Monday, January 31, 2011

Hey look-that's me!

Ok, honestly, I'm a little embarrassed to say that, because I feel like Ashton Kutcher's character on Cheaper by the Dozen...."bam!  There's me!"

But I also feel a little embarrassed to say that when I opened up an email today I was thinking "Ooo...the dresses are on sale!  Hey-I wore that dress!  Oh wait, that's me!"  Yes, it took me a minute.

Brilliant thing that I am.
I can't even blame lack of sleep today because Sam slept for almost 12 hours last night.  TWELVE hours!  Oh my word!  It was awesome!
Also, ouch.

But, back to the point.  In that random things post I mentioned that I was invited to do a photo shoot with Impel Clothing.
It was a blast.  So much fun!  Everyone was so very nice, it was like hanging out with a bunch of girlfriends playing dress up for a few hours.  I had a great time.
And today I got a peek at one of the pictures from that day.
In that email.
Ready?


And look-parts of my body on the right side of each of these pics.

Yay for my ankles!
ha!

I can't wait to see some of the other pictures!
Also I may have to buy a dress.  Because they are on sale.

Photobucket

A middle name kind of day

Week.
Month.
Heck, year so far!

Charlotte.  Oh dear, sweet, cute little Charlotte.....

Or as is being heard more frequently lately, "Charlotte Olwen!!"

That girl is the devil in disguise.

Recently I have said to her, more than once, each of the following:
"please get off the counter!"
"Why are you naked again?"
"Get out of the fridge"
"Please don't take the dirt out of the plant"
"get out of the freezer"
"WHAT are you doing?"
"We don't jump on the couch"
"What are you eating?"
"Where are your clothes?!"
"PLEASE don't dump that!"
"Only Mommy paints fingernails"
"Fingernail polish is not for walls"
"We only draw on paper"
"Don't flush that!"
"That is not a toy"
"Please stop jumping off the table"
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"I just got you dressed!"
"Come back inside!"

And that was just in the past 24 hours.

Ok, seriously it was more than 24 hours, but not by much.

At some point in the past I'm sure I have said nearly all of those things to one of my kids at two years old.  But typically they don't come in such close succession.  If this child were my only child, I would still be thoroughly exhausted at the end of the day.

Today's big adventure was food coloring.  I was outside of visual range for just a few moments-and it was a few moments too long.  She climbed on the counter, got in to the highest shelf of the upper cabinets, opened a new box of food coloring, had all four bottles uncapped, and was mixing them all together.  In cupcake liners.  At least she used the plain liners instead of the cute holiday ones.

By the way, Clorox wipes do a pretty darn good job of cleaning up food coloring.  From walls, the floor, and cabinetry.  The counter will look normal again in a couple of days.
Her hands.....


well, that might take a while.

I'll let you know if I am able to save her clothes.

But she is just so darn cute, it is sure hard to stay upset for long.
Even if she did eat three packs of gum in the last week.

Photobucket

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"Mom, are you aware?"

....asked me dear little 9 year old daughter, "that Malia is trying to bring scrunchies back into fashion?"

"Well, the good news is that scrunchies will never be back in fashion.  I hope."

"Even her friends are wearing them to help her."

"Well, that's nice of her friends."

And then Malia arrived.
"Scrunchies will never be back in fashion," the younger sister recants with the knowing and authoritative attitude of a wise old man.

"Huh?"

"She's right.  Sorry.  Headbands are in."

"Headbands?"

"Well, a scrunchie is kind of like a headband."

"Like a headband for your ponytail."

And in effort to not crush the accessory hopes and dreams of my girls, who decided to agree on something, I bowed out.  If my daughter wants to commit the fashion faux pas that is the scrunchie and is willing to rock it with all the self-confidence in the world, more power too her.

We should all be so brave.
Photobucket

Friday, January 21, 2011

A Big SexyModest Giveaway

 We are rapidly approaching the season of Love.

And in my opinion, that means you should get yourself something you love!
Good thinking, no?

