my kind of perfect.

{via pinterest}

i don't believe in a fairy tale kind of love story. 

call me jaded. call me cold-hearted. call me whatever. 

i just don't believe in it. 

maybe it's because i've never experienced the kind of love that seems too good to be true. 

or, maybe it's because my version of perfect love is slightly skewed from everyone elses.

but i do know one thing.

this quote? 

it describes my husband perfectly. it describes me perfectly.

it describes us perfectly.

the simple things - 4th edition.

once again, i am linking up with jesslyn amber to appreciate all of the simple things in life that i am thankful for this week...

♥ breakfast. i make adam & the kids breakfast every {weekday} morning. lately, i've been on an omelet kick. whipping the eggs with some half & half makes a difference. 

♥ awesome, awesome friends. seriously, y'all. they know who they are. in fact, i get to hang out with one of them this weekend {cough*rb*cough}.

♥ silk almond milk - dark chocolate. it's stupid good.

♥ seeing my pups snuggled up together in their 'house.'

♥ strawberries topped with freshly whipped cream. if you don't already whip your own, you should. trust me. 

♥ live music. i can't wait to see jackass flats this saturday!

♥ watching harry potter movies with my son. i love that he's as much of a fan as i am.

♥ being on the ball with school supply shopping. thanks to the tax holiday last weekend both of my children already have the school supplies they need for the 3rd & 5th grades.

♥ gutting our garden. it was time. it was also a lot of hard work. but, it looks so much better now.

♥ convincing adam that i needed more flowers in the backyard. 

♥ my keurig & iced tea {half tea-half lemonade} portion packs that i'm currently obsessing over.

♥ new followers to my blog. hello! i'm a bad comment responder, but i will write back...soon. promise.

♥ receiving my first birchbox. love, love, love! want to try it? let me know & i'll email you a referral.
♥ getting another klout goodie in the mail.

there's so much more to be thankful for. it's amazing how the last couple of years have really changed my perspective and outlook about things. i never once used to appreciate things the way that i do now.

what kind of simple things are you celebrating this week? 

link up with jesslyn amber & let us know!

the simple things - third time's a charm.

it's been a couple weeks since i last participated. and, considering i've been kind of mopey & down in the dumps lately, i feel the need to do this. i have to do this. after all, there is so much to be thankful for, right?

as jesslyn amber says...

"let's forget the hustle and bustle.
let's put away our troubles and worries.
let's be thankful for our life.

and the simple things."

so what have i appreciated this week?

• breakfast for dinner. mmm, maple pancakes & bacon!
• old school 90210 reruns. 
• a job interview.*
• snuggles with the pups.
• coffee with two amazing friends - my favorite beach bum & my favorite trucker wife
• listening to back to black. may amy rest in peace.
• losing just our electricity during monday night's crazy storms.
• spending time at my mother in law's house on sunday & monday.
• looking forward to a weekend filled with friends.
• having a date night with the hubby. tonight. even if we're going to a 311 concert. 
• guest posting for a friend while she's out of town.
• saving $81 at the grocery store...and i only used one coupon.
• and, speaking of groceries, i learned just this morning that whole foods is opening a store in my area!!
  
  
  what are you appreciative for this week?
  it's all about the simple things. remember to link up with jesslyn amber, too!

* about that job interview: that was monday. i received a call yesterday. it's a no go. apparently, i don't have experience with children. unfortunately, years of education classes {i started my graduate degree five years ago, folks, taking classes here & there}, nearly 100 observation hours AND being the parent of two children doesn't count for much...if anything, at all. i understand the requirements, but it's extremely frustrating when you can't get a job to get you the experience needed in the first place. que sera sera. i'm okay with their decision. and, for now, i'll just enjoy the rest of summer vacation with my children until school starts up again...for the both of us.

the simple things - part deux.

happy thursday, y'all.  it's time - once again - to link up with jesslyn amber & remember what matters the most...




simple, lovely things i'm celebrating this week...

