Me, discovering my life.

Nikolaus versus "The Padlock"

2011-09-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

My 15 ½ year old son is brilliant. So I thought.

Today started out like any other day. The sun was bright in the sky by 8:00am, and I was rearing to go and get my day started. Dave and I went to Starbucks, our typical Sunday morning tradition (yes, I know that today is Friday…just go with it) and had coffee and breakfast sandwiches before heading home to conquer our days errands.

Our son, Nikolaus, was up and showered and excited to get his school supplies. High school starts on Tuesday, and he wanted to get his binder, paper, pens and pencils before the selection was dwindled down to nearly nothing at the local Staples store. Dave and Nikolaus planned to go together this year, while I stayed behind (Yeah me!).

One of the items on my son’s school supply list was a padlock. He got this fancy-schmancy lock that has no numbers on it. Upon my first look at the device, I was sure that I’d forget the combination if it were mine, but Nikolaus was happy with it and that’s all that mattered.

Later in the day, Dave and I went to run some errands; take the dog to the groomer, stop by Guitar Center and the grocery store, before returning home for the evening.

Dave wanted to barbeque hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner, and I was happy to let him (no cooking dinner for me tonight). When dinner was ready, Dave went upstairs to Nikolaus’ bedroom to let him know it was ready for consumption. Fifteen and a half year old boys are eating machines, and our son is no exception to this rule. However, tonight he waived his dad away and said he’d be down in a while. Dave and I had a nice meal together, one that was much quieter than most and without our son. After which, I retreated to our bedroom to continue reading a book I had begun (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I highly recommend it.), and Dave planted himself in front of the television.

When Nikolaus was ready to make an appearance, I heard him open his bedroom door and glanced up for a moment to see him walking swiftly by our bedroom, giving me what I thought was a glaring look. Teenagers are moody, and this didn’t faze me in the least little bit. I continued reading and about 10 minutes later, I heard a knock at the front door.

I realized that no one was in the house when the knock occurred for a second time. The dog didn’t bark, and no one was running to get to the door to avoid having a parent answer it, which was likely to cause some embarrassment for the teenager in the house. I put my Kindle down, and made my way to the front door.

“Hi, is Nick here?” said a pleasant girl with long blonde hair. Her dad and little sister were waiting outside, and it looked like Nikolaus had plans for an evening date. I checked around the house, and Dave, Nikolaus and the dog were nowhere to be found. I went to get my cell phone, thinking that maybe Nikolaus had forgotten that she was coming, to text him of her arrival. As I was writing the text, another girl (brunette) showed up. (This is where things get a little awkward.)

The girls said hello to one another, and girl #1 (the blonde) asked if girl #2 (the brunette) was looking for Nick. Girl #2 said that she had come over to see Nick’s ear, and girl #1 said that she had come over for the same reason. The thought of my son’s ear tearing in half (he has small gauges, one in each ear) ran through my head, and I frantically tried to get my son or husband on their cell phones. If Dave has taken Nikolaus to the hospital without telling me, I was going to be furious.

I was unsuccessful at getting either of them on the phone, and told both girls that I didn’t know where Nick had gone. Neither seemed fazed by this, and they left quietly (Phew! I thought for sure I was going to have a girl-fight in my house.). I returned to my book, and hoped that nothing serious had happened to my son.

A few minutes later, I heard the garage door open, and the boys were back home. I went to the top of the stairs and yelled out for Dave and Nikolaus, asking where they had gone. Nikolaus walked up the stairs with a smile on his face and said “Nowhere.” I asked him again, and this time he turned to me and said “Alright, but you can’t get mad”, which always means that I’ll be mad about something he’s done.

Nikolaus reached into his pocket and pulled out the padlock that he and Dave had bought earlier in the day to show me that it was broken in two. “What happened?” I questioned as I looked down at my husband who was standing at the bottom of the stairs and was laughing almost uncontrollably. Dave managed to spit out “he got it stuck on his ear” between breaths of laughter. “You did what?” I said as my own laughter began.

