A Few Favorite Things, Lately

Its been awhile since I've talked organizing, so I'll get back to it today.  I don't have any photos, so I'll try not to make this post too overloaded with words, since there are no photos to break it up.

•  I picked up a car organizer at a garage sale the other day.  It was $1.  Imagine a big black rectangle, maybe 18 inches by 24 inches, with three dividers to make four sections.  I currently have it on my front passenger seat with different items in each slot.... small snacks, larger snacks, toys/activities, and finally diapers and wipes.  Really, any large container will do;  it is handy to have several containers of some sort on the car, whether its a structured bag, a basket, a small box, or an actual car organizer.   I hate hate hate not being able to find stuff, so it is nice to be able to reach into one of those slots and pretty much hit what I need every time.

• So, I travel a lot and came up with a self-feeding option for my 19-month-old during our last big drive.  We had to eat lunch on the go this particular day, so instead of handing him his food bite by bite over my shoulder, or risking a huge dumping of the containers, I put his plastic bib on, and filled the "food trap" pocket of the bib with his lunch.  He was able to eat at his own pace and seriously, not a single bit of his food was lost in the car seat or on the floor.

• Alright, I'll keep rolling with this travel theme I've got going here.  On the same big drive I referred to above, I put my 5-year-old in the back seat of the van, instead of in the middle on the passenger side.  He thinks he is big stuff back there, and I folded down his former seat to create a feeling of more space in the van.  During the first half of the trip, I would whip snacks back to him when he got hungry until I realized that was completely dumb.  After a rest stop, he helped me pack a little bag of snacks to keep back there and he could regulate when and what he would eat.  This meant I didn't continue to stress my shoulder or get nervous about losing my focus on the road while trying to aim snacks six feet behind me.

Have a great Memorial Day!

Totality of (Fashion) Evidence

A good friend of mine commented on Facebook about my post about wearing dresses the other day.  Here is what she said  ::

"very cute dresses. however, this issue of "trying to look cute" is something I go back and forth on. who do we do it for? our husbands? ourselves? other women? is it just vanity? Care to blog on this topic? FYI, I still wear my orange Crocs :)"

It got my gears turning.  Why wear clothing that is attractive or fits nicely or is trendy or whathaveyou?

I feel like this question could be answered by watching about three episodes of What Not To Wear in a row, but I will take a stab at my personal reasons.  First, a preface:  for me, fashion is about wearing clothes that fit, flatter, and feel good.  I am not trying to start an amazing fashion blog or anything.  And, I really don't want to set myself up for failure, because I have sweatpants days.  Or no make-up days.  Or baseball-cap-because-my-hair-is-a-wreck days.  And I am fine with that.  In general, though, those days are the exception, instead of the rule like they used to be.  Alright, here's my reasons, in no particular order  ::

• Like almost any woman, I am self-conscious about my flaws and I figure if there is a way to disguise them rather than call attention to them, it is easier to accept them.

• I don't think I'd like coming home to Dave in nasty or very dated or unflattering clothes, so I do like to look nice for him.  He doesn't always notice, which doesn't usually bother me, because I am not holding out for his compliments or anything. 

• It *is* for other people as well.  When you meet someone, there are clues that you pick up on to get an idea of who they are and if they are good friend/business partner/mentor/whatever material.  You can tell by words they speak, particular stories they tell, how they relate to you and others, and yes, by their clothes.  The totality of evidence paints a picture of who you are -- who I am -- as a person.  I am not willing to let my appearance be a barrier to my relationships, especially since I move around a lot. Being a nomad can be a lonely life and I have learned and am still learning how to build friendships and find trustworthy people as fast as possible.  

• This one is related to the previous point, but I want to mention culture.  I live in the South.  And people, please, its just far more common to dress nicely and wear makeup daily than anywhere I have ever lived.  When I am makeup-less, one of my super cute, sort of ta-ta friends asks me what's wrong..."Are you okaaaaay?"  in her sweet drawl.  It cracks me up.  To look like you don't care about your appearance sets you up for being looked at as strange, or maybe even pitied.   I already have enough "strange" or "Northern" habits (e.g. buying natural peanut butter....seriously?) that I don't need to add another barrier.

Here is a cell shot taken by a 5-year-old photog showing what I happened to be wearing the day I got the FB comment...nothing outstanding, just more put-together than I used to be.  Like how I have my hands on my hips, like I know how to pose?  Gosh, I wish I knew how to not look cheesy in a photo, but whatever.

