Addie: Nathan talks to me ALL THE TIME. And he makes fun of my hair. AND he does bunny ears to me. He chases me around at recess and he is always making funny faces at me.

Me: Sounds like Nathan likes you.

Addie: What? Why would he do all that weird stuff if he likes me?

Me: The weirder a boy is around you, the more he likes you.

Addie: Pfft, it’s more like ‘The weirder a boy is around Addie, the less SHE likes HIM.’

Me: May that always be your answer.

Addie: Hey, is that why dad’s so weird?

Me: Pretty much.

While we’re on the subject of Addie, and since I’m kind of new to this whole “parenting second graders” gig, can we talk about something for a minute?

Addie likes to pretend she has broken bones.

She’ll wrap her wrist up in a scarf and hang it in a sling around her neck. Or she’ll wrap her entire leg in a scarf and hobble around begging for crutches.

This is, normal? No?

I mean, I used to pretend I had a broken arm too. I’d also melt down Jolly Ranchers to make a “retainer.” Then there was the “pretending I had asthma” thing.

It’s just something kids do? Or maybe something just Addie and I do?

Perhaps it’s a desperate cry for attention?

Let’s just say I felt a lot better about my parenting when I asked twitter “So, do your kids ask if you can go out to eat ALL THE TIME?” and everyone said “YES ALL THE TIME!”

So, what I’m saying is, your kids pretend they have injuries too, right?

Happy labor day!

Now put your white pants away.

Oh, we’re not following that rule anymore? Winter white you say? Huh.

What’s that? You don’t own white pants? Neither did I, until July. I didn’t WANT to own white pants, especially not white skinny jeans. In fact before July I didn’t own a single piece of white clothing aside from bras and underpants. Why wear white? IT GETS SO DIRTY.

White turns dingy. Cody wore an old white shirt to church yesterday and it was OFFENSIVE. There’s white, then there’s “used to be white.” Cody’s shirt certainly was certainly a fine shade of used to be white.

What about the pit stains in white clothes? Because pit stains never look good on anyone.

Tide asked if I’d work with them at the EVO conference, which I was thrilled about! But part of the agreement was that I had to wear white clothes.

Everyday.

Continue reading “It’s labor day! Now what do I do with my pants? (Sponsored by Tide VIVID)”

Perhaps you’ll remember when I was all “LOOK AT THE BLURB BOOK I MADE!” and then a day later I was all “LOOK AGAIN!”

Well it turns out not only did you look at it, but Blurb noticed as well and liked what I did (thanks!)

Now they want to return the favor and grant my wish of being able to give books to everyone. (EVERYONE!)

It’s my Oprah moment! YOU GET A BOOK! AND YOU GET A BOOK! AND YOU GET A BOOK!

When you use the code ‘INSTAMOOSH’ at check out you will get $19.95 off a new book order, that means a 60 page softcover Facebook or Instagram photo book could be yours for the bargain price OF FREE. If you want to make a bigger book or upgrade it just a bit? You can use the same code to take $19.95 off your even fancier book. Do you live in Australia, Europe or Canada? YOU GET A BOOK TOO! (book maker must pay appropriate S&H)

BUT WAIT, this offer only lasts for 72 hours!

What is an Instagram book?

It’s a book , of your Instagram photos.

Like this one (shown next to my big beautiful book for scale):

(Are you following me on Instagram? I’m @mooshinindy.)

I upgraded to a hardcover on this book, it also has a lot of photos in it, 180 pages to be exact. ($37 softcover, $56 hardcover)

Since I started Instagram on my birthday this year I’ve decided to make a book every two or three months. How often they get made depends on how many photos I’ve taken.

I poo pooed Instagram for a long time (probably because I didn’t have a smart phone and once I did Instagram wasn’t available on Android until this year.)

Once I got into it though, it’s not just crappy photos with crazy filters, it’s tiny little stories as they happen in real time, it’s a community, it’s wonderful.

I may or may not be an abuser of the ‘walden’ filter. Sorry about that.

Kiss kiss Instagram, kiss kiss blurb. LET’S ALL GO MAKE BOOKS!!

(Don’t have Instagram? You can make one from your uploaded Facebook photos as well. No Facebook? NO WORRIES! You can always make one directly from your flickr photos or upload them to Blurb directly or use their handy desktop book making app.)

*******

THE RULES: Promo code ‘INSTAMOOSH‘ MUST be entered at checkout for the discount to apply and for the best experience you should make your books on a computer and not a mobile device. The code is good for $19.95 USD/CAD (or 17.95 Euros/$21.95 AUD) off a 7×7 60 page softcover Instagram or Facebook book –  It expires in 72 HOURS (Monday night at 11:59pm EST time) then it turns back into a coupon pumpkin.

This coupon may only be used once by each person and on books made by you, It may not be applied towards adjustments on previous orders, gift cards or towards volume orders.

PLEASE do not Tweet/Instagram/Facebook the code itself, because that’s not fair, and moosh in indy readers play by the rules, right? Right. And if you want Blurb to keep on keeping on with the sweet deals? We all have to play by the rules and show them our support of their faith in our Instagram photos.

GO FORTH! PRESERVE THY LITTLE SQUARE MEMORIES!

(Disclosure: Blurb did provide me with a code for my own Instagram books and all links are affiliate.)

 

It would be easy to give all the credit to Pinterest.

You can only see so many craft projects before you start to believe that YOU TOO CAN BE CRAFTY!

But let’s rewind for a moment.

I was really pregnant when my mom came out for a week, she needed a desk to work at so we bought one at a yard sale for $20, Cody got the big sides sanded, and then it sat.

And sat.

And sat.

My mom came, we made her a desk out of two TV trays and a plywood board.

The desk sat in the garage under a recumbent bike and a dozen other odds and ends.

Cody started blogging and needed a desk for our desktop computer, “I need to finish that desk!” he said.

It sat some more because Cody bought a new desk, one that didn’t need refinishing.

“I need to take that desk to Goodwill.” Cody finally said after close to two years of that desk sitting in our garage.

I saw this post from Chelsea about her refashioning an old ugly thing into a very lovely new thing.

HEY! I COULD DO THAT! But it kind of seems like a lot of work, and I don’t have an old ugly piece of furniture.

OH WAIT YES I DO!

I then met Tausha in Park City at EVO and it turns out her entire blog is about refinishing, restyling and repurposing things.

I told her about my desk, she told me about Annie Sloan chalk paint, and that there was no need to prime, sand or strip when using it and a seed was planted.

August happened, the weather got nice and I convinced myself that I needed to refinish the desk and I needed to do it now.

I decided to buy the paint locally (if you can consider Sheridan, Indiana local) rather than order it online because LOCAL! WOO! (I also couldn’t decide on a color.)

I read Tausha’s post about chalk paint, talked to the owner of the store where I got the paint and here’s what’s happened:

• I took out all the old hardware and covered in the holes with wood putty and a putty knife. I also filled in any big gouges and rough bits with the putty and and sanded all the repaired spots with 80 sandpaper attached to a palm sander.
• I went to bed.
• I washed off the whole desk with a big damp rag and let it dry.
• I taped off the edges of the drawers, based off of this post here, to maintain some sense of tidiness. (This photo really gives you an idea of what rough shape the desk was in.)

• I painted. And painted. And painted. I used the color ‘Arles’ which is a deliciously warm and muted yellow. I had bought an Annie Sloan paint brush as well as a 2″ angled detail brush, I can see why all of the tutorials and forums I read said used the best brush you can buy, the paint is sturdy and if you use a cheaper brush you’ll end up with little hairs all over and it will frustrate and infuriate you.
• The paint dried really quick, so I added another coat, the parts that weren’t sanded (and much darker) required close to three coats while the rest looked good with two. (There’s a lot of talk about one coat being so shabby chic! Letting the natural flaws and brushstrokes show through! I twitched at the seven different shades after one coat so I covered the whole darn thing until it was solid.)
• I fed the baby, did some work, ate some lunch then went back out to wax the thing. (This is where I digress and say that I only waxed because I was told to wax and I’m not sure why one would wax instead of any other number of finishes, but the wax made it velvety with a tiny hint of sheen and once I figured out how to wax properly it went really quickly.) I used the Annie Sloan clear wax. It’s smelly, ventilation is your friend!
• I then drilled new holes for the new hardware. YAY NEW HARDWARE! I then put on the new hardware BECAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED YAY! (Plus Vivi kept pushing the hardware-less drawers in and I broke at least 3 nails trying to dig them back out.) This photo was taken before I distressed the edges, it was also taken in almost direct sunlight which is why it looks SO SUNNY YELLOW! (Also, that’s dried putty on the floor, not a flattened mouse.)

