thirty postage stamps...

I ran across this idea while stumbling aimlessly one morning, in an effort to find inspiration... 

I love it. 

So, I am going to attempt to do this throughout the thirty days of September. I mean, i love to write, right? And I love to write letters... It should be doable, don't you think? 

Day 01 - Your best friend
Day 02 - Your crush
Day 03 - Your parents
Day 04 - Your sibling
Day 05 - Your dreams
Day 06 - A stranger
Day 07 - Your ex boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush
Day 08 - Your favorite internet friend
Day 09 - Someone you wish you could meet
Day 10 - Someone you don’t talk to as often as you’d like
Day 11 - A deceased person you wish you could talk to
Day 12 - The person you hate the most/caused you a lot of pain
Day 13 - Someone you wish could forgive you
Day 14 - Someone you’ve drifted away from
Day 15 - The person you miss the most
Day 16 - Someone that’s not in your state/country
Day 17 - Someone from your childhood
Day 18 - The person you wish you could be
Day 19 - Someone that pesters your mind - good or bad
Day 20 - Someone that broke your heart the hardest
Day 21 - Someone you judged by their first impression
Day 22 - Someone you want to give a second chance
Day 23 - The last person you kissed
Day 24 - The person who gave you your favorite memory
Day 25 - The person you know is going through the worst of times
Day 26 - The last person you made a pinky promise to
Day 27 - The friendliest person you knew for only a day
Day 28 - Someone that changed your life
Day 29 - The person that you want to tell everything to, but are too afraid
Day 30 - Your reflection in the mirror


I think it will be a good journey... I'm excited. :)

A bit jarred...

Quite some time ago I whined and complained about this beautiful oversized apothecary jar that I purchased at a home design sale for a steal of a price. It was one of those must haves, that- once home- I had no idea what to use it for. 

I used my blog as a tool to beg for your help- and I was given some great tips through your comments and emails. 

But still, there the jar sat. 

Every morning that i washed my face and every evening when i brushed my teeth it served as an oversized and incredibly empty reminder of my lack of creativity... 

I grew more and more sad. 

Then, (and I already hear the growing and annoyance as you read the next part-) I ended up coming into a bit of a lavender supply. {Sidenote: at the amount I've mentioned lavender on the internet, over these past two months, it's a wonder my name isn't among the top google search results under lavender...}

Well, interior happiness heaven shown it's light on me because I am quite happy with...

What do you think? 

Personally i LOVE it...

As you can see, I filled it with white/grey stones. then, downsized a large jar filled with dried lavender bouquets. For this sweet little dish, I used a couple of random soap bars and then made some small bars with lavender...  {of course}

So, since you are all so smart and stuff, I have another question for you:

Every morning I wake up and, VERY first thing- I wash my face. I use one of these-

It is the Neutrogena Wave, and honestly i love it. But, that's beside the point...
I am pretty anal about things. I won't use a washcloth on my face more than once. I won't keep a hand towel up for more than one day. These sorts of things just gross me out. (don't get me started on dishcloths.)

So, typically, every time I wipe down my bathroom, I use a Kirkland wipe. As far as wipes go- these tend to be my favorite. that being said, however, I feel like they are very wet and leave a really wet/icky trail. So then I end up paper toweling behind the wipe. It just feels really wasteful.
HOWEVER, the simple act of spraying everything down and using a rag- everyday, seems overwhelming and I question if I'd actually do it every day. PLUS there is the fact that I already launder three loads of towels a week. For a family of four...
yeah.
So... An aunt suggested wiping the counters down with my face rage and mild soap, daily with a weekly spray cleaner. She also told me she often uses her shower towel, when she's done and dressed.
Between us- this kinda grossed me out. I mean- wouldn't both the cloth and the towel have dead skin on it? I mean, sure- they are both "clean", due to the body/face soaps and encountering clean skin. But, there is also dead skin, right?
Maybe I am incorrectly OCD about this idea...

What are your thoughts and how do you approach daily bathroom tidying? 

LIFE Well Lived Mornings...

I was recently invited by Blogher's LIFE Well Lived to be a panelist and answer the following questions: 

What is the biggest time waster/issue you have when getting you and your family ready in the morning?  

