More Macro

I played with the macro lens again, but inside this time.

Princess Potato Head...
Eiffel Tower, obviously...

Anna's jewelry box prince and princess...

Aren't they a cute couple?

Fleur-de-lis necklace...

I had a Flare up

I had my cry yesterday, but today I've got stuff to do. Just to prove that I'm okee-dokee, here's a completely frivolous post.

I discovered Fred Flare when I was looking for the Twilight jacket several months ago. Yes, you can wear the exact same jacket that Bella wore. (I also know where you can buy her bag, but you'll have to ask nicely. ;)

ANYway...they have such C-U-T-E stuff that I had to share. You may have already known about this website, and if so...Why didn't you tell ME?!

Stuff I Want....

Camera ring, Holly Golightly sleep mask, Hello Kitty nerd wallet, Pac-Man bandages

Stuff for Roy....

Edgar Allan Poe action figure, Pocket Guitar Hero, Jaws shower curtain, #1 Dad trophy

Stuff for Techies....

Mini boombox iPod speaker pouch, USB webcam, Mix tape USB flash drive, Earbuds

I am SAHM, SAHM I am

This was my fourth week as a "part-time stay at home mom," meaning that Anna is now staying home with me three days a week. This is a big switch from going to school every day. She still goes to preschool two days a week, but that leaves ME in charge of her nutrition and education for three days. ME. The weekends don't count because we just play around. I knew she was getting a good education and nutritious meals five days a week, so we could be more relaxed on the weekends. Now, I'm responsible for making sure she eats veggies and learns to read. YIKES.

Ever since I became pregnant, my dream has been to stay at home with Anna. I was able to work part-time her first year, so I got to spend every afternoon with her and it was fabulous. But, she was a baby then and easy to entertain and easy to feed.

SAHM. The abbreviation is kind of annoying. Heather has her own version. The most fitting one that I could come up with for myself was: Slightly Anal Hell Monster. Roy would argue that "slightly" is not accurate.

Anna's preschool teachers would definitely be able to comment on my new nickname for myself. They have felt alot of my wrath lately as we've had many "incidents" that they needed to address. That is a whole other issue that I can't go into right now, but I'm sure they call me much worse behind my back. But honestly, she only goes two days a week now! You would think they could manage to follow regulations and keep her safe for TWO DAYS!!

ANYway, I'm proud to say that we've been doing pretty good here though. Anna is certainly enjoying more time at home. The first day she was here, I quizzed her on her letter recognition and we've been working on the ones she had trouble with. We do a letter per week and work on recognizing it, drawing it, and associating a sound with it, as well as words that begin with that letter. It really is fun to see her pick out letters she sees now and to know that I taught her that.

She loves the library, the mall and the park, but we've also had a ton of fun playing dress up and dancing around the house. She does a great job of alternating music with me so that we aren't listening to "Bop Bop Dinosaur" all day. She can sing the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack almost as well as I can. Some days are easier than others, of course. There were a couple of times that we actually yelled at each other, but I know we're closer than ever. She tells me everyday that I'm "her best friend," so I take that as a good sign.

Yesterday was a very good day. We made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. Then, we decorated Mother's Day cards for grandmas. She practiced writing some letters and was very proud of herself. We got out my beads that have been gathering dust in the closet since her birth and made a bracelet. She picked out all the beads and loved the result so much that she wore it to school and showed it to everyone.

This whole experience is weird for me because I feel like I am in limbo. I don't really consider myself a stay-at-home mom because I intend to get a job and am actively looking for one. However, no one wants me, so it could be awhile. I would like to be a full-time writer and photographer, but while I attempt to refine my skills in both on a daily basis, I feel like I'm not getting very far because I have to split my time between so many things. Marketing yourself online really requires a LOT of time. And then there's housework. Ugh. I just can't keep up with everything, so that suffers the most.

All of this plus the drama that I don't write about and the fact that next week would have been my due date makes me a very blue girl sometimes. So...I talked to my doctor and upped my medication yesterday. I hope this gets me over the hump. I really meant for this to be an upbeat post...kind of screwed that one up.

Expose Yourself: Day 3

Today's clue: Something I can't live without....

