Staying Off the Ledge...

I have managed to maintain my sanity! Hurrah! Well, I'm not sure how much I had to begin with. Despite the fact that I want desperately to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl, I'm not. I need a schedule. A long-term goal. A plan.  Sitting around simply doesn't suit me. So although spending two hours perusing Etsy in my pj's is fun, it isn't good for my mental health. Afterward, I have a Crap! I didn't do any of the things I wanted to do! hangover. I have to stop resisting and face the truth. Deep down, I'm a schedule-loving, goal-making square.  Don't tell. I'm trying to maintain my rock star persona.

In celebration of my preserved psychological well-being, here are some more lovely diversions I'm enjoying during my last week of freedom. Next week I'll be wishing for more time and less distractions.
 
During our recent trip to St. Louis, we spent an evening at our old neighbor's house. We love them and want them to follow us around the country buying the homes next to ours.

Upon sneaking a peek in her fridge, I saw these cute little lidded bowls. They were filled with perfectly sized servings of pasta, fruit, etc. for her kids. Did I mention she's supermom?

4-Piece Round Storage Bowl Set ($20)

Later, I asked my husband "Did you see those bowls in the fridge?!"  His reply? "Yeah, the second I saw them, I thought 'Those are going to be in our house, too.'"  He knows me so well.  The day before we left, I ran down to Crate and Barrel to buy my own set.  At $2 each or 12 for $20, they are a steal.

With school starting, evenings get more hectic around here, and I love the idea of having dinners portioned off ahead of time for Little Man.  It will be so much less stressful, and my new resolution is to prep a couple meals on Sunday for those inevitable days when I don't have time to make something. A goal! While I was there, I couldn't resist this set of four lidded bowls as well.  They all nestle inside of each other! Stackable, lidded bowls are officially my newest obsession.

Although we own it, I tend to forget about this 2003 Tim Burton film. But the second it comes on, my love for it is renewed.  It is wondrous, creative, and touching all at once. I'll never tire of watching it.  It was Little Man's turn to pick out a movie tonight, and this was his choice.  At one point he said, "I forgot how touching this movie is!"  He really cried at the ending (even though he's seen it before), so we snuggled on the couch and talked about what a life well lived looks like.  It was a sweet moment for us.

This is a movie that affects you differently at different times.  It can be bittersweet or uplifting depending on where you are and what you are feeling at that particular point in your life. I do not tend to enjoy sad, despair-filled movies . . . and this definitely isn't one of them. Big Fish is joyous and thought-provoking and quite possibly Tim Burton's magnum opus.


  Mama's got a brand new bag! I found this little beauty during our trip to St. Louis. My son actually spotted it in the window of a Francesca's. I think my owl radar is broken, because this bag is owlicious.

The length of the strap can be adjusted simply by moving the knot up or down on the ring.  It's big and slouchy and I love it. Is it too teeny-bopper for a 32 year old to be wearing? That's crazy talk! And I'm not sure I would care, because we have a real thing going, this bag and me.

I feel the need to say this again: I'm not just jumping on the owl bandwagon. I have had a thing for quirky owl prints since I was knee high to a grasshopper. It's great that they are trendy right now because I can easily find things I love. I'm kind of particular, as just any owl simply will not do. On the other hand, it has become a bit watered down as a style. Everyone and their mother has owl stuff. Every nursery is owl-themed. There is nothing wrong with that! But I will be scooping up zany owl goods like this long after everyone else has forgotten them. They will just be harder to find. I'm sooo neurotic, and I'm pretty sure this rant proves it.

Speaking of prints, there is another brand that I totally love. Upon seeing this bag, my husband thought it was from Bungalow 360. The canvas material and cute pattern really resembles their style of product. And they are super eco which I love. I carried around a laptop-type messenger bag made by them for my first year of college. Then my books got heavier with my course load, so I had to upgrade to a heavy duty Patagonia one. Still, I have their penguin wallet (which evokes a "I love your wallet!" exclamation almost every time I pull it out to pay), and my birdie messenger bag is still up in the closet waiting to be used again.

Before I forget, has anyone been to a Francesca's? I've noticed them popping up everywhere over the last several years. They sell accessories and cool chachkies and some clothing, and their prices are super affordable. They have jewelry for every occasion and style, and I can't get enough.

photo courtesy of USGS

I am in full-on nesting mode.  There is not a cabinet or closet that is safe from my urge to purge. Or organize. And no, there isn't a bun in my oven. In hindsight, I probably should not have used a nest with eggs in it. Let's just assume they aren't fertilized, okay? I'm not sure if it is because my free time is going to become a lot less free come Monday, or it is simply nervous energy being put to good use. It might also be the fact that I'm back on crack. By crack, I mean coffee. Either way, I like how productive I have been.

Entryway closet

I finally assembled my night stand (we bought our new bedroom furniture in, um, March? February?). My unfinished nightstand was standing between bedroom perfection and utter chaos. I am so dramatic.

I deep cleaned and reorganized our entryway closet using an old hanging shoe organizer and some bins. I starting sorting through my out-of-control shoe collection (how many pairs of flip flops does one girl need?) and reorganizing my closet. I'm not sure I have EVER vacuumed the inside of my closet. Don't judge.




More photographic proof:

[The hideous pile from my closet floor]

 I'm turning this . . .

 . . .  and this . . .

[The overflowing basket on the bottom of my shelf]

Into this:  

While it's still a work in progress (this is less than 1/2 the closet), I should have it wrapped up by tonight. The lack of clutter is SO freeing! My new, white bedroom furniture makes the whole room light and airy, and I was doing it a disservice by being disorganized. 

Not only am I glad to have a diversion, but I'll be going into a tough semester feeling more in control of my surroundings.