Happy Tuesday

I have questions that I need answered;

1) Why do we have eyebrows?

When did people start grooming them?

2) Why when I send two federal express

packages for work does the Florida

package arrive HOURS before the California package?

**I am in Scottsdale, AZ. This makes no sense.**

3) Why can't someone pay me to read blogs all day?

4) Why do I ALWAYS freak out before doctor appointments

and cancel at least two or three times

before I actually go?

This morning's excuse was that I hadn't

pumiced my feet.

Good one, right?

5) Why are cameras so expensive?

The one I want is $800! Rude.

Happy Birthday Bee!

Yesterday was Bee's birthday.

Isn't she a babe? Love the purse, Bee.

Bee is my grandma.

She is not the stinging kind.

She is the hugging kind.

She is delightful.

She makes delicious waffles, cookies and chicken d'van.

She even won a prize for

Best Raspberry Jam!

She is kind, thoughtful and

has more

faith

than anyone I know.

A celebration was had last night

(HERE: I wish I could have been there)

and I can't wait to hear all about it.

I also can't wait to show you what I got

BEE

for her birthday, but she hasn't received it yet.

And, since she reads this blog,

it is probably a good idea

to keep my friend

Emy's Etsy

page to myself.

At least for a few more days.

Music Monday

My New Project

www.fatandflabtofitandfab.blogspot.com

Check it out!

Become a follower!

Comment!

Show me blog love!

www.fatandflabtofitandfab.blogspot.com

ha ha

I saw this on the PitaJungle web site,

one of my favorite

healthy-food-places in Phoenix.

Cracked me up!

travel tuesday

if I could travel anywhere today it would be HERE.

I would get coffee and croissants HERE.

I would drink lots of wine HERE.

music monday

music monday

one of my all time faves.

Music Monday

Julie and I rocked to THIS GUY on the way to and from Tucson this weekend, so I thought I'd share one of my FAVORITE videos from him. This is his grandmother dancing in the exercise room of her condo complex. Her name is bubby. You must watch the last 20 seconds.

So cute, right?

music monday

Have you heard of Matt Costa?

He is featured in the current iPhone commercial and went to my high school. Go Oilers!

Here is a video for your enjoyment.......

music monday

Happy Friday

I'm heading to Tucson, Arizona this weekend with THIS GIRL for some relaxing, wine drinking with fuzz, delicious dinner with bill and a downtown photo session. Wish me luck (with the photos, not the wine drinking and dining. I know I'll do JUST fine with those).

Good News

The cafe downstairs is now selling Chick-O-Sticks.

Pretty Excited.

FYI and 1 ?

FYI

Sleep and I have never really gotten along.

Wait, not true.

Allow me to re-phrase.

FALLING asleep and I have never really gotten along.

It has been this way my entire life.

My grandma said that when I was a baby she would

rock-and-rock-and-rock-and-rock

and just when she thought I was drifting off.....

my body would

JOLT

and my eyes would be wide open.

Nothing has really changed since.

I have a nightly battle between the monsters in my mind and dream land.

But don't you worry.

All of these sleepless nights will pay off one day.

I've not only planned the floorplans for my dream and vacation homes,

but have solved most of the world's issues in these hours of tossing and turning.

So, when I'm the boss things will be delightful.

Anyway, the reason I'm sharing

this is because I slept for 14 hours last night!

Yes. 14 hours.

I had a tummy-ache all day

(also a common problem in my life).

I ran home from work to change for a

wine tasting dinner at LisaG Wine Bar.

My stomach, however, made other plans for the night.

I decided to send a text to Lisa and my friends to tell them

I would be late bc of tum-tum

but would try to make it for the last hour.

I lay down in my wonderful bed around 6p.m.

and didn't wake up until 8a.m.

It was the loveliest sleep.

I feel like one million and one dollars.

?Pregunta?

Do you decorate your utensils?

You should.

Banana peels are also fun to color on.

Write some inspirational quotes on the peels for your house mates!

HAHa Round Deux

Fourth of July

a month later.......

Here is my red star pin, white skin and blue bathing suit......

