The Summer of Love...

Summer of 1999. That was supposed to be my summer. First time alone for two months without a care in the world. It had been years since I was alone for so long. I became a mom at a young age. The kid begged to go away with his dad for 2 months that summer... I obliged.  Quickly the summer became everything. The space and time where I could be whatever I wanted to be.

But it became my summer of love...

 We met and it was never meant to happen. That night I had a date with another boy.  A boy that held much promise since he was kind and good looking. As I was to walk out the door to meet the "date" he (now husband) placed a toe ring on my bare feet right after we met. Not used to wearing a toe ring all I could do during my "date" was stare at my feet and think about the boy I had just left behind. The ring felt as if it held some type of magnetic force and my toes kept tingling. Right there on my second toe I had been chained.

Needless to say my "date" with the Latin boy lasted 60 minutes they were timed by my watch and a few beats from Fatboy Slim. I ran back almost breathless to find him where I had just left him. Right there I proclaimed with a  big smile I am back. That was fast- he replied. Still catching my breath all I could do was smile. A week after that fateful meeting we became a family. We ignored the whispers, the talks and fourteen years later here we are...

On May 9th my husband and I celebrated our 14th anniversary. He walked me to a Savannah bridge where the Parisian custom of locking a lock and throwing away the key lives. We couldn't make it to Paris but somewhere in time in another dimension we did. In that moment Savannah became foreign to me. No longer chained we are now locked.

Mother's Day.

I have three kids but the one in the middle stole my heart on Mother's Day. Maybe because of her age . Maybe because she loves me. She gave me the best Mother's Day a kid could have given. Breakfast in bed. hugs and kisses and a stage performance.

On Instagram LtoR 1.The Show Oklahoma! 2. Breakfast 3. Oklahoma! 4.Baby M. and Me. 5. Sunflower 6.Thespian.

Hoping your weekend was sweet... Happy new week friends.

About A Girl...

There's always been a struggle within . Growing up I never felt feminine enough. I felt rough and ordinary. I wanted to be dainty and fragile...delicate. And although I studied with the gurus and the masters about the art of twisting like a pretzel... about movement and flexibility... about bending my own body to will...
I felt I could never master the "feeling" of daintiness.





It might be my mothers stories about me being a 10 pound baby and the pain she endured. She never lets me forget it. Might be the stories about the baby girl she brought home and all the linen and fine gowns that were ripped at their seams because her arms were so thick and she could not fit into them.





It was not until my late twenty's that I found the femininity I was searching after. It was not until the birth of my first daughter Maia that I felt like the ballerina that spins in every music box. Like all the Disney princesses combined. Like Marilyn Monroe and Mae West. Like Betty Boop and Jessica Rabbit. Her birth transformed me into that Swan like queen...





The weekend was beautiful... the ballet was exquisite... So was my escort (husband) to the ballet.
My nephew is visiting us and there's so much I am remembering and experiencing.
I am processing, learning and absorbing and all these verbs are transforming me.
I am waiting until I can verbalize more...



Until then... Stay Sweet!  

Hello Lover...

The tribe is becoming the champions of all the seasons. We move along and navigate through it swiftly as we were the cast of The Swan. Organically like the earth we shift quickly and adapt even quicker...
I started writing this post on Sunday where the sounds of football and the kitchen pots ruled the airwaves. Something about food simmering on a kitchen stove and the breeze carrying the aroma of your Sunday best throughout the neighborhood...



Nice and slow my day began and nice and slow it ended...
I am wearing flannel pants all my windows are open the cool crisp air blows making my living room curtains dance gracefully like a middle eastern duo of belly dancers. Unison they move along and it makes me happy. My home is breathing and it feels alive...
The birds serenades us as well as the sports announcer and it's all so good so familiar... So homey ... So right...



Friday date night was fabulous and Octoberfest delivered for us...

Artisan at Work...

Reconnecting makes us better people.
Makes us better parents and friends and everything in between...

Husband and I 

We played... We joked and We pretended...



Pretended this was our boat...



Dreaming is free and us dreaming that one day we could sail away into the sunset even if it's just for a minute makes us better people...



Now we know that we really want a boat... We would love nothing more than to be the wanderlust king and queen... Sailing all seven seas...