Dave had taken Nikolaus to the local fire station just three blocks from our house, to have it pried open. When they arrived at the fire station, a firewoman in her mid 40’s answered the door, followed by two other firemen. Her first question was “how old are you?” which was followed by “what were you thinking?”. The firemen laid my son on the ground, and proceeded to cut the padlock off of his ear which had gotten stuck in one of his gauges, thus the reason he wasn’t able to get it off.

Here’s Nick with the padlock stuck on his ear.

Here’s the padlock after it was cut-off by the firemen.

And here is a shot of the gauge that it got stuck on, and is still stuck on.

Yep. My son is brilliant.

My latest guilty pleasure!

2011-06-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Extreme couponing...gotta love it.

My “Skinny Girl Margarita” Experience

2011-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Christmas came early this year, with a four (yes, that’s right, FOUR) case delivery of Skinny Girl Margarita’s to a local Marysville, Washington, liquor store. I’m getting ahead of myself already, so let’s go back to the beginning…

…I arrived home this evening to find my husband standing in our drive-way, talking to one of our neighbors and fellow Bethenny Frankel fan, Holly Wirtala. We chit-chatted for a few minutes, and eventually as it always does, the conversation came around to Bethenny. Admittedly, I began to complain that the Skinny Girl Margarita had not come to the far reaches of our lovely state when Holly surprised me with an, “Oh yes, it’s here.” To my shock, and much needed surprise, I quickly blurted out “Let’s go get it!”.

We climbed into my car, and raced down to the local liquor store. I dodged children, runaway shopping carts, and senior citizen’s before reaching the watering hole, all of which was worth the effort. As we walked in, the heaven’s parted and a beam of sunlight shown down on what was no doubt the most beautifully bottled concoction ever produced.

I couldn’t help myself. I saw only two and a half cases on display, so I grabbed a bottle with both hands (yes, one bottle in each hand) and made my way to the register with Holly close behind me, having picked up one for herself. The cashier smiled at me as she rang up the bottles, and mentioned that the cocktail was flying off the store shelves. She’d sold so many of the bottles since their arrival only a few hours ago, she was sure that they wouldn’t be around by Noon tomorrow (good thing too, I hear the world’s about to end,…again).

We galloped back to my car and sped down the road back towards the comfort of our homes. The excitement was almost too much for me, I couldn’t wait to taste the liquid that I’d heard so much about for the past year. Holly encouraged me to speed up, but I was concerned that doing 80mph in a school zone would be a bit much.

“I’ll let you know how I like it” I said to Holly as I threw the car in park, opened the door, and ran into my house with both hands firmly gripped on my Skinny Girl bottles. The anticipation was killing me. I opened my cupboard to look for an appropriate margarita glass to drink from, and was shocked to find none (time to make a trip to Pier 1 Imports to purchase some stemware). I made due with a tall drinking glass, filled it with cubed ice, and poured the golden liquid in.

At first taste, the agave tequila mixture moved ever so sweetly down my throat. It took a lot of restraint not to gulp it down, but somehow, I managed. My mind began to wonder about all the ways you could have a Skinny Girl Margarita:

· On the rocks, with salt or without

· Blended

· Blended with strawberries or raspberries, in a pink sugar rimmed glass

The list went on and on, and before I knew it, I had thrown back one drink in record time. Oh this was a happy ending to a beautiful day, for sure.

I can’t wait to see what Bethenny comes up with next.

Something new...

2011-03-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've started a new blog, The World According to Lulu, to chronical the funny sayings of the "Courtney Love" of five year olds. Lulu is hysterical, and for those of you who have children, I think you'll really enjoy it.

Thank you, Deanna, for letting me do this (Lulu's mom). Let the Lulu-ism's roll!

And the winner is...

2010-09-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

The winner of the Flowering Tree Botanicals 2oz. jar of Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub is...(drum roll please)...

MistySunrise!

Congratulations, and keep shopping at Flowering Tree Botanicals.

Flowering Tree Botanicals Product Review and Giveaway

2010-09-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a few toiletries from one of my favorite online shops, http://www.floweringtreebotanicals.com/. I also signed up to be one of their Product Reviewers, with hopes that I would be able to test some of their fabulous products (my friend Layla is the owner of the shop, so I knew my chances were pretty good…You should sign up too!). I could go on and on about why I love Flowering Tree Botanicals; they don’t test their products on animals (never have, never will), the quality of their products is outstanding and… this is a biggie for me… they’re affordable.