• the short week. even though long, holiday weekends seem to make tuesdays feel like mondays, it's always nice to wake up knowing that you're one day closer to another weekend.
• having my kids home. they had a GREAT time traveling with their grandparents, but our home is definitely a home once again. 
• heading to the beach on a rainy sunday morning only to have the clouds part, the sun come out & catch a cooler full of these guys & gals:

• spending a very BUSY fourth of july weekend with friends & family.
• having a date night with my husband...and knowing that in a few weeks we'll be having another date night.
• listening to this cd:

{source}

• fresh veggies from the garden, especially yellow squash & zucchini {i love cucumbers, but thank goodness our other veggies are producing some goodies!}.
• squeaky tight finances. yep. it really puts into perspective what you have & what you really don't need to have. 
• black-eyed susans {or rudbeckia}...need i say more?

• shakeology. because not only do i enjoy drinking it, but my eight year old son does, too. 
• being amused by the fact that one of my garden shoes is currently in the process of being buried by one of our two boston terriers:

• lazy summer days. seriously. i'm talking l-a-z-y. i didn't change out of my jammies on tuesday. 
• an early bedtime. for once in my life, i seem to have amended my night owl ways. i'm more of an early riser now. weird.
• going soda-free. okay, so it's only been one day. but, i think i've got this. i already cut back my soda consumption to just one a day, but now that all we have in the house is mountain dew, well, i have no choice but to quit!
• sprouting flowers from seeds:

{yes, these three sunflowers were sprouted from seeds & yes, one is a couple feet shy of the peak of our neighbor's roof}

• listening to my children giggle.
• the excitement that comes from knowing that i'll have feathers in my hair next week {i'm getting them done with this fun gal!}.
• making red, white & blue strawberries for the fourth of july:

{a phone pic that i took of the berries - while chilling - in the freezer!}

• going ga-ga over my new blog layout thanks to this gal.
• {barely} catching buxton in the act of 'smelling' the zinnias we sprouted:

• having a roof over our head & food to eat.
• seeing the joy in my husband's eyes as he hugged & chatted with friends of his family that he hasn't seen in years.
• talking about plants & crafts with adam's aunt.
• watching the $2.50 dahlias that i bought from wal-mart come to life:

what simple things are you celebrating this week?

be sure to link up with jesslyn amber!

back to reality.

tonight, we become parents again.

well, i suppose we never stopped being parents. we've just been kid-free since the evening of june 19th. for the last {nearly} two weeks, our kiddos have been traveling in the northeast with my parents. 

the kids challenged my parents to games on the wii.

the kids helped my sister move {from fenway to jamaica plain}.

the kids attended a lacrosse game {my brother-in-law, james, is an awesome lax coach}.

the kids got to hang with their {2nd, my 1st} cousins, pat & mei.

the kids were spoiled by their auntie monica.

the kids got to see my mom's auntie...in toronto, canada.

the kids viewed the beauty & the exhilaration of standing near niagara falls.

i'm certain the kids have also whined, complained, cried & driven my parents crazy.

but, i'm certainly glad that my parents are able to spend time like this with their grandkids. and, i'm especially glad that my kids love going & making these memories with their grandparents.  

going kid-free is not an uncommon occurrence in our home. my kids are always with my parents. last summer {and the summer before that and the summer before that...you get the picture}, they were with my parents for a good portion of the summer.  this summer is different.  i'm not working.  i'm not in summer school. 

and, while i love how quiet & clean the house has been, i miss my kids. i can't wait to have them home. it's been too quiet & i do believe that my sanity feeds off of the dramatic chaos that seems to come along with a ten year old & an eight year old.

of course, ask me again next week, when i'm sure i'll be sick of the arguing, the pre-tween angst & the mess.

 {aidan & malia being goofy in an exhibit at aquarium of the bay, san francisco, may 2011} 

the simple things - 1st edition.

i'm following my favorite workaholic momma's lead & linking up with jesslyn amber to share with you all some of the things that i'm appreciative for this week.  sometimes in life, we need to slow down & realize that it's the simple things in life that really matter the most.


this week i'm appreciative for...

