Currently

wearing:  lots of skirts still. Thinking maybe I should unpack my sewing machine, figure out how to thread it, and make a few for myself. Seems like a simple starter project. Also, thinking outside the box with mixing patterns and colors. Who says hot pink and tomato red don't work together???

wanting:  more time. more money. blah. blah. blah. But seriously, I'm working on creating a daily schedule to try to steal back a few lost moments throughout the day. Only on day 2 so far, so we'll check on the progress next month. And the money part, working it day by day. I so wanted to get dinner out last night. Just too tired to cook the chicken that I defrosted earlier. But then I said NO. We will not eat out. And Mark and I worked in the kitchen together for a few minutes and whipped up some homemade broccoli soup. Go teamwork!

loving:   this sense of determination I have at the moment. I've been cleaning house and mixing in the fun time this week. Again, working on the balance and squeezing as much in to a day as possible, but then switching gears for family time at night.

needing:  to continue to work on my attitude about that job that provides a paycheck. Some days are just so hard. I really want to be home with my family as much as possible. It's not that the job is bad, it's just that my heart wants to be home. Every. damn. night.

feeling:  all fired up from Craftcation. Yes, I will re-open my shop. Yes, I will use all those great ideas that were shared in the classes. Yes, I will listen to what my heart wants me to do!

reading:  A Feast for Crows.  Finished Hidden. I thought I read more this past month, but I guess not. And that Feast for Crows book will probably take me a few months to read. I may have to mix in a few small reads at the same time.

watching at home:  Season 1 of The Following. Creepy, but decent. Finished the current season of Justified. Planning on watching Frozen tonight, if there is not too much homework. We saw it twice in the theaters, but we just bought our own digital copy this weekend and the girls want to watch/sing the entire movie with us. And we don't get request like that much anymore, so you bet we said yes!

watching at theater:  nothing. This is quite shocking because we love to go to the movies. But there has been nothing to watch. Nothing. What is going on Hollywood? I haven't been to a theater since The Lego Movie back in February. And I have no idea when I plan to go in the near future. Sad story!

planning:  Nothing at the moment. Our next trip will be in October for Fall Break. But a girl can wish for a little road trip sooner, right?

photo taken in Ventura. April 2014. sign noticed by Tina.

Currently

eating:  a tiny bit healthier, or at least sharing meals that are not so good for us if we eat out. This means less canned or boxed or frozen foods. Also, less Starbucks. Maybe 2 or 3 a week instead of 6 or 7. Still too much, but moving in the right direction.

wanting:  more days off work. I only work 4 days a week, so I have no room to complain, but I just don't feel ready to return on my "Mondays".

loving:   the beautiful weather. Today is a high of 78 and a low of 48, mostly cloudy with a slight breeze. It's warm enough to understand that summer is very near, but cool enough to close your eyes and just enjoy. And appreciate.

needing:  to get a handle on money. I know I have said this before, but it's so hard to do. Just every day I need to practice moderation. Do we really need this? Right now? Then put it down. Repeat. Over and over again.

feeling:  peaceful. The house is quiet for 25 more minutes. Nothing urgent to take care of today other than E's 1st volleyball practice and dinner. And maybe The Walking Dead later.

reading:  The Rosie Project. Finished Where'd You Go Bernadette, Real Happy Family, and Hands Free Mama.

watching at home: House of Cards (Season 2) and Justified (caught up on current season). Watched Blackfish last night.

watching at theater:  The Lego Movie

planning:  for my upcoming trip to Craftcation. I invited a non-crafty friend to come with me on the trip, and am super excited for both the crafting parts and the girl friend parts.

photo from Feb. 2014. Farmer's Market in Little Italy. Paired up with the smell of Orange Blossoms in the air. Mmmmmm. I do love the smell of Orange Blossoms!

