sickies and some holiday ditties

surprise! i get tomorrow off work. this is good news, but it means that today will be a long one. i'll be staying late to help nanny fam get on the road this evening. it's okay though, because it's all worth it so i can sleep in tomorrow and do some cooking (by some, i think i mean all day cooking).

for now, i'll be doing lotttttsss of this:

trying to make one laugh while the other sleeps off a fever, and then rotate:)

i believe this would be called 'skeptical'

got 'em!

and i believe that you probably need a thanksgiving cooking mix, just like i do, so here you are!

photos courtesy of honey and jam

[it's all christmas music..just a warning]

it's just about done.

right now, sara groves' new album is downloading on my computer. excited to listen to this as i catch you up on the last little stretch of life.

i worked about 17 hours yesterday, left work at midnight and was back at 7am, red-eyed with a red eye in my hand, oddly enough. thankfully, the babies have pre (pre pre) school today, and immediately after dropping them off i went and got a manicure and fell asleep while she was massaging my hands. i rationalized completely surrendering to it, and plopping my head on the arm rest directly in front of me. i didn't, but i should have.

then after that i may have surrendered to something different but equally recharging--shopping. got a few nice things for myself, and tried on those boots (jess, you know which ones i'm talking about), they're on a big sale right now. but THAT i could not rationalize:) shopping-yes, expensive boots kind of shopping-no. i'm no rockefeller.

also, i cut my hair the other day, that's all i am going to say. it's not good. but, i bought a cute hat yesterday, and have plenty of ponytail holders, so i'm set.

this next week is thanksgiving and i have mixed feelings about it. thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but it's coming too quickly. i need time to prepare for the pleasures in life. you know? like the drive is almost always the best part of the trip (unless you have kids, i guess?). or like december 1-24 is so much better than december 25. i am actually just confused about where november went. the days probably just sunk right down into packing, cleaning, moving, nesting, working.

today, i go pick up rocco from al's house, and he will be staying with beulah and me this week. rocco is ally's dog, and beulah's best friend, so the two of them will definitely be keeping me busy. my mom is also coming up saturday night after dog work, which will be great. she hasn't seen the new place yet, and we'll take the dogs on a few walks and hopefully eat some good food, and she has never been to the uptown campus either, so i'll take her there as well.

then sunday night: quality time with my ladies while watching some vampires run around.

it will be a good weekend, i dare say.

i hope that this weekend before thanksgiving is restful for you all, and that your hearts are prepared for family and food, parades and pies, shopping and sleep.

i love you people, and i'm thankful i have the chance to.

[go buy sara groves' new album, you will not regret it. here's a taste]

sea salt spray

oh hey there friends. found this little recipe for beach-y wave hairspray. it works pretty well, give it a shot--

*Get a clean spray bottle. You can find them super cheap at dollar stores, grocery stores, and mega marts. Make sure it holds at least 8 fl. oz. to 10 fl. oz.

*8 fl. oz. of water. Try distilled or filtered if your tap water isn't the best on hair.

*Sea salt. I used the more finely ground stuff because it mixes easier and faster with the water. It cost me $2.19 for a large canister of it. Use 1 tsp for each 8 fl oz of water.

*Coconut scented conditioner. It doesn't have to be expensive conditioner - I used Suave brand for $1 at the dollar store. I mostly added this for the "beachy" scent but it helps counteract the drying that the salt will do. I used 1/2 a tsp - use more if you have extra dry hair.

*A dab of hair gel. Unscented, preferably—otherwise it will interfere with the coconut scent of the conditioner). Usually the cheaper brand are more runny and mix better."

Optional add-ins:

*Essential oils: If you have dry or coarse hair, this is a good add-in. They will help condition your hair and add some shine. Choose whatever scent you want - ylang ylang works great for sensitive skin and problem scalps. Rosemary is great to help deepen the color of brunette's hair and chamomile brightens blonds. Use 3-5 drops.

*Tea Tree Oil: Great for sensitive and oily scalps. If you have oilier hair, this is the best oil to add for you since it won't make your hair oilier or weigh it down. Use 3-5 drops.

*More sea salt - You can add a little more if you have oilier/thicker hair. The more salt you use, the more it will dry out your hair. BUT the more you use, the "beachier" your hair will look and the more hold there will be. If the recipe doesn't have enough salt for you, add 1/4 tsp at a time until you reach the desired level. Make sure to record your changes so you know how much to add when you want to make more!"