......and some funny pet footage. Charles does not like Nicole's dogs!

HaHa

summer hilarity

for your enjoyment

'cuz it's the little things, right?

Nyuck, Nyuck, Nycuk.

desk

I love the first day of the month

when I get to RIP off the old month

from my desk calendar.

Hooray for fresh starts.

I have fun things to look forward to this month!

1) Trip to Tucson with Jules to see Fuzz and Bill

2) Tony coming for a visit from Boston

3) Tyson Crosbie's in home art installation

4) Fun workshops that I really hope to attend at Domestic Bliss

I have a superstition (I have lots of them) about putting last month's post its

on the new calendar page.

I have to set them to the side.

My favorite post-its.

Boss man doesn't seem to like them as much.

Hmmmm...

My favorite summer scent. My mom used to buy this potpourri (Nordstrom, Summer Sorbet) every summer for our house. I keep the candle on my desk for sad days (I seem to be having a lot of them at work lately) and it makes me happy again.

Really, Phoenix?

This makes me very unhappy.

My electric bill balance for the month of July.

Keep in mind, my condo is less than 1,000 square feet.

Let's compare this to my electric bill balance for the month of February.......

Don't move to Phoenix.
It's hot and stupid and the electric companies
raise their rates in the summer,
which I think is unfair.

Birth of Tay VIII

From Mom

August 7, 1982

Crib Card

Little Feet.

Birth Annoucement

birth of tay VII

From Mom

August 7, 1982

6ish

finally at 6ish i was wheeled into the delivery room.

this was back in the day when an expectant mother

labored in one room and delivered in another.

more pushing,

seriously hard this time

and at six twenty my beautiful baby girl joined us.

screaming at first, a loud, long yelp....

then quited as soon as she was in her clean up bin.

the moment you were born,

I reached up to touch your perfect little hand.

the doctor said, "it's a girl."

I smiled and cried on the inside.

I was tired and happy

and you were beautiful and finally here.

a little bundling and I was holding you.

so happy.

you were warm and soft and squeeky

and you smelled like

heaven

and

cotton candy.

this feeling is indescribable.

no words.

a cross between extremem happiness,

like when you get the Christmas present

that you ALWAYS wanted,

yearned for,

saw on TV and KNEW

your parents could never afford it......

nicely blended with that

fabulous contentment

one feels when one is safe,

at home and in one's own bed.

I realize that I have jumped back and forth

between third and first person.

for this I ask your forgiveness.

re-telling this story for the 27th time

still elicits the same magical combination

of elation and security

that I experienced the day

that my baby girl was born.

my grammatical sense goes right

out

the

window.

On the day you were born......

my heart was whole for the first time ever......

in my life.....

every day since I have loved you more

and more

and more

and if I were the type to use the word

exponential,

I would.

you are my sunshine.

I belive in souls and I believe that souls choose to whom they will return.

I am humbled that you picked me to be your mother.

thank you.

happy birthday,

i love you madly,

and I mean madly.

ME.

look how toasty you were...

birth of tay VI

birth of tay V

From Mom

August 7, 1982

3pm-6pm

the next three hours became increasingly more energetic.

breathing soft

hee hee blow blow's

became

hee hee blooowww,

hee hee hee blow,

blow, blow, blow,

hee hee hee blow.

while i never screamed

or raised my voice

i did moan a good deal.

sister cindy prodded

and poked

and at five ish

she determined

based on observation

when the baby's head pushed close enough

for viewing by the naked eye,

that

"the baby has girl hair."

yes your head was peeking out

and then pulling back,

peeking out

and

pulling back,

just the tip top of your

headdy

head

head.

nurses, cindy and dad were holding my legs

up so i could properly push.

i was tired and weak.

they hung in there and pushed with me

for what seemed like days.

more breathing,

moaning,

begging for some pain medication.