• a quiet, semi-clean home. that will all change this weekend...
• phone calls from my kids oozing with excitement about standing on the hurricane deck at niagara falls during the cave of the winds tour.
• my awesome parents who have not only kept my children for the last two weeks, but have also traveled with them to boston & toronto.
• walks on the beach with this guy & these two pups:

• meeting new friends & having the opportunity to spend time with a good friend.
• hearing color me badd on the radio {really, i did!}
• catching up on three weeks worth of laundry {never mind that some of it needs to be put away}.
• the bounty of cucumbers from our garden & the satisfaction that comes from NOT having to wash layers of wax or chemicals off of them before we eat them.
• knowing that our patio is alllllllllmost finished:

{there's efflorescence in the brick - they were factory seconds - and my bricklayer husband doesn't mind it.}

• snuggles with the pups.
• gloomy, rainy mornings...
• having the television set to a channel other than nickelodeon or disney.
• running into my former {now retired} boss from my first big girl job after college {he was behind me in the checkout line at target}.
• free froyo for two thanks to a coupon & menchie's money.
• this guy...even though he ate a pair of my shoes last week {my lily mckim's} & completely destroyed our okra plants yesterday:

what simple things are you appreciative for?

link up with jesslyn amber.

birthday boy.

this crazy guy turns eight today...

e i g h t

i want him to be two again.

i miss his blonde hair.

i miss his curls.

i miss that cheesy grin.

now he's halfway through elementary school.

he's dancing to justin bieber & singing zac brown band.

he eats just about anything.

his hair is no longer blonde.

but, he still has that cheesy grin {trust me}.

happy birthday, aidan!

mes chiens.

it's been a while since you had a pupdate.

buxton is just shy of six months.  he's still piddling in the house from time to time {on the puppy pad which has become our new doormat by the back door}.  he's a whiner & refuses to jump ONTO the couch, but he will not hesitate to jump OFF of he couch.  he still hoards toys.  he still annoys frisco.

we had a scare a couple weekends ago.  after his first trip to the beach, we noticed that his left eye was red & he was squinting.  after a trip to the emergency vet, two eye stains, a few photos {yes, the vet took pics of his cuteness!} & a prescription of drops, the diagnosis was conjunctivitis.  go figure.

 {buxton}

once upon a time, we were strictly a cat family.  now we have two dogs.  go figure.

 {can you see some of the red in frisco's coat?  his color is technically black & white although he looks a little seal - black coat with a red glimmer - to me every now & again!}

frisco is just weeks away from his second birthday.  i can't believe he's almost two already.  he's been doing well.  his eye isn't giving him any issues & the scar doesn't bother him.  {remember his blue eye? if so, then you understand why we were so paranoid about buxton's eye.}  frisco's eye may not be bothering him, but we HAVE dealt with some allergy issues.  last week, adam called me at work.  he was frantic.  frisco was covered in welts & his face was swollen.  after a phone call to the vet & two doses of benadryl {12 hours apart}, he was fine.  from what i understand, boston terriers are notorious for allergies, especially contact allergies.  go figure.

 {frisco}

as you know {or maybe you didn't}, frisco & buxton have the same father.  buxton looks more like their daddy {red bull}.  you would think that they would be similar in personality, right?  wrong.  buxton is a tap dancer.  he will prance & wiggle at your feet.  it's hilarious.  he can't wag his tail, but he can shake his rump. frisco, on the other hand, will jump on you, get in your face & find a way to violate you with his tongue.  

what do both dogs have in common?  they like to sleep.  preferably, on a king size bed.  go figure.

{buxton...how could you resist that face??}

life with two dogs is fun.

life with two boston terriers* is pure chaos.  but, we wouldn't trade it for the world.

go figure.

*not to start a debate {because i don't want to & will not entertain one}, but for the boston terrier purist, buxton doesn't really fit the bill because of his reddish coat.  but, as he grows, he's becoming more brindle.  for what it's worth, his momma is black & white. he looks all boston to me and we love him just the same.