Currently

eating:  eggs and bacon and toast for lunch. loaded baked potatoes for dinner (insert more bacon). why does bacon taste so darn good?

wanting:  Friday to get here. this week is passing by at a snail's pace. I'm so ready for our solo road trip.

loving:   nights off when I can snuggle with M and binge watch good TV.

needing:  to quit the latte habit. bought a coffee maker and am determined to enjoy coffee from my kitchen and only get Starbucks once or maybe twice a week (rather than 6). had an awful headache yesterday, but it's gone today. that's gotta be a good sign, right?

feeling:  relaxed. had a hectic night at work yesterday, but hoping for a better one today. plus I keep closing my eyes and imagining the ocean breeze on my face.

reading:  Hands Free Mama. finished The Cuckoo's Calling, The Book Thief, The Gifts of Imperfection, and One Person/Multiple Careers. Downloaded Where'd You Go, Bernadette today. seems like the perfect beach book.

watching at home: Nurse Jackie, House of Lies, Shameless, Homeland Season 3 (better than 2). we have free Showtime until 2/24 so we've been trying to watch all their series before they are gone. also watching Season 2 of House of Cards. if you are one of those rare people not watching, you should. like right now. seriously.

watching at theater:  Anchorman 2, Her, August: Osage County, Lone Survivor, and Winter's Tale. whew. I've been busy!

planning:  don't laugh, but I'm thinking about the next Disneyland trip. I needed to figure out when I have to start saving. Decided on May of 2015. I know, so far away. how will I cope

photo taken in Balboa Park in San Diego June 2013.

Currently

eating:  a new meal last night. Quiche with ham and cheddar and sourdough bread. Grown ups liked, but not the kids. I know, shocking. 

wanting:  to sign up for the One Little Word class.

loving:  my new work schedule. I'll be working less weekends and shorter shifts, but an extra shift. Moved to working 4 8-hr shifts rather than 2 11-hr and 1 10-hr shift. Waiting for my sleep habits to adjust to an earlier bedtime. Had my first weekend off and hosted my first family dinner. It was great seeing everyone for a non-birthday, non-holiday reason. It just felt so relaxed. Looking forward to hosting one every month.

working:  on purging craft supplies and finishing old projects. So far I've finished December daily for 2011 and 2012 along with 4 other mini-books. Almost done with the 2013 December daily. 

feeling:  relaxed. And like being a homebody. 

reading:  still working on The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I just can't seem to get into it.  But to be fair, I haven't taken time to read other than during work breaks. I spend more time reading blogs and IG and FB and playing Jelly Splash. Hmmm, I think I may have to do something about that......

watching:  Finished Season 1 of House of Cards. It's as good as they say. Almost done with Season 2 of Homeland. Not as good as season 1. Saw the movie Nebraska. Slow at times, but overall a good story. Feel good ending. Wanting to go see Her on Friday.

weather:  59 at noon. High of 70 and low of 45 and partly cloudy for today.

needing:  to let go of the spending money issues. We got in a HUGE medical bill and so we're trying to slow down all the fun spending we do every month. Man, it's hard. So, so hard. But it's doable. And it's not worth fighting over (yes, that's been happening too).
 
planning:  a getaway weekend for Mark's birthday. Can't wait to spend time alone with my hubby!

photo of my view while doing dishes. taken nov. 2013 in my kitchen.

Currently

eating:  lasagna for dinner with pizzookie for desert (warm cookie bar with scoop of vanilla ice cream).

wearing:  normal casual outfit with sandals. Waiting for Old Navy order to arrive with my new coat, shirt, cardigan, and leggings. Need some warm clothes for Disneyland.

drinking:  nothing now, but had an iced white chocolate mocha latte earlier. Haven't been into the eggnog latte this year.

starting:  last minute planning of all the little details for Disneyland. Prepped a meal for our first night at the park. Picked out places at the park to eat lunch. And sorted out all the money envelopes for each day of vacation (future blog post on how we manage money at Disneyland).

feeling:  Now, I feel calm and ready for the trip to begin.

reading:  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Just finished Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman.

watching: American Horror Story-Coven, Sons of Anarchy, and finished Orange is the New Black.

weather:  72 for the high and 46 for the low, partly cloudy.  On Friday the temp is expected to drop to 55 for the high and 37 for the low.

needing:  to get a few nights of normal sleep (vs. going to sleep at 5am and waking every hour until noon).

listening:  Monday night football (through the bedroom wall...the husband likes his football loud)

loving:  having 4 days off in a row. Been working an extra day per week in November but that is done now. Yeah!

photo from Downtown Disney. Oct. 2013.

