Love Story

Their love affair continues.

Housewife Fail

It's 7PM.

Fisher is sleeping soundly in the nursery.  Snuggled tightly in his car seat . . . on the ground . . . 2 inches from a humidifier as I try to steam out a severe cold.  After a fun morning of playtime it's difficult to enter his room without tripping on a book, flash card or random stuffed animal.

The guest room is a disaster.  Last week's vacation has thrown up all over it.  Piles of laundry . . . dry cleaning. . . and clothes to hang up in the closet.  If you can't imagine what this looks like check out the below and feel free to judge my housekeeping skills.

What a lovely guest room! Don't you want to come and stay?

The common room doesn't fare better.  Afternoon swim lesson and yoga class paraphernalia are strewn about the living room, waiting to be put away.  Normally they would find a temporary home on the kitchen table, but its covered in Easter crafts.  Dust bunnies and a think layer of dirt appear on every surface eagerly awaiting the cleaning lady on Friday.

Easter explosion

No big deal.  Normally.

Unless your husband UNEXPECTEDLY drops by with an investment banker visiting from Detroit for the night. The same I-banker who financed the biggest deal of his life and who sits on your couch in a suit-  ignoring the fact that all of your throw pillows are on the ground.

Seriously. 

I was surprised to see Nick's car pull up several hours before I expected him.  As I finished pinning my 20% off Buy Buy Baby coupon to the fridge and checked on my oatmeal in the microwave I heard something concerning.  Lola barking her aggressive stranger danger bark.

What?

I did a double take- Nick was with a strange man.  They were coming into my house.  I looked down.  Nothing.  Literally.  Nothing.  I was in the buff.  Serious panic.

I feel I need to explain.  I don't normally chill out in my house naked.  However, post swim class Fisher was exceptionally grumpy and needed to be fed IMMEDIATELY.  My choices were take off my wet swimsuit and feed the little man or listen to him scream as I fumbled around for some clothes to eventually take them off for feeding anyway.  I clearly made an ill fated choice.  Never again.

Post panic I collected myself and did what any self respecting lady would do . . . I hid in the basement.

I heard Nick give the 15 second tour of our super small house, including the infant hovering over the humidifier in the hoarder nursery and the tornado of a guest room.  At this point he is calling for me.

You see there are not many places to hide in our house and clearly I'm home.  I'm not that irresponsible to leave an infant home alone and the stench of my apple cinnamon apple oatmeal has filtered to the basement.  I quickly search for something. . .anything to put on.  Grey size XL sweatpants and a white, stained "I heart NTHS" t-shirt are all I come up with.  I have no choice but to face this very important man whom I've never met in these basement cast-offs.   Where is Lululemon when you need it?

I stroll up the stairs, stick my hand out and act like this situation is perfectly normal.  I sit on the couch, cross my legs and converse pleasantly for no less than 10 minutes when all I can think about is- is this really happening right now?  I'm a total disaster.

A humbling experience for someone who prides themselves on proper house and dress.

Nick had the good sense to call me from the restaurant to see if I was "mad".  All I could do was laugh.

Serious housewife fail.

St. Patty's

It's still March so I think I can still post about St. Patty's. 

We started the day in the middle of no where Michigan . . .literally.  I don't even remember the name of the town.  Anyways . . . this random town had a fun little parade to the local Irish pub and a marching band.  Everyone loves a marching band playing jig music.  Well everyone but Fisher.  He managed to sleep through the whole thing.  This was impressive considering the drum line stopped 2 feet from his head.

Julianne and Isaac- I was super jealous of Isaac's spirit gear

Fisher sleeping like a baby through a marching band

After the parade we rendezvoused  at Julianne's house for a block party.  I was impressed by our on theme food.  Julianne made a rainbow of fruit emptying into a pot of gold, I made a batch of Carolyn's delicious mint brownies and displayed them on green moss grass.  We were cute.  Although I think the only people who thought so was us.  . .typical.

Who knew a red wagon was so versatile?  I think I need one.

All my little man needs is a gold chain and some hair on that chest

I love that these three get to grow up together. . .the big guys were so cute with Fisher

We did laugh that the last St. Patty's we spent together was under far different circumstances.  I thoroughly enjoyed them both.

Gross. . .Julianne and Jane circa 2004- I think we have gotten better with age, you can judge for yourself below

Have we gotten better with age or do we just have the good sense to cover up with sunglasses in old age?

