My Sewing Room Inspiration and Wall Art GIVEAWAY. CLOSED

I'm totally dragging my feet to the paint can.

I'm soooooo over painting.

Remember how I was all gung-ho and paints biggest cheerleader? I was like the cheer captain for all things paint.

So, I'm a little over it until I saw this etsy shop.




The colors are so alive and fun and playful. I HAVE to have one (or five) of these prints in my sewing room.

Sooo, guess that means I need a sewing room.

I love her stuff so much, I decided to stalk her and read an interview she gave and guess what?! She used to live in Denver which means I like her even MORE!

Starting today, I'm going to put my painting clothes back on and finish the guest/sewing room and in honor of my plan to not be lazy, Cori is going to give one of you a print from her etsy shop!

How awesome is she?!?!

You can purchase her prints through her etsy shop.


To Win-
MANDATORY:
-Go to Cori's etsy shop and tell me in a comment here which $20 print is your favorite.
-Follow my blog and make sure I have a way to contact you.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
-Blog about this giveaway and leave a link.
-Tweet about the giveaway.
-Post on facebook.

Giveaway ends September 21st.

Love you all!!!

A Mouse Update

I totally freaked you guys all out with the mouse story, didn't I? Well, yeah, they totally gross me out too. I mean, I FREAK out if I see one and actually seeing them is pretty rare.

Geoff deals with all things critter. I grew up volunteering for the fire department, I was an EMT in L.A. for crying out loud, I CAN SEE GROSS THINGS! I can!

That was until I saw my first mouse.

I had no idea I was so prissy. I am really freakin' prissy!

Mice are gross. I keep trying to think about Cinderella and how the cute mice were her friends but how nasty is that: a mouse as your friend?!

Sorry Cindy.

So, there was that first time I saw one. Hi freak out, nice to meet you.

And then there was last week.

Geoff got a new log splitter and I'm pretty sure he cut enough logs for the entire country to use. Maybe we should set up shop and sell fire wood in front of Whole Foods. They are trying to sell fire wood made out of Coffee Beans. Have you seen this? Pricey!

Geoff was on a log cutting extravaganza right outside the basement french doors with both doors WIDE OPEN, all day for several days. The french doors are just to the left of this ginormous wood pile. Mice LOVE wood piles. I think it makes their heart smile and our wood pile is making their heart so freakin' joyous because it's HUGE. Geoff thinks he is like Fort Knox security standing at the door and no mice can get past him but he also forgets all the breaks he takes to go upstairs and get a new beer. Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure that was like the red carpet invitation for mice to come live inside where it doesn't rain or have birds flying around trying to swoop them up.

(Note to self: set mouse eating birds loose in house.)

I know they got in the house that way because the next day is when a mouse was spotted.

I heard him first: the mouse squeak.

After hushing Sawyer five million times so I could be SURE it sounded like a mouse and giving myself a huge pep talk about how awesome I am, I finally build the courage to look down the stairs into the basement and there it was.

It kinda looked like a leaf.

I grab my iphone and carefully tip-toe downstairs.

I look over every stair making sure no fanged mouse makes a surprise attack on me, turn the corner and see it.

Really, it was just a leaf.

I take a breath of relief and then the leaf moves.

I run upstairs screaming.

Squeak. Squeak.

Pep talk again. Down the stairs again and it peeks out from under the leaf that probably blew in while Geoff was cutting his one zillionth log: a little bitty one inchish baby mouse. I take a picture on my iphone and send it to Geoff with attached message, "I'm kicking your butt."

And I knew it. I freaking KNEW it, we are going to be eaten alive by mice and this was proof, the second mouse we spotted since living here. I had to get rid of it. It saw me and froze. I think the normal size mouse would have darted off to some secret location but this guy was freaking out because he knew I saw him so I did what any other rational mouse seeing person would do.

I roared.

I roared at it like I was Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I'm not sure where this came from but it was working, the thing wasn't moving and I was getting all cocky and even put my arms out in front of me like a dinosaur and stomped my feat and roared louder.

it was all pre-historic up in my basement.

My two year old that doesn't stop making noise unless he is sleeping was even caught off guard because it was silent upstairs as I roared and stomped.

The thing played dead.