What tips do you have to save time in the morning to get everyone out and ready on time?

Considering all of the whining I was doing in regards to having to establish to an early morning routine as everything about our morning lives was changing- I felt a wee bit proud that this was something I actually had something useful to say. 

I answered, “Making decisions is the biggest morning time waster. I make sure that everything, from outfits, to breakfast, to errands are lined out the night before so that our mornings are smooth, quick and stress free!”

I totally stand by my answers. On occasion that 5 a.m. alarm goes off and I don't want to get out of bed, but then I remember that everything is already done and getting out of bed seems less overwhelming than before. Though mornings have turned out to be much happier around Chez' Wagner than I'd ever expected, I can't help but wonder what you guys think...  

What is your biggest morning time waster/issue? What tips can you share? 

In addition to sharing your tips- (and PLEASE share, because I'm still a baby in all of this morning stuff!) I would love to encourage you to click here to and share a moment for your chance to win a $250 Visa gift card! 

Oh the utter craftiness of it all...

I like to pretend I am a crafty sort of girl, but really, I am not.
At any rate, such pretending requires a crafty space.
{Translation- My husband needs my craft mess/crap to not be everywhere...}

Awhile ago, while discussing craft organization, my girlfriend sent me this recipe to help. With lots of hard work, confusing conversations about math and dimensions, etc- my craft desk got the makeover of a lifetime...

The first two photos are "Before" images... It was seriously a sad mess.
The last four photos though show that pain in the butt foam board organizer, as well as all of my jars.
I really love jars.
A lot.

At any rate, I am pretty grateful to my husband for his patience and I am also feeling quite inspired by my sweet little space... 

Today...

Is possibly the saddest day I've ever had... 

She was so cute and so funny... ALWAYS made us laugh... 

She will always be SO loved... 

She was always SO smart...

Her last days... 

MIA for a few days... sorry... 

This could be your lucky day...

Ok, you guys... Amidst all of this sadness I've got something REALLY FREAKING GREAT to tell you! 

Are you ready? 

I conversed with the author Laura Harrington on twitter! Anyone who reads this blog, is on my FB or has seen me at all this week knows that i DEEPLY loved her book... 

My husband will be the first to assure anyone who asks that: 

- I am overly critical. 

- my "favorite" lists are seldom penetrated. This goes for film lists, music lists AND book lists. 

- I still have not shut up about this book. 

- This book is now on my favorite list, and quite possibly MY FAVORITE book. 

The truth is, I checked this book out, from the library, on a whim. I was sad about Makaila's cancer diagnosis and needed a distraction. As I mentioned before, after the slew of horrible books I read, over the summer- my hopes were at a reasonable low. I am now going to buy this book (which I read in one sitting, completely immersed in it.) as well as a brand new highlighter because Laura's writing style is simply stunning. I NEED to make certain lines stand out. It took every ounce of self control I have to not underline the library's copy to death... 

The thing is, I am so jealous. So jealous because Laura and Penguin offered to give two of my readers their very own copies of Alice Bliss. You guys are so lucky!!! (well, two of you, anyway...) 

So, here's the deal: 

- 1 entry (and you WANT to enter. you WANT to win this book. I promise) for commenting. In your comment tell me your book recommendation as I need some more good reading! 

- 1 additional entry if you tweet this giveaway. (leave the hyper link in a comment) 

- 1 additional entry if you blog this giveaway. (leave the link in a comment) 

- 3 (yes, THREE) additional entries for every person who enters and says they came from your blog. 

- 5 entries if you go to Twitter and follow Laura, AND Penguin Books AND me!... {remember to come back and comment, letting me know!}

Make sure you leave your email OR your name links to your email... HAPPY READING! 

Entry Deadline is Wednesday August 31st, at 11:59 p.m. 

and i shall call her...

nothing! 

No, really. i don't make a habit of naming my stuff... 

But I am pretty sure that she is a she, which some people may find ridiculous but I really don't care. 

i adore her and think she is absolutely stunning!

