Family and the Texas Coast

We made our annual family excursion to Port Aransas mid August. Unanimously, we decided to forgo our usual digs at the rundown Sea Isle Village and try something new. In search of that something new-er and cleaner, and more comfortable in the mattress department, we googled, compared and finally decided on a 3 bedroom condo at Twin Palms Condominiums. I think we have all since concluded that the Sea Isle tradition was over-rated. The new place was great. In fact, if Seed Pod Properties ever finds itself in the position to invest in another piece of real estate, my mom and I have it planned, picked out, and of course, decorated from floor to ceiling.

Not surprisingly, Willa took to the ocean like a little fish, and when we weren't at the beach, she was wielding the garden hose in the courtyard of the condo. And when we took her down to the pool, she learned to hold her nose and go under the water, and did it over and over again, pausing only for applause, until she had inadvertently taken in so much water that she spit up a little. To which she politely covered her mouth and said, "excuse me." (Thank you, Gigi.) Yes, she is getting so big, and so smart, and so polite and sweet. It seems like we are in a constant state of pleasant disbelief and beaming pride.

Sean was the early riser of the bunch and therefore, assumed the responsibility of the ice chest packer/lawn chair hauler/tent putter-upper (and taker-downer.) By the third day, we was a little grumpy over this. Willa mostly clung to her Mimi as if for dear life, to the point that all the rest us felt a bit rejected and annoyed. Of course not annoyed in a bad way. :-) Just a selfish kind of longing for our own personal dose of Willa's affection. Mimi enjoyed it though, and she deserved that. Chris and Sean shared in the evening food preparation and Wanda provided some spectacular breakfasts and homemade sweetness. (Iced brownies and her famous lemon pie.) Dean and River joined us, along with Ransom, Cole, Alli, and two of her friends. Crazy Johnny and family stuck with tradition and stayed up the road, but joined us on the beach. It was a great escape and everyone seemed to enjoy the time together in the sun. It was a vacation I certainly needed and appreciated!

Blogger Shame

There once was a time I had time to blog. Something has happened, but I haven't yet been able to put my finger on it. I'm finally at a loss for excuses...

I can't say that I'm necessarily busier at work, or that Willa is substantially any more active than a month ago, and I certainly haven't lost my desire to profess my innermost feelings across this blog. Oh, it's still there, wedged between the guilt of my blogging inadequacies and the fear of disappointing my dear-to-me following.

I honestly expected to catch up during our recent Mexican vacation, but technical difficulties made it, well, more difficult than worthy.

So many memories to recall and photos to upload...this will take some time. But I'm up for the challenge and the late nights. Please check back occasionally as I fill in the blanks of the past weeks.

Thanks! :-)

Summer Love

Settling into motherhood has been the most challenging, emotional, exhausting, fulfilling, and beautiful journey. One of the best things about the trip has been my renewed and deepened appreciation for the simplest joys in life...home-cooked family dinners, eskimo kisses, singing, dancing, and acting silly, ice cream, uncontrollable laughter, and playing in the sprinkler. This summer, I have tried to work less and focus more on family life and make the most of each moment spent with Willa. I hope to be teaching her that it doesn't take extravagant activities or pricey toys to enjoy each day to the fullest. She is growing and changing before my very eyes and every day learns something new. Her vocabulary and understanding of things amaze us. She is on the verge of speaking in complete sentences and uses many multi-word phrases, such as "Mommy, paci, please." "Where kitty cat go?" "Mommy, read story." C'mon, Mommy, get up!" and has taken fondly to repeating the word, "No" over and over and over again. She loves to play with her baby dolls and is so sweet and nurturing with them - swaddling, offering her lovie, rocking, patting, kissing. I hope she's so sweet with a sibling, because that, friends, is a 'project' we're about to embark on - it feels like the right time.

