I Have a Dirty Little Secret..

I haven't slept good in weeks. I can be exhausted yet as soon as my head hits the pillow I toss and turn for what seems like eternity. I hate mornings anymore might I add. It wasn't always this way in fact I used to love waking up early to cheerfully "greet the day". Now I can't muster up enough energy to get out of bed and do a yoga routine, let alone do much of anything besides get ready, get the kids ready, and make breakfast on the fly (something I can now manage to do within 30 min, think drill sergent). There are two distinct possibilities as to why this may be occurring. Either I have too much on my mind (isn't that always the case) and aside from there being something in the water, it could possibly have to do with something so simple as I changed my drink. It is all my faithful barista Jen's fault, yes I am afraid I am going to have to blame her for this one and avoid accountability. You see it went down something like this when I went in for my regular old Trenta iced coffee with soy and three Splendas...

Jen: You wanna try something really good??

Me: Sure (this could potentialy be the highlight of my day)

Jen: I am going to add a few syrups I think you'll really like..

Me: Ummm Okay..( U mean like sugar syrups..shut up just go with it be polite..)

Jen: Here try this it's iced coffee with Soy Vanilla syrup & Carmel drizzle..

Me: No Splendas..??

Jen: Nope

Me: Oh this is goooood I mean really good ( I want to drizzle caramel all over everything I consume from now on)

Jen: I knew you'd like it..

And so it goes..I have been sucking down two of these per day because they go down so smoooth and getting gooey Carmel up the straw is like a little present all throughout the day.. Oh the shame!! My loving husband brought me home my old soy Splenda standby this weekend as it was too complicated to remember my new concoction and I shunned it, it sat there getting all melty as I sadly tried to nurse it..It just wasn't the same ..how did I ever drink this I thought...Yes I am in trouble and I may not be sleeping well anytime soon and sometimes I can't feel the left side of my face but on a good note I graduated to Gold status on my card and am earning free drinks..I am starting to wonder if they put something in their coffee, you know like how everyone thought cigarettes were safe and then well found out they were addictive and kill people?

Either way...mornings are overrated anyways..

Chillaxin

Is the weekend really almost over? I know it has been said a zillion times but boy how time flies when your having fun. I wouldn't call the majority of the day spent on homework fun mind you but there is a certain mode that I fall into, just on Sundays that makes no matter what I am into feel low key. I am thinking ahead to April and of what the new month will bring. April marks the last month of tolerable weather before the dog days of Summer kick in around these parts and we will be taking full advantage of the outdoors ...a camping trip is in it's planning stage...Sunday involved a little man who insisted on a dozen red roses for his mama. A trip around town with my favorite teenager and his friends..breakfast for dinner today ( I am not a big breakfast in the morning person..like at all) and aside from all the homework a little glam rock, restorative yoga and a sparkly too tight shirt that left me wondering why the hell I left the house like this... here's to the week ahead..

Roses from my little man!

Spring Fever

Yoko Ono hand picked 20 SONGS FOR SPRING  that are sure to get you in the mood for these breezy semi warm days..lately on my play list is a little Sting..Crystal Castles..and throwback 80's tunes..the doors and windows are all kept open this time of year so heres hoping the neighbors like my choice in music..thus far no critters have made it in the house..I was reminded that it is indeed snake season around here as I was hiking my way through the Fountain Hills Botanical Garden today but we didn't let that stop us..Living in the desert you always here tall tales of encounters with rattle snakes, funny because the only time I have ever seen one up close was while vacationing in Long Pine. Nebraska of all places... Not only did I encounter a rattler on that trip, but while tubing down the river noticed the water was full of snakes too..guess that wasn't fish tickling my toes..yikes! One of my favorite posts via social media ever was a girl I know who exclaimed "Now Taking Applications For A Spring Fling!" Gotta love it..It has been a relaxing Spring Break so far..It is very nice to wake up whenever I feel like it which is usually somewhere between 8 and 9..instead of jumping to it and getting everyone ready we linger in bed with books for a good hour until fully awake then go about doing whatever feels right for the day..We have gone vintage shopping and got a few projects in the works..I have been spending an hour or so working on the yard every day which is really meditative and aside from the thorns and prickers still in my finger tips I am getting some good sun, just enough for color.We have taken to going out for lunch and I am indulging in freshly bakes bagels with lucious cream cheese and amazing lox..topped with juicy tomatoes, capers and thinly sliuced red onion..yea I think I have to go back to DJ's tomorrow.. I am back in the kitchen and hiding veggies and healthy stuff in everything I make for my husband..he really has no idea which is great. Tonight I stuffed bell peppers with basmati rice, cuban black beans and ground tukey. I added plenty of minced onions, cumin, ancho chilli powder and garlic so he wouldn't  notice we weren't having "red" meat..cleverly disguised by lots of gooey melted cheddar and Newmans Own tomtato sauce..yes I used jar sauce but so far I cannot master a sauce as pleasent as Newmans Sockaroni..it's perfect. We had a big salad and rosemary garlic bread from La Brea bakery..to me this was the perfect meal on a balmy night like tonight and he didn't notice a thing..tomorrow Nicholas and I will get fresh made tortillas to eat up the leftover stuffing for the peppers mixed with eggs and cheese...We have loads of books this week to read and I have been immersed in reading about chakra balancing..family dinners and my old fav author Sarah Ban Breathenach.. I also got Howard Gardner's Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed, Educating for the Virtues in the Twenty-First Century..Not sure what to think about this one yet...That being said Easter decorations are up and I have began contemplating what we will be on the menu..There is a certain calmness in the house and days before the Spring Equinox I think I am finally embracing the season upon us...

I have spent the week spinning my wheels..trying to get into a groove when truth is sometimes it feels as though the days go by so so fast. