I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! xoxo

Awww...Friday.

Hi there sweet things!

I took a few days off from the world wide web and I feel fantastic and refreshed!

In between reading like a fiend (seriously, 3 books in 2 days!), running on the treadmill & dieting (goodbye 5 lbs!) and watching "Clean House" like it's going out of style, I feel quite pleased with myself.

Berlyn has been so fun these last few weeks. I think she really loves having her mommy home with her and I love it too. We are bonding, giggling, playing and cuddling so much more now than ever - it's wonderful!!!

I'm still being patient on waiting for school to begin and for my former employer to come through with the unemployment funds, but other than that, life is really great. Just learning to be patient and occupy my time (and mind) with productive, important things...hard to do but so worth the effort!

It's gonna be a rainy, dreary weekend in Boise, but I can't complain. Nothing better than being indoors, curled up by the fire and being content & peaceful.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! ♥

Happy Weekend!!!

Hope you all have a "spook-tacular" time this Halloween weekend! I love this holiday, if not for the candy, for all the horror movies & ghost hunting shows on TV! Lol.

I have a sick little girl right now at home, so, no Halloween fun for us this year :( But, we will make up for it next year, that's a promise!

Enjoy the weekend, lovelies! Make it a good one :)

A Gorgeous Fall Day with my lil Sunshine!

I see you!

The bouncy bridge was her favorite.

Peanut Butter is serious business.

Num Num Num

T G I F ♥

I'm off to the park with my daughter, to enjoy this BEAUTIFUL weather Boise is having! Enjoy the 77 degree weather everyone - I definitely will :) xoxo

Some do.

Some people are content to sail through life; only thinking of themselves and the tiny "bubble" they reside in.

Some people want to know more. Do more. See more. Live more.

I've decided, I'm going to be one of those.

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you are all feeling warm, inspired and loved. I am! ♥

Happy Weekend!

Enjoy it! ♥

TGIF!

Hope everyone has a glorious weekend! I know I will, in spite of having to say goodbye to one of my very best friends, and soulmate, Dawn - who is venturing into her new life in Austin, Texas!!! So excited for her but I will miss her madly.
I'm also awaiting several tidbits of good news...so keep your fingers (and toes) crossed! :O

Happy Weekend! ♥

I had quite a productive week! I'm TIRED!
Moving (stuff and furniture), dinner with a dear friend, lots of quality family time with my parents, brother, sis in law, uncle, cousin & Berlyn. And, a day off from work. Yeah, it was blissful - wish I could take EVERY day off, haha!

This weekend, my plans involve doing nothing. Just being a bum. And, I couldn't be more excited! :-)

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend too! Summer is almost over (and I'm actually looking forward to Fall....shhhh)

XOXO

Happy Weekend!

Wow, another weekend. It's already AUGUST!!! This summer flew by.

I really haven't gotten to do as much as I wanted this year. Bummer.
No camping, girls weekends or pool time (other than once)...oh well, such is life :-)
And, compared to last summer, I am so pale!

This weekend, I have some of my California family visiting. I'm excited to see them & do some fun things.

I'm trying to put my overactive brain to rest the next few days and not dwell on things I cannot change right now. I need to believe that things will improve, perhaps that is faith?

I hope you all have the BEST weekend, with even BETTER ones to come! ♥

Pool Day!

I'm swimming, tanning & enjoying the sunshine today - hope you are all doing something similar (or just as fun!)

HAPPY SATURDAY! ♥

{My Weekend Project}

(THIS IS NOT MY BOARD; BUT I WILL POST MINE WHEN I AM DONE!)

I read "The Secret" not too long ago. It was exhilarating & inspiring, to say the least. But, every now and again, I slip back into that self-defeatist attitude that I've tried so hard to overcome. I find myself wanting to re-read the book over & over again. And, it helps.

But, I also need help on a day to day basis. It's no secret I am very "visual". Always have been. I had heard about doing a "vision board" for yourself; to help visualize your goals & aspirations and have it right in front of your face.

So, this weekend: I'm doing mine! I am excited. Silly, maybe. But, I have lots of thoughts a-brewing in my brain these days & I just want to get them out there!

(I also plan on sitting out in the sun lots this weekend & drinking cold beer. Haha!)

HAPPY WEEKEND, everyone!!!!
Hope it's a BLAST! :-)


photo credit: flickr

Be Happy: Monday

Hope everyone has a GREAT Monday! Here's to a brand new, wonderful week!