When my package was delivered, I couldn’t hardly wait to open it up and smell all of the items I’d purchased; one lemon/lime tennis ball sized bath bomb, one orange creamsicle tennis ball sized bath bomb, one lemongrass bubble bar, and one wild raspberry bubble bar. Each one smelled more delicious than the next. Included were two additional items that I hadn’t ordered, so I put them aside with intentions to send them back as soon as I could.

That evening, I received an email from Flowering Tree Botanicals stating that I’d been selected as one of their Product Reviewer’s for the month of September. I shouted-out a loud “WAHOO!” scaring my husband and nearly deafening the dog as I read through the email, excited to find out which one of the products I would be reviewing. And the winner is (drum roll please)… Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub in a 2 oz. jar. Ah hah! So that’s why there were two additional items in my order.

I quickly ran upstairs to open one of the two jars of Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub, and I immediately fell in love with the scent; not too strong, with just a hint of flavor. I wet both hands and used two fingers to rub a generous portion of the scrub on my left hand. I noticed how light and airy the product was, nothing at all like the peach and apricot scrubs I used as a teenager that were like sandpaper on my skin and made me breakout. The sugar in the Pink Grapefruit scrub was an excellent exfoliate. When the sugar melted away, the product formed a rich lather that moisturized my skin. “This stuff is AWESOME!!” I thought. “I’ve got to get the word out about this product.”

HOT ITEM PRODUCT GIVEAWAY: 2oz. jar of Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub

Since Layla included two 2oz. jars of the Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub, I decided to keep (and covet) the jar I’d already opened and give one away.

If you love bath products like I do and would like to win my second 2 oz. jar of Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub, here’s what you need to do:

Be the first person to…

1. Visit http://www.floweringtreebotanicals.com/ or http://www.layla.etsy.com/ (FTB’s Etsy shop) and post a comment on this blog about the product you like best AND the price of a 2oz. jar of the Pink Grapefruit Whipped Sugar Scrub.

2. Become a fan of Flowering Tree Botanicals on Facebook (www.facebook.com/floweringtreebotanicalsfans).

Good luck to those who enter and happy shopping everyone!

P.S. – Here’s where you can find Flowering Tree Botanicals:
Web: http://www.floweringtreebotanicals.com/
Etsy: http://www.layla.etsy.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/floweringtreebotanicalsfans

Bethenny, having a moment.

2010-07-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

We've all been there...this time, it's Bethenny's turn. Poor little mama. I have to say, I do love the show.

Happy Birthday Honey!

2010-05-29T22:00:00.001-07:00

Guess who turned 45 today. Happy birthday honey.

Step away from the technology!

2010-02-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, we didn’t have all of the technology that exists today. We had rocks, dirt and team sports like baseball, basketball and soccer to keep us occupied. There was no internet, no MySpace and most certainly no texting. A fun night in might have consisted of watching a movie on VHS and sharing a bowl of popcorn, or… wait for it… talking; actually having a conversation with someone.

I had been feeling a little too plugged-in lately, and had decided that I wanted to spend a quiet evening at home with “my boys” (my husband and my son). They both seemed agreeable to the idea, and we’re genuinely excited. We made a pasta dish, a family favorite, and began to watch “Forrest Gump.”

I even commented to both of them how nice I thought it was to be spending some time together as a family. (Aww!)

After dinner, we made our way to the couch to finish the movie. As we sat down, I noticed that both my husband and my son were playing a game, Words With Friends, on the iPhone / iPod, while we were watching the movie. I tried really hard not to let it bother me, but what I didn’t know at the time was that they were playing against each other.

As the movie played on, and as Forrest “jabbered on like a monkey in a tree”, I’d hear my son giggle with excitement every time his iPod would beep. My husband would do the same, only to mock my son.

Me: “What are you two doing?”

Them: “Nothing”, they said in unison, and looking ever so guilty.

Then I realized that they were playing against each other. “Can’t we watch a movie without the iThings?”