To do: Add all your ingredients to the spray bottle and shake it until it mixes together. Any oils added will never fully combine well with the water so you'll have to shake it a little before each use. If your hair gel and/or conditioner don't combine you can try warming the mixture in the microwave (remove any metal pieces and don't use until cool!) to see if that helps - if it doesn't, you may have used too thick of a conditioner/gel.

oooooookay, bye.

deck the halls

monday again. jared is at the airport right now about to leave for africa, and maria is in florida visiting her fam while jared's away. i don't love the feeling of them not being here. they are an underlying layer of comfort in my life. here's what i keep telling myself about the trip to africa for jared, if he survived a road trip to new mexico with sam and josh and our josh, he will be juuuust fine on a trip with elevation. but i covet your prayers for them as they go.

the apartment is slowly coming along. i've been working a LOT, and will continue to, and the time i have to nest is in very small increments. i did manage to get my chalkboard wall done quickly on friday night/saturday morning. it's super fun.

let's talk about this for a second. last week i messaged jess during the day, but got nick instead. caught up with him quickly, and somehow the subject of victorian christmas came up. let's rewind to this time last year, shall we?

me, nick, jessi, and babes were all still living at new beginnings home in puyallup. every year the founders of the ministry had a booth at the local victorian christmas festival, where they had a raffle for a handmade quilt. all of the staff (ehh, like 5 of us?) were supposed to split of the time at the booth and work shifts. oh i'm sorry, did i forget to mention that we were required to wear full 'victorian dress'? and by 'victorian dress', i do of course mean, weirdo lacy dresses with bustles, and nick wore a coat with tails and a top hat. lest we forget, jess was about 20 weeks pregnant at this point. we looked a little more like the cast of dr. quinn medicine woman (on a bad day) than we did anything having to do with the victorian era.

i worked two shifts, but the most hilarious one was undoubtedly the shift i worked with nick, where we just sort of scowled at each other the entire night. i'm laughing right now thinking about it. the thought of the two of us being in charge of selling a mennonite quilt is just about the best thing i've ever heard of.

seriously, you should really explore those links above. and here's a taste of some victorian christmas show goodness:

[to be totally fair, we raised money that allowed each of us to be able to have some christmas money last year, so it was worth it, but this is not something any of us talks about very often, as it was not our finest hour].

alright, so that's my gift to you today, a secret that none of us really wanted to get out. and now it is yours for the ridiculing.

holiday party dresses

around this time of year i like to look for a standby fancy dress to wear to any holiday parties that might come along. so..i thought i'd have a little fun and share some of my favorite options with you. all dresses come from modcloth.com, and shoes from various places. let's begin:

my favorite one thus far:

with these sweet pumps:

with some red lipstick and a little 40's curl in the hair, like this..

continuing on:

this with some dark brown tights, and some shoes like this:

hair in a messy ponytail:

and a little bracelet:

let's see, i'll find one more:

for a really dressy party (all these items from anthropologie)

but dress it down with the shoes? like this?

not totally confident in that exact shoe choice, but some kind boot/bootie.

hair like this:

then a belt of some kind, maybe a cardigan?

or this guy, and then belt over the top?

who knows? this has been fun, i just wasted my little break time doing this, it was really just for my own entertainment.

things that make me laugh

as a means of consistently updating sweet little dirt on my feet, i'll give you a round up of some things that make me chuckle:

clifford: does anyone else love martin short? cause i think he's the jam. here's some classic marty, circa 1994. (rent it if you haven't seen it).

young frankenstein, towards the end. puttin' on the ritz.

larry david. nothing more to say on that, if you know me, you know about my love for mr. david.

i invite you to incorporate 'schmohawk' into your vocabulary.

good day all.

this will be good (updated)

hello friendlies--on this blustery, overcast day, i think some chili is in order. but, since this evening my dad and i will be making quick work of moving me over to the new place, i won't have time to make any,

but you should.

i'll put up my favorite recipe for chili, which cannot be served without cornbread (preferably jiffy, baked in a cast iron skillet:). and if you don't feel like making it, or don't think you can do it successfully or something, i will make it for you when i get settled. for real, i will.

here's the recipe:

cozy chili

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 (12 ounce) can lager beer (optional, can use broth as a replacement)
• 2 (19 ounce) cans kidney beans
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Really good served with: Jiffy cornbread, sour cream, radishes, scallions, avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, cheddar, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot, over medium-high heat.

2. Add onions, red pepper, garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally.

3. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add beer (or broth), beans, tomatoes (including their juices), salt and pepper.

5. Let simmer until nice and thick, about 25 minutes.

happy fall, everyone.

***aaaaand update! here's a little fall +playlist+to accompany your chili cookoff***