I picked up a couple of special freelance projects, over the summer, and pooled my earnings towards the purchase of this Vintage TLR camera. {I have had one nestled at the top of my personal wishlist for pretty much ever.} i haven't shot with her yet as film is impossible to acquire locally and I've been too consumed with doggy sadness to pursue it online. 

i did buy her online. About a month ago. My very overpriced, priority (2-3 day) shipping was a bit more like 23 day shipping. And the customer service i received would have been more respectful/thorough from a rock. 

BUT, no matter, she's here...

Being that she is vintage AND that the seller is a less than honest individual- there is always that possibility that I was ripped off and this camera won't work. 

At this point, suffice to say, I am trying to stay optimistic. 

I just wanted to show off my girl, and brag a little. 

I am done now. 

A Mere Distraction...

If you are keeping up with things around Chez' Wagner, here at Rainy Day in May- then you already know about our super sadness... As you can imagine, we've been in the market for some distractions. 

One came in the form of ice cream, and one in chocolate. A major one has come in the form of lots of sleep... When not sleeping or delighting in chocolate and frozen heaven though, I read a book and watched a movie. 

And counted the hours til' the Glee Project, but that's an altogether different thing... 

The book I picked up, expecting not to be able to get into it due to my heavy heart was Alice Bliss. Not only did I manage to get into it- but I could not put it down until I had turned the last page. LOVELY! 

I am so incredibly sorry that I left my readers to such torturous books this summer when this amazing piece of literature was out there... 

Thinking that I was on a roll, i ran down and rented this movie: 

The Romantics... Have you seen it? 

I've been waiting for awhile. Such an amazing cast, and let's face it- I have loved Josh since his All My Children days... 

It was interesting. Quirky and bizarre. Dark in strange ways. An awkward human study where, at the same time a part of you questions if humans are really like this odd study portrays. It had strange musical moments or amazing ones. Believably deep performances and some of the cinema shots towards the end were phenomenal. 

Over all, although distracting it was not really what I'd hoped. 

Too bad... 

Tomorrow I plan to start Plainsong, to which I saw the HORRIBLE Hallmark movie for- and found myself completely intrigued by the novel. Also, while my husband scrolled through years of digital photos looking to soothe his soul while Makaila slept beside him- I got busy and {finally} joined Good Reads. Addictive. Are you on there? If so- find me! 

So, tell me- chocolate and ice cream aside- what are your "go to" distractions when your heart is aching? 

Guidance Counselor...

Someone, somewhere, is crouching and waiting to give their opinion. Always. 

Apparently there is someone (or more than one someone) who feels that my post about my dog implies that she is laying on the brink of death and that we are, in reality, heartless and cruel dog owners planning on senselessly killing our beloved pet. 

Allow me to set the record straight, and if I did imply that things were different than they were- Then it was likely due to overwhelming grief. 

{Because, you know, I LOVE my dog.}

-She still eats, twice a day. 

-She enjoys "cookies" and other treats. 

-She plays, some. 

-She sleeps a lot. 

-She is mobile and, when excited, completely full of high energy. 

-She is still bossy and barks whenever she wants. 

For someone who is not here every bit of the day, with her, she might even seem like the same exact dog she was a year ago. But she isn't. 

When she goes outside, to go potty, she squats for almost 10 minutes. After those 10 minutes, she releases less than a tablespoon of urine. This is because she has a cancerous tumor, in her bladder. the tumor is placed in a way that surgery is not an option. She would go into immediate kidney damage and die. 

Her bladder sits between 95 and 100% full, all of the time. Her urine is backing up into her kidneys. The early stages of kidney failure are setting in. At this stage that looks like clumps of hair just falling out, mild diarrhea and vomiting when her bladder gets too full.  This typically was occurring around 2 a.m. and again around 5 a.m. but we've started setting alarms to take her outside so that she does not have to endure that. 

There is a medication we can give her that will simply slow the cancer progression, prolonging her life by up to three months. We love her, we are selfish- of course we considered this. In fact, my husband who is not ready to say goodbye, decided this. Until the reality struck me that an incredibly full bladder is so painfully uncomfortable and she lives with that EVERY DAY. 

Could we ask her to endure that, and worse, because we weren't ready to let her go? 

