Life Lately

Me and B

Whoa!  I've been thinking about rekindling my tiny blog lately, and can't believe how much I've missed in other peoples' blogs/lives... So crazy!

We're still in Maine, but relocated to a teeny apartment out of town that is actually a renovated barn.  It's right down the street from my mom, which she loves, but not so permanent!  We'll grow up and buy a house some day...?

Lou and cousin Scarlett performing

Miss Lou is FOUR, which just blows my mind!  She is so much fun though, and so smart.  She will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, just before her next birthday.

Fancy outfits!

The biggest change, really, is that we've started being more aware of what we eat, and Lou and I are vegan... and have been for nearly two years now.  It sounds like a dramatic change, but I feel so much better!

Soccer Star

I hope to get back to blogging regularly.  It's a fun outlet for me and helps keep me organized.  This year is going to be a big one for our fam, and I want to document that.  I also really miss all the other bloggers that I used to be in touch with.  It's crazy to see how much things really change in a short period of time!

Lemon love

For my birthday this past July my mom gave me a lemon tree. I was smidge obsessed with the idea of one after reading an article in Oprah magazine, so I had also ordered some lemon seeds online and planted them. 

All eight. 

Having done all of this pretty spontaneously and without much research, it was pretty upsetting when the big one  started to die. Her leaves fell off, she had some big infestations... Nasty stuff. 

Anyway, it turns out I was slowly suffocating them with nasty potting soil and too much water, so today we did some lemon tree surgery and repotted the big one and seven baby seedlings (one didn't make it at all).

It was messy business, and Lulu was a very enthusiastic helper! 

And now they all seem a lot happier in their new sandy, mold-free soil! 

The next step is some serious indoor lighting. Apparentley this chilly Maine weather isn't good for them?!?  Haha!

I left Lulu alone..,

In the tub, for like three minutes so I could get my jams on. Sort of a regular thing, usually not a problem. She likes to soak in her tub and play with her toys. 

Tonight...

"It's just fo' mummies and babies?"

Yep. Conditioner! Not a fun rinsing experience.

Curry!

I haven't posted in a million years, but we can catch up later. 

First we need to talk about the curry that I made tonight. (I made curry! And it was edible!!)

Chickpea and Tempeh Curry served with black rice. With legit minced garlic and jalapeño. From scratch!! Vegan and delicious! I'm pretty excited about it!

32

You are welcome. 

Birchbox win!

Guys, I am obsessed. My birchbox this month so rocked my world. Red lipstick that I didn't even know I needed, body gel from Italy, samples of tea from France and the fanciest shampoo I have ever seen.

Clearly they know me well!

Tricycle time!

It's getting warmer outside, and little Lulu is more than ready for some big girls recreation.

We ordered this gem from Amazon and she is in love! She mostly just sits on it for now, but I see lots of fun this spring/summer!

Home at last!

Brian is back!

And four weeks later, allll my stuff from Alaska!  

(I'm so excited to have my crockpot back!  And my sewing machine, and all my Ikea furniture, and my BED!)

This ETS thing is no joke.  The clock is ticking on Brian's terminal leave with not a lot on the job front for him.  

Scary. 

Birchbox Love

Have you heard about Birchbox?

It rocks my world.  I talked my brother-in-law into getting it for a Christmas gift for my sister last year.  I saw her first box and that was it for me.  

Basically it's a box of fun that comes in the mail.  Once a month, and it only costs ten dollars.  And you can customize your preferences so that you get perfect, awesome, totally use-able surprises every month!

Like, for example, my August box:

Woohoo!!

And in case you were super curious for details, I got:

Schick razor (with coups for refills)

Pixi Beauty - Lid Last Shadow Pen (which retails for $18 and I got a full size one!!)

Miss Jessie's Original Quick Curls

Beauty Fixation Makeup Remover

Juicy Couture Viva La Juice La Fleur - smells amazing!

I've seen other people post about their boxes, and I always love to see, so I thought I would share mine too!

Summer Oasis

It has been hot here.  More hot than my delicate constitution can handle.

So my sister and I managed to snag a group pass to the local pool for us and the little ladies. 

Did the teenage boy who sold it to us think that we were a couple?

Debatable.  

Anyway, every single afternoon, once the grumpy girls get their beauty sleep, we pack up our bags, slip into swimsuits and head to Heaven.  

Also known as 'da poo'.  Lulu likes to "swim in DA poo."

Scarlett is brave enough to go down the slide...

Lulu just sits on the outside!

I'm so thankful for this place.  I don't think we could have survived the summer without it!

Dear Gifford's, 

I appreciate how serious you are about a fudge ripple.  

Thanks, 

The lady who lives in the hottest apartment in the world.

Time for you to be jelly!

Guys.

I'm sitting here, on my new couch (woop) with major conjunctivitis in my right eye and buckets of coconut oil in my hair.

I'm willing this dang eye to be goop free for tomorrow, mostly just because I'm sick of not being able to wear eye makeup.  We're going on day FIVE of this business, friends.  FIVE.

Also hoping that my locks will be resurrected from this state.  No mo' chlorine for me this summer.  Hopefully.

