thrill of the hunt

Yesterday was a fun day of hanging out with my oldest, best friends. In N Out and thrift store shopping, my favorites!

After a day of thrift store hunting, I came home with a smattering of quality goods and spent a ridiculously small amount of dough.

Exhibit A (I tried doing one picture but all this awesomeness just doesn't fit into one shot):
Nordstroms BP cardigan

Vintage cropped black peacoat sweater. One of my favorite thrift finds ever.

Black polka dot dress

Navy blue Ann Taylor skirt. Sometimes I like old lady clothes. But it's super cute on.

Navy sailor-esque shirt.

Printed brown top. I need more pattern in my life.

Brand new skinny navy pants. Like a glove.

Royal blue Ann Taylor cardigan. It'll look cute in the outfit I have planned in my head, trust me.

Total 8 items purchased
Total $42 spent

Usually I don't spend that much thrifting in one day, but usually I don't find so many great things at once. And all of these items are in like-new condition, have no wear or tear or stains, and require no alterations to fit me. JACKPOT.

Some people might turn their noses up at buying second hand, and thats cool for you. But some of my all time favorite pieces of clothing and accessories were found drooping on metal hangers inside smelly thrift stores. I kind of love that someone else owned and loved them before me. My favorite lemon yellow and black dress maybe belonged to a sweet, older woman who held onto it well into her 70's, reminiscing about times spent dancing with suitors in that dress?

Maybe not.

But if nothing else, tell me what beats having an amazing piece of clothing, that no one else will be wearing, that you paid $7 for? Holla.

"It's my life and I'm not sitting on the sidelines watching
It pass me by
I'm leaving you my legacy
I gotta make my mark
I gotta run it hard
I want you to remember me
I'm leaving my fingerprints
I'm leaving my fingerprints
Don't give up
Don't give in
Build your house on the rock
Oh not in the sand, in the sand, in the sand, in the saaaaaand"

I like to sing this song at the top of my lungs to my son as we dance around my office. If I could turn it up louder on the imac speakers without blowing them out, I absolutely would. Yeah, it's Katy Perry and alot of her songs are very "meh.." but girl can sing and she's the long lost twin to my number one style icon, Ms. Deschanel. So, naturally, I am sort of a fan, some of the time.

With our long summer break as a 3some draws to a close, I am reflecting on what was accomplished and enjoyed over the past almost 3 months. And I had a realization today. I was a complete slacker. ALL. SUMMER.

I strayed from my weekly routine of grocery shopping/cleaning/cooking/laundry/treat-baking/mama+baby time. I slept in past Sawyers wake up time almost every day. Bless my sweetheart of a husband who got up before I even heard the little dude every day, and asked me "why'd you get up?" when I would wander downstairs after breakfast had been served and cleaned up. I cleaned every 2 weeks (if that) and didn't plan dinners or hardly make any. I shopped and went off budget entirely. I got dizzy and handed the baby off to Dad a lot. I flaked out on life.

This was supposed to be Spencer's summer break. Mom works year round for Mr. Sawyer, and yet, here I was, taking all the personal time off I wanted. It is no surprise to me (or anyone else, I imagine) that I am far more selfish than my husband. But I didn't realize how selfish I have been recently. Where I lack, he always makes up. He steps up, each and every time. I know I will spend our entire lives together wishing I could be more like him.

And with that jab at myself, I am making an end of summer resolution. (totally made that up)

For the rest of 2009 I will make a concerted effort each day to be better to and for all the people I love. Summer slacker, no more. Time to enjoy this little life I have and all the good stuff within it.

Let's go, August-December of '09.

And to repay the man for his hard work as other-mother this summer, I am tentatively planning a Padres getaway weekend in September. But we will stay at my favorite, The Omni. Is that me being selfish again?

Dangit.

want for nothing

some things i'd like for christmas (in august).

