Tag: tumblr

odds and ends

Odds and Ends

Odds and Ends
popsicles, artwork, tumblr

What’s Your Flavor?

Whew! The heat has been intense. All of the popsicles were gobbled up before the kids headed off to camp on Sunday. Here it is Wednesday and I am popsicle-less.  How did that happen?  How is it Wednesday already?! What is going on around here? A few mid-week odds and ends, that’s what.

1. Given the current boot situation, I think this is as close to the beach as I’m going to get this summer. *le sigh*

2. After stalling out several times over the week-end, my poor truck is getting repaired.  Since two thirds of my crew are at camp, I didn’t have to get a mini van from the rental company (Enterprise, you’re the real MVP).  I’ve been tooling around in this and I might not give it back.

3. I’ve been itching to do something craft-tastic lately, but have been coming up empty on ideas.  As luck would have it, Buzzfeed DIY sent 33 Gorgeous DIY Projects to Decorate Your Grown-Up Apartment right to my inbox! It’s such an ask and you shall receive moment, I’m seriously thinking I need to ask a little bigger, you know what I mean? Of the 33 ideas, this one looks will be perfect in the kitchen. V and I cleared out the paint chip aisle at Lowe’s like we were on Supermarket Sweep.

4. And speaking of stuff to hang on the walls. . .um, I need this, like, immediately!

5. Summer is a great time for cook-outs, clambakes, and generally any excuse to get together with friends and family over food.  I’d really like to try a picnic party: just invite folks over with blankets and baskets and just sit in the grass and catch up.  You know, like this.  Of course, given the heat index, the bugs, and the inevitable kiddie meltdowns, this may just have to happen in my imagination.

What odds and ends did I miss?  Share them with me in the comments!

 

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IN: odds and ends ON: June 24, 2015 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
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hair

Monday, Monday.

Monday, Monday.

via

Back to the grind.

I’m two weeks post-op. My one job is to rest.  I’m doing my best to be patient while things percolate under the bandages, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t tried to still be SuperMom.  For the past two weeks, I’ve been delegating tasks, coordinating schedules, and running my little empire from the prime real estate that is the sofa.  There have been quite a few times when I’ve had to pull an Elsa and just let stuff go. Like when I came downstairs for the first time after a week of bed rest and found the entire first floor looking like the bottom of a backpack on the last day of school.

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I am, however, trying to keep things in perspective.  These past two weeks, as well as the next however many it will take to get back to business, are  just a paragraph in this particular chapter of my life.

That’s kind of deep.  It’s also one thing to say and quite another thing to believe it.  I’m working on it, though.  I remind myself to breathe. I remind myself to patient. I remind myself to be a little kinder to myself than I was yesterday.  I make plans.  I pin things to my boards. I organize.  I re-post things on tumblr.  I make lists. I read blogs. I read books. I make more lists. I take selfies.

I’m outlining the next chapter.

  • I’m so ready for summer clothes, but I need to figure sort out what I’ve got from last season.  I stumbled upon this website and now have a plan.
  • This would be great in my room, once I’ve completed my wardrobe capsule.
  • Spending an inordinate amount of time on IG has introduced me to a number of cool bloggers, motivational words, new hairstyle ideas, and lots of pictures of cupcakes.
  • Mmm, cupcakes.
  • And lemonade filled mason jars with a little whimsy poking out of the top.
  • And of course, something to read.

 

 

 

 

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IN: hair ON: April 27, 2015 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
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November Photo Challenge

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For those of you unfamiliar with the Photo A Day Challenge, I’ve provided you with a list of prompts or suggestions for each day of the month.  On the designated day, you snap a photo of the suggestion or a photo of your interpretation of the suggestion and post it to Instagram.  You can add a caption to your photo, as well as the hashtag #hilarywithonel so we can keep up with you.  If you input #hilarywithonel in the Instagram search box, you’ll be able to see what others have already posted.

These monthly challenges are part of my greater year long challenge to take one photo a day.  You can follow my progress here: f/365

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. It’s just a fun way to be creative.  No penalties for missed days, and no prize for hitting all the days – well, satisfaction is a prize in and of itself right?

Snap on, my friends, snap on.

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IN: ON: October 31, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
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October Photo Challenge

Guess what? Including this month, five more months of challenges and I’ll have done it for a whole year! I’m not breaking my arm patting myself on the back — not yet anyway — but I’m kind of excited.  I’m thinking about what I’m going to do with these images.

Maybe I’ll make a calendar.

Maybe I’ll print out my favorites and hang them in the house.

Maybe I’ll make a coffee-table book called “Hilary Snaps” and fill it with 365 images of photo challenges.