A New-ish Look

Having Willa's party at home gave me the extra push I needed to complete a bunch of lingering projects I abandoned around the time Willa mobilized. Once we had accumulated more baby gear than I was comfortable living with, and Willa's mess-making skills surpassed my tidying abilities, I hit my limit. I tore through the house, editing with haste, removing clutter and decoration without consideration. And since my budget hasn't allowed for any extra spending to replace the things I tossed, I've been living with bare walls and compromised personality. There are worse things, I know, but my uninspiring surroundings left me feeling bored and anxiety-ridden. Yeah, I'm super-sensitive to that sort of thing. I require order. And pretty things. And to Sean's chagrin, a periodical re-do.

With pressure mounting from the impending party, I enlisted some help. Billie Jean removed Willa from the premises for an entire day, and my mom came over to crack the whip, as she puts it. The whip is actually a metaphorical one, and she does a whole lot more than supervise. She got busy right away; I, on the other hand, was just so overwhelmed at the prospect of a child-free, productive day of cleaning, organizing, and decorating, I was paralyzed. At one point, my mom had to grab me by the shoulders, shake me, and say, "DO SOMETHING!" So I did, and once I started seeing my own progress, I got into it and we worked well past our bedtimes, hanging art, moving furniture, changing out pieces here and there, and dusting all those places that I so easily forget about.

Of course, I made a few small, necessary purchases to complete the look. I picked up the two pillar candles for my mantle from my favorite new local shop, Enid. And we replaced our smelly old jute rug with this new one from Ikea. I had some art framed, and got one new piece - the Gazelle print - from Enid as well. My favorite part, though, is this steal: The $5 a piece Hospice-thrifted metal tables. I have to give credit to my awesomely handy brother, Chris, for making me their new poplar tops. And to Sean, for doing my intended dirty work - grinding down the green paint and coating them with sealer. Ten dollars for two beautiful tables can't really be beat. But I wouldn't dare underestimate the value of a husbandly honey-do and a big-brother favor. (Thanks, guys.)

Check Out This Playhouse!

You know me...you must know what I'm thinking. This eco-friendly playhouse was part of the Modern Family Zone exhibit at the Dwell on Design festival in LA last weekend. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that home tour bus...

A Full-On Half-Birthday

We celebrated Willa's half-birthday on Saturday. (She turned 1.5 on June 27th) Since her real birthday falls 2 days after Christmas, Sean and I fear it will inevitably be overshadowed every year. Not by us, of course, but by the rest of the world. So to make up for our own poor timing, we intend to honor Willa's birth semi-annually, with an unconventional half-birthday bash.

We grilled hotdogs in the backyard, and cooled off in the inflatable pool. Wanda made Green Lizards - frozen cocktails of fresh mint, lime, and vodka, which, by the way, have now trumped the margarita as my favorite summer beverage. Mint and all. Paula made my dad's delicious shell pasta salad. Sean prepared the beans. Sandy made chocolate cake, and my mom provided homemade vanilla ice cream.

How did I contribute, you might be wondering? Scrubbing the house, from floor to ceiling with Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Cleaner, took up most of my time. Once I started, I just couldn't stop. I don't know if anyone else even noticed how it sparkled or smelled of lemon verbena. But I did. And it was worth it. As you might expect, I also did a little last minute redecorating (future post)because I just can't help myself when I have guests coming over. And for the party decor, I fashioned some Willa themed photo collages for my bare walls and several photo cubes to top the tables.

The party was a lot of fun. It took Willa a while to realize that she was the belle of the ball, but once she did, she made the most of the spotlight. As usual.

Building the Biz

Be sure to check out Root's new website, designed by my uber-talented friend, Seana. http://www.rootfashion.com/. And here's the new ad she whipped up for Tribeza magazine. This is my very first glossy - it's a big step! Gorgeous model + natural setting + professional photography = pretty good, eh? Room 3 of The Roadrunner Inn shows off it's new look in the ad as well. Oh, and the cutest part of all: Willa co-models alongside Camden for the Beulah's ad.