The outfit breakdown, just for fun  ::

• NY and Company jeans, on clearance for $10, and had to be hemmed because they were "longs".
• Banana Republic Outlet tank, several years old.
• Loft Cardigan, purchased a couple months ago.
• Target necklace on clearance last week for $3.
• Rocket Dog sparkly flats from TJ Maxx, super cheap, but I can't remember how much.
• Mustard-colored flower felt pin that my friend Jen helped me make.  

PS.  If you think I am wrong about the Southern culture thing... just come take a couple days down here in Birmingham and observe.  Then fly right up to, say, Vermont and take a look around.  I love Vermont folk.... everyone I have ever met or talked to there has been charming and interesting in their own way.  But the dress there is different.  And maybe people in Vermont could be considered very open-minded because they don't care what they (or you) look like.  I bet I would have plenty of deep friendships up there, even if all I wore were fleeces, clogs, and pants that are just a *hair* too short.  (And before you freak out about the fleeces thing... I still have quite a fleece collection.  I love them, they are warm and comforting for when its really cold and I want to be casual.  They just don't get a ton of play here.)

PPS.  Also, in the grand scheme of things, fashion really doesn't matter.  I figure if it is fun, affordable and makes sense, then I am *on board*!  But, when it starts to cause me anxiety, I know I have given "trying to look cute" an importance that it doesn't deserve.   

A Multi-Purpose Beach Vacation Tool :: A Sarong Story

I love a pink sarong I brought home from Mexico a few years ago.  It goes with me everytime we hit the beach because it is so darn handy.... for myself as a bathing suit cover up, but also for other random uses.

It's a make-shift sling when baby is lulled to sleep by the waves and warmth of the ocean  ::

It's general entertainment  ::

And, it's a blanket when the sun goes down  ::

Dressing for an Alabama Summer

I am a slow learner.  The approaching summer will be our third summer living in Alabama and I am just now figuring out how not to be hot.  1.  Join a pool, for pete's sake.  2.  Wear cool clothes.

Gosh, genius, right?

I am thirty-four years old.  Unashamedly thirty-four.  And as a thirty-four year old, I am finally figuring myself out when it comes to fashion.  It took me awhile, I know.  Don't rub it in.  And don't post funky photos of me wearing pink crocs on Facebook.  Please.  Anyhow, I  recently realized that I really just don't love wearing shorts, in general.   I have one pair that I like, though, because the length, cut and fit are perfect for my specific shape (which is a petite pear shape).  If I found more like it, maybe I'd love shorts more.

So, wearing shorts isn't a frequent option for me, but it is too dang hot down here in Alabama to wear jeans all summer.  Capris may work, but again, they have to be the right cut and fit and I just don't know if they would provide much relief from the heat.  Actually, are capris even cool anymore?  I have no idea.

Okay, so here's my point.  I am going to try wearing casual dresses this summer.  I loved wearing dresses during both of my summer-time pregnancies.  I felt feminine and significantly cooler.  So, what the heck, why don't I wear dresses in my non-blimpy summers?  At least now my cankles won't offend all who gaze upon them.


A Loft dress I picked up a few weeks ago to start my new dress collection  ::

While on vacation to Florida last week, I took a morning and hit a few stores while the rest of the family dug holes in the beach.  I am probably late in the game, but I discovered Plato's Closet.  (Cue the Hallelujah chorus.)  I found three super cute dresses for a total of $40.  The most expensive one, Velvet, was $18, in perfect condition and was a flattering fit for me, the petite pear.

Another breezy dress from Plato's Closet  ::

The third dress is waiting to be washed, so I couldn't photograph it.  It is a gorgeous blue BCBG dress, also super cheap.


I also went to Marshall's while on vacation and picked up a fun striped dress for $20.

All of the dresses can be worn with sandals and casual jewelry for every day or they can be dressed up with heels and a cardigan.  I think.  Ha.  Like I said, I am still figuring all this out, so  my little venture here with dresses could be a horrible, ugly failure.  And I am doing it on the INTERNET!  Nice.

Oh and now for a little TMI here.  Stop reading and don't click the link if you are easily embarrassed or just don't need to know about things like jiggly tooshies.   I share this in the hope that it helps other little pears out there.  I ran across these at Target.  My dress experiment success or failure will depend on them.  That is all.

An Experiment

I have an experiment to share and it has nothing to do with organization.  Its sort of personal, and, lucky you, you stumbled upon a personal post when you might have hoped for organizational help or ideas.  Anyhow.  Here it is.

I went poo-free.

As in, shampoo-free.  I stopped using shampoo five weeks ago, after reading a bit about it on the internet.  Google it.  A blogging friend of mine did it several months ago, and based on various testimonies that it actually was good for the hair and scalp, I decided to try it.  After all, it is easy to undo, right?!  Just shampoo the hair to end the experiment.  :)

For the first week, I noticed that my hair was oilier than usual, but not too bad.  About every third day or so, I washed my hair with a baking soda rinse, and then used some apple cider vinegar to get it all out.

