Seasons Tree Pendant
One of my favorite places online (besides Anthropologie and Etsy, of course) to just meander around and look for great gift ideas is Uncommon Goods.  In fact, I’m not sure why I haven’t mentioned them more often here. When the fall catalog arrived this week, I was smitten by the tree pendants on the cover. After all, I do love trees. My favorite is the Four Seasons, pictured right. And it’s handmade, which is even better, right?

Anthropologie Find
Oh, Anthropologie, you never disappoint. Unless, of course, I’m taking my wallet into consideration. I can still look, can’t I? This dress is exactly what I have in mind when I envision my style – one part classic, one part vintage-inspired, and all around lovely. I love the muted colors, the attention to detail, the feminine flourishes. The only thing I don’t love is the $188 price tag. But no worries, Anthro, I still love ya.

C. O. Bigelow Scented Candles
When I was in C. O. Bigelow a couple months back, the store was chock full of their line of scented candles. I made home with a Coconut and Pear. When I went to look for them online, nothing. I did find a limited selection on Bath and Body Works site, so if you don’t have a Bigelow store nearby, check there. These are beautifully scented, with a clean scent that smells just like their namesake. Mmm. Not to mention the jars are stylish.

We stopped to come up with another plan, and decided to head several miles west to get on the interstate. We headed out and Brittany ran over a giant branch in the road that ripped the plastic piece under her car that protects the underbody, so we pulled into a gas station on the corner. Which was a good decision, because as it happened, the street heading west was chock full of water, too.

So there we were, stranded at the gas station, looking like a couple of drowned rats on our hands and knees under the front bumper of her car. And would you believe nobody stopped to help us? Where is chivalry? Not in Huntington, West Virginia, I assure you.

All in all we were only at the gas station about 30 minutes before the water began to recede a bit and I was able to get us out using a few back streets that were on high ground.

Here’s what I learned. Had I been in this situation alone, I would have been frustrated, beyond annoyed, and ready to scream. I likely would have been nearing panic attack territory being trapped alone. But with Brittany by my side, we were cracking up at the absurdity of the situation. (“Look! Everyone is driving the wrong way down the one-way street!”) Not only that, but I got home and felt like I’d participated in some sort of mid-life adventure. My evening ended up nothing near like what I had anticipated. Next time, I say let it rain. Just stop and ask if I need help the next time I’m up under a car, ok?

Ok, so it’s normally more like an 11 hour trip, but we were traveling with two kids. And maybe we stopped in Tennessee to stay with my aunt-in-law (is that a real title?) to split the trip a bit. Either way, we’re here. We made it.

We’re spending the entire week with family. I’m so appreciative of the hospitality, and that my kids have the opportunity to get to know their extended family. I’m also appreciative of air conditioning, as the high is well into the 90s every day this week. I’m looking forward to learning new phrases while I’m here. They have entire sayings I’ve never heard before!

I’m hoping to finish a book and start a small sewing project while I’m here, so I it should be good blogging fodder. Until then – so long from The Natural State.

Weighty Matter
Our bathroom scale was a gift – I think from my mom – and it looks nice. Really. It works perfectly well for Evan, but for some reason it is absolutely inconsistent with me, to the point that I step on it at least twice every time I weigh myself to see if it’s telling the truth. Let’s pretend I weigh 125 (HA!). My morning routine would go something like this.
Step 1: 129. Feel bad for eating that large dinner last night.
Step 2: 120 . Feel temporarily giddy at the thought.
Step 3: 125. Getting annoyed at the scale, but know this number is likely correct.

In other words. We need a new scale. I like this one from Target, but am tempted to get an old-fashioned kind with a dial to avoid this trouble again. Suggestions? Recommendations?

Better Than Girl Scouts (Cookies)
When it comes to Girl Scout Cookies, Thin Mints are my cookie of choice. I can scarf down an entire sleeve in five minutes flat. Up until now, any attempts to duplicate Thin Mints has fallen noticeably short. But along comes Back to Nature with their Fudge Mint cookies, and I am not kidding you, they are better than Thin Mints. At least in my mouth. They’re found in the health food section of your local grocery store, or around here at Healthy Life Market. I also recommend their Honey Graham Sticks and Organic Stoneground Wheat cookies. I’m sure their other products are delicious, too, I just haven’t gotten around to them yet. But I will.

