in love with YHL

So, Tuesday night I got to do something I had been looking forward to since sometime in October. Pretty much the only non-friend blog I regularly follow is Young House Love - written by a young couple living out (now full-time) their DIY dream. They have great ideas, are thrifty, and downright hilarious. And they recently published their first book. 

So, when my friend Sidhya texted me last October and told me that their book tour was making a stop in Austin - and if we pre-ordered the book through Book People we would get a ticket to their talk and the signing - I was totally in. And then it occurred to me that this would make a great b-day gift for my other dear DIY friend Katie. So...we waited patiently, patiently, patiently. And then we were stupid excited like kids on Christmas morning!

We had read some stories on their blog (in their recounting tales from other city stops on the tour) of crazy crowds and lines so we got there at 5...and were surprised to find the place pretty empty except for normal shoppers (the talk was to start at 7). It was at that point that we realized we were the crazy stalker groupies that we had sort of been making fun of - arriving early to avoid them. Errr, us, rather.

 I have to admit that I had (still have) a goal of being featured on their blog  - like - hey folks, look what awesome folks we met in Austin! (They do that sometimes.) So, of course we brought a gift. A little Austin t-shirt for their wee one (often on the blog) and a homemade paint swatch card w/ our photos (they love swatches).

 Waiting in our seats like giddy school girls. Is Elvis in the building yet? (Seriously - we basically sat around and talked about how we wouldn't know what to say if they walked in the room and started talking to us - because of course they would pick us out of the crowd to start talking to.)

 Peekaboo! (The only city where they got to enter through a curtain.)

 Their talk was short but great - totally true to form. They were at ease and funny - seemed just like they seem on the blog.

 Here we are after presenting our little gift and getting our books signed. Sidhya, Ali, Katie, John and Sherry.

Afterwards, we spent some time mocking all the losers who were still in line (and probably would be for hours), and trying to remember all the funny things they said during the talk. Oh, and reliving the fact that they said we were "a well dressed group" and Katie got specifically singled out because Sherry said she was making crazy/creepy eyes at her during the talk (Sherry to Katie, not the other way around). We're so cool.

The next day Sidhya wrote them this email w/ photos attached:

John & Sherry,

Thanks so much for coming to Austin!  I know you met a TON of people, but we're the group of three girls who were early in the line with the DIY paint chip photo card and Austin t-shirt for Clara (hope it fits her!).  

The three of us are in our early 30s with young kids, but last night, we reverted to middle school girls, giddy with excitement and super hyper about meeting you!  We LOVED your talk and were struck by how kind, genuine, witty, and downright hilarious you both are. We've each followed your blog for a long time, and from meeting you at Book People, we realized that John & Sherry on blog = John & Sherry in person.  Not that that should be surprising, but it's refreshing to witness authenticity!

Thanks for the tremendous inspiration--from stenciling walls to reupholstering furniture to photographing a baby every week for 52 weeks to baby led weaning (life-changing, by the way!)--you are making an amazing difference in so many lives.  Sounds cheesy, but it's true.

Thanks for doing what you do, and we look forward to following your future endeavors (Book 2, perhaps?!).  We've attached a few photos we took at the event!

Cheers from your Austin fans,

Alison, Katie, & Sidhya

 

And the day after...she actually got this response:

 

Aw, it was so much fun to meet you guys! We had the best time in Austin! Don't tell anyone, but that was our favorite event of all of them so far. Just an awesome venue with awesome people there smiling up at us. Hahah! You guys were the best. So so thankful you came out and you're so sweet to send such a great note (with pics!) afterwards. Thanks again! We lurve you.
xoxo
Sherry (& John)

________

 

We're still waiting to see if we make it on the blog - they haven't posted about Austin yet. Will definitely keep you posted. 

 

I dare the rest of 2013 to top that night. :)  (Okay, moving day might beat it. But just by a little...more on the house soon. Sheet rock is done!)

Artsy Fartsy - Looking Back

This post is loooooooong overdue. Honestly, I sort of thought I already did it, but I'm wrapping things up for the year so I can have the blog printed into the book to join the others, and there it was in a list. 

