Reminders to self

I will never blame others for the place I am – or am not. The actions and choices of others, while they may effect my feelings, do not define me. It is my reactions and choices that steer my direction. Period.

I am not so small in this world that I have ever seen myself as the "victim" in my life. I am wise enough to be responsible for myself.

People will hurt my feelings. They will trample on my kindness and mistake it for weakness. These people are broken. I will try not be angry with them. This is difficult to do when one has been hurt, but rather, I will pity them because they have demons to conquer and do not know any other way to be. {This one is the hardest.}

I will always be kind. I know my actions - large or small - can effect others. I will never knowingly hurt anyone else for any reason. 

People come into your life, stay and grow with you. Cherish and appreciate them. They help shape the way you see yourself.

People come into your life and people fall out of your life. Some with dramatic exits and some with quiet endings. They are fleeting visitors who leave but always impart a lesson. They also help shape the way you see yourself and how you handle yourself in the future. I will learn from them - but let them go.

I will let go of anger. It is useless to hold onto it.

I will remain silly, thoughtful, slightly weird, sometimes serious and always wonder what I will be when I grow up because I am determined to always be growing.

I will love my children more with every passing moment and cherish the nose and hand prints on the window even though I just cleaned the darned window – because one day they will move away and I will have perfectly clean windows. 

It is easy to feel alone when I am scared - even when surrounded by the largest of crowds. I will feel blessed and thankful that I have found a strong hand to hold, that won't let go, won't give up and reminds me that not only I am supported but my dreams are supported as well.

I will never forget to say "I love you" and "Thank you" – but if I do please remember that I carry your heart with me always and you have mine - even when I'm cranky and overtired.

Top 3 Things I Learned at Planet Fitness

1) NEVER use the elliptical glider 3rd from the right during sunset. The reflection on the floor will burn your retinas and blind you.

2) The cast of characters in PF is amusing. If it wasn't creepy, I'd bring the camera to provide evidence of the troops. Spandex is not for everyone. Mesh tank tops are not for anyone. Period.

3) Reading my kindle while gliding my way to better health may make me look worldly and knowledgeable - however reading humorous books will do nothing to differentiate me from the {afore mentioned} colorful cast. Between gasping for breath and wheezing, I periodically burst into {seemingly} spontaneous laughter. I may have been the craziest looking kook there.

BONUS LESSON!!!!!!
I'm pretty sure that a woman who has to be no less than 75 {if she's a day} kicked my ass on the elliptical glider.

people {pictures}

This is my very first people picture.  It was taken in 2007 at the beginning of my photographic journey.

I worked in downtown Nashua, NH for a few years and had formed an evening rapport with this gentleman named Arthur. I could never figure out if Arthur was homeless or not - I never asked. By appearances, one would assume he was, but I had heard from locals that he had a subsidized room somewhere near downtown. Regardless of his living situation, I had noticed him for a few weeks when I first started working there and like most people, I would pass without speaking or even making eye contact with him.

One day, I was standing on the corner of the street waiting to cross when I saw him pushing his bicycle down the side walk. Granted, I saw him quite often - but this day I looked at him. I saw his tattered clothing and unkempt face. I noticed the big wire basket on the front of the bike and the almost comical brass horn on the handle bars. I glanced around and noticed most everyone about pretended not to notice him – like he didn't exist in that space, in that moment. What an awful feeling that must be. Everyone is a person. Everyone exists. Everyone deserves a smile and a hello. And to my shame, I was guilty of doing that exact thing previously.

As he passed by me I simply said "Hello" and shared a smile.

After that, every evening without fail - rain or shine - Arthur would be sitting on the bench at the corner opposite of my office, waiting to say good evening and comment on the weather or to let me know he was selling Avon should I need any Skin So Soft. He would smile and wave to me from across the street when he saw me exit the building and press the cross walk button.

I remember working late one evening – it was dreary and raining – and I didn't leave my office until well after 7:30pm. Now normally, I was out of the office and on my way home by 5:00pm, so I naturally assumed Arthur would not be there. But he was. Sitting on that bench, with his umbrella, waiting to say good evening and comment on the particular fat drops of rain around us. Every evening. Without fail. Just for that 2 minute interaction and then we went our separate ways. I admit, it was both flattering and a little frightening.

When I decided to purchase my first digital SLR in 2007 - a Canon Digital Rebel XT - I brought my new toy to the office for "show and tell".  I was so excited about finally splurging on something I had so longed to purchase but had yet to master. I had a very vague, general idea of what I was doing (technically speaking) from a high school photography class years before – things like shutter speed, ISO and aperture. Time has a way of fading knowledge and in all honestly - I probably didn't have a strong grasp of it then. I never used the automatic "green box".  To my tiny credit, I shot everything on manual - fumbling as I figured things out.

These two things relate. I promise.

That evening, like every other, Arthur was sitting, waiting for me to say hello. But, unlike previous interactions, I deviated from our normal script and showed him my new camera. We talked for a few moments about the camera and the reasons I had gotten it. Then, I asked if I might take his picture. He looked a little surprised but quickly recovered and said "Of course!".