We have read up on actual kidney damage and what that looks like. It's gruesome. I can't see her like that. Our sweet pets, who become such a vital part of our family, they don't have voices to tell us when they are hurting. They don't have a way to communicate what they want... But when we visibly see her decline (even if it's just little bits) everyday, we have no choice. 

She deserves to enjoy her last days.

As it is, we have no way of knowing how much pain she is in. 

We decided to give her a week. A week where every day we dote on her, love on her and give her things she loves. A week where we can try to process this significant loss that we are inching closer towards. 

As her people, who love her, this is our decision. While some people have made it clear that they feel killing her when she is "fine" makes us horrible monsters- we know that interceding for her, and breaking our own hearts before the quality of life is greatly reduced to one of complete hell for her, is the right decision. 

The thing about this stage of things is that they can turn south, fast. The vet said, without medication, we were looking at weeks left with her. If things go downhill, we will move up our appointment and put her to sleep sooner. 

To those of you who have sent sweet emails, and comments- thank you... Truly, thank you. 

Our Girl...

There are so many things that I have no clue how to do. 

So many things I am not, at all, good at. 

Dealing with heartbreakingly sad things is one of them... 

I've been told I go one of two ways. 

I either completely shut down, OR I become the robot dealer. 

Several weeks ago when we came to the hard realization that there was something seriously wrong with our sweet golden retriever Makaila- Chw and I had the talk. We hypothetically made all of the hard decisions so that when the time came- we wouldn't selfishly go to whatever extent possible to prolong a dying life. It was sad, and teary- but still hypothetical. 

Yesterday morning Chw went for his bike ride and then came home and made blueberry pancakes for his girls. He went in to work late because he had to take Makaila to the vet, as the medicine prescribed was not working. I was staying behind to take Amanda to the airport as she was scheduled to fly to Vegas for her best friend's wedding. 

It all went downhill following the pancakes... 

Majorly delayed flights. Work issues. School stresses. Cancer. 

My dog has cancer. 

The vet assured us that there are options though. 

A medication that could give us about 3 months. 

A $4000 surgery that could give us close to 10 months. 

Neither of those feel like options, honestly. 

To the world she is just a dog. 

To us, she is a part of our heart. She was the sweet baby puppy we adopted when we knew we'd never have a child of our own and that we needed to move on. 

To our youngest, she is the best friend who has been there since she came to be our daughter. 

The idea of home without her feels nothing like home at all. 

We are in an impossibly sad place- and as hard as it all feels, we've decided to celebrate the beautiful girl she is, and has been for us. We have a week or two- and over those days we are going to make sure her days are filled with things she love, that help her feel loved. We have been so blessed with such an amazing pet. She has protected us, loved us faithfully, cheered us up, nurtured our heart breaks and created a trillion and a half amazing memories... 

Send your positive energy, thoughts and prayers for us please... 

And I'll show you mine...

The other day I wrote this post, about Home and the idea of homemaking. Since then I've been thinking a lot about the things that I feel make my house feel like home... I thought I'd put together a little list...

- good quality lamps. (I hate overhead lighting.) And, if you ask my husband, I have too many lamps.

- various pillows, throws and blankets, in a variety textures.

- family photos. You learn it in attachment parenting- but it's important for family members to get that visual sense of belonging... I keep photos of my kids everywhere. They remind me of my overflowing cup...

- Color!!! {!!!!}

- beautiful books. I don't know why, and minimalists everywhere will cringe, I am sure.

- a scent I love. It could be a candle, or through a scentsy pot... I prefer Scentsy and have various pots and plug ins through the house.

- fragments of our family. Maybe it's keepsakes, starfish from the beach, pottery from New Mexico, etc. As far as I am concerned, it does not have to fit into a theme- it's about our family...

- a pet. I know a lot of people aren't animal lovers and that is fine, but we are and our home really is complete (Cue sappy Jerry Maguire music here) because of them.

- Family heirlooms... 

- a personal space... whether it is to read, to write letters or to work on something more artistic. Everyone needs a corner. {In case you need a reminder, mine is HERE!!!! }

- lavender... I know, I've said it before, but I really do believe it helps us sleep better.

- a variety of cozy, warm beverages to sip from or to offer to guests.

