Brainfog=Yogurt Pancakes

by Natasha on October 20, 2011 in dinner 101

I sat down to write today’s post last night & after looking at a blank screen for 15 minutes I decided to show you a picture of a pancake instead.I’m sorry for the superficial posts this week, my health issues are leaving me utterly exhausted & with a massive brainfog.

Sentences, how form, are they? What?

I need to rest.

So instead of a witty, thought provoking post you get a picture of some delicious pancakes P made me. They’re from this Smitten Kitchen recipe & are made with whole grain flours & yogurt. Moist delicious goodness.

My apologies dear friend, I think tonight’s gonna be an Ambien type of night.

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Thrift Store Makeover: Lavendar Chair

by Natasha on October 18, 2011 in before/after, tutorials

Another find from my favorite thrift store, The Upscale Resale Thrift Store in Rockville…

BEFORE

AFTER

This project has been sitting in my garage half-painted for a good 2 months but with company coming tomorrow I finally got my butt in gear & finished her. I kind of in love.

I used a few different rustoleum oil based paints to make the purple/grey color. I wanted something feminine but also super moody. (which is funny because those two adjectives seem like they should be besties) The result, a nice rainy day lavendar that I think looks lovely against the pale blue drapes. Perfect for winter, no? Not to mention I’m completely smitten with the soft color against the black leather seat with nailhead trim. Le Sigh.

If you’ve never done a thrift store makeover than you need to get on the ball, it’s SUCH a stress buster & the satisfaction of knowing you took something cheap & gave it a new life into something beautiful is such a good feeling.

A few tips…have an open mind, if you shop with something very specific in mind you may never find it & will just get frustrated. Two, don’t get in over your head with repairs. I like to buy pieces where all they need is a good cleaning & a couple coats of paint. Projects you can bust out in one afternoon are the best. Three, take some risks! Maybe try a shape or style that you wouldn’t normally choose. The best part is you can try it out & if it doesn’t work you won’t feel too guilty since you didn’t spend much. It’s definitely my new favorite hobby!

Would you do a thrift store makeover?

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Sunday Love {Zombie Wedding Toppers}

by Natasha on October 17, 2011 in Sunday Love

My sister-in-law’s wedding is coming up next week & we’re so excited! When I saw these wedding toppers on Etsy I knew they’d be the perfect gift for their fun, carefree taste. Not to mention they got engaged on Halloween last year so seriously, SO perfect!

(the real Jill & Dave with Sophie Monster)

The one thing though that was as good if not better than finding the perfect gift was meeting & dealing with Ebelyn, the owner & designer of ‘La Santa Muerte‘ which is the adorable Etsy shop where I found the little zombies. Not only did she customize them so they look like Jill & Dave but she sent pictures every step of the way, gift wrapped them beautifully at no additional charge & was SUCH a treat to work with. Don’t you love when your money goes to a wonderful seller?

Here are a few of Ebelyn’s other items, if you like funky, kind of dark, eclectic stuff this store is for you…

Sugar Skull Painting

Custom Zombie Wedding Portraits

Day of the Dead Keyring

Now the best part…you get a coupon code if you want to order anything from La Santa Muerte! Just enter “pinkmonster” at checkout & Ebelyn will give you 15% your entire order, woohoo!

Let me know if you grab something…happy shopping!

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Blinded by the white

by Natasha on October 13, 2011 in mommy blog

img via the gloss

A girlfriend & I were doing our normal quick cup of coffee after dropping the kid’s off at school & were doing the usual gripe about our husbands. Her husband & mine both have the workaholic gene in common & we were complaining about how it’s always a battle for their time. Shouldn’t they want to spend time with their families? Couldn’t they just stop checking that stupid blackberry for 10 minutes & seriously, why do they NEED to take on that extra project at work that we know is going to take up some valuable weekend time?! Enough is enough.