Them: “No”, again in unison with guilt dripping off their faces.

I let out a loud huff to show my disgust. My husband picked up on my change in mood rather quickly, and handed my iPhone back to me. Yes, he was using my “iThing”. He also agreed to watch another movie, sans the “iThings”, and to run out and pick-up a little treat for all of us.

The boys packed up and headed out to fetch us a treat, while I stayed behind trying to decide if I should torture them with a chick-flick or not. The mean girl in me really wanted to make them watch “Notting Hill”. I settled on “The Forbidden Kingdom”. Nothing says love and family like a good Jackie Chan/Jet Li movie.

Not a bleep or beep was heard out of either of them during the movie. The boys enjoyed the action scenes, and I enjoyed the visual effects. And in the end, we had the quiet evening I had hoped for...completely unplugged.

So I married a Rockstar…

2010-02-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

…Well, sort of.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I affectionately refer to my husband as “the Rockstar.” In my eyes he’s the kindest, most intelligent and captivating man I’ve ever met. He has a magnetic personality that draws people in and keeps them coming back, even when he doesn’t want them to. Due to his appearance, my husband is often mistaken for an actual rockstar. I guess it helps that he can play the electric guitar like Randy Rhoads, and bust out the tunes on a whim.

As the wife of this rockstar, I’ve had to endure a lot over the years; like the time when we were having breakfast at iHop, and I jokingly said to the waitress that he was in a band. She came back with a piece of paper and asked him to sign it for her.

Then there was the time when we were in Costco, and a woman and her husband came up to him and said, “Hello.” Clearly they knew who he was; you could tell by their level of excitement. My husband, however, had no idea who they were. He exchanged pleasantries and humored them for a few minutes before excusing us so we could continue on with our excursion. This tortured him for days. “How could I not remember them? And who the hell where they anyway?” he said.

And just last Saturday, we were followed through the grocery store by a very ominous looking man wearing a bandana and a leather jacket, just so he could get a better look at my husband’s tattoo’s. (He’s got one or two.)

One of my new favorite rockstar moments took place today. We needed to do a little grocery shopping and normally we shop at Albertsons; all of the Checkers know us by name and they’re happy to see us when we walk through the door. Today, however, we had decided to go grocery shopping at the local Safeway. Safeway carries a few soy based products that I’ve adopted into our diet that Albertsons doesn’t carry and we needed to restock our shelves.

We walked through the door, grabbed a cart, and began to make our way back by the bakery to get some bread. We strolled by the dairy section to pick up some milk, and as I turned around, I saw two young guys in the alcohol isle buying beer. My husband caught their eyes, and one of them lifted his hand to make the “rock on” gesture and yelled “Slayer!” towards my husband. Not one to turn away the attention, my husband turned to the young men and yelled back “Right on!”, then walked away with a smile. He had just bought a new t-shirt the day before that had Slayer written on the front, and was delighted that someone took notice, albeit one of his devoted followers. The other patrons were not as impressed, and pulled their small children away. (Secretly, I think he was proud.)

Ah, the life of a rockstar.

Negotiating tactics

2010-01-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

I'm seriously considering this for future vendor negotiations.

Man, it sucks to be getting older!

2010-01-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Twenty-ten has just begun, and already it’s “brining on the pain” as my husband likes to say. I had decided to visit the doctor for a checkup, nothing serious, just my annual physical. The doctor poked and prodded me like I was a piece of raw steak, and when he was done I received my complimentary lollipop along with my test results.

Now you’ve all heard me say at one time or another that I’m okay with the general roundness of my figure, in fact, I like it better than when I was slimmer mostly because I’m a lot less ‘hungry’. However, this year when my LDL came in 3 points higher than it had in years prior, and my glucose came in 10 points higher, it gave me a little scare. Not one to be down for long (a few hours for this situation, tops), I had decided to take matters into my own hands.

I came home and promptly told my boys (my husband and my son) that we had until Friday to eat every bad thing in the house. “Saturday we’re going grocery shopping, and we’re buying ‘healthy’ food!” I exclaimed with enthusiasm in my voice. You should have seen their jaws hit the floor.

