Blonde Moments

I have so many post ideas floating around in my head, but we went out last Saturday night, had a blast, and 5 days later, I’m still just “off.” Welcome to 35 (for another week). So, enjoy one these "random things" posts. Or don’t enjoy it. Whichever. 

Speaking of going out... 

This is literally how I feel about myself now. You ever get the post going-out (drinking) cringes? You know that you’ve said some outrageous things to people that you aren’t super close to. Oh well #whatareyagonnado 

In the sh*t 

My brother, and his wife, have 2 kids that are a little bit older than Lyla. He coined this lovely phrase (featured above) to categorize the time in young parents’ lives, when their children are babies-to-around 4 years old, and almost any outing or task, is just difficult. I’ve said before that Lyla is a really easy kid. Pleasant has always been a word to describe her. That’s still very much true, but she’s just hard to reason with sometimes. Obviously. She is two. We’ve moved passed the stage where we need to pack up a million things just for one trip out of the house and have entered the stage of: she has her mind set on what she does and doesn’t want to do. We’ve had our share of tantrums when leaving fun places - it’s funny most of the time. I say this all with love. It all comes with the territory. I think that Lyla is a dream come true, and I know that my brother feels the same way about my niece and nephew. I just happen to be incredibly exhausted most of the time. Toddlers are no joke. For us, having a toddler is more challenging than having a newborn. I wish that more people talked about this. I’m super grateful for Lyla, and madly in love with her...just a little bit tapped out. That’s just our truth at the moment. 

Home 

Well I lied to you guys. I mentioned before that I didn’t find it necessary to paint our kitchen cabinets, even though the color is a tad dated and dark. In fact, I still do like the color. My husband likes a white kitchen, probably more than I do. I just hadn’t entertained that possibility for us, because a bright white just wouldn’t work in our house. Our house pulls a lot of warm tones. I think that’s why I want to incorporate some pastels in the coming months, to balance that out. That would be using my knowledge of hair color, and applying it to my home. I digress. Our cabinets could totally be a creamy white, and it would work, without having to change much else, which we just don’t want to do right now. Also, with chalk paint eliminating the need to sand down what you’re painting, it seems like a no-brainer. I’ve been researching lots of tips, the best sealant, etc. I happen to love an ivory or cream, and didn’t realize how much was already in my house. So, yes, this is the biggest thing now on my to-do list (in the next few months). That laundry room will have to wait. In painting the cabinets, and therefore holding off on refacing the cabinet doors, and replacing the counter top and backsplash, we’ll save about $4500. The countertop and backsplash will stlll be history eventually (barf), but I think that the cream will offset the heinousness enough to hold me over. 

Our house is pretty traditionally decorated for Christmas, but I went a little fancier in the dining room. I grabbed a ton of pastel Christmas decorations last year, after Christmas for 90% off, in the hopes that we’d have an extra tree this year. We still just have the one tree, which I love, but it’s small. Since it’s our only tree, I like to keep it really festive and classic. We’ll have to get on the ball this year, when the discounts start after the Holidays, for a tall tree for our 2 story living room. I digress. Again. I put all the pastel decorations in the dining room, and I love it. It’s totally given me the inspiration that I needed for this room, also. Our dining room has been kind of a question mark since we’ve moved in. Turns out that it just needed a few softer colors. You guessed it - I have a little list for this room, post Christmas. 

(Excuse the poor lighting) 

Similar: 

champagne gold table runner

champagne gold table cloth

apothecary jars, set of 3  (for candy, ornaments, etc) 

ornament set of 24; gold and pink

Pop-Culture 

Have you watched Dumplin’ on Netflix? It is so good! It’s the happy movie that we all need. Please watch it. Great message, great cast, and Dolly Parton songs and quotes! It has everything.

We’ve been binge watching Friends, too. I’ve seen them all about a million times, but Anthony hasn’t. It’s been fun to watch it from the beginning. At some point in my 30’s, I feel like I went from a Rachel to a total Monica. And yes, the jokes are totally tone def. It’s kind of mind blowing to think about how much our society has changed in just 20 years, for the better and worse. 

Dirty John, on Bravo, is also really good. It is based on a true story/podcast, about a conman. I am obsessed. It's a little bit difficult to watch something in real time, and not be able to binge it all in one weekend. Spoiled much? 