Maybe I’ll do absolutely nothing except revel in the fact that I set a goal and completed it.  I’ll make t-shirt for that.

Whatever the case may be, I’m excited and I really want to get people to participate.  My hashtag (#hilarywithonel) is really being used — I’m claiming some real estate out in the social media megaverse!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Photo A Day Challenge, I’ve provided you with a list of prompts or suggestions for each day of the month.  On the designated day, you snap a photo of the suggestion or a photo of your interpretation of the suggestion and post it to Instagram.  You can add a caption to your photo, as well as the hashtag #hilarywithonel so we can keep up with you.  If you input #hilarywithonel in the Instagram search box, you’ll be able to see what others have already posted.

These monthly challenges are part of my greater year long challenge to take one photo a day.  You can follow my progress here: f/365

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. It’s just a fun way to be creative.  No penalties for missed days, and no prize for hitting all the days – well, satisfaction is a prize in and of itself right?

Snap on, my friends, snap on. 

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IN: ON: September 30, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , BY: Hilary
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recipes

Just Writing

Yesterday, I was lamenting the fact that I don’t have time to write.  There’s always something to be done, somewhere to be, just a variety of minutiae that must be attended to.

There’s always another book in the Outland Series that I need to keep reading. Good Lord, this woman wrote like  twelve 1600+ page books!  And I Can’t.Stop.Reading.Them.

I need to, though. I mean, I’m not going to get any of my own words on the page if I’m busy gobbling up whatever it is Diana Gabaldon is putting down.  The books, the chores, the phone calls and emails to return — certainly, I could just toss it all over my shoulder and say, “Too bad! I’m going to take 30 minutes (or whatever) and just write.”

Yeah. I can’t seem to deprogram myself to do that.

I put V down for a nap and spread out my reams of papers, notebooks, and calendars.

Then I got on Pinterest.
And Tumblr.

In my defense (truly!), I was looking for a recipe for dinner tonight.  I made some White Bean and Sausage Soup with Collards, but I know the big girls aren’t going to eat that.  I needed a plan B, so I took to ol’ reliable — Pinterest.  The next thing I know, I’m clicking on outfits that I like, crafts I’ll never make and shoes I can’t afford. Then I stuck up on my tumblr so I can look at them again later.  Gah! They got me again!

Then I got hungry. So, I had to get something to eat. Who’s got two thumbs and can’t work on an empty stomach? This gal!

Lunch break, which was promptly consumed leaving me totally unsatisfied.  I pretty much the eat same thing for lunch every day.  Mixed field greens with tomatoes, onions, and grilled chicken.  If I’m feeling exceedingly peckish — which I usualy am — I have some crackers or pita chips on the side.  And, seeing as it is fall (yay!),  means my love affair with pumpkin is in full swing, I have traded in my Garlic Expressions salad dressing for this!

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Seeing as how I had to break up with the Pumpkin Spice K cups (so sad, so sad) and as how I can’t be all up in Starbucks for my #PSL fix. . .

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I went with some salad dressing.  Hey, it helps the greens go down in a most delightful way.  Plus,  and I’m almost embarassed to admit this, my first #PSL of the season was not that great.  I know, I know! I was pretty choked up about it, too.  Last Saturday was the 14th, right? On the radio, the DJ said, seeing as how the 13th is unlucky, the 14th should be lucky.  Taking it one step further, he challenged his listeners to treat themselves to something and thereby make it their lucky day. Well, who am I to argue with the DJ? The girls and I were already on our way to the mall.  We had a great time shopping. They amused themselves while I tried on shoes:

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They brought their own allowance and I let them run amok in the Sweet Shoppe candy store.  So, despite my purchases, turns out it was quite a lucky day for me), I had one more thing that I felt would make the whole day just complete. A #PSL.

We waited in this ridiculously long line, but the girls were troupers.  I wheeled the stroller through the throngs of people and out the door.  The mall is an outdoor mall and the weather was crisp as the sun shined overhead and throughout.  We passed a large fountain in one of the accoutred areas and I fished out some change for the girls to toss into wishes.  I should have wished for a better tasting coffee, but at the time, who knew?

In any event, because I’m dramatic like that, I waited until we were all back and buckled in the car before I pulled out the green coffee stopper and took my first sip.  That one was good.  The next one was, too.  But subsequent sips after that? Eh, not so much.  When we got home, I made the mistake of popping the lid off the cup to peer inside. Blerg! I won’t even tell you what it looked like so that you can continue to enjoy your #PSLs.  Suffice it to say, me and #PSL are taking a break.  Or as they say on FaceBook, “It’s Complicated.”  And no. . .#SCM has nothing to do with it.  Well, not entirely.