To my surprise, my son was very supportive and excited about the change. He’d been bugging me about making better food choices since he’d taken a Health class at school and learned about diabetes and other health related illnesses that could be improved by eating a more nutritious diet.

My husband was equally supportive; although I’m not sure he thought I would actually go through with making the kind of changes I was talking about. I don’t actually think he’d seen me eat a vegetable in the last five years, so his optimism seemed a bit pessimistic.

Saturday morning came, and I was ready to start my new habits and do a little ‘healthy’ grocery shopping. My husband and I went to Costco (one of the most dangerous places on earth if you like their pre-made meals; creamy chicken Alfredo or meatloaf and mashed potatoes, yum!) with a short list of items to buy; Cheerios, almonds, red/green/yellow bell peppers, baby carrots, yogurt, Women’s One a Day multi-vitamins and red licorice (there were other items on the list, but this was a week ago, and I simply can’t remember them all). We made it all the way through the store without deviating from our agenda; to buy healthy food. I was both proud and excited that we had accomplished our task.

As the work week began, I had decided that I needed to start eating breakfast (up until last week, this wasn’t something I’d done regularly since I was a kid), and would alternate having yogurt with a slice of multi-grain toast and Cheerios with soy milk. I had also decided that in order to be more successful at this venture, I needed to eat more often during the day, so I took the 3 lb. bag of raw almonds I had purchased to work with me and put them in my desk. Twice a day, I eat roughly ¼ cup, give or take ¼ depending on how stressed I am at the moment. I’m a stress eater, who knew? Each day, my husband packed me a lunch; a Lean Cuisine, organic baby carrots or granola bar (awe!), and I began to drink water like it was going out of style.

Monday started out great; I resisted the urge to dip my hand into the barrel full of chocolate goodies that the gal in the cube next to me kept on her bookshelf, and when I felt I needed to chew on a little something, I would stick an almond or two in my mouth.

Tuesday was much the same, but by Wednesday I had decided that I needed to taste a piece of chocolate, so I indulged myself. I have to say, it didn’t taste as good as I had remembered when I was gorging on it the week prior, so I told myself that my new habits must be settling in and taking hold (Wahoo!).

By Friday, I noticed that I was feeling much better; my body wasn’t as sore as it had been and my joints weren’t as achy (Man, it really sucks to be getting older!). I even had a passing thought that I might go back to Taekwondo, but as I stated, it was a ‘passing’ thought. Exercise will be considered at a later time.

All in all, I’d say that week one was a success. No one was killed or maimed in this experiment, and no husbands or children were harmed. Next week might prove to be a bit more challenging, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Now, I feel compelled to say that writing all of this down and sharing it on my blog does not give anyone permission or the right to tell me that I’m putting the wrong food in my mouth. In fact, if you do, well, you’re taking your life into your own hands. The important thing is; I’m trying, and when it comes right down to it, that’s all that really matters.

30 Rock - "Klaus and Greta"

2010-01-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

I don't often watch T.V., but this was the funniest show I've seen in a long time.

Gravity

2010-01-02T00:12:00.000-08:00

It’s a little known fact that gravity gets particularly heavy in the Carmen household on weekends, and if it just happens to be New Year’s Day, well then it’s twice as heavy.

In our little town of Marysville, located a hair east of the Tulalip Indian reservation, holidays that take place in January and July are celebrated with an outrageously loud “bang.” Friends and neighbors gather to celebrate the season and all its festivities, and they bring with them barrels full of explosives to ignite at the stroke of midnight…and last night was no exception.

I had decided to take two Excedrin PM’s around 8:00pm yesterday, (I don’t sleep well at night, and sometimes I need a little extra help getting to sleep because I just can’t turn my brain off long enough to relax and get to dreamland on my own.), and by 11:00pm my head hit the cold side of my pillow and I was off to catch my forty winks.

As the twelve o’clock hour approached, and I was nestled comfortably in my bed dreaming of sugar plums, I was rudely awakened by a sound that could only be described as “my neighborhood was under attack!”

