slight obsession with stripes
of all kind
as you can see
i like mixing them
probably not fashionable
or chic
or with it
but right now
i'm a fan.
January 27, 2012
January 25, 2012
January 22, 2012
clutch love-blog love
totally understandable.
i need another bag
like i need a hole in the head.
sometimes can't help myself
mostly i stalk.
like this amazing
not bad for just $56
real leather
tons of solid colors
want the stripes?
have to add those bad boys yourselves.
please visit
(i regularly stalk this style icon...
impeccable master at layering)
you'll drool over her outfits,
much like i do.
also love this little
this is sydney over at
love her.
she's one of my bff's
but she just doesn't know it yet.
you know.
one of those girls,
you know you'll love the second you meet them.
tell me
if you share my sentiment
January 18, 2012
broad stripped panels: made my moi
finally...
my long time
want
of making stripped panels
finally
turned into a
reality
this week.
originally was going to hang them in my dining room.
play room
stripes.
love how it turned out.
so easy anyone can do it.
started out with a simple black panel
(from walmart)
and one white cotton shower curtain
(that i cut to make stripes)
so,
what do you think?
are diy stripped panels in your future?
easy
peasy.
and as always,
January 16, 2012
mlk jr
"I have decided to stick with love.
Hate is too great a burden to bear."
Martin Luther King Jr.
1967
January 14, 2012
January 9, 2012
new blog love
is it too early to share a
when there is only one post?
naaa.
still going to share...
let me know what you think?
January 6, 2012
i couldn't help myself
ever watch your kid
rock out to a song
and wish you could capture it on video?
really.
couldn't help myself.
don't worry.
she gave me permission to
'release it'.
mamma loves you,
tay tay.
let's hear about a 'gotcha' you were involved in.
January 5, 2012
your new assignment: create a family manifesto
man-i-fes-to
noun
a written statement declaring publicly
the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
a written statement declaring publicly
the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
yes.
big word.
manifesto.
every family needs one...or two.
heck,
we have three.
here is the scenerio,
ever have a kid crumble in your arms as soon as
they walk through the doors after a tough day at school?
how about when your teenage daughter
shares details of a drama filled day at school...
and you have to send her back on that bus
the very next day.
this is when you put your big ears on,
listen intently to every word
and simply state
your family manifesto,
your motto,
your mantra.
this will be the sentence you repeat time after time,
defining your family strategy of handling life.
this is the same sentence your child will run off to you
the day you need to hear it most.
it begins to take on a life of it's own.
speaking of,
tell me YOUR family manifesto?
the one phriase that can lift you when down?
exalt you as you celebrate?
define your character when questioning?
calm you when scared?
this, my dear friends,
is your new assignment.
print it, post it on the fridge,
hang it on your wall.
say it out loud and often.
whatever it is.
declare this as yours.
ours?
well, like i said,
we've got three floating around,
depending on the situation.
#1
nothing is bigger than us
(no matter what comes our way in life,
we are stronger and bigger than any
problem or bump in the road)
#2
remain calm
(don't panic. take a deep breath
and think about what lies in front of you.
you can do this)
#3
we are strong but not perfect
(our family is the foundation:
strong and mighty,
and perfectly imperfect.
let us not ever forget that.
in fact, no earthly creature is)
we repeat these when trouble comes our way,
when we celebrate,
and when we question our path
(that and a lot of prayer).
we have uttered these in good times and in bad.
they are our comfort,
words that ground us and remind us of what we are made of,
where we come from and where we've been.
that sums up our
family manifesto, folks.
now tell me yours...
or go out and declare yours.
either way,
i'd love to hear about it.
January 4, 2012
from plastic to glass: making the switch
welcome my new friends
i'm making the transition
from this
(bu-bye plastics)
to this:
glass
stackable
odorless
warp proof
stain proof
safe to travel:
dishwasher
oven
microwave
freezer
and
of course
eco
all made in the
glorious U.S. of A.
need i say more?
tell me what's new for you
in
2012.
January 1, 2012
2011: a year end review
2011
why does it have to go so fast?
is it really another year later?
so thankful for this blog
that let's me recall all that has shaped us and sharpened us
over the last 365 days.
indulge me as i highlight that last 12 months.
in a nutshell,
2011:
january
hubs is far and away at the moment.
i know when he returns
our little tradition will continue.
i look forward to this like there is no tomorrow.
thankful that mr man is gifted with the pen.
miss him dearly.
february
(good habits in marriage)
guess i'm missing mr. man
and the habits that come with him.
day dates.
miss them.
dream of what local delight we will sit at upon his return.
my fave highlight from last year, for sure.
march
without this little dinner table habit
i'd be at a loss.
thankful my girls are
talkers
and
sharers.
makes me a better listener.
april
boy did i learn this,
live this,
and
eat this up
in 2011
so so grateful for the
ladies in my life who took my family in
and treated us like their own.
forever grateful
and look forward to paying this forward
may
so proud that grag walked
into this new age of technology.
even more proud that her grandkids now
have full texting access to her,
and vise versa.
not always an easy step for those
baby boomers
but one they will never
ever
regret.
june
little do we know
this will become one of our
favorite little places to live.
(and it's only been 6 months)
july
if you haven't been.
go.
run don't walk.
be weary, though.
you might lose hours upon hours
gaining inspiration,
ideas and
boards.
august
defining the simple life for our family.
september
met a great lady
to walk through this chapter of life with.
so grateful for who she is
and
all she brings into our life.
october
watching daddy head off
was not something we
were thrilled about,
yet we do understand
it is part of the fabric of our family.
it shapes us.
sharpen us.
and define us.
looking forward to
daddys return
in 2012
november
whoah.
debt free (credit cards).
unbelievable.
monumental day in the brookes abode.
yeah, yeah and yeah.
setting lofty financial goals for 2012
december
ah.
so great to touch down on home soil.
2 years coming.
great to have been back.
reconnected.
refueled.
grateful for the love and hospitality poured out to us.
2011
once again brought my family
uncharted adventure,
another new place to call home,
even more to call friends
uncharted adventure,
another new place to call home,
even more to call friends
and
renewed connections.
Thank you all
Thank you all
in blog land
for your visits,
comments,
inspiration,
and friendship
and friendship
you mean the world.
once again.
without you...
this would be called my journal.
2012
let's see what cha got.
