kids! kids! everywhere kids!

In hindsight, I wonder how much of my Gram's passing was the subconscious catalyst to take the plunge and move back closer to home. Being out West to celebrate her life reminded me how much and why I love being with my family.

My sass-a-frass niece Adrie was born four months before I moved to Boston five years ago this month. Most of the weekends before I moved were spent with her and it's actually pretty hard to imagine I've lived East the vast majority of her life. Five years later our family has divided and conquered again and again and I've got these two sweet guys. How can I not want to be closer to these guys?

Henry Rex, Adrie, Elliot

True, they all live in Utah and I'll be in Portland, but one time zone is certainly closer than three. At least the last time I checked. Crazy to think how different they'll be even at Christmas. Hopefully one of them will be mobile enough by then to fetch me a Diet Coke.

Oh also! I haven't plugged my sister Alaina's photography in quite some time but holy freak is she good! If you're in the Utah area, give her a buzz and have her capture your family. She's brilliant and has a million satisfied clients.

home is wherever you get mail

Holy crap. I just put down an offer on a house. This house. The ski chalet!
Time will tell.

sittin' pretty

My friend Melissa does a really awesome job of posting quick snapshot blogs. I should do better about that--Mel, you inspire me! So before I make all the best intentions but never get to them, a snapshot blog (with photo!) for your viewing pleasure regarding something that happened just last night. JUST LAST NIGHT!

I have a very short bucket list (of attainable items). I also have a Bucket List Lite^(TM) that's full of just super awesome things I'd like to do or places I'd like to see. Major sporting events always, always make the list. (Did I write to tell you I went to the US Open Women's Final last week? Oh that's right, no. I'm a terrible blogger.)

When a good friend from Boston days of yore calls up as he's back in town for the medium-distant future and wants to take you to the Sox game with tickets on the front row next to the Sox dugout, you just change your plans and say yes.
The Sox lost* (sad panda) but the night was that supremely gorgeous temperature where it's crisp but not cold, I ate a deeeeelicious hot dog, and caught up on the last few years of time. Cheers to old friends. AND SHORT BLOGS.
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* I will admit to not being too broken up when the Sox lose, my heart's just not in it the way it is when I leave the Garden after a Celtics game. (And I think I'm bad luck for the Sox; they lose almost every time I'm there.)

the september issue

Incredible isn't a strong enough word to describe a situation developing at work. I work in the internet (rah! rah! rah!) but through some wild and crazy connections, we're partnering with a company that's pitching a reality fashion television show that already has the backing of one of the major fashion magazines. (My company would be providing the digital support for the show.) SO. I've been to New York City twice in the last three weeks, meeting with insane companies with insane brands and OHMYGOSH is this really happening? Let's just say that dressing for these meetings has been more than a bit intimidating.

Friday I had a meeting in the Empire State Building. IN. IT. I've love love loved NYC as long as I can remember and to have a meeting in the actual building? Oofta. I still can't really believe it. But it went well. Really well. If all goes as well as planned, filming could begin sooner than you'd think and I gleaned a promise from those that matter that I'd get to be on set. Too, too many of my favorite things colliding. I wish I could take you all with me.

I got home from the City just this afternoon after having spent an extra day hanging out with some girls who were on my Holy Land Adventure this summer. It was so lovely catching up, but I spent a few hours in the City by myself yesterday doing some things I've wanted to do for quite awhile including Mood Fabrics, Ground Zero, Battery Park, Century 21, Times Square and Canal Street.
The impressive (for me) part of the whole day was a) how far I walked (still feeling it!) and b) I didn't have a smartphone at my every whim. My battery dies much too much too fast so I relied on my innate sense of direction (seriously, that might be my most marriable skill) and my own two wandering feet to find what I needed. It also meant I wasn't listening to music or reading/texting on the subway or when I sat alone at dinner; but instead I simply got to listen to the sounds of the City. Oh, how I'll miss New York when I head West. But all good things must come to a end.

Until I have to come back out for another big-timey-what-am-I-adding-to-this-meeting meeting. And then the hunt for fashiony fashion clothing begins again. Because it's stressful, but heLLO, it's also very fun.

home sweet to be

Coming Soon:

Today is all about the media blitz in sharing my news. I'll hit the five-year mark in Boston and that's when I'll pack it up (pack it in) and head for greener pastures. (ETA: December 25, 2011)

More to come about the move, the decision, and what it all stinking means.

