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I've been a tad lax on the blogging lately- My inlaws came into town yesterday, and leading up to that we had lots and lots of stuff to do, to get ready for them. My husband got sick. Then I went on the 3 hour grocery shopping adventure of my life so we'd have enough food for the week (i hate bi-weekly shopping trips). I got my husbands cold. Valentines happened. More drywalling. But mostly, standing awkwardly in Lowes and Home Depot, hovering over the colors, feeling anxious about picking the 'wrong' colors for my house, bashing my frustrated head against my steering wheel, and deciding that only Arby's curly fries will help me make my color decisions. It didn't, but they were delish. So now i'm fatter, and have thankfully whittled my way down from about 300 options down to a handful. "Abracabara" for kitchen, "Smoked Amber or London Coach" for guest bedroom, 'Tea Stain' for bedroom, "Summer Harvest" for Living room and "Morning Fog" for bathroom.

Dont you just love how stupid and non-revealing those names are?? This week I wil attempt to make the final decisions on my paint colors, and the in-laws are here to help us prime and paint...So we are happy campers about that. I will try, in all my messiness, to post pics. Wish me luck!

Heaven vs. Hello gorgeous!

most nights, while my husband falls asleep in under 3 minutes, I lay in bed for about an hour or so, and I think. I pick colors for my bedroom. I think about blogging. I plan my grocery list. I dream about beautiful chandeliers. I imagine what organs are going for on the black market, and wonder if I have extras I dont need? But mostly I just think about beautiful things like this:

Have I died and gone to heaven?? I *drool* about all things Ochre. Btw peeps, the last chandelier is chainmail. Chain efin mail. While they don't list prices on their site, the average price is 5-9k for the couches, so I'm thinking, selling my soul to the devil still wouldn't be enough.

Do you love them too?

i am my mother!

I'm turning a quarter of a century this july, and besides the typical getting wiser stuff, the thing I've come to realize more and more is I.am.my.mother. Has anyone else come to that realization?? {gasp!} As a kid, I idolized her! She was beautiful, talented, dressed so cool, and was the best smelling mom ever and all my friends loved her. I wanted to be her. Then I turned teen horror, I didn't like her as much because she nagged me. There were so many things about her I swore I would never resemble, but now I appreciate her for who she is, and realize that I have evolved into a woman so similar to her...and I'm proud of that. I laugh like her. I'm dramatic, like her. We both dance the same, and most of the time it's terrible and should spare others the embarressment. I argue with my husband like she argues with my dad. Sometimes we nag too.

At 54, my mother is a stunning woman. In look and deed she's graceful. She hosts the best dinner parties and can make a boring room light up with her laughter. She is always blessing others around her with gifts or compliments. But what I love most about her is her heart; she loves the poor. Right now she is in India, with 4 of her friends, on a garbage dump tour- searching out the poorest areas of a city and brings food, joy, love, prayer and God to every person she meets. How radical is that? I hope that when I grow up I will be just like her and will have a heart full of love for others less fortunate than we.

[she texted me today from India- "watching gramm y luv radiohead with marching band love mom'' - {She just learned how to text this year}

Photos- My dad and mom last year:

My mom in Paris:

My mom and Sting:
Mmmhmm. While shopping in the Grand Bazarre in Istanbul, she met Sting. He's so dreamy.

I'm on the fence.

did anyone else only midly enjoy the 'i'm the awesome-est performer ever' awards? er, I mean the Grammy's?

overall, I'm not super impressed nor disappointed, but here's what I think:

-Marching Band+Radiohead: wow.
How much would I love to be 17 and in their marching band right now!?

-Stevie Wonder is still cool, even though he still has corn rows.

-Gweneth Paltrow looked good.

-Neil Diamond, Vegas Dies Hard Sparkling jacket. Nuff said.

-Still loving Mia's performance and cute belly!

-Justin Timberlake is cute and scruffy like always, but WHY did his co-artist need to use a track for his rap? Doesn't that just go against the whole point of rapping??

n-e-wayz.

time for snoozing. love!

"they look like fairies!'

Grammy's Midway Synopsis:

-WTF is up with Kanye West's hair?? Lyonell Ritchie and Michael Jackson's lovechild?

-Mia- so cute and pregnant!! And droppin it like it's hot. She is due for birth today. Wow, she's my new hero.

-Not that impressed with Coldplays performance- Chris's comment "they look like fairie's"
I live my husband, he's always good for a laugh.

-Rat Pack? Reeeaaaallly?

-Carrie Underwood's assistant should be taken out back and shot. But I'd give a lot of things to have her sculpted shimmery mile high legs.

-Al green and J.T. <3 sigh

-Stevie Wonder + Voice box. yes!?