I stepped back and fumbled with my settings. I was so nervous because I didn't want to seem intrusive. I quickly set the camera as best I could and shot a couple frames. I look at the EXIF info now and give myself mental palm slap to the head. ISO 400, 1/100 second, 7.2/f. My today (somewhat technical) mind says  "Gheesh - you should have shot this at no more than 4.0/f and bumped that shutter up, silly girl".

My artistic mind of yesterday and today says "Well done." It's not perfect in a technical sense - I know - but it is a good "people picture" that has the undertones I strive for in every image I create. To this day, it is remains one of my favorite images that I have taken.

Recently, I was asked to define what I think a good "people picture" is. This is infinitely harder than it first sounds. My mouth opened to answer quickly, but I found my self at a loss to sum up what I thought into words. I had to pause and really think about this. I had to look at photos that I loved and consider what about them draws me to them and holds my attention - even long after I have seen them?

I think a good people picture is emotive. It reaches beyond the boundaries of its frame and captures not only a moment, a person or people - but it exposes something hidden just below the surface - a small truth not always spoken and very subtly seen.

I love taking photos of most everything. I have a bend towards abandoned and dilapidated buildings as as well as people. Even without an actual person in the photo - it's something touched or neglected by people. It has an emotion and a history. It tells a story.

Thinking about this has re-energized me to continue my photographic journey and to one day create that one photo that someone will see and carry with them. I'm not there yet and wonder if I ever will be. I wonder if any artist ever believes that they have attained their goal. But I believe that this subtle doubt about the ability to attain achievement is what I carry with me  - what pushes me to continue, to grow, to create and to see the world at a slightly askew angle.

leggings, leggings... I NEED leggings!!!

Baby leggings that is. Fall is here (YAY!!!) and Baby Violet has been demanding some awesome leggings that will make other babies jealous. Okay. I want the baby leggings. Now that the Bean is 10 years old - I am no longer allowed to dress her. In truth, Bean has been thumbs downing some of my more girly fashion suggestions for the past few years now, so I am really excited to start dressing Violet.

Not that she hasn't been dressed these past four months... it's just newborns don't look all that cute in elaborately put together outfits. For the first 3 months of her life, she was pretty much in Carter's layette wear. I like to put my babies in super soft cotton clothing so they are as comfy as possible during those first few weeks of life. But now that she has reached the ripe old age of 5 months... that girl needs shoes, to say the very least.

Stripes. Polka dots. Solids. Problem is... I'm having a hard time locating ones that I actually like. Where do all these moms find such wonderful children's clothing? Or maybe what I should be asking is if all these wonderful outfits I see on kids splashed across the internet are within normal people price points.

I follow all sorts of people pinning away outfits and accessories for their little mini me's. The thing I find is that some of the things they pin are $275 dresses and $150 tunic tops... for babies! I love me some Barney's and Lord & Taylor, but realistically they are far above my shopping comfort level. Let's admit folks - these kids are going to spit up on them and out grow them faster than anyone can mail you a credit card statement. I just can't justify spending boat loads of money on kids clothing.

I've signed up for Zulily and Haute Look, but I'm just not on top of the daily deals. Don't get me wrong - they are FANTASTIC sites and you can get some really great deals but by the time I get a chance to look at the site - anything I like in Violet (or Sophie's size if I dare) is sold out. And as luck will have it - just like when I shop at a store like TJ Maxx - I ALWAYS find the stuff that is still expensive.  I know that tiny peasant dress is 70% off retail price, but it's still $45 and while Violet's regurgitated curdled milk will appreciate the bright and colorful organic cotton – I'm not sure the Mister will.

Looks like I will be learning how to sew baby leggings. Quick! To Pinterest!

it's curtain time!

As I have mentioned before, our new digs have a total of 19 windows. Six of those windows are in the dining room and front parlor. The two rooms are open to each other, but clearly divided by beautiful turn of the century columns. It's been a long while since I have had lots of windows. Our little condo only had three and each was in a completely different room; I didn't have to worry about flow or matching.

We have been here for just over two months now. And for about the first eight weeks, we lived with bare naked windows. I didn't want to just run out and buy whatever was on sale for the sake of having curtains. I really love the look of full length drapes, but of course with those, like most things, comes a very hefty price tag. Even the more affordable drapes run about $20 per panel. 

My first thought was to buy inexpensive fabric and sew some lined drapes. I went to the fabric store and picked up some muslin and white lining and made a test pair of curtains. They came out wonderfully, but I am not all that skilled at sewing (I can do it, it just takes me a loooong time.) Three hours later, I had one pair of muslin curtains. They came out great and cost about $15 per panel. Given how much time it took me, not much of a savings. Five more windows at three hours each... ummm... yeah.. no.

Then I decided maybe I should just suck it up and buy the darned things. But honestly, I couldn't find anything I liked under about $35 per panel. I just couldn't cough up that much moola for rented windows. 

