Cut The Clutter.

Over time I've realized that TV shows documenting hoarders and their road to healing/recovery are very valuable. I am not a hoarder, but clutter in the form of papers and magazines stack up around this house quickly, leaving me agitated and desperate for a place to start cleaning. Both Tim and I love, love, LOVE magazines and can never keep up with the constant and eventual income of our subscriptions. So I have decided that one hoarding show a day keeps the clutter away from this house. Yesterday I watched Enough Already with Peter Walsh on the OWN, this one lady had over 2000 magazines! Immediately after the show I searched the living space, Honey Hut and bedroom for any and all magazines. I went through each one, tearing out articles of interest and inspiration. I can't believe I haven't done this sooner. I can't wait to watch the next hoarding show and see what clutter I clear/donate/trash next!

Evidence of my de-cluttering. As I look at this stack, it doesn't seem like that much but it's burden felt like a mountain of magazines. Oh, and my de-cluttering was contagious because Tim made a serious dent in his stack too as well as canceling 11, yes 11 subscriptions.

Checking in.

This week has been busy and passed with a complicated schedule, one I'm happy to leave in the past. I am eager for this weekend and returning to our normal flow. I haven't much felt like toting around the camera or feeding this blog, my creativity seems a little low. On the other hand I have made a conscious effort to pay close attention and cherish bedtime conversations with Ivy (no child snuggles better than Ivy) and Savannah's questions pondering life (why kids hit and if they'll end up in jail, heaven, birth, death and why Miriam from ballet is never allowed to come over-no matter how many times she invites herself...not ever.) Wait a minute... through the above debriefing I see that this week boiled down to the important stuff, I'll take these precious moments and conversations with The Little Girls into the weekend and next week too.

Impromptu Fondue.

 The February issue of Martha Stewart Living came in the mail yesterday. The chocolate gracing the cover made my pregnant self crazy for fondue. Normally I don't give in to such cravings but I can't help it in my hormonal state so the family enjoyed a quick dark chocolate fondue with oranges, apples, marshmallows and graham crackers. Messy? Yes. Regrettable? No.

Well Fed.

 I haven't seen Faith in three and a half years. If you would have told me 7 years ago that we would have gone this long without seeing each other, I would have bet against you and never believed you. When she first moved back East, I made every available attempt vacation time would allow to fly to Boston in order to catch up with her. I was with her when I found out about my Mom's death, serendipitous really, because she had just lost her own sweet Mama not long before I did. In college we had all sorts of adventures; city trips, camping trips, a Sundance business venture, there was rarely a free length of time that we weren't playing games or running around. And just like it always is with kindred friendships, yesterday our conversation picked up just where we left it. From the moment I picked her up at the train station to the moment I dropped her back, I was Home. Nothing feeds your spirit like reconnecting with an old friend. We didn't talk about the past instead we lived in the few hours we had eating at Tower Cafe and creating at art BEAST. The perfect afternoon.

 Faith and Savannah feeding Chai Latte to Penelope. 

 Painting the wall at art BEAST.

 Faith is an artist. She used to paint. Now, she is a performance artist. See Here.

 Dress up at art BEAST.

♥

Third Times A Charm.

Dear Honey Hutters! We are having a baby! We couldn't be more thrilled to actually share this exciting information openly, finally. We tend to border on the cautious side with this such delicate type of information and so we are silent no more and announce that I am happily comfortable in my 2nd trimester. We expect this new baby early July. Savannah drew the above picture on Christmas day when we told The Little Girls (isn't it nice that Bambi could come to my delivery? I hope this very happy nurse wheels me to a gurney that actually fits my whole body, not just my torso). The Little Girls have been most helpful in offering up ways to help this Mama with whatever I might need when baby comes. Ivy has offered to share "Bween", her blanket (not a chance in hell) and change the baby's diaper (could she please first teach herself how to stop using them at bedtime/poop time?). We look forward to these next months with complete happiness knowing that this family was meant to grow, and our love with it. 

Baby B!

The Proper Poppy.

(Jeni and I with our kids, August 2010)

My friend Jeni has just recently built a website showcasing her talent for design, decor and penchant for making life beautiful all around her. She has such classic taste, an eye for timeless style. I love her 'favorite things' page (it is so her!), and I look forward to each and every post. She just posted the Christmas party she and her husband Robbie through for their friends, it was spectacular! Jeni is so charming, I think you will love her blog. Check it out here.

Really.

Kids ask a lot of questions and I love it. Their imaginations run wild and hit walls of void explanations which lead to long lines of questioning not unlike police interrogation. The Little Girls have been at this a while, especially Savannah, and on Wednesdays my art students can barely contain their questions as they always bubble to the top. Amy Poehler is my favorite 10 year old, she amply captures the exact type of questioning I'm talking about (and I love her lisp!).