Soundtrack

Wouldn't life be better if we had a constant soundtrack to go along with it?  Wouldn't the ups be higher, the lows be sappier and love be deeper?  You could always be the star of your very own drama/comedy/action flick.

When I was in college, I was not one of those people that walked around with ear buds on constantly.  I actually found these people irritating.  Did they even know what was going on around them?  Some one could just come up and mug or murder them and they wouldn't even hear it coming!  And what exactly was it that they simply could not stop listening to?

I didn't get it at the time but now I think they were on to something.  They were living life with a soundtrack.  How much better their bus rides and walks to class must have been compared to the soundtrackless like myself.  And here I thought I was so damn smart and knew it all back then. Young and foolish, young and foolish.

This past week I started running again.  I have a couch to 5K app on my IPod.  It is fantastic and very doable.  It even comes with inspirational quotes like this one that was on there today, "Energy and persistence conquer all things." -Benjamin Franklin.  That quote spoke volumes to me...but that blog post will be another day.

More importantly, I was reunited with my running soundtrack.  The list of songs I carefully chose and added to my line up.  It was comforting, like being reunited with a long lost friend.  They are not all upbeat songs, either. I enjoy running to slow songs and ballads if the song has a special meaning to me or makes me think.

Here is my running soundtrack which is in no particular order as I always have it in shuffle mode (yes, it is a bit Billy Joel heavy):

"Best of You"  Foo Fighers
"Bed of Roses"  Bon Jovi
"Cold Shoulder"  Adele
"Crazy Bitch"  Buckcherry
"The Distance"  CAKE
"Float On"  Modest Mouse
"Growing On Me"  The Darkness
"Hash Pipe"  Weezer
"Heat of the Moment"  Asia
"I'm Looking Through You"  Steve Earle
"Marry Me"  Drive-By Truckers
"Scenes From An Italian Restaurant"  Billy Joel
"Make You Feel My Love"  Bob Dylan
"Allentown"  Billy Joel
"Only the Good Die Young"  Billy Joel
"The Story"  Brandi Carlisle
"Valerie"  Crooked Fingers
"Uptown Girl"  Billy Joel
"Get Your Hands Off My Woman"  The Darkness
"Outfit"  Drive-By Truckers
"Your Song"  Elton John
"Candle In The Wind"  Elton John

The absolute best song to run to is "Float On".  Try it, you will like it.

I am thinking about adding some Mumford and Sons and Lumineers to the line up.

Once I get my stamina up a bit, I truly enjoy running.  I am pretty sure it is because I feel like I am in a movie with my soundtrack though and not because I really love to exercise.  What are your favorite songs to run to??

Random

When I was little I would have a recurring nightmare.  It was hazy and there would be enormous boulders rolling toward me.  The boulders were much taller than any adult, so you can understand how huge they were.  They would roll toward me and veer off just before running into me.  In the background, there were people from my life, my mom, dad, brother, grandparents and friends, running around crazy with their arms up in the air, like cartoon characters.  They may have been screaming too, but this sound was very muffled.  This terrified me.  Everything about the dream.  I am not even sure why.  Looking back, it seems not so bad.  I have often looked in dream books and searched Google for any meaning it may have.  I still don't know. 

I do know that it visited me at least once a week.  Once a week for several years, maybe 6 years??  Eventually the frequency of the dream dwindled until it never came back.  I often wonder if it ever will.  I wonder if it would still be terrifying.  If it would still have the same people and the same boulders.  If I would still be a kid or if I would be me now.

Valentine

 This is how I watched the Grammys.  Writing out said Target-bought Valentines.

Yes, it does come with a tatoo!

And little heart stickers for closure.

Then today, I borrowed an idea from Pinterest and it worked!  

 Hilary, I found a smaller heart cookie cutter today.

Yes, this causes a lot of waste and yes, I ate most of it.  Yes, I feel sick.

These are killing me.  They are seriously so adorable!

Guess who is all ready for Valentine's Day?

This guy!

Happy day!

Epidemic

I am sick of it.  Seriously.  If only there were a vaccine against it.  Because just knowing it exists does not protect you from it.  It is such an epidemic and I just don't know what to do about it anymore.  It consumes me and exhausts me.

It is Mom Guilt (or Dad Guilt for you men).

You know, that voice that screams, "All good moms/dads stay at home with their babies", "Good moms/dads don't have to drop their kids off at daycare and watch as their kid cries and throws themself across the floor because they don't want you to go", "Good moms/dads cook a healthy, homemade dinner every night", "Good moms/dads don't watch any TV and play constantly with their children", "Good moms/dads never check their iPhone in front of their children", "Good moms/dads would make homemade Valentines and not cop out and buy them from Target"...and I could go on and on with working-mom Mom Guilt assaults.

