photo of the week

photo of the week

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Let's pretend I have a suitcase full of extra cash to blow on extravagant purchases. Its a little game I like to play---sort of an updated version of one I used to daydream about as a child, when I'd imagine all the goodies I'd snag if someone would pretty please just lock me in the mall overnight. Yeah, nothing philanthropic or deep here. This is head-in-the-sand, economy? what economy?, pure selfish escapism.

Let's start here. Oh my god, how I want to live in this.


Oh, what things I would do with you.


We'd look good together.
Especially if we had this with us, too. A bag big enough to hold all my things PLUS my camera in my favorite color, and in the prefect shade of red orange. Sigh.


Alright. Enough of this game. I am sick of this wanting. It was nice to daydream, though.

Dear October,

October is here. October is not good to us. We have spent 3 of the last 4 Octobers cooped up in hospitals. In 2005, Angus nearly died. Fall allergies and asthma are a bad mix. Especially when you don't know your child has either. The next year, Angus got pneumonia and I was busy having Noah cut from my body. There went October '06. Then last October, Noah had his first hospital stay. Yup, another fall allergy + asthma sufferer. And the kids got Hand, Foot & Mouth disease. (Thanks a lot, icky preschool germs.) There went October 2007 down the drain, too.

So this year, October....I'm begging you to please lay off the Browns. I'm not saying go bother another family---just that maybe you've picked on us enough for right now. What do you say? I"d really like to be able to enjoy your blue skies and cool temperatures, your hayrides and pumpkin patches, your crisp evenings and frosty mornings, trick or treating and cookie baking. What do you say , October? Can we be friends?

photo of the week

At 4

Being 4 years old really keeps a little person busy.

Comfort Food

Fall decided to solidify its presence on Thursday by blanketing us with a cold, wet, rainy day that called for lots of art projects, board games, block towers, and fort building. By our early-bird-special dinnertime it was already dark--- which is something I have been dreading. All summer we were spoiled in our routine of playing outside after dinner, so after a day of being cooped up it just kind of added insult to injury that it was already dark, too.

So naturally, it was the perfect day to bring back one of our fall & winter staple dinners of White Bean Chili. The recipe is from my mother-in-law. It is delicious and makes a ton, so there is plenty left over for lunches or freezing. You can adjust the peppers to your tastes. Following this recipe makes it rather spicy. Yum. Try it. You'll like it.

White Bean Chili

1 - 1/4 lbs. ground chicken or turkey
3 TB olive oil
2 cans Great Northern or Navy Beans
1 can vegetable broth
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Rotel or Mexican-style tomatoes
1 or 2 cans green chiles (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cilantro, or fresh to taste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Brown poultry in two tablespoons olive oil with onion and pepper. Remove to dish. Place remainder of the ingredients in pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Return poultry mixture to pot and heat through.

photo of the week

is this considered cheating, since my choice for the week is a triptych? let's say no. i really couldn't choose a favorite for the week, but i do love the grouping of these three together.

hello, fall. let's get to know each other better.

photo of the week

he's a dancing machine.

And for Katie...

This artist makes me think of my dear friend Katie.

You can buy prints here.

Go See.........

photo of the week

Because there's never been a photo that shows their very different personalities more.

More on Palin......

Jessica sent this to me and I just had to post it to pass along. I cannot stress how frightened I am by the prospect of Gov. Palin as a potential President. In this LA Times Opinion feature, Gloria Steinem puts forth an extremely articulate argument for why Palin is the wrong woman for the job. I am of the opinion that she is the wrong person for the job, male or female. She is a wolf in wolf's clothing, people. How are so many people seeing her a a harmless sheep? Anyways, here is a link to the article. Please read it.

I Love You, Matt Damon

Think about it, friends.

ASTROPUNKS

A while back, Sharon Lee from Sydney, Australia contacted me through Flickr and asked if she could use images of Angus' bedroom on her design blog called ASTROPUNKS. She asked me to elaborate about the room, the dresser, and the art and whatnot. I sent her photos and a little rundown and today she contacted me to tell me that the blog entry was up. Pretty cool. I love the room so much, so it feels great to have it recognized like this. Plus, there's an international shout-out to Chris Milk on there, too.