- Adele is so cute and has amaaazing red hair. I love that Brits say "Fank You Vary Mach!"

primer does a soul good

finally.

fiiinallyyyyyyyy.

we have PRIMED our kitchen!

{standing ovations are welcome and appreciated, but not required!}

It has taken us 6 months of slaving away our nights and weekends to get to this point. We've gutted, demolished, gutted some more, bled, sweat and cried. Here are some 'before' and 'current' photos for your delight. We removed wonky and greasy cabinets, wood paneling, dropped ceilings, {and an infestion of mice poop above the dropped ceiling}, rewired electrical, removed the horrible sticky tile floor, hung drywall, taped, added gentle arches and finally, painted. Sigh of relief.

we are still weeks away from completion, and we are waiting with abaited breath to for it to be that time!! [you mean I will actually get to unpack and use the wedding presents we were given 8 month ago??] whoopie!

Sorry I've been so lax on posting photos of this whole process. We just work so hard and are so exhausted every day, that posting a few measly pictures seems like such a monumental task!

Lame I know...but I will try to be better! :)

xoxox

tuuuulips!

Inspired by this photo in Domino, I planted approximately 103 black and white tulips in my backyaahhd [i live on the edge of new england, I'm allowed to say yaaahd] with a little help from my overly-friendly neighbor Rick and Cyntha Kling's 'the Adventuress' video instrutctions on Domino. I'm so thrilled to meet my little tuuulips! Grow babies, grow!

love at first light

The Feb-March issue of Ready Made features a design by Jean Pelle and I am in love with this chandelier. Love at first light? I think so. Ready made has directions on how to make this little beauty yourself {for the less handy, have your boyfriend or husband make it for you}

[EDIT: My engingeering smarty pants husband just informed me that the electrical tape, as called for in the do-it-yourself instructions, is NOT a good idea. He also informed me that he has figured out a way to wire it in a more efficient and safe manner. Aw, yay for smarty pants husbands who go to school and support their college-drop-out wives. Once we have this pretty baby made, we'll tell you how to do it. I'm refering to the chandelier, not the birds and the bees. Ask your mother that. Better yet, google it. Less awkward.]

Am I cheap, or thrifty?

I asked myself the other day, 'In this economy, how are we to furnish our homes?' Thrifting of course! Thrifting is not everyone's cuppa tea, but if you have an eye, the knack, and a wee bit of patience you can find some gems. While money is hard to come by, if I had excess I wouldn't jump at the chance to buy Johnathan Adler's needle point pillows. I love granny things, but needlepoint is somewhere I'm not willing to go. Am I crazy to not like them?

No, if I had excess money I would be a minimalist. Have you noticed how minimalist decorate? Minimal amounts of expensive and high quality furniture, looks so good. I love this room here: [and like normal I don't remember where I found it]

But until that day comes, I will continue thrifting [and collecting myriads of stuff so my house feels decorated, and I have used all the excess closet and basement space and my husband blows a gasket and forces me to have a yard sale of the century, and get rid of my precious second hand items.] Ahh, they cycle of decor life.

and lookie what I found last week! dessert plates 4.99, a peacock tea tray for 2.99, copper bowl, 1.99, carved candle sticks .99 each, and last but not least, candleabras [that spelling looks off] 3 for .99!
I love it when they underprice!

'My, she was yar'

Last night I watched 'Philadelphia' and fell in love [again] with Katherine Hepburn. Then I watched her auto-biographry and was smitten [for the bajillionth time that night]



One of my favorite lines was this: {refering to her former husband Spencer Tracy} 'He was like a baked potato, solid, dependable. I was more like an ice cream sundae, with whipped cream!'

She was dramatic and playful at the same time...great woman attributes.

happy relaxing sunday everyone!

say cheese!

Last week, while in the dairy aisle at the grocery store picking out my shredded cheese, a woman said to me "You have a beautiful profile...very intersting...stunning....really."

It was flattering and awkward. I said a sheepish 'thank you!?' and then something stupid like 'good luck finding your cheese!' [hahh!?]

But speaking of great profiles, check these out! My friend Jessi [who had her baby Naomi on the 27th] had some pregnancy photos taken last week by Cyle Nunemaker. I am loving them!

lusssh-ious

two of my favorite things:

Rosebud Salve is a classic! Madeline turned me on to it in college. Can be used for lips, chapped skin, even diaper rash.

and after application, my lips feel like this:



Tom Ford Black Orchid was a christmas present from my darling husband. It's a very rich, luxurious scent, with Bergamot, Jasmine and Vanilla, with a touch of spice. Perfect for winter.

and when I wear this heady, sensous scent, I feel like this:

purrrRRrrr.

both can be purchased at Sephora....

spring can't come soon enough

Bizarre weather lately... and especially for those on the east coast, here is a glimpse of hope. Spring will come again! (as I type this, the sun peeks through the clouds for the first time in days!)

