Behold the ugly wall color: (And ignore the arcade game. It’s being moved to another room.)

It is the color of the inside of McDonald’s.  Also, the color of a French’s yellow mustard bottle. So, you know . . . it’s ugly. It’s just too [...]]]>

Behold the ugly wall color: (And ignore the arcade game. It’s being moved to another room.)

It is the color of the inside of McDonald’s.  Also, the color of a French’s yellow mustard bottle. So, you know . . . it’s ugly. It’s just too much yellow. For me. Big Daddy seems to like it. But there is absolutely no way in hell I could live with this shade of yellow. This is the color that will be on every wall and ceiling in the main living areas of the home. Nope. Not gonna work.

I’m envisioning a lighter, sunny yellow. With beige undertones. You know? Not too light that it’s hardly even a color, but not so bright and bold that it reminds you of a Crayola crayon. Do you get me?

I’ve asked for yellow paint suggestions, and have gotten a few. What about you all? Any yellow paints that you love? That aren’t $40 – $60 a gallon, please. Think Behr and not Benjamin Moore. I’m on a tight budget.

While you’re at it, if you’ve got any hideous paint stories to tell, do share!

We took the kids roller skating yesterday for the very first time! It was So. Much. Fun! I don’t know why we didn’t think to do this before. Well, one reason is I wasn’t aware we even had a roller rink near us until very recently. But now [...]]]>

We took the kids roller skating yesterday for the very first time! It was So. Much. Fun! I don’t know why we didn’t think to do this before. Well, one reason is I wasn’t aware we even had a roller rink near us until very recently. But now that I do and now that we’ve been? We’ll be going a lot! Here’s why:

1.      All 3 girls can do this and they all enjoyed it. Yes, Jemima needed some help, but Big Daddy and I just traded off skating with her while the other one did their own thing. (And by “their own thing,” I mean skate like a fool while singing really old songs off key. Well, that was me. I shouldn’t really speak for Big Daddy)

2.     They play the best music at roller rinks. Everything from Run DMC to Pat Benatar to Ke$ha (No comments on my questionable taste in music)

3.     It  made me feel young and coordinated (2 things I am decidedly not)

4.     It’s affordable (not a lot is when you’re paying for 5 people)

5.     Great family bonding. (I didn’t yell or cuss anyone out once!)

So, I wanted to post some really awesome pictures of us skating, but Big Daddy is The. Worst. Photographer. Ever. And that’s no exaggeration. As will be evidenced by the photographs below.

OK, here are a couple that don’t suck balls:

Dude, I’m experiencing some serious winter weather this week! The likes of which I haven’t seen since that Storm of the Century in New York City in 1993. Wow. That was a long time ago. I’m old. Anyway, we’ve got Snow! And Freezing Rain! And an Ice Storm! [...]]]>

Dude, I’m experiencing some serious winter weather this week! The likes of which I haven’t seen since that Storm of the Century in New York City in 1993. Wow. That was a long time ago. I’m old. Anyway, we’ve got Snow! And Freezing Rain! And an Ice Storm! And now it’s melting and is a mess!! Woohooo.

This is our third snow day. I must give credit where credit is due. My neighbors are amazing! I heart this neighborhood so, so much. Not only is it filled with kids who are my girls’ schoolmates and buddies, but all their parents are  super cool! We have all had the best time this week sledding, watching the kids sled (or in my case, sending them out to sled while staying in drinking chardonnay), warming them up with hot cocoa and sending them back out again.

I’ve got to say, it’s all much better with power! Last winter’s snow storm kinda blew because we were without power for about 3 days. It’s all fun and adventurous for 12 hours. 24 tops. 3 days is just not fun.  So let’s all give a big shout out to electricity!!

I actually broke down and busted out the canvases and paints I bought the girls for Christmas. And guess what? It wasn’t that bad! They didn’t make a huge mess or dump paint on the floor. Yay.

I just might survive this snow stuff.

It’s a sad, sad day here at the Breakdown house. My bestest friend and most favorite person in the whole wide world (don’t freak out friends, you are close seconds) was supposed to arrive this afternoon. She wanted to spend her 40th birthday celebrating with ME! Me! She [...]]]>

It’s a sad, sad day here at the Breakdown house. My bestest friend and most favorite person in the whole wide world (don’t freak out friends, you are close seconds) was supposed to arrive this afternoon. She wanted to spend her 40th birthday celebrating with ME! Me! She has a ton of friends (with her personality and charm, of course she does) but she wanted to usher in her 40th year with little ole me!

And we have been so excited! Making plans and dinner reservations, buying wine and goodies. But, alas. This fucking snow storm has put the kabosh on all that fun and merriment. I held out hope – and so did she.  She was on the plane, people! She even purchased snow boots! But conditions are just too bad. The restaurant where I made my reservation called this morning to tell me they wouldn’t be open today. The airport runways are iced over. And we currently have freezing rain.

So she and her husband (who I also love a bunch!) are making the best of things in their sunny hometown of San Diego. I believe they are dining al fresco and sipping cocktails to numb the pain. But we miss each other! And we’re bummed! And she really, really wanted to celebrate her big day on Bainbridge Island with the best broad she knows!

However, plans have been altered. She and her husband and hopefully their amazing kids, whom we all love, will be here for MY birthday in March! So we’ve agreed to say that it’s her birthday too and we are both turning 40! Why not, right? Lemons = lemonade.

