didn't we just do this room yesterday?

last week we started first grade! well, technically, monkey started, but it has been a total family experience around here. i bet you didn't know this, but there are many differences between kindergarten & 1st grade. so far we have tackled homework (on a daily basis), a more defined independent attitude (in a good way), & an actual "voluntary" wind down time between school & dinner, "because there are no naps in first grade, mom. i'm not gonna close my eyes though, i'm just gonna chill a sec."

& i'm excited about school starting back up. it's nice to get back into a routine & i look forward to all the things that he will be learning. (i learned a lot last year...seriously, i did. it's like i lived that poem 'all i really need to know i learned in kindergarten.' if you haven't read that in a while, it's a nice little revisit because it's so simple & true & necessary in adult life!)

so here we are...back in school...first grade. & the super sad part comes in. for mommy.

seeing as how we are no longer a baby/"little kid," it's time to create a space for monkey to call his own. he is spending more time in his room while playing & now homework, so the next step was inevitable. it's time to say bye-bye to the nursery...for ever!

7 years ago, my most favorite "nesting" duty came in 2 gallons & 7 quarts of paint, crib sheets, a lamp, window treatments, & a chest of drawers adorned with animal pulls all centered around one main muse. being a huge fan of John Lennon, it was only fitting that i was entirely inspired to create a nursery out of his 'musical parade.' (a carter's line based off of the drawings he did for sean (lennon) when he was a tot.)
i fell in love immediately, & thankfully the hubs did too because well, you do not argue with a pregnant lady. (i mean you could, but i don't recommend it!)
even the mobile played 'imagine' as the animals danced around. can you say awesome?

& the room that we put together, guys, was amazing. i was so proud of the work we had done. a couple of my girlfriends helped me paint the walls, 2 blue/2 green. & the hubs & i drew the animals on the wall & then painted. i can still remember this project like it was yesterday.

i think at the time that i really wanted something that the monkey would be able to "grow" with. i mean, after the years the crib turned into a toddler bed which turned into bunk beds. the lamp has been long gone up in the attic somewhere. the chest of drawers was painted & reporposed for use in the mud/craft room.
the only evidence left were the walls. my favorite part...gasp. they were painted over & the room has since become in the last few days...wait for it...a big boys room!!
all of our mario & sonic friends are there. his desk is homework ready, complete with a chalkboard area to draw. i'm still in pursuit of a bookshelf, but for the most part, it's good to go. oh, & i gotta grab some wood slat blinds for the windows...then, done.

& he is so excited, which is the best part. i had my day of planning & making the nursery that i wanted; it's only fair that he gets the cool room that he wanted! he does have to live there after all!

of course, i have to include more pics of the room making its transition...let me apologize in advance as i am not a photographer...i've never even played one on tv!

*monkey with the first swipe...so long, mr giraffe!

*mario & luigi collect coins & mushrooms on one wall...chalkboard wall on the other. oh, & old cd jewel cases upcycle to house only the fiercest of sonic pics!

*let's not forget the poster/skateboard that the zero skateboard team signed! oh, dear lord, i stood in line for hours (in the freezing cold) for these treats. what a momma won't do for a smile & a sweet "thank you!"

release slip...

man, i have been wanting to write so badly lately, but it's like i cannot finish a complete thought to save my life. i have been so distracted. mentally drained. emotionally all over the place.

i usually waste time doing a whole lot of nothing when i find myself in these lulls of motivation; totally not knocking that, some times i need to just daze out & chill...regroup. recently, i've been trying a different approach. i have been listening more & talking less. by that i mean, i have totally been reading blogs & stories & experiences from others inside & outside of my little ash world!

i have been consumed with the recent miracle "divas" (as my friend refers to her twin girls) born several weeks back at 25 weeks. weighing less than 2 lbs a piece. spending their earliest of days in NICU. one losing her little fight. one still fighting & keeping smiles on mine (& i know tons of others) faces with her continuing progress. i have cried so much over this. i have wanted to find the right words to say to this sweet friend who i have had the pleasure of knowing through the hubs (who has known her since they were in preschool.) but, instead i read & listen & keep on sending positive vibes their way.