I ran upstairs and found an old to-go coffee mug thing I could trap him with and then throw away after to use as my mouse catching device. By the time I went back downstairs the little guy tried to escape, I found him and roared again.

No joke, this dino act was working, he froze, I stomped my feet, he stayed frozen so I ran over and threw a cup over him.

Can I tell you how hard and fast my heart was beating? I still thought he might surprise me and jump up and claw my eyes out before I could get the cup on him.

All hail me because I totally caught a mouse in a cup. I thought about not doing anything before catching him until Geoff came home but I couldn't risk the mouse getting away. Hell no is that thing going to be taking up a room and ordering breakfast in bed. Hell to the no.

So I caught him.

You know what Geoff said? "Ummm, why didn't you put him outside?"

He was suppose to be proud of me, hugs and kisses and maybe a special mouse catching prize like a new pony but he was mad I didn't put the thing outside. He was faced with a mouse under a cup under some somewhat heavy tool so the mouse couldn't tip the cup over and escape. He even said, "We moved to the middle of the mountains on property, what did you think you would find?"

Gold, duh.

So, I'm leaving this open for you to tell me how awesome I am, choose your words carefully, I have a mean roar.

Me and My Babies

My arms are sore from holding them down.







Hope you have an awesome weekend!
Peace, love and boobie milk barf,

Us.
(Don't forget to enter the giveaway here.)

I guess this means I DON'T get an HGTV show. Or Food Network for that matter.

Before we moved into this place, we had a 900 square foot condo in a high rise.

Though a lot of people stopped by before their drunken night out on the town, we didn't get too many out of town guests that crashed for a few days.

I longed to host. I longed to be the cute little wifey that made yummy dinners and refilled all the drinks while playing fun music in the background then showing them to this perfectly made up guest room that smelled like lavender and pretty stuff. Geoff even bought me a cute apron so my dresses didn't get splattered with food juice while making gourmet meals for everyone.

Basically, my mind turned into a wannabe mother effin' Martha Stewart.

I USED TO BE COOL!

I USED TO BE HIP!

We moved into the house we are currently in and we have plenty of room for guests. We have a three bedroom basement with a full bathroom that showers guests with all sorts of square footage and privacy. Our house says, "HEY, come stay here, lay your bootey on my mattress and get some rum down that pretty little throat of yours!"

How nice is it to have guest stay the night and not freak out that they might of heard you fart in the middle of the night because they are sleeping on the floor right next to you.

Not that I fart or anything because Martha Stewart for sure doesn't, right?

We fixed up the guest bathroom, put new beds in the rooms, (Remember the nasty couch and bed? Yeah I won that fight. Can I get what-what?) and have had overnight guests just about every weekend.

I LOVE it but my Martha facade is peeling.

Geoff's dad showed up last week and the guest bed wasn't made, the sheets were still being dried. I mean, how dare I let them see that room without the throw pillows looking perfect let alone that I wasn't perfect.

They went for a hike on a trail right down the street from our house. We promised they could see just about everything but their most feared animal/reptile.

The snake.

We told them they don't survive this high. We've never seen one.

They ran back 20 minutes later; they saw a snake.

Geoff and his dad chapped wood all day leaving the door open.

A mouse made his way in.

I drove to Denver and went for a long run.

Drove back and flat tire. Didn't even know it. Seriously that car drove AWESOME on only 3 full tires. (Geoff wasn't too happy.)

Took Sawyer on the swing that hangs under our deck. Our backs were to the yard watching Geoff and Grandpa chop more wood. On our fifth swing, on our way BACK the swing broke and sent us flipping backwards down a rocky hill.

We were both bruised up, I almost tore off a finger nail and I think the bones in my hand were bruised because even the pressure of the keyboard under my fingers to type hurt.

I kept asking Geoff and his dad to describe the fall because in my head it looks HILARIOUS. They refuse to re-live it and said it looked terrifying.

Then the quad got a flat.

Geoff nicked himself with the chain saw.

We were ALL rockin' bandaids.

We made yummy steak on the BBQ for the last dinner. It started pouring so Geoff pulled the BBQ a little closer to the house. Instantly the house sucked up all the smoke. Every alarm in the house was blaring and pulling the alarms OFF the wall wouldn't make them stop.