I was still trying to figure out what to do, when my friend Julie, an interior designer and owner of Chrissis and Company Interiors, stopped in one morning. She was checking out the new space and I had mentioned my little dilemma. That is when she told me she had made curtains for her apartment out of drop clothes she got at Home Depot. The canvas fabric is basically the same color as a muslin - actually it is a little more brown which I actually prefer. It makes it easier for me to tie in the two rooms. At first I thought the natural color would be to much of a contrast on the sage green walls in the front parlor, but Julie assured me once I had the throw pillows, carpet and curtains in the room it wouldn't look stark at all. 

Who am I to argue with a pro? Seriously - check out her work. She has created some beautiful interiors for premier properties in the Boston area. 

So I head to the Home Depot pick up some drop cloths like this for $10.98 (but I had a coupon for 10% off): 

The drop clothes come in a wide variety of widths and lengths. I purchased 6' x 9' drop cloths to give me plenty of fabric to work with.

It took me about one hour per pair. I didn't take pictures of the process, but basically I cut the drop clothes in half and rolled and ironed a hem (Thank you to my sister and Becky O'Neil of Becky Oh! for teaching me the importance of ironing as you sew), and zipped a straight line to finish of the side. I measured where I wanted the hardware to be and the length I wanted to curtains (mine at 91" finished due to my fabulously high ceilings). Then I measured off about 4" at the top to create a rod pocket and did a simple 3" hem at the bottom.

I didn't bother with a lining - I may add one at a later point but the house has blown in insulation in the exterior walls, new windows that have be caulked with silicone and the land lord is insulating the between the joists in the basement. I don't think a lining will really make a difference at this point. 

She also directed me to get window hardware from Christmas Tree Shoppe. I was a little hesitant because I had always associated CTS with a place to buy next years yard sale crap - but once again she did not steer me wrong. I picked up six rods and brackets for $3.99 each. Wooooo to the hooooo! Did I mention this girl is talented and smart?? 

So basically, each window cost me $13.87 complete with hardware. I feel like a rock star.. or at least I like I deserve a gold star

Of course, because we live in an old home, nothing is perfect. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo or not - but the window casing closest to the fireplace abuts a wall and the left side of the casing is actually more narrow than the rest. Which means, we have to place the bracket up against the wall angle, remove the final and I will probably have to take at least one third off of one panel to "trick the eye" and stop the curtain from "creeping" too much into the actual window. C'est la vie!

Müttering Around in the City of Brotherly Love

Headless babies in jars. A skinned penis. The world’s largest colon. 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, if these three things alone aren’t enough to spark your interest, I don’t know what is. But what, you ask, am I talking about? Where could these, and other disturbing pieces of macabre medical history, possibly exist?  I am talking about one of the US’s best little hidden gems of a museum - the Mütter Museum.

The Mütter Museum is tucked away at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. While its original purpose was to help educate burgeoning doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies, it has since opened its doors to the curious public.

I remember the first time I heard the words Mütter Museum uttered. I was sitting in a little pub with a friend when I heard him say the words “a huge collection syphilis skulls”. Eh? Ok, I admit my attention had drifted to something now forgotten in the street and having a propensity for all things odd, these words were enough to whiplash myself back into the conversation.

“What’s that you said about syphilis skulls?”.

“There is a museum in Philly that has all sorts of wierd stuff - the Mütter Museum - like medical oddities including a collection of skulls eaten away by syphilis.”

“Damn. That's gross. (slight pause) Let’s google it!”

God bless the invention of modern technology because out came a handy dandy iPhone and away we went to the world wide web and the domain of all things medically weird, disformed and plain ol’ fucked up. And that’s when I saw “her” - the lady who started my fascination for the Mütter Museum, the woman who would get me to pack my bags, grab a couple of adventurous friends and head off on a 350 mile road trip to Pennsylvania. But first... a brief history of this mecca of creepy weirdness.

Until Death Do Us Part

Dr. Thomas Mütter

What does one do with one’s collection of medical chotchkies upon one's demise? Well if you happen to be Dr. Thomas Mütter, you leave them to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. OK - so at first the collection started with another professor at the College - but it’s not names after him and he only got up to 92 artifacts. Mutter had over 1700 in his collection. But I suppose he’s warrants a mention here.

In 1856, Mütter announced his retirement from teaching at the College due to ill health. In a letter written to the College, Dr. Mütter wished to offer the guardianship of his extensive collection of medical oddities. “A popular professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College, Mütter had amassed a unique and valuable collection of anatomical and pathological materials for use in his classes.”1 Along with this collection, Mütter also offered an endowment of $30,000 to pay staff and asked that the College build a fire-proof building to house the collection. The College entered into an agreement with Mütter in 1859 - just two months before he dies at the age of 48.

