Funny, Freaky Fashion

by Ang

Yesterday I was looking through my latest Vogue magazine and of course about 3/4 of the magazine is clothing ads. I don't mind the normal ones (ones that don't look so incredibly staged and ridiculous). These (to me) are normal and look nice:

But then I started noticing some hilarious ones. Oh, they weren't meant to be funny, but to me it was the highlight of the magazine. I'll share a few.

"Hey guys! Let's all gather in the potting shed and see who can look the most miserable!"

"I couldn't find anything to wear, so I put on this white paper bag!"

"Ugh! This bag is so heavy! It weighs more than I do!"

"I've completely forgotten how to walk using my knees and elbows!"

And my personal favorite:

"I'm bored. I think I'll find a dead ornament-covered tree and then stand on a chair in it."

Thank you, Vogue, for my Saturday afternoon entertainment.

A perfect snowy Saturday morning

By Amy

Did you know he is my favorite seven year old?

The pictures are really cute

Guess who won?

(I was even trying.)

Another Hobby

by Ang

One day about 4 years ago I decided to teach myself how to knit. So I checked online for the supplies I would need and purchased the basics, including a couple of books.

I got started and I really liked it! But then I went through some big life changes, and my knitting got packed up and forgotten about. I used to pick it up every now and then and knit a few rows, but I didn’t really get anywhere with it. I started countless projects and then unraveled them all. But in the past few weeks I’ve been knitting a lot more! I only know the basic knit stitch and haven’t done anything other than scarves, but that’s good enough for now.

I checked online to see if knitting needles are allowed on the plane, and there are mixed responses. Apparently even if TSA says they're okay, it all depends on the security person you get. If they say no, then you can't bring them. So I don’t plan on taking them with me. However, I might take these:

I technically don’t know how to crochet yet, but my sister does. I also have a book. I’ve read that crocheting is easier, so hopefully it won’t take me too long to learn.

I’ll do anything to help pass the time on our 9 hour flight!

Has anyone noticed the ticker lately??!!

By Amy

I can't believe my eyes! The ticker says we leave in 27 days! That can't be possible. I have so much to do. Here is a very short list of some of the things that must get done in the next 27 days:

Realistic

Get my hair done
Menu plan and freeze some meals for my hubby/caretaker of children while I am gone

Wrap up baby shower details and throw shower
Finish up a couple of projects for work

Renew my drivers license

Pack

So UNrealistic I must be dreaming

Lose 10 pounds
Get my house perfectly cleaned

Get my house perfectly organize
Scrapbook all my pictures from the last three years
Make a budget and stick to it for the next year

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And then there are all those little nagging things that I want to get done so I don't have to come home to them. Here is one.

Oh I can almost hear you say "What is the problem here? Looks perfectly fine to me!"

Well come a little closer.

This is his desk. This is what happens when I tell him to clean his room. He used to shove everything under his bed but then we got rid of the bottom bunk. Now he only has the top one. Problem solved. Or so we thought. When his desk gets to full and he is afraid of a avalanche he moves to his top dresser drawer.

Scary I know. I really want to help him clean out this mess because I can convince him to pitch stuff that he normally wouldn't bear to part with. This was his face when I told him we were going to clean out his room this weekend.

And this is my face when I think of all the stuff I need to do before Paris.

See I told you I need to get my hair done. And lose 10 pounds. (:

Packing

by Ang

It may seem a bit early to think about packing, but I’m starting to – which clothes I want to take and what I need to buy (if anything).

Packing will be a HUGE challenge for me. I am NOT a light packer. Even though we will have a washer and dryer in our apartment, I’m sure I will pack way more than I actually need. I like to have choices!

So in preparation, I’ve been looking at different websites that have international packing tips. Some are helpful, some are…..not helpful.

Helpful: Pack everything in clear plastic bags (within your suitcase), divided into items e.g. underwear, t-shirts, shorts, etc. When you unpack your bag you just take out a series of bags and you can immediately see what you want. No rummaging!

Not helpful: Pack only what you know you will use. Seriously? This was on a packing tip website. How is this a tip?

Helpful: Set out everything that you think you’ll need to pack. Then put two thirds of it away. Even then, you may still find yourself with too much clothing while traveling. Force yourself to be ruthless! This will be hard for me.

Not helpful: Bring soap and you can get by with two shirts. Wear one while the other dries. You’ll buy shirts on the road, too. Or give them away or trade them before you come home. Um, yeah, this is NOT happening.

Helpful: If you have any liquids in your checked luggage, double wrap them in Ziploc bags. Airline temperature and pressure especially in the baggage hold are lower than ground conditions and liquids can leak and/or freeze.

Not helpful: Nothing that can be used as a weapon can be brought on board in your carry-on luggage or on yourself. Really??? I had no idea.

Let’s just hope my suitcase looks like this:
And not this:

Sick

By Amy

Nose Red

In Bed

Stuffy Head

Brain Dead

Enough Said

Not Your Average Train Stations

by Ang

In 39 days, we will start here:

Gare du Nord (Paris)

And then spend some time on this:

And we'll end up here:

Centraal Station (Amsterdam)

And yes, the 'centraal' is supposed to have 2 a's.