A few days later I was listening to a different girlfriend complain about how her husband still loves to go out & party with his boys even though they now have two small children. It drives her crazy that he repeatedly asks for boys’ nights out & leaves her home with the kids not to mention his compulsive need to drag her to any & every party for which they’re invited. Then she said something that got my attention. “Well, how can I really complain. What I loved about him when we were dating was that he was the life of the party.” He was Mr. Charming who always wanted to show her a good time, how could she now expect him to completely change & want to be a homebody. This is right about when the ‘oh crap’ lightbulb went off for me. Could I be equally at fault for complaining about how much my husband works? When we were dating it was his drive for his career & success that I found completely sexy. What made me assume that now that the ring is on my finger & the kids are here that he’d slow down & be happy with settling with where he’s at on the corporate ladder? It’s actually a bit unfair of me if I really think about it.

I have to wonder, how many of us willingly looked the other way when it came to our significant other’s traits so we could continue our sprint down the aisle? When there’s engagement in the air how many of us really sit down & think through what life would be like with our mates 10 years down the line? I know I didn’t really think twice about it. For some reason I just assumed that he’d be different after we had a family. But really, why should he? If his career always made him happy than how presumptuous of me to think that he should be more than willing to put that aside after we were married. Same with my friend, if you marry the party boy then why on earth are you surprised when he’s darting out the door every Friday night?

Of course there is something to be said for the fact that like it or not all of us must make some sacrifices after we have children. So where is the line between expecting someone to adapt to a new life & forcing them to change who they really are & what makes them that wonderful person you fell in love with? Is it even our position to ask?

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Sharpie Snow Leopard Fabric into an Ottoman

by Natasha on October 11, 2011 in tutorials

I’m so excited I finally had some kid-free time this weekend to finish up this project! The basic idea, you use a few sharpies & spend a bit of therapeutic time coloring & you can incorporate some fabulous designer looking snow leopard fabric anywhere in your home. LOVE this!

I used white canvas fabric from Ikea & a slate grey sharpie first for the spots followed with a black one for the accent marks on top. I love how my inspiration leopard print (see the pillow in the pics above) has such an easy feel to it & looks hand-drawn. Comes in handy for knocking off. I’m guessing I should probably protect the ottoman somehow, Scotch Guard perhaps? I’ll just have to test it first to make sure it doesn’t make the Sharpie bleed. This would be such a fun idea for throw pillows, dining chair pads or even curtain panels. Hm, it’d be a pretty amazing lumbar pillow across my bed come to think of it…

As soon as my rug comes in & I get some black & white photos up on the wall I’ll give you the complete home office before/after makeover…hopefully sometime next week if my body will get itself in gear.

*UPDATE* You can see the entire home office makeover here! Man, whenever I do a complete room overhaul it makes me wonder why the heck I waited so long to make that space beautiful?

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slug.

by Natasha on October 9, 2011 in Uncategorized

That’s what I feel like.

I big, slow slug with glasses & sweatpants. Which I guess would really be a big tube because slugs don’t have legs.

But I digress…

Sorry for the abscence this past week, my family came in town which was beyond wonderful but with an additional party of 5 in our house we managed to stay pretty darn busy. Which lucky for me is exactly how I like it. Bad for blogging however.

I took them to the airport today which was really sad, one of these days I want to write a post about living away from family, it sucks. But not today, I’m too emotionally drained. And physically drained. And possibly really sick. I think my birth control is making me sick, tmi, I knowww.

So yeah, I’m rambling. I really just wanted to pop in and say hi, let you know I’m still here, I’m sorry for neglecting you & am going to do my best to get back on track this week.

Rally slug-girl, rally.

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My boobs go shrinking two by two- hoorah, hoorah

by Natasha on October 4, 2011 in mommy blog

Back in the day when I’d get out of the shower I’d be completely confident with being naked in front of my husband. There was no rush to throw a robe on, no strategic hiding of any body part with the towel. I’d strut around a little, I believe I used to even blow dry my hair naked until they’re was an unfortunate hot dryer incident that we shall never speak of.