NO NO NO.

not for sandy.

birth of tay IV

From Mom:

August 7, 1982

3:00p.m.

so...

time keeps

ticking ticking ticking

and it is now 3pm ish.
somewhere along the way my water broke

and it was trickling out.

no big gush or champagne pop like on television.

i am slowly progressing,

the baby (you) is still high,

meaning your head was not yet settled

into my hip area where most baby's

(fromTaylor: Smarter than the average baby.

I knew that it was cold and bright out there)

drop a week or so prior to birth.

still high, so my direction is to start pushing.

again, in the books they write that "pushing is the good part".

i am uncomfortable, crabby, scared

and really just wanting to see my baby.
thinking that this journey will never end,

i start getting down to business.

during the day, cindy and dad have been goofing off,

coming and going,

eating the jello

in the hospital cafeteria,

playing with the nurses,

generally having a good ole time.

i am in no mood

and now they finally realize this

and begin paying attention.

the lamaze breathing begins to make sense,

as it is my only weapon in the birthing arsenal.

i am breathing and concentrating like a monk.
having put no real credence into this silly breathing game

i did not bring a focal point.

so i find one in the nice

orange ish wall paper design.

i think it was a swirl.

this swirl became my best friend.
and the labor and delivery nurse.

the clock ticks forward.......

i remain

determined,

and sweaty.

Ney&Tay

Happy Birthday to my Neyleen!

One of my best and oldest friends.

I'm so glad I share a birthday with you.

MISS you. Love you.

birth of tay III

From Mom:

11am-3pm

August 7th, 1982

YIKES. then he called the doctor's office. naturally they said come in and let's just see.
my fear was that they would send me home and say ha ha you are not in labor.

something i absolutely did not want.

my due date was july 29, i was sufficiently dialated and i was NOT in labor.

we argued a bit and i agreed to go.

i took a shower, with dad calling me from the door the entire time.

blew my hair dry and applied my make up.

after my toilette we grabbed my bag

(packed of course)

and off we went in our mazda 626, gun metal gray.

upon arrival we are informed that all but one elevator was out of order

and we would need to wait.

having none of this we climbed the stairs to the maternity floor.

i could hear the reception person mutter,

"she's not in labor or she would not be taking the stairs."

HA!
sure enough i was having contractions.

according to the baby books

contractions allegedly feel like "strong hugs" pushing the baby out.
my hugs were uber strong and i was not happy about this.

dad called everyone in the world and notified them of my "condition".

on and on the pain and hugs continue all throughout the day.

aunt cindy was there at some point, can't remember the exact time she arrived

but it was early in the process.

my contractions were steady and strong

and the fetal monitor disconnnected several times.

in those days the monitor was a little screw like device connected to a wire.

the nurse screwed the sharp end into the baby's (your)

head and thus the fetal heartbeat was monitored.

we later discovered that it fell out so many times because of your hair.

you had hair and it prevented them from getting a solid connection.

the other delightful device was the monitor which detected

the strength and duration of my contractions or heartbeat or some pain indicator.

dad was watching this handy machine and mid contraction would announce,

"SANDY, THERE"S A BIG ONE COMING.

THIS ONE"S A BIG ONE."

reaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyy russ?

truth be told, even though the machine was tracking my progress,

i could feel these contractions as well

and was pretty good at indentifying the big ones.

Too funny....

Taylor blogging again. Hello.
I just got this email from my grandma, who was not aware of my mom's guest blogging. :)

OK -- its 8:30 and it was about this time on Saturday, August 7, 1982, that your Dad called me and said, "Beeee" -- can you do something with your daughter? I think we need to go to the hospital but she won't go!" -- it was a hot, summer day! -- more later................xxxx

birth of tay II

From Mom:

august was seasonally warm in 1982 and i was great with child. you child. my child the most beautiful child i know.

i was hot, 150 lbs, hot, puffy, hot, my toes looked like little smokie link sausages, i felt like a waddling giant balloon.

i was crabby and hot but mostly hot.

and oh did i mention i was tired?

i'd been really very slow for only a few days and i was at the end of my rope.
dad was home that day although i remember none of the activities of that day.

with the exception of the heat.

i had long completed all of the nursery preparation and often went into your bedroom to show you how cute it was.