In an effort to streamline all of the stuff that comes into the house, I have been trying to scan or photo a lot of the kids' artwork so that we can keep the super special pieces and *trash* the rest (please don't tell the kids). 

Maggie's art is usually what's left around her mouth after she eats crayons...so other than pictures of her, we're not saving any of it yet. 

Rebecca's art is just starting to really evolve. We're still heavily into a sticker phase and I'm sorry to say most of those pieces don't live beyond a week. But here are a few of her newest abstract pieces. 

 Rebecca's other favorite thing is to have other people (me) draw her pictures for her to color - basically custom coloring pages on demand. Meet Mermaid.

Owen has had a little more practice. Some of these are from Ms. Joyce's class last year (2011-2012 school year). 

 

This is one of my favorites - it's actually really big. It's a map - one of the first he did where he explained what everything (islands, water, mountains, towns) was. 

 Every finger got 1 color - the goal was to keep the colors separate.

 This is a self portrait (face and then foot below) made in October of 2011, so last fall...

And these are more recent - this one (not a self-portrait) was a crazy man from a couple of months ago. Yes - that's a pe...

 From this fall - he drew Kyle (hair denial)

 From this summer - in his wanting to be a doctor phase.

 And this is the most recent - he drew it and his teacher Ms. Laurie wrote out his description: Hair = spaghetti, nose = green bell pepper, eyes = meatballs, mouth = banana, head = blueberry, body = sandwich, belly button = black bean, legs = butter, feet = diamond back rattle snakes. I think its pretty cool to see how their perceptions (and ability to represent them) of reality evolves. Growing up is so cool!

It's been a few months, but there was a phase when every quiet time every day involved Owen practicing his snake drawings. We basically have an entire binder dedicated to them.

 He surprised me with this peacock one day last fall - I think its pretty spectacular.

 Now, the vast majority of his drawings are reminders for us to do something or instructions on how to do something. Sometimes he'll ask Kyle or I to write out exactly what he says for each picture. 

How to build a couch fort (left to right)

 Another view

 Another view

 A note he handed me that means: Do not talk on your phone.

Duly noted kiddo!

I don't remember what this one was - some sort of map or directions or something.

 Instructions on how to build "the Gup". Our execution was less impressive.

 Left to right instructions on how to build "the Gup" (submarine type thing) from a box. Cut, paint, viola!

His bulletin from Fanny's church in early December. He entertained himself by drawing little creatures. I should know what they are, but I have forgotten.

It really is fun to see what these kiddos come up with. To another year of artsy farts. :)

(Yea! That finishes my backlog and now I can print my blog book!)

Happy New Year (Again)!

At this stage of life its hard to say what anything will be like a year from now. Actually, that's at every stage of life. Well, one thing I hope is the same is our "tradition" of ringing in the New Year with some of the best friends a girl, and a guy, and their kids, could have. 

We spent our 2nd year in a row (that makes it a tradition, right?) at the Foshea Casa. Fed the kids at home, arrived, fed ourselves, had an adult+kid dance party with glow sticks, played with sparklers, had a minor asthma attack (just me - who knew sparklers would mess me up?), put kids to bed (Maggie stayed with Nana, so we just had the big two to worry about), took some funny pictures (not many - I guess it wasn't as exciting and new this year), played some games (wits and wagers, and guestures), packed up the kids in the rain and made it home a little after 2. Ahhhh, to be young again.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

 Half of Noelle, Melissa, Christal, Katie, Alison

Katie & Ho-El (Joel) Foshea

 Melissa & Luke (=Muke) Other Mezger

 P-90 Jeff and Noelle (and baby) Pechka

 Philabuster and Christal Murray

 Me and the hubs

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wrapping Up 2012: The Kid Post