Currently

eating:  nachos for dinner tonight. meatloaf tomorrow.

wearing:  new reading glasses. splurged for a cute pair with multi-colored stripes on the sides.

drinking:  flavored sparkling water. best thing about it is that the rest of the family hates it!

starting:  to work on being organized. weeks of blog posts ready to go. 2014 calendars ordered.

feeling:  relaxed and happy to be off work, and without the million and one commitments of the past 2 weeks.

reading:  The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and We Are Water by Wally Lamb.

watching: Parenthood, Modern Family, HGTV (love the return of fall TV).

weather:  82 high/61 low with sunny skies (tomorrow's high is 73...need to plan an outdoor activity).

needing: to live in the moment and appreciate the now. don't waste away the gift of today while wishing for changes in the future.

listening:  to the quiet chatter of people working and visiting at Starbucks.

dreaming:  of that Disney trip coming up in 6 weeks.

loving:  this time of year. the idea of gathering and holiday and birthdays and family fun.
photo taken October 2013.
Downtown Disney. Just a taste of things to come in December.

Currently

eating:  homemade pizza (dough from Trader Joe's, pizza sauce made my myself). Not bad for the first time, but not great either. Will have to practice....

wearing:  my usual comfy clothes. Black tee. Green cargo pants. Ecco sandals. But I'm sporting a brand new hair color. Brown on top, lighter at bottom, with more blond in the front. Think I like it, but it's a bit dark for now. Should lighten up over the week or so....

drinking:  Diet 7 Up. Had a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday, so no caffeine for 24 hours. Turns out I really like Diet 7 Up!

starting:  to get excited for fall. All the signs of fall around town, like Halloween decorations and pumpkin spice lattes. Now we just need to temps to start cooling off a bit.

feeling:  irritated (teen boy), drowsy (tooth pain meds), hopeful (craft time tomorrow?)

reading:  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver). Amazing read. Trying to take it slow and not rush through it. So I get all that I can from the book. Already looking at our shopping/eating habits in a new light. It's crazy that we spend so much time a day eating, but so little time thinking about the choices we are making. (I know I'm a little slow to this idea, but I'm paying more attention now).

watching: Breaking Bad. Only 4 episodes left. And I may not survive the suspense. Seriously! Rented The Place Beneath the Pines and Now You See Me. Will be a quiet night on the couch tonight!

weather:  low 82 and high 108. Slight chance of showers.

needing: A quiet night filled with peace and a day without tooth pain....

listening:  to nothing.  Just the sound of the A/C and the ceiling fan.

dreaming:  Of that week in La Jolla. Fall Break. Relaxing time with the family.

loving:  that I have 2 days off with my hubby. Seriously excited! And not sure what HAS to get done, other than his teeth cleaning appt.

photo taken 9/4/13 in the car.

Currently

 

eating:  heading out for a burrito at Qdoba (haven't been in years)

wearing:  my uniform  (comfy pants and a target boyfriend tee with my granny sandals)

drinking:  nothing right now, but I predict a watermelon margarita in about 6 hours

starting:  painting items gold. Metallic gold spray paint. Oh heavens! Desk legs on the agenda for today.

feeling:  happy. It's amazing how much life can change in 30 days. I was in a bad place last month when I posted the last "currently", but it's looking so much better now. Hmmm, maybe I need to remember this for the next  time life throws me lemons!

reading:  Still working on Defending Jacob. I've been bouncing around from book to book. I think I have developed reader's ADHD.

watching:  Oblivion tonight. Hubs bought the DVD. Also have some True Blood and The Bridge to catch up on.

weather:  106 for the high, 75 for the low. Still hot, but at least the night is starting to cool down.

needing:  to get ahead of these blog posts. I like to have a couple written ahead of time so they go out at 7am every morning, but this week I've been winging it and posting at random times throughout the day.

listening:  to Train. Saw them last night in concert and had the best time. Blanket on the lawn, cool breeze, and a big ol' sing along. I'm smitten. And dittos for The Script! Missed out on Gavin DeGraw (finishing his set as we were parking the car. Bummed.)

dreaming:  of the next vacation. I can almost envision that walk on the beach, come October......

loving:  having two days off with my hubs. And just relaxing. The early part of the week was hectic. Now it's time to just breathe!

photo taken July 2013 at a Cape Cod beach.

