Willa-Wednesdays

There's this fabulous thing we do around here, called "Willa-Wednesdays." It's the one afternoon a week that Sandy, my mother-in-law, babysits. The benefits of Willa-Wednesdays are two-fold. First, Sandy gets plenty of quality one-on-one bonding time with her grandchild. She loves her to pieces, and it shows. Second, I get a regular and much needed solo (that means productive) afternoon for running errands, shopping for groceries, and tending to any necessary business at Root. It started, I believe, as a generous effort to provide me, the frazzled new mom, with some relief and assistance, as well as to delay our commitment to hired child care. But it has become so much more than that. Each week, Sandy comes straight over after work, and has lunch while we catch up on Willa's most recent developments and any family business (or gossip) that has occurred in the previous week. On many a Willa-Wednesday, I probe Sandy with baby-related questions, having complete confidence that she has experienced it herself, at least once between her 14 children and grandchildren. And in her pleasantly nonchalant way, she delivers the most reassuring advice. I so appreciate her easygoing way and like to think it is starting to rub off on me. Anyway, back to the advice...Sometimes, Sandy even offers a story to go along with it, which is always entertaining and helpful. I usually linger a while and watch the two of them interact. Sandy certainly has a way with her. And if anybody has ever had a doubt, she loves this grandbaby every bit as much as she does her previous 8. That's a lot of love. Impressive. Eventually, she encourages me (drags me kicking and screaming) out of the house and assures me that all is well on the Willa-front. And it always is. But I still have a hard time leaving the baby for even a few measly hours. There's just this insuppressible (and quite ridiculous) fear that I might miss something - a first step, a word, a great milestone. In fact, last Willa-Wednesday, I was so gloomy, in my Willa-less state, that the girls at the shop tried to send me back home. Eventually (gulp) I do plan to enroll her in some type of regular, non-family care which will boost her social development and independence, as well as ease our transition into (gulp) Kindergarten. But for now, I am content with our arrangement, and ever so grateful for our Willa-Wednesdays. And for Sandy, of course.

A Deck of My Dreams

Here is another one of my Polyvore compilations. These are objects of inspiration for my nearly-complete back deck. The fabric swatches represent some of the cushions I am having made for my outdoor furniture. (By the way, Reprodepot fabrics are looking great these days, and they still have really reasonable prices.) I LOVE this table from CB2, but these times call for fiscal responsibility, so I am going to have somebody copy it. (Actually, my dad offered to weld the base for me, so I'll just need to have a teak top made. Oh, and a couple of matching benches. You still in, Dad?) I may eventually splurge on the orange Air Chairs. I have wanted these for several years. Really, years. I remember the first time I set my eyes on them, I was browsing the Internet in my old office in the original store. Of course, now they come with arms, which proves that good things come to those who wait. Sean mentioned that he would like a smaller grill, and this one's a classic. The pretty decanter and glasses are another thing I think I could recreate with some thrift-store glassware, a ball of jute, a hot glue gun, and Sandy's crafting expertise. The deer is actually called a Bambisitter and it is intended to be a seat for a youngster. I know it's impractical and assume it's very uncomfortable, but it looks good with the rest of my picks. So if Sean wanted to try out his new workshop, he could certainly whittle it. Well, this was fun, and it is always helpful to have a plan before starting to decorate. And if ever I am tempted to settle for mediocre outdoor decor, I have this image to remind me of the things I am holding out for.

My Favorite Age

I have heard so many mothers say that every age is their favorite age. I finally get it. Willa has gotten so playful and interactive in the last couple of weeks. She's getting around and exploring, learning things and retaining them, making new sounds and showing all sorts of different emotions. I have a feeling I will be repeating this phrase over and over again throughout the course of raising Willa... but THIS is my favorite age.

The Teaser...Before the Big Reveal

I am loving our new addition and fresh paint job. After all those years of lackluster white on white, our home's exterior has finally gotten a personality boost. When we bought the house in 2002, we did a complete renovation. But by the time we got around to spiffing up the outside, my creativity had just about run out. I couldn't decide on a color scheme and was tired of buying sample quart after sample quart of the wrong ones. When the painters put up a coat of white primer, I decided that (safe) white would be "good enough." It might not have been right, but white can never really be wrong. However, after living with my drab selection and zero curb appeal for the past 5+ years, it was time to make a change, a color choice, one that would make a statement. The colors we chose do just that. They are inviting and cheerful, subtly modern, and (my favorite part) they perfectly teeter on the edge of Historic Review Board denial. The project is not quite complete, but I will post photos of its entirety soon. In the meantime, I have been sprucing up everywhere I can, endlessly cleaning and organizing, rearranging artwork, changing out pillowcases, donating, simplifying, purging clutter...In this new phase of infant domination, LESS (of everything else) is definitely MORE.

Where Money is No Object

Dressing Willa has proven to be endless fun. But it's almost better to play dress-up, and not have to spend a dime. Polyvore.com is quite possibly the best online invention ever - at least where fashion is concerned. It enables even the most technically-challenged shoppers (or lookers) like me, to pull individual items from all over the web and group them together for viewing. Here is a collection of some of my favorite pieces for the season. They are so Willa, don't you think? Stay tuned for more of my Polyvore creations.

Happy Birthday, Melissa!

I wish we were there (or you were here) so we could share the day with you. Hope it was a great one! We sure miss you.

The Hot Rod

For the past 8 years, my dad has been diligently working on rebuilding a 1932 Ford Coupe. It has been in a hundred pieces in his workshop for so long, I had forgotten what it was supposed to look like. But this past weekend, he took his prized hot rod for a test drive. It still needs a flashy paint job, but we're just so glad to see it back in one piece. And for Dad, so deservingly, to enjoy the fruit of his labor. Judging from the look on his face, the coupe seems to be running beautifully. A coat of paint and a toddler seat, and he'll be set!