Dr. Mütter’s collection of bones, wet specimens, plaster casts, wax and papier-mache models, dried preparations, and medical illustrations - over 1700 items in all - joined the 92 specimens from the College’s earlier collection in the new quarters.1

The collection now has over 20,000 objects including antique medical equipment, skeletal and dried specimens, plaster models, a woman turned to soap, shrunken heads, the connected livers of famous Siamese twins, Chang and Eng, brains of epileptics and “her”  - Madame Dimanche, a 19th-century French woman who had a 10-inch horn growing out of her forehead. Yes. A 10 inch horn. The horn, known by its scientific name as a cornu cutaneum, grew out of the forehead of Madame Dimanche for six years before it was successfully removed.

Madame Dimanche was, not forgotten, but tucked away for a few months until one night in another pub, with another group of friends, the subject of the Mütter Museum once again wiggles its way into polite conversation. I mention it. No one has ever heard of it. So, we grab another mobile phone to find photos of the mysterious horn. From this web search, we ladies form a fascination with seeing Mde. Dimanche up close and personal. (Our male compatriots, wanting nothing to do with Mde. Dimanche or our odd bar conversations have called it more of an obsession - they may be correct.)

A idea is born and a plan is hatched, team shirts are made (true story) - and not too long after we are in the car on our way to Mütter.

Day 1 - The Drive

Hell(o) George Washington Bridge!

And so here we are. It's a bright and sunny October morning in 2009. Christina, Tiffany and myself make our way south. The closer we got to our destination - the more the clouds come in - but it was pretty much smooth sailing until we hit New York City and the George Washington bridge.  The Yankees were playing the Phillies in the playoffs – and traffic was backed up. There was traffic and then there was rain.  An approximate 6 hour trip turned out to be longer than anticipated, but we were not deterred. This was a meeting with destiny. We arrived at our hotel just over 8 hours (and about 6 roadside hotdogs) after leaving New Hampshire.


Day 2 - The Experience
We rolled our tired selves out of bed and out into the drizzly, cold rain that has decided to settle in on our weekend. Arming ourselves with umbrellas, grabbing our cameras and good humor we navigated ourselves into the heart of Philadelphia. Finally, we were just a few steps away from the museum.

Ready..set.. investigate!

The Mutter is a stately and elegant brick building surrounded by regal wrought iron gates. Doric columns welcome visitors as they pass through the heavy wooden door. Upon its facade, just right of the main entrance, hung an oversize banner that read “Disturbingly Informative”. Never has a tag line so perfectly summed up the experience.

The Mutter is small in size - but HUGE in personality. It’s collection is housed in 19th century glass display cases - some as tall as 8 feet. The cases are filled from the floor to the top shelf. My companions and I find ourselves kneeling on the floor with our heads turned upside down to get a better view of some of the exhibits located on the bottom shelves. We had arrived early, so at first this isn't really a problem, but as the crowd starts to grow, I noticed a growing sense of annoyance from some other visitors that they have to step over us. Oh well.

It must be mentioned that Christina, a funeral director, possesses the patience of a saint.  One of the best possible companions to have on a journey like this - as she is medically trained in human anatomy and disease. We kept piling all sorts of questions on her and we kept getting fascinating explanations that your typical visitor never hears.

We spent nearly 3 hours in a museum probably no bigger than 5000 square feet.(I don't know the exact size so this is just a guesstimate at best.)

Located adjacent to the thorax of John Wilkes Booth was another exhibit that held our complete attention – shrunken heads from South America. There was such unbelievable detail left on the heads of these poor fallen warriors. Long eyelashes, hair, pores – just amazing! While most of the exhibit had numbers you could dial for more detailed information on ones cell phone, this exhibit, being relatively new was missing from the directory.

Unfortunately, no photography is allowed in the museum. Surprisingly, we obeyed this rule and left without any internal photos from the museum. What were we thinking?!?! We aren't usually that well behaved. But this blogger apparently had no suck qualms. You can view pictures of the inside of the museum here.

Oh and here she is... Madame Dimanche. The one who started it all...

Photo from My Life Is A Jar Blogspot

1. http://www.collphyphil.org/ERICS/Mutthist.htm

My Two Tiny Loves

Last week, the weather was particularly perfect and I took advantage of this gorgeous late summer weather to take my two girls outside and do a mini session with them. My camera had been acting up again and I had to send it back to Canon to be re-repaired; it was a good opportunity to test the AF system as well.

Violet is now 5 months old and sitting up on her own (for shorts spurts). I have to say, Sophie is the best-est big sister ever! She is such a little mommy playing with her, feeding her... although she draws the line at dirty diapers of any kind. We didn't get changed, or do hair or anything fancy. I just love and adore these two girls!

 

summer evening

My dear friend, Christina, recently moved back to Manchester in June after completing her Master's Degree and becoming a licensed therapist. We have gotten together for visits since she has been back, but last week, on a perfect summer evening, was the first time she and I got to sit together, sip wine and do some serious girl chit chat (without the interruption of a hungry baby or a bored Bean). It was divine.