Currently

eating:  Asian chicken salad from Paradise, along with a peanut butter cookie (and maybe a snicker doodle also)

wearing:  polka dot pj's (putting pj's on is my favorite part of the day!)

drinking:  diet Dr. Pepper from QT (lots of crushed ice in a Styrofoam cup to protect that ice!)

starting:  a cleaning frenzy, which is so not normal for me! Today was the bedroom, tomorrow the closet or my craft area.

feeling:  emotional. Going through some very unhappy moments around here, but desperately grabbing onto the happy ones!

reading:  my first e-book ever (Defending Jacob by William Landay). Hmmm, can I give up paper books? Don't know yet, but it is convenient!

watching:  The Host, finally. About what I expected. Read the book years ago. Can we just say that Stephenie Meyer loves her love triangles!

weather:  93 with 35% humidity at 11:59 pm. Tomorrow will be 108 with a chance of showers. Go monsoons!

needing:  to keep my family safe.

listening:  to M snore (he's getting up at 3 am to go to work early. yuck!)

dreaming:  ummm,,,,not dreaming right now.  My brain is a bit too preoccupied to stray into dreamland!

loving:  having all this time with Tater and family. They're spending a few days with us and I'm loving all the baby rocking time! And I just feel complete when all my littles are home with me!

photo taken on plane ride home from Boston last week. Hard to beat the beauty of a sunset up in the clouds!

Currently

eating:  planning on a picnic for dinner tonight, on the beach (we're in San Diego for a few days)

wearing: nautical inspired outfit (white pants, white shirt with grey stripes, blue slip on shoes)

drinking: frozen blended drinks poured into mason jars and ready to go in freezer (pina coladas, orange dreamscicles, margaritas)

starting: to get excited that we may be going to the Cape next month to visit very special friends

feeling: relaxed, peaceful (San Diego is the best)

reading: Game of Thrones, book 3, still...but only about 200 pages left. will there be any characters left alive by the last page??

watching:  all caught up on DVR with Mad Man and Game of Thrones. just waiting for the last few episodes to air soon for both shows

weather:  72 and partly cloudy in SD (will be 108 in Chandler this weekend)

needing:  to find more money in the bank account to fund all the summer fun I'm planning

listening: Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" in the hotel sitting area

dreaming: about squeezing every moment of fun out of this summer with my family

loving:  this life of mine. feeling so very grateful for all the great moments!

photos from my Instagram feed from the past month

Currently

Eating:  Meeting my dad for lunch in 40 min and hoping to have a yummy grilled cheese sandwich from Wildflower Bread Co.

Drinking:  Same old, same old. Iced white chocolate mocha coffee.

Wearing:  Grey pants, black tee, granny sandals. I'm all about the comfort factor.

Starting:  To get excited for summer break. No early mornings. Relaxed, lazy days. Yes!

Feeling:  Tired. Still worn out from Snap and a few late nights since I got back. Goal is to hit the pillow early tonight.

Reading:  Just finished The Wild. Loved it! Might buy a new book today. Maybe Perks of Being a Wallflower. I was blown away by the movie, so I'm thinking the book would be Awesome!

Watching: Game of Thrones, recording Mad Men, folded laundry today with House Hunters International in Taiwan. Love HGTV!

Weather:  81 right now (noon), but high will be 91 with 61 as the low. Partly cloudy. Hello pool season!

Needing:  Absolutely nothing. Feeling like my cup is very full right now. Happy to be home with my family!

Thinking: About having the next 2 days off with the hubby. Crazy excited. Thinking about going to the gym together, lunch, Costco, a movie or two. Would love to buy a grill and make steaks outside, but probably not going to talk him into that one.

Dreaming: About a house cleaner. I was cleaning the master bedroom today and wondering if I could scrape together enough money from my coupon savings to pay for cleaning help once or twice a month. That would be heavenly.

Loving: Life right now. Being away those 5 days made me really miss my tribe. I'm happy to be home and have a few more days off before I return to work on Friday.

Currently

Eating:  Carribean food for lunch. It's a place right down the street, but we haven't tried it yet. I'm leaning towards jerk chicken, not oxtail or curry goat. Not ready for that adventure just yet.