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In any event, it looks like I’ve written a little bit.  V, my sweet biscuit, never did fall asleep.  She’s been talking to herself and banging (what I hope is ) her hands against the crib.  Guess I’m being summoned, and for that, I’m pretty sure I can put all that minutiae I was talking about to the back burner.

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IN: recipes ON: September 17, 2013 TAGS: , , , , , , , , , BY: Hilary
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Septemeber Photo Challenge

(image)

For those of you unfamiliar with the Photo A Day Challenge, I’ve provided you with a list of prompts or suggestions for each day of the month.  On the designated day, you snap a photo of the suggestion or a photo of your interpretation of the suggestion and post it to Instagram.  You can add a caption to your photo, as well as the hashtag #hilarywithonel so we can keep up with you.  If you input #hilarywithonel in the Instagram search box, you’ll be able to see what others have already posted.

These monthly challenges are part of my greater year long challenge to take one photo a day.  You can follow my progress here: f/365

Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. It’s just a fun way to be creative.  No penalties for missed days, and no prize for hitting all the days – well, satisfaction is a prize in and of itself right?

Snap on, my friends, snap on.

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IN: ON: August 30, 2013 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
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Lists

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You know I loves me a list.

I have had “BLOG” on the top of my latest batch of lists for the past few weeks.  Immediately following that, I have had “Get Your Shit Together”.  Seriously.  There are so many projects that I want to tackle and I just keep getting sidetracked.  I’m not even talking about the regular ol’ household, parenting, and so forth.  I’m like one of those birds flying along, sees something shiny and is instantly like “Oooh, shiny!”

Here are a few ways that I’ve been wasting repurposing my time:

1. tumblr.  Come follow me, though.  It’s fun to look at pretty pictures.

2. Pinterest.  Do I really need to explain? Of course, I have been on it in search of some easy, budget friendly summer activities for the girls.  When I offer to turn on the sprinkler for them, I get a full body eye roll that would make Liz Lemon proud.  Really? You’re kids. It’s summer.  Sprinklers are fun. I don’t see why this math isn’t adding up.

3. OPB (Other People’s Blogs).  I’m a blog stalker.  I hardly ever leave comments, although people are super kind enough to leave them for me.  I read posts, I look through photos and all that stuff, but I never have anything to add to the comments that hasn’t already been said.  Of course, who doesn’t like to hear an additional, “You’re right!” or “Great post!” or other accolade.  Note to self: leave comments on what you read, even if it’s just the written equivalent of a high five.

4.  reading books on my new fangled iPad mini.  I know, I know, I said that I would never, never, never cross to the darkside that is the e-reader, but I can’t help it!  The Hubs gifted me with the mini for our anniversary last month and I started getting a few samples of books here and there.  My first sample was “Divergent” and well, it’s been downhill from there.

5.  physical therapy (again).  The saga continues; I had tenolysis surgery on the 28th and spent a week recouperating in Chesapeake at my parents house. The up-side is that I was out of the boot in a week. I’m walking on my own, but things are stiff.  I’ve got the gait of a suburban Frankenstein.  Still, it’s way better progress than the first time around.  Fitting PT in two to three times a day with the young ones underfoot is a challenge, but I gotta do it, man because. . .

6. Las Vegas!  My sorority sisters and I are going on a much needed girls getaway to Vegas next month. Can I even tell you how excited I am about this? I’m pulling clothes from the closet, putting new clothes and bathing suits in various virtual shopping carts around the internet, bombarding my line sister with pictures of myself in various bathing suits to make sure I don’t look like the chaperone while we’re out there (and yes, I owe her a huge stack of gift cards to retailers of her choice for putting up with me with that).  I’ve got a Las Vegas list of sorts going on, too.

There are always lists.  I keep a notepad and pen in the bathroom with my make-up because inevitably, I think of something that will leave my head before I get downstairs to the kitchen to write it down.  I “borrowed” a mini legal pad at my parents house to write things down as they came to me so that when we got back home, I could just get started.  I’ve got another folded up piece of paper that I pulled from some random pile of stuff to be sorted so that I could remember what songs to add to my work-out playlist, what odds and ends I needed to pick up from the grocery store, who I had to call, who I had to email, and what activities to look up on Pinterest. Vicious circle, vicious, vicious circle.

And really, my ideal list would include taking pictures, writing stories, having a good long nap, being totally and thoroughly (and uninterruptedly) romanced by my husband, and that’s it.  Well, I’m sure some bacon, wine, and chocolate would be involved in there, too, but you know, that goes without saying.

Bacon, wine, and chocolate. . .need to put that on my grocery list.

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IN: ON: July 10, 2013 TAGS: , , , BY: Hilary
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