Real Housewives (and Husbands) of Minneapolis?

So it's no secret how much I love my Housewives. 

 Atlanta, New York, Jersey, OC, Beverly Hills-they all bring something to the table, and it's mostly something crazzzzyyy!  There are a handful that are super cool and I would actually love to meet in person- Bethanny (hello $120 mil for SkinnyGirl!!), Caroline...okay, maybe only Bethanny, but it would be a total hoot to create a dinner party with the likes of Kim (Atlanta), Jill and Ramona (NYC), Taylor, Frasier's ex from Beverly Hills, Tamra from the OC, and the nasty Brit from DC might be a fun addition.  What a cast of characters!! 

 I'm thinking about this because last week I was informed that Minneapolis/ St. Paul Magazine wants to put together a Real Housewives of Minneapolis something or other.  Maybe an attempt to attract the attention of Bravo TV?  Not sure, but it's super fun to think about.

Would You ever want to be part of a series like this if it came to town? 

 Would you participate in the circus if it came to town?

 For me, surprising as it may sound, the answer is a ginormous left hand-on-the-hip-right-index-finger-shaking-in-the-air, "HELLLL NO!" ala Nene from Atlanta. 

Hell no. 

Never, never, never.

EVER. 

Even if you offered me a closet like Tory Burch's, my home decorated by Katie Ridder, tickets to all of Dave Matthews concerts, free meals at Tilia for a year....the answer would still be a stand-up and shake it in your face, "HELL NO!"  

 Why, you ask?  

It's simple.  None (or a very, very minute percentage) of them come out looking good, or even marginal for that matter.  They come out lookin' like crazytrain, need to hit The Betty, are you in it just for the money kinda wackjob creatures whose marriages need an unbelievable encounter, if you ask me. 

Many have gotten divorced (Vicki, Lu Ann, Camille, et al), more seem to file bankruptcy (Teresa, oh crazy Teresa.  Jacqueline, lots of OC chicks, and Slade.  Does he count?), others have substance issues (Ramona. Although I must say the jury is still out on this one- who doesn't love their Pinot Grigio?), and then there is the burning issue of the controlling husband. 

 Can you say Alexis?  Wow.

So I wouldn't want to be IN the show per se, but I would love to cast, direct, or produce any form  that might ever make it to our tiny corner of the country.  Rumor has it they are looking for a single girl, which means I gotta shout out,

"Hey MSPMAG, I've got a few good candidates in mind. 

Are you listening?" 

There's the hot, sexy, single, and oh so sassy hairdresser that would be absolutely PERFECT!  This gal would break hearts around town and let's just say she is damn fun, plus her Mama just happens to be one of The Best make-up artists in town.  I also know another super darling (and sexy) entrepreneur Mom of three who has a famous brother and a fantastic "pull yourself up from your bootstraps story after your total dickwad husband leaves you and he thinks you can't live without him" attitude.  This doesn't even begin to explain it but I am a little leery of slander so I will cut it off here.  But he does deserve to be called out as a total ass, so there.  'Nuff said. 

 Anyway, I would love to see women like this be featured for so many GOOD reasons, but I would never want them to be portrayed as anything less than they are- fantastic. 

 I would also love to cast some lovely Lake Minnetonka socialites, the downtown single heiress who knows and goes everywhere in town, the oh-so many young and glam Vikings wives who seem to be everywhere, and from what I hear are completely darling and fun.   I must say it would make for some good TV, even better fiction, and some serious talk About Town. 

Now most importantly, who would be Minneapolis' own Slade? 

Dinner?

When it's my night to cook I don't touch the grill, in fact I don't even know how to light it.  We are a charcoal family, not a turn-on-the-switch-and-light-the-gas kind of family, so don't go thinkin' I don't know how to do THAT.  So last night I was on duty and pizza is my speciality- no joke, my pizza is the bomb. (I don't like saying 'DA BOM!! like I'm from Jerseylicious or something so just go with it.)

Fresh buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and pinenuts.  Little bit of red pepper flakes, touch of secret sauce (if you gotta go with a jar, Newman's Own Sockarooni rocks), bottle of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon '06 .  Good stuff.

I'm actually thinking next time it might be pretty good on the grill.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to Mr C! 
 We love you beyond words and appreciate all you do for our family. 
 You are  North, South, East and West to us. 

 Happy Day to you!!

XXXOOO

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, (aka Grandpa Zeke), my step-father Marty, my two brothers-in-law Drew and Roland, and to all our friends that know what it means to be called Dad. 

 You are all raising amazing kids.

Enjoy the love and enjoy your day!

Whirlwind

Whew! 

 We made it through Week #1 and I gotta say it was great.  Exhausting, frantic, frenetic, great.  It's been a serious merry go round of a week that has made me dizzy, wondering if I am in the right place at the right time, with the right kid. 

The tutor just left.  One kid hit the golf course (am I picking them up??), another is waiting for his ride to a birthday party (did I get the right gift wrapped because we have another party tomorrow?), and the littlest guy is still buzzing around in his jammies.  I think I showered yesterday but I'm not really sure- can't remember that many steps ago.  Sundress.  Ponytail.  Tenth cup of coffee.  Round and round we go....

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Tonight we've called in the relief squad so we can catch a little adult time.  We're heading to Mill Valley Kitchen (I must say I am a little dubious about a Midwestern restaurant that names itself after one of my favorite towns in California, but whatever.  I'm up for it) with three other couples to send our friend Pearl and her family off to the coast of Maine for six weeks.  Cocktails, dinner, bonfire at another friends house late night.  Why the hell would she ever want to go to Maine??  She's a transplant with only a few years under her belt here, she'll learn.

Sunday.  Father's Day. 

 I always get a little nervous.  Mr. C has lots of expectations and none all at the same time.  It sounds weird, but he likes to do nothing at home on his day but he expects a lot of attention, as he should.  Hopefully we can pull it off this year- he's been disappointed in the past.  He wants to BBQ three meals in one day- should I just get him a bag of Kingsford with a big bow on it and wish him the best for the day?  Me and the boys better stop eating now so that we can enjoy the meat party that is sure to take over our house on Sunday...what can one possibly BBQ for breakfast??  I'm sure we'll come up with something for our special guy...

Summertime- And the Livin' is Easy?



The boys enjoy a friend's cabin on the first weekend of summer

 Although I am thrilled not to be checking homework and racing to the bus at 8:00am for the next three months, I must admit summer brings a touch more chaos to my life than I typically desire.  I love the lazy mornings and the loads of pool time; baseball games and Lake Harriet walks, but the extra bickering between my kids that this down time brings is excruciating.  When the boys were younger and activities were less frequently scheduled it was an all out warzone around here if something wasn't planned for every waking moment of the longer summer days.  Now we have baseball, hockey, birthday parties, pool days, golf and tennis lessons, play dates, soccer, rainy day movie dates, weekend cabin trips, and that doesn't even include the fun that me and Mr C have planned.  Ironically, I find myself longing for the pajama pack watching Sponge Bob on the sofa kicking each other and complaining  "there's nothing to doooooo!" 

 In these next three months I will barely drive outside of a five mile radius but will go through more gas and clock more mileage on my car then I do in fall, winter and spring combined.  The chaos has just moved from the couch to the car and all the things we try to pack into these next three months.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but it does get a little nutty around here so I need to remember to enjoy all the things we are doing right now with our family.  We are not checking items off a list (baseball uniform pick-up and pictures. CHECK.  Tennis lesson.  CHECK.  Play date.  CHECK.) but actually living these moments.  I will never forget the enormous smile on my son's face yesterday as he experienced putting on that first baseball jersey with his closest buddies and lining up for pictures.  And then my oldest conquered his extremely technical 180 degree flip off the diving board after 700 aborted attempts.   And then the sweet joy of a pack of boys running through the neighborhood on a warm rainy night. 

 All this and we're only three days in.  Summertime is pretty sweet.

My friend Jen summed it up beautifully in her blogpost about enjoying the simple pleasures of summer.  We call her Super Mom and she makes it all look so easy, so I must admit I was slightly relieved that she experienced a little summertime anxiety as well, but she always brings it back home with her sunny disposition and cheery outlook on life.  Thanks Jen, for reminding us all to smell the summertime roses, and as Mr C wrote in his first-day-of-summer inspirational note to my oldest-

 "kick up your heels and have fun.  Enjoy your family, friends, and sports for the summer.  Have fun!"

Viva summer!  This is what we've been waiting for!!







Brett Dennen

Brett Dennen- one seriously happy folk/pop man

Think Dave Matthews, a little Ziggy Marley, a funky note of Stevie Wonder, a lot Jack Johnson, a splash of Jason Mraz and a hint of The Dead.  If you throw it all together you might come up with something that resembles Brett Dennen. 
Sort of. 
 If you don't already know Brett Dennen, you will soon enough.  His hauntingly falsetto, slightly grainy, totally unique sound and swagger rocked the tiny (and gorgeous) Pantages Theater in Minneapolis Sunday night.  He appeared out of nowhere with his signature bare feet, oversize glasses and bandana wrapped around his red mane channeling something that reminded
Mr C of Shaggy from Scooby Doo.  His oddball movements that include a knock kneed scarecrow-ish type dance were at first a little weird, kinda like, is he really trying to dance like such a dork on purpose?? but ended up charming everyone.  He played a few tunes off his new album  "Loverboy" before he walked to the edge of the stage and explained that he wasn't used to playing in such nice places, that he's really a "dirt bar" type of performer and would we all please join him in a little dancing.  It was totally endearing and the crowd eagerly responded by rushing the stage and rewarding Brett with lots of hip swaying, clapping, and all out reveling in his infectious energy.

It's rare when you get to see what seems like a true glimpse of one's personality while they are performing on stage.  Brett (he is sooo not a Mr. Dennen, and I think if I was ever fortunate enough to meet him in person he would want me to call him Brett) has a way about him up there in front of an audience that is extremely authentic, like he is doing exactly what he was meant to do with his life, and his songs reflect that. He doesn't say a whole lot when he's on stage, but his gestures, smirks, and exchanges with his fellow band mates make him seem completely sweet, humble, and even approachable, like he's there just to jam it up with a few hundred of his closest friends.  At one point he unplugged his guitar, walked once again to the edge of the stage and just crooned out into the completely captivated theater.  His voice has such a raw, completely unique sound and range that I found myself holding my breath as he shared this intimate moment with his audience.  Pretty cool.

He amped it back up again to close with a great variation of "Blessed" (check out this version from Red Rocks a few years ago- very similar to how he performed it at The Pantages) sending every person in that theater off into the night with a total tingle and good vibes. I have loved his voice since the first moment I heard it- now I am completely entranced with the sensitive, good time folk/pop man that is Brett Dennen.

Or is it Shaggy?

It's a Capsule, Dude.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

was my first response when old pal Walt Averill told me about his latest creative venture, Capabunga!

A reusable, silicone capsule for sealing open wine bottles. 

 Simple, right?  Well, yes and no.  Some of the most "simple" gadgets and contraptions typically don't come to fruition until something has been tested at least a few hundred times, or in this case, probably a few thousand would be more like it.  Walt said the idea literally came to him in the middle of the night and the following morning told his lovely wife Maire Murphy about it and they went to work.  Nine months later their wine baby was born and Capabunga! 
 The rest is history.

Genius.  Pure genius. 

 Why DIDN'T I think of that??? 

 Well, probably because I am not Walt or Maire.  These two are wine business veterans who have done everything possible in the industry- all the with their infectious energy, hard work, determination, and outrageous humor.  Check out here all the other cool stuff this dynamic wine duo is cookin' up.





Capabunga, dude.  The reusable, silicone wine cap.  Get it.



Maire Murphy and Walt Averill- The brainaic/comedic winebiz duo.









Coo's World

Coo feet in Crocs

As you have all figured out by now, my youngest is quite a character.  Yesterday I was going through the photos on my phone and discovered he has taken more then I have- about fifty of the cats, many of his feet (how very artistic, I thought), and too many of me from very unflattering angles.  I thought this was a totally hilarious peek into Cooper's very colorful little world.

*all pics courtesy of Coo

Lucy the Cat, aka "Gorgeous McDonaldson"

One of Coo's many battles

Coo in flops

Self portrait- can you believe he used the Hipstamatic??!!

An Abundance of Crumbs



My garden steps

In the words of one of my favorite bloggers, Peevish Mama, I apologize for giving you crumbs lately.  After the longest feeling winter on record, spring has FINALLY sprung which means writing gives way to soccer and baseball games, gardening, backyard socializing, BBQing, and just plain old mainlining fresh air after being cooped up inside for the better part of six months.  Ahhh...I love the smell of lilacs; the lush, green canopy of trees that envelops our street and the surrounding neighborhoods; and the raging nearby creek our boys love to fish.  All these sights, sounds, and smells of spring and summer are so pronounced here in the Midwest that we sometimes forget to just sit and contemplate their beauty...we often move at record pace through this season so as not to miss a thing that might take place.  I encourage you to savor it all-  listen to the kids playing outside, the birds chirping, feel the warmth- soak it in, when of course you are not driving laps around town to various playdates, baseball practices, swim team meets, BBQ's, block parties....

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First trip to Bachman's



Pots ready to be filled

 Since I have not been able to sit at my computer and write very much these days, it means my brain is swelling like Minnehaha with thoughts, ideas, and plans about a gazillion different things.  I have a load of post topics that are just waiting to come out so be patient with me in these busy months.  I will try to at least give you pictures- words might be skimpy- but this handy little iPhone Mr. C picked up for me has quite the camera (Hipstamatic rules- ya gotta get it) so stay tuned, don't abandon me.  I will do my very best to give you an abundance of crumbs throughout this glorious time of year.

The first flowers of the season