{semi} wordless wednesday: beach bums.

when the weather is nice, we love to take a stroll along the atlantic ocean.
the kids love to look for shells.

buxton isn't too keen of the sand just yet, but frisco {that handsome guy pictured above} loves the beach.  he splashes in the waves & he chases the shorebirds.  also, he may or may not have peed on a beach towel as we walked along the beach...
{but that happened last summer}

the beach is so peaceful this time of year.
crowds of vacationers haven't infiltrated the beach at sandbridge...just yet.

spending an hour at the beach.  just the four six of us.

it truly is heaven on earth.

her attitude helped me.

it's cliche, i know, but whenever i am asked about an influential woman in my life i immediately think of my mother.  she's not just the woman who gave me life, but she's the woman who taught me how to live my life.

she and i have a pretty typical mother-daughter relationship.  it's not a perfect relationship, but it's definitely a loving relationship.  she and i are so alike that it's scary {at least that is what my husband tells me}.  it seems that we get a little closer the older i get.  and, now that i am a mother, i am finally understanding the reasons why she was so hard on me & my sister as we were growing up.

i think the thing about my mother that has influenced me the most is her attitude about life...and death.  nearly five years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  the news came as a shock.  she had already lost a sister to breast cancer.  the news of my mother's diagnosis certainly sent shock waves through the family.  but, she was fortunate because it was not only caught early enough, but my mother had a doctor who rallied for her and was just as stubborn and demanding as my mother.  my mother did not endure chemo or radiation, but she did choose a radical procedure {in my opinion} to battle the cancer:  she opted for a single mastectomy.

my mother said goodbye to her left breast three days after christmas in 2006.  what most men glorify as a sex object, my mother saw it as the enemy.  to her, losing her breast meant losing something that could have possibly killed her.  i cried and cried when i saw her scar for the first time.  it started in her armpit and ran down and across her chest where her breast used to be.  she did not understand why i was sad.  she said that losing a breast did not make her any less of a woman.

not once did my mother ever show me that she felt vulnerable.  i know that behind closed doors i'm certain she was scared, frustrated and nervous about what could happen.  but, she never stopped being a mother.  even though she was fighting a battle against breast cancer, she never stopped fighting for her family.  she remained positive, encouraging and nurturing.  she was strong.

even today she still has a great attitude about life in general.  she's not scared of dying.  she lives life each day with no regrets and she does all that she can not just for me and my family, but for my kids and for my sister and her husband as well.  she's truly an inspiration, not just to me, but to anyone who is feeling a bit uncertain about their life whether they are battling an illness or not.

---

in honor of mother's day, please consider purchasing a gift for your mother {or any other influential woman in your life} a gift from macy's heart of haiti collection.  you can view the collection in its entirety by clicking here.

use the promo code CLEVERGIRLS to receive 15% off heart of haiti and rwanda path to peace products.  the coupon is valid from 5/3 to 5/8.

disclosure:  I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

snuggle buddies.

i feel like it's my job to share all of the cuteness that seems to be oozing from my home now that we have become a two dog family.

life with a new pup has been fun.  

throw rugs have been replaced with puppy pads.  

dog toys cover my living room floor.

frisco's 'super-sized' crate {a.k.a. his house} is, once again, in the bedroom.

so far, things have been a breeze.

frisco is very tolerant of the puppy.

aside from hosing down my dyson, frisco hasn't shown any signs of jealousy.

i love how both dogs tease each other.

i love watching them chase one another & fight over toys and sticks.

buxton is a good sleeper.  he's a good snuggler, too.

frisco is, too.
{must be a boston thang.}

we make every effort to have one-on-one time with frisco.

we constantly tell him how much we love him.

he's our big bubs.  now we've got a little bubs to love, too.

when we brought frisco home a year & a half ago, our breeder said we couldn't just love one boston terrier.

she was right.

i'm so glad we've become a two dog home.

a pup named buxton.