There is a new boutique that is fabulous.

SexyModest Boutique.

While it is a boutique that is local, you can also order online-through their facebook page!  Very cool, very simple, very convenient.  Not to mention that everything, yes everything in this store is under $50!

Well, guess what?

To celebrate the fact that it's Friday, and that I have been up since 4 am, I am giving away a $50 gift certificate for SexyModest!  50 big ones!

Ok, really that has nothing to do with 4am, just thought I'd throw that in there.  Although when you've been up since 4, you need all the help you can get to look fabulous, and this is the place to be if you want to look fabulous!

Last weekend I went in to check it out.
My eyes immediately fell to the jeans with pink pockets there on the left.
*swoon*
I think I need some new jeans.
Maybe these ones?
Love that tee too!

So much to choose from!
That splash of black and white in the photo above = the cutest jacket ever.  If I didn't have monstrous football player shoulders that would have come home with me.



We had a ton of fun trying on some fabulous clothes and accessories, the staff was so much fun to work with, and our husbands were good sports to boot.
Look at that-they even helped with wardrobe.  Awww....


Fabulous blingy jeans-new arrivals every week!

True love is an armoire full of fabulous jeans.


(how many times have I used the word fabulous in this post?!)

The accessories....oh the accessories!








Jewelry

Jewelry everywhere!


Funky Hats


and a shipment of stylin' new bags had just arrived!

That red bag on the top shelf on the left SO has my name on it!

If for some reason you also got up and 4am and still aren't convinced that you want free $ to spend here because you aren't fully awake yet, check this out:


Aaaaaaannd......
Now we're to the good part!   You want to win!  This giveaway has a slightly different mode of entry than the standard giveaway here so listen up!

If you would like to win $50 to SexyModest (which means you can have absolutely anything in the store!).....

*First become a fan of SexyModest on Facebook (and consequently fall in LOVE or at least deep like with Sexy Modest) and share the Sexy Modest video link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoFVDUdZiU0)  on your fb wall.  Trust me, your friends will thank you for sharing.

*Second, you must then go to the SexyModest Facebook wall and say "I shared SexyModest Boutique thanks to Random Thoughts from the Zoo"

*Make sure you come back here and leave a comment to let me know when you've done those things-both of which are mandatory to enter! (one comment for those things)

*That's it!
Unless you want extra entries, in which case all the standard giveaway extras apply here.  Extra entry for being a follower, for sharing this on your own blog, tweeting it, and sharing on facebook by linking back to this post.  Please remember to leave a comment for each entry!

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm Mountain Time on Monday January 31st, when I will draw a winner via Random.org.
Now, go forth and win!
Photobucket

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Stylish Tag

the Stylish Blogger award.....
hahaha!

It's because I spared you the details of the stomach flu I mentioned yesterday isn't it?

You know, I have spent an inordinate amount of time making fun of my husband's best friend and all the bloggy awards that he receives/hands out.  Of course, he's a guy and he lists them in his sidebar with the little pictures of kittens and teacups and everything that frequently accompany such awards, so he totally opened himself up for that and I consider him fair game.  My husband and I spent so much time mocking all those girly awards, that Aaron came up with one more award for his friend:


The "I like your blog so much it makes me vomit rainbows" award.  
This one never got listed in the sidebar.  I don't know why. 

Since I have in part continued the quarantine which leaves me home with too much laundry no desire to be productive a little spare time, I'll play along.

The rules:
-Link back to the awardee-my friend who is a mega athlete and will always conjure up images of Roman Numerals and Fidel Castro
-Share 7 things about myself
-Pass it along
-Let those others let them know that it is their duty to continue the madness

In case you did not get enough of my weirdness back here, go ahead and read on.  I'll make #7 the grand finale, how about that?

#1.  I like socks.  A lot.

This is about half of my stash-all of my blues and most of my greens and purples and black and white patterns are in the laundry (hey, I told you I was behind on laundry), and we are not counting my running socks, funky running knee highs, or cycling socks.  And yes, those are nylons in the corner.  I wear nylons.  Deal with it.