Explosions of light, and the sound of bursting gunpowder, flooded my bedroom. The neighbors to the left and right of us had decided to light off a few fireworks to ring in the New Year, much to my chagrin. My husband and son walked over to the neighbor’s house to join in the bonding ritual, “OOO-ing” and “AHH-ing”, and marveling in the lighted display (and to make the ‘neighborhood menace’ lose his damn mind).

Somehow, don’t ask me how, after the cease-fire I was able to get back to sleep, but not without consequence. I didn’t sleep well and as a result, ‘gravity’ was unbearably heavy near my sofa the next day. It sucked me in like a baby latching on to his bottle and wouldn’t let go. I tried to get up a few times, but was unsuccessful. Finally, after many attempts to drag my ass off the couch, my husband pried me from my lazy slumber, hoisted me over his shoulders and carried me off to his mother’s for a delicious family dinner (Have I mentioned what a good cook my mother-in-law is?) to celebrate the first day in the new year.

My husband says that the reason gravity is so heavy in our house after the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations is a direct result from the neighborhood trying to blow a hole in the space time continuum and create a ‘black hole’, without the use of red matter. I, however, was not impressed.

Did I mention that one of our neighbors owns a fireworks stand on the reservation?

The Badass Geek Blog

2009-12-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but this blogger makes me laugh. Check out "The Badass Geek" blog at: http://www.thebadassgeek.com

The Neti Pot is my new best friend

2009-12-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

I came home this evening with a wicked sinus headache that just wouldn’t go away. After taking some Advil and having a little something to eat, I wasn’t feeling much better. “Oh how do I get rid of this freakin’ headache?” I asked. Then I remembered something my friend, Maria Tally, once told me that she used for her sinus headaches.

Maria: Go buy a Neti Pot.

Me: A Neti Pot? What’s that?

Maria: It sounds gross, but will make you feel so much better. A Neti Pot looks like a plastic tea pot that you fill with warm water, put a saline packet into the water, and then hold it up to your nose and let the water run out the opposite nostril. It helps to drain out your sinuses, literally, so keep a small hand towel or washcloth next to you.

Me: You’re right. That sounds awful. Are you sure I won’t drown myself?

Maria: (Giggling at my comment about drowning myself) Yes, I’m sure you won’t drown. Just keep your mouth open and don’t try to breathe through your nose.

Me: Maybe I’ll try it the next time I get a sinus headache.

That conversation took place a few months ago, and, well, tonight was the night I tried ‘The Neti’. I read through the directions ever so carefully, cleaned the pot thoroughly, installed the warm water and the saline packet, and then began to flush out my sinuses with the salty-warm liquid. It was awkward at first; I kept closing my mouth and forgetting to breath, which caused the liquid to go down the back of my throat (not to worry, the directions said specifically that this was normal and that the saline solution wouldn’t harm me if swallowed), and I had the urge to blow my nose repeatedly.

After flushing out both sides of my sinuses, I could tell right away that my headache was dissipating (WAHOO!). I’m now breathing better, and I think The Neti and I are going to become new best friends. I’m seriously considering naming it, that’s how much better I felt after having used it once.

Now I realize that The Neti isn’t for everyone, but if you’re up for trying something a little different the next time you have a sinus headache, give The Neti a try.

You know you receive too many Christmas presents when...

2009-11-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

You know you receive too many Christmas presents when the next December rolls around, and you still haven't unpacked the presents you received the year before.

I was cleaning out some of the corners in my house that had accummulated ‘stuff’ over this past year (this is a bi-annual event, that doesn’t necessarily coincide with Fall or Spring cleaning), when I came upon a bag of Christmas presents from the year prior.

Me: What’s this?

My husband: Looks like last years Christmas presents to me.

Me: Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!

My husband: Nope. They just never got unpacked.

Me: I’ve been looking for this (I pulled out the Martha Stewart Egg Pocher that my mother-in-law had given to me). And what are these?

My husband: Those are the YakTrax mom gave me. Boy, those would have come in handy during last years snow storm.

Me: Weren’t we looking for them just after the holiday?

My husband: Yep.

Me: We need to be better about unpacking after the holidays.

My husband: You said it Sista!