Sidenote: I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Labor(ious) Weekend

The Motivation Bug^(TM) hit me this long weekend which we all know comes around about as often as the Olympics. And in the last three days I have legitimately touched every single thing I own, which is no small feat if you know the stuff sprawl that is my life. For funsies sake, here's a bulleted list!

Before we get started however, a fun legend to help you understand the massive undertaking that constitutes the contents of my closet.

1. Closet #1 - Pants, folded shirts, under-wares, socks, sweaters, sweatshirts, bathingsuits
2. Closet #2 - Hanging shirts, dresses, shoes
3. Hanging Armoire - Blazers, skirts
4. Armoire cupboards - Exercise clothes, pajamas
   

And now! On to the bulleted list!

• Weed through Closet #1 and make pile of clothes for consignment.
• Weed through Closet #2 and add to pile of clothes for consignment.
• Throw away old t-shirts, refold exercise clothes, add to pile of clothes.
  
• Sift through the baskets of health/beauty, life stuff. Throw away + organize.
• Rummage through the (office-based) bins in my room I pulled out of the storage unit last month. Throw away + organize.
  
• Clean through the contents in my desk. Throw away + organize.
  
• Gather all costumes (whyyyyyyyy do I have so many?) into a single place and put into storage unit. Also in the costume bin, swimsuits and hats. (Unrelated: If our building were burning down, do you think I'd grab this bin?)
  
• Organize and condense bins/boxes in the storage unit.
• Return items to TJ Maxx, Target, Marshall's, Sports Authority. (Newsflash: sometimes I have a problem buying things and sitting on them for awhile to see if I'll actually use/wear. I think this makes me a terrible person.)
• Two loads laundry.
• Tackle the front hall closet that hasn't been touched since we moved in several years ago. FOUND: all my handbags, cardmaking supplies, tennis racket. Review the contents of my 72-hour kit and decide it's probably still mostly good.
  
• Vacuum bedroom.

And then Saturday ended. I think I rested on Sunday but truth be told I can't even really remember. And now Monday's list...

• Tackle under the sink in my bathroom. Holy makeup and hair ties. Note to self: never buy hair ties again. In fact, I think I should put some into my 72-hour kit because heaven knows hair ties will be CURRENCY in the Apocalypse because there's nothing worse than hair in your face when you don't want it to be.
• Clean bathroom.
• Empty the contents of our front room closet which has been a dumping ground for excess paper goods, kitchen gadgets, home decorations, water bottles and coats for the last three years. Organize + throw away. Decide it's time to put out our Halloween decorations. Summer, be gone!
  
• Organize pots & pans cupboard which is a nightmare in 95% of American households, probably yours included.
  
• Wipe down stuff on top of fridge, and you guessed it -- organize and throw away.
  
• Rinse, repeat with food cupboards.
• Do dishes in the sink, start dishwasher.
• Made bean dip, which at first type wrote as 'beandip'. Why isn't this the acceptable spelling? Oh wait, probably because our brains are programmed to read -and- in the middle of any word and process it incorrectly. Are there words with -and- in the middle (meaning multiple letters on both sides) that look correct? Be and ip. Yes! I'll have some!

And well I think that's it. The only thing I promised myself I'd do this weekend was the self-evaluation for my yearly review. 5:55 on the Monday night of a long holiday weekend. Ask me if it's started. Oh right, definitely not. Weekend totally wasted!

These boots are made for walkin'

Every year, no wait, I'll reiterate, every. year. I promise myself I'm going to figure out the Winter shoe situation. Laugh if you want that it's only the first of September (goodbye Summer!) but the start of Winter is just around the corner and despite my every. year. promise, I'm horrible when it comes to shoe selection when it gets nasty outside.

This cold season will be my sixth in Boston. Sixth. S i x t h. So I've been ahead of the curve on quite a few in the future things (see wrapping and distributing my Christmas gifts last month) and have been scouting for boots all over both internet and brick and mortar stores.

And I've done it. Completed my collection of frisky fall and wearable winter boots. For your viewing pleasure...

Only one are in my physical possession, but ask me in 7-10 business days how I'm doing with the browns.

If you've got a favorite pair of boots I should know about, link me in the comments!

Also: I have wrapped and distributed my Christmas gifts already. Do you think there's something wrong with me?