the truth about bangs...

the other day i mentioned to my husband about needing to get my hair cut. nothing dramatic, but a good, old face-frame since it's getting too long and hanging in my face. he suggested bangs. i looked at him and said, matter-of-factly, "i have a theory about bangs."

it's true.

and it's simple - on me, bangs are better in theory than in actuality. they look perfectly awesome on other people and i think, "bangs would be good. very good. the hair won't hang in my face, it'll look cute with a headband..." and then i get bangs.

and i.hate.them.on.me.

they hang in my face anyway, when i work out. i can't style them right because my hair either frizzes in the summer or flattens completely in the winter. in short: bangs look stupid on me. and my love of bangs goes away instantly. over time, as my hair grows out, i forget how frustrated i get with bangs because, when my hair gets super-long again, i start thinking, "bangs would be a good idea."

NO. no, no, no! they never are.

of course, my husband looked at me like i was insane as i pontificated my theory.

and perhaps i am. but, then again, he knew i had a little crazy in me anyway, when he married me. right, honey?

tick tock tick tock tick tock...

...just waiting out this wretched cold. the kids have it and now i have it as well.


is it too early for spring?


two quick layouts:







and some details:



i received a bunch of tags from facebook friends about listing 25 random things on yourself. so, instead of replying to everyone, i thought it would be fun to post it here instead. =)

1. i love to bake. cooking is OK, but i love to bake.
2. becoming more savvy with photoshop is on my list of things to accomplish this year.
3. jeans, khakis and plain tshirts are a way of life for me.
4. pjs are the other way of life for me. =P
5. have become accustomed to drinking cold coffee {i can never seem to grab a chance to drink it down while it's still hot}...and rather enjoy it.
6. i love bbq sauce.
7. i love dipping french fries in bbq sauce.
8. enjoyed the story of edgar sawtelle for book club more than i thought i would.
9. really enjoyed reading twilight. was a bit disappointed in the movie.
10. feel that starbuck's peppermint mocha is one of the few things about winter i enjoy.
11. enjoy apple picking if only for my daughter's sheer enthusiasm for it {and, yes, we end up buying more than is intended}.
12. not too thrilled to be turning 31 this year.\
13. enjoy a good glass of wine with my meal.
14. miss getting a good 8 hours of sleep a night.
15. have been enjoying wearing grays & pinks a lot more lately...
16. would like to learn how to bake bread from scratch.
17. love the dimple that shows up in my son's right cheek whenever he smiles.
18. think cinnamon teddy grahams are the best flavor.
19. have a wicked addiction to cheetos.
20. feel better whenever i look at fresh flowers.
21. would like to be a better photographer.
22. love the beach and exploring coastal towns.
23. tired of the bite in the winter air and the constant colds.
24. really horrible at picking out paint colors for rooms.
25. looking forward to the spring.

fly by...

i've got about a ba-zillion things i want to chat about: valentines, more layouts, crazy happenings here...but, i'm just too dang tired right now and am thinking bed is the place i want to be. we're all under the weather. these poor kids have certainly been through their fair share this cold season. my 3 year-old daughter passed out at 6.30 this evening - unheard of around here! i'm even getting the sniffles.

hope you're feeling a bit healthier. =)

i've been slacking.....

sometimes when it comes to putting aside the time to take photos of my layouts, uploading them, and editing them into photoshop, i slack big time.

it's not intentional, but it's a process - and i'd rather work on a new layout.

here are just a couple of newbies. i'll hopefully post more stuff by the end of the week...

and some details...




the stitching i did in the argyle wasn't as labor-intensive as i thought it would be, though it did take awhile - it was rather fun!

this next one i did for a challenge on studio calico's board. there's a new challenge every week to create a layout inspired by the layouts of a specific design team member. last week was tina aszmus, whose work is always amazing, each month. {truthfully, every design team member is a genius in their own right...}. i love the way tina sneaks in the details on each layout...it makes it so much fun to try to drum up something entirely new. of course, the challenge was eagerly received by all and a bunch of ladies posted some amazing lifts. this was mine:


and a little close-up:


for the record, i wish i were better at taking photos of my layouts. i always feel like the layouts were too crooked on the floor...or i was too crooked in angling the camera and discover this when i'm cropping down the photos in PSE. if anyone has any recommendations on how to improve this process, please pass them along. i would love the tips!