Funny boy

2009-09-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked my son up from school a little early to take him to a dentist appointment. He was busy telling me how much he was liking school, and that he wished that I’d scheduled the appointment for a time after school. He was also explaining to me how he had discovered that he could write using non-permanent marker on his notebook, and then wipe it clean when he was done. He turned to me and said, “So, I could write “I love my mama!” on the front, then wipe it off…I mean, rub it in to make sure it stays on there forever.”

I laughed at him, because I know my son loves me. He doesn’t have to write it on his notebooks (besides, that would be really, really, creepy!).

This story, of course, reminded me of a time when he was little (I think he was 4), when I had kissed him on the cheek to say goodbye. Instead of acting embarrassed because I had kissed him, he swiftly brought up his hand, and began to wipe his cheek.

“Honey, why are you rubbing your cheek?” I asked him. “Don’t you like it when I kiss you goodbye?”

“I’m not rubbing it off, mama, I’m rubbing it in.” he said through the smirk on his face, as he began to giggle.

Good save even for a 4 year old!

106 degrees today!

2009-07-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

It was a scorching 106 degrees in Seattle, WA today, and just about everyone melted. That's right, melted! You get a bunch of soggy people who are used to Seattle's rainy season (Jan 1 through Dec 31) to sweat to death, and they liquefy! Literally right before your eyes, people evaporated into pools of H2O immediately after stepping out into the sunshine.

Darndest thing I ever saw!

You know you need a haircut when...

2009-07-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

You know you need a haircut when you're walking in through the North entrance of Qwest Field to watch the Seattle Sounders vs. the Chicago Fire game, and the wind blows your hair up your nose.

Jeanne Phinney Photography, part deux

2009-07-11T20:30:00.001-07:00

My favorite photographer, Jeanne Phinney, has put together two new flyers.

My new nephew, Brody, is featured in the red version.

Jeanne does such an amazing job, that I asked her to be the photographer for a mini photoshoot for ARTHURjane. Take a look at some of the shots below.

Because I'm Awesome

Fight Like A Girl

I'm Adorkable

If you're interested in setting up a photoshoot with Jeanne, you can send your request to jeannephinney@hotmail.com.

Have a FABULOUS summer everyone!

Boo-boo’s 3rd Birthday

2009-06-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 28, we celebrated my niece’s 3rd birthday at the Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater in Snohomish (puppet shows are all the rage with kid’s age 0-3). She had a blast singing on stage with her friends.

She even showed us some of the dance moves that she learned from her daddy.

The presents were a plenty.

And she loved the mermaid t-shirt with matching bag and doll that one of her three favorite Auntie’s made for her (that’d be me).

I wonder if I had as much fun on my 3rd birthday?

Now featuring “ARTHUR jane”!

2009-06-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

ARTHUR jane’s “Fight Like a Girl” t-shirts and apparel are being featured in two locations; Barclay’s Hair Design in Everett, and Progressive Fitness in Lake Stevens. (Thank you, Rick, Rojie, Chris, Jacob, and Andy.)

I'm looking for additional retailers who are willing to display the "Fight Like a Girl" t-shirts and breast cancer ribbon hats in their shops, and will direct people to my website www.ARTHURjane.com. If you are interested, please email me at: Mariann@ARTHURjane.com.

Next up, Oprah!

2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day Event in Seattle, September 11-13

2009-05-31T23:34:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day event in Seattle is being held September 11-13. My friend, Deanna Haviland-Chapman, will be walking/running in the event again this year and she is working to raise more than $2300. Please visit her personal 3-Day webpage to make a donation of $25 or more.

This year, I’m selling “Fight Like a Girl” t-shirts (pictured below) on my Etsy.com shop for $30 each, and all of the proceeds will be donated to help fight breast cancer. Each t-shirt can be customized (hair and eye color, and skin tone).

Front view of the t-shirt.

Left sleeve.

Left sleeve with optional "Survivor" underneath the ribbon.

If you aren’t able to walk/run in this year’s event, please consider donating to the cause. Remember, cancer free boobies are happy boobies!

Hey mom, I'm on Etsy.com!

2009-05-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. I've joined Etsy.com and listed a few of the onesies that I embroidered this past week.

Check out my shop at http://www.mariann71.etsy.com.