Rules of The Blog

Apparently Rule #1 of blogging is to not leave your blog unattended for too long.  Woops.  Guilty as charged.  Well, I'm going to try to change that as I want to write more but simply haven't as of late because I often think, who really cares?  Really, truly?  A blog is a blog is a blog...blah, blah, blah.  It was easy to say, "I've been too busy."  But, umm, well, that's not exactly the case here...

It seems like every time I sat at my computer over the last six to nine months I couldn't sort out my thoughts.  Creative words never arrived and antidotes that I would typically find amusing just sounded inane once they were typed.  Everything felt disjointed and ridiculous; a constant stream of starts and stops that just couldn't get assembled into cohesive, coherent paragraphs.  What was wrong with me?  I couldn't figure out what was going on and why I couldn't brazenly, unabashedly spew my opinions to the wind anymore like I used to do.  Then one day as I was walking around the lake it hit me like lightening.  As I kept unsuccessfully trying to publish post after post I discovered that I was thinking too much about what other people would want to read, not necessarily what I wanted to say.  Would people laugh?  Would they be touched?  Would they say, "Okay, it's finally time to delete this garbage out of my Inbox" ? I started this "diary/journal/blog"  to track personal and family milestones; to share ideas and opinions and even the occasional recipe, travel tip, or musical fancy.  I met a lot of great people from writing this blog and in it's own way it led me to some very interesting possibilities and opportunities that otherwise would have never come my way.  I never wanted to be a dead, unread entry in someones email graveyard but I found myself caring about it, which is not what this little blog is for.  

I like to write and I like what this space has brought me with all of it's dangling participles, erratic thoughts, indulgent ramblings and sometimes offensive opinions.  Love it or delete it, Mofo's.  I'm going back to basics, as well as the colors this page used to wear.  Why did I think I liked gray?  It's time to brighten it up and lighten it up.  Thanks for rollin' with me...

Oh, and by the way...

Kidding.  Sort of...

Cheers!!

Minnesota Summer

Well Hello Summer!  So glad you could make it!  Just this past week it has finally felt like it's name around here- sunshine, humidity, crispy skin from being at the pool from open till close, bug bites, BBQ's and gin bootlegs.  Ahhh...finally.  

We wait a long time for this season and have no shame in living it up like it's the last day we will feel the sun on our faces.  It is a season where we see certain folks that we otherwise don't during the shut in months and we eat certain foods unavailable six months from now and savor sitting outside for leisurely lunches on backyard patios. 

Bedtimes seem to fade- is that my six year running down the sidewalk barefoot still wearing his swimsuit long after dark with a drippy popsicle hanging from his hand?  Why yes, I do believe it is!  And I make no apologies.  Morning routines are botched and sports are occasionally skipped.  As annoying as it can be sometimes, I do love the "swap the kids" around the neighborhood business that seems to be pure Minnesota.  In our old California neighborhood I didn't ever experience the "summer parent support system" of  "I need to take J to baseball so can you take Z and G and when I get back send F, C and C over for a while so you can run some errands and then let's meet up because I need to take M and J over to the F's for a movie date with their nanny and then my Dad is going to take them to DQ for a while and then we'll all get together in your backyard so Mr. C can BBQ??"  Yup, that's pretty much the daily story around here for three solid months and we are lucky and we love it and we are all ready for it end by Labor Day. 

But until then I will soak up the sound of cicadas, the smell of freshly cut grass, the dirty bare feet, the freckled noses, sunscreen smell on my boys' hair, early morning walks before it gets too hot (okay, who am I kidding, mid morning), back yard movies, and the freedom my boys feel from fishing in the creek down the block by themselves.   That is pure Minnesota summer- and I'm very thankful you have decided to arrive.

Pup Up Shop

Ms. Maudie says, "See you at the Pup Up Shop!"

I know this might be a face only a mother could love, but if you have trouble capturing just the right expression on your pet's face like I do, you need to get your pooch in front of Elissa Kadue at Little Bean Photography.  She can always coax a smile, direct the perfect tilt of the head, and bring out the true personality of your pup or your child.  Trust me.  She has snapped our family for two years running and has managed to do an amazing job with subjects that are, let's just say...not so cooperative.  For photographing pups or people, Elissa is your girl.

And there is no team more qualified than Nicole Liwienski and Jennifer Rasmussen of White Peacock Styled Events to put it all together and make it a festive two day puppy party.  These girls bring it to every event to create a mood that is meticulously detailed, highly personal, and absolutely, fabulously stylish.  Corporate events, store openings, birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, you name it- these girls will make it happen exactly as you imagined it!

And Ms. Maudie only goes to Lulu & Luigi for her blow out and nails.  They have the most adorable accessories (the sweaters!!), leashes, carriers, and the best brands of pet food with the most experienced grooming staff.  Thankfully they have multiple locations to keep Twin Cities pets well groomed and stylish.

So put the them all together and what do you have?  A Pup Up Shop, of course!
Check it out-

What:

High Style Doggy Portraits

Why:
Raising money to benefit Secondhand Hounds and their furry friends!

When:
Saturday + Sunday, June 22nd + 23rd
10am - 4pm by appointment only

Call Elissa at Little Bean, 952-922-8445, to book your appointment and package.

Choose:
$995 + 50% off prints
No session fee + disk of up to 10 images of your choice + 50% off ala carte online print ordering. Save $850+.
or
$225
Session fee plus your choice of single digital image or 11x14 wall portrait + ala carte online print ordering. Save $25.
or
$100
Session fee + ala carte online print ordering

Where:

Little Bean Photography
4617 Excelsior Blvd  
Minneapolis, MN 55416
*Parking is directly behind the building. Look for our bright pink door!

Pinning

Everyone looks to different sources when seeking inspiration, but my go-to spot (on the Internet, at least) is Pinterest.  I could spend hours looking at images of well, literally EVERYTHING.  It's serious eye candy for interiors, recipes, fashion, quotes, wallpaper, destinations, you name it, you can find it on this site.  For someone like me that literally has cabinets filled with back issues of every magazine and file folders stuffed with tear sheets, this site has been a virtual space saver and the creators are genius in my mind.  I actually have to set a time limit for my pinning sessions because I can so easily get carried away and the hours can quickly pass by if I let them.

Here's what I'm currently pinning-

Quotes-

I love this one

Places I want to go-

Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico, right girls?

Interiors-

I would die for a new closet or a mudroom like this

Recipes-

I need an appetizer recipe for tonight

Backyard Inspiration-

I've been meaning to do this to my backyard table for a while

Party Ideas-

We have a 70's party this weekend and I'm trying to get excited about dressing up...I'm thinking Charlie's Angels.  My friends nixed Roller GIrl as me on skates at a party is not a great idea.  But Mr. C as the dude from Boogie Nights...oh yeah!

But the quotes are my favorite.  You can find one for every mood...

Happy Pinning, people!

Happy May Day

Happy May Day!

We're almost there, Minnesota.