Everything is prettier in Europe.

French and Piano

By Amy

I started taking piano lessons when I was 11. Mrs C was my first teacher. She was your typical old piano teacher, cranky and a little smelly. She made me play hymns and classics. She was so bad that my sister only lasted a few lessons. When we heard of another teacher that was closer to us I jumped at the chance to take lessons from her. She was much younger and let me play what I wanted to play. I took a total of 7 years. I was pretty good. Then I got married, had kids and my piano collected dust. I lost it. Not all of it but most of it. When my youngest expressed interest in learning the piano I was excited.

Maybe I could reteach myself through what he is learning. So far I remember alot of it. But he is still in his first book. For some reason piano reminds me of learning French again. In a previous post I mentioned all the tools I had to relearn it all. And how after four years of French I couldn't remember anything except for Bonjour.

(This book has been extremely helpful)

It makes me feel sad that after all the years I took piano that I can only play the same songs my first grader can. It seems like such a waste of time and money. And talent. Not that I would give up anything to be able to play again. I'm glad my boy likes it. It's so cute to see him pluck at the keys.

(He wanted to put all his hands on the keys when I took his picture so it would "look like I'm playing something really hard.")

I didn't mention before that I sort of bribed him to take lessons. He really really wanted to take guitar lessons. But we don't have a guitar so I told him that if he takes piano lessons first and learns it well then I will get him guitar lessons.

(I love how he sits on his feet.)

He asks me every week when he can start guitar. He wants to be a rockstar. Sigh.

Loved

by Ang

This weekend I had a major cleaning/organizing/purge-fest and I came across my beloved Oscar the Grouch doll. My grandma brought him to the hospital when I was born. He was my favorite doll/toy/stuffed animal ever. I don't even remember when he had two eyes, so I think he lost his one eye pretty early on.

And when his one lone pupil started to wear off, my mom filled it in with a marker:

(that's kind of a scary picture)

I think it's so sweet when kids have a stuffed toy they love so much that they keep it forever, even as adults. My younger newphew has a stuffed dog named Snuffy, and I'm pretty sure that will be his special toy. I wonder what my new neice's special toy will be!

Oh, and on a side note, THIS was my excuse for not doing my laundry tonight:

I didn't want to disturb him. :)

Wait a second......

by Amy

Last week it was 60 degrees. I'm not kidding.

People were wearing t-shirts. I even saw a few in shorts. A sharp taste of reality happened today.

And I have to admit.....

It was kind of fun.

Paper and Stickers and Stamps...OH MY!

by Ang

I love to scrapbook. Over the years (I started about 10 years ago) I have accumulated a decent amount of supplies. But each time I take a vacation, I try to find a few new specific things to use in my books that relate to the place I'm traveling to.

So after browsing the Hobby Lobby ad online today, I went after work in search of a 3 ring album (because no measly post-bound album is going to be able to handle all the pictures I will have). All scrapbook albums were 50% off. I found one for $10 (I took a picture but I won't post it - kitty kept getting in the way. Apparently he thought it was a fort). And then I thought to myself "I'll just take a stroll down the other aisles to see what's new".

Big mistake.

First I went down the paper aisle. I love paper. And what do you know, all paper and paper packs were 50% off. So then I started looking and told myself that I would only buy some if it absolutely SCREAMED 'Paris'. And there it was:

Oh, the colors - blues, grays, browns, greens (which look more yellow in the photo), the patterns, I love EVERYTHING about this paper. And when I was taking a picture of it after I got it home, THIS is what it said:

It was meant to be.

Then I went down the stamp aisle. And I seen the multiple white and red 50% off signs.

I figured I could use these on my boring paper when I run out of my perfect and beautiful BasicGrey Periphery paper.

And I couldn't leave without looking at the 50% off sticker aisle.

I got one pack for me and one for ma soeur.

I justified my $20 of extra purchases by remembering that my paycheck tomorrow is going to be a little more than it usually is due to some overtime last week. So it all worked out, and the best part is I have everything I need now to complete my Paris scrapbook when we get back!

A BEAUTIFUL MESS!!

By Amy

On Monday we had a shower fest. Actually all we worked on were the party favors. We didn't exactly stick to one color. We just let the creative juices flow and it was SO FUN.

Remember all those buttons? Finally got them done.

You know the scene at the end of Monster's Inc when poor Mike had glued Boo's door and his hands were all taped up because of the slivers? That's how my fingers felt after sewing two hundred buttons. I never did get the hang of the thimble thing. Our plan was to get everything done. But everything always takes longer then you think it is going to. So we recruited.

He licked one hundred envelopes.

What a trooper! It was a long night and we were tired. But I think the end result was well worth it.

#Numbers#

by Ang

45 days
1,080 hours
64,800 minutes
3,888,000 seconds

UNTIL WE LEAVE