yesterday i went to see he's not that into you with one of my friends. not a bad movie - not the greatest movie either. i thought the ending was cute. i'm not going to blow cover on anything in case you haven't seen it. all i will say is that while it's nice to have a happy ending, it's nice when a little reality is thrown into the mix and things aren't all super-duper, everyone-gets-what-they-want. i feel like the ending was a mix of both. oh well - that's hollywood for you. ;-)

this is it.

This picture pretty much summarizes winter and snow for us...

The temperature never gets truly cold until sometime in January - though freakish warm fronts have been known to occur this time of year. We never get any, truly, big accumulations. I think the first year we were in our house, we got a few inches of snow. Followed with some ice. And, that was "bad".

Truth be told, I don't mind the snow - but, I like it best around the holidays. But, it isn't until January that we see much - if any - of it; and, at that point, I can do without. When we've hit a third day in a row 0f 20-degree weather, I'm ready to wash my hands clean of the nonsense. Because, at the end of the day, 45-degrees for a daytime high in January isn't bad...and I can always wear my cute, puffer vest. ;-)

I am hoping to take those layout photos tomorrow. The weather promises for some sun {unless there's been a change in forecast from this morning - love that natural light for photos versus a flash!}. I'll hopefully be clicking and uploading away!

right now i'm...

trying to upload and organize quite a few photos that have been building up in my camera {does this process take anyone else forever and a day?}...

trying {and not doing too terribly well} to balance my book-club reading for the month and read the third installment of the Twilight series, Eclipse...

itching at my eyes {time to take the old contacts out and put on the glasses}...

thinking of the layouts i've been neglecting to take photos of and post...

making a mental list of what i need to pick up at Target this week {that list better make it to paper quick as i'm bound to lose it locked up in my scatter-brain}...

mad that i haven't finished wrapping up the care package i have to mail to a friend...

and, taking out a piece of paper because my to-do list just got too terribly long for me to remember...

Colds & books.

Two entirely unrelated topics, mind you, but pertinent to my life right now.

I will say I was amply forewarned during my second pregnancy that siblings will, without fail, pass colds back and forth. Holy smokes, no kidding.
I feel like my house has been riddled with runny noses, scratchy throats, sneezes, fevers, etc. since the start of preschool {i.e. the petrie dish}. Baby boy has been having a rough time with ear infections and the pain of teething. It's been interesting. We're all a bit tired and run-down. It's one of those times I wish I were super-human and able to be immune to these ailments, able to go non-stop and keep the house continually lysol-ed to immaculate perfection. But, nighttime falls and......so. do. I.

I also wish that it were about 75 degrees, sunny, humidity-free......because in the back of my mind, I'm not thinking about germs and colds when I think of those pleasant days. But, that's not going to happen either. For a while, at least.

And, now I get the scratchy throat. and the glassy eyes. Joy.

Now that you've gotten a picture of how life has been the past couple of months, on to the happier part - books!

I read as I have time - well, make time. Which I haven't really been doing with much success until a few months ago. I volunteered to head up the Book Club for my local Mom's Club. It eventually became an activity that is now outside my Mom's Club and I have a few regular members, which makes me happy. Happy because people are okay with getting together once every six weeks to discuss something we've read and enjoying themselves. Sure, we'll digress from the book and onto a topic loosely related to what we were talking about moments before......I mean, it's typical female ADD. We're mixing up the book genres a bit - and stories as well. A little fiction, sometimes serious subject matter, and occasional chick-lit thrown in for good measure.

Our next book is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I will admit that it's not a book I would've picked out - which is another reason why I like Book Club. It makes me go out on a limb and try something different. Everyone gets to offer their own book selections - and that's how we end up with a little from Column A, a little from Column B, so-to-speak.

Twilight, Pilot's Wife, and Water for Elephants are our next planned readings and in that order.

And, we're always looking for good suggestions. Any recommendations?
Pass them along......

I'm off to read a little, myself.