Frazzled, we transferred the streaks from the BBQ to a plate and then DROPPED IT ALL ON THE FLOOR!

We spent our last night eating steak that made sweet love to the floor in a smoke filled dining room with siren alarms blaring.

I know, you guys TOTALLY want to come over don't you?!

Basically, I hung up my apron.



Side note: I know most of you know Jewels from A Blonde Walked into a Blog, she is like WAY popular. She has been in and out of the hospital and could use some lovin' kind words. Stop by and say HI and GET BETTER so she doesn't have to eat hospital food, that stuff SUCKS!

Love you guys and promise to be back soon with a post about how cool I am... or was. Or AM damn it!

Belle Baby Carrier Giveaway- Because I LOVE Mine!- CLOSED

I was talking to my friend the other day and she was asking about baby carriers and thought they weren't really needed.

I was like, "Ummm, how are you going to carry your beer and baby at the same time?"

No, maybe I said it a little differently, it was for sure a MOJITO.

Really though, carriers TOTALLY rock and you can't get a single thing done in the newborn stages without one.

Then later, they are WAY easier to travel with than a stroller.

I love my carrier and recommend it to all the cutie moms that ask.

Check it out, here we are in the Virgin Islands!



It's a Belle Baby Carrier and they want to give one of you a carrier! Awesome right?!

Belle Baby Carriers:

Belle Baby Carriers offers twelve stylish patterns, including five organic baby carriers made of hemp / organic cotton fabrics.

Unlike most other baby carriers and slings, the Belle allows direct contact between you and your baby. The baby is nestled directly against the parent without straps or fabric in between, allowing increased bonding and discreet nursing.

More comfortable than a baby sling, the Belle Baby Carrier distributes your baby's weight to your hips, instead of your back and shoulders, and places your baby in a proper, ergonomic position that supports your baby's developing spine.

With no extra bulk, Belle Baby Carriers are lightweight, cool in the summer, and easy to stow away.

These baby carriers allow your baby to face toward you or away and are easy to use without any assistance.

Every Belle Baby Carrier also comes with a lightweight detachable head support panel for additional head support if needed.
The Belle Baby Carrier is ideal for infants 8-30 lbs.

I have the carrier in Organic Moss:


But did you see the one in Organic Earth? I totally heart it!



Seriously, I LOVE mine! It's organic, totally cute (very important), both Sawyer and Charlotte look comfortable and always fall asleep while strapped to me. I'm also SUPER comfortable and can get all my chores done my husband who usually cares less about baby items even said, "They are based in Boulder? Sweet!" AND,

AND!

It's not all bulky like a lot of other carriers. I roll this puppy right into my purse or diaper bag and can still fit other things.

Like my, umm, mom-juice. ;)


So, you want to look cute in one too?!?!


MANDATORY
1- Get on the Belle Baby Website and leave a comment on this post telling me which carrier is your BFF.

2- Follow me on this blog and let me know a good email address where I can reach you.

Easy right?


EXTRA ENTRIES:
Follow Belle Baby Carrier on facebook.

Follow Belle Baby Carrier on twitter.

Tweet and/or blog about the giveaway and leave me a link in the comments.


Love you all!
Ends: September 7th, 2010


Belle Baby Carriers can be purchased directly from their site. Check out all the fun colors!

And Row 7 I'll be cutting OFF your Oxygen Supply in case of Emergency.

I can't NOT say something about Steven Slater, the JetBlue employee with a fabulous emergency exit since, umm, I was a Galley Hag, Coffee Jockey, Hostitute, I mean FLIGHT ATTENDANT once.

I still remember the little speech: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard (Take a wild guess) Airline. Located in your seat back pocket is a safety briefing card...

I was good.

I would smile if I thought you deserved it, sometimes I would do my paper work and I was really good at pretending I didn't have change for your liquor money. I mean, a girl needs a bonus sometimes.

I was kind of like this:


Really though, some people think this guy is a freakin' hero for quitting a job in only ways we can dream, others think he put people in danger and should be punished for being unable to control his own actions.

I could really care less, all I know is that once people step onto the aircraft, they lose all power to use their brain therefore relieving flight attendants the responsibility of treating passengers with respect.

So here it is again folks so YOU can get to your destination AVEC flight attendants:



Consent form to fly from yours truly:



Its a plane not a spa so hold off on the toe nail clippings.