This is the Tiffany necklace that Roy bought me for my very first Mother's Day. I had it engraved with his, mine and Anna's first initials. It is my absolute favorite piece of jewelry, aside from my wedding and engagement rings. While I adore the necklace, the things that I truly can't live without are Roy and Anna. Since they are at work and school, you'll have to settle for a picture of their initials.

Obviously, I can physically live without material possessions, but I sure do love stuff. The living room has been my "office" for the past month because our home office is in a state of chaos right now. However, that should change this weekend as we finally got our new storage system, yay! The ottoman pictured above holds my Mac and iPhone, two things that I never would have asked for myself, but Roy purchased for me and now I can't imagine life without them. I always have the house phone and TV remote handy, in case I get a call for an interview (in case, ie: hasn't happened yet) or I have the sudden, unexplainable urge to watch "The View" (which also hasn't happened yet.) Then, we have my magazine stack full of sticky-tabbed pages and my legal pad full of sticky notes.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have a notebook full of sticky notes. You can write on a notebook, so why write on sticky notes and them attach them to a notebook? Because I am a freak. I love sticky notes almost as much as I love chocolate. I think of random things at random moments, so I grab a sticky note. Writing things down makes my brain sigh in relief because I was hanging on to that one thought until I could find a pen and paper, but now I can forget about it. And forget about it, I will, because that thing will never get done. No, the sticky note will fall off and get lost long before I remember to remember the thing that was so important that it had to be written down right that moment.

Not the Spice Girl...

Whenever we go to Winfield, the first thing I do is make a trip to my favorite little gift boutique, Posh. It is this lavishly decorated shop with everything from unique baby gifts to chai tea and everything remotely fashionable in between.

Next door is Josephine & Co., a home furnishings boutique, which is owned by the same people. If I was going to decorate a French lake home, that is where I'd shop. However, the six-foot tall greyhound statues probably wouldn't look good in my current little house. I love going over there for inspiration anyway.

I usually come away with jewelry and Posh did not disappoint this time. I found this nature inspired necklace by Two's Company. Unfortunately, the website only sells wholesale, so you have to locate a Two's Company retailer and see if they have what you are looking for, but that is why I love boutiques. Hopefully, you won't see 20 people wearing the same thing when you go out. I don't usually wear gold, but I'll make an exception for this piece.





We bought Anna a High Intencity Charms bracelet and whale charm on our vacation to the Delaware shore last summer and I added this pink "A" charm from Posh. Again, you have to find a retailer for that brand.

We also made a trip to Wal-Mart for some necessities while in Winfield and Anna was drawn to the toy section, as usual. I was shocked when I saw this vintage-inspired Barbie Case because it is just like the one I played with at my Grandma's house. I couldn't find it on Wal-Mart's website, but I'm sure they aren't that difficult to find in the store. It was $17 or so.


Anna is 3 years-old and already has 10 Barbies. T-E-N. That is more than I had my entire life. I blame Santa for bringing her the entire Disney princess Barbie set. What was he thinking?! In case you are wondering, that is 18 tiny shoes, 9 itty bitty necklaces and 9 microscopic crowns to keep track of. I've never been good at math, but even I realize that doesn't add up right. Hello--Ariel has fins, duh! And poor Mulan doesn't get a necklace or a crown. The Barbies are usually naked and I believe there are only a few of the accessories still remaining...just three short months after Christmas. Anyhoo, my point is that this doll case holds one doll and has space for some clothes and accessories. And, we got it anyway. Yep, Mattel blinded me with nostalgia. I'm such a sucker.

UPDATE at 7:45 pm: Anna now has 9 Barbies as she just snapped the neck of one. Apparently, this Barbie was hoarding the missing shoes. Let this be a lesson to all of you plastic girls out there--don't mess with Anna's accessories!

Twilight Necklace

I recently received this necklace that I ordered from Art Under Glass and it made me SO happy!! I'm going to wear it to my "Twilight" DVD release party. If you are laughing right now, you obviously haven't experienced the awesomeness that is the Twilight Saga and I am sad for you.



Becky sent me a personal email, let me add something at the last minute and then included a personal, handwritten note!! I was VERY impressed!! Support small businesses!!