After the first week, it was pretty oily.  My hair is a weird texture, these days.  I blame it on hormonal changes from having kids, but it could be part of the aging process for me, I don't know.  The crown of my hair is straight.  The underlayer is quite wavy.  The waves underneath are sort of pretty.  I have considered perming the crown just so my hair all matches.  But, the liklihood of getting it all to match is low.  Anyhow, the problem is that apparently, straight hair may not do as well going poo-free, as the natural oils will be more obvious than if the hair was full of texture (waves or curls).  So, I did notice that the top didn't look great all the time.  But, I pressed on.

Week five was spent at the beach, and things were getting a little rough.  I had put some goo in my hair one day to keep some of the wave, and I think it just never washed out with the baking soda or the ocean water.  So, on Sunday morning this week, I shampooed it.  I used a small amount of sulfate-free shampoo and then conditioned the heck out of it.  My hair now feels way better (not like straw, like my friend mentioned in her blog post, which is how it felt before shampooing it).  But, I want to keep the experiment going, so I am going to try the "conditioner wash" every now and then, as mentioned on a link from my friend's blog.

Tomorrow I have an appointment for a long-overdue haircut and some color, so I am looking forward to getting the stylist's thoughts on this process.  She might think I am crazy.  Or just crunchy.  I mean, she doesn't know me.  I am *still* looking for a local salon that I love here, and I have some hopes about the place I am headed tomorrow.   We'll see.


***  Update  ::  I wrote this last night and since then, I did have my hair trimmed and foiled.  Beyond excited!  I think I can kiss (stylist) dating goodbye.  We have a winner!  The woman, Brittany, who did my hair was very competent, friendly, chatted and refrained from chatting in just the right amounts and laughed at my jokes.  I felt very at ease with her.  The salon is sort of home-town, just a couple of miles away, but I really liked that.  I can't stand super trendy, obnoxious salons where I just feel completely uncool.  I mean, I *am* kind of a dork, but why can some stylists get away with making their customers feel like dorks?  Anyhow, yippee!  Oh also, she didn't think my no-poo thing was wacko.  In fact, her cousin does it as well, and shampoos occassionally, for reasons similar to mine above.  She affirmed that it was a personal decision and if it ends up working for me, then great!  Yay for being positive and supportive, without being opinionless.  What a great quality in anyone!

The Babies Flew The Coop

The sweet baby birds that made their home in our front door wreath have gone and grow'd up on us.  (Sad face.)  Just a few days after posting that the eggs had hatched and we had some babies, they were ready to fly. They had to get plenty of practice in before they really took off, so we were able to find them to the left of the door, hanging out in the bushes, as well as gripping on to the brick wall in between practice flights.

I  am sad they are gone from the nest, and still find myself slightly ducking out of habit when I go out the front door to avoid being smacked into by Mama Bird.  She's gone too.  Oh well, it is probably time, since I noticed the Alabama humidity already getting to the wreath.... there are some mildew spots growing on the grass.  Bye-bye, Birdies. Bye-Bye, Wreath.

Sunday Set-Up, With Kids

In case one might wonder how my husband and I serve in our tiny little new church on Sunday mornings, while having a 19-month-old mischief maker....

Dave hauls his drums from home and sets them up on a (mostly) weekly basis.  I set up decor (candles, curtains, table linens, flower arrangements) about every other week.  It is something that both of us enjoy and want to do, and for now it works for me to lock little CB into his stroller to watch and listen to sound check (which he loves, along with a snack), while Tucker, our 5-year-old, helps set up chairs and then plays on the ipod til church starts.  It is sort of funny to see the gaggle of little kids that come with a parent who sets up, because most of them have some sort of electronic babysitter like an ipod, smart phone, nintendo DS, etc.  I wish I had a photo of them.  They all sit together and look over each other's shoulders, waiting for their turn on the game.  And they really seem to be sharing nicely with each other.  

Anyhow, this situation works for now for a few reasons....

• Our church is super kid-friendly and people seem to be happy to have the kids around.  
• Tucker is old enough to sort of roll with the homies without adult supervision.
• CB likes his stroller and looooves music, so he is content.
• CB isn't a tiny newborn, who needed to be fed and held close a lot.
• I don't have a child between my kids' ages who would not tolerate the stroller for over an hour, yet is not old enough to run around unsupervised.