Painting the Town Green

Katie's Charleston wedding is quickly approaching, but before any wedding comes the bachelorette party.  To celebrate all things Katie we painted the town Green (Katie's maiden name is Green).  I know a little cheesy, but I am a little cheesy.  So it's okay.


THE PAPER
The invitations were "all about Katie".  Sadly I don't have a picture of a finished invite and envelope, but you can kind of see the general idea from this work in progress shot.  Katie likes bling so I added a green sparkly rhinestone, and hand dipped each invite in green paint for an authentic "painting" of the town (a skyline of Chicago).  I love stamps and the black and white Katharine Hepburn stamp was the perfect finishing touch for our bachelorette Katherine.

Invites primed for envelopes- side note I need a studio/work space besides the kitchen table

I combined dinner menus and place cards into one item by making a "Polaroid" of each guest and Katie.  Thankfully the attendees were smart enough to sit where their face was and Katie's extensive Facebook photo library was prime to steal a photo of each guest.  Fonts and overall look were the same as the invite.

The dinner menu/placecard

Each guest received a shade of grey Essie nail polish at their seat, with a green painted tag reading "Tonight we paint the town Green, but tomorrow you might feel a little grey . . ."

Nail polish favor

I wanted the night to be as memorable as Katie's 16th birthday surprise party, where her dad made infamous "Katie" masks.  We still joke about the masks, so with a little help from her dad, I brought the masks back.  I painted the sticks what else but green to update them for the night.

I love how Alexis doesn't have hers up- caught!

THE PARTY
We started the day with tea at the Peninsula Hotel.  I have always wanted to do this and thankfully it was as delicious and decadent as I imagined.

High school friends, Katie, Donielle and Me

Pretty bachelorette enjoying an herbal tea

After tea the bridesmaids returned to our suite at the Sofitel Hotel where we primped for the night ahead filled with good food, good company and several cocktails.

Making a toast- don't worry that necklace is costume not part of my real outfit

Jenny came from LA- I've known Jenny since I was 5 years old

Lots of gals

The bachlorette enjoying her evening, a man taking an exceptionally long time to make some drinks that apparently need to be flamed?

I {think} everyone had a great time, it was special weekend celebrating a special friend.  It is hard to believe Katie and I have been causing trouble together since we were sophomores in high school.  We have traveled the world together, but have the most fun chatting about the {very} minor details of our days.  Only a very good friend can honestly care about the little stuff- Katie cares when the check out lady was mean to me and happily debates the merits of skinny vs slim cut for way longer than you probably think possible.  This is why I love her.

Were my heels short?  I always thought we were the same height

Three weeks until Charleston!

16 LBS

Fisher celebrates reaching Lola's 16lb weight by showing off his long and lean physique.  Lola looks petrified.  She knows this is the end of her baby dominance.  Fisher will soon surpass her in weight, height and general skills/knowledge.

We are both exactly 16 pounds!  Double fist pump.

Fisher recognizes Lola's fear and pets her lovingly so she knows he will always love her no matter how big he grows and smart he gets.

Lola thanks Fisher for his kindness by laying her head in his lap.

Fisher is a snuggly fellow, perfect pillow for a nap.

All is well again in the canine/baby world.

Come for the ice cream and American food

Want to visit one of Travel + Leisure's "Top Secret Beaches" for 2012? Come visit us! Grand Haven made the list.

According to this magazine, we are as exotic as Thailand.  Unfortunately we have no Pad Thai for 18 miles. Seriously. This is a major problem in my culinary life.  We do have an abundance of ice cream parlors and American food.

Here is the full article text and photo:

Grand Haven, Michigan

Trolley cars, a 2.5-mile harbor-front boardwalk, and two 19th-century red lighthouses give a sweet, old-time feel to this Lake Michigan town. Boaters and fishermen flock here, and hikers like the short-but-strenuous climb to Rosy Mound that includes 1,000 feet of stairs up and down the sand dunes to the shore of Lake Michigan. There are warm shallows for swimming, and the soft sand of two public beaches squeaks when you walk on it. After sunset, the local restaurants, ice cream parlors, and shops come alive. Retire to a Victorian B&B like the 1873 Khardomah Lodge (616-842-2990; doubles from $70), or a rental A-frame or bungalow with your own beachfront, as listed at Lake Michigan Cottages (800-870-3393).
—David A. Keeps

We walked to the end of the pier this weekend.  It is actually a bit treacherous, 50 people have died walking to the end through the years.