this was my attempt to entice you out, by showing off your nice room which was all ready for you.

tiny clothes washed in dreft and smelling like a baby.

baby items and lotions and diapers ready and in place.

i was up late on this night and around midnight,

likely because the lights were still on,

aunt cindy barged over dropped in.

she had been out with her friend marna,

marna and cindy came to the door.

marna, mother of three,

took one look at me and predicted that the baby (you)

would come today (now august 7 technically) .
i rolled my eyes and probably made a huffing noise. i went to bed but was restless times a million. i was up and down all night, staying still was impossible, i paced around the house, up and down the hall, in and out of the bathroom (if you know what i mean) i had read in one of my three million baby books that the body naturally cleansed itself in preparation for labor. I of course did not acknowledge this as a sign of my labor and instead rolled my eyes again and continued to pace. dad had gone to bed at a reasonable hour and did not notice my up down up down. shocking. i continued to pace and go back to bed and then up from bed and all around the house until 8 ish in the morning. dad awakened and decided that i was in labor. i denied this and suggested that he time my contractions. there was no consistency in length or duration. i continued to sass him and refused to go to the hospital. he called bee and told on me.

thanks bee!

Bee (my grandma) sent treats for the office to celebrate my birthday!

They came straight from this kitchen.

So nice. She even included festive napkins and candles!

She sent.....

Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate Chip Bars

(I was too excited to wait for a photo. I had to rip it open immediately.)

And the most delicious, moist, banana bread ever...

I may have tucked this into my purse instead of sharing it with the office like Bee told me to.

It's just too good to share with an entire office. You know?

Here's a photo of Bee and me at my first birthday party.

Yay for being ONE!

Please disregard the label below that says 'Caitlin's First Birthday.'

These photos came from my great grandmother's album and she sometimes got a little confused.

I don't like to crop out her writing in photos, regardless of what it says!

It reminds me of her.

FYI- Caitlin is my cousin, five years my junior.

At least she got the year right!

And here is a video of 'our song.'

We listen to it when we're lonesome for each other.

Sometimes she sings it to me on the phone.

tear, sniff, smile!

And this is why I blog....

Tonight I went to a special screening of Julie and Julia (thanks Gabi from Yelp!). The movie is based on Julie Powell's year-long adventure, tackling ALL of Julie Child's recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. When I saw the previews for this movie a few months ago I didn't realize it was based on a blog-turned-memoir. When I learned that the film was based on a book I ventured to Borders late one Friday night at the end of a VERY long week. I brought the book home and DEVOURED it. Julie Powell is such an amazing representation of the blogging community. She is honest, giving her readers the good, bad, ugly, frivolous, messy, temperamental, ecstatic, ridiculous aspects of her year of cooking. It shows people how important a blog can be to their author.

I was SO hesitant when I began thinking of blogging. The friends I have who started blogs were engaged, married, buying houses, having babies, et cetera. I didn't think I had anything WORTHY of writing about. So, I registered my blogger account and waited. Read my friends' blogs, and waited. Then, I bought a condo and thought, "hmmmm, wouldn't it be lovely to share photos of my condo with family members who don't live near me?" So I took some pictures, and posted them. I told my mom, my aunt, my grandma and Julie. After their positive responses I told a couple more friends, Kelley and JuliAnna. Then, I found MORE people I knew who had blogs and SO enjoyed reading about their lives. For example, The Devingers, The Connellys, The Hemperlys and The Schraders. I was, and am, SO VERY INSPIRED. Inspired to try new things, make a few crafts, share my thoughts and feelings and to WRITE about them. The thing that I love about blogging is that there is no obligation. I post with no expectations, and because of that, have been able to post anything and everything I want. I love that, unlike sharing through email or phone conversations, there is no pressure for people to respond or react. However, when they do (a' la the comments section) I'm thrilled!

Blogging has given me an incredible outlet. It encourages me to focus on the positive aspects of my life, even when I have to dig and dig and dig to find something good. As some of you may know, this has NOT been a good 2 years.