#2.  I also like fabric.  A lot.  I could browse through a fabric store for hours.  This is a little bit of the stash I am currently working out of:

Those look like little baskets, but, uh, they aren't.  I will not show you the rest, because then my husband will see how much fabric I actually have.  Hi Honey!  Love you!  Actually this is legit to have, because I do a lot of sewing, and sell the finished products.  One day I will get my etsy shop restocked and out of vacation mode.

 #2 1/2 (since it goes with 2)  My biggest seller is aprons.  Stylish trendy aprons.  So what do I wear?  I wear an old worn out Ikea apron on which the straps are getting threadbare and are near breaking.  I know, I know.  I actually have made a number of aprons for myself, but before I ever get a chance to actually take it to my kitchen and use it, I end up carting it along to a boutique for a display and it sells, or someone needs an apron immediately for a gift or I need something immediately for a gift....you know how it goes.  I am actually in the process of making myself one (again) this week.  We'll see if it makes it to the kitchen.  I have a couple of months before Spring boutique season kicks in, so I should be safe!

#3. My toenails MUST be painted.  Always.  I've gotten lazy in these winter months (thanks to the funky socks), but in the summer I usually go fun and glittery.  I have shared pictures of my toenails before, so I'll spare you.

#4.  I have spent 308 weeks, since January of 1998, pregnant.  Actually if you include the pregnancy I miscarried it is 314 weeks.  That's a little over six years.  I have spent more time than that nursing.  Since we got married in August of 1997, 13 1/2 years ago, I have spent a grand total of just 16 months *not* pregnant or nursing.  Yes, I realize that I can't go on like that forever.  And gosh, I have a patient husband!

#5. I love love LOVE The Biggest Loser.  And I can finally watch it without eating ice cream.  Mostly because nursing Sam and eating dairy do not mix, but hey, whatever works.  Now I mostly eat smoothies while I watch it.  I am not the only one who eats when I watch that show, I've asked.

#6. Speaking of The Biggest Loser, we had one over to our house when he was the biggest winner.

Dude. is. huge.
Back in the day when the hubby used to do videography and photography he met Rulon at one of the corporate things he was doing.  Rulon needed his gold medal winning footage edited, because he was no longer married to the woman who jumped out of the stands after he won.  Slightly awkward for the next wife who watched said footage at every speaking engagement.  Anyway, Aaron did the editing for him so he came over to go over it all.  This was 2005, when he was still in training shape.  His chest was so big around that Aaron couldn't get his arms all the way around him.  That sounds strange....no they weren't hugging.  He was using Aaron during said corporate speaking engagement to help demo the hold he used on the Russian guy when he won the gold.  Anyway, nice guy.

#7.  Here's your grand finale...are you ready?
I was feeling brave recently.  So with just minutes notice, I dragged my husband out to the fields by our house to shoot a couple of photos for me.  On the last day to enter, I submitted a couple of photos to a modeling contest.



Silly, I know.
But yay me-I was chosen as a finalist!  Next week I head to Park City for a photo shoot for Impel Clothing's new line.  I am excited to go play dress up for a day!

And there you have it.  You just spent 5 minutes of your day reading about me.  Congratulations!
Now, since I have to go attend to my waking baby, I'm not going to tag specific people, BUT if you read this, you are fair game!  Let me know if you take the challenge of posting about your own randomness so I can come and check it out!


Photobucket

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Pictures

I was looking over some pictures from last year....

They make me happy.

Niki is having a giveaway for some photo work, and every time I think of Niki I want to look at these pictures again.

This day was such a happy day!

I really worried about doing these photos when we first scheduled them.  I was so very glad to be doing them, and knew I would always treasure them, but they scared me.  We first planned these family pictures and maternity shots in case it was the closest we came to family pictures with Sam.