The Hunt

I'm on a pre-Easter hunt for the perfect Easter basket.  My family was great at holiday traditions.  Each holiday had their own set of traditions that we performed. every. single. year. 

Easter meant waking up early to scour the house for your hidden Easter basket filled with candy and small goodies, bartering with the siblings over malt balls and peeps, followed by church in our Easter best.  We always wore a "special" Easter outfit.  My dad or granddad Jack would take us shopping weeks in advance to pick it out.  Side note, my mother HATES to shop.  On her recent visit she was seriously offended by the size of my wardrobe, but that's another story.  After church we would go to a family friends house for brunch and an Easter Egg hunt.  Here 35+ people (adults included) would search for their special "name" egg and one golden egg worthy of a Walgreens prize.

To start any new tradition you need proper accessories.  Each Fisher family sibling had a unique Easter basket that we used year after year.  The basket was a part of the day, as much as the outfits, eggs, candy and church.  For Fisher's first Easter I want to make sure he has a basket that he can use for years to come as we establish our own Easter tradition, which I imagine will be a bit heavier on the Resurrection story than the Easter of my youth.  But we can still have candy and an egg hunt too!  The only requirements for the basket are that it is handmade.  Which of the below do you like?  Comment please! All found on Etsy. 

1.

EASTER WHIMSY

I keep coming back to this one.  I like how whimsical this one is and it really says "Easter".  I don't love the white color as it won't photograph as well and I am worried there is potential for destruction of the bottom curly cues during 364 day storage.

Option 1 Easter Whimsy

 2.

HOLDS LOTS OF CANDY

Lets be honest there comes a certain point in time when all a little man is going to care about is the quantity of his goodies.  This basket is large and can hold lots of Cadbury Cream Eggs, but lets not lie to ourselves its kind of boring. 

Option 2 Holds Lots of Candy

 3.

NAUTICAL TWIST

We all know I love anything nautical.  The heavy navy stripes give this basket a nautical look and I love the uniqueness of the twist handle as it provides a nice contrast to the body of the basket.  This basket also strikes me as masculine, a quality tough for an Easter basket to pull off.

Option 3 Nautical Twist

4.

STRICTLY TRADITIONAL

There is something to be said about the simplicity of this basket.  I love the shape and color and it will always photograph well no matter the colors Fisher is wearing.  Yes I think about these things.  Maybe a little boring, but sometimes boring is best when we are thinking long term.  It is a classic.

Option 4 Strictly Traditional- bad photo couldn't get a better one

Swinging for the Moon

While Fishy enjoyed his debut ride in a playground swing, he couldn't shake the feeling that this might be more fun if he could actually sit up like the boy next to him!

That one year old next to me is so much more interesting than my boring mother.  He can sit! and still be treated like a baby.

Too Old to Party

It is with great pleasure that I announce my retirement from partying.  I must take this opportunity to thank those of you who made me a semi-professional good timer over the past decade.

To my friends who supplied me with the classic Ann Arbor Rick's shark bowl on my 21st birthday,  I have a permanent scar on my backside to remember you by . . . that stick attacked me. My mid twenties were spent in NYC where an endless supply of yellow, pay by the mile designated drivers made sure I always arrived home safely with a faint smell of street meat. And to the great state of Texas, a margarita really does taste better under your big open sky.  Thanks for closing out the decade with a tangy, artisanal hint of lime.  Big improvement from my shark bowl beginnings.

However, I learned a tough lesson this past weekend.  Its not a good idea to have more drinks in one night than you have had in 15 months, despite former semi professional partying status.  I imagine even Michael Phelps is taking a few warm-up laps before the London games this summer.  Pregnancy and the kid killed the tolerance.

I woke up Sunday morning in a Chicago hotel suite physically unable to make the three hour drive home to Michigan.  I called my mom.  In tears.  My dad drove her downtown from our house in the suburbs and like a 10 year old she picked me up and drove me home to Michigan.  Today she scrubbed my house, folded my laundry and made my family dinner.  I'm almost thirty years old.

Maybe the real lesson here is while you eventually grow too old for partying, you're never too old to need your mom.  Hopefully I can be as good a mom to Fisher as my mom continues to be to me.  Despite my old age and bad behavior.

Mom and me at Alison's rehearsal dinner 2010- pre-pregnancy when I was still a party gal.  Weze's drink of choice?  Glass of chardonnay with lots of ice!