Procrastination station

Sawyer, July 4th 2009 (my sister bought him this cute onesie and I forgot to post this most adorable photo of him on his mama's birthday)


What we have been up to lately...

Enjoying the last few weeks of summer break with Spencer. Oh how sad I will be when I have to get up with the little dude in the mornings. Dad willingly took over this task for the past 2 1/2 months. We have been very spoiled. Sawyer will surely miss waking up to Spencer's funny faces.

Sawyer now has 2 teeth. Count 'em, TWO. He loves to chew on his own finger tips with his little chompers, or bite my chin. I am about to change his name to Sharp Tooth Beals.

And Sawyer has learned to wave. Not on command, of course, but only at random times when no one is waving back.


My bestie Liz is home for a month or so before jetting off to NYC to go to grad school. She lives the life. She got to hang out with the dude for a little bit. Naturally, he loved her.

Family farm

Sawyer, 9 mos, Phoenix AZ.




We took a little trip to Phoenix to visit Spencer's Dad, stepmom and brothers. We love hanging out at the farm. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention they have a little farm? They have some cows, and a bunch of acres of citrus. It's a fun place. Sawyer liked to watch the cows come eat the grapefruit that fell off the trees.

We hung out at the house, played games, visited and took a little trip to the new sports arena complex. It was really good to see everyone. I was especially happy that Sawyer got to meet his Great Grandma Beals and hang out at her house for a bit.
I love her old ranch house and her old furniture. I would love to inherit and renovate it all to be restored vintage (many, many years from now)

Since my mother has been hounding me to see pictures from the trip and new pictures of Sawyer (ya know, cause it's been an entire week or 2 since she's seen him last?)...here we go. I haven't even had the chance to clean these up yet....

Sawyer and Grandma Janice. He's still not sold on that grass stuff.
Mom, Sawyer and the herd.
Watching something funny on someone's iphone. A common activity in our family nowadays. Brenton, Quenton and Spencer.

And my new all time favorite picture:to be enlarged, printed and hung in my house STAT

Family vacay

Spencer's parents rented a cabin just outside of Zion National Park last week so we all packed up way too much stuff and headed into the mountains. After a drive through Zion to get to the cabin, we arrived at what should really be called a "mountain home".

5 bedrooms, a gigantic deck, hot tub and air conditioning all constitute that this place is not merely a cabin. It's my kind of place though.

We had alot of fun just hanging out at the house and taking our nightly family walks. We ate good, slept good and played lots of games. I made a smores platter every night while we played cards, speed scrabble and trivial pursuit. And we'd get in the hot tub at night after all the kids were in bed. And there was guitar hero, of course.



Our last day there, Spencer's parents rented a 6 seater rhino and took my nephews riding around the mountains. And later all the guys and little boys ziplined, climbed the rock wall and did the trampoline bungee over at the Zion Ponderosa resort near where we stayed.

It was a relaxing and fun trip for us. We are really grateful for Spencer's parents generosity and sharing this vacation with the rest of us.

In other news, Sawyer recently got his first tooth! I keep trying to get a good picture of his new smile, but it's been quite a challenge.

first summer getaway

We decided last minute to drive up to So. Utah to hang out with my family for 24 hours at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Mammoth Creek. This was Sawyer's first trip, and he did pretty good on the drive up and back. However, he didn't seem too impressed with his surroundings once we arrived at our destination. Luckily, he did sleep well the one night we were there.

Overall it was a fun, quick trip. The highlights included playing games, eating smores and sausage apple rolls (not in one sitting...gross), taking pictures, and seeing my sister almost get eaten by a ferocious doberman. And, DUH, stopping and shopping in St. George at the Shade store on our way home. Hello, $15 dresses.

auntie and the rasta-baby

do you want summore?

sunny and 60 degrees

maybe the funniest picture sawyer has ever taken

the dudes

my new screensaver

maxin and relaxin

not sure who sawyer is maddoggin

just helpin' out my woodland friends

ok that is officially a photo-overload.