July 12, 2010

putting it all together:

We’re home from vacation (more on that later) and I cannot tell you how happy I was to fall into my own bed the other night. I take my bed for granted when we’re home — it’s just a bed, after all — but when I’ve been away, I’m always glad to be back between my own sheets. Go figure.

I spent a long time yesterday unpacking, which always leads to cleaning out my closet, which is odd, I know. But my bedroom is a kind of safe space for me, away from the stress of the day; we don’t have a television or a phone in our bedroom, because I read years ago that people with insomnia (hello!) should ban those things from their sleeping space. I have a big pile of magazines and books next to my side of the bed, and an old school alarm clock without a snooze button, and some delicious hand lotion that smells like chocolate. Ahh.

It’s good to be home.
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June 21, 2010

putting it all together: we could be heroes

My kids are on a big kick these days of drawing superhero comics; mostly, the stories are about people falling, because falling is fun to draw! But I like that they’re thinking about heroes.

We talk a lot about what it means to be a hero, and about how comic book heroes aren’t exactly the same as real-life heroes. Nearly four years ago, on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we talked about what it meant to be a hero, and about how some of the bravest heroes are the ones who don’t survive. It’s still hard for my kids to wrap their heads around that idea, because of course Batman and Spiderman always live to fight another day, but I think they’re getting it.

Maybe.

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June 7, 2010

putting it all together: boys will be slobs — er, boys

I hate it when my house is messy. Hate it, with a capital HATE. It stresses me out to no end. This does not mean that my house is always neat (good god no) but it does mean that I’m constantly trying to keep up and not let the piles get the better of me.

That’s a fun task with two grade-school boys living in the house, let me tell you.

Little boys love piles — at least mine do. They’re happy to pile books on the floor, toys in their beds, and laundry wherever they can find a space. It makes me crazy.

Last fall, we decided that we’d had it with Henry’s room; it was nearly impossible to walk from the door to the bed. Our options, it seemed, were to take away all of his stuff or get him some new furniture with storage for the stuff. We opted for that second thing, which was probably good since a lot of the stuff on the floor was important stuff, like his underwear.

Redecorating his room truly changed our lives. He got to choose the paint and the linens and the artwork, which gave him a sense of investment in the space; he got to make the decisions about what would be stored where and how it would be put away. He had a lot of guidance with all of this, of course (because I am a control freak who does NOT want to paint my son’s room RED, as he first suggested) but he was able to work with us to create a space that we all love. (more…)

June 1, 2010

putting it all together: shoes, glorious shoes!

I wore heels to brunch on Sunday, a pair of ankle-strap peep toes that I swiped from Rita, who inherited them from her friend Susan in Tulsa. They’re the perfect shade of brown and are incredibly comfortable.

I’m thinking I need to wear heels more often. Particularly those heels.

For the rest of the weekend, I wore flip flops and running shoes, because except for the half hour I spent running each day, we passed virtually the entire weekend at the pool. Apparently that’s how the rest of my summer is going to go. I’m good with that, honestly.

I love shoes; they’re an easy way to dress up even the most casual pieces, and no matter how fat you’re feeling, they always fit. But I won’t trade comfort for cute; I want it all. In my 20s, I wore uncomfortable shoes because they were pretty; in my 30s, I wore ugly shoes because they were comfortable. Now, I’m only buying shoes that are both comfortable and pretty. It makes getting dressed easier and more fun.

The next installment in the Putting it All Together series is all about shoes — check out what Kelly and Ree have to say, and then share your shoe stories in the comments.

What are your absolute favorite shoes? Why?