opinion poll: operation bar stools

new house poses some

new problems
with team brookes

we are losing our kitchen table,
and gaining a kitchen island.

what's the problem,
you ask?

no stools.

what to get.

this is where you come in.

exhibit a:
the kitchen island

this is where the fam while share
most of the every day meals.

which stools would
prove team brookes proud?

here are some of my picks:

option 1:
emeco navy barstool
1940's repo
brushed aluminum

$146
(a little pricey when i will be
needing 5 of these suckers)


but i so do love this industrial lookoption 2:
pottery barn aaron barstool
also found at target
$69.99

simple
goes with most interiors

option 3:
free choice
wicker?
ideas?
anyone?



come on.
help a girl out.

arrival: fayetteville

we made it!

got here saturday night
after an adventurous drive up.

did i mention i won't be
missing that dc traffic?
well, i won't.

living out of suitcases,
in an otherwise empty home

enjoying the prospects of what
this house has to offer
team brookes while here in nc

this is what we've been doing
since our arrival

excited about the potential.

oh,
got a set of these too

household goods arrive wednesday.

if you don't hear from me,
you'll know i'm up to my eye balls
unpacking boxes.

i'll try to come up
for air and send a quick hello.

Wardrobe Wednesday: banana meets wallie

greetings, friends.

you wouldn't know it
but the house is all packed up and
now waiting for mr. truck to
arrive, be loaded and drive to the new abode.

today we are surrounded by
boxes upon boxes upon boxes.

which is why you are
getting one of my infamous
wardrobe wednesday posts on,
you guessed it,
thursday.

oh, and
this is the clairol
'darkest brown'
that really looks black.

wouldn't you agree?

i'm over it.

welcome, black.

matches my flower.

bought this little stripped tee
at wallie.
i think i paid $4...
maybe even $3.

linen pants?
banana and they were on sale,
plus i had a $10 off coupon.

out the door,
i think i paid $40.
not bad for banana.

can't go wrong with
white linen
on the east coast
in the summer.

you aren't aware of this,
but my family is in the full
throws of transition.

packers came yesterday.
i guess i get a star for being organized and ready.

they did their 'two day job'
in just one.

yeah for being prepped and ready to go.

only problema is,
we are displaced one more day.
truck is still scheduled for tomorrow.

looks like it's family movie day for
team brookes!

versatile blogger award

so humbled.

the most wonderful and talented
vikki
over at
my house, my garden
listed my little old bloggie
as one of her picks for the
versatile blogger award.

wow.
speechless.

this is me,
bowing my head
chanting,
"i'm not worthy,
i'm not worthy."

so grateful that i actually have a single reader,
let alone someone who would
actually nominate me for something in blog land.

so what is this all about?

i'll tell ya:

after a thorough thanking of
my house, my garden

step one involves revealing 7 facts about
myself that most don't know.

had to rack my brain
with this one.

here goes nothing...

fact number one:
been married twice.

okay,
to the same handsome chap,
aka: mr. man.

county courthouse number one

shin dig on the water with lots of witnesses
number two.

fact number two:

i grew up secretly thinking
i could do anything.

i might still think that
at times.

fact number three:
i often wake my sleeping husband
in the wee hours of the evening
notifying him of the intruders i see lurking
behind plants and chair cushions.

there has never been an intruder...

i'm also a sleep talker.

fact number four:
my running speed
and
my walking speed
are indistinguishable.

both lightening fast...

fact number five:
i am an official
certified scuba diver.

i just have yet to go
on my first dive since 1991
when i got my padi card.

fact number six:
i requested going on a
caribbean cruise for our
honeymoon
but forgot i am sea sick queen.

discovered that one while still docked
in florida.

enter dramamine...


fact number seven:
listening to someone floss
is my greatest pet peeve of all time.

sorry pop pop,
aunt heathie,
honey.
must be a brookes thang.

so...
did you learn anything new about
mrs brookes?

let's continue...
now i get to nominate
a few of my fave bloggers.

peardownliving
mi casa
anythingology
mrs. jones

so if you haven't already
checked out these bad boys,
you are in for a big treat.

grab a cup o joe,
stay awhile and
even tell 'em i sent ya.

enjoy
and
thanks for indulging me.

wicked recap

where do i possibly start?

wicked.
june 18, 2011.


unbelievable.

before the show.
giddy with excitement.
can you tell?

must mention mary who did
all the ticket purchase organizing,
dinner reservations and all around
kennedy center tour guide.

thanks, mary.
you're the best.

we were lucky enough to
talk otay ranch heather into joining us for the day.

unfortunately we couldn't sit together.
but not to worry.

if you squint you can see heather in the row behind us...
on the other side of the theater.
squint really hard.

hi heather.

i'm not sure which was more thrilling for me.
the show...
or the venue.

kennedy center
was to die for.

would you spy those
grand chandeliers?

