Ufta. . .

So tired of all the negativity. Everywhere. I despise the fact that we have to bring children into this world. It’s tough enough most days to feel good about living amongst all of this myself as an adult, but to subject children to all of this confusion that we have created? Yikes! I already feel I’m failing as a parent & the baby isn’t even here.

If I could as one person I’d love to solve all the world’s problems, but that wouldn’t work, because there would be at least one soul who isn’t satisfied no matter how much good or change came out of the process & would feel personally offended & we’d start all over again.

How can anything improve if we’re all still stuck in high school? Religion, Politics, Race, Wage, Sexual Orientation, Place of Residence, Where You Buy Your Coffee, you name it. . .they’re all cliques. Can’t we just be people & get along or at least truly RESPECT everyone’s different personalities?

I feel as though there are very few people I can relate to anymore, because we’re all so obsessed with who we are & where we belong & what we own & who we know & on & on. Seriously? Just live. We are here to do just that. Something so incredibly simple & we’ve gone & turned that into a complete catastrophe.

No, praying probably won’t help. No, stricter gun control laws probably won’t help <- – -In reference to today’s events. There is no one solution to any of our world’s problems anymore. Not one religion, government, amount of money, trips to the moon, or one black/yellow/red/white/purple/green/or gray person can solve it!

Of course not. . .all of that separation created & implemented long before all of our generations is the reason we’re where we are now.

Quit pointing fingers & let’s really focus on change. Nothing will ever change until we as a human race can & will drop our egos & exist on this planet as we were meant to. Love, learn, help, grow, & all of those other POSITIVE actions. Not judge, overpower, compete, & everything else NEGATIVE.

Unfortunately, that would take ages. Not to mention you’d be considered a hippie, tree hugger, bohemian, weirdo, looney tune, kook, or nonconformist just to name a few [hundred], oh & let’s throw in atheists & homosexuals just for fun, because everyone loves to pick on those stereotypes. If you agreed with that outlook that is “who you are,” & that just isn’t acceptable. Well, what in the world is “acceptable?”

Apparently innocent lives being ended & every other day to day tragedy that may or may not make the headlines.

Is there anyone who agrees with any of the above who isn’t one of the ridiculous stereotypes listed? Probably, right? Well, that’s a start I suppose.

Now go hug your mother, pet a dog, sip some tea, make a macaroni necklace, call a friend, cuddle with your love, read a book, water a plant. . .you get the picture. Start small. Just be & do the best you can. If you won’t be nice to others than go sit in the corner for awhile.

Love should live in this world & doesn’t need any further suffocation.

Neglectful. . .

. . .yes, I’m guilty of neglecting this blog. It isn’t even established, but darn it, it was fun to post on those days when I was bored.
We have since moved from the Lily Pad & into our own apartment with a room for sweet pea! Halloween, my birthday, Leif’s birthday, & visits from both my parents have all come & gone. Along with other events. Time is ticking & I can’t believe how much is changing!

Here are some photos to update what has been going on!

Announcements are ready to be sent out tomorrow. So proud of these. Leif & I took our own photos & I designed these! 

The pictures for our announcements were so fun to take! It was especially fun to watch Leif run back & forth to beat the self-time. I was going to have one of our photographer friends take them, but Leif is a bit of a photographer himself, I like to mess around in Photoshop & it was awesome to do something like this together! I feel like our poses/expressions turned out way more natural than if someone else had taken photos of us.

. . .I try to take a photo every couple of weeks to keep family in the loop! This one was fun & Leif had a blast painting my belly!

Be sure to “like,” my blog page on Facebook as I post there more often. Mostly shopping deals & discounts & giveaways from other blogs/companies/whatnot! I love a good deal/giveaway & want to share that with everyone! =]
Mello Chic Facebook Page or there is a link on my blog where you can like it from here!

Only The Good Die Young

. . .Oh, Billy Joel you are so wise. I was rockin’ out to Mr. Joel while taking some surveys today. I realized I have more of his music on Vinyl than I do in my iTunes. Well, everything sounds better on Vinyl so that just makes sense!

It has been busy here lately. We might be moving into our own place! It is just tough to find something that fits us, our budget, & that accepts pets! Even though Mr. Roux is pretty much a gremlin/cat. But we found a cute apartment & have everything in, so just waiting to see. Think happy thoughts for us & baby!

Speaking of baby, holy smokes does sweet pea kick around like crazy! I love it! But I also feel like we’re auditioning for the next Alien movie. I’ve been slacking on my weekly pictures & need to take & post a 24 weeks one for my family to see. Speaking of family. . .My mom & sister are coming to visit us! Whoooooo! Nothing like good quality time with the women in your family! Can’t wait until they arrive!

Got my glasses today & they are AWESOME!

I’ve also been posting some pretty sweet deals/find/sweepstakes on my Facebook page. Check it out right here!