I'm gonna be busy this coming week;
Lots of plans with my girlfriends involving "Twin Peaks" & "Sex and the City" and a Sonic Youth concert! Woohoo!

Weekend Update: My Sunday evening was rather eventful! I went to visit my parents (without my daughter) and we sat out on the deck, in the sunshine; listening to 70s easy listening, eating BBQ chicken & fried zucchini (yum!). Then, we sat down to watch "Miss Potter", such a darling movie! I laughed so hard when my dad (who likes to do sound effects from time to time), said "Jemima the Puddle duck" in a very heavy, Southern drawl (Lol...maybe you just had to be there?).
I was getting ready to leave when we decided to see if I,in fact, had the Beatrix Potter books in my baby storage in the garage....I did! We also found an essay I had written when I was 10, about my Dad, I won an award for it. And it was titled "My Dad is a Motorcycle Maniac!" hahahahahaha! True Story.

I went to pick up my little baby girl, from her Dad's house. She sat up, bleary-eyed & smiled. I picked her up & immediately....she threw up all over me. And herself. And the bed. Sigh. How are you supposed to feel sexy & glamorous when you're covered in baby throw-up? It's a mystery.

Country Living, Boise Style

In light of the fact that I currently live in a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment with my daughter (both of us squeezed into ONE room) and my "backyard" is a 10 x 10 slab of concrete with a deck; I always enjoy spending some of my downtime at my parents home. It's a relaxed, one story sort of "ranch style" home that sits on 8 acres outside of Boise. Huge backyard complete with actual barn, tons of greenery and it's always a good time for Berlyn and I.
It's like having the best of both worlds: live in the city, relax in the country.



These are some of the pics I snapped this weekend! :)

My beautiful daughter:


"Come and get it!":


Lanterns and Limbs:


Holy Zucchini!:


Baby Bunny:


I couldn't resist posting this one; my mom has these whimsical little chipmunks from the 1950's in her kitchen - cuteness!:

Happy Weekend!

Hello, everyone!

Are you doing anything exciting or fun this weekend?

The first half of my week was super-busy, thanks to motherhood, work, friends stopping by (= several bottles of wine), money strain, and the extreme heatwave (99 nearly everyday!) we are having (thank goodness for AC!).

I'm now winding down and ready to RELAX! Some of my good friends are all at a friend's cabin, by the lake this weekend - I did not get to attend however. Major bummer :( Oh well, such is life.

On that note, I am determined to get some things done around here, mainly projects I keep beginning but never finishing (thanks, in part, to being a Sagiattrius....haha!).

The Agenda:
• Go to parents home, sun-tan & play with Berlyn in backyard
• clean my home
• send out thank you notes/cards to loved ones
• watch lots of dvds (which is a daily event)
• catch up on some rest ??? (doubt that will happen!)
• do some more blogging!

Future Plans:
•July: going to see Sonic Youth @ The Knitting Factory
•July: some of my California family will be here! Boise Zoo, Alive After 5, BBQ's and such will surely ensue!
•August: Western Idaho Fair is coming! I'm ready to go out & buy some cow(girl) boots! :)
•September: Possibly looking into registering for community college!

HAPPY WEEKEND, EVERYONE! :)

The 4th Weekend!

Woooo! What a weekend! :)

(Thunderstorm on Friday night, outside of apartment)



Friday:
Consisted of: being a total bum, playing beauty shop & relaxing on the couch.

I had today off. Halleluaiah.
It was a wonderfully, lazy, relaxing summer day. No plans; nothing to do.
So, my roommate, my daughter & I just hung out.

Lane decided to "do" my hair..which, really, REALLY needed some attention. I was in desperate need of a trim (cut = 2 inches or more..eeeek!) AND some color (a deep mahogany brown)...and some style. So, I let him take control.
As much as I love beauty & make-up, I really am pretty clueless when it comes to hair.

After a yummy chicken spaghetti dinner, we watched the end of "Sweet Home Alabama". Then Berlyn & I began watching "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" as Lane took a mid-evening nap. I have been on a major Southern kick lately. Of course, the 90+ weather turned into a summer thunderstorm tonight & it was completely fitting to my Southern longings.




Saturday:
Consisted of: country music, bbq chicken, watching Berlyn unwrap & play with all her presents and seeing (almost all) of my favorite people all in one day.

(My parents backyard, in Star, Idaho)



Began early, as it usually does, thanks to being a mom of a 2 year old. Sleeping in? What is THAT? I was up at 630 and ready to style my short hair...ugh. Then, we watched Sesame Street and waited for 11am, so we could venture over to Grandma & Grandpa's house for Berlyn's "Birthday Party" and BBQ with my family.

