Anna Be.

Today my big decluttering discovery was the disappointment I feel about my dream library.  We are so lucky to have this house that's big enough for everything we want, including a room just for books.  Except it's not just for books, it's also for cat litter boxes.  I've accepted this is the best location for the boxes, not trying to come up with a different arrangement, I just need to work through how this arrangement makes my library something other than the cozy booklover's grotto I dreamed of. But I still believe it can be that dream place!  It will take a certain amount of work.  To spend any time in a room with litter boxes, there has to be daily scooping and sweeping.  Nick took over litter box duties 8 years ago when we started trying to have a baby. (According to science, pregnant ladies can't touch cat poop; I exploited this.) Let's face the straight poop here:  I can clean the litter boxes. Somewhere Nick is reading this and a joyful t...

Today I threw away my push present . It was a tough thing to throw away the 8-month-old flip flops because they were the first gift Nick bought me the week after Mamie was born. (Unless a bag of candy bars counts?) Fresh new flip flops were a dream in the early days when everything about life seemed out of order and harder than I was capable of handling. Still, today, I threw them away because 8 months of daily wear is all one can expect from even the best flip flops. It was a single step in my month-long decluttering program. I've learned that I can make a huge impact in just 10 minutes, but I can also get absolutely no where in a whole day.  I just have to keep working on it, and at this halfway point in the month, I still have hope and a little steam. I started this project by assigning each room or area of the house to a day of the week.  For example today, Monday, my areas are the living room and the front yard.  The first week I only planned to spend 10 minutes ...

First thought: It's all over, I've done everything wrong. An area the size of a grapefruit is burning below my rib cage. I feel like a hot rag is shoved in my throat, and I'm struggling to get any air through it.  If I breathe too deeply my chest will burst. Through shallow breaths, my mind starts to list my failings: Not nice Not pretty Not good at cooking or cleaning Not interesting Not a good mother Not necessary Two vices tighten, one on my forehead, one on the back of my neck. I want to reassure myself: But I'm smart. Panic answers, Smart doesn't count if you don't do anything with it. Vices tighten. Hands shake to thwart any useful activity. Throat aches from constriction. You know how to fix this. Take deep breaths, take a pill. Just act normal, don't be weird.

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I think I could make 20 posts just documenting the sweet handcrafts family and friends have made for Mamie.  I'll start here with a quick and dirty few... I love this modern quilt made by Mamie's Gran.  Yellow, white, and aqua are the base for most everything in her  nursery. Another beautiful quilt, made by Mamie's Great Aunt Maria. How about this adorable cap knit by Auntie Ingrid Grana Underwood?   Really, this is just the beginning.  I have piles of cozy things and walls of art to show off, all made by Mamie's loved ones! (And these pics were taken when she was only a few weeks old, so she's not even the same baby anymore!)

I may be posting this just to break the habit of not posting... But I am determined to say something honest: I hope that this baby routine settles in and I start to squeeze in time for legitimate writing and blogging.

This post is inspired by a little thing on my wishlist for the baby's room: 3 Sprouts Storage Box Peacock at Target These are the little peacock thank you notes I picked up for shower gifts at Barnes and Noble: Proud Peacock (10 cards/10 envelopes) Graphique de France Boxed Thank You Cards Here are some other pretty peacocks I wouldn't mind having: Boho Boutique™ Peacock  Area Rug  at Target Peacock with endless tail Print on Vintage Dictionary Book altered art dictionary page illustration book print peacock art Double Peacocks Necklace - Art Nouveau Made in USA stamping