That went away after the girls were born. Since I’ve started running however that confidence has started to return a bit. My previously droopy butt (someone please tell the physiological reason why your butt droops after being pregnant) has actually moved up a couple of degrees. I’m feeling decent about my tummy again, my jeans actually fit. What I am not feeling good about however are my breasts. They are flat as pancakes. When I bend over to pick something up & get a glimpse of my naked deflated breasts in the mirror I feel like I’m looking at a National Geographic cover.
This doesn’t mean that I have bad self-confidence. This means I have decent vision.
I can see what reality is & it’s that I’ve gone from a 34B to a 34DD…twice. That type of stretching doesn’t happen without ramifications. Gravity is a bitch.

For those of you who are totally cool with the ways your body has changed since giving birth, that’s awesome. I highly encourage you to spread your utter awesomeness around the world. For the rest of us who have a little of a harder time being proud of our lumps, or lack there of, than I say what’s the big deal about getting a boob job? If you want one & can afford it than why not? I am completely willing to admit that I’d love to have breast augmentation. I have never felt sexier than when I was pregnant & had these full, voluminous breasts. I don’t feel that way with how I look in my tops now & I want it back.

Yes, I’m a little apprehensive about going under anesthesia because it is always a risk. I’d hate for Sam & Soph to have to have to tell their friends that their mom died from a freak plastic surgery incident a la Cher in Clueless. That aside however, which I could get past, the main reason I won’t do it is because I’m afraid of people judging me for it. In particular, other women judging me. I really want a doctor who can give me a natural looking boob job because not only do I not want Christina Aguilera boobies but mainly because I wouldn’t want anyone to be able to tell that I’ve had my breasts done. If they can’t tell then they won’t judge me. That’s what bothers me. I care what other people think. Let’s be clear, I don’t want to fix my boobs because I’m worried other people think they look bad, I want to fix them because I think they look bad. The problem is I care what assumptions other people are going to make about me for getting a boob job.

What do you automatically assume when you see a middle aged woman with fake breasts? She has no self-esteem? She’s unintelligent? She must have nothing else going for her & has to rely on getting attention with her breasts? She must have a rich husband? She’s selfish? Is she a former stripper with daddy issues? I know I’ve thought these things. They’re not fair, but they’re realistic assumptions others will make. That is the thought I keep coming back to & that my friends is what keeps me from getting a surgery that I otherwise would very much want.

It’s funny because with that mentality I’m actually not doing something because I’m worried people will think that I only got it done because I cared about what other people think. Ironic, huh?

One also has to wonder where do you draw the line between caring too much about what others will think & being prudent about your image? Really, what’s the difference? If I told you I had always dreamed of having a giant dragon tattoo across my face but didn’t do so because I’m concerned people won’t take me seriously & small children might go running away from me you’d probably think I was being mature by not indulging in my desire. Is not having my breasts done because our of concern for other’s judgements being sensible or weak?

At the end of the day is it more important to me to like what I see when I look in the mirror or to not have to worry that other people are making false assumptions about me because of my plastic surgery?

Or I could just get pregnant again so they’ll re-inflate & the decision can be postponed for another year or two…yep, that’s wise.

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Vintage Butterfly Wing Art Kit

by Natasha on October 2, 2011 in before/after

I didn’t have any one item or site that screamed at me this week to be a ‘Sunday Love’ post so I thought it’d be a good opportunity to share with you this bizarre thrift store find…Weird right? But something about it drew me to it…called to me even. Pretty pretty butterfly wings, take me home!

It is a tad morbid, you know, dead wings that were probably plucked off some innocent butterflies 50 years ago, but I figured they’re already dead & that turquoise would look amazing in my den. Obviously my morals are easily swayed by pretty colors.

The really strange part is when I took it out of it’s crappy frame & went to reattach the fallen off wings…It’s like paint-by-number for dead butterflies! AND it has a grocery store price tag on the back!WEIRD.

Is this what kids used to do for fun before play-doh?

After a bit of glue, some gingerly placement of the wonky wings & a white Ikea Ribba frame with the matte painted black I think it’s pretty darn cool. Although now P says he doesn’t loathe it anymore, he just hates it. Whatever. When I take this thing to antique roadshow & make a million bucks I’m not sharing a penny.Please tell me SOMEONE knows SOMETHING about this type of art? I’ve spent a good 30 minutes googling & can’t find a thing!