It felt like 100 degrees. My make-up was melting off my face. (And I want to move to the South?! I must be crazier than I thought...lol. Not to mention, I'm sweating in places I shouldn't be sweating in!!!)
We enjoyed our time, as we usually do, at my parents home. Always tons of food, sun, and helping hands with Berlyn. She got SPOILED ROTTEN, which, I am afraid, she might grow accustomed to. Got her very 1st Mr. Potato Head, a bathtime baby doll, Fisher Price's Little People "Mansion" and some cute lil summer outfits from Grandma.



I spent the last part of the evening with my some of my best friends. I opted not to join everyone at the big fireworks show downtown mainly because it's just too exhausting on a hot day to cart a feisty little 2 year old around. Good thing I didn't either, because later in the evening, after a short visit to see my brother & sister-in-law; Berlyn got an eye (and earful) of the fireworks in the sky and went HYSTERICAL! Poor thing..I've never seen her so scared. I had to try not to laugh as we were climbing the stairs to our apartment and the booming fireworks overhead made her scurry up our stairs like a scared little mouse. Once inside, I had to just hold her and console her. Nothing is better than holding your warm little baby, smelling her baby skin & hair and having her snuggle into you. Sighhhh. I love that part.



Sunday:
Consisted of: comfort food, scaring the kids on the playground, watching "Princess Diaries 2", building a fort in living room and night swimming...

End of a 3 day holiday weekend.
My daughter was down for her nap, so Lane & I sat sweltering on the deck, overlooking (lucky me), the one apartment with the best view of the playground. And even better? Every child that seems to set foot on this playground is a BULLY. They all seem to be related; and they beat the living daylights out of each other. I'm talking a 7 year old brother belting his 4 year old or 2 year sibling in the HEAD. Or throwing sand in their eyes. I have had to bite my lip about 12 times since I've lived here. Mainly, because, you never want to scold another person's child. For fear of the wrath of the other parent. I don't know who these parents are but I've never seen them. And, judging by the behavior of their children, are probably beating the crap out of them (or each other.) I'm sorry, this is not normal kid behavior. These are mean kids.

So, it all started with Lane showing me a pic of him from last Halloween. He had one of those HORRIFICLY realistic and terrifying rubber masks of a monster/goblin (with horns)...which led him to make his floor lamp into a "scarecrow". LOL. This led to us laughing hysterically, snapping pics of it & just, being silly. The next obvious move? Put it out on our deck, overlooking the playground. I nearly peed my pants when I realized that a few of the kids were pointing at it & running. Cruel? No, not really. I think they deserved it. Hilarious? Hell yes!

Here are a few of the pics. (Lane even went downstairs and took pics from the playground view.) I can't tell you how hard I laughed...tears were coming down. It was wonderful.
I guess you could say the heat (and countless cups of coffee) got to us.

The Monster, in Lane's room:


The Monster, watching the children on the playground:


The Monster, is not happy:


We (Lane) then built a fort out of chairs & pillows in the middle of the living room...Berlyn was not too sure about it:



The evening ended with Lane, being the fabulous cook that he is (and having lived in the South); making two of my most favorite foods: fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I am starting my diet tomorrow, so, this was a very enjoyable meal :) I went & grabbed some beer (and donuts, for good measure) from the Chevron down the street. The attendant said "Beer & donuts! Thatta girl!" LOL! After the delicious meal, we went to a mutual friends home to swim in her 90+ degree pool & enjoyed the summer night. And then, it was time to face another Monday!

Happy 4th Everyone! I always love, at the end of these weekends, knowing that I am surrounded by love, family & friendship. Those really are the greatest feelings in the World.

A Day at the Park

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make everything wonderful, and worthwhile.

This past weekend, I went to Ann Morrison Park. I was joined by my Mom, my brother, his wife, Cari & their friend, Ely...and, of course, Berlyn :)

It was a *beautiful* 90 degree, sunny day in Boise. Berlyn goes NUTS the minute she is outside, so naturally...she was EVERYWHERE, and giggling the entire time. We played on the playground, fed ducks (and geese..which, I am NOT a fan of, but as a Mom..you make sacrifices, lol), played kickball & ate yummy BBQ. I also taught Berlyn how to kill ants (much to my Mother's dislike).

I find more & more that who you spend your time with has a great effect on your state of mind, and well-being.
My mom, brother, sister in law & daughter are some of my most favorite people so it's no surprise I had such a fantastic day.