No, we are not looking at the size of your boyfriend's penis buldge, we are checking to see if his seatbelt is fastened.

How do I know your bag wont fit? I pretty much live on these aircrafts, Im not saying it to get back at your mother, I'm telling you because your bag wont fit. Really.

Needing a bottle of water during take-off is not an emergency unless your shorts are on fire, so can you wait five minutes?!

Don't take the seatbelt sign serious and we will find the new knot on your head amusing.

Don't slam my bins! I don't go to your house and slam doors, or hide my gum under the arm rest of your chairs for that matter.

Masterbating in flight is not a compliment to anyone and a blanket does not make you invincible.


When my pilots step out of the flight deck to greet you or say goodbye, be respectfull, do the same. I'm super protective of my pilots, so when they stand next to me as you de-plane, look her or him in the eyes and say something, like 'nice flight' perhaps. Its amazingly sad how little they recieve a compliment, a wave, recognition, or eye contact... then tell me how pretty I am.


Wash your hands, I don't want your germs.

No, your baby is not cute when it is taking our snacks and smashing them into our floor, I don't care how blue their eyes are.

Most of your flight attendants have degrees, read more books in a month than the average American does in their life, and is in this job to travel, therefore well cultured. Don't treat us like idiots... ask us a stupid question and we will reply with a stupid answer, just to see the look on your face.

When we warn you to watch your elbows and knees for the cart coming through the isle, don't complain when they get hit.

Will your bags make it? No! Always expect the worst and you will never be dissapointed.

Wheelchairs in Chicago OHare are like Leprachans and gold at the end of a rainbow...good luck!

I am not psychic. How am I suppose to know your entire gut can fold over the seatbelt? Lift it and show me the belt is worn "low and tight".

Your warm bag of barf left under your seat after a flight is not a welcoming suprise... just let me know right away and I will properly disspose it, no surprises.

Oh yeah, I willed that thunderstorm in Chicago, fog in San Francisco, and snow in New York so they cancel your flight, do you really think I control the weather? I want to get there just as bad as you, trust me, it's probably my one flight from home.


Sign here if you understand and will pull off any of the above idiot actions.


X_________________________ Date:_____________ You are now free to fly!

What's her problem?

I don't think she likes the outfit.

Weird.

A Stroller Crisis from a Bob Snob

You know those movies where some guy gets sent all over the place to search for money or the bad guy or whatever and if he doesn't find it in time the whole world will blow up?

That was me this week... with STROLLERS.

I know, how mom is that?

I'm training for this marathon and I only have a single stroller, a Bob revolution and I LOVE it, however we AREN'T using it. It was sitting in a closet sad and lonely. I need a stoller that fits two kids now. I tried putting her in the Bob and letting him push but I turn around and next thing I know he is holding something breakable and expensive about to toss it to another kid across the isle. We are constantly on the verge of disaster. Soooo, I looked on CL (that's how we people say Craig's List) and found a double Bob for $200.

That is NOTHIN'!


It was only a year old, a revolution and I needed it. I emailed the girl maybe 20 minutes after she posted it and again an hour later. Put mine for sale on CL and NEVER heard back from her. I had someone ready to buy mine about ten seconds after I listed it. A day later the double stroller was gone. Seriously, if you are selling something on Craigslist, WRITE PEOPLE BACK! Okay, done venting.

I listed my single for a little more money the next day since so many people jumped on my posting within the first five minutes and still had a buyer email me right after I listed it. I sold my stroller the next morning.

Did you ever move away from a good friend when you were little? Say goodbye to a boyfriend or girlfriend unwillingly? Lets just say, giving up this stroller was a bit traumatic.

I wanted to cancel the sale last minute.

I wanted to run after the dad I sold it to and grab it out of his arms.

My stroller had a new lover and I had to get over it.

I was on the rebound.

I was ready to make bad decisions, look at stroller porn, be a stroller slut. I was going to leave the bars with a different stroller each night as my friends explained to other shocked onlookers, "She just went through a stroller breakup."

Bob was really gone and I needed another.

Baby Jogger, Phil and Ted, Mountain Buggy. I searched youtube videos and read every review I could get my eyes on. I searched through blogs and Babies 'R Us. I discovered new strollers: Valco and Easy Walker.