Hope that you all have a good weekend! Who out there has painted their kitchen cabinets? Is it a huge pain? Should I wait until Lyla is in school next year? Lol, but seriously. 

Here's to happy things, and getting ready for the Holidays! XO 

By the Numbers

2 instagram accounts that I’m especially loving: 

Heather McMahan - She is just so funny. From what I know, Heather McMahan is trying to make it as an actress. She has a good bit of followers. My funny-smart (you know the type 🙌🏼) friend, Kayla, got me into her. Her instastories are pure gold. 

The AIDS Memorial - Being born in 1982, and growing up in a rather small and conservative area (you know it’s true), I heard about AIDS growing up, but not enough to really grasp how devastating it was, and still is, especially on the LGBTQ community. As I got it older, it became clearer. I can remember watching the HBO movie version of The Normal Heart  when it first aired in 2014, and it has stayed with me since. We recently saw Bohemian Rhapsody (so good), and that also touches on how devastating the AIDS epidemic has been. I hope that my generation, and generations to come, don’t lose sight of the toll this disease has taken on so many. I love this account, not because it’s pleasant, but it is so touching, and it lends a voice to those that maybe didn’t have one, because they were so stigmatized for their perceived lifestyle. 

2 random google searches this week: 

I researched “raising an Aries” more out of curiousity than anything. Here’s my take on astrology: I think that there is something to be said for it, along with spiritual and higher powers, but I think that a lot of what’s out there is misinformation. I did come across some things that made sense, though, and sound like Lyla: gets very sad if in trouble, never sits still, natural leader, has to decide if they like you before opening up to you. Granted, she’s 2, but this all makes sense when I think of Lyla’s personality. If nothing else, it sort of reinforced my dicipline style, which is probably a little calm for some. Works for Lyla, though. If we’re lucky enough to have more children, they might respond better to some totally different discipline tactics. Whether that’s astrology or not, I’m totally hoping that Lyla grows up to host a ridiculous Aries party, ala Shannon Beador. 

Have you heard of the word “Empath?” It’s a personality type, and very rare. I saw it referenced in a meme (what a time to be alive), and it sounded intriguing. While the name is derived from the word empathy, it doesn’t necessarily mean to be a person who displays empathy. Basically, it’s a highly sensitive person, or intuitive person; someone who absorbs others’ emotions. I saw this questionnaire of traits (👇🏼), and was surprised that I answered yes to like 90% of them. Say what. It makes so much sense. I get really anxious, and depleted, around a lot of people, and certain jobs have certainly made that worse. That can be challenging as an extrovert. Why I’m sharing this, is because I think that it could play into the current mental health epidemic that seems to be happining. I had no idea this was even a thing, and researching it more, has helped me in some ways. I’m all for figuring out what triggers me, and how I can work with that. We all have triggers, and at least a little bit of anxiety, yes? 

3 things that I want for Christmas (or birthday): 

My husband and I weren’t even going to get gifts for each other this year. It’s so boring, but we usually just get what we want throughout the year; or save up our money for vacations, house stuff, and of course, anything/everything Lyla. Aside from how I would like to celebrate my birthday this year, I figured that it couldn’t hurt to at least make a little list 

Indoor Grill Pan  

I’ve been wanting one of these for the longest time. It wasn’t until we’ve hit a slump in our meal planning, that I realize how much we’d benefit from having one. (That slump is going on, like, 2 years). 

Hot Tools Hair Dryer

My favorite hair dryer is hands down Hot Tools. Mine is currently starting to lose its power and heat - I’ve had it for around 7 years. I’d really love a Dyson, but when it comes to “standard” brands, Hot Tools has always been my favorite. 

Women’s Silk Pajamas

Everyone that knows me, knows that silk pajamas are my very favorite thing in the whole world (material thing that is). I usually get a new pair every year around the holidays. Since Victoria’s Secret stopped selling my favorites (why), I turned to Amazon. The green in this pair is so pretty. If you’ve been reading here, you probably think that I only wear “lounging” clothes or pajamas - and that is totally correct. 

These are pretty much wants over needs, but now is the time to ask for them, right? 

Do you and your spouse exchange gifts? 

Here’s to social media, google searches, and asking for gifts over the age of 11. XO