I'm not sure if any other mothers feel this way – but I am pretty sure the moment after you give birth, they hand you not only your squirming little miracle, but also a HUGE side of guilt. I often feel guilty for wanting to take time for just myself; there is always too much that "needs" to get done. I have to remind myself that it's not selfish for me to want to be away from my kids, it's necessary to relax and recharge.

Fortunately, I have a wonderful husband who realizes this time  - for both he and I - is important. He encourages me to take an evening here and there and head out for a couple hours with my girlfriends, and I do likewise for him. (Of course, this also means after he gets the kids to bed, he gets to be a kid himself and play on the video games completely undisturbed)

Silly little fly flew in my wine!

This is a good shoulder... all great friends should have one like this

I would also like to take this time to warn the rest of my girlfriends that in lieu of my decision to upgrade my camera and lenses, I have decided to lug that thing just about everywhere. Put on your lip gloss ladies - 'cause your picture will be taken on girls night!

i am a pixel pusher

It started almost 17 years ago with graphic design... and now my obsession has grown and I am recently (re)obsessed with pixels... more specifically the sharpness of pixels in my photos. It's never enough.

I am constantly striving to improve what I have previously done... always viewing my work with a critical eye and telling myself "Ok.. you did well, but you could do better, now get to it". I get nervous - even when shooting my own kids - about finding pretty light and that and exposure just right, creating a pleasing compositions in camera, angles, catch lights... Ahhhh! It is safe to say there is a lot whirling around in my brain when the camera is stuck to my face.

Fortunately, I have a tiny little model (who cannot runaway when she sees the camera like her big sister, Bean) with me when the light is just right. While I prefer to use only natural light, but I have been know to pop a flash or use my alien bees from to time to time. From her expression in these two photos, you can see she has already learned, at her young age, to be patient with Momma when she has her camera out.

Right now - other than pushing the sharpness of photos (it's not enough!! I want more!!! I want better!!!) - I am also experimenting with different angles to take photos of the baby. As much as I like props, I seem to lean (recently) in just taking photos of baby in her natural element - whether that be in a little sundress or just her diaper chilling out on a furry rug on the living room floor. The way I see it - this little image is more real and when she is grown and perhaps has babies of her own, this is what I will remember and will make me smile when I look back.

four months old!

Happy 4 months, Violet Catherine! I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! The photo is a little grainy - but it was dusk when I took the photo so I had to push the ISO... but she was giggling so hard I just couldn't miss this little moment!

{love}

I am not a wedding photographer by trade – I much prefer the pace of modern portrait work.  I have the utmost respect for my photographer friends who regularly shoot weddings – it is truly a natural talent and a love. Not only is it an incredible amount of work – hours of constant shooting at the event it self, plus all the hours of post processing and editing – there is a lot of pressure not to mess up a couple’s big day! “Excuse me.. could you kiss the bride again.. my exposure was slightly wonky….” When close friends of mine decided to get married in an intimate celebration – they asked me to shoot their day. How could I say no to such an awesome couple? I couldn’t! I am still in the process of… errr… processing - and there are more to come - but here are a couple of teasers.

Congrats to Tiffany and Jeremy! Thanks for letting me part of your wonderful day!

Cheers!

Coupons... not just for blue haired old ladies anymore!

Not to long ago, I viewed coupons with some level of disdain. In my mind, coupons were associated with old women saving pennies on margarine and toothpaste until I caught a clip of that TV show 'Extreme Couponers'. Yes, yes, I know... I am late jumping on this train – it's a life long habit of blocking out main stream hype on movies, books and 'trends'. But perhaps, this time, there is something to this particular craze.

We all know the economy sucks. Layoffs, pay cuts and investment losses abound still. Even the lure of getting ab MBA has lost it's luster with hundreds of well educated folks underemployed or unemployed. We are more then a generation removed from the Depression Generation who took nothing for granted.. the original reuse, repurpose, recyclers. My generation was raised by Baby Boomers whose hey-day was in the Partying 70's and the More More More 80's – mass consumption and disposable everything. By the time the 90's hit, I was in my teenage/early 20's... and the course was set. Maybe that explains this re-fascination with saving money through coupons? I don't know but watching these men and women and their extreme couponing skills - I was fascinated, amazed, horrified and a tad bit inspired.

The fascination and amazement came through the strategy and planning that these people created and implemented to save hundreds and walk out with essentially 5 free grocery carts full of stuff. The horror was when they gave tours of their stock piles... I mean come on, who needs 75 boxes of Fruity Pebbles, 42 toothbrushes and 36 cans of stewed tomatoes?!?!  I'm pretty sure one woman had 3 years worth of diapers and didn't have children. And while I admire that strategic shopping, there is no way I would want to - or be able to - dedicate 40+ hours towards planning such a shopping trip.