But probably not.

Chillin' at the pool!

Anyway, my little lady turns two soon, and I need to get busy planning her festive un-party.  Because birthdays are awesome, but I feel a little bit silly about favors and matching decor and cupcake pins and napkins and sparkles and whateverrrelse.  There will be lots of sparkles and sprinkles and probably a tutu but chaos-style like we like so much.

Were you so curious about my to-do list?  I figured.  But trolling Etsy is making me feel inadequate.  You know...

Happy August!

Guys,

Teeny bedroom for TWO!

Bay windows!

I have some new digs.  And the craziest bit?  

My husband doesn't live here.  

No, no.  Nothing scandalous for you.  

Little Lu and I are striking out on our own while we pass the months until he's a Mainer again.  

Anyway, we're in love.  I love this old building and the cracked, worn wood floors.  The antiquated molding and the neighbors who smoke too many cigarettes.  The excitement of downtown and the sirens that go by...  They make me feel so safe!

Lulu loves the independence of a bed FOUR FEET from mine.  (Instead of the no feet before.)  She loves the princesses on her wall and camping out on the livingroom floor.  We don't have a couch yet.  It even has an extra half bathroom so we can set her potty up and she can call it her own.  Yay for potty training!

Life is pretty great right now. :)

V-day/B-day

I was going to give you a fun V-day recap and maybe even a smushy shout out to the Husby, but then Lulu took longer than 45 minutes to fall asleep, and my nice-ness kind of evaporated.  

I only know how long because her new Twilight Turtle turns off at 45 minutes.  It is very off and she is still very awake.  Yawning and poking her fingers at me and in the air, but awake.  

Rah.  

But anyway, Happy 29 B!  Hope your cake jars were still super-delicious two weeks later and that all of your stinky friends were quiet enough for you to get a teeny bit of sleep in your dusty tent!  And hey, you won't be in Afghanistan next year, so that's pretty awesome!  For reals though, Happy Birthday to my awesome husband who is way more of a fox at 29 than he was at 28, for sure!

Just looks stinky, right?

R&R !

Lulu and I had a pretty awesome day too!  Lots of treats, a little party with cousins, a chilly wagon ride, and enough sugar to keep a one year old awake way past her bedtime!  Yay!

Noisy animals and serious bedhead

Wooohooooo!

Festive ladies!

Scarlett love!

Auntie Meg and Cousin Alyssa!

Little Red's maiden voyage

I love Lulu's face in this one!

Ladylove is finally asleep and I'm having some ice cream!  Yay!  Hope you've all had an awesome Valentine's Day!

Mom fail.

You know those tubs of plastic foods and utensils that all little girls must have for their kitchens?  They have itty bitty plastic knives with fancy pink handles and sweet baby Louisa fell in love.  I showed her how to 'slice' her fancy felt veggies and she loved those little velcro things coming apart...

So she took her cutting talents to her favorite people!  

And I am a horrible mother because I encourage and laugh instead of telling her that stabbing is bad. 

(Also starring Scarlett!)

We keep a close eye on all the real knives in this house.

Also, that video was a bit of a fail.  If you can't see it click here!

Whats your song? Link up!

I've been in a bit of an old music kick lately, especially songs that remind me of B.

Brian and I are not super smushy, or exceptionally traditional so I'm not even really sure how this came to be.  Our song is the Beyonce and Jay-Z duet, '03 Bonnie and Clyde.  

I'm pretty sure the Sex and the City reference factors into it suiting us, that and that Brian thinks he's a gangster?  SO romantic!  Ha!  Either way though, I love this song!

Link up with Goodnight Moon!

Wordless Wednesday

Post-nap, one sock.  Typical Lu.

Three Quarters there!

Three(ish) months until deployment three is done!

Miss Louisa is a rambunctious toddler now.

The weather here has peaked 40 degrees; and I think we're about done hibernating!

p.s.

Do you pin?  I'm obsessed.

I miss you!

OMG I haven't blogged in 82947584923374 years.  Aren't excuse blogs the worst?  Ugh.  

And I'm probs not going to for another two weeks...

Boo YAH.

Because this guy is home on R&R!

YAY!

But I really do miss you, and have tons of fun baby pictures to share...!

Get excited!

Shit is getting real.

'Kayso.  I blog almost never 'cause I overthink this shiz and don't want peeps to think that I'm too stupid/lazy/cheesy/mean/whatever.  But dude, I need to vent.  And more than all that stuff I'm awesome, and pretty nice.  

Unless you're my father-in-law.  

I feel like maybe I should do what all the other nice wives do and smile at him and agree to dates so he can hang with the baby and ignore it when he does things that creep me out like this: send gushy emails about how excited he was when Lu touched his beard, lay down on the ground next to 9 month old Lu when all the other people were just regular sitting, send letters to B in the 'Stan about how frustrated he is that he doesn't get to see Lu enough without even sending me a freakin' email!!!

OMG

Losin' mah shiz here.  I'm not even sure how we can be friends after this.  

And here's to being a bit more regular.  

And hopefully sleeping more. 

Ooohhh babylove!