A few of you said the things about your home that made it "yours" the other day... Being that I love home stuff, these were some of my favorite comments and emails. Taking it one step further, I'd love to read your lists... :)

Good Morning, me...

I couldn't sleep last night. 

I couldn't even pinpoint why. I was just, completely, wide awake. 

When I finally gave up trying, I crawled from bed and began my morning routine- to which I now do without any trouble at all. 

I washed my face. 

I poured a cup of coffee. 

As a special, first day of school, treat- I put cinnamon rolls in the oven to rise, before baking. 

I read for awhile. 

When it was time, my family began bustling and moving about. 

We talked. 

We ate breakfast. 

I watched Genny, my baby, put together the clothing ensemble she's been stressing about for weeks. 

She flat ironed her hair. 

She donned blue eye shadow and a pale pink lip gloss. 

She grabbed her lunch money, her back pack and hopped in the car. 

Nervously, 7 minutes later, she finally took a deep breath and climbed down to the pavement. 

You'll have such a great day, I assured. 

I hope so, she sighed- obviously unsure suddenly. 

She ascended up the steps as I backed from my parking space. 

She stopped and turned, waving at me, she blew a kiss and mouthed "I love you." 

It was not until that moment that I even felt like I wanted to cry- and by the time I realized it the tears were hot upon my cheek. 

It is this part of the routine I don't know. 

The house quiet part. 

The time on my hands part. 

This might take some time... 

paper butterflies...

Home is a pretty big concept to some of us. While the world is seasoned with home veterans, who grew up in places warm, safe and inviting- the world seams overflowing with those of us who didn't. 

And like, with everything else, we often find ourselves fumbling around in an effort to find some guidebook that sums up exactly what a home should be. 

Some of us turn to Pottery Barn catalogs, movie/television sets and blogs. 

We open credit lines at furniture galleries.
We max out credit cards.
We keep looking and trying to create that flawless showcase home which balances the perfect amount of staged, lived in qualities while it also helps the people in it to look as happy and content as the glossy photos inspiring us makes theirs seem. 

Some of us compare ourselves to the Proverbs 31 example and become Stepford Wives who eat, drink and breath the perfect image of submissiveness, well manicured beauty and quiet, well behaved children. 

Neither one really gets us any closer to the art of homemaking though. The truly amazing thing to me is that, despite popular slogans or cliches, a home only needs TWO elements to make it the best possible home it can be...

A spouse does not make a home. 

A Child does not make a home. 

A dweller does. A. One. One person living within a space- be it a trailer, a tent, a loft, an English Tudor. The means of the shelter does not matter so long as one person lives there. 

Furthermore, that residing soul does not need an endless line of cash/credit. 

They do not need an artistic spirit. 

They do not need incredible painting skills, or amazing antiques and collectibles. 

They only need to be authentic. 

In case you are having trouble following, let me sum it up for you: 

ONE person + housing structure + authenticity= HOME

Simple! Say, hypothetically, you adore the color salmon and you don't know why but you just love those x-ray botanical prints, teddy bears and the smell of candy corn then by all means, fill your home with those things that you love and you will get it. 

I am grateful that I have a beautiful family who fills my home, but this was not always the case. Through infertility and an early hysterectomy as well as a bitter divorce which left me suddenly single- I found myself creating a true home, (true= TRULY me) for the first time. All of the time I'd wasted designing the most beautiful nursery I could imagine, pointless... All of the time I spent designing spaces for other people, wasted... And with $40 I bought this yellow daisy comforter, a daisy wall print, a butterfly cut out and several 12x12 sheets of paper. At days end my walls were covered with paper butterflies and I felt, for the very first time that I finally had a place where I belonged. 

It seems like we always have someone telling us it is peaceful here, or nurturing. Honestly, I think the main attraction would be the energy. Not to sound all hoky and weird, but no one feels at home in a model home showroom- no matter how expensive the decor is. You know? Because it feels cold and detached. A home truly is simply an extension of the people that are in it. 

Look around you, wherever you are. What is one thing that catches your eye that you know is an authentic element of YOU? 

the image above was taken from   Beach Cottage Studio

Stolen late show...

I was pretty lucky to catch a showing of The Help... 