Etsy Find
Block Printed. Linen. Turquoise. Pillow.

What’s not to love about this item, and really the entire Jewelweeds store on etsy.Featuring tea towels, clutches, coasters, and adorable mini wallets. I am really digging this stuff.

Fabric Lust
One of the handful (ok, dozens) of crafty blogs I read on a regular basis is Sew, Mama Sew, which also features a fabulous selection of fabric in their online shop. Fun, modern, fresh and colorful, there’s always something to look at, er…drool on my keyboard over. Like this fabric pack. Or this print. Or, thinking ahead, something like this.

For the first time in months, I’m sans an Anthropologie link. I promise not to make a habit of it.

So this morning I figured it was as good a day as any to get to work on the beans. I carried out a couple bowls – one for the strung, snapped beans and another for the scraps. The kids sat by me and I attempted to teach them stringing techniques and gave that up in favor of having them break my already strung beans. It is a beautiful day here, plenty of sunshine, hot but not too hot. The birds were chirping, and the kids, while taking breaks from “helping” me were turning cartwheels in the yard and pretending to be trains.

I suddenly realized I was, in fact, turning into my great-grandparents. This is no bother to me at all, because they epitomized the “simple” portion I strive for in my own life. I could write a 20-part series about them on this blog, but all you need to know for this post is that I vividly remember stringing beans on my great-grandmother Lena’s back porch, with the scratchy green outdoors carpet under my feet, the birds singing, my hair sticking to the back of my neck in the humid summer afternoons, and wondering how they didn’t get bored with all that quiet they seemed to pipe into their little hollow. (Now I wonder if I can’t pipe some into here.)

Put plainly, their house was my favorite place on earth. And if I can pass that along by teach my kids the joys of stringing beans on the porch in the middle of the summer, you bet I will.

It was my first real surgery, with the exception of having my wisdom teeth out back in 1999. And honestly, I can’t get over how easy it was. In fact, I was out of surgery by about 1:30, and they sent me home at 4:00. I kept thinking – don’t you think I should stick around here a bit longer? I mean, are you SURE it’s ok for me to head home? But I trusted they knew what they were doing better than I did, and home I went.

All this week I have help with my kids, which are the only thing I can’t really handle on my own. Well, that and full baskets of laundry. I’m on a lifting restriction for another week. It feels almost like a vacation. I’m always thankful for my friends and family who consistently pitch in when I need it.

I guess I’m just writing to tell you that I’m ok, and to apologize for the slow posting lately, as I haven’t quite been feeling my best. Which means fun things like cooking creatively, crafting, reading, and anything else tied to leisure have been put to the side. I’m hoping that will all change soon. And also to say that I really do have the best friends and family a girl could ask for. You guys are the berries!

1. Tag Reader – this is one of the best toys my children have, hands down. I love the thing. It’s a pen they can use with Tag books to read, explore, and play games. You load the audio files onto the pen by connecting it to your computer and downloading them from the Leapfrog site, and that’s it. Some of the books are storybooks (Cat in the Hat) and some are filled with a story and activities. Either way, they’re great. The kids both love them, will play for 10 minutes or more at a time (huge for a 2-3 year old) and they’re educational. Not to mention the reader goes on sale frequently and can be had for a steal, and the books cost no more than regular story books.

2. Alchimie Forever – While it is true that this hand and foot cream costs twice as much as I would typically pay, I do not tell a lie when I say it’s worth it. Because my oldest client is a medical spa, I’ve known and loved Alchimie Forever products for the past five years or so. But their 532nm hand and foot cream (all their products are named after beauty lasers) found its way to my appendages while I was pregnant with my son. Some of you know that swollen, tired, terrible feeling your feet acquire while carrying around a watermelon on your belly – this foot cream was like heaven. It actually contains ingredients to help with swelling AND soreness. So if you’re pregnant, it’s a must, and if you aren’t, it’s worth the splurge.

3. Every month I show you an Anthropologie find, because I really do love the store. that. much. Since I last did a links update, I actually got to step foot in an Anthropologie store. Lets just say I count it a good thing that there isn’t one closer to me. My wallet (and conscious – I do try not to buy in excess) wouldn’t appreciate it. I did find this very cute shirt and brought it home with me. It needed a good home.

