and so it begins...

Monday marked the first day of construction at our home.  I should be much more excited but I'm not at the moment. I refresh the Boston.com page about 100 times a day waiting for new stories or photos of the Marathon.  Debbie Downer today. Ugh, sorry.

In an effort to lift my spirits {and hopefully give you a chuckle} I'll write about what I am thankful for.

Today, I'm thankful for makeshift, ghetto fencing. Part of our wood fence had to be removed in order to get the excavator into the backyard.  In an effort to keep our pal Brody from escaping our contractor erected {great word} the most ghetto of all fences. Seriously, between the mud, fencing, and plastic toys in my yard it looks like a scene from Dukes of Hazard.

Apparently I failed to inform our contractor of Brody's penchant for eating through screens and fences.  After all, my furry lil' fella did eat through a screen at our last home, jump out the window and was spotted roaming the streets of Salem by a neighbor that recognized his shaggy stride.  Brody is a special dog - special in the sense that he would ride the short bus if one existed for pooches.

I digress. Back to the fence.  Brody can easily eat through, tear apart or jump over our new makeshift flimsy fence.  I did not say any of this to the contractor when he asked if the fence was okay for the Bro.  I smiled and told him it was just perfect.  I lie.  I'm on the fast track to hell my friends. I would be thrilled if he scaled the fence and ran down route 128 and ended up at my parents house.  They need a dog.  I can provide them with one.  It's the prefect scenario.  But instead, Brody will jump over the fence and then go sit on the front step and bark until someone lets him in.  The dog simply won't runaway.  So, I am thankful - not that he won't runaway but that I am making it a tad easier for him to do so. Perhaps he'll come to his senses sooner rather than later and opt for 128 instead of my front stoop...

Stay tuned folks.  We've got a long road ahead of us and lucky for you you're coming along for the ride. xox

don't give up

...on humanity...

Bostonians and people from all over the world are angry.  They should be.  Be furious. Be mad. Be irate. Be enraged. Be fuming. Then take a deep breathe.  Muster up a smile and relic in the fact that amid the devastation and loss of life heroes were born yesterday. Don't lose sight of the fact that good, great, awe-inspiring people still exist.  They exist in large numbers. And those heroes far outweigh all the bad and evil doers. People are inherently good. The images of the 2013 BM are unlike any of the races that preceded - but if you look hard enough you will see the heroism and kindness of the human spirit.  It's just in a different form than what we are accustomed to seeing at this iconic event.  Don't give up because when we as society do succumb to hatred and anger that's when we are really in trouble.

GL Marathoners

To the thousands of runners setting out to conquer the Boston Marathon on Monday - good luck.   Jealous.  Very jealous. I made a promise to myself to run that beast of a race again someday. Stay tuned.

For all the runners out there I highly recommend Michael Connelly's 26 Miles to Boston.  Fab book detailing the history, triumphs and tribulations of the nation's most famous race. Fav excerpt from the intro:

Each April, people from every corner of the world travel thousands of miles to run twenty-six. Nowhere on the face of the earth do more people from more diverse backgrounds gather for a one-day event. The Boston Marathon is a celebration of tradition, a celebration of health-and-fitness, a celebration of life. From Hopkinton to Boston, the spectators and runners are provided a stage to act out a play that stretches the gamut from Shakespeare to Pee Wee Herman. Tragedy, triumph, love frustration and comedy are all components of this road race. 

The twenty-six miles of roads, sidewalks, and bridges are nothing more than a backdrop for athletic conquests, athletic failures, weddings, inebriated college students and overpriced vendors-all of whom play an intricate role in molding this race and its legacy. 

The Boston Marathon's ultimate purpose is as distinct as the people who embrace it. Whether your goal is to run, to barbeque, to say hello to your neighbor, to gather with your family or to delay studying for college finals, the race is a willing partner for all who come to celebrate. 


Best of luck marathoners.  I admire each and every one of you. xox

Prom

My senior prom.  The dress - aqua blue sequined corset top with long flowing chiffon skirt.  Hideous.

 If I were off to prom today here are some of the gowns I would make m&d buy for me.

Yes, these are the dresses I would LOVE to wear. Devoid of color and spunk. 

Ugh. I'm getting old. xox

sunshine, salt & sparkle

the sun and all its warmth has made my day. 

so has the sam lagrassa's bag o' treats sitting on my office chair.

 in moments i will be indulging in a large ruben.

while perusing the DY email i received earlier today titled - inspired by the sea.

could this day be anymore perfect?

sun, salty{meat} and sparkle inspired by the sea. xox

steppin' out

I'm getting gussied up and going out. {yay} I have plans every weekend this month. Apparently I have friends.  Who knew? Actually, I'm just taking my life back.  Hells ya, takin' it back.  Shout out to m&d for watching m&n. Heading out with the big guy and I'm beyond excited for our month o' festivities.

I'm so verklempt {wow, big word} I don't even know where to begin. Let's start with how I feel like a celebrity.  Actually, in my head I am a celebrity. Obvs. Whatever gets you through the day right?

Anyway, my outfits are so freaking fabulous I can't even stand it.  Again, in my head they are fab. The jury is still out on whether they are fab or flop.

Okay, getup number 1.  You will find me all aglow in these bold, bright J Crew slacks.  I bought these maybe 4 years ago and they are still a-maz-ing.  Note to self: to avoid looking like a jack-o-lantern do not pair any black with these bad boys.

