currently | in our nest | us and the kids

reading: the stand, old issues of Martha Stewart. || lots of alphabet worksheets and spanish books prepping for Kindergarten.

eating: lots of fresh fruit, as summer emerges from spring. accenting a lot of dishes with lime, avocado and cilantro. lots of fish and grilled chicken. || eating at the kitchen table, trying new things like bbq chicken and rice with soy sauce.

drinking: water, water and more water. with lime, with cucumber, with watermelon. Green tea, with raspberry, plain, with peach juice. || drinking less milk and more water for these active boys!

wishing: for that Crosley Record player. || wishing for more park visits and that Disneyland and “the sand” would hurry up and ger here.

praying: that little guardian angels were with all those children in the Oklahoma Tornado tragedy. || every night at the dinner table. whether the prayer is small or big, or silly or significant, it comes from the mouths of babes and that is important.

dreaming: of Jamaica, and clear blue waters, and tiki torches, banana pancakes and big tropical leaves. || of tball and that it would just last forever.

giving: myself the benefit of the doubt. I am way too hard on myself. I need to learn to relax and give myself that time to make a mistake, not beat myself up about it. || our older and less used toys to our younger cousins.

recieving: encouragement. I am only 16 pounds away from my current weight loss goal. And that feels amazing. thanks to all of my family and friends whom have encouraged me along this long but actually short journey! || quarters and dimes for little chores and being helpful. <3

here comes the sun

between the the heat wave and the approaching summer solstice, it is starting to feel like summer around these parts.

we took out the floppy hat, the inflatable pool, the rocket ice cream pop maker, the towels, the squirt guns. we are bbq’ing outside, enjoying more fresh veggies and fruit. we are slathering on the sunscreen, our tiny hairs are bleaching blonde, our freckles are popping out. we are enjoying our chanclas and our new shorts and cover-ups, and our weekend uniforms are our board shorts.

the beginning of summer is so magical. those last few hours of lasting day light, stetching out into early summer breezes. pavement wet from plant watering, liles blooming so sparingly that you cherish every last one, until they run dormant for the summer.

when little feet run towards the ice cream truck and elote man. waiting so impatiently for their own. we are learning hang loose, and ten toes on the nose, and someone wants to be a surfer. we are running around the backyard in our birthday suits, because they can.

those sweet evenings with my honey, on the front porch swing, dim litted lanterns, a beer in our hands, our feet swinging in rhythm.

so, summer. we are ready for you.

and in other news, my mothers day was fabulous. all of the above mentioned happened over my three day weekend, including some roses, cards and t-bone steaks.

today

sometimes there are no lines, wrinkles, smiles from ear to ear.
the placidity sets in, without fear.
the paper airplane never sees the sky, the top spins out of control.
sometimes that is acceptable.

currently | in our nest

trying:

to beat this cold. this horrible bone chilling, shiver me timbers, cold. my nose is running, and I am feverish one minute and freezing the next. poor vincent is trying to beat his cough, too. if it weren’t for this terrible wind we have today, I might actually get warm. until then, english breakfast tea will have to do.

listening:

to these guys way too much. i could listen to them all day and never tire of their albums.

obsessed:

with Young House Love. as we transition into renovating and remodeling our 1979 track home, I am finding more and more gems and inspiration from their site. i really cannot wait to get ride of all of our counter tops and wall paper. but I am looking forward to cleaning up our beautiful brick fireplace with a great mirror like this! and I am in general completely obsessed with Urban colony.

planning:

vinnie’s third birthday, (how did that happen). he has made it clear that he wants a ca-chow (Cars) birthday party at once again, Chuck-e-cheese. how can you say no?

monster jam at the end of the month. a day full of tailgating with the trailer,  junk food and 20 foot trucks and mud.

and pre-registering georgie for kinder. i won’t go into details for fear that I will tail spin into a horrible fit of tears and self depracating about whether he will be ready at the tender age of four. let’s just save that for another post and bottle of wine.

reading:

the boys are currently reading lots of dr. suess and I am reading about the white house boys. a really sad depiction of a boys correctional facility in the early 50’s.

discovering:

that when I slow down, great things happen. like embroidery. and cup cozy’s. and mustaches. some new items will be coming to the shop soon.

preparing:

the garden. i took down the old vine and tilled the land this weekend while it wasn’t too freezing outside. i will be ordering my heirlooms from d. landreth soon. looking forward to variety in the tomato garden this year. grapes, cherries, big boys, zebras and cherokee’s are on my list. and for the boys, well they want to grow strawberries and carrots.

 

currently | fleet foxes

Mykonos

 

The door slammed loud and rose up a cloud of dust on us
Footsteps follow, down through the hollow sound, torn up.And you will go to Mykonos
With a vision of a gentle coast
And a sun to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made

How did animals in the snow tipped pines, I find
Hatching from the seed of your thin mind, all night?

And you will go to Mykonos
With a vision of a gentle coast
And a sun to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made

Brother you don’t need to turn me away
I was waiting down at the ancient gate

You go
Wherever you go today
You go today

I remember how they took you down
As the winter turned the meadow brown

You go
Wherever you go today
You go today

When a-walking brother don’t you forget
It ain’t often that you’ll ever find a friend

You go
Wherever you go today
You go today

 

I mean, come on!