Honestly, I feel like I know a trillion and one people who have been dying to see this film- and therefore waiting on pins and needles for just about a year. It seemed like, as press photos came out and every major motion picture sported the trailer- that August the tenth would never come. 

And then it did. 

Everyone was facebooking and blogging about going to see it. 

And maybe it's just my little Idaho world askew, or something, but I've got to tell you that I was more than a little surprised at the lack of grandiose reception theaters seemed to be giving it. 

Maybe other people had different tales but ours was already allowing discount passes (which usually doesn't happen until a film has been out for weeks) and the only screen they were showing it in was the smallest auditorium. 

All of that aside, I truly loved this movie. 

I'm pretty much never a fan of film from novel adaptations. This one though, was good. Things were changed in relevant ways. It was good. Nothing was lost, I felt... 

The ONE thing I would have changed was the way the Minny, Celia, Johnny storyline played out. I loved in the novel when he knew about Minny, but she was sworn to secrecy. The whole plot added much needed funny... This movie could have used a little of that. Otherwise though, not a single complaint. I loved it. I loved it equally as much as the book. 

And that sweet little Mae Mobly (played by twins, of course) broke my heart. 

Ninety-Nine percent of the tears I shed, were due to her. (er, them...????) 

Lovely. Just lovely. Lovely to look at. Moving story. 

Haven't seen it? Do. 

Haven't read it? Do! 

One won't ruin the other... 

Beauty...

It's been awhile, but I want to get back into regularly participating in Five Minute Friday... Today's theme is Beauty... 

GO- 

It is not in these early morning hours that I expect to think on such things... Such things as beautiful ones. Every night, when I close my eyes, I expect the morning to find me feeling sorry for self- who am I kidding, feeling selfish really... But something about the stillness, the quiet, the air... 

something about the cool floor beneath sole, the cold cup encompassing warm drink. 

I can't help but feel it, think it, see it. 

Believe it. 

Beauty. 

Beauty in uncombed messy bun and freshly scrubbed skin. 

Beauty in bed headed child, stretching and padding her way to the breakfast table. 

Beauty in morning husband kisses, beautiful daughter smiles, silly dog impatience. 

Cracking eggs, toasting breads, scrubbing pans. 

Beautiful because it's real. 

I belong. 

The sun rises and greets the day in a way both stunning and genuine. 

I try to absorb and remember the moments, the feeling, the glory. 

Beautiful. 

Even in the earliest of mornings, life is beauty. 

I am beautiful. 

STOP. 

Third time is most definitely not a charm...

Maybe I am becoming an old reader. 

Three books this summer, and as far as I'm concerned- three let downs. 

While there were aspects of the first book that I enjoyed, it has been completely down hill ever since. 

This month's book was Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah. 

*sigh*

When I chose this book, which was (I'd like to point out) a highly recommended book club selection- I was sure that the bad book streak had taken a turn for the better. Then when a few friends raved about how much they loved Kristin Hannah, I was even more certain. 

Que disappointment... 

Bottom line, I don't love the story. I felt like I was watching a very poorly scripted melodrama be even more poorly acted out. I didn't feel like the dialogue or actions were genuine with the characters, except for maybe a handful of times. And although I am not at all a prude, I felt like the beginning worked too hard to paint them as respectable people and then- as the story line progressed, forced crass vulgarities into their characters in crude ways which did not fit. 

By the time I had reached the half way point, I felt like I had read the same situation, with forty different details, over and over again. Conversations were always the same. Nothing fit. It was like a thrift store puzzle box containing pieces to twelve different images. And worst of all, there were multiple times when I felt like the author was writing this story as though the reader was just an idiot who could not think for themselves...

There were, (i felt) weird inconsistancies. For instance, because it's a third person point of view, it was weird to me that the author chose to refer to her father as daddy. Daddy came out to great her. Daddy this, daddy that. It felt very first person. Lots and lots of little things like that annoyed me. So many melodramatic thoughts followed by interactions that, again- I felt, did not line up.