I also bought an orange-vanilla candle and a really fun retro kitchen timer. And I saw a totally craft-able headband that I’m hoping to make and share with you soon. You know, in all my spare time.

4. One of the 3,253 blogs I read on a daily basis (I kid, I kid. I think.) is Design Sponge, and probably my favorite feature is their before and after.

It makes me want to run to my nearest thrift shop and buy something, anything to redo. I have not acted on this impulse yet, but someday, friends, someday. Anyway, this week they featured this bench which I absolutely, positively adore. Click here to read the article – you must see the before.

Anyway, we spent the evening being extra kind to each other, holding hands, enjoying each other’s company. and going out to dinner. (Stuffed eggplant anyone? Yes, please. And don’t forget the house-made strawberry-mint lemonade. But I digress.)  I asked the annual, “Are you still glad you married me?” and he replied something along the lines of “Yes, I still don’t believe I deserve you,” and it dawned on me that perhaps the key to a happy marriage (or at least one of them, or at least in our case) is that you both think you got the better end of the deal.

Let’s look at the facts. A few points about my husband:

• He can make or build anything. This includes, but is not limited to, a ring while we were dating, a dog crate that was – at the time – nicer than any piece of furniture I had to my name, copious amounts of furniture in our home, our entire home, etc., etc.
• He can cook, and enjoys it. He admits sometimes he’s a little sad that I’ve taken up food as a hobby because I sort of kicked him out of the kitchen.
• He is tidy. To me, this is a big plus in a mate.
• He tells me I’m pretty on a regular basis. This is important for a woman who recently birthed two children and is carrying around 5 pounds or so in the midsection alone. And I really, truly believe he cares about me, even if he never said so. Except that he does.
• He takes care of our family. If there’s something that needs done, it is taken care of. I don’t have to worry.
• He works hard. Like, harder than any other person I know.
• He’s super smart. Sometimes I don’t like this about him because he’s smarter than me. At least, most of the time. But in general, it’s an asset.

Let’s look at my list:

• I’m moody.
• I have little to no hands-on skills.
• I like to yell when I’m frustrated.
• I get grumpy when I’m hungry or sleepy.
• I don’t like outside work.

I’m sure his list might look a little differently. After all, he does still say he’s glad he married me. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why some days.

Anyway, like I said. We both think we got the better end of the deal.

I’ve enjoyed writing about my hobbies (probably more than you’ve enjoyed reading about them, honestly), and I’m hoping to stick around for a while longer. What I’d like to know, though, is what you want to read more about. Do you look forward to recipes? Craft tutorials? Book reviews? Why do YOU come here? I need to know these things. It helps me plan for the future.

Thanks for reading, my handful of faithful readers. And I hope you continue to stop by here a few times a week for updates.

Before we had children, throughout the winter my husband would simply turn the heat off for the night. We’d go to bed at a comfortable (to me) 68 or so degrees, and wake up at 53. I am not exaggerating. Once we had a little one in a bassinet by the bed, we kept it above 65, but that didn’t stop our nightly conversations that went something like this:

Me – “I’m freezing. It’s so cold in here.” (I’d say this with long pants, a sweatshirt, and thick socks. Shivering. Under four blankets.)
Husband – “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m sweating.” (He’d reply wearing boxer shorts and covered with maybe a sheet.)

Repeat nightly.

Not only that, but it would often take me as much as an hour to get warm enough to fall asleep.

We have a king-sized bed, so one day it occurred to me I could purchase a twin size electric blanket to cover my half of the bed. I already slept with an extra blanket on my side, which wasn’t enough, but thought perhaps the extra kick from an electric blanket would help. And I am not lying when I say it is maybe the best purchase I’ve ever made.

Now when I come upstairs for bed, I turn the blanket on high. I go brush my teeth, wash my face, put on my pj’s, and when I return, the bed is nice and warm. Within about 10 minutes I’m warm enough to turn it down to a lower setting and sleep like a baby for hours. On occasion, I even have to turn it off. Every night (no kidding) I say to myself, I’m so thankful for this electric blanket.

The best part is it’s totally eliminated the nightly “discussion” of temperature. Now if I could just find a heated toilet seat, I’d be all set.

Do any of you have a similar purchase that totally changed your life?