picture decor

This documentary came out a few years ago, but I just saw it last week. It's called Other People's Pictures. I found it fascinating to know that someone would collect people's old photos. All for different reasons. I wonder if the pictures I take would someday be something that strangers would want.
This got me thinking about our Halloween decor this year. Last year, I did a search for the words "victorian" and "civil war" and printed some of those images. I put them on the wall going up the stairs. This year, I actually had them made out into different sized photos and placed them in frames. I added a few spiderwebs, some candles and black roses and it really has the creepy effect I was looking for. We were heading up to bed one night when we started talking about these pictures. Both Rodrigo and I were creeped out for a minute thinking that these were real people that are now dead and we have no idea who they were. -shudder- Heebie Jeebies!

This is what you see as soon as you walk in through our front door. . .


This display is in our living room (on the other side of the above picture) . . . .


A close-up of the same display . . .

I have to admit it looks way better at night!

feeling: into the Halloween spirit
listening to: I just realized I'm not playing any music. All day I've had "A Kiss is not a Contract" stuck in my head. Too funny!

new camera

My Husband Went to Rhode Island and All He Brought Me Was This Awesome Camera.




I don't think Rodrigo has ever really understood what souvenirs should be. Me? Let's see, I'll buy a shirt or a mug or a keychain or any small thing as long as it has the name of the place I visited. Him, not so much. I got a sweet camera from this last trip he took. I'm not complaining, but I'd have been happy with a mug. The one time I did ask him specifically for a mug was when he went to Montreal. He brought me a beautiful blue glass mug with a pretty stand and no where on it was the word "Montreal" or "Le Montreal" or "Montreal, eh?".

Oh well. Here are some of the "real autumn" sites he got to see while away.







I'm jealous of New Englanders for having such lovely everything. Poor Rodrigo must be in shock to be back in the land of heat and cactus.

feeling: glad he's back
listening to: Coldplay (In My Place)

my kids talk too much

Some of you might be wishing your babies would talk already. I remember those days. It' really not like that anymore.

At the table the other night . . . . .
Alec: Maaaamaaaaa! (even though I'm right next to him)
me: what?
Alec: I finished all my dinner
me: that's good
Alec: now the food is having a party in my tummy
me: (laughing) yeah
Alec: they're having a game
me: oh yeah?
Alec: they're trying to see who can turn into poop the fastest. That's the winner (pronounced vinner).
me: oh, uh, (fake smile) how, uh. . . nice.
Alec: yeah, it is nice.


At a meeting for a extra curricular club . . . . .
Brianna's friend: why is your blouse so long?
Brianna: -scoffs- it's a tunic. It's supposed to be like that. Don't you know anything about fashion? (walks away)
me: (eyes wide open, mouth wide open at a complete loss for words)
- we had a talk at home about rudeness-

Picking Alec up from school . . . .
Alec: I know what that sticker says ( a bumper sticker)
me: oh yeah?
Alec. yes. it says McCain.
me: yes it does
Alec: who put that sticker on there?
me: I suppose the owner of the car (I know whose car it is too, I just didn't tell Alec because we have regular contact at the school office)
Alec: they like McCain?
me: yes, of course, and they put a pretty sticker. Isn't that nice of them?
Alec: no! Don't they know McCain turned into a troll?
me: What?!?! (looking around hoping no one heard)
Alec: yeah, I saw it on TV, he turned into a troll
me: please don't say that
Alec. OK. . . . . . but it's true.
-as it turns out, when I was making dinner, Alec was hanging around and there was a segment where a certain show was comparing McCain to gollum. I really need to change the channel once in a while. I sooooooo don't want to be influencing my kids or having them say stuff like that at school.-

Brianna after school . . . . .
Brianna: everyone liked my haircut
me: I'm glad, Bird, your hair looks very pretty
Brianna: yeah I know. Even though it's shorter now, I still have the prettiest hair in my class. I think maybe in the whole school.
me: uh . . . . .
Brianna: I don't make it up, all my friends told me too.
me: (thinking): great
- I don't know what to say to her sometimes. I want her to be modest, but it's kind of hard to change someone's mind when all their life you're telling them they're beautiful and smart.