i am still reeling, yes reeling over the passing of a childhood friend. i still don't understand why. why? i'm heartbroken & a little pissed at the same time. i know that sounds terrible. it's just how i feel. my head says that he's found peace, but my heart says "what the hell, dudes?!" but every negative needs a positive, right...the whole yin-yang thing. so, i'm proud to say that my first step in dating my friends is in motion. i am set to meet up with some girls i've known since elementary/middle school in a few weeks, & i am super & quite dorkily excited about it!!

i have been having the weirdest work days...highs & lows all in the series of a few hours. at times it goes from 0 to suck in a matter of minutes. but then i get home. i unwind. & discover that my friend juju has written her 500th blog or finally find that blog i've been searching for, that a yemassee folk of mine writes or laughing at my gal pal, ash, who recaps her family life/craziness so eloquently (we were separated at birth, i think.) or being in awe of my fellow ex-derber, jillian, who is a fashion MacGyver! & i do not comment (unless it's for a friday giveaway a la refashionista) or throw in my 2 cents...i laugh, love, & listen. it's amazing how this flips my shitty switch to smiles before bed. thanks, ladies!

i have spent this whole week listening to monkey discuss 'sonic' & 'mario' with full detail. but honestly, i have only "listened" because i have no freaking clue how to even contribute to that convo other than "oh, cool!"

i will be glad when this wonky month is over. even though i just realized today that it almost is. where'd ya go, august? you were totally a blur. bring on september. fall. football & "football" weather. leggings & knee socks. & my most fave holiday ever, ever, ever...halloween, baby! loves

i've learned a lot listening. thank you for listening to me. i'm very much ready to get back to what i know...human behavior observations, random things that i ponder, & embarassing mishaps that always find yours truly!

& if you'd like to (& i think you should) check out these blogs that i've mentioned, here's the know how:
http://barbermiracles.blogspot.com/
http://jujusmusings.blogspot.com/
http://jenniferashleylove.blogspot.com/
http://lindler5.blogspot.com/
http://refashionista.net/

best lines...movies...part deux...

there's just not enough time in the day to discuss the best lines from movies...or not for me (guess the peeps i work with don't quite nerd out in "that way.") so you guys are the awesome recipients. yay! plus, it's been a pretty wonky month for me so you'll find that there's a super funny theme in all this mess. because after all, it IS the best medicine! hope you'll recognize some lines, movie titles...if not, (WHAT?) then you must look up these comedic gems. seriously!

“We've come for your daughter,Chuck.” Betelgeuse…’Beetlejuice’

“The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!” Navin R. Johnson…’The Jerk’

“I feel like I'm Han Solo, and you're Chewie, and she's Ben Kenobi, and we're in that fucked-up bar.” Jay…’DOGMA’

“Miss Stoeger, I would just like to say that physical education in this school is a disgrace. I mean, standing in line for forty minutes is hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I've worked off the calories in a stick of Carefree gum.” Cher Horowitz…’Clueless’

“Leslie and I have an amazing relationship and it's very physical, he still pushes all my buttons. People say 'oh but he's so much older than you' and you know what, I'm the one having to push him away. We have so much in common, we both love soup and snow peas, we love the outdoors, and talking and not talking. We could not talk or talk forever and still find things to not talk about.” Sherri Ann Cabot…’Best in Show’

“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, you're cool, and fuck you, I'm out!” Scarface…’Half Baked’

“Forget it, I quit, I can't do this anymore, man. My head's about to explode. My whole life sucks! I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know where I'm going. My dad just died, we just killed Bambi, I'm out here getting my ass kicked and every time I drive down the road I wanna jerk the wheel into a Goddamn bridge abutment!” Tommy Callahan III…’Tommy Boy’

“Shouldn't you be holding the crucifix? It is THE prop for martyrs!” Armand…’The Birdcage’

“I’m French. Why do you think I have this outrageous accent, you silly King.” Man…’Monty Python and the Holy Grail’

“Goonies never say die.” Mikey…’The Goonies’

“If you heard that someone we graduated with was in a fucking porno movie, you'd watch it, right?” Zack Brown…’Zack and Miri make a Porno’

“Tattoo on the lower back…might as well be a bulls-eye.” Jeremy Grey…‘Wedding Crashers’

“I know this is wrong, but do you ever wonder if she just made the whole thing up? I mean, it's a pretty good one. It's not like anyone can ever use virgin birth as an excuse again…I don't really think she made it up, but I can understand why a girl would.” Mary…’Saved!’