our newest addition.
he has the same papa as frisco.

he's red with a splash of brindle.

his eyes are so dreamy.  they will not be brown.

his personality is so different from frisco's personality.

he will be our lil' trouble maker.

best christmas gift ever.

i know, i know, valentine's day is monday so why am i talking about christmas?  

malia made this 'snowman' in school.  i think it's pretty damn awesome.  i especially love that it's made out of a brick.  y'all did know that adam is a bricklayer, right?

it currently sits on the hearth.  i don't think we'll ever use it for it's intended purpose - a doorstop - but, instead, we'll keep it on display year round because we're in love with our daughter's creativity and thoughtfulness.  it really was the best christmas gift ever.

fricky frack.

because i'm slightly obsessed with, frisco, our boston terrier & i'm still trying to figure out my new camera:

{i used the flash for this picture.}

psst...don't forget to enter my scentsy giveaway!

the fab five.

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!

---

fabulous - how do you define it?  exceptionally good, marvelous, incredible...superb?
yes, all of those things describe five bloggers {of the many} that i absolutely adore.
and, why do i adore them?  they have spunk, personality, honesty.  they inspire, encourage, believe.
they are creative.  they are faithful.  they are happy.  they are sad.
they are humorous.  they are colorful.
these are bloggers from all walks of life.  each is at a different point in her life.  but, each has a gift and that gift is to share about their amazing journey.
each journey is different, yet each holds a place in my heart.

{source}

this is summer's blog.  she is a wonderful person - inside & out.  she & i have struck up a friendship that i didn't think was possible to have with someone you don't actually know in real life.  but, you know what?  it works and it works well.  i love & appreciate her honesty, her vulnerability and her determination.  i see a lot of myself in what she writes about.  there is an emotional connection there that i don't get with too many other bloggers.  if all goes according to plan, i am going to meet her {in real life!} in march.

psst:

summer is also an amazing baker. 

have you visited jessica's blog, craftily ever after?  well, you should.

she's so stinkin' creative.  she also has an etsy shop.  her craft ideas & tutorials are easy, budget friendly & fun to make.  she occasionally hosts a giveaway & always has pictures of her super cute daughter sprinkled throughout her blog.  best of all?  she offers free printables like this:

  {source}

click here to find out how you can get a copy of this super cute valentine's day subway art...for free!

jessica's blog may or may not have gotten me hooked on mod podge.  and, that crack-like addiction to mod podge led me to this blog:

{source}

amy is the mastermind behind mod podge rocks!  her blog is chock full of fun crafting and decorating ideas...all of whom use mod podge in some form.  trust me when i tell you that there are varieties of mod podge in your craft store aisle.  really.  i own two different kinds, but the possibilities are apparently endless.

anyways, amy's d.i.y. tutorials & other fun projects are VERY inspirational and definitely encourage those creative juices to flow.  go check her out!

speaking of inspirational, what about gussy??

maggie is the girl with the ruffles.  i should know...i own a few of her pieces.  i've gifted them as well.  

{source}

maggie is inspirational & awe-inspiring.  she is living her dream, y'all!

she's been a friend & a mentor to me.  she's also showered me with encouraging words & prayer when i've needed it.  she & i don't know each other outside of the blog world, but one day our paths will cross.

in the meantime, i encourage you to read her blog.  right now she's featuring other fabulous artists who have quit their day job {just like gussy did!} in order to live & fulfill a creative dream.

and, if you haven't had enough, then go buy yourself some gussy goodness.  

{source}

last, but certainly not least, is my friend jennifer.  she is so much more than perfectly disheveled.

{source}

i met her over at momlogic.  we've emailed & chatted on the phone before.  she & i both had a bit of a rough 2010, but we're looking to the future with hope...and  humor.  i love and appreciate that jennifer writes with such honesty about parenting.  she IS the parenting blog that my blog has always wanted to be but just never will be.  Jennifer keeps it real, y'all.  If you're a parent, then you'll definitely appreciate her blog.  

---

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.