The other thing I noticed was that most of the grocery savings come from the 'inside' aisles. In an effort to eat healthier, when Eric and I shop, we mostly fill our cart the perimeter items. (Good rule of thumb when grocery shopping is "If the food can go bad fast, it's good for you. If the food can keep longer, it's bad for you.) Saving big at the grocery store probably isn't in the cards for us – I don't want to save money at the cost of health. It is, however, inspiring to think, that I could save big on all most of our personal care items  - like soap, deodorant, diapers and such.

My co-worker, Lisa, took some couponing classes our company offers from time to time. She has been taking photos of what she has been getting from store like CVS and sharing the tales of her savings with me. Check out this weeks latest score:

Lisa's CVS score!

She saved 77%! The value of goods was $101 and she paid just $23 for everything. Those Olay moisturizers alone cost $26 each. Basically, she bought one of those – at a discount – and got all this other stuff for free. I want to do this!!!!

As a primer - she used this blog post to plan her attack shopping trip: My Shopping Trip: CVS

Here are some coupon resources to help you get started
Extreme Coupon Professors (This is the woman who works with my company)
Coupon Divas
Living Rich with Coupons (my personal fave at the moment!)
Hip 2 Save

And a YouTube tutorial as well!

Knitting Narwhales

Narwhales are, in a word, awesome. A whale with a horn!?! Hello! They're the unicorn of the ocean... and they are real!

I just had to share my most recent score. We are trying to decorate our home with orginal pieces of art and I found this print, by Sally Harness of Sadly Harmless, on Etsy while looking for artwork for Violet's room. When we were in the condo, I hadn't really thought about nursery decor since she was sharing Sophie's room. But I wanted somethng original and not "babyish". I'm not actually sure how I stumbled on it, I call it artsy fate. 

I actually toyed with hanging it elsewhere in the apartment, but I think Violet will dream happily with sea unicorns in her room. 

Girls Just Wanna Have Clean: Tip #1

I ran out of glass cleaner months ago. When it happened, I was in the midst of Saturday morning cleaning. Having a newborn and a 9 year old in the house, and a husband at work, I did not cherish the thought of running to the store in my pajamas with kids in tow. That's when I remembered a cleaning tip my Great Aunt Julie had bestowed on me {queue hazy sepia toned imagery}.

For about 10 years, before she passed away, I use to go over to her house every Wednesday after work and she would cook me supper and afterwards we would chat or, being elderly and alone, she would have me help her with some chores she could no longer do. One evening we were cleaning the picture window in her dining room and I asked her where the Windex was. To which she proudly informed me:

"I have never bought Windex in my life. I always just use rubbing alcohol. It cleans the glass and doesn't streak."

Aunt Julie had one of the cleanest homes I have ever been in. You know how on sunny afternoons you can see dust dancing in the sun beams? Well, at Julie's there were sunbeams, but no dancing dust... THAT'S how clean it was.

She would often give me pointers and tips on how she had kept her home clean through the decades - some I used and some, like the rubbing alcohol trick, were tucked away in my head.  Figuring a little old fashion cleaning couldn't hurt and would save me from going out, I went to the linen closet, grabbed the rubbing alcohol and a rag (made from re-purposed old t-shirts), and went to cleaning the bathroom mirror. Shiny, happy, streak-free perfection. Once again, my great aunt did not steer me wrong – rubbing alcohol makes a FANTASTIC and INEXPENSIVE glass cleaner.

When you think about it, our depression era relatives were really better then we are at re-purposing and reusing materials around the house – rag rugs, scrap quilts, empty containers for left overs, button boxes – you name and they probably didn't waste it. They cleaned with natural things like lemons and vinegar and while I won't be making my own starch like she did, I am really excited to try out some of her other household words of wisdom and reporting back!

Why yes, that IS a full size sofa in our Ford Focus!

{OK, so it didn't look quite like that... but it was close!}

My husband is one determined man. He fit a 80 3/4" sofa into the back of our Ford Focus. How?? I'm glad you asked. But first, let me start at the beginning...

Space, glorious space! Our front parlor just screams turn-of-the-century charm and to me, that says, the new digs required a new modern sofa to balance it out. I love all the original warm honey colored woodwork through out our new home and the architectural details that you just cannot find in home built post-World War II. My personal style leans towards the eclectic, so traditional furnishings were just not going to cut it. Living in New Hampshire, options are limited in acquiring non-traditional furniture. And, as much as I wish it wasn't, money is an object – as is the need for strength against children. So, where does one go when you need to find a sofa that has style, comfort, affordability and durability?

After checking out the local offerings - IKEA-land here we come. Design geniuses extraordinaire, those Swedish designers have the market covered on utilizing small space in a most eye pleasing way, but it is their flat packing that have my most sincere kudos.

Eric and I made the trek through Boston and into Stoughton/Avon to the nearest IKEA. It's just over an hour away - but it's a far enough distance that if you get down there and they are out of stock on an item, one can get very irritated. I've tried calling and having them hold an item that is in stock until I can get there - but they won't. You can purchase some items online, but you can't pick them up in the store. They will ship them to you and, in the case of a sofa, it's an extra $199. They do have an online inventory check that they say is accurate (because stock moves so quickly, they claim to err on the side of caution on inventory counts). We had been a few weeks prior and found the sofa we liked, but they were 'temporarily out of stock'. That was OK, because at the time, we weren't ready to commit. Now we were.