Maggie - 19 months old

• Still super snuggly, cuddly. Walks up to people she knows and hugs both legs. Still crashes into your chest for some snuggle time before naps and bed.
• 19 months is sweet...but it's also a tricky age. She had her first full-on temper tantrum a few weeks ago. My memory on how it began is fuzzy - I think I wouldn't give her a sharpie I was using. I know, cruel. Crying -> throwing herself on the floor -> kicking -> eventually tiring out almost to the point where she was asleep. She was so chilled out and weepy afterwards (I had been a safe distance away where I could watch, but not interrupt the show) she took her first morning nap in months. A fit like that will tire you out!
• LOVES to wave bye bye and tell people and any passing car bye bye. In parking lots, she waves at everything moving. And although she can clearly say bye bye, she usually doesn't. It's just this long, loud, ahh-ahhhhhhh - that kind of has the intonation of a bye bye. Lots and lots of waving. She's totally figured out parent/grandparent/babysitter hand-offs too. When she sees someone knew show up (like Bee coming over), she immediately starts waving bye bye to me (even if I'm not going anywhere).
• Just got over a little upper-respiratory infection (and ear infection) that produced a really nasty weeze and cough. She settled into the twice-daily nebulizer treatment and we learned she loooooves amoxicillan. Sucked it down like candy - and it wasn't even the flavored kind! 
• She loves iphones. She likes to push the buttom to make my cover photo (of the three kids) show up. It's one of the first things she goes for when its out - and she'll walk around w/ it up to her ear says "ah - ahhh" which sort of sounds like hello the way she says it. On a less cute note, she through my phone in the trash the other day. Kyle spotted it before I even knew it was missing and thankfully before the trash was taken out. Yikes. 
• She can open doors now and let me tell you this is a game changer. We have borrowed my dad's baby gate and are using two of those door-knob things but before we implemented that (this week) we never knew where she was. I'd be cooking dinner and she'd wander down the hallway (me thinking that's okay because all the doors are closed) and then I'd hear water running and she's in the master bathtub fully clothed. Drawers emptied. Potties played in. Books torn. Awesomeness. 
• She loves her belly. She rubs it. Pats it. Knows it by name. And she loves other people's belly's to. If you let her (or even if you don't) she'll try to pull your shirt up to rub your belly. It's her thing

Rebecca - 3.5 years old (almost)

•  Picture below - her eye injury after face planting on our parquet floor off of her "bee" (riding toy) - we've had lots of eye injuries lately. She's a bruiser, in more than one sense.
• Her made up name for everyone - Silly Bookers. There are worse names to be called. 
• She continues to be sneaky...candy from her stocking hidden in her cowboy boots. 
• Wants to turn the lights on in the car because "the darkness hurts my feelings". 
• Starting to really really care what she wears. Enter, the blinking shoes. I caved in. It's a challenge to get dressed every morning. Mostly we struggle with weather-appropriateness. Majorly into the same couple of dresses and skirts. Hates pants. I actually understand...
• Made me a page covered in princess stickers and told me not to throw it away because that would be so sad and horrid. Horrid.
• When told she needed to go back in her room for quiet play time she told me that being alone is not good. So, sayeth the extrovert. 
• More sneakiness - hiding under a very thin sarong (instead of a blanket) - with a light-up tinkerbell well after bedtime. Seemed shocked when Kyle pulled the sarong back and found her. How did he do it? She was hiding so well!
• Not only likes to give kisses with an animal theme (pink kiss - oink!), but invented a dangerous little number called the jump kiss. She tries to jump up to your face to give you a kiss but noses or chins invariably get bonked. Sweet intentions, bad outcomes.

