Fall Fun

My favorite time of the year is here! I have worn boots officially three times, my granny sweater is back in the rotation, and I have eaten a Pumpkin Muffie at Panera. What is a Pumpkin Muffie you ask? It is actually a muffin top. I could not believe it at first and thought I was in one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes. Just enough if you ask me. You only need the top.



I am not mentioning my muffin top (see granny sweater above). I need this and other various vests and sweaters to hide the traditional fall layer that naturally happens to the bod. Come October every year the jeans get a wee bit tighter in the ol' waistband. Like clockwork. Every year. No matter what I eat or how much I exercise. I have come to terms.



GeeMa and Grandpa came up for a visit this past week to see the boy before his big 2nd birthday. Nana and Gramps will be here next weekend for his official party. This boy is so loved!



Grandpa teaching Henry all about fishing.




GeeMa and Grandpa offered to keep Henry so Marc and I could celebrate our 5th anniversary in style. I was so excited! I never get to dress up so I planned my outfit out to the last detail.



I chose the black strapless ruffle dress I got at Ann Taylor for $10 on sale last December (yes, $10) and a faux fur vest that I had splurged on at Marshall's that day. And by splurge, I mean $29.98. I was concerned it might start shedding or molting or whatever cheap faux fur does out in the elements, but it actually still looks "real". To top it off, I wore my vintage statement necklace I bought at Freshley's, black tights, and black booties.




"Everyday I'm shufflin"



We started the night at LaVecchia's for steak and seafood. I had the sea bass and Marc had the filet. Everything was amazing! Since it was our anniversary, the dessert was on the house and we chose...drumroll please....FRIED CHEESECAKE.



It sounds horrible. Like something you would get at the county fair. But by "fried" they meant wrapped in crispy phyllo dough, which was surprisingly light and fluffly. I will never forget it and I am more of a salty girl. It was that good.

Marc could not wait to give me my gift. The man gets nervous with jewelry. He handed me the box as I am pulling up my pants in the bathroom. I am not exaggerating.


After I stopped laughing, I opened the box to a beautiful aquaramine ring in a white gold setting with diamond accents to wear on my right hand. The boy did good! Did I make the right choice or what? :)

I got to show off my new bling at a total of three after dinner hot spots if you will- Dandelion Market, Howl at the Moon, and Suite. I kept waiting for the paparazzi to show, but no dice. We stayed at the Marriott in uptown. Had a blast! No responsibilities, no kid, no alarm clock in the morning, breakfast buffet with unlimited bacon- awesome.


Henry got his first birthday present- his own riding John Deere tractor! He's not interested in riding it yet though, only climbing it and putting dirt in the truck bed. He'll get there.

Grandpa made a dirt pile construction site in the backyard. Hours of entertainment.

We took our annual trip to Hodges farm to visit the pumpkin patch.

"That boy sure is a running fool."

More tractors!

A trailer full of pumpkins. More excited about the trailer.

We took a day trip to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway up through Boone and Blowing Rock. Driving up, everything looked rather green so I wasn't sure how pretty it would be. I shouldn't have doubted! Once we got up to Blowing Rock, the colors turned breathtaking. It never gets old. I was pregnant with Henry the last time we came up and forgot how amazing it is. This was Marc's first time riding the Parkway and he was blown away. One of the most beautiful scenes from nature you will ever see.

When Nana and Gramps come up next weekend, the colors should be peak where we live so we'll get a double dose of the foliage to see with all the grandparents!

My dad has finally conquered his fear of bears. He has held one on a mountain.

We heart leaves.

What a great weekend! Life is good.

Love,

Lynds

Almost 2!

I cannot believe my little man is almost two! Where does the time go?

This age is so unbelievably fun. I am definitely a toddler mama. He cracks me up everyday with his expressions and his new sayings.

There are phases in motherhood. Tough phases where you are just barely hanging in through the tantrums & teething & sleepless nights, where that glass of wine and bath is calling your name at the end of the day. And then there are absolutely joyful phases, where you lay in bed at night just smiling, thinking about the beautiful and happy boy sleeping in the next room. Wondering just what you did to deserve such a blessing from above and treasuring each and every moment you share with them.

We are in a joyful phase.


He is very into his buddies right now.


Watching mowers and male bonding.

Being silly and singing songs!

This past month, he has really gotten into singing. He loves to sing the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hickory Dickory Dock....really any kind of nursery rhyme. And then he claps afterward and says "Yay!". Sometimes he gets embarassed and kind of rolls his eyes and gives me this little shy smile. Especially if I have a camera pointed at him.

Oh man, is he into trucks. The dump trucks keep increasing in size. He can identify and name almost any truck or vehicle you show him.

We found these construction videos on You Tube that he is completely obsessed with. First thing in the morning when he wakes up usually, he looks at me and says "Dozers?" I always say that it's dark and the dozers are sleeping. We can only take so much of the dozer videos. Plus, they are a little creepy. The bulldozer song sounds like an auto-tuned Tpain song. The excavator song sounds like Josh Groban. The front end loader song....who am I kidding? They are extremely catchy. These and Fresh Beat Band songs are what is in my head all day. And the surprising thing is, I sort of like it.


