{oh, ombre!}

I am getting the "December Itch."

Yes, it's the time of year when I really want to chop my hair short.  In order to resist this urge, I am focusing on trends not involving pixie cuts and "the shab."

Here is my favorite: ombre!

I love that what was once known as having "really bad roots" is now a hair fashion trend.  I'm intrigued.  Can you go to the salon and request "the ombre" dye job...or do you have to just let your highlights grow out?

In any case...LOVE!

Source: bedazzlesafterdark.onsugar.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Kim on Pinterest

Anyway, hope everyone is having a beautiful Friday!  I am ready for a weekend of... possible cookie baking {!?!?}, girls night, and a fabulous holiday flea market!

love -- 

g

{I am ________ }

(Saw this on one or two other beautiful blogs I read...had to join the fun!)

Obsessing over: our possible "new" old house (!!!!)  gray boots. snuggly baby hats.

Working on: getting in the Christmas spirit - despite no snow!  developing an organized way to clean my house, losing that last bit o' post-baby belly, reading Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness {thanks Laura Love!} 

Thinking about: gift-giving. baking something sweet. not over-thinking things.

Anticipating: baby's first Christmas, road trip to Minnesota, the first snowfall, the sweater from Victoria's Secret that was backordered to arrive - this week!  

Listening to: Christmas tunes on the Christmas music cable station

Drinking: orange Fanta...had a major craving

Source: visitoffice.com via Steve on Pinterest

Wishing: safe travels on upcoming adventures. health + happiness for my son. always.  snow...snow...snow...SNOW!

Source: aforadio.com via Jenna on Pinterest

Oh...now I need to watch White Christmas!

g

I scream, you scream : four month update {late}

 Baby Mac has discovered a new means of communication:

Shrieking! 

{see face above}

I finally got around to taking his four month photographs.  My excuse is that I had a hard time procuring a tie onesie that my chubby little baby boy was not bursting out of.   Here is my question: if my baby is of average weight and average height...why does he wear a 6-9 month onesie at only 4 months?

Weight: 15.4 lbs {50th percentile}

Height: 25.5 cm {50th percentile}

Head: 17 cm {92nd percentile}

Yes, the boy has a giant head.

Other developments?

*Can roll onto his side -- not quite mastered the back-to-front roll yet!

*Grabs {tastes, and then throws}whatever is in front of him: cash, toast off my plate, books, cell phone...

*Spins in a circle while on his back.  Doesn't matter what direction I lay him in his crib, when I next see him he could be facing any which way.  A couple times I thought I was going crazy.

*Cries much less during car rides - as long as he has toys to shake/chew on.

{Crazy, silly baby.}

Happy Thursday!

g

{family photographs}

My mother used to torture us with family photos.  

We didn't have the money to have our photographs professionally done, so every summer we used my dad's trusty Ricoh to record history.   Mother would style us and pose us for several hours until she had enough good shots to adorn our home for the year.   My older brother barely smiled in any of them because he hated the experience so much.  My sister and I were made to wear matching outfits {despite our five year age difference} and matching hairstyles.  She despised this, while I loooooved looking just like my cool older sis.  My photogenic and easy-going little brother always just looked cute.  So annoying.

Here are some examples of such photographs...

Okay, the first one is NOT really an official family photo.  I think this might be a regular Christmas Eve photo...but you get the idea.  Plus, you can see real examples of the four of us on the wall in the background:

Oh, perms and poufy bangs...I do not miss you.

Despite the torture, I am so, so, so glad my mama took the time to do this.  The photographs are treasures.  Even the awful ones.  {case in point: the year she made us take them during our annual family camping trip.  we are all in flannel.  not good.}

I decided to continue the family tradition and take yearly family pics.  Sorry Baby Cormac...but the torture begins now.   I have lots of crazy prop ideas.   I probably will never do matching outfits, though.

Here are this year's treasures:

Here's to new traditions and embarrassing family photographs...

cherish them always!

g

run the race.

"Do you not know that in race all runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize."

