snow day

and the snow is STILL coming down

raspberry hat

after giving up on the crappy free pattern for the braided hood on lion brand yarn's website, i found a way to modify it using my limited skills. and i actually like my hat better this way, to tell the truth. after i knitted the hood i made thin rectangular sections, sewed them to the base of the hat with yarn and then added fringe to the ends of that. it is really warm and long enough now to cover the back of my neck...that danger zone for chill. i finished this yesterday and was kind of bummed that i wouldn't much wear out of it this year, since virginia gets warm starting around the end of march. but today....today we have snow. real snow that is sticking to the ground and the roads and everything. bring it on, mother nature. snow us in. we have milk, toilet paper, bread, and warm knitted goodness.

hey, daffodil....

you sure are pretty and i'd like to thank you for heralding the start of spring year after year. you always seem to show up right when we most need a little proof of sunshine making it through the gray winter skies. but, seriously, daffodil. what's with your scent? yesterday i crawled around my house for 15 minutes trying to locate dog urine i was positive i kept smelling until i realized it was you and your freshly-picked friends sitting prettily atop my mantle. oh, daffodil...i don't know how to break this to you, girl--- but you smell like piss.

he draws like i dream

i first saw the work of anders nilsen on the covers and dust jackets of the hans christian andersen's fairy tales book pictured below and became mildly infatuated. even though i was not in need of a new copy of andersen's tales, i had to have this book. for the cover. he draws like i dream. his images tell of a place in that shady border between conscious living and the unconscious mind. it is moody and dark and deep and frightening and innocent and beautiful all at the same time. his images bear a cute familiarity...yet they manage to be cute without ever seeming trite, and then twist at once into something terrifyingly absurd. i can only describe his images as dreamlike---a tangle of the ordinary and the symbolic, both meaningful and meaningless, abundantly simplistic and haunting in their beauty.

Life Lessons with Deputy Dog

despite being aware of several of my what others might call personality flaws, (me, i call them "added bonuses!") mr. brown decided to marry me anyway. the one which is probably near the top of my list of annoying (i call them "unique") traits is my desire to have things neat & tidy. not just clean...Holly Clean. not that i obsess. i just like things to go where they go and for surfaces to be as clean as our lifestyle will allow. i have two kids and two dogs. one of my kids is allergic to our dogs. i have to be anal about this stuff. and it isn't that big a deal, really. especially since i am more than willing to do the cleaning--because, let's face it. if someone else does it, i will most likely do it again my way anyhow. and i'm faster than the average gal. it's just how i roll. again, there ain't no shame in my game.

and in the past four years i've spent as a stay-at-home mom, i've been able to hone my skills and pick up a few more. some of which i am not so proud. like the fact that i, much like your dog, have become able to identify the very different and distinct sounds of each car in the neighborhood. i know when Little Dick, our neighbor with the tiny little suzuki jacked up super high with gigantic wheels is coming home before he's even into sight. and when the little old man who cuts the grass for all the single moms on our street is heading home in his chevy cavalier. yet another reason besides my superior sense of smell for tony to have dubbed me Deputy Dog.

but i digress. i have many fabulous skills. one of them to be envied by all (i am so full of shit) is my ability to clean my house, all of it, in under an hour. and not just clean it---Holly Clean it. holla!

so here's how i do it. not that you care, but you may hate the chore and this is an easy and very quick way to get it done. i have a two-story cape. got an apartment or a one-story abode? sheeeeeet...you'll finish in 20 minutes, easy.

step one.....pick up all the crap that doesn't belong on the floor or in the room and put it in a laundry basket. repeat in all rooms until all the shit is up. then tote that shit around the house until it is all back in place. wait...your stuff doesn't have a place? i can't help you then. stop reading.

step 2, for those of you still with me......grab your bathroom & kitchen cleaning products and go spray/ sprinkle down the sinks, tubs, showers, toilets. leave this stuff to soak/ pre-treat.

step 3, ....dust.

step 4...vacuum. i follow it up with a good swiffering, too. but i have two asthmatic kids and two dogs. i go above and beyond because the kids' health depends on it.

step 5....mop? hell no. that's a sometimes task. step 5 is going in to the bathrooms and wiping everything down & rinsing. grime is gonna slide right off since you let it all soak while you were busy dusting & vacuuming. then clean your toilets. ick. i do it last, just like i always ate my vegetables last as a kid. save the WORST for last.

step 6...empty all trash bins.*


now you are fucking done. go pour yourself a cocktail or read or knit paint your nails or facebook or call a friend and gossip. you deserve it because, after all, you are a homemaking badass.