He is usually good in the grocery store, as long as we get a cookie first thing from the Harris Teeter dinosaur. And plenty of samples. I can't tell you how much deli meat and cheese and bread I've bought because I've felt guilty my child has eaten so many samples. All the checkers are familiar with him because he is so loud! Not crying, just humming and singing and naming and so excited to be at the store. And if I can get a cart where he can drive, well I can be there for hours practically and he's happy as can be.

I am leaving out the time he threw a hysterical fit at the register and threw my car keys at the checker. Those are not the norm, thank goodness. I am lucky, I know.

He still loves books. We've started going to the library and have increased our trips to Barnes & Noble lately. Not only do they have books, but a train table and a stage to run around on. Huge.

In case you can't tell by his size, he likes to eat. Big fan of carbs. Noodles, OMG, they are the best thing in the world. Followed by cheese puffs and peanut butter & jelly, in that order.

He's off his old fave, scrambled eggs, but he will still put away some broccoli and cauliflower, so I cannot complain.

Favorite place- The Cul-de-sac (mine and his). I can actually sit and read a magazine or talk on the phone while he runs off all his energy.

Dad is already grooming him to love sports. He calls everything "bee ball" and likes to play throwing games. Yes, there is a football game on the laptop and the tv. We need a man cave in a bad way.

He's a big helper. The driveway did look like it needed a drink.

The pushing obsession continues.

He's really serious about it.


Boy's best friend.

Love my angel. It just gets better & better.

Love,

Lynds

The Renaissance Man

I've discovered a new artist on the rise in the under two year old set.

A true renaissance man, his interests run the gamut.

As far as his art goes, he works in paints of a shaving cream base in the four primary colors.

His paintings are of an abstract nature.

He works best in the bathtub while nude.


A cut up egg carton is his easel.


He's reaching new heights in the art world.

But do not disturb him while he is working! He can be mercurial.

Occasionally, he will branch into his mother's lipsticks to add a new element to the mix. The mailtruck looks so much better in rose pink, don't you think?


The artist enjoys aquatic pursuits as well. Blowing bubbles is his latest passion.

You can occasionally find him seeking out new inspirations in the mud puddles after a good rain. He's not afraid to get dirty.

He's not afraid to learn from his older peers. His latest mentors influenced him to run through the Birkdale fountains for the first time.

Invigorating!

Outside is where is he most happy. He always wants to be there. ALWAYS.

He is serious about his machines.

I am privileged to be a part of his creative process.

Can't wait to see what he does next!

Love,

Lynds

House Obsession

I am obsessed AGAIN.

It first hit me after we got married and started looking for our first house. Dreams of granite countertops and large spa bath tubs danced in my head. Oh, the books I would read in that tub and the meals I would plan out but never cook....ahhhhh.

It's back, with a vengeance.

Our Friday nights used to involve wine, take-out japanese, and a movie.

Replace "movie" with "House Hunters" and actually not much has changed. You know it's a good night when it's International.

The trick is to limit the wine to about a glass and a half. Otherwise, the House Hunters raving begins. Or at least it did for me last weekend.

You know the yelling involved when you watch a scary movie? Actually, I don't watch scary movies since it will frighten me for years afterward, but you know what I mean.

"Don't go in there!"
"He's got a knife. Run!"

House Hunters raving is the same, but relates to serious life decisions and such.

"Don't pick the dilapidated farmhouse in Italy! Idiot! The construction will take years!"
"One bathrooom? Are you kidding me?! What are you thinking?"
"You moved to Urugauy not knowing anybody and not speaking Spanish? Are you crazy?"

Marc picks up the remote & the wine. "I think you've had enough."

Hey, we can't control our passions, right?

I realize this is boring for some. So much so, that you could fall asleep with potato chips in your hands.

That's my boy.

And with the passion to move into a new place, comes the realization that we need to fix this joint up before we can even think about selling.

We finally took down the 80's white vertical blinds that plagued the back screen door. I wish I had a Before pic. They were BAD. Up goes the Lowe's Allen & Roth curtain rod and some old Pottery Barn outlet curtains that were sitting in the closet collecting dust. Pretty right?! Worth $17 fo' sho.

Aprons have a perfect hanging spot in the hallway. Thank you Heather Hucks for letting me copy you. They were sitting in a drawer doing nothing.


Lesson from all of this- I have a lot of stuff. Use it.

Question for you- What is the empty space that home builders put along the staircase? What are the purpose of these spaces? I struggle with this area. It's not finished. Marc said it looks like what you would discover if you found an old pirate ship. Not the look I was going for! I do love my map. I got it at a local store called Bebe Gallini's in Cornelius. It's a $3 sheet of wrapping paper that I cut down to fit one of my old frames. Looks like the real deal!

The guest room is finally suitable for guests and not just exercise bikes and old tv's. Come on over!

I found an old shelf at this adorable shop in Davidson called The Tuscan House. I go there every couple weeks and always end up finding a treasure. Perfect for family pics! But, first rule of house staging is to remove all the family pictures, right? That's the best part!

If I listened to this guy, the house would be decorated with strategically placed diaper piles.

He looks like he's done this before..

But, how can we ever leave this prized real estate view overlooking the cul-de-sac?! Betsy will never forgive us.

Love,

Lynds