are insane, the fabric itself is sturdy and the dragons make me so happy. When we settled on these cushions, and decided to go with a contemporary Asian detailed space, it gave me a place to display a lot of tchotchkes I had collected over the years. 



I have a beautiful Japanese jewelry box my Grandpa Rodney gave me, as well as a fan he got on one of the airlines when he was working in Japan. I have my clock with its Japanese numerals, which was the first thing I ever bought for my own apartment. I love this clock. I will have a cow when it dies one day. We have a beautiful Asian vase and two Chinese dragons we got as wedding presents and a dancing Thai lady I got in Bangkok. I LOVE having a place to display all these pretty things- especially someplace where it makes sense.

{And yes, I did the pink and green paintings over the shelves. I quite like the way they turned out, even if I didn't intend for the colors to be quite so Easter-eggy.}

Now that we've settled on a direction, we've decided to paint behind the head of the bed. I'm obsessed, OBSESSED with Ralph Lauren's Regent Metallics paint. I painted a wall in my room (in the townhouse I shared with SARAH!) in the Palace Silver and just fell in love with the finish and the sheen.  I'm going to pick up paint chips tomorrow, but Zach's current favorite is Highgate. I was leaning towards a gold, but Zach thinks we ought to go more bold. Then once we get the wall painted and I find some fabric I like for the curtains, we're going to order a yard of the Chiang Mai fabric and I'm going to make it into a throw for the end of the bed. One day, I'd like a lounge chair in the bedroom that the throw could eventually move to. I think once that's all said and done, I'll be content with our bedroom. Of course, eventually we'll be replacing the furniture, but we want to collect pieces and not buy a suite. I hate bedroom suites. So. What do you think? Teal, coral, gold, silver? The possibilities...

I think I'll get a quart of the Parlor Gold to paint the ceiling in the bathroom. Or maybe the Silver Plated. EIther way.

Finally- Liam and I spent the afternoon with my mom yesterday.
We met for lunch (Liam chose the music in the car) and then headed back to her house to play with the new Cozy Coupe she got him. 
F-u-n stuff.


I'll leave you with this:
I can't hardly even remember when he was this small. Man.

Oh and FOR REAL, I have the B-E-S-T friends. 
It's true.

January 18, 2011

golden globes: best and worst

I had TOO much fun last night watching the Red Carpet coverage and the Golden Globes while trading jabs with my friends.
SO.
MUCH.
FUN.

I can't wait to do it again at the end of February.
(I'm secretly hoping hubs will drink too much and add color commentary to the show)

Anyway, nobody cares too much about what I thought of the show itself- I will say I loved Ricky Gervais, I thought he was very funny, if you knew ahead of time what you were getting.
Ricky is Ricky- he's going to go as far as he can and then *that* much more.
Moving on.

TO the FASHION.
AND I am going to cover the MEN. 
Because nobody gives the guys enough due. 

My picks for BEST DRESSED HER & HIM:


Amy Adams was BE-A-UTIFUL. I couldn't get over it. She's such a stunning woman and I love that she's not everywhere you look in a bikini (*cough* jenn aniston *cough). She is one of my 2 favorite actresses and I just think she was perfection last night. I'd kill for her complexion and hair color. 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was my pick for best dressed male because he just cleans up so well, and he can WEAR the HECK out of a suit. And we all know I love a good bow tie. He looked dapper, he was dashing and I love his hitRECord red dot pin. Saying something without being obnoxious. 
Honorable Mentions: Emma Stone & RDJ.

My picks for WORST DRESSED HER & HIM:


Halle Berry was a hot mess. Joan Rivers just said "If you were sitting in the front row, you could see Catwoman's kitty." Yes, yesyesyes. Halle looked like a hooker. It was all wrong.
Christian Bale was my choice for worst dressed man. There were a lot of guys who got it wrong, and I had a hard time deciding between him and Matt Damon (go back and look- his suit looks horrible). I thought CB's pants were too baggy, I don't care for the black on black on black and I really don't like the hair. There are no excuses for looking this cheap when you're as rich and famous as he is. 
Honorable Mentions: Michelle Williams & Matt Damon.


honorable horrible mentions:


Bieber. His suit was horrible. I get he's like, 12, but somebody should have told him NO.
Hayden actually wasn't at the ceremony itself but went to the after parties (awww, poorgirlcantact). Um, excuse me, I mean HAYDEN'S PASTIES went to the after parties. Cause nobody was looking at anything else. Nasty.