For Dinner...We settled for Burgers and Sweet Potatoes fries... Because Hamburgers come from Hamburg Germany and Sweet Potato Fries is how we do it in the south of the US.



Sailing...
October arrived like an old lover...
One that I was happy to see...
We are now sailing through the Fall season we will make sure to stop and enjoy all the sweet things the Fall has to offer...



Hope your weekend was filled with nothing but Fall season goodness...
Happy Monday!

A postcard from Savannah…

The weekend arrives and there are one and one thousand things we can do. Because my town is so rich in culture, music and food. Because it always stands proud like the oaks that it houses. Savannah has birthed, hosted and housed so many artists from all over the globe. It always inspires and challenges the creative mind with new and revolutionary ideas.

That my friends is really sweet… sweetness that is sticky and gooey and like gum it sticks to the sole of your shoe and if you have one bit of inclination in doing anything creative let me tell you…
Visit my home Savannah and the muses will whisper sweet nothings in your ears to the point of creation.
Even my cooking skills have improved in Savannah. You hear Paula Deen?!

Saturday night we were once again able to go on a date…

(Here is a secret for a happier marriage... if you have a teen that you can trust...mine is 19 and adores his baby sister... make also certain that such teen works full time… because the teen of course needs to be tired to want to stay home on a Saturday night… use that teen at least twice a month …put on some lipstick and paint the town red with your significant other…when you get home you will be glad you did)

We wanted to do so much but it was just us and that is exactly how we left it. We went back to get steal the secret recipes of my favorite Martini bar. Hubby had the Savannah Honey Bee Vanilla martini which has been described a thousand and one ways by different people his description was:- “tastes like a very yummy cake in a glass”…




The Lemonade Basil Martini which I thought was far more complicated and will share the recipe at the end of the post. Now I can kick myself for not trying to crack the recipes at home.






But it’s all good because the Martini outing brought us some Moroccan food and a show with belly dancers.


So it’s all really good…

Sunday afternoon I spend it with a few friends just watching the day go by with kiddies swinging at our hips, blankets and toys spread on the floor and we watched them play.






A great opportunity for some pictures. Watching my girlfriends with their babies makes my heart swell ten times larger. I took many shots of Tracie and her girl. Tracie is a single Momma to Gigi and watching her love and kiss and talk about her daughter and watching her as she grows into a beautiful friend and mother made me so proud to be a woman and a momma and her friend.





You are doing a heck of a job my friend and your strength and determination are admirable and palpable.




But there was a group of wise, strong and talented women that said it best…

“It's not easy being a mother.  If it were easy, fathers would do it.”  ~ The Golden Girls






Everyone have a great week… Stay Sweet…









Lemonade Basil Martini
Muddle (in shaker) 5-6 leaves fresh basil with one packet granulated sugar
1 ounce of lemonade (They used Kroger Lemonade)
add ice  add 2.5-3ounces citrus vodka, shake together and serve.
should be a nice greenish color, if more yellow use more basil. Rim yellow colored sugar with lemon juice.





Savannah Honey Bee Vanilla Martini
In shaker mix… Ice, 1 ounce of Vanilla flavored Vodka, 1 ounce of Milk…
On glass lattice pattern some Savannah Honey and cover rim of glass with honey and crumbled graham cracker.
Top with a dollop of Whip Cream.

love love love...

I was sick all weekend did not get to do anything and stayed in bed nursing the worst cold Ive had in ages.
I only left the fort once on Saturday to take the eldest kid to the airport he is spending time with his aunt in Seattle for his birthday.

No big plans for today but picking up some food from my favorite restaurant we are bring it home to eat in front of the TV while we watch a movie. Other than that we will just tell sweet nothings to each other and just enjoyed the fact that we are together after all this years... and that I am so in love with him today...
more in love today than Valentine's Day 1999.

Since he is home already and the girls are just riding the sugar high from our heart shaped cookies I will leave by mentioning a few of the things I just love today...

1. baby eyelashes gosh she is so delicious =)

2. my almost 19 year old son and the way he loves his sisters...

3. the way my husband cares for my kids.

4. the way he has nursed me during this cold season.

5. being able to celebrate love in my pj's.

Hope your Valentine's day is nothing but sweet...

indie mama in Ogden

 

*To follow our guest blogger Mikki.