Now, I know that I am a good mom.  I love my child with every fiber in my being and try to make the best choices for him.  I hug and kiss and tell him I love him constantly.  We laugh and chase and tickle often.  He is happy and thriving.  I can see that.  Why do I still have Mom Guilt????

Crazy thing is, despite the literal hours of my life I have spent berating myself for being a working mom, I am pretty sure I would be a lousy stay-at-home-mom.  I am positive I lack the patience, creativity and inspiration to be a great stay-at-home-mom.  And what is worse, I don't think that stay-at-home-moms are immune to Mom Guilt either.  So in the event that I could be a stay-at-home-mom, the damn Mom Guilt monkey would still be present!  Problem not solved. 

I have never had the opportunity, but I can imagine the stay-at-home Mom Guilt assaults, such as "Good moms/dads have a cleaner house", "Good moms/dads cook a healthy, homemade dinner every night", "Good moms/dads don't watch any TV and play constantly with their children", "Good moms/dads would always have the laundry done", "Good moms/dads never check their iPhone in front of their children", "Good moms/dads would make homemade Valentines and not cop out and buy them from Target", "Good moms/dads would volunteer their time more in their child's classroom", "Good moms/dads home school their child(ren)", "Good moms/dads can handle more than 1 or 2 children"... and on and on.

But here is what I am really afraid of, if I have more children, does the intensity of Mom Guilt double for 2 kids, triple for 3 kids, and so on?  God, I hope not.  I may be physically and mentally paralyzed.  Instead, my only hope is that it only adds like 10% extra guilt per child.  I think I could handle just a bit more before it breaks me in half.  That is the best case scenario.  I am sure I am greatly underestimating that, too.

What about you?  What do your Mom/Dad guilt assaults sound like?

Built-in Wrap Up

Ok, yes this will be my very last post about my new beloved built-ins.  They are finished (with the exception of wall paint touch ups).  My parents came today to install and wire the lights.  Exciting!!!

Some neck crankers.

(We also did some caulking after these pics were taken) 

Here is the cost breakdown:
Two gallons of Behr paint w/primer in Winter Glaze $66
3 lights $75
Wiring $16
Lighting boxes, dimmer switch and box $14
Plywood $116
Wood filler $9
Labor FREE
Grand total:  $296

Oh and here is an example of my mad drafting skills...

I could not be more happy with the outcome.  We used plywood with wood filler and then lots of sanding.  In person, the wood has some roughness to it but that is perfect to me.  If you would not like the texture or wanted to stain the wood, you would want to go with higher grade wood which would cost more.

Have a wonderful Sunday and if you see my Mama tomorrow, please wish her a very happy birthday!!

Addiction...

I am going to be perfectly honest here.  I have not been able to stop messing with these shelves.  Not.one.single.day.this.week.  The hubs totally called me on it today, too.

Every single thing with the exception of one urn-like item I found in my house.  Unfortunately, I just don't have enough books and crap to fill the spaces.  Don't you feel bad for me??

The bottom has really not changed much with the exception of adding a few blankets to the right side. It is really working great to have the open shelves.  Sully just goes and picks his books out, no problem.  He also turns around the airplane, bus and truck on the middle second shelf so that they are facing the wall (I have no idea what that is about).

The top still needs some love.  But I am trying to hold off until we get the lights in on Sunday.

Also, I can't stop listening to the Lumineers.  You will recognize this song from the commercials for Silver Linings Playbook (which by the way, the song in NOT in the movie- super disappointing).

PS- this is happening today...
If you feel so inclined, click on it and check it out.  Harper's dad, Andrew Bohacek is plunging for Special Olympics!!

Happy Saturday!!

Built-in Bliss

Remember the built-ins I wanted to add??  Well, my parents were here this weekend and we got most of it done.  I designed and drafted up a plan and we went from there.  See photo show below:

Before shot.  I also painted the wood half wall and it totally changes the look of the room!

Measuring and framing out the toe kick.

Carpet cut out.

 Sully providing entertainment.

Installing the toe kick.

Installing the 16" deep base.

Base is in, now working on the top.

The supervisor, supervising.

The painting zone, aka the bowels of our home.

Getting the header in place, where the lights will be installed next weekend.

The trim is in place!

Painted!

This morning when the paint is all dry.

So we will be adding the lights and doing the wiring next weekend.  If you think I could leave this empty until next weekend, you are crazy.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  It is exactly what I wanted!  There were a lot a decisions to be made about closed vs open storage on the bottom, color of the wall and shelving unit and shelving height and how to deal with the half wall on the right side of the unit.  All of these decisions had to fit into the budget too.  In the end, I love what I have but may add some doors on the bottom eventually.  For now, I love that the bottom is Sully friendly and he has a place for all of his stuff and he can see it.


I have some touching up to do with the walls and I will show you the finished product and give you a rundown on the cost next week.  For now, I have lots of staging (aka moving things around and finding more books for the shelves) to do.

Linked up to the Thrifty Decor Chick February before and after party!