feeling: I wish I had a mute button for the kids sometimes
listening to: J0n@s Brothers (Lovebug)

election exhaustion

For someone that loves politics as much as I do, it pains me to make this confession. I'm tired of this election now. I'm seriously worn out, emotionally drained and just overall exhausted. Physically and mentally. I'm physically exhausted because I'm staying up late to watch all the news shows. Then mornings like today, Rodrigo calls me with breaking news. He apologizes since he is on east coast time, but says he thought I'd like to know the news. I do want to know. Are you kidding, I have shows like Meet the Press set up on the DVR (shut up, don't laugh).
I'm just wishing we could have the election already. I want to know if I'm going to be cheering in the streets or asking for a transfer to Europe. I'm tired of hearing a new "WTF? Are they kidding?" story each day. National and local elections are at this point right now. I'm tired of being at a store and overhearing people say the most racist, uninformed comments and having other people agree with them. I hate having to hold back because I have my kids and they don't want to see mommy call that nice old lady mean names. -sigh- I just want this over with already. Who knows what I'll be watching afterwards, but at least I'll be sleeping better. . . . . or will I?

lonely, lonely yvett

I know a lot of women get happy when their husband or boyfriend has to leave town. I am not one of those people. I hate when Rodrigo leaves. Everything feels so, I don't know, not the same. He's in lovely "real autumn" New England and will be gone until next Friday (not tomorrow). Suck.
During the day, everything is the same routine. Kids to school, volunteer at the school, cleaning house, etc., but the evenings are odd. I'm so used to being together, it feels really sort of lonely. We tried watching last night's debate on the phone together (because we're in high school). That didn't work our too well. We were watching the same channel but the sound wasn't synchronized and it was driving me batty. Plus, I pause the TV a lot. A lot.
Each time he leaves, I have some sort of huge plan. "When he gets back I'll have reorganized the whole garage" sort of plans. They don't ever really work out. Mostly because we spend free time on the phone or on chat.
Cooking is also odd. I always make dinner for everyone plus enough for him to take for lunch the next day. Not having him eat makes a big difference. We're on day 4 of a pot roast I made on Monday.
Brianna has been on the phone with him asking him every possible thing there is to ask about the city he's in. Alec has been making drawings he wants me to mail. Poor Badger has been looking for him. When Rodrigo gets back I'm going to record Badger greeting him like that lion video on you tube. LOL!
OK, well, anyway, time for you to tell me "aww" and stuff like that. . . .

feeling: see the above title
listening to: Death Cab for Cutie (Soul Meets Body) but now I have that I'll Always Love You song stuck in my head. Thanks a lot, me

frugal yvett

Fugal? Me? Really? That's not a way I've ever really been described, but I have to admit I am super proud of myself. So, everyone is talking about the economy. A lot of people are worried and/or in trouble. I'm happy and grateful to say that we are doing well. Still, just because we're fine doesn't mean that I should pay attention, right? For a while now, we've been cutting back on going out to eat. We used to go out every single weekend. We still go but now we're paying attention to where we go. Lots of places are having deals in order to get people to still come. Places are having kids eat free promos or dinner for the price of lunch. I'm surprised at how many deals I've found. You just have to look. Don't you love google?
Another thing I made a point to save money on is the the Halloween costumes. Alec will wear his costumes until they tear. He LOVES playing dress-up, but Brianna wears it once and that's it. Plus hers are usually the ones that are more expensive. Back when she had to be a princess each year, I was paying like $60 for the dress, shoes and accessories. This year her entire costume is going to be less than $5 (pink leggings and turtleneck that she already had, a pair of pink socks for $1, pink nylon netting for 90 cents a yard, a wire hanger that they gave me at the dry cleaners and a collar we bought from a Halloween store for $2). Alec's costume was less than that (white shirt and pants he already had, black felt sheet for 25 cents, a foam visor for $1 and black foam for the ears). I know I've said it before, but they're going to be a Pink poodle and a Dalmatian.
This past week, I caught a segment about a lady that saves a lot by clipping coupons. I'd never been a coupon person before, but her savings were impressive. I found out about doubling and tripling at my grocery store. We bought the Sunday paper, made an extensive list (this took about 40 minutes) and went shopping on a mission. We saved . . . . . drumroll please . . . . $75.58. Yes, $75.58! I couldn't believe it. I'm am converted for sure.
I really hope to keep this up. It's a good deal regardless of how the economy is.