*on mondays and fridays....lookout! i get crazy and change sheets on 3 beds, too. and some wednesdays i mop. basically, i am way overqualified for my job.

pardon me.....

while i brag about my son's amazing artistic talents. the kid can draw just about anything right now, and in that innocent way that only a child can....a mix of fearlessness, imagination, and with complete faith in one's own powers of replication. i hope he never loses this talent. just look at this yoda. and this hulk. (i warned you at the beginning that i'd be bragging. humor me.)

the incredible shrinking woman

since summer i have lost 20 lbs. yay! but now i have no clothes that fit. boo! over the past two days i scored big while thrifting. a couple of pairs of jeans (Gap long & lean stretch...love them and delia's "morgan" jeans....so cute!), two sweaters, one gray long cardigan that i could live in i love it so, a vintage red plaid camp shirt, three random shirts, and two pairs of green corduroys. i know...two pairs of green cords? they were each too good a find to leave behind. oh...and of course my lederhosen t-shirt. f@#*%ing yeah!

i had always been thin, and told that i was too thin about twice a week for a long time, until i got pregnant with angus. then it was as if evil little elves were sneaking into my bedroom at night and forcing me to eat high calorie treats while i slumbered. i'd wake up heavier every day and not know how in the world i was getting so big. seriously. i gained 80 lbs. during that pregnancy. 80 lbs! ridiculous! i lost all but 20 of my extra jiggles within 15 months of angy's arrival, so it wasn't that bad. (yes it was. imagine yourself, only nearly doubled in size. i was terrified i'd look like that forever.)

and later, at the very beginning of pregnancy #2 it became clear that i'd had a non-functioning thyroid for some time and that it must have played a factor in that boom babba boom phase of my life. hormone changes + under active thyroid.....it was a long, hard, sleepy road. but then along came medicine, lots and lots of medicine changes over that pregnancy and then over the next two years or so after noodle was born. hormones are crazy active for a while during & after pregnancies, so i was all over the place. tired, hungry, hot & depressed and then BOOM!!! excited! racing heart! can't sleep! who needs food!? finally, my hormones leveled out this past summer and my metabolism decided to begin the hike back toward normal. hence the weight loss i have been achieving without actually trying. (which i think i deserve, given that for a year or more i was working out daily and not seeing any results at all. fair is fair, people.)

so, back after pregnancy #1 and again after #2, feeling totally discouraged about my new and unimproved body, i gave all of my skinny clothes to friends or charities. which i don't regret. i don't want to ever be a size 4 again. but i do miss having choices about what to wear that involve more than the "what fits?" factor. the ole closet is looking mighty slim on the skinny clothes now so i am on a mission to fill it with good stuff again. soon. now. and on a budget. okay...for next to nothing. there ain't no shame in my game, friends. you have cute size 6 stuff you aren't wearing anymore for one reason or another taking up space in your closet? bring it on. for real.

this is virginia....the end of march means nearly 80 degree temps, ya know. to all my ladies in rva, it's time to organize the spring/ summer clothes swap. i've been able to hold my pants up with a little help from my belts over the winter, but summer's right around the bend and i can't get away with belting my skirts that way and i really don't feel like altering all of my skirts to fit. i want them gone. size large, i am done with you. that winter swap was good to me and i'm ready to do it again. who's in?

high five!!!

five years ago today, the mister and i walked out of what is most likely the tackiest of all vegas wedding chapels united in holy matrimony & coated in what could only be described as legally wedded bliss. as we exited, the "reverend" (a man who appeared to be disguised and was possibly a participant in the US government's witness protection program) congratulated us on what i thought was a well-concealed growing angus-shaped fetus nesting inside my body. the experience couldn't have felt more 100% vegas. unless, of course, i had been able to join in the free-drink fun all of our guests enjoyed.

thanks for making an honest woman out of me, mr. brown. i love being your wife. and i mean it this time.

yummy! new! yarn!

belated photo of the week

highlights from tracey st. peter's world ball opening

through march 14 at schindler gallery. go see it...it's amazing.

because angus said so

Me: what kind of cake should we make for grandpa's birthday, angus?
Angus: plex from yo gabba gabba.
Me: you're damn right!




happy birthday, daddy/ pawpaw. we love you immeasurably.

52 weeks in motherhood

this week i finished another photo project i'd been working on since february of last year. i'm feeling really good about how it all came together. sometime this week i should be receiving a copy of the set in photobook form. i love shutterfly.

photo of the week

world ball

World Ball
paintings and sculpture by
Tracey St. Peter

Opening
Friday, February 13
7 - 9 PM
Eric Schindler Gallery
2305 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA

I can't rave enough about her work. Come see it for yourself and stare in awe with me.

he makes people happy & his parents proud

photo of the week

on comedic merit alone, this won the honor of being my favorite of the week.

i love the city

i love the city, originally uploaded by Hollis Queen.

first page
A Big City
by Francine Grossbart
pub. 1966, Harper & Row

on inspiration & influence

thanks, alexis.




click image for greater readability

Looky here!