Here is the link to the entry at ASTROPUNKS.

it's been a good summer

it's been a good summer, originally uploaded by Hollis Queen.

i have a very good life.

go ahead, try it

photo of the week

photo of the week

yo gabba gabba

how great is it that this




and this



are on the same show? i like it when one show satisfies my kids' very different tastes at the same time.

Best, eh?

This article kind of cracks me up. I can just imagine La Leche Loonies all over America losing their shit right now. We all know breast milk is a great option, but this is really interesting. Especially the part about how researchers are afraid to spread the word about health risks for fear of there being a decrease in breastfeeding rates. But with numbers like these, why would your concern be bad PR? Shouldn't it be the children?

In a study conducted by Dr. Gordon of vitamin D levels in 365 mostly
African-American and Latino infants and toddlers, 40 percent had low levels and
12 percent were deficient. Although there is a debate about what levels are
considered deficient, one toddler in the study was found to have rickets, 13
children showed evidence of bone loss and 3 had bone changes consistent with
rickets.

Never Say Never

OK, so here's the thing. Noodle is a maniac. A gorgeous, kind, lovable, sweet, angelic maniac. The kid has a thing for danger and excitement that has Tony and I a little afraid for the future. He is so going to be the kid that accepts any dare without much thought. Thankfully, the kid was blessed with copious amounts of intelligence, coordination and strength, so he will probably be fine. But in the meantime, we find ourselves duking it out with him daily (OK, several times daily) over the hand-holding while walking in public thing. He simply will not do it. And he hates the stroller, which we use as the "OK, fine--don't hold my hand. Back in the stroller you go, buddy" alternative. He's going to be two in a couple of months, so I don't blame him for hating the stroller. He's been strapped in and pushed around for 22 months. A boys gotta get out and move about, ya know?

But here's the problem. I spend all day every day with the kid and I am sick of this fight and I think that the stroller is a lame option for a kid who has so much energy. So I am considering putting his butt on a leash for some outings. Not all, but some. So we can go for walks and let him join us without the fear of having him zip off and end up mashed inside some SUV's wheel well. Which is so hard to say, since I used to be SO against kids on leashes. But, I beg you, walk a mile in my shoes and you will see that this may just be right for him.

Tony is SO AGAINST the idea. (This is such an understatement. He is downright adamant about the NO.) He has quite honestly forbidden me to tether the boy. And I see his point. It is kind of lame. But, I think the idea warrants consideration. The way I see it, we need to examine what the best option is for this particular kid.

So I Googled "leashed children" and I dialed up some (surprise, surprise!!) Internet craziness. Whole websites and blogs devoted to the debate, and some just devoted to showing photos of leashed kids in point & laugh fashion. And after browsing several message boards, I stumbled along this one thread that was just so idiotic that I could no longer hold my tongue. Or fingers. Whatever. Every pro argument was articulate and specific. And every against argument was written by...well, by people like Kim here.

Says Kim: "Why the hell can’t people just hold their kids hands? Don’t demeanor your children they are not dogs. I work at a daycare and it is not that hard to hold you kids hand…plus children benefit so mutch from human contact."

To which, I had to pen:

"Hey, Kim....pardon me, but I find it difficult to value your well-stated opinion. Sorry to "demeanor" you, but I don't think "mutch" of people who have a hard time expressing themselves in writing at or above a third grade level. And, Sweet Jesus, you are teaching children. Oh, I'm sorry. Correction: You teaching children. Poor things.

Harnesses are perfectly acceptable for preventing catastrophic accidents that so easily happen to rambunctious toddlers. Who cares what others think of what you are doing to protect your own child? Each intelligent and involved parent knows exactly what methods will or will not prove effective in the raising of his or her own children.