• While the wax marinated (I mean, it didn’t have to marinate, I just didn’t know what to do next) I came in and asked Pinterest how to distress furniture. I found this post and she said “JUST GO FOR IT WITH THE PALM SANDER HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF!” So I went back outside, put on a dust mask and took to the edges, details and corners with the palm sander fitted with 120 grit sandpaper. I got pretty gutsy at the end, and it felt pretty good. Even better? It looked really good. (If you’re going to do this, it’s totally worth the $30 for a palm sander.)
• And that was it. (Well, I cleaned off all the dust and vacuumed out the drawers.)

It took me less than 36 hours to turn this old desk into a really cool desk. (See, and this photo makes it look orange-ish, WORK WITH ME LIGHTING.)

I don’t really have anywhere specific for it, I just wanted to give myself a project. However, I want it somewhere where I’ll see it everyday, BECAUSE GUYS I DID THIS WITH NO HELP FROM CODY. (Well, he helped me take it into the house…)

I want to refinish all the things now.

I really want to paint our old piano blue.

Our dining table and chairs white.

(No Cody, I’m not going to, UNCLENCH.)

So there you have it, someone who’s never done anything like this in their life, doing it and doing it well in just over a day with the help of the Internet.

Boom.

Shireen and I don’t have much in common, Cody and I don’t have much in common either, which is probably what makes my relationship with both of these people so wonderful.

I love birthdays, keeping surprises eats my spirit from the inside out and I like to make very big deals out of anything that could be considered a deal.

Shireen doesn’t really like birthdays, she can keep a surprise like a boss and doesn’t make very big deals out of many deals.

Shireen’s 30th birthday is Tuesday and through the secretly uniting powers of facebook I was able to bring together her mom, her childhood friends, her high school friends, her college friends and her new friends who live in her computer to plan a surprise birthday party for her. I EVEN KEPT IT A SECRET.

I had dinner with her Friday night and she was boo hooing about how she really wanted her friends to make a big deal out of her birthday and plan something for her, but she just knew her hopes were too high and she shouldn’t expect anything and just give in to being disappointed now. She also said she probably should have planned something herself but that requires effort and it’s always strange to plan your own birthday party.

I NEARLY DIED YOU GUYS.

I had to play along like I knew nothing.

I planned my own birthday party this year. I had the same high hopes but when my birthday week came and no one had even reserved me for anything at all? I figured it was time to take things into my own hands. When I told Cody I was planning myself a birthday party he said “What if I was planning you one for Friday and now you just ruined it?” Oh Cody, that’s funny that you even tried to make me believe that you were doing something, by the way, I got a babysitter for Saturday night and you’re taking me out to dinner.

After 12 years I’ve learned that my expectations can be a bit high and in order to not be disappointed on my birthday/anniversary/Mother’s Day/Christmas/Valentine’s I just have to do things myself and tell Cody where and when to show up.

It’s not horribly romantic, but it works. Every once in awhile Cody pulls of a surprise, I love it when he does.

ANYWAY.

Shireen and I went out last night, I pretended like we were going to dinner but before we made it to the door I shoved a blindfold over her eyes, a tiny sparkling top hat on her head, headphones over her ears,  put her back in my car, and took her to another friend’s house where there were a dozen lovely people waiting to hug and love on her.

There was even an Edward Cullen cake that sparkled.

It was wonderful.

It was everything she deserved.

It took close to thirty years to weed out the turds in my life and surround myself with really good people. It was totally worth the wait and turd weeding to get to where I’m at today.