That's right. I knit.

photo of the week

tomorrow is here

i'm so happy that i can now lay claim to living through magical historical events in addition to the many catastrophic events that have marked our collective history since i have been on earth. tomorrow's inauguration of Barack Obama a day after Martin Luther King, Jr. day is a gift. and i'd like to thank everyone that signed on to promote and nurture change in our country through their votes for Obama. a new day begins tomorrow. but today is a day for remembering the long hard road so many Americans travelled to get us to tomorrow.



image courtesy of LIFE image database

photo of the week

oh my oh my oh dinosaurs

as read by a 2 year old angus.

oh my oh my oh how you've grown.

once again, my favorite video ever

this post will be quite rambling, i am sure of it. this is an old video of my dear sweet boy from march of 2007. looking back at this now, so many of what i'd later come to understand as symptoms of his autism were right there in front of us, yet we saw them only as quirks. elaborate hand gestures, compulsive face wiping, lining up his belongings just so. from birth angus was particular and systematic....demanding to be held just so and just there and rocked just right, unable to tolerate riding in the car, never exploring textures by putting things in his mouth, and later not being able to chew foods or feed himself without gagging, choking, throwing up or melting down. plus so many more...too many to name. he was and is a cornucopia of wonderfully strange behavior.

i still believe that his symptoms are ultimately are just that---quirks. quirks and gifts he has been lucky enough to have bestowed upon him....things that make him unique and special and keep him operating on a plane above the ordinary. but now we also know different methods to help him cope with his very particular preferences and needs. his diet is regulated, he is in a fabulous class with a loving pair of teachers in a school that i have faith in. i am so proud of his progress. but more than that, proud of how proud he is of himself.

i simply cannot believe how quickly time passes when you have kids. and how many cliches come true. but above all else, i am amazed by the power of my love for this kid. we are connected so deeply and profoundly. we fall asleep in each others arms every night still, and i will allow him this until he no longer needs that from me, no matter how long it takes. to be honest, i need him as much as he needs me, and i am convinced that he, more than anyone else in the world, knows the real me. and he loves me for it.

and the winners are....

Everyone knows the real reason we watch awards shows---for the fashion. This year, my pick for the winner of Best Dressed belonged to Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire. Dreamy.


And coming in at a distant Second place was Cameron Diaz. Despite the strange way her dress cut into the flesh around her left armpit, she looked amazing and I dig how unafraid she is of bold color choices.

Progress

His new school is a perfect fit.

photo of the week

my brother made this silliness

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more old blog rollover goodies

from my old blog
entry from Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Things That Made Me Laugh Hard Lately:

1. While getting the kids into the car for a trip to the zoo on Monday, Angus insisted on carrying a Sesame Street coloring book that is titled "Giant Activity Pad." This cracked Tony up. I asked what he was laughing at and he told me. I was kinda baffled and said, "Uh...yeah? So?" He said it made him think of a giant "activity" maxi pad, like to be worn while working out and with a sports bra. For the Giant Active Girl. With a Giant Flow. He just may be onto something for the Heavyset Set.

2. When Tony lays on the ground to stretch his achy body after a long day of manual labor, Angus thinks it is hillarious to walk up and stomp on his chest. Always a riot.

3. Noah will crack the fuck up if you knock on the kitchen table with your hands, like the way you do to fool a dog into thinking there's someone at the door, which is pretty decent fun in and of itself. The sound or the sight of it, we're not sure which, is just too much for him to take and he can hardly breathe for all the laughter. Babies laughing = perpetually funny.

4. Tony and I walk past a hippie with white-boy dreads on Saturday night and Tony says, "That guy makes delicious samiches." So random and out of left field that I had to make him explain himself. Apparently Chioccca's subs = tasty and made by bonafide Trustifarians.

5. After Angus farts he hollers out "Butt is silly!" Indeed.

6. Nipsey's new nickname became Doublestuff after she barfed on my sofa and I'd had it up to here with fatty and her eating without chewing bullshit. It is mean and insensitive to verbally abuse a dog with weight issues, I know. But that shit was stinky and it took three days of labor intensive cleaning in order to eradicate the stench. So she kinda deserved it. (Thanks again for the baking soda tip, Dave Choi. Who knew you would be so helpfully filled with tips on odor removal?)

7. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and the cast of The Office. Thanks for the chuckles. I'd like to order more, please.

Ancient Chinese Secret

OK, maybe not. But this shit is crazy delicious and you should indulge your loved ones with this buttery goodness. I may have posted this before, but I am closing out the old Myspace blog and wanted to make sure I had it where I can print it easily since I get asked for this alot.
serves 6-8

Sweet Potato Casserole

Yummy Inside
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix well and place in casserole dish greased with butter. That's right, more butter.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crushed Cornflakes cereal
1/3 cup softened butter
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix topping and sprinkle over top of casserole.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Eat it up.
Promptly loosen belt 1 notch.

photo of the week