 Owen - 5.25 years

•  Evolving interests - we had outerspace for a while, then snakes. Now it's bacteria. (Snakes are still pretty in.) He seriously all by himself decided he wanted a microscope for Christmas. And Bee came through. It came with slides so he and Kyle (mostly) have been enjoying checking its bitsy things out - favorites include: flea, Owen's hair, white blood cells and red blood cells. Cheese mold is coming soon (thanks to our fridge). The other day in the car they were talking about bacteria and then something interrupted them to which Owen replied a few minutes later - Dad, let's get back to bacteria. Yes, let's. He even started telling me the other day about coksi something or other. I think that's a kind of bacteria or something. These two together and dangerously nerdy. It's a good thing Kyle has recently rekindled his love for college football (Gig'em Aggies!) to add a little balance...
• Has been playing the game "memory" a lot and thinks he's pretty good. Told our babysitter Amy last week that she should probably prepare herself to loose. (He actually wanted her to be prepared. It's like genuine caring masquerading as smack-talk.)
• Says "What in the world" all the time.
• Hums, ALL THE TIME.
• To Rebecca's whining in the car the other day, said (sort of under his breath) - I can't little to this. (Perhaps he's been listening to me - sorry!)
• Has been trying to teach Rebecca about why there is a dark side of the moon. She just starts singing the moon song at him to drown out the lesson.
• Everything is "snudge" - it's his word. Momma, look, I made a "snudge-mobile" out of legos! 
• Owen started the blinking shoes debacle. He was obsessed and since he's worn the same merrill shoes (different sizes of the exact same shoe) since he started walking - I caved in - hoping we'll get it out of his system before kindergarten where I think they'd be too distracting. He had the choice between Spiderman and StarWars. He chose StarWars because he doesn't like either but thought the StarWars ones looked less StarWars-y than the Spiderman ones looked Spiderman-y. He was right. And now he kicks everything all the time to make them blink. I consider this a parenting failure on my part. 
• He's always got a project he wants to work on. Remember the Sail Fish costume from a few weeks ago? Did I tell you about building the Gup? (We never finished it...shhhhhh! I'm hoping he forgets!) Well, this time it was rhino horns for him to wear. Why rhino horns? Because "I thought about a rhino and how they have cool horns and so I thought it would be cool if I could make some to pretend to be a rhino."

And those are how are sweet babies are wrapping up 2012.

Nifty Gifties

If you know me, you know I LOVE giving gifts. Store-bought is fine - and sometimes even great - but my mind always goes to personalized first. Anyways, here are a few of my favorites from this year. 

Now you see my mom's handwritten (and uber blotchy/dirty) recipe for the world famous "Aunt Judy's Potato Casserole")...

 

Now you see a tempered glass cutting board w/ said recipe!

 Seriously, this is one of my favorites. Ever. I think I'm going to order one for me too. Thanks to Cary Brege and Luke Mezger for some new photoshop tricks...I feel this scanned-text-as-photo skill opens up a world of crafty possibilities. Watch out world.

 (I also did one for Nana - BB's famous chocolate cake, actually from Johnny Seymore - in Nana's handwriting. But I didn't get a picture.)

But speaking of pictures...it was time for the third generation of Mezger grandbabies (aka Gen 3) to have their Christmas photos taken for Nana's wall. Mel and I boycotted Picture People and decided to try it ourselves this year. After 2 mini shoots, here were our best shots of the girls.

 And Nana opening the finished product.

The last project was ultimately a success, but it started as out a BIG FAT PINTEREST FAIL. I saw a post where someone made the game "Memory" out of 2x2 photos - printed and glued to 2x2 wood squares. The best part was some of the photos were sort of generic images, but the others were family photos. Personal! So, I decided this was going to be our gift for family friends. I selected some of my favorite "generic" photos and photos of all our family friends (most of which I had, but others I either asked for or stole from their blogs - a little, creepy, I know.) I ordered 2x2 wood squares from etsy. Bought spray paint and spray adhesive. Then it started to go downhill. 1) Not enough squares (how did I count wrong???) 2) Spray paint worked fine. 3) Spray adhesive did not - got all goopy on the spray painted side and sides. ...Sticky, yucky mess. Ended up in the trash. 

Then I went back to my comfort zone - I reprinted the photos, bought fun paper - glued it to the back of the photos, cut out and laminated. And cut again. Each family ended up with 20 squares (10 matching sets) - with anywhere from 1 to 5 family photos (depending on the family) and the rest are the fun generic photos. I thought it was pretty fun. And if I had only done it the final way it would have actually been really easy. I need to remember I like the computer and paper etc. a lot more than I like wood and glue and paint. Perhaps we'll play "memory" with some friend soon and I'll take a picture for you (and me)! 

That was pretty much it for my Christmas projects this year. I wonder who I can give a cutting board or memory game to next year? :)

More on our actual Christmas celebrations below.