In our case, the online inventory said there were 6 pieces in stock at 5pm. Surely, there wouldn't be a mad run on sofas between now and the hour and 15 minutes it would take us to get there. We hoped in the car, and drove down. For anyone who have never been to an IKEA, it is a playground of gizmos, gadgets and glorious decor for a person like me. Eric firmly directed me to the sofa section to keep me from straying to a random lamp or pillow case, where we quickly tested the sofa out one more time, jotted down the aisle/bin numbers and went back down to the warehouse to pick up our sofa. We got side tracked in carpeting and lighting, but no more than an extra 15 minutes.

Karlstad Korndal Brown Sofa from IKEA

Eric grabbed a flat cart and we were quickly steering that left leaning cart to our new sofa. There, in our aisle, was a lone man, loading a sofa onto his flat cart. That's OK. There are still four more... three if it's been busy. But man, that bin looked really, REALLY empty. As we peered in and saw darkness, I felt a flutter of panic. We looked at the man with the sofa and Eric was quickly calculating how much cash the man might would accept to hand over the Karlstad... when the man said "You're lucky. There's just one left."

One? ONE! There in the shadows was the LAST Karlstad sofa. (queue angelic music and heavenly beam of light)

Eric loaded it onto the cart. We checked the stock numbers one last time to make sure we had all the right boxes and headed towards check out - content in the realization we had successfully scored our first sofa chosen together.

No Water Bottle Left Behind
Of course that happy, fuzzy feeling quickly faded as I looked long and hard at the main box of the sofa. How they H-E-Double hockey sticks was this going to fit in car? I have a 2004 Ford Focus Wagon that is a little work horse. The seats fold flat down and it is actually roomier than most mid sized SUVS –  but I was definitely getting nervous that perhaps I had over estimated my little wagon this time around.

Hubby said not to worry, it would fit. Cheerily, he folded down the seats, grimaced at the  stash of candy corn (remind me to vacuum and de-goo-ify) and various snacks that made their way in to the seat cracks, and loaded the main box.

It was to big. Not to be put off, he moved the front seat up a bit. It almost fit. Since the box was really just one side of the car, he moved the front passenger seat up again. It fit, IT FIT!!!!! But there were still the other boxes of cushions and covers, I told him to leave the case of water out so everything would fit.

"Nonsense.", says he.

Squish, swish, smush and crunch... (why, oh why didn't I get  picture of this?!?!)

Never mind the fact that Eric had to ride shot gun in the knees-to-nose position, everything made it in the car. And, of course, about a mile into the trek home, those darned water bottles started rubbing together and squeaking the whole trip. It took about five miles for me to stop giggling about the whole adventure.

So there you have it... one part (afore mentioned) determination + one part IKEA flat packing + one part wagon + one part knees to nose sitting position =  new sofa at home! Now to find some fun, bold graphic pillows.

Remembering Paris... oh Yeah and our one year anniversary

It seems like just yesterday that Eric and I were strolling along the river Seine, hand in hand, admiring the beauty of Paris and stopping at sidewalks bistros for a glass of wine (mmmmm... Côtes du Rhône) and some delicious French nibbles. A whole year (and 10 days) has gone by since we tied the knot and headed to Paris {with a quick stop in Iceland... more on that later}. So much has happened in such a short time! 

On top of getting married and traveling to Europe, we took the Bean to New York City to visit a friend and have a family adventure and where we informed her, much to her delight, that she was going to be a big sister ("I've waited my whole life to be a big sister!!!"), welcomed little Violet to the world, turned our condo into a investment property and moved to a new place. 

To some it may seem like a lot and to others... not much at all. But whatever it is... big or small... it has been one of the best years of my life. I am so lucky to be able to share it with Eric who is my best friend, soul mate and a wonderful father to both our girls. Even though we celebrated our anniversary with a quiet dinner and enjoyed some much needed grown up time together, I just thought I would share a little post to once again (and a tiny bit belated) wish my husband a happy anniversary. Year one was spectacular – I expect nothing less from every year to come.

No heat curls... FAIL

I have been happily pining away on Pinterest for months now - finding all sorts of recipes, hair style tips and tricks, fashion, home decor ideas, crafty projects to do with the kids. The problem is, I am so busy pinning, I have yet to try any tips, tricks or crafts.

Last night, I decided to attempt the 'No Heat Curl'.  My hair is naturally wavy and I thought this may tame them into a more 'beach sexy' wave rather than the 'every which way wave' I get when I let it air dry. I enthusiastically started twisting and tucking away, fantasizing about the luxurious hair I would wake up with in the morning with little to no fuss.

Wow.. simply wow. The trick worked.. a little too well.