I know.

and forget about the draperies.
who's going to clean those?

famous bust of kennedy.
ginorm.

at every turn,
the kennedy center just got better and better.

one more...

this is what we did during intermission.
until mr. security officer had a chat with us.


mary watched over the seats
while heather and kristy sipped on peligrinos

*thank mary for letting us know
we could pre-order drinks before the
show ready for us at intermission.

we were total tourists,
snapping photos every chance we got.

roof top terrace.
amazing views of dc.

look how happy the girls were
at the view

wendy, kristy and heather
otay ranch reunited

so grateful that our little move
didn't derail our big wicked plans.

it was a great day.

Happy Dad's Day

this is the day to honor dad's.

my dad:

i got lucky in this department.

my dad showed me love
filled me with confidence
and raised me to be an independent thinker

i cherish the times when i would
earn two cents a minute
massaging his back

or putting endless boop-boops
in his permed hair

or when he'd let me accompany him
on his guitar
as we
serenaded each other
with duets.

funny, we gals.
no matter how
old we are,
we'll always be
our daddy's little girl.

love you, dad.

pop-in-law:

pop pop,
you are solid as a rock, you are.

thank you for modeling for my husband on how to
knock someone's socks off
simply with the written word.

thanks for letting me call you
in moments of panic
only to dole out sound, calm advice.

thank you for leaving a legacy of espn reports:
religious phone calls
each and every week
asking for team brookes sports reports
now eagerly awaited.

you always seem to know
who scored the last goal, or
the PR of the last 1600 that
was waiting to be broken.

you are a good man, pop pop
and an even better role model

happy dad's day.

mr. man:

how did i ever know
he would turn out to be
such an incredible dad.

the guy who changed diapers in the
middle of the night so i could get an extra wink.

the guy who has always taken care of the
laundry and yes, delivered it folded.

the quiet guy who always seems to
say the best stuff when emotions are running
high on team estrogen.

the guy who has undying patience when
it comes to being the homework guru.

our hero of the century
making us proud of his undying service
to his family and his country.

love you to no end, honey.

Wickedly Happy

giddy with excitement.

taking girls to their first
broadway musical!

headed here tomorrow

(that's the famous kennedy center)

in between moving prep
we are busy picking out
appropriate wardrobe selections.

stay tuned for
photos to follow.

tell me about the first musical
you went to as a kid.

for me it was Annie.
my mom took me.
without my brothers.
just me and my mom.
it was great.
i was in 4th grade.

i love this stuff...

Wardrobe Wednesday: lululemon

greetings my long lost peeps.

time flies when you are breaking down a house.

sorry about my absence.

been spackling,
retouching,
sorting and bagging.

you know.
day in the life of a family
getting ready to pack up...
again.

but i did manage to don my
new lululemon dress.


the soccer team i manage (managed)
was so beyond generous and gave me
a sizable gift card for my
fave and yours:
you guessed it.
lulu

this is ONE of the handful of
pieces
i settled on.

it is uber comfortable.
ready to be dressed up or dressed down.

highly recommend.

but i saved the best part for last...

it's reversible!

can you say,
two dresses in one?

total deal.

as usual, would love your thoughts.

oh and this is the clairol dark brown
that is actually black.

getting used to it.
whatever.

wardrobe wednesday: mother of the year morning

ever have one of those mornings?

mother of the year mornings?
ya.
those.

that was the sentiment
in the brookes abode.

stinks.

the day i took this photo was
a good morning.

today?
not so much.

just feeling cruddy.
but these things happen.

especially when you are single-momming it,
with three teenage estrogen fueled girls.

so here is my
wardrobe wednesday.

now i will promptly
start picking myself back up and move on with my day.

tip of the day:
note the positive,
don't beat yourself up,
and unwavering discipline is a good thing
(even when your little girl head off to school in tears)

did i mention i tried to touch up my roots with
clairol dark brown?
when did dark brown equal black?
yes black.

just call me morticia.

oh, let me add that homer snatched food
off the counter for the
kazillionth time.

again,
not a stellar morning over here.

please tell me a story or two about
a morning not so great in your neck of the woods.

need to hear these things.