Really I just wanted a Bob so onto CL again. Every five minutes. Posted a wanted ad. I needed a Bob Revolution Duallie.

There were no Bob's on CL that were in my price range. I couldn't spend a dollar more than what I got for my single Bob.

I said I was going to be patient and wait for a bob but there I was emailing other posters RIGHT AWAY.... I'm patient like that.

I went though my friends' facebook profiles looking for pictures of their kids in strollers. Questions: Do you like it? Run with it? How does it hold up? Heavy? Fold easy?

So many questions.

DOES IT FIT THROUGH A DOOR?

I became crazed. Separate folding canopies? Reclining system? Fit a car seat?

When did buying a stroller more detailed than buying a house?

I was scheduling inspections. Test rides. Meeting people at parks.

I guess you can say I'm exhausted and know WAY too much about strollers right now.

The winner:

(Cue Olympic closing ceremony music please.)

Baby Jogger City Series.



Isn't she pretty?

You should see how easy she folds.

Okay so she is a bit on the heavy side but whatever, more cushion for the pushin'.

In my search I realized this: Everyone says Bobs are the best and maybe they are but there are some strollers that might give the Bob Revolution a run for it's money.

Two strollers I'm DYING to try:

BumbleRide Indie and Baby Jogger Summit.

When I met with the girl selling her Baby Jogger and pushed it, the first thing I said was, "Yeahhh, not a Bob." She thought I meant that Baby Jogger City Series pushed sooo much better.

And this stroller does push GREAT. I can steer both my kids in this stroller with one finger. Push with one hand. Turns on a dime. HOWEVER the back tires are 12 inch just like the front where the Bob's back tires are a little bigger. I think the slightly bigger back tires make the Bob just a TOUCH easier. It reminded me of a review I read saying that Bob Stroller lovers were snobby and had no reason to be so into their Bob strollers. Well, we DO have a reason but I do think Baby Jogger Summit just MIGHT knock Bob from the number one jogger.

Is it worth the extra money for a slightly easier push with the Bob? I don't know. I will say that the Baby Jogger fits though a standard door. It's width was made to be the width of a wheelchair so if you don't fit through a door or isles then that place isn't really built to code or wheelchair friendly. Fitting through a door is a HUGE plus in my opinion.

And like I said, the way this stroller folds in one step is brilliant.

I picked a stroller that I thought was totally not my type. I was Bob's girl and now I hold another, Baby Jogger.

I'm hoping we have a long and happy life together.

"Colorado girls know how to spell 'girls'"

Hoping my toe nail doesn't fall off like LAST time!

I decided I need to be selfish.

Geoff's video games send me over the edge. I want video games to burn in Hell with red hot fire ants biting their little CD or plastic or virtual bodies

I get so cranky when they have my husband's attention.

The next thing I know, I'm super pissed remembering all the times he didn't change that poopy diaper.

It's not healthy.

And seriously moms, when was the last time you were truly selfish? One day I was like, "I'm going to buy myself something and be selfish."

Geoff was like, "Cool, what?"

"A better cutting board."

Ummm, why, so I can chop FASTER for the meals I cook for everyone every night?

Then I said, "Self, you need to come first sometimes, like totally and completely first. Remember how much you love to run? Maybe you should finally sign up for a marathon in Colorado?'

And because I'm ALWAYS right, (Trust me, I am.) I searched marathons in Colorado and guess what popped up?

The first ever Rock 'n' Roll Marathon IN Denver! I mean, it was soooo meant to be! It's kind of like when I met Geoff and thought he was cute and knew one day we would would get to make out forever and ever in that first second I met him.

I only have two and half months to train so this probably is not my brightest idea but I've pulled a marathon out of my butt before... after a night of sake drinking. Not a fun 26.2 miles, I'll tell you THAT!

So basically, I'm going to make out with marathon on October 17th, one day before my birthday, and you should totally come see. I also won't turn down any birthday presents if you just HAPPEN to be that way with your wrapping paper...

(I'm also excited because I talked another blogger who always makes me laugh into doing it too. I had to bribe her with mojitos but hey, whatever works right?)

Peace, love and LOTS of running and chaffing in spots I won't mention,

me.