“Who's done more research than the good people at the American Tobacco Industry? They say it’s harmless. Why would they lie? If you're dead, you can't smoke.” Roy Munson…’Kingpin’

“Nobody calls me Lebowski. You got the wrong guy. I'm the Dude, man.” The Dude…”The Big Lebowski’

“You had to be big shots didn't you. You had to show off. When are you gonna learn that people will like you for who you are not for what you can give them. Well, in your race for power and glory, you forgot one small detail…you forgot to hook up the doll.” Lisa…’Weird Science’

“What's happenin' hot stuff?” Long Duk Dong…’Sixteen Candles’

“Dammit, Janet, I love you.” Brad Majors…’The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

“I feel like I should welcome you to the neighborhood or something. Anyway, did you really want to do Rex Manning in the count-out room? Is that how you always imagined your first time would be? Your back up against the daily totals and your feet pounding against the safe? 'Oh Rexy, stop that. You're so sexy.’” Debra…’Empire Records’

“God! I am so sorry Regina. Really, I don't know why I did this. I guess it's probably because I've got a big ‘lesbian’ crush on you! Suck on ‘that’! AY-YI-YI-YI-YI-YI!” Janis Ian…’Mean Girls’

“It is, like, the best medicine. 'Cause it fixes everything. Jonah broke his elbow once. We just...got high and...it still clicks but, I mean, he's ok.” Ben Stone…’Knocked Up’

“There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.” Pee-wee…’Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’

“These are my BREASTS. They're so BIG. I need a BRA to strap them and support because they're so HUGE they need to be hooked and strapped for support. My big boobs, this one is bigger than this one 'cause it’s the mommy and that's the baby. And this one is very nice to this one and they hold hands because they're FRIENDS!” Mary Katherine Galllagher…’Superstar’

greetings & salutations...

i am a collector. i collect random things. they aren’t strangely odd things, but random. the hubs has his assortment as well, so that makes me feel better about my knick-knacks. now, before you start emailing the folks over at ‘hoarders,’ be well aware that this is a healthy & organized little thing i have going. granted, the rest of the house is a mess, but the pretties are arranged accordingly.

the many things i pick up at yard sales, antique stores, various travels, or via friends who keep me in mind throughout the year are shot glasses, matchbooks (which is a dying breed), salt & pepper shakers, plates (teeny ones), pez dispensers & pretty much any vintage/retro fantastic-ness.

but out of all the stuffs that are fun to find & keep, my most favorite are postcards! i adore them. i love to mail them, get them in the mail, or buy them to keep. a couple are framed, but the majority are kept in a photo album left out for flipping & looking.

there’s no rhyme or reason in the selection of postcards, which i think makes them so fun. i have found super old ones in antique stores that had neat messages from the sender to recipient. dusty souvenir shops have silly or cheesy or totally inappropriate ones. & then every now & then, i get the coolest ones from friends that have traveled to beautiful places, & personally, i feel like those tend to include me in on the adventure (even though i’m not technically there).

i don’t see myself ending this fascination with postcards in the future. plus, if people are willing to indulge me, i say ‘keep ‘em coming’ because they are the best, & always very much appreciated!

i went through the lot & managed to pick out a few of my faves to share (even though i could devote an entire picture gallery, but that’d just be crazy.)

p.s. stay tuned for my collection of folks that also collect postcards…just kidding!

p.p.s. the inspiration for this blog came from a friend who recently wrote about her love of postcards as well. & has sent me one of my very favorites that is included below. thanks, juju! (check her out, btw...jujusmusings.blogspot.com)

favorite trips! (clockwise)  jersey shore (long before it was a household name), valle crucis mast general store, nc (road trip with jen to visit kayt), musikfest in bethlehem, pa (shaking it with the sis, platz by platz), hershey, pa (sweetest place on earth...agreed.)

from fave people! (l to r) from bethy...cuz & mover & shaker...taking pics, leaving footprints, & learning in kenya, greetings from juju...my postcard partner in crime, jen in chicago (another place i love) & the ultimate best postcard sender ever!