My hair held TIGHTLY to the curl... I think it holds too well and my hair is to layered and too short. I will attempt thjis again in a few months when my locks are longer... but now.. I ended up looking like a cross between Shirley Temple and a French poodle. Hair fail and i left the house in my summer updo standby. I will tame you wavy hair... I WILL!!

Pouf!

Pouf! Pouf pouf!! Besides being really fun to say - I am in 'adore' with poufs. What a great way to add stylish extra seating or a spot relax those tired toes while hunkering down for movie night with the hubby.

I love the way they can add a pop of color and and element of texture to a room without being overwhelming. My goal in decorating our new home is to make it well designed, yet inviting place where our family and friends can just sink in and be cozy, rather than feel as though there are 'No Touch' signs all over the place... plus, we have kids so 'elegance' has to also be durable.

I saw a home tour on Apartment Therapy not to long ago and started noticing them. It got me thinking about how I could utilize them in our new space. We have a side console table in the dining room that has lots of open airy space underneath. I like the idea that I could easily tuck these away under the table and still maintain a well designed look AND add that splash of color I mentioned. I tend to lean towards very clean lines when I am looking at furnishings. I need to remember to add some softer elements to keep from creating too many harsh edges. Not being the traditional cube ottoman (which is what we have now), these poufs create a more interesting white space.

The coral rope pouf above is from Target and is reasonably priced at just $56 smackers. Sure, they come in lots of shapes, fabrics – leather, cotton, velvet, patterned or plain – but something about this woven/knitted look just makes me smile. It just oozes a casual and comfortable lifestyle while still holding on to a bit of elegance.

Homing cat

You've heard of a 'homing pigeon'. They show up in all sorts of cop dramas, books and Ewan McGregor even did voice over work in an animated tale about heroic WWII homing pigeons. But have you ever heard of a 'homing cat'?

Well, here at Chez Jodoin, we seem to have an adorable new porch mate. Mittens (as the Bean as dubbed him) is the super sweet gray cat with white paws (thus Mittens) that has begun the habit of sitting on our porch underneath the window peering in with those sad Dreamworks animation-like eyes. Of course, this habit of his is aided by the fact that Eric and the Bean feed her chicken and ham bits in the evening and our landlord feeds him some moist cat food in the morning.

Mittens is a petit little declawed feline with a red woven harness. He is obviously someone's cat, but I have yet to determine if he is really a stray. I would think by the fact that he is declawed, he should be sitting pretty on someone's window sill dreaming of successful squirrel catching and not haunting our side porch in search of attention and scoring free nibbles. My first guess, is he escaped right between the house coat clad knees of an adorable white haired old lady opening the door to get her morning paper or saved himself from the humiliation of being dressed up in Build-A-Bear princess clothes by a precocious little girl having a tea party.

Or, perhaps he is let in and out of his house and isn't lost at all. So what is a girl to do? I tried calling the animal shelter to find out if anyone reported a lost cat, but my sense of timing is awful. I either tried to call before they opened or in the one hour gap they are not around - my mind (which with everything going on in the past few weeks has resembled shredded swiss cheese) was just not able to remind me to call mid day. Fortunately, I had enough brain power enough in reserves to contact a friend (thanks, Crystal!) that works with the shelter - she suggested that I attach a note to the cat's harness and see if anything comes back.

Brilliant!!!

I remembered another friend of mine, Lela, while living in LA, had a cat that went out during the day. One evening, Sweet Pea, returned home wearing a brand spanking new collar. Either he had gotten a five law discount or that boy was hanging poolside with somebody else. Lela attached a note to the new collar to find out what was going on and VOILA! she had herself a homing cat. A note went out... a note came back.

 

When I got home that evening, there was little Mittens on the porch stoop rolling over for his hello belly scratch. After that little formality was completed, I dashed into the house to grab a small zip lock snack bag, painters tape, a note pad, pencil and the Bean. I scratched out a little message:

Does this sweet little boy belong to anybody? He's been spending a lot of time on our porch and we are curious if he has a daily home or is lost. {mobile number}

The Bean sat down on the ground and Mittens, seeing his opportunity for some attention, pounced over to her lap. While she was distracting him with scratches, I attached the note and he seemed none the wiser.

Not an hour later, I get a phone call from a number I didn't recognize and an unfamiliar voice said "Hi, someone attached a note to my cat."

Turns out Mittens is a Maxwell and he lives a street away. His owner says he comes home several times a day but he gets out when she opens the door to go outside or let the dog out and that he is very determined to get outside... so she has given up trying to keep him in. She said she tried to attach another note to his harness, but he wiggled out of her grasp and dashed away again... obviously she does not give heavenly kitty scratches like the Bean. I'm not going to lie - I was a bit disappointed that I got a phone call rather than a note back. What a unique way to get a pen pal!

Every morning since, I wake up, open the shades in the sitting room and there he is lying like a king in a sun patch on the porch, looking in the window and waiting for treats or scratched or both. I am wondering if I should send his owner notes home to let her know his daily intake of treats... you know... like they do in daycare :)