My life was all in order. I had a job i liked, a rad daughter, an amazing husband, a close circle a friends and i knew my city like the back of my hand. Then out of nowhere it all changed. my husbands job transferred us from the indie oasis of Portland, Oregon to where the heck Ogden, Utah.  I was crushed, confused, scared and most of all i wondered where i would get my perfect coffee.

I moved to Utah with an open mind and a heavy heart and i made a vow to put myself out there and  learn to love it. Within the first week of living there it became clear, loving Ogden would be easy. This small town nestles against beautiful mountains is like a secret island. The people are friendly and they love to support local. Downtown is one street packed with local treasures, great food and friendly faces. I can take my daughter anywhere even to music shows at several all age venues that sport toy boxes and coloring books for your little one while you rock out. Weekends for me are always a new adventure and not having to stress about finding a sitter has been a great relief.

last Friday night was the usual- The papa gets home and we eat dinner, dig out our clothes that don't have peanut butter on them and bike over to Mojos for the Friday night acoustic show. Our daughter runs to the toy box and we grab ourselves a couple coffees and sit in one of the vintage couches and enjoy the show. It's warm and cozy and it  feels good to just sit and listen and relax while the little one plays with the assorted robot dogs and entertains the locals.The warm coffee, warm air and cushy couches is a recipe for sleepy time so before we fall asleep in public we load up the caravan and head home. Cuddling and late night cartoons is in order and soon were all asleep.

Saturday I'm up early distracting the girl child and trying to let the husband sleep in. i  fail and so we lounge in our pj's debating whether or not to clean today.It's saturday so of course we opt out of cleaning and instead throw on our snow gear and  tromp over to Grounds for coffee (both local franchises are run by rad mamas) for some local brew and a steamer for the youngin'. By the time we get back home the snow has defeated us, it burns a lot of calories trudging through that icy mess and a heaping plateful of homemade biscuits and gravy is necessary. After our bellies are full the husband and i rock paper scissors to see who gets to go out. I win and so i scan my list of events to decide which one to go to.  Fashion show benefit for make a wish? yes please! Finally, an event i can utilize my ancient lipstick for. I head over to Borrowed earth emporium and grab a chai and head upstairs to see the show. Local designers and shops display their wares on smokin' hot mamas trotting down the runway as their little ones wave on the sidelines. Great fun and a great cause but alas i am not equipped for late night fun even with the help of caffeine and I'm ready for bed.

Sunday its my turn to sleep in but i wake up at my usual time with the help of the little one yelling for cookies. Oh dear! Fearing a catastrophic meltdown i distract her with the rugrats while i make some oatmeal, mamas are experts in the art of distraction. Today is going to be a lazy day  so i prepare myself by getting cozy on the couch with my cup of coffee in a spot ideal for both cartoon viewing and adequate foot support provided by the ottoman. Sundays are ideal days for ordering in food and we have one place that is our go to lazy day dinner- PIZZA RUNNER! Dread head pizza topped with assorted fresh veggies and pesto sauce and of course our favorite jalapeno cheese bread slathered in garlic....oh yeah! Before the days over we make sure to run around the yard throwing snow at each other getting soaking wet and cold, retreating into the house and jumping under blankets.

So far Ogden has proven to be more than i ever expected and i am loving every minute. Ogden is a small town that is rebuilding itself after an economic slump by encouraging local businesses and preserving historic building. The views are amazing, the locals are inviting and for a small town its a pretty happening place. Come visit some time and enjoy the abundance of outdoor sports, local music and food and amazing weather and remember to say that Indie Ogden sent you!

Love Is In The Air…

 

 

I want it all. The romantic dates… the perfect stares… the right word at the right moment… letting go like never before… with no fear or distraction.

I want it all and this weekend I intent to do just that.

Hubby took a 3 day weekend off and we are calling it the weekend of love.

Why not?! Why wait until Valentine’s when we can get a head start and celebrate now.

We are going to sleep in late and go to bed late…

I am planning to drink coffee close to midnight and read books after hours…

We plan to catch up with friends…

Watch movies…

Play until is late in the evening with the baby…

Eat some really good food…

Take some really good pictures…

What inspires you? What are you doing this weekend?

It is never about how good some have it; it is only about feeling the urge to 
do, and then having the courage to do it with what you are given.

enjoy your weekend and all the sweet things life has to offer…