 

xo. s

a quiet holiday.

The Fourth of July came and went without much fuss. Early in the morning, George raised our American flag and California State flag on our trailers flag pole. I placed a single yellow rose in 7 mason jars, made a red, white and blue craft. The grandparents hit the beach for the day and we stayed home, relished in the quiet solace of two and a half hour naps, (both boys, same time, a complete rarity), felting in the afternoon, a nap for hardworking daddy, bar-b-que’ing in the evening as the boys rode their tricycles and ate chips out of the bag, and then watching the sparklers from our front yard, the boys in their pajamas,  joined by friends, laughing and talking over our bowls full of strawberry shortcake .

And as I do every year, I remembered my beloved bird, Sassy. She passed 6 years ago on the fourth of July. I was so fond of her, and I miss her very much, even 6 years later. I miss her little bird kisses and her nuzzling, her “mating” signals that she would give to George.  She was such a sweet bird, a sweet companion, so fond of George and I.  She was our feather baby before our babies came along. I miss her so much, that even now, and looking towards the future, I don’t know if I will ever be able to bring another bird into our family. She is and was irreplaceable.

It was in short, a great, relaxing holiday.

<3 me

crafty.

recently I have found my happy place. its interesting to me how we evolve, how we change. how one day we are sure that we are happy and content, and then something comes along and changes all that, adds to it, making you so full, so content that you may burst.

i am a creative soul. i feel the need to create. and since having babies, unfortunately that was placed on the back burner. my baking took up most of my creative energy. and since then, i had struggled to get back on pace.

i have found my happy place with cross stitching and felt. there is more to come from me in these areas, some of which i am looking forward to placing on lily and bird’s Etsy shoppe.

for now my soul feels very complete. <3 me.

this week | in our nest

 

broke out the Nikon this weekend and took some photos of the boys. The early morning light washed over the whole backyard like honey. The impromptu session produced some of my most favorite early summer photos, thus far.

stepping away from some of the more “addictive” social media. not nearly as obsessed with facebook, pinterest and lastly twitter. thinking of deleting the apps from my phone and only logging in when I need to access anything. the only reason I am ever on there these days, is to post photos of the boys for my aunt and sister in law. My safe havens seem to be quite clear. IG and my blog. Short and simple. These two creative outlets have been making me feel very fulfilled as of late. Pulling the plug on everything else feels refreshing.

getting ready for two newborn baby sessions in this next week. a baby girl and a baby boy. can’t wait to sniff some newborns.

the boys are getting darker, taller, sassier, worn-out, sweaty, dirty, funnier and more grown up as each minute passes. this is another reason I am pulling the “plug”. they grow up too fast to be emerged in such lame pastimes.

picked up another copy of “the giving tree” this past weekend. .50 cents, not a bad deal, if you ask me.

had cappuchinos and croissants with my aunt and vinnie.

my aunt brought gifts to the boys; rad tye dyed shirts from new orleans and I got beautiful handmade earrings.

i have been felting and spinning linen rosies, drinking lots of wine on the weekends, getting my hands dirty in the soil.

life is wonderful.

<3 me.

 

in our nest {kids edition}

aside from doing mundane updates about the boys, I thought this would be a fun way to keep track of their new doings.

crazy for: Over Puss and Boots, or Boots and Cat, as Georgie calls it. This morning, the very first words out of his mouth were, “Mommy, I wanna watch Boooots and Caaat!” and then off they both went to the living room, where mommy turned on the dvd at 6:25 in the morning.

reading: 10 Little Ladybugs The boys are loving this book. Stay tuned for a weekly book report from the Brothers Torres.

enjoying: These increasing warmer days. Both boys were decked out in their polos and shorts yesterday and both had prize winning scrapes and bruises to report.

looking forward: To see Mickey Mouse in June. The boys have been boning up on their Mickey in preparation for our big Mickey trip in the summer. We have been watching a lot of Mickey’s clubhouse and sleeping with our Mickey plush dolls, too. Soon, boys, soon.

determined: Vincent is damned determined to learn how to jump. The poor kid only manages to get one foot off of the ground and his chin in the air, but I am sure at one point his stocky frame will leave the ground and he will feel weightless.  Georgie is determined to read. The other evening, he looked up at his daddy and with such a sweet and almost sad sentiment said, “Daddy what do the words say? I want to know what they say.”

And that made my heart melt so fast and tears well up. My little babies are turning into little boys.

in our nest | instagram and more

freaking out: Over Instagram and the UCR Botanical Gardens. Blurb Instagram photo books and also my own garden. Waiting ever so patiently for my sweet peas to grow.

reading: Oh gosh, what am I not reading right now. Water for Elephants, Love Story, The Hunger Games Trilogy. Jeesh. I’m such a book whore.

loving: Eating lunch on the front porch garden. It’s just the relaxation and break that my mind needs every day. Lazy weekends. Picnics and Strawberry lemonade.

looking forward: To planning a yard sale/lemonade stand day. The earnings will be used for sand toys for the beach/glamis. We seriously can never have enough.

damned determined: to clean out our bedroom and simplify the boys room, clothes, toys this weekend. I really feel the need for things to be simplified. And all of the extras will be sold/donated in our yard sale.