Due to weather they were postponed a week.  Which means they were taken just days after the big sit down with all the experts, when the news was delivered that we could plan for our baby to live.

I know some people get bugged with photos of pregnant bellies, but I love them!  I love this belly....

in all it's glory, four weeks before our little man made his arrival.

I always feel like my smile looks fake in pictures, but these pictures.....well that smile is the most genuine it's ever been.

Looking back on that day still makes me grin from ear to ear.

Local peeps-go check out the giveaway.


Photobucket

I now have the cleanest vacuum on the planet

Why is that?
You should probably know not to ask at this point.

After a restless night I started the day with a lovely stomach flu.  So fun!  Three other kids complained about being sick, so they stayed home without any questioning from me.  Even if they are faking it, I believe in quarantining the possibility that they actually might be sick, so as to not share the joy that is a stomach flu.
You're welcome.

Well, with mom a tad bit out of things and a few extra kids home, things are a notch above the normal daytime crazy.  Ok, normal daytime crazy with kids at school really is pretty mellow, but you know how Charlotte is.....
She was hungry and helped herself to some applesauce.  Fine by me, she is pretty darn self-sufficient and usually does a pretty good job getting something to eat while making minimal mess.  Ironic considering the mess she makes when she does everything else in life.  (I swear I feed her regularly, she just likes to be independent)
Well, the applesauce spilled.  All over the kitchen floor.  But as I was nursing Sam trying to get him down for a nap, my sweet little children didn't want to bother me about cleaning it up.
Lincoln to the rescue!

With the vacuum.
Yes, he vacuumed up applesauce-a fair amount of it.  Guessing from the insides of the vacuum, I would say about a cup, maybe a cup and a half.

At least he tried, right?

Thank goodness we invested in a Dyson a couple of years ago-that thing comes completely apart.  Every little last piece, making it possible to clean pretty darn thoroughly.  Any other vacuum we've ever owned would be ruined after this morning.  I love my vacuum!  And my kids.  Even when they do things like this.

Photobucket

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Question....

So it's ok to send Christmas cards late as long as they say Happy New Year instead of Merry Christmas.
That's not a question.

My question is, New Year's Cards aren't late as long as they arrive before Valentine's Day, right?

I am so on top of things.
Ha!
Photobucket

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Leaving your signature

Charlotte is a very artistic little girl.  She's not creating prodigy masterpieces or anything, but the girl loves to draw, to color, to paint...she loves to create.

It's a blast to watch her lately too, as she is very deliberate in the marks she makes.  A few months ago her big thing was circles and spirals.  She would draw a bunch of little circles all over papers.   Or she would start very small in the middle of a paper and circle outward, being very careful to make a spiral that wouldn't overlap itself.  Now her big thing is little markings that look like letters.  I have countless papers and notecards floating around my house that are sporting heiroglphyic like marks, her own little written language.
She won't say words but she tries to write them.  Hmm.

Well, sometimes one can be a little too artistic.

You do know where this is going, right?

Recently Charlotte is leaving her signature all over the house.
Her preferred medium is Sharpie.
But never fear, if she can't track one down she will happily default to a pen, pencil, crayon, colored pencil or marker-standard, or dry or wet erase.  She's not picky.
How she gets a hold of Sharpies is beyond me.  We keep them locked away and yet she will randomly be walking around with one.
Someone please tell the Sharpie fairy to stop visiting my house!

On her last Tour de House that involved a Sharpie she really outdid herself.

She started out on the banister.  *sigh*
Thanks to finding out quickly, some serious scrubbing, and some help from the pink eraser, it was saved.  I may have passed out if this hadn't come off.

She then moved to the kitchen wall.

And the island.


 A short detour through the dining room, then on down the hallway.



And to her bedroom.


But the real winner...OH yes, her grand finale.
Aaron and I were walking through surveying the damage and found Sophie trying to hide.

Yes folks,
She Sharpied........the dog.

I'll spare you the pictures of the basement.  Oy.

I have a lot of repainting to do.
Photobucket