Being half of a reconciled marriage, and knowing the book would head in that direction, I really wanted to identify with it. I wanted to relate but I couldn't. And while all of these details and instances painted Jack as the selfish husband, Birdie wasn't any less of a selfish wife. Sure, she'd lost her identity but as her best friend pointed out VERY early on- that had everything to do with her and it wasn't anyone else's fault. Yet, she continued to try and convict Jack for that. Her life, her Jack centric life, had been designed by her. She did that. Birdie also chose to see Jack, ignore his feelings, punish him by being complacent. Honestly can not list every way in which this book annoyed me.

Before I get any criticism for not being sympathetic to the wife and mother plight, let me point out that I am a wife and mother. In fact, after only 5 short years of marriage, when we divorced, my world was so wrapped up in my husband that I truly felt stripped of anything real when he left me. I had nothing. No passion, no personality. No nothing. We do that to ourselves. Sure, we can get busy in child raising and meal fixing that we lose sight of things... BUT we choose to ignore, choose to be lazy rather than nurture ourselves... We choose. It doesn't have to be that way...

So yeah... curious to hear your thoughts...

Dilly, Dilly...

Finally... Finally the lavender is behind us. 

My family is incredibly grateful... 

We were finding little lavender buds, crunchy, everywhere. And though the house smelled completely amazing, I am glad the drying season is passed us. 

Have you ever taken on the task of such a thing? 

I had bought a bundle, once, from the Farmer's Market for the soul purpose of drying to put in saches and body scrubs. But one little bundle was nothing compared to a basket full.  

 Nine times my dehydrator was beyond overflowing of these beautiful stems. yes, NINE. 

And when the seventh load revealed that we still had half a basket, I went to bundling them and hanging them throughout the house. By beds, on doors, strung across doorways... it was lavender central. 

Everyone's help was eventually enlisted in destemming the dried buds. My finger tips were cut up and bruised.  

 I think poor Chw thought it would never end. 

Anyone who knows him, knows just how anal he is about the carpet. He and our dyson were having lots of bonding time for sure... 

Though Gen and I got into a good daily routine of drying, destemming and cleaning up- only to start again, the weary expressions of everyone looked much like this, near the end of the process... 

So glad it's over. 

SO abundantly grateful for the lavender. 

Will I repeat the process next year? Absolutely! 

All American Me...

Good morning!
Not a horrible thing to start a morning off, is it? This night owl turned early morning riser, (not always by choice) has developed a theory... If more people woke up to things as stunningly beautiful as this, the world might be more filled with early a.m. smiles...

See?!?!? I am doing it! By this time, (when i poured my first cup of coffee) I had already washed my face, started a load of towels to hang on the line, and preheated my oven. I am sure you are reading this and going "wow, great, yay for you... now tell me sometime worthwhile..." 

Well, this is a HUGE accomplishment for me... 

But this helps... 

And between us, I guess i should fess up that it's decaf. It isn't even "real" coffee... but psychologically, the taste of coffee associates "morning" for me. And honestly, I am wide awake after I wash my face. Nothing feels as great as that! 

Which reminds me, remember when I was telling you that we here at Chez' Wagner were in hot debate over a certain coffee pot purchase? Well, we decided, {FINALLY} over the weekend- and thanks to Amazon's amazing prices- this baby arrived yesterday:

Happiness for the coffee drinkers (Amanda and I), for the tea drinkers (all of us), and for the cocoa drinkers (Chw and Gen)... 

This morning, at five thirty, there I was... Just sipping coffee, baking cinnamon bowls for my beautiful family to fill with yogurt, fresh granola and sliced strawberries. I was stirring juice and just happily content. Gen had about half an hour to sleep and Chw and Amanda were on their early morning bike ride. 

I felt so "all american". So Suburban normal. 

Well, except for the fact that neither one of those are synonymous with "happily content", but whatever... 

The older I get, the more I really do buy into the belief that it is the little things that matter most. The precious moments hidden under the throw rug of average times. The mornings. The evenings.

And there is no denying that it doesn't get more American than an evening of this- 

except, I have to remind myself, for the whole happily content thing. And you know, that's actually pretty sad. As was one of the movies Chw and I watched. (Biutiful) And it is wayyy too early for sadness... 

oh yeah, and P.S. those home canned pickles are remarkably awesome! :) {But probably NOT at 5:30 in the morning. I am not that great in the mornings.}