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Recipe Review: Deceptively Delicious

by Natasha on September 30, 2011 in dinner 101

Remember when Jessica Seinfeld went on Oprah with her super cute cookbook about how to sneak vegetables into your kid’s diet by using purees? For some reason I actually bought it even though I didn’t have kids yet. The artwork was super cute & the food sounded really good I guess. Well, in my laundry room this book has sat on a shelf for 3+ years collecting dust.

Up until this week, when Sam couldn’t poop.

Deceptively Delicious

TMI, I know, but I need to get across the severity of the situation. My former “good eater” has given up her title & given in to the typical picky toddler diet of chicken nuggets, french fries, macaroni & cheese, grilled cheese & pizza. Which is why not only is she constipated but her poop is yellow as well. TMI! I know! I know! But I want you to understand why it was worth it to me to take the time to make these crazy recipes…I had to get some vegetables into my daughter asap.

The premise of the book is that once a week you take an hour in your kitchen to puree a variety of vegetables so you can sneak them into your kid’s favorite food’s throughout the week. For me, getting my girls their weekly servings of veggies without a battle sounded totally worth giving this a try.

Jessica has really nice, detailed instructions for how to puree each fruit or veggie. (There’s also a handy little nutrition guide for what’s in each fruit/vegetable) I chose to do frozen cauliflower & butternut squash along with fresh baby spinach & sweet potatoes…

Most of her recipes call for a 1/2 cu puree so that’s how I divided up the purees. I also used her tip of keeping all the baggies in a tupperware for organized easy access. (extras can go right in the freezer)I gotta say, making the purees was a lot easier than I thought. Of course using pre-chopped frozen vegetable makes it even faster. I was able to make enough purees for a week’s worth of dinners (with extras that I froze) & clean-up during Sophie’s afternoon 1 & 1/2 hr nap. Not bad if you only have to do it once a week…

Now onto the recipes. I made purees for Jessica’s pita pizzas (spinach puree), creamy mac n cheese (cauliflower puree) & chicken nuggets (sweet potato or butternut squash). Last night we had the mac n cheese with chicken nuggets.Macaroni & cheese: P & I thought this was really good. Very creamy & you absolutely CANNOT taste the cauliflower whatsoever. My only complaint is it was a little plain, next time I’ll add my own seasonings & I’m sure it’ll be great. Sophie devoured it. Sam on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it. It wasn’t yellow like her usual easy mac so she thought it was gross. That kid. Maybe if I try it with butternut squash instead of cauliflower she’ll buy it…

Chicken nuggets: A little more labor inducing to make but I have to say, these are the best nuggets I’ve ever made. Absolutely delicious. You coat them in sweet potato puree & egg mixture & then dip them into a whole wheat bread crumb, parmesan & flaxseed meal mixture. Cook them in a skillet for 3 minutes on each side. I can’t believe I got flaxseed into my families bellies. It’s completely undetectable! The sweet potato you could see however so it took some convincing but after Sam tried one bite she was hooked. Those little nugs were a homerun my friend. My only tip would be to keep that skillet well greased (cooking spray or olive oil) because the potato/breadcrumb mixture sticks & burns easily if it isn’t.

All in all I’d say an A+for Deceptively Delicious. I’m looking forward to making her desserts with fruit purees & am going to try and keep up with working the vegetable purees into our weekly diets, it’s either that or battle Sam every night to get her to eat her veggies. I choose the food processor.

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Mum Mum

by Natasha on September 28, 2011 in Uncategorized

I had hoped to have my DIY leopard ottoman finished in time to share with you today but alas, I just couldn’t make spots faster than Sophie naps. Ah well, such is the life of a blogging mommy. Here is a tease…I didn’t want to leave you with nothing however, because we’re all about the utterly awesome customer service, remember?! So here’s a little blast from the past. Remember the mum stencil I gave you, oh, about 2 years ago? Well today Sophie got to wear a shirt I made with it for Sam back in the day. Fabric paint certainly stands the test of time my friend. You can find the stencil here & original shirt post here.

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