Happy Birthday Shireen. I sure do like you.

This was supposed to be a post about Tea Collection‘s newest Nordic inspired back to school look for kids.

Tea Collection asked if Addie would like to pick out some outfits for back to school, she’d wear them, I’d snap a few photos and write up a little review, tell you where to buy them, give you a few links, tell you how much I love and adore Tea Collection, how I have always loved and adored them and that would be it.

BUT YOU GUYS.

I was told first came six, then came awkward. DOES SHE LOOK AWKWARD TO YOU?

Let’s take a look at me when I was a little older than her…(10 to be exact)

My ten year old self is intimidated by my seven year old and HOW DID SOMETHING LIKE HER EVER COME FROM CODY AND ME?

(Not saying we’re ugly old trolls, BUT COME ON.)

Tea Collection Adorable Dots T-Shirt Dress

Tea Collection Skinny Stretch Leggings

Boots: Sorel

Back to the task at hand. Both girls wear A LOT of Tea Collection. It’s well made, everything pretty much goes with everything else and it wears well. Meaning dresses that Addie wore when she was five are now tunics and dresses that Vivi wore when she was a tiny baby are now stylish shirts. The leggings transition easily into capris and did I mention everything more or less goes together? My rule as of late is that any new piece of clothing has to (reasonably) match with at least 5 other things she currently owns.

I’m all for letting Addie dress herself (hence the flowery winter boots in the photos) but there are times when leopard print, tie dye and pink tulle aren’t necessarily appropriate.

Tea Collection Mikko Floral Bubble Dress

Tea Collection Skinny Stretch Leggings

Tea Collection Bluetail Robin Tee

Tea Collection Lunefuld Twirly Skirt

Tea Collection Heather Stripe Leggings

(sweater is her own)

Tea Collection Aurinko Flower Stripe Top

Tea Collection Twirly Skirt

Tea Collection Heather Stripe Leggings

It’s stupid how fast kids grow up.

YOU HEAR ME? Stupid.

But dang if I’m not grateful that I can capture these little kids exactly as they are at this exact moment.

Which is pretty much just like this:

*****

A special thanks to Tea Collection for providing Addie with a gift card so she could pick out some new clothes. Links are affiliate, opinions are my own, the clothes are cute.

Tea Collection runs very true to size. All the clothes Addie is wearing in this post are size 8. Vivi is currently in 12-18 month/18-24 month sizes.

Get free shipping on all orders at www.teacollection.com with promo code NORDICSHIP now through 8/24

First of all, blogging has changed Cody in ways I never would have imagined. You think you’ve been learning a lot about him? YOU AND ME BOTH. His writing has even unclenched a little, all the Cody! Now little lighter on the lawyer! He also knows what it means when I tell him I made the Yahoo homepage and if a grunt and grumble about HTML he doesn’t think I’m using text speak in regular conversation. The new slideshow format over at Babble is a FRILLION times better than it was at this time last month and things are continually getting better over there. So to all ye who are Babbled out and frustrated? THINGS ARE A CHANGIN’!

Here’s what Cody’s tapped out this month about being my husband and a dad to the two cutest little creatures around these parts:

• The more I hear about the men’s locker room, the more thankful I am to be a girl. Cody documents the 10 weirdest things he’s seen in the men’s locker room.

• When I told Cody I thought my new birth control was making me gain weight, he made the mistake of saying “maybe it was all the burritos you ate last week.“

• Vivi went to daycare and brought home THE SICKNESS. Oh daycare, why do you do this to us?

• Addie’s a drug seeker, Vivi won’t let the medicine go down without a very loud teary fight.

• Cody’s thoughts about our vacation, before we took our vacation (he likes me! he really likes me!)

• Mourning the loss of his little girl as she transitions into a young lady. (Wah.)

• “It’s nice to be the favorite again, since I know you love Vivi more than me.” -Addie (cue daddy gut punch)

• Ever hear about the time I threw crackers at Cody’s head? In my defense, I was pregnant.

• Cody’s recap of our vacation. (Food wins. Food always wins.)