I Corinthians 9:24 {NIV}

 Okay, so I did not win any prize when running the annual Thanksgiving Day 10K yesterday; however, I would like to think I ran in such a way as to win.

I have mentioned in previous posts my love of running,
and thought I would share how I
personally run my race...

1. Carb up the night before!  I dined on pasta and a breadstick...and plenty of water.

2. Get a good night's sleep.  For a new mama, six consecutive hours is awesome! :)

3. Small, healthy breakfast...with a little caffeine!  I had coffee, half a banana and half a bagel with peanut butter...and I made sure I ate more than an hour before the race.

4. Get there early!  Or at least early enough to hang out a little with other runners and get pumped up.  Runners are pretty crazy, awesome people with a lot of positive energy!

5. Have a sweet playlist on your iPod specifically chosen for your race.  My picks this year included:  Good Feeling {Flo Rida}, Moves Like Jagger {Maroon 5} and Super Bass {Nicki Minaj.}  Music that motivates is a must!

6. Focus on something important to you...especially during those stretches of the race that seem the hardest/longest.  The last mile I thought about my baby.  How I want to set a healthy example for him.  How I want us to have a tradition of running this race together someday {hopefully!}

6. RUN YOUR HEART OUT!  "Run in such a way as to get the prize."  I have found that it doesn't matter how long your legs are, how skinny you are, or often you run...the main component for doing well is running hard and having a heart to win.  And by win I mean run your absolute hardest.  Competing with yourself and going for a personal record.   Or heck, if you are competitive like me, trying to pass as many people as you possibly can.

7. Celebrate post-race!  For me, this time, that meant quickly getting home to drive a couple hours to a family gathering...but my runner's high lasted at least until I had enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner and time with the fam.

Much love and Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my blog friends...

I am thankful for YOU!

:)

g

mum overload

While one of the things I like most about autumn is the abundance of mums...I have found that there can be too much of a good thing.

I planted several mum plants that I had purchased a couple years ago in my perennial bed, crossing my fingers they would not die.  Well, they did the opposite.  

They went crazy and grew. And grew.  And grew!

Or at least the purple mums did.  They killed off the other two colors and became so large they were hiding my garden buddha statue and so heavy they no longer could hold themselves upright.

So I had to hack the mums in half.  

Yes, below is after I uprooted half of the plant.

Soooo many mums!

Our dumpster currently looks like a huge, brown plastic mum planter.

I know mums are not really ever used as cut flowers...but I couldn't resist sparing a handful 

for a pop of pink color in our bathroom:

 Love and MUMS!

g

{let's paint a chalkboard!}

Oh painted chalkboards, how I love thee!

And oh, how easy!

1. Go to Goodwill and find ugly, cheap art with glass insert and a frame that you like.

Ignore the condition of frame and ugliness of art.

(I paid 4 dollars for this 16x20 solid wood frame!)

2. Remove any inserts but do not discard. 

3.Clean and sand rough edges {if wood.}

 

 4. Paint frame desired color. Use several coats. 

 I used this olive green that I already had a sample of in the basement. 

You can also distress with sanding and antiquing stain, 

if you like that look and are crafty like that.
I'm not.

 

5. Paint the glass with chalkboard paint.  I did four coats.  I prefer actual paint vs. spraypaint for this project.  You can get a can for $15 at Lowes.  It will last you forever.  You probably can make about 50 framed chalkboards with it.  Another thing would be to first paint a coat of magnetic primer so that it can be a magnetic chalkboard.  A can of that is $20 at Lowes.  I was too cheap/broke to buy that this week.

6. When everything is dry, put your chalkboard {very carefully!} back in the frame, as well as any inserts you removed that will help hold the glass in place.

7. "Season" your chalkboard before using by taking a piece of chalk and rubbing long-ways all over the board.  {My apologies for not taking a picture of this!}  Then wipe away dust using a dry cloth.

8. Hang in desired location and write on your board!  I put this one in my kitchen for now...just in time for a UK game watch get-together!

 Who knows where it will end up though...

probably not outside, like in this photo:

Linking this here...

L*O*V*E

g