I love you, Lisa. I hope you read this (she’s my bff and the catalyst behind this blog, but she only reads it twice a year. I refuse to nag her any more about it. I do have some pride, people).

My bliss continued . . .Bedroom bliss. We are finally purchasing furniture for the boudoir. (Didn’t know I knew French, did ya? My talents are limitless).

Remember we painted our bedroom a dark grey. This color:

Behr Dark Ash

First up, [...]]]>

My bliss continued . . .Bedroom bliss. We are finally purchasing furniture for the boudoir. (Didn’t know I knew French, did ya? My talents are limitless).

Remember we painted our bedroom a dark grey. This color:

Behr Dark Ash

First up, The Bed. How amazingly glamorous is this bed? I freaking love it!! We just ordered it and cannot wait til it arrives. Yes, it’s grey like the walls and our drapes, but I saw a picture on Pinterest with the same thing and it looked fab.

This is the inspiration

I’m going with this ruffled bedding (if Big Daddy lets me)

I am way into the look of mirrored furniture. So old Hollywood glam. But just a touch or it gets to be a little more brothel than boudoir. Also, Big Daddy is not a fan. At all. So one small piece is all I’m allowed. I’m going with my bedside table.

Lovely, no? I need drawers to stash my mini bottles of vodka and bite-sized snickers magazines, notebooks, journals, pens, etc (and by “etc” I mean these)

Something like this for Big Daddy’s side of the bed

My desk where I’ll be doing all that genius writing for my clients (and this blog and the memoir I’ve been writing for 2 years)

Love that pop of color. What kind of chair? Chrome? White? Lucite? I think lucite might be too modern for my taste. But it does look cool.

And every girl needs a fainting couch, don’t you agree?

So what do you think?

This week’s PrompTuesday (disregard it’s actually Wednesday, please) from San Diego Momma is What does your bliss look like?

My bliss looks like. . . .

3 healthy, happy, gorgeous girls

1 healthy, happy marriage

A beautiful home, fully decorated and furnished where the [...]]]>

This week’s PrompTuesday (disregard it’s actually Wednesday, please) from San Diego Momma is What does your bliss look like?

My bliss looks like. . . .

3 healthy, happy, gorgeous girls

1 healthy, happy marriage

A beautiful home, fully decorated and furnished where the five of us are happy and comfortable and have fun and so do all our fabulous friends when they come to (party) visit

Writing and getting paid to do so

Vacations, day-trips and random afternoons filled with love, laughter and good memories

So we went to the Mochi Tsuki Festival at Islandwood today. And, yeah. Not so much. It was super crowded and therefore hard to see the guys actually pounding the rice into mochi. Also? The Japanese drumming that we were so excited to see [...]]]>

So we went to the Mochi Tsuki Festival at Islandwood today. And, yeah. Not so much. It was super crowded and therefore hard to see the guys actually pounding the rice into mochi. Also? The Japanese drumming that we were so excited to see (only Big Daddy was excited for this. Zeta & Nita saw them at school and their verdict? Too loud.) only had tickets available for the show that was scheduled to start 3 hours from the time we arrived. I knew we weren’t going to last 3 hours.

We didn’t even last one hour. Or a half hour. I think maybe we were there twenty minutes. Because? The mochi is yucky. And we thought we were going to get ice cream. That’s right. We’re idiots. We thought we were going to get the mochi ice cream like you get at Trader Joe’s. What dopes!

Also, my children have my DNA so they are adverse to waiting in line or joining in any sort of crowd (unless it’s for wilding. Then they’re at the front of the pack). So they weren’t really too keen on waiting in a very crowded line, inside a very crowded room to get the opportunity to pound rice into a doughy blob that tastes like paste. (Not that I would know what paste tastes like. I was not one of those kids).

It is just rice, after all. I’m not sure why I expected it to taste any better. The pounding was cool to watch though. So we did have that.

A lot of people really enjoy this festival, so don’t go by us. I think we’re pretty lame. Last year there were over 1300 people.  What do we know? We thought we were getting ice cream. Yeah.

Dudes, I’m so excited! I got me a job!! A paying job. A part-time, work from home, paying job!! Yay me! I’m so fabulous!! (I have a new thing where I refuse to say anything negative about myself. Either to myself or to anyone else. So excuse me [...]]]>

Dudes, I’m so excited! I got me a job!! A paying job. A part-time, work from home, paying job!! Yay me! I’m so fabulous!! (I have a new thing where I refuse to say anything negative about myself. Either to myself or to anyone else. So excuse me if I get a little obnoxious saying great things about myself. But it needs to happen.)

What’s this gig, you ask? Social Media Extraordinaire for Designer Maternity and Baby.  It is a new business started by my extremely stylish, beautiful and smart friend. Seriously. This is going to be A-May-Zing! If you’re pregnant, plan to get pregnant or know someone who is, you’ve got to check out the website, read the blog, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@TheStylishMommy).

I’m super excited! I’m going to have something to do with my time other than housework and yell at my kids. And I’ll be writing/working for a company I really like with a fabulous boss! Plus, earning a little mad money for my martinis and Brazilian waxes.  Woohoo!! Also? I’ll be building up my confidence and my resume for when the time comes to take the bar exam and get a full-time job.

Don’t you just love a new year and a new start?