Drinking:  what else? A venti iced coffee with skim milk and 5 pumps of white mocha. I did just switch back from the classic white chocolate mocha latte.

Wearing:  Pj's. Just woke up and wishing I could stay in them all day, but the plumber will be here soon (water leak in backyard yesterday) and I have to hit the grocery stores.

Starting:  back to coupon shopping. I decided to quit a few weeks ago, since I just go to Costco every week. But then that Sunday I went out and bought 3 newspapers again. And I hit 3 stores last night before the sales ended. Yay me! It's a lot of work, but a huge savings.

Feeling:  moody. Happy right now, but I'm sure to switch to cranky with little notice. Poor Mark, he is home with me today.

Reading: Game of Thrones, book 3. I had to borrow a copy, since the one I purchased was dragged outside by the devil dogs last week. And they ate pages 90-160. I was on page 96 at the time. Good thing I love those 2 dogs as much as I do!

Watching:  Walking Dead, Girls, and Justified when there is time, which is maybe 2 hours in any given week. We are a busy family! Hoping to see The Host on Friday.

Weather: 86 today, with slight clouds and 57 tonight. Also known as heavenly.

Needing:  to buy some cute shoes to wear with my skirts at Snap. And some sunglasses to help with all that sunshine we're getting these days.

Thinking:  about this round pendant lamp at West Elm. Saw it in San Diego and fell hard in love, but it was too bulky to fit in the car. Want to drive to the Scottsdale location and buy. Just need to talk Mark into getting it sooner rather than later....

Dreaming:  about summer break. Sleeping in. No homework. No schedules. No driving kids back and forth to school. Lazy summer days. Nine weeks to go.

Loving:  life this week. Not sure why I feel so relaxed, but it's nice. I've been just as busy as normal, but the days don't feel like they are flying by at the speed of  light.

Have a happy day!

Too Much Free Time

This is what happens when I have too much free time on my hands.  Self portraits on the i-phone.  I really like the first one, even though it doesn't really look like me.

Maybe I need to go back to work???

Do you have a good self portrait taken with your phone?

Currently

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope your week is looking good so far!

Here's some fun pictures of me with the girls while we were in Carlsbad.

Currently, I am:
grateful: to have insurance so I could go get surgery to repair that torn knee meniscus. (I have noticed lots of people walking funny lately, and wonder how many are not able to afford going to see the doctor or pay for a hospital procedure.)

loving: being home and spending lazy days with my family as I recover from surgery.

determined: to keep working hard on this blog and my art shop so I can change my future

honored: to have a husband that looks at me with so much love in his eyes, as I ask him to fetch me yet another object (he has been  at home caring for me this past week).


feeling overwhelmed: by the clutter in my home. It just never ends. But I may need to just let the anxious feelings go and continue to work on the clutter as I can.

eating: heading out door to Cracker Barrel in a few minutes for breakfast. Love me some Eggs in a Basket with bacon

asking: for help is hard for me. My mom is staying at my home to help, but it is hard for me to ask her to do things for me. But I am trying. I know that is why she is here.

happy: to begin working on my Carlsbad mini-album. I'm excited to finish and share.

entertaining: the idea of  walking on a treadmill in the near future. I do not like the idea of my body limiting what I can do, and I realize that I need to start treating my body with more respect if I want it to behave well as I grow older!

looking: forward to the lazy days of summer. This is the first summer where I am truly excited to have the kids home and enjoy the relaxed pace of the days (at least the days where I am not at work).

re-realizing: that my heart is breaking at the thought of going back to our crazy normal life. Both of us working too many hours, opposite shifts, not enough time to just breathe and enjoy life!

accepting: that going to bed at a reasonable time really does make me feel better, and makes waking up early much easier too!  

turning: into a total dog lover. My 2 furry friends have really captured my heart!

booking: a small road trip in July. Should it be Tucson or Flagstaff?

finishing: the current season of Mad Men. Only 2 episodes left to watch on the DVR.

taking: risks with adding some color to the walls in my home. First color? Red in the living room. Just one wall.

embracing: the idea that leftover night is a fabulous way to both clean out the fridge and make my life super easy one evening per week!