I have two boys, a four year-old and an almost two year-old. The baby is minutes away from being one of the many harnessed children in America. He is naturally willful and strong and curious--qualities I both admire and appreciate. Having him stay put in the stroller on outings benefits only my older son, who has freedom of movement. The baby has no fun this way and gets no exercise and is generally unhappy with being left out of the action. Take him out of the stroller, though, and he thinks he should be allowed to roam freely and refuses to hold hands with an adult. He would rather throw a screaming tantrum for miles than to hold your hand for one city block.

I think a harness would solve this dilemma by giving him the illusion of freedom, while satisfying my need to know that the threat of him darting into traffic is gone. And yes, it is like leashing a dog. I do that too---to keep my dogs safe, not to demean them. Judge me all you want. Hell, I'll be laughing at the fact that my lunatic kid is so willful that he had to tied to me with a cord. But I will know he is safe, so who cares what you think."

And I don't really care what you think, but I sort of would like to know anyway. So if you do have an opinion, share it here. Especially if you know Noodle personally.

photo of the week

it was slim pickins this week. i haven't been shooting much. oh well. here it is..........

keep dreaming

now i am not usually one to whine about not having the ability (read: funds and/or freedom) to do this or that, because i am honestly satisfied with my life. BUT. but.....it would be totally freaking awesome to grab tony and whisk him away to this for the weekend. my bloody valentine! dinosaur jr! and it goes on and on.
and then there's this one coming up in december, curated by the melvins. sigh. just think of all the good-little-wifey points i could bank with tickets to that one.

cisco, by jt yost

our friend jt yost is an amazing illustrator. he makes pet portraits tailored to your pet's personality. this is just one of his many talents....he is also a musician, artist, and all around good guy. a while back he contacted me and asked it he could use this image of angus as the basis for a portrait of a chihuahua who is a bit of a momma's boy, and this is what he came up with. brilliant.

photo of the week

my wordle

you can make your own, too. thanks for the link, jessica!

photo of the week

damn, we look good!

this is seriously disturbing. i am so happy i never actually wore my hair this way. thanks to sharyn at mass distraction for this super fun link.

just in case

today i am patting myself on the back for being a good little girl scout and planning ahead and preparing our family for an impending crisis. storing canned goods & fresh water in the basement, holly? nope. scanning images into the old laptop. just in case the boys decide to love some of my favorite thrifted children's books to death, i thought it best to get proactive and scan in some of my favorite images. not all of the books, just the rare vintage ones that will be difficult or impossible to replace. you know, so i don't have a breakdown on the inevitable day that they both decide they need to read the same book, alone, at the same time. we all know how those situations usally end---something's broken or someone's hurt, or both. at least now, i won't be adding to the drama with tears over the demise of The Tent. it is safely duplicated and resting, albeit in binary code, far away from tiny little page-ripping hands.

how it all began, originally uploaded by Hollis Queen.

good little goodies

my friend noelle is this tiny little gorgeous sassy fireball who crafts incredibly cute one-of-a-kind handmade things. handbags, pillows, dolls, accessories and then some. she's just crafty like that. just look at these little dolls she whipped up. i have one of her shoulder bags and get compliments every time i have it out. now for one of her leather feather clutch numbers.....

she had her first baby in june and still found the time, energy, and fortitude to whip up some adorable new things for her shop. so go ahead and treat yourself to something special, and feel good about your purchase knowing that you're supporting a super cool little family.

photo of the week

and also,

the boys and i are currently attempting the memorization and execution of this fabulous number. you may remember it from the beginning of ghost world. a local radio DJ whose show has since come and gone used to play the song alot so the song has kind of woven itself into their subconscious. they knew it even before we viewed the dance scene together for the first time. watching them go apeshit for it slays me. maybe i'll post a video soon. stay tuned.

fifi lapin

sweethearts, originally uploaded by *FIFI-LAPIN*.

happy thursday! i have a long day ahead of me waiting for the electrician to arrive (who knows when?) and then complete (ha!) the power problem in our garage. wish us luck. it could be a long day without the yard as an option for playtime. and, oh god! what if he needs to cut the power? it's supposed to be about 95 degrees today, no even counting in the humidity. urgh. time to get zen and make my mind over matter-ing happen.