[photo of Lauren M.]

for beauty, and mind

(Chihuly, Union Station, Tacoma Wa)

"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirious of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." - Jack Kerouac

happy clay

I have to share some art with you! My wonderful friend Niki is a fashion photographer, mixed media artist and ceramic artist extraordinare. She has been making some of the most beautiful pottery I've ever seen. Her new business, Happy Clay, will make your heart go boom. Trust me.

Check out her Esty shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5861171

For our wedding, she created 28 individual cups as wedding favors for our guests to toast in, and then take home. Here is a photo from our reception:

They make great birthday, wedding, christmas or just anytime gifts!

Enjoy!

our love story is long, and shorter with pictures

When Chris and I met, he was 13 and I was 14. I was friends with his sister. He had cooties. We looked like this:

A little while later, here we are again. Chris 13 (looks 9), Yana 14, (going on 21). He was still young, annoying and had cooties. Amy (my now sister in-love, with some killer Brooke Shields calvin klein model eyebrows) is on the left of me , and my dad (with long hair) and my mom in white. She looks good in white.

2 years later, Chris is taller, 16 and plays the drums, and I the bass guitar. I love myself a musician, but when asked "Why don't you like CHRIS" by some of his friends, my reply- "He's 16!?! Since I'm so mature for my age it would NEVER work. I need an OLDER man"

4 years later, Chris 19, Yana just turned 21, came on a missions trip to Bulgaria with my family. It was there that I saw him a new light, as a mature and hilarious dude and I began to like his cooties. When we sat down in Turkey he told me "I like you" and I was excited, scared, and thought, 'but you're amy's younger brother!?' We began a long distance phone relationship from Cali to Maine.

As most long distance relationships go- we had majors ups and downs, and eventually faltered completely. The next year on another missions trip we had another 'talk' in Turkey. I apologized for our relationship not working out and said "but we're still friends, right??" and he said "No, I'm still in love with you, and I'm not going to stop pursuing you". We were 21 and 22. After that his sister asked me to be her Maid of Honor, and I spent a lot of my summer in maine, planning her wedding, and falling in love with Chris.

By October 2006, the wedding, I knew Chris and I were perfect for eachother. My journal entries from that summer are so fun to read. We went to the coast for our first 'date' and watched the waves crash. It was there that we talked about our history, feelings and hopes for the future. He asked me to court him.

A year later, 2007, in Turkey, he asked me to marry him. I don't have a picture from the engagement, because he forgot a camera (!? i know. I'm still sad about it) but here's a good one from soon after.

June 8th, 2008 we got married in a park.

And the best is yet to come.

Baby on board is about to arrive

My beautiful friend Jessi is having her first baby today!

Little Naomi is going to arrive and change the world as we know it. I can't wait to be an Auntie.

:)

Boom-Boom

Madeline from 'My Boy and Me' tagged me in this game of what makes my heart happy.

1. the purple orchid on my bedside table. It's elegance brings a smile to my face every morning.

2. snuggling with my husband, especially when it's cold and snowy outside.

3. a hot cuppa joe, in the morning. Just cream please.

4. music. All kinds. Jazzy, ethnic, indie, booty shakin, and head bangin.

5. reading other women's blogs about health, organic living, babies, art. It inspires me to be a beautiful mother. I believe Jesus wants me to raise my kids with as much love, joy and organic goodness as possible, and that is encouraged by all of your blogs. thanks.

6. the frozen river view from my parents house. Its a simple joy to sit by the fire and watch the ice flow by.


Anyone who reads this should also sit for a moment and realize at least 6 things that make you go boom-boom, and then share them!

Cheers!




Link to the person who gave you the award.
Post the rules on your blog.
List six things that make you happy.
Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.

Follow?

As I edited my 'followers' gidget today, I sat there for a moment and chuckled to myself.
What should I name the empty list of occasional readers that probably I don't have?
Enjoyers of the blog? (Went with that) Stalkers? (too sarcastic) Other people who find me funny? (well i would hardly call myself funny) Readers? (meh?) Haha... 'Yana- (to myself) not that big of a deal, madeline is your only reader anyway...why bother?)
hahaha....

This blog began two years ago as a venting tool, but now it have evolved into something I really enjoy. I may still be a tad insecure about my writings, and I may use the 'backspace' key too much...but I'm happy that I write from the heart. If you enjoy reading my blogs, full of my heart, be a follower. How bout it?

Random Beauty

A little bit of random beauty to brighten your day...

And also a random quote: Every child is born an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once he grows up - Pablo Picasso

How about sharing an image, quote, or scripture that you enjoy? Let's make this a tag!

Enjoy!