Maine.

"May we be diligent and true,

dedicated to the right

and like the stalwart lighthouse stand

a beacon in the darkest night."

-Becky Jennings, The Lighthouse

Where in I adore Home Goods...

It all started out innocently enough.

The hubby bought me flowers for Valentines Day.

Then...he bought himself a new television.

(dude! we feel so modern now)

 

And new furniture just gets me in the mood to rearrange and buy new stuff.

Lucky for me a Home Goods is not far away.

There is one within a 5-mile radius of my office and house...

at least when it finally opens.

(pulling out the angry eyes)

Dear Retail Leasing Agent,

The notice is appreciated,

BUT 6-months and still not open...

your "coming soon" sign is kah-illing me!

Little funky storage box.  Check!

 

Swanky new pillow. (that doesn't photograph well) Check!

 Crazy-rad textured vase. Check!

Now the only thing left...

• a new area rug (how bad-to-the-bone is this one)
•  new curtains - because the skank ones have got to go
• and finally purchasing some frames to hang our travel photos
• oh, and finding a space saving solution for our DVD collection!

The one where the week disappears...

Today was the first day I managed to get out of the house

...in F-O-U-R days!

It's still icy in some spots, but I managed.

F-O-U-R days ago this was a welcome sight...

By the next morning, the bowl was covered.  Eight inches of snow bliss.

Until this started to happen...

Eight inches of uh-oh!

After day-1 the fun was gone.  The snow had compacted into ice.

And my clumsy self was stuck inside for fear of obtaining a stair-shaped bruise.

And that is when the nature photography begun.

Red Stuff

Action Shots

 And funny stuff...

And finally today there was a BLUE sky!

 

And sun!

We can finally get out of our neighborhood.

After nearly a week, life returns to normal tomorrow.

I may be a little bit sad.

[6] refusing to tempt fate...

Day 6:  Something you hope you never have to do.

Let’s not tempt fate.

Moving on…how about some photos from our last vacation instead!

 

The trip in which I saw my first cactus.

 

The trip in which we watched 500 hot air balloons take off within 120 minutes. 

 

 The trip in which took our breath away.

 The trip in which we drove The Mother Road.

 The trip in which we appreciated the old and run down.

 The trip in which left us refreshed.

And fully ready to welcome our 7th anniversary.

Thank God for this trip.

And my wonderful husband & his mad driving skills.

These crazy road trips bring us so much joy.

It made us think...

maybe one day when things settle and we retire,

we'll be that crazy old couple

that travels the country in their RV.

God only knows...and he's not telling!

Just call me Susie-Homemaker...

Saturday we'll be showering a baby and celebrating the soon-to-be arrival of my niece, Brooklynn.  I wanted to make something special.  My grandmother made all my dresses when I was a little girl and I l-o-v-e-d it!  So, of course, I decided to sew...something.  Um, remember I just started sewing last year (as in December) so I'm not all that talented.  I found a simple enough looking pattern.  And I was maybe a little too excited that it was made for French seams!

The first is an ever so slightly modified pillowcase dress.  It was actually really easy.

Not bad.  Then, I decided to challenge myself.  I found a really cute tutorial for Ruffle-butt Onesies.  So yeah, ruffles and I have not yet made friends.  Making the ruffles, no problem.  Sewing the ruffles to a onesie, serious PROBLEM!  I just could not get the ruffles to stay in place while sewing (not even pinning helped) and a crooked ruffled-butt is not okay.

So back to the pillowcase dress I went.  And challenged myself by modifying the patter even MORE.

And I added a bow on the back to help give the dress a little more form.

Okay {self-promotion} I'm really proud of the peak-a-boo front.  And and little {self-depreciation} if you really look at the final products, the seams are messy and don't aline perfectly but these dresses are sized 6mo & 9mo...Brooklynn will never know the difference!

Dear Brooklynn - 

I will continue the quest and conquer the ruffle-butted onesie.  

...I just hope it's before you outgrow onsie wear!

Love, Auntie Heather

Dreaming of my favorite highway...

Today, more than ever, I find myself craving the west coast.

Maybe it's the weather...hot, humid, miserable.

But I want nothing more than to go back and see the sites.

To walk among giants.

To seemingly drive off the edge of the earth.

To be left breathless.

To sit here...forever.

And thank the artist who created it all.

Bringing home baby...

{this} bundle of little boy kitten cuteness arrived Saturday...

Seven has been adjusting very well.

No puffy-tailed growling hissing fits.

Okay, a little hissing may have been involved...

but it's more of a 'know your place little-bit' kind of hiss.

She just sits back and surveys.

And he just plays...

And gets into precarious situations...

His name is {Dexter}, we think.

I have a little hesitation because I do enjoy the show Dexter,

but a serial killer with a "moral code" he is not.

And considering his litter box routine...

Bulldozer may be more fitting!

Only time will tell.

I still shed tears for my Snuggles.

It's been hard.

There are moments where he will make a face

or flip his tail

or make a noise

and remind me completely of her.

Ragdoll personalities are so similar to Himalayans.

That is what we wanted.

My Snuggles could never be replaced,

but I feel my heart opening and making room for this little boy.

A break away...

It's not a very pretty city from a distance,

but when you look at the details

New Orleans

is lovely...

the Garden District was a favorite

the French Quarter street players were full of spirit

and sometime the French Quarter exteriors were like butter

and thankfully we were able to experience a parade

New Orleans

style

and walk away with some beads

(that we didn't pay for with money or wobbly bits)

Truly an amazing city.

And another one that I'm glad we experienced before kids.

Overindulgence...

This past weekend I attended a work-related networking event for meeting planners.

Lots of talking.

Lots of eating.

And drinking.

And talking.

And eating.

This was the amenity that awaited when I returned to my hotel room the final night.

Did I happen to mention eating?

I was so full of food and drinks that I didn't even manage a bite.

Not even a sip of the Disoronno or Bailey's...

it sure looked good though!

Getting a little crafty...

Hater of all things traditional.

And now I find myself...

sewing.

It's something I have always wanted to learn.

When I was a little girl,

my grandmother made a majority of my dresses.

So nearly a year ago I bought a completely rad sewing machine,

with every intention of making something.

But the completely radness of the sewing machine

had me completely afraid to give it a try...

until I saw this post.

And here I am,

two weeks later...

sewing.

And though the scarfs will not be perfect,

maybe even a little wonky...

they are handmade

by me.

And at least I know that

HOLY COW...

I can sew!

No need for a pillow...

One of my friends

that I have known since

grade school

is having a baby,

and we showered her with gifts this weekend.

It's a little bit strange when you remember being little girls...

what was once pretend and dress up

is now reality.

That is not a pillow!

And, I couldn't be happier for her!