Also, you'll find my post DEVOID of any Helena Bonham Carter pictures because we ALL know what she looked like. But I'm not even going to put her on my worst dressed list because I wish I had the balls that lady has. And to be honest, I thought the dress fit her well. She's just so amazing, I love that she doesn't think anything of going on the carpet with her Bellatrix hair and mismatched shoes. BALLS. 
I love her.


Those were my picks. Hopefully more than 4 people will step it the heck up for the Oscars. I wasn't really feeling a LOT of what went on last night.



Image Sources: {amyadams, josephgordonlevitt, halleberry, christianbale, justinbieber, haydenp}

January 16, 2011

we've been chillin'

I have come to realize that without my motivation to blog every day, I lapse really badly.

I shouldn't go as long as I have done without posting, and am trying to work out ways to stimulate myself into posting more often than I do. But that's another topic for another post on another day.


Currently, I must tell you, that we've been holed up in our house, refusing to even budge outdoors unless it's absolutely necessary. The cold front that pushed into Houston last weekend left behind frigid temperatures, damp, cold wind and general dreariness. It's something I'm really very accustomed to, and I'm quite good at dealing with it myself, but I'm not a fan of bringing Liam out into it. Truthfully, part of my issue with bundling baby up is that I think it is a complete waste of money to purchase heavy coats for him when he might -- MIGHT -- wear it a dozen times before he's outgrown it. I therefore resort to layering, and up until a few days ago, Liam's closet was running thin on good things to layer. But, we did venture out a few times, and I must say, Liam did very well with his hat and mittens. I also think being at home has helped both of us escape he nasty winter colds that are going around.

Honestly, the cold also makes me lonely for Norway. I find myself missing the overly sweet packaged pancakes we used to buy at the grocery store, the smell of the butcher shop we'd walk to on weekends, the big 'c' shaped door handles on the main doors at ISS, the smell of the track after it'd snowed, the dampness under the tree line that bordered the playground... ah. Forgive me a single tear of despondency that I have not seen my second home in 15 years. So when the weather is cold and damp, and reminds me so much of Norway, it's kind of a bummer to me that when I walk out my front door, I'm still in Texas. Fanciful, I know.

Moroseness aside, the cool weather has kept me being productive at home. I've taken down, organized and packed away all the Christmas decorations (I don't LIKE taking them down). I've reorganized all the decor we usually have out. I've tackled stacks of laundry- and put them away. I've reorganized parts of my closet. I've been reading (again). I've been writing some, but not compositions, more technical. I've tried to put my thoughts on Gruen's Water for Elephants onto paper (proverbially) but I'm coming up with difficulties because I want to tackle every single aspect of the novel and I just don't have the capacity to do it in a blog post. Surely, I could write the most epic of epic blog posts all about every single question that was raised, theme that I explored, writing device I enjoyed... but I think I'd be the only one who would read it and I do believe I'd make some of you like the book a whole lot less. AND I don't want to say anything about the novel because the Blush & Bashful Book Club is reading it next month. Don't want to ruin anything. Only, I will say this:

I'm no mathematician, but when Marlena says she married August at 17, and had learned a lot about dealing with him in their 4 year marriage... HOW does that a Reese Witherspoon make?

By my calculations, she is no where NEAR her 30's. Um, she's barely 20.
Hollywood, you crazy kids, making things way creepier than they need to be. 

Okay, horrible casting aside (yes, I know, she's cute and funny and blah blah blah but NOT what I saw when I read the story), I've started King Solomon's Mines and am thoroughly enjoying it. I'm trying not to chew through it as quickly as I've done with the other 4 books I've read this month so that I don't get burned out. I've still got a stack of novels on my Kindle to read this year including, but not limited to:

  • The War of the Worlds
  • The Island of Doctor Moreau
  • Cranford
  • Jane Eyre
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • Les Liaisons dangereuses
  • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
  • Around the World in 80 Days
  • The Mists of Avalon
  • The Strain
  • Dead Witch Walking
  • Lady Chatterley's Lover
  • The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
  • Doctor Who: The Many Hands
  • Doctor Who: The Clockwise Man
But that is not for today! In fact, I have already told Zach I plan on watching the red carpet on E! tonight, then the Golden Globes and he gets to deal. He won't mind, really. We both are huge fans of Ricky Gervais. I'm rooting hard for Emma Stone (even though I know everyone's already told me that Anne Hathaway will win- BOO!) and Romola Garai. Oh, and duh, of course Johnny Depp. Can't wait. I'm not a sucker for much on TV, but I'm a BIG sucker for awards shows! Just hoping NEXT year, they'll get their business together and nominate Nathan Fillion & Castle (Browncoats, mobilize!). Just sayin'.



Have a warm & cozy Sunday night!





Image credits: {snow@night, stavanger}