I have the feeling that when our third baby comes around, whenever that may be, Sunday morning set up is off the table.  Which is fine.  I don't think in general that parents with small children should obligate themselves to be super involved in lots of activities or duties of the church.  For now, it works and we like it.  Thankfully our pastor and friends there are totally not into the serving-by-guilt thing and would undoubtedly be happy when we bow out to attend to another child.  In fact, just today, one of the  elders saw me lament to Dave about a church activity that I wasn't sure if I should help out with or not.  He said, "You know, Tara, you don't have to do everything."  So, I smiled, thanked him and went home without helping.  That's decent!

Anyone else serve at church on Sundays before kids' classes and nursery starts?  How do you handle childcare, or what do your older children do while you work?  Or maybe you don't serve, so that you can have more peaceful Sundays, instead of the hustle-out-the-door-thing.  How do you decide how much to get involved in with your church?

My New Little Friend

Remember this non-beauty that I posted about the other day?  Here she *was*  ::

Well, I did it!  I DID IT!  I am so excited, I actually, finallly had a DIY make-over type project that was small, manageable, inexpensive and turned out better than I hoped.  (Subtext  ::  I have had plenty of crappy projects that didn't turn out so great, or were harder than I expected or somehow disappointed me in some way.  This wasn't one of them.)

Here she *is*  ::

Looking at these photos, I am not sure if I want to keep the group of three candles on the left of the TV, since the pedestals are so similar to the lamp.  I'd rather have something very different to keep things interesting.  I'll have to fiddle with it some time.

Remember how I said the lamp shade wasn't the proper type for a harp-style lamp?  The shade is actually just sort of perched on top of the socket.  It isn't totally rickety, but it isn't totally secure either.  Dave will get to it.  Some time. 

Anyhow, YIPPEE!!!  It makes me happy every time I see it.  I love the satin finish of the paint, I love the color and I LOVE the shape of the lamp.  It has a great deal more presence than the other lamp that I had there before, similar to this one.   I still like that other lamp, but definitely with very high ceilings and a semi-open floor plan, this room needed a lamp with some heft.

"Mission completion."   -  Little Einsteins


***UPDATE***  The paint is Rustoleum Painter's Touch in Satin Lagoon.

The School Papers!

Discussing school paper work the other day, a friend of mine told me that a very well-organized friend of hers makes it a goal to keep three items from each school year for each child.   What a goal! 

As for my household, there is a basket of my 5-year-old's stuff on top of the dryer where I put a few items (maybe save one item per week or fewer) that might be worth saving from the school year.  Now that the year is wrapping up, soon enough I will go through the basket and keep a few things, tossing the rest.  Don't know if I'll be able to do three items or not.

How much of (and where do you store) your kids' art work, writing samples, and other school work?


PS.  Hey yo, I know my photo up there isn't very good.  I took it like four times with my phone and didn't have enough patience to figure it out.  I also didn't feel like getting my nice camera, then uploading it to my computer and then to the blog.  You get the idea.  Part of decent order is knowing when to put the effort in and when to accept average.  Or below average. Right?  Right?  Right.  I think.

Thrift Store Lamp

I bought a lamp at the thrift store the other day.  Ten bucks.  A beauty, no?

I was super excited to work on a very SMALL do-it-myself project.  The shape of this lamp was so great.  Perfectly stylish.  Just hidden by ugly finishes.

I picked up a couple of cans of spray paint at Home Depot the other day and settled on the vibrant teal can.  Man, I guess I should have checked what the official color is, but I just can bring myself to get off my couch right now.  Lazy.

I wanted an exciting color because my living room is very neutral... a charcoal sectional, linen sheers, a large silver mirror over the white fireplace, and a champagne carpet.  I love love love neutral structure to the room because then the fun colorful stuff can be changed around or replaced if necessary.  Not to say I have always done things that way.  In a previous home, the living room was granny-smith green and the dining room was poppy turquoise. Dang, I am not sure why I just used the word "poppy."  I hate it  when designers or even regular people on tv say they want to make something in a room "pop."  Soooo over used.  Well, again, I guess I am being lazy because I am not going to bother trying to come up with a better word.  It actually was very poppy.

After one coat, I started getting excited  ::

After four more VERY light coats, I could hardly contain myself   ::

I picked up a drum shade at Target tonight for $13, and it looks pretty smashing on top of the base.  But, I have to get my husband to MacGuyver how the shade fastens to the lamp because its the wrong type of top. The lamp has a harp, but the shade is meant for a lamp without one.  I can't wait to get it in place.

I feel like I'd like to say something wise here about why I chose to do a small DIY project and how to make a decision like that, but MAN.  I just want to post this and move on.  Can't wait to show the finished project.  ***Update***  You can see the finished lamp here.