Honestly, it has been the most difficult time of my life. Blogging keeps me focused on the positive. I can share my goals, dreams, silly childhood memories and fun photos. When I can't think of anything positive to blog about in the present, I think about my past, my childhood and choose my BEST memories. This gives me peace, thinking of how many good memories I have. Some of my funniest, cleverest posts are at times in my life when I am in the deepest, darkest moments of sadness and despair. Blogging is a helping hand (as cheesy as that may sound) reaching out, pulling me up and out of my sad.

My first 'stranger' comment was on a totally random post I did about FRY DAY, a ridiculously fun and silly tradition from my childhood. I loved that sharing something that makes me smile, made someone else smile. Someone I don't even know!

Blogging also provides a forum for sharing my dreams and goals, and keeps me accountable to those goals. I love when sharing something I want to accomplish that people ask me how I'm doing, how things are coming along. Since the first 'stranger' comment, I've been blessed with many new blog commenters who have been such an inspiration. Other 'stranger' comments have come from some of my favorite bloggers! These include Alicia, Ashley and Annie. I love reading about their lives, looking at their fun activities, crafts, vacations and happenings. Blogging has also allowed me to connect with people I never in a million years thought I would have contact with past high school or college. Check out Jasmine's blog. We were both HBHS Oilers. :) I knew who she was in high school (and I think we had freshman english together with Mrs. Morehouse) but we never hung out. Now, I look forward to reading her posts every.single.day. I love learning about her life! She was even featured on Glamour's website which is so, hrrrmmm, Glamorous!

And THIS, my dears, is what Julie and Julia is all about. CONNECTING. Finding something good in the every day. Julie didn't set out to change her life through blogging, she just needed a project because her quickly approaching 30th birthday was overwhelming! Julie Powell started her blog at a 'down' time in her life. Julia Child wrote an autobiography about her life in France, about a lull in her life when she really had NO idea what to do with herself. She found a purpose in cooking. Her cookbook and correspondence with her pen pal became her 'blog', her outlet, her place to share her aspirations and information about the great loves of her life: cooking and her husband, Paul.

I feel a connection to both of these wonderful people. Julie Powell because of her frustrations with her dead end job (my job is certainly not dead end, and definitely not as monotonous as JP's, but some days I feel SO STUCK, frustrated and discouraged that it takes everything I have to stay at work until clock-out-time) and Julia Child because of her abnormal height and childlike delight with the wonders of a new world in Paris. So inspiring!

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are DELIGHTFUL as Julia and Paul Child. I loved watching their love on screen. Truly adorable. Amy Adams and Chris Messina are so real. They portray the real-life Julie and Eric Powell brilliantly. Be ready to leave hungry. The food they cook looks DEEEEEEELISH! Upon exiting the theatre, roomie and I drove straight to the grocery store to buy brie, green apples, french bread and wine.

The ONLY complaint I have about the movie is the chewing noises. Chewing is my NUMER ONE issue in life. I hate noisy chewers. I almost left the theatre during the bruschetta scene at the beginning of the film. Julie's husband is the loudest chewer I have ever seen in a movie. Disgusting. And by the way, actors who play the Powell's friends, chew with your GODDAMNEDMOUTHSCLOSED and don't talk with a MOUTH FULL OF FOOD! I don't care how good it is. Just wait until you're done swallowing to compliment the chef. I realize that not everyone went to etiquette school and cotillion (like MOI) but really, surround sound chewing is completely unnecessary.

In closing, I leave you with one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies. Sometimes it's nice to just get it out there, into the void, as seen in this clip (btw, enjoy the {hindu???} subtitles! It was the only version I could find on youtube. :))

So, goodnight dear void. Thank you fellow bloggers.

The Birth of Tay

Hello friends.

For the next 24 (ish) hours we will be having a guest blogger.

My mom.

Her favorite thing to do on our birthdays

is to call us every hour or so

to fill us in on where she is in her labor.

Every.

Single.

Year.

She has even done reenactments

for her employees,

asking them to get her ice chips

and cold washcloths.

So, here it goes.............