something to share today is this image from one of my favorite etsy sellers and bloggers, fifi lapin. the artist dresses fifi the bunny and her mate sonny adorably in the latest fashion lines. oh, fifi. you're life is to be envied, you sassy little bunny. come be my pet and let's share clothes.

more specifically, do not forget the matchy set containing the blue chanel dress with the red cut-outs. that is my dream dress...i swear it is the very dress i have always known was out there, somewhere, waiting just for me. what do you say, fifi? call me.

can't get this out of my head

can you?

photo of the week

a splash from the past

cliff divin' sickleback brown, originally uploaded by Hollis Queen.

i got a scanner from my folks for my birthday, so i will be busily scanning in some old gold until the newness wears off or my eyes give out, which ever comes first. if you and i used to hang in the pre-digital days of the nineties and early '00s, check out the flickr site and get ready for some blast from the pastiness. this shot was taken out in louisa county during the summer of '97, the year that tony and i started dating. he and dave choi somehow managed to convince me to cliff dive into a smelly quarry from about 3 stories up. let's just say my entry was less than ideal. tony and dave, though....they dropped in like champions. and then we were each promptly maulled by horseflies and tore ass outta there. good good good summer times.

Photo of the Week

mon amie la rose

received in a message sent from tony with love on my birthday.

Photo of the Week

word up!

Angus and his cousin Sam memorized Captain Huggface's moves a few weeks back while visiting my folks. Ever since then, Angus has been giving a recital of his version of this performance for anyone who'll watch. And my baby is an uncanny mimic, so he has been blowing minds all over our fair city with his booty-shaking, roboting and moon-walking. Here is the original. Adopt a few of Huggy's moves and incorporate them into your own dance repertoire...you know, to keep things youthful and fresh.

Photo of the Week

Why I Love the FAIL Blog

see more pwn and owned pictures

Photo of the Week

Inspired by the my internet friend Jessica at gonzomama knits, I am going to add a new feature to the old blog. Each week I will post what I think is my favorite shot of the week. I think I will make this a Thursday feature, as I have something else planned for Fridays. Stay tuned for that. So without further ado.....

Aren't these swell?

Adorably Disturbing Cuddlies Follow the link to see all of the other creations, and to see the dolls' posteriors on display, which I think is the very best part....so slumpy and mopey and cute. They're so up Noodle's alley. I must remember this for his birthday.

Funny Ha Ha

Some things cracked me up bigtime today, and they are just too good to not share so here ya go. Plus I haven't posted in ages so I figured what the hell.

Well, this here photo is one of the funny things. Tony, I love you. Funny boys really are the keepers. Look at this man---straight up pimpin' through the wilderness with our double-wide stroller, ya'll. Holla!

Also, while driving through the city, Tony and I spotted an older woman (she looked ancient, but that just may be from hard living), dressed eerily similar to that hot mess Britney Spears in all those trash mag pre-psych ward shots. She was wearing a super short skirt, halter top, platform heels, big hair, fake tan...the works. She gave me the heebies and as we rolled past I pointed (such nice manners and such a kind heart, I know) and said, "Ick...cougar." Tony's reply slayed me: "Somebody call Animal Control!" I think it may become our new code for Prowlers.

And then a bit later on we took the kids to the river for a stroll around the Pony Pastures* and I made Tony & the kids escort me to the parking lot restrooms because they looked sketchy. "Walk me there," I demanded. "The restrooms look kinda rapey." Sometimes I make myself belly laugh and it usually is highly inappropriate. Plus, making up new words is almost always funny. To me, at least.

*Back in 1996, my old roomate Jenny and I went there to swim and saw some creep "watching" us and "entertaining himself" from the bushes, so I am well aware of the reality of danger in this specific location. That particular fellow didn't get away without a nice pelting courtesy of river rocks thrown by yours truly. My arm is golden...he was punished.

giggles galore

I think they might like each other or something.

Hey, Bo Diddley

thank you & goodbye