Two albums that I have been listening to quite a bit lately:

Ray LaMontagne  and the Pariah Dogs – God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise

Very good album, not exactly world-changing or anything, but a very respectable album by a talented artist. If you’re into folk music, and like a bit of a country-tinge, this is definitely something to check out.  Notable tracks: ‘Repo Man’,  ’God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise’ and ‘Like Rock & Roll and Radio’.

The Black Keys – Brothers

OKAY. This is a great album. I love this. Here’s what I’ve decided they sound like: Creedence Clearwater Revival meets Muddy Waters in a dirty alley (where they both happen to be looking for a vintage clothing store so they can swap in some old tee shirts for bell-bottom jeans), and then they decide to head to a dive bar to play Eric Clapton covers (pre-’Tears in Heaven’) for all the free beer they can drink and $50.  Notable tracks:  ‘Tighten Up’, ‘Howlin’ for You’ and ‘Ten Cent Pistol’. 

Albums I am looking forward to: Jimmy Eat World‘s ‘Invention’, of course!!! Releasing September 28th. Also,  the Jenny Lewis & Johnathan Rice collaboration – haven’t heard of a release date for the actual album yet!

1.  The most adventurous thing I’ve ever done is  I would have to say that getting married and having Marco are my two biggest adventures.

2.  If I were a pair of shoes I  would be  these Alexander McQueen beauties:

3.  My preferred mode of digital communication is  I don’t actually like digital communication! Too much meaning can be lost, misinterpreted…I prefer to talk to people in person.

4.  I feel happiest when I am with Tim and Marco, and we’re enjoying a delicious meal.

5.  A little dream I have for my life I want to continue traveling with Tim and Marco! I have a vision of the three of us walking around Brussels (Belgium) with a box of chocolates and a camera.

6.  The one modern convenience I could NOT do without is the printed word. I mean, how modern are we talking here? In comparison to, say, 25 years ago, I suppose I would pick the digital camera. I love making prints in the darkroom, but developing the film is tedious.

7.  Music, movies, TV or books:  if I could only choose one to enjoy I would pick  books, DUH!!  Here’s my personal order of importance: books, music, movies and then television.

What can I say? I love Target. I am there once a week (sometimes twice) and I always end up spending more money than I should. It’s just so darn hard to say no to purchasing a pack of pens (Bic Round Stic in Blue!), moisturizer (Curel Continuous Comfort!), AND a cute bathing suit, all in the same store!

Yes, I have 5 of those boyfriend tees (only $8!) in assorted colors. They are comfy!

The only complaint I have is in regards to how wacky their sizing is. According to their measurements, I wear all of these sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.  I also wear XS, S, M.  Huh??  For example: today, I am wearing a pair of Mossimo shorts in size 2, and a Mossimo tank in size Medium. Two days ago, it was a pair of Converse One Star skinny jeans in a size 4 and an XS Mossimo Supply tee.  It’s annoying because I always have to try things on. But, something must be sacrificed when prices are so low!

If you treat your items nicely, they actually can last a long time. I have a pair of Converse One Star jeans that were purchased 2 years ago, and several dresses that have been worn at least 10 times with no damages. The trick is in the washing. MY LAUNDRY MANTRA:  Never wash your clothes in hot waterBaby clothes, socks, bed linens, towels? Sure. But not any item of clothing you want to last. Use cold water whenever you have dark items, and make sure it’s a cold rinse as well. If the item is okay to put in the dryer, use the lowest heat setting. This keeps your dark stuff from fading. I use Woolite Dark, and regular Woolite for colors. All Free and Clear detergent isn’t harsh on your skin OR your clothes, so this works for things like tee shirts, underwear, etc. Bonus? Washing things in cold or warm water saves energy, too.

Also, unless your husband is ridiculously meticulous about laundry, DO NOT let him wash your clothes. It will only result in sadness…

Grabbed this from Adrienne:

My day in ‘great detail’

6:30-7am – Marco wakes up. Tim feeds Marco, and plays with him before getting ready for work. Marco usually goes down for a nap around 8am.

8:30am – I wake up, eat some whole-wheat toast or a bowl of cereal, check emails, and read.

10am – Marco eats his 2nd breakfast, and then we cuddle and play. I take many pictures of him, either with my camera or my iPhone – whatever is handy.

12pm – Marco usually gets tired around this time, so he’ll go down for a nap. Most days it’s an hour or hour and a half, but occasionally it’s only 45 minutes.

1:30pm – Marco has lunch, and we play. Sometimes we’ll run errands (today, we went to get my car washed, and then to Starbucks for a non-fat caramel macchiato).

3 – 3:30pm – Marco gets sleepy again, so he goes down for a nap. I’ll read, blog, clean… whatever needs to be done. He’ll sleep until his next feeding.

5pm - Marco’s dinner, and then more playtime with me. Tim comes home around 6:30, and he plays with Marco while I relax.

Sometimes Marco goes down for a nap between this feeding and the 8:30 feeding, but usually he will be awake until then. Tim and I will eat dinner, read, and watch movies or television. Lately, it’s been lots of ‘Dexter’.

8:30pm – Marco has his last feeding of the day, and we get him in his pajamas, feed him, and put him directly to bed. He falls asleep around 9pm, and sleeps until the next morning; at least, he has for the past 4 days!