& the absolute best postcard out of the bunch was one that i recently discovered after years of being tucked away in a box. it made me laugh so hard & immediately took me straight back to a super fun time with truly one of my most favorite people. south of the border, sc with a great high school friend, emmy! i like to refer to this as simply "pedro!"

let's go dutch...

here’s an interesting question…how many friends do you have? 400…600…more? oh, wait, that’s on ‘facebook.’ (& my goodness, are you a rock star?) yea, let’s re-evaluate this. think for a sec….yes, you! are you thinking? okay, how many “friends” do you have? like close, going that extra mile sort of amigo? if you answered more than 10, then congratulations, but i have a suspicion that you’re stretching the truth just a bit. (even though, it has been my experience that fellas tend to stay friends longer than ladies) & by what criteria are we even going by? having a party? oh, i could definitely find plenty to invite to a party. but, what “kind”of party? & at the end of the day, when everything is laid out on the table, how many of those invites are showing up? when you need them to the most?

sure, i have friends, acquaintances, & in general,  surrounded by wonderful people. great gals i’d go grab a beer with or meet for game night or chat with about our kids, etc. & even these are few & far between. i mean, when it comes down to it, i really only have a few “friends” that i would feel comfortable burdening with the average may lay of everyday crap. not that i'm a "debbie downer," but you know what i'm talking about. the good, the bad, & the ugly!

that person who would show up at your door with a casserole if you were really sick, the one who knows you better than most, but is still interested in learning more, or even the pal who doesn’t need to one up you if you really need to vent, scream, or cry; the one who hears someone saying a negative thing about you & not only says that it’s not okay, but removes them self  from that situation. the girlfriend you trust to shop with...that will honestly say"eww, no, not those jeans, girl!" (if need be)

friendship, true friendship, is almost like a marriage. better or worse, sickness or health, richer or poorer. seriously. & some friendships last longer than a marriage; or two or three. it’s a connection, a bond. but like a marriage, they take work from all sides. sadly, this is where i have dropped the ball on those few friends that i mentioned above!

the same rules apply…i would show up for these folks, delight in their happy times, mourn their losses, & overall, be there when i say i will. but i have been m.i.a. in the present. no contact at all. i shamefully admit it; own it. & isn’t recognition the first phase of change?  

life happens, it’s true. it’s easy to get caught up in work, family, etc. i used to be so good at touching base with my girlfriends via tele or email. actually setting up times to meet & catch up. now, i get around to the idea part & it’s 6 months before i even speak with that person. not intentionally…life, remember?!

i have been consumed by my non-interaction a ton lately, & how i need to change this friend rut that i’m in. then in the past week, a tragedy happened…someone i grew up with left this world, & in turn put an even bigger fire under my rump to fix this problem…& fast.

i thought about the important folks in my life. who have i spoken to lately? who do i mean to call back a hundred times, but it either occurrs to me at 7:00 in the a.m. or 11:30 at night? who's doing what, where, when? who might be needing "me" to reach out because they are feeling this same exact way? i'm not getting any younger & i want to make time for these friendships & enjoy them every chance i get.

in the process of trying to figure out a solution to this dilemma…there i am brainstorming again. eureka…i got it! in the next few weeks, my hope is to start dating again. yep, dating my friends. going to start with the oldies & work my way up. (not oldest people, oldest friends. okay, so kind of one in the same…HA!) i’m thinking that if i reach out & truly follow up, that it'll feel so great having these missing pieces in my life on a more consistent basis. group dates…one on ones. i am quite versatile, you guys. & perhaps, i can help someone out of their friend rut. hmmm, we’ll see!

p.s. out of towners, i have not forgotten you. for you, i will be sending love letters. (which is so much better than a bill, yes?!) & if i do not have your recent whereabouts, i will find you...o-o-oh, i will find you!!