More later. . .all I can think of right now is sinking my teeth into a Honeycrisp Apple!

 

Jon’s Design!

This is exciting! A friend’s design is on a t-shirt! Very excited for him & you should all check it out right. . .here

Jon’s Owl design for Strata Clothing!

Ironic Eyewear

I’ve been wanting/needing new glasses for awhile, but don’t want to spend a bunch of money for a few reasons. The top reason being I don’t wear them all that often. I would like to, but the ones I have now, are just kind of [extremely] dated & are kind of mussed up. . .scratches,  one lens is starting to crack. . .

I ordered a pair & only had to pay $14 with a code I found online! I even got to try them on! . . .err online with the “upload your picture & play the fun game of lining up the dots on your eyes.” It only took me four attempts until I got my PD correctly measured so they were “fitting,” right. Even if I get them & don’t like them, I can send ‘em right on back for a refund.

Joseph Marc Parker 4090 Brown Tortoise

I would attach the photo of me wearing them, but I can’t. Don’t ask my why. I don’t possess that power today or rather my brain doesn’t. But they are wayfarer style & made for smaller faces. So, I won’t look completely ridiculous in them! The code I used knocked off $70 dollars, so I only had to pay shipping & whatnot. It is right on their website “FBDEAL“  or “FIRSTPAIRFREE” Only good for basic lenses, but I don’t need fancy schmancy ones.

Coastal.com

They also have a program if you share with friends & those friends order you can receive $20 in credit per person who orders! Sweet! Check it out & score some designer glasses for a steal! Here’s hoping I love them & can stash my old ones for emergencies only. Oh! They also offer contact lenses also & other eye wear accessories if you’re not into glasses.

Ukelele

Wake up & drag my clumsy pregnant body out of bed to have some French Pressed coffee with my man. We haven’t made it out the front porch for our morning coffee in a while because:

1. I’m lazy & the bed is warm

2. . . mostly numero 1, but it is a bit more chilly in the mornings now, so I can’t be completely at fault.

It is always nice though to wake up that way & connect with him as I don’t see him until late afternoon sometimes late evening as his new-ish schedule is a bit more strict. I make him some sandwiches, he goes on his way. I read a bit & sign on to Facebook to see what is new in the world or rather the world I choose to know, as most the events & people I like to keep up with are on there.

I did find something interesting that I’m going to do next week as I missed out last night. A local coffee shop that I have actually already visited twice this week hosts a weekly ukulele club of sorts.

. . .there she hangs so proudly on the wall.

I’ve had a ukulele for about a year now & have only managed to pick out a handful of songs, you can recognize what I’m playing, but I’m no Big “Iz.”  I brought it along on the first trip Leif & I took to Minnesota together. Yep, 13 hours straight of ukulele. . .poor kid. Kidding. Not straight hours. I’m not that evil.

So, I will have to venture out next Wednesday evening & see what more I can learn without making too much a fool of myself. I love piano & have played for quite a few years now, though not as often as I should. I also own a guitar, but really honestly never had any interest in learning (it was a gift), but for some reason the ukulele is something I want to do well.

Maybe because it is smaller than a guitar, less strings, a bit more easy to lug around, & c’mon it’s so darn cute! Leif has been playing Harmonica almost nightly for a few weeks now & the baby always kicks around when he does so. I best get some ukulele down, so we can properly entertain this child =]

Do you play any odd instruments or are there any that you have thought about learning? Oh & a sweet video to help your Thursday along.

Links!

I’m slowly getting this blog stuff figured out, although I realize I have a zillion more things to know & about a bajillion more things to apply to my current practices that will make this successful. . .but I added a new page today! It’s the small things in life =]

It is entitled “Lovely Links.” Make sure to check it out & click around. I’m not done adding all of the websites & blogs that I find absolutely wonderful, but it’s a start.

Feel free to share with me what some of your favorite blogs/websites are in a comment! I spend far too much time on the internet & am always looking for a fun new page to check out!

 

Colours

. . .since I am unable to actually decorate a Nursery until we move into our own place, I am constantly dreaming of the most beautiful perfect little room for my baby.
I do have colors picked out for if the baby is a boy or girl. Yes, we are still going strong with NOT finding out & my mother & Leif’s mother are holding strong & not letting the cat outta the bag.

So, I will share with you my colors:

Nursery Colors

I kind of have themes mapped out in my mind. I would love to have a Faerie/Enchanted Forest theme for the girl & something of the same for a boy, but less Faerie =] BUT I’m not an over the top theme person, it would be more of little items here & there to suggest said themes, instead of a huge mural on the wall or a terrifying enchanted grizzly bear. . .