feeling: still cold
listening to: STP (Down)

update of sorts

Let me fill you in on what is going on around here. . . . . . . .

-sigh- Since the kids are in a year-round school schedule, today they went back to school after a three week fall break. A very lengthy three weeks. They were to the point where they were together all the time, but fighting most of that time. It was time to go back. Time for them and time for me.

- Congratulations to Nanette and Brent on their new lovely baby girl! I hadn't had any bloggy reading time and I just found out this morning!

- Thanks to all you who offered to look for the mesh sponges for me. I ended up buying some nylon netting. It was a super good deal at 90 cents a yard. That's right, 90 cents. Then yesterday I walked into my grocery store and they had a bin full of pink sponges in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. So, I would have found some anyway.

- Brianna's birthday isn't until late December. Poor Brianna always gets the shaft as far as parties go. It's just such a busy time for everyone. She decided she wants an early party. A costume party to be exact. I've been looking for all sorts of gross recipes for her party. I'm surprised at just how far people go. I was literally gagging reading some of the stuff. So now she's at an age when she and her friends want to be "ewwing" at the food, but not so much that they can't eat it. A lot of the stuff is gross just because of the name. Think dried cranberries in a bowl labeled "dry scabs". Bleh.

- We woke up this morning to record low temperatures. It was 40 degrees this morning. FORTY!!! WTF? In Arizona . . . in October. We were obviously unprepared and freezing. I went into a panic until I heard all the meteorologists saying it was just a front and will be back to normal 90 degree temps by the end of the week. Good. Seriously, I complain about the heat, but I'm totally used to it. I can't handle cold weather anymore. As if I ever could.

There are a few things I wrote that I want to elaborate on, but I really need to get Alec ready for school. He's soooooo excited to see his teacher and friends again. I can't wait to get into his room and clean it in a way I can only do when he's not around. You know what I mean, getting rid of some toys. -insert evil grin here-

feeling: freezing!
listening to: Alec talking to me about Jedi's

that elusive sponge

After weeks of begging Brianna to please, please, please tell me what she wanted to be for Halloween, she finally decided. This is the first time she's actually going to wear a costume I make for her and I'm super excited! Every year I want to make her costume and every year she'd rather me just buy her one. This year, I showed her about 75 million homemade costumes and she chose a pink poodle. I was tres happy and started getting the things we need to make it. Everything seemed simple enough. We'd need some pink leggings, a pink turtleneck, a pair of pink socks, bubble wrap, and eight pink mesh sponges. Easy, right? Not so fast. . . . . I can't find pink mesh sponges anywhere. These things should be easy, right? They're just like these. . .

I've been to every discount and dollar store in the area and can't find them in pink. I found two in our grocery store of all places, but I still need six. Friends were telling me about several other discount stores that are not too far from here where I could maybe find them. I'll be going there. Plus my mom is on the look-out in Texas. I've seen some online, but I'm not willing to pay $4 on each. Is that super stingy of me? I mean, I want these from like a dollar store, not Sephora (which are the ones I keep coming across). I went looking at a body shop in a mall this weekend and each one was $6.99. No thanks. I didn't even stay to look for the right color.
If I'd have known that this was going to be a hassle, we would have picked another color. She could have been a white poodle. We have everything in pink now, though. Isn't it always the case that when you're looking for one specific thing, you can't find that? I bet you after I don't need them anymore, I'll be seeing these things everywhere I look. -sigh-

feeling: it doesn't feel like Monday to me
listening to: John Mayer (Free Falling)