Tim and I continue to relax together, and head to bed around 10:30pm. I read until 11.

My days are definitely planned around Marco, but with the parenting strategy we’ve chosen to adopt, there’s plenty of wiggle-room.

I don’t always have time to relax, but it generally works out. I certainly have more time than I thought I would!

Last week I’d made my own floral arrangement, and I had so much fun I am going to keep it up! I love having fresh flowers in the house.

This week’s picks: Pink dahlias, maroon dahlias and Bells of Ireland!

My birthday is just 3 short weeks away, and I need to start planning! What do I want to do??

Because the 14th falls on a Tuesday (lame), I have the option of celebrating the Saturday before, or the Saturday after.  I kind of feel odd about celebrating my birthday on September 11th, so I am thinking that the 18th might be better.

Where should my birthday dinner be held?

More importantly…what should I wear?!  Here are some dresses I love from ModCloth:

Of course, I can’t decide on a dress until I figure out where this shindig will be! I’m sure there will be a Forever21 version of the dress dilemma…

 Television Themed Fill in the Blank Friday

1.  My favorite current TV show is  always ‘House’, but I am a little obsessed with ‘Dexter’ at the moment. Halfway through season 2, and it is keeping me on my toes!

2.  The TV character I can relate to most is  Rory Gilmore – the reading, growing up with a single mom, the attraction to Jess… I get it.

3.  My life is like (fill in with TV show and why)…. I guess ‘Gilmore Girls’, in some respects, given my previous answer.

4.  My all time favorite TV show is  ‘House’.

5.  A TV show that is ridiculously stupid, but I continue to watch is  I don’t watch anything that I would deem ‘stupid’.

6.  My favorite TV couple is  hmm. If we mean romantically, Lorelai and Luke (‘Gilmore Girls’), because who didn’t love when they FINALLY went on their first date?! Also, loved Roseanne and Dan (‘Roseanne’). They found the humor in everyday things, but managed to make the relationship very realistic (quite a feat, for sitcoms).  But, as far as ‘power duos’, I think Shawn and Gus (‘Psych’) are just AWESOME.

7.  One TV episode I could watch over and over again is  I thought the season premiere of ‘House’ last September was pretty amazing; the acting was just phenomenal. I’ve watched it 3 times. The series premiere of ‘Psych’ (hilarious!), and pretty much all of the 4th season of ‘Sex and the City’.

Today, I went to speak to my boss about my decision to not return to work, as I don’t feel it would be worth it to work simply to put my entire paycheck (no lie!) into daycare for little man. She asked me to reconsider, and offered me a different position, different hours, 2 days per week. Same pay as before. I’m thinking I’ll do it. The days would be every Sunday and Monday, 4pm – 8pm. It’s hours that Tim can take care of Marco, so I wouldn’t have to worry about childcare; and it’s a few bucks a month to use for my cell bill, books, etc.

Anyway, I also stopped by Tim’s office to visit, and show off Marco. :0) He’s just so beautiful! I can’t help but brag a little.

Also, I wore a cute outfit today! I’ve had these items forever, but I’ve never worn them in this combination. Every now and then, I really like to pull out my tomboy side. Menswear is just fantastic. This outfit would be perfect for a night out with some bracelets and fun heels. Took a few pics in my library (bookshelves arrive tomorrow!!!). Still need to put in the baseboard, but we’ll get to that this weekend, I think.

Original Penguin blouse (purchased 2007): $40
Target Go International tuxedo cigarette pants (purchased 2009): $30
Target black studded belt (purchased 2009): $12
Banana Republic flats (purchased 2008): $40
Black satin ribbon: $1.00

I was going through the recent photo folders on my laptop, and decided to post a few funny/neat pics I’ve taken with my iPhone.

My legs in skinny jeans. This angle was funky and it makes me legs look crazy long. Plus, the funny little feet in the top left corner belong to my niece, Lizzy.

So, this corner of the library will be covered in bookshelves, but we wanted to leave something behind to show we were there. When we sell our house, I’m sure someone will tear down my library (sadly!) and see this.  Tim wrote the names, I added the pink hearts.

A lovely arrangement of flowers I made myself. I decided it’s more fun to just buy the fresh flowers and greenery from Whole Foods, then arrange them however I want. Plus, it’s usually less expensive.

Tim and I were driving around Livermore, and we saw this guy on his motorcycle. As you can see, he has his dog in the sidecar, and that dog is wearing a bandana and goggles!! It was seriously awesome.

Fun sparkly blue nailpolish. Loves it.

Decorating my library is SO FREAKING FUN! Here are the items I’ve chosen, thus far:

Curtains, purchased at Target

I wasn’t sure I’d find curtains that I liked, but these look fantastic in person, and are made from a good quality, thick cotton. I can’t wait to hang them up!

A black chaise lounge, purchased from Overstock.com

I am so excited for this chair. It’s the perfect size and shape for my library, and the seat opens into storage!

Chandelier, also purchased from Overstock.com

So lovely! It will look perfect with the charcoal ceiling.

IKEA is slacking on the delivery of my bookcases, and the overstock items won’t arrive until next week. But, that’s okay; I’ve waited my entire life for my own library…a few more days won’t kill me.

OR WILL IT!?