FROM MOM: I'm not at the hospital yet,

but I'm really hot and sweaty and my feet are

swollen. My toes look like little sausages.

We Be Clubbin'

Ok, I want to start a club.

Do you want to be in my club?

It's a book club.

A BLOG book club.

And it will be super fun.

Here is my idea:

12 people agree to participate in the club.

Each person makes a list of books they would like to read this year.

Hopefully, we can select 12 books that NO ONE in the group has read!

Each person is in charge of purchasing one book.

On the first or second day of the following month, you mail the book to your designated book club blog buddy.

At the end of the year, we will have read 12 new books!

The only rules I can really think of are that;

1) You MUST mail the book on the first or second day of the month so that the next person has three weeks to read it.

2) You have to give the book to the next person, regardless of whether you've finished it or not.

3) Don't give anything away on your blogs. Write a review, but no details!

We could set up a super fun forum on blog frog where you could post in depth reviews. That way, people could choose to enter the forum of the book they've just read to discuss!

When the year is done, we could SELL the books on Amazon and donate them to a literary foundation! TAAA DAAA!!!!

Let me know what you think, bookie bloggers!

Shhhhh!

Here's my weekly writing assignment from Mama Kat.

I chose prompt #3: Fess up. Tell us something you found after spying on someone.

Crap. Totally chickening out. If certain people read my discovery there could be crazy @3*% hitting the fan. If you'd really like to know, email me. I'll be happy to share, just not on the blog.

Ok, round 2.

Prompt #2

Share something with us that you've made by hand.

Technically I didn't make these things by hand. My mom did all the work. She's very crafty. I shared this one (which I had nothing to do with, actually) because it is my fave. I've helped her bling other candles. So it's sort of like something I made by hand?

She makes these awesome candles. Sometimes I help, mostly I drink wine and watch her. I keep telling her that she needs to set up an Etsy shop! I think they're so cute. She gave me this one last year for my birthday. We heart Frida. I heart her even more when she has a little bling, a la Sandy!

Wordful Wednesday

I've decided to start my day with a blog prompt from Seven Clown Circus.

Lovely!

I chose this photo to write about because it has been my desktop background for the past few weeks.

These are three of my nine (yes, nine) kiddos. I was their nanny for five years (yes, five). My years with them are SUCH a huge part of my life and I ache for their sweaty, sticky hugs and kisses every. single. day. I'm thinking of heading up to Flagstaff this weekend for some baby love. I need my love batteries re-charged! When I started working for this family there were three kids. Samantha, Anna Marie and Nick. Then came Tom, then the twins Maggie and Grace. This summer, the TRIPLETS were born! Olivia, Kate and Nora. I started a blog for them and cannot wait to snap more photos this weekend! Click HERE to see the blog.

Anyway, we took this photo (Nick, me, Grace, Maggie) at the Out of Africa park in Camp Verde, AZ. If you haven't been I HIGHLY recommend it! It's a little primitive, no characters walking around or anything, but it is VERY fun. We fed giraffes, pet huge snakes, watch lions, tigers and tons of other animals! This is one of my favorite photos from the trip. It was over 100 degrees, we were SO hot, sweaty, sticky, stinky and happy! I think I spent $50 on bottled water that day. We were so thirsty and the kids kept pouring the water on their heads. Who could blame them?

More photos of the bebes in the post below. Just for fun. :)

Kiddos

I know, I know. There are a TON of the twins and not as many of the other kids. When I started nannying, digital cameras were not that popular. By the time I pucrchased one, the other kids were so busy running around that I could rarely get photos of them. The twins stayed still more often. :)

Swimming Twinleys

Grace and Maggie

At the Arizona Science Center with Steph

Grace and Taylor...

Samantha and Anna at Sea World (2004ish?)

Goldfish Grace

Maggie is ready for some 3-d!

Grace and Taylor. July, 2005. Liberty Lake, WA

Maggie and Grace after swim lessons. Maggie was not very fond of her swim lessons, hence the red crying face. :(

One of the few times you can get Nick to slow down is when you make him cocoa. :)

Maggie and Tom on our way to Out of Africa