Wordless Wednesday ~ The Girls

Happy Fall!

I have always claimed to be a summer girl ~ sunshine, long, hot days, BBQs, etc. While I still enjoy summer, as I am approaching the "fall of my years", I think I am becoming more of a fall girl. Today is officially the first day of fall and, while that is not so easy to distinguish in California, it is still worth noting. The days are slowly becoming shorter, the temperatures at night (at least) are cooling, more leaves are on the ground. I am longing to start baking in earnest again. I find myself pouring over soup and stew recipes. Instead of sadly saying good bye to summer, I am happily welcoming fall. I plan to enjoy each day of the season & I hope you do too!

Cool for Awesome

A while back, Jack was describing something to us and he said it was "cool for awesome". It has become a family saying when we think something is "really neat". Cool is one level, but "cool for awesome" is clearly way above just a simple cool.
I am struck with the thought that children, in their early years, really think they are wonderful, awesome, special creatures. As time goes on and we release them into the world, they find that not everyone feels they are "cool for awesome". Some people are downright mean or cruel and seem to make it their mission to make them feel bad about themselves. As a parent or grandparent, or anyone who loves them, for that matter, it makes our heart ache to see them hurt. I don't like to see my grown children hurting to this day. To think that these darling girls of mine, who are preening in the mirror in a princess dress and smiling at their awesomeness, will someday, sooner than I care to imagine, be wailing because their hair doesn't look "right", or someone told them their nose was too big or they were not their friend anymore, makes me want to cry. I will always be there to tell them they are perfect and beautiful, but my words will soon mean less than those of their friends. Even if my words become a smaller voice in their life, I will never stop telling them, over and over. Hopefully, I have filled up their reservoir of self esteem with enough "cool for awesome", that they will have an abundance for their future.
Wasn't it easier when all you had to do to protect them was to keep their fingers out of the light sockets?!

Fashion Week

It was Fashion Week in New York so my little beauties decided to hold their own fashion show. Here's what cute pumpkins will be wearing this fall.
Spider Girl even made an appearance on the runway looking especially fetching.
Who knew green dinosaurs could be so fashion forward ~ hands on hips and all!
Everyone knows, a hat can really make the outfit.
Yes, some get New York and designer shows. I get imagination play that invites me to share in the fun. Who's the lucky one?!

Circle of Life

This weekend I have the privilege of coordinating a wedding for two young people. As silly as it sounds, it never gets old to hear the words spoken at a wedding, the promises made and the love that fills the room. Oh, I know that one in two marriages doesn't make it and that there will be struggles in the years to come that no young couple realizes on their wedding day. They still start out with hopefulness and love in their eyes, as they should.
The following weekend I also have the privilege of coordinating a memorial service for a gentleman I have never met. His son contacted me and did a wonderful job of describing his father, his long life and what mattered to him. It has inspired me to create a reception for the family and friends that will be filled with dignity, kindness and a fitting tribute to his father. Some would say one is event is happy ~ a beginning and the other is sad ~ an ending. While this may be true, there is also a level that both are the same. They are celebrations of milestones in our life. We pause from our ordinary time and acknowledge that something has happened here. We celebrate both the beginning and the ending. We do this by gathering with family and friends, telling stories, laughing, crying, and breaking bread. We all become a witness for each other. I can't think of a better gift to give.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Makes Me Smile

Hair Raising Thoughts

"How can I control my life when I can't control my hair? " ~Author Unknown
Hair plays an important part in any women's life. Through the years, I have experienced many different styles, not to mention colors!
When we are young, we are at the mercy of our mother's to make sure our hair looks good. Based upon this picture, that can easily fall as short as these bangs! What was she thinking right before picture day at school?!

I have no one to blame except myself here. I was fresh out of high school and thought I was such a hot blond. The outfit only helped to enhancer that image, don't you think?!
Finally letting go of my blond and opting for the natural color and simple, parted down the middle, long hair, I became the cookie cutter of most everyone else.

This clearly was a modified bowl cut. I guess I was hoping my giant stomach would take the eye away from this awesome hair style!
The "Lady Di" era lasted a long time for me. Short and sassy was the name of this.
When I think I actually PAID someone to make my hair look like this, I want to laugh or cry. I was either trying for the Texas big-hair look or another ethnicity all together!!
The funny thing is, none of us tries to make our hair look silly. Looking back, I can't find many photos that depict hair I would say I actually liked today. Most of them are as embarrassing as the ones I have posted here. Why didn't my family or friends kindly say something? How did they let me go out in public looking like this? It just shows you that styles change and so do we. My husband always reminds me that 10 years from now, I will wish for this body back. He may be right, but I am pretty sure I will never wish for any of these hairstyles back!

Perfection

"How much good are you missing waiting for perfect?"
I waited several days before blogging about this quote I found. I am a confessed perfectionist and am guilty of the very behavior it addresses. I do like to get things perfect, or as close to it as I can get, in almost every aspect of my life. It is a very stressful way to live. It is, by definition, nearly impossible to attain and sustain in our daily lives. See, things happen. People get sick, friends disappoint us, spouses hurt us, kids don't do what we want them to do. It is far from a perfect world. Why have such an unattainable goal? You set yourself up for constant disappointment. Yet, I am not willing to let go of the possibility of perfection. As I have gotten older (and hopefully a little wiser), I have willed myself to redefine perfection. While, being in a suite in a hotel in Hawaii with our own personal staff, sipping a cocktail on the beach sounds like perfection, I also have to see that having a glass of wine sitting outside while my husband enjoys a cigar poolside, may just be perfection as well. Running a half marathon, while not my fastest time ever, is still being able to run 13.1 miles, a feat I never would have thought possible for me a few years ago. Isn't that close to perfection? Can't I settle on a definition that let's me enjoy the good each day while waiting for the, every now and then, perfection?
Doesn't that sound, well, perfect?!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Alien Beetles

Project Pumpkin

OK, I admit it. I am not a good idle person. Relaxing does not come easy for me and I am happiest when I have a project going. As I was falling asleep last night, I asked my husband if he had any 4 x 4 posts that could be cut up into smaller pieces. Lucky me, the contractor usually has on hand just what I am looking for and he can take out the perfect tool to cut it for me as well.
I made this darling set of pumpkins this afternoon. I sanded, painted and embellished them in no time. I love how they came out and plan on making more. Each set will be slightly different. I love decorations for all holidays and these are going to be the latest addition to my fall collection. For some reason, I am especially looking forward to fall this year. Cooler temps, slight breezes, pumpkin spice lattes and the smell of baking in the house. I may even slow down every now and then and just relax and enjoy it!