After much ado, here are the pants.  It wasn't easy searching through hundreds of Google images trying to find pants I purchased 4 years ago. {perhaps too much time on my hands} And the top I introduced you to a few weeks back.

Okay, so I've proved that I stink at the whole visual presentation thing hence the reason this blog is always a cluster.  All you need is vision. Visualize this ensemble on a 5'8 tan brunette with the best personality evah. Now do you see?  It's a work of art. Not sure what to do about the shoe situation. I stink at picking out shoes too. Stinker.

Getup #2. This is another oldie but goodie.  Got this Clover Canyon shirt for my bday last year and I'm still as in love with it as the day I got it.  OBSESSED. How gorgeous is the split back?

I'll be sporting this beauty with my dark wash Paige jeans or my GAP white skinny jeans.  Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop on what I decide. After all, it is a very important decision.

I have two more outfits in the works.  Stay tuned.  I just need to rob a bank or do the usual and steal the hubby's cc so I can bring them to fruition. xox

HBD Big Pete

 The big guy turns 34 today. Let's do some math. We've been together since 1998.  Its now 2013. A little subtraction for ya  {2013-1998= 15}. Together for 15 years. Wow. We have spent almost half our lives together in bliss.  High five or hurl worthy? Not sure. Decide for yourself.

Polar opposites except for the things that matter. Perfectly alined when it comes to our morals, values and beliefs - especially our immense dislike for the POTUS. We have the same dreams for our children and our future.  Mine just happen to include more material stuff. Shocker. Oh, but don't let the big guy fool you he is a snob too.  I'm just open about my snobbery whereas he is a SS {secret snob}.

Fiscally responsible to a fault, obsessive about organizing our recycling bin and in huge denial about how badly our dog behaves.   I've yet to meet someone so brutally honest.  He's the guy that says exactly what everyone is thinking but too scared to say.  Everyone excludes the bleeding heart liberal {let's all sing MJ's Heal the World} Obama supporters.

He's all mine folks.  Be jealous.

We bicker, bitch and fight. Talk in circles about my spending habits and his asinine work schedule.  But it works and simply because we never give up.  We work hard.  We work very hard to make our marriage and life work.  Its much easier to quit or simply throw something away when it's broken than to stay and fix it.  This is the problem with my generation and it drives me nuts.  It's not easy.  Nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Okay, I'll stop. Getting a little too mushy. I know. Sorry. You just barfed in your mouth.  So did I.  Anyway, you get my point. I think.  Love to the SS on his birthday. He's lucky to have me.  I make his life interesting and costly.

Cheers to some b-day police humor

Visualize M in that Little Tikes Cozy Coupe 

 Love it. This beauty needs a place in our home.

I'm off.  Need to grab a bday gift for my man - with his credit card of course.  Ouch. xox

baby its cold outside

Holy freezing. It's so cold out that Glen the homeless guy that sits on the corner of Cambridge & Bowdoin in Boston changed his location to shield himself from the wind.  Anyone that knows Glen recognizes that this is a big deal.  He has ruled that corner with an iron fist (literally) for the last ten years I've been hauling my booty to Suffolk.  Yup, it's that cold. 

This weather is beyond frustrating for a number of reasons...

{1} the debut of my spring Kate bag was this weekend. Somehow a green bag with white polka dots doesn't seem fitting in 31 degree temps with a wind chill that freezes the snot on my face.  Frozen snot. Yum.

{2} moved all my winter gear to the attic 

{3}sweet NPF4 is getting a cold

{4} desperately need to sport my new J Crew and TB flip flops

I could go on and on and on.  I'll never leave Massachusetts - North Shore - Marblehead but I will continue to bitch and moan about the weather EVERY winter.  Ugh. Cold weather can you please just go away. 

Cosmos. Poppies. Peonies.  Come out and play.  I miss you.  A lot. 

Spring. I need you.  But not as much as I need my crush Taylor Kinney. xox

Digits

Digits. Numbers. I need em'.  I've lived in our humble abode for five years now and I still don't have house numbers.  My hubby came home with $2.00 plastic numbers from Home Depot over the summer and  I tossed them in the trash before he could even take them out of the packaging.  I'm sure I also said something along the lines of "don't insult me."  I believe that comment resulted in the standard lecture from the big guy.... snob....get over yourself....who do you think you are....does it matter what the house numbers look like....why don't you go work overtime and pay for something. Blah. Blah.Blah.

One lecture later and we are still numberless. Woof. Ideally I would like to stencil our house number on or below the door in fun cursive writing. What exactly is fun cursive writing? Not sure. I'll let you know when I figure it out.  There is a house in Swampscott that I've been stalking for quite some time with the same house number (44) stenciled above the door.  Next time I run by panting and dripping in sweat I'll be sure to knock on the door and ask if I can borrow her stencil. He haw.

Here are some pics from my Pinterest board. PINTEREST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who doesn't love the Chatham numbers?  These bad boys are sprinkled all over M'Head.  Adorbs but not justifiable. I could buy a new pair of TB flats for $235.  Obv a $235 pair of shoes is well worth the investment and much more practical than a wooden  plaque that is going to get abused by the elements of New England weather.  Who brought the smart gal?

Stencil envy.

Gorg.

Funky.

Planters.

Seasonal.

See ya tomorrow. xox