We purchased an AWESOME changing table from a gal in town through Craigslist. She deals in all sorts of second hand furniture & was so happy I spotted this! It is hand made, nice & study. . .not particle board [thank goodness] & the most perfect drawer to put the diaper genie in! Whoop whoop! I would post a picture, but it just doesn’t look so terribly AWESOME right now! Currently it is painted a terrible primary blue color. When the baby is here, it will be painted in gradient form from the appropriate scheme. Kind of like. . .

. . .I found this idea on http://www.goodbyehousehellohome.com/ via Pinterest!

That is just scratching the surface of that area of my brainium. I LOVE design. After all it was the major I stuck with for the longest! Ha!
Now, I am dying to hear from you about your current Nursery, dream Nursery, or anything else having to do with Nurseries. What are your colors/themes/idea. . .the thing you are most excited about? Any advice for me?

Heavy Stuff

Maybe it is because I am pregnant & am processing information in a different way now. I suppose I mean that in the way that the thought of being a mother both overjoys me & terrifies the life out of me. Which I’m told is normal. BUT. . .the reason for this post. Two pieces of media that I have recently watched & read. I’m here to share & suggest them with you, because they made me think. . .about a lot. . .that would be a whole other post of crazy long rants.

The first is a short story/book that I found for my Kindle & read in a day: http://www.amazon.com/The-End-World-ebook/dp/B004RZ26E2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346776837&sr=8-2&keywords=the+end+of+the+world

As I said it is short, only about 99 pages or so. Quite interesting & draws you in, in a curious way. I was imagining a Tim Burton-esque type stage set the whole while reading it. I don’t know what else to say, besides it really made me go “huh.” In a head nodding serious face sort of way.

The movie we watched last night: http://www.amazon.com/Zeitgeist-The-Movie-Peter-Joseph/dp/B00443XONE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346777095&sr=8-1&keywords=zeitgeist

Don’t watch if you are easily offended regarding religion, patriotism, any belief whatsoever in our government here in the good U.S.A. Or do. I’m not posting this to upset people. Just as a suggestion & a movie I found interesting. We watched it through Netflix & I’ve heard clips of it can be found on Youtube. I don’t want to give anything away. But it is full of “heavy,” information & I felt a bit overwhelmed when it was done.

Both of these just had me deliberating on the not so fun parts of parenting & life in general. Bringing a new life into this world that isn’t perfect or always so easy to live in. Raising & helping a being to grow & make the right choices. Obviously I realized all of this before we found out the news of our new baby, but it just seems to be weighing on my mind a bit more lately. It makes me want to already hover & overprotect this child from what is out here. So, those are my thoughts for the day.

Let me add that I think this post does still fall under my most popular topic of poop. The world can just be pretty crappy some days.

Best life lesson I’ve heard in awhile. . .

 

Same Shit Different Day.

. . .& you probably thought I wasn’t serious with my statement of possibly centering my blog’s subject around poo. Well, it just so happens to be a perpetual theme in my life lately. Well, lately referring to the past year of my life. Seriously, men are obsessed!

Take this morning for example. One of the roomies is dog-sitting for a friend of ours, we dog-sit fairly often, but usually dogs we are familiar with. We love dogs, so this has nothing to do with not liking dogs. It does have everything to do with poop. . .let’s stay on topic here.

The dog that showed up yesterday, Pabst (I refer to him as Pap Smear, because really which one is more ridiculous?), he is a 2 year old Pitbull. He was rescued from being put down & brought here on a girl’s recent move from Minnesota. Not allowed at her place of residence as the landlord wasn’t happy about it or something, so ‘let’s take him to that one house, that is a dog toilet.’ [not really, but kind of really] Remember, we love dogs!

Anyway, back to the shit. . .

. . .Leif let him out after we got up as roomie had to work early, so he figured Pabst needed to be let out again & not be cooped up as he was left in said caregiver’s room. He peed & came back in. We were hanging out for 20 minutes in our room & he’d come in & then go out to walk around.That’s fine at least he’s behaving & not spending his day behind a closed door.

I went out to pop some tarts in the toaster only to discover a massive unloading from our house guest. In the same spot where a few other dogs have gone. . .dog toilet. We have stone flooring in quite a bit of the main area of the house, but nope the carpet is a much better choice. So yes, our day began with the cleaning of feces & urine of a dog we’re not fully responsible for. . .but we’re used to that. My poor chair though, didn’t even see it coming.

Needless to say, I’m a bit disheartened to had to have started my day off that way. It stinks that he did that in the house, but I would have felt bad leaving him in the room all day. I’m still in my robe at 1:32 P.M. in the afternoon munching on Wasabi Peas as Pap Smear is outside barking at the backyard neighbor. You can’t do anything but love them though & yeah, I’m even consider taking this dog for a walk later. Roux is going to give me the stink eye, I just know it.

I was going to recount a discussion this morning about French Pressed coffee, but opted for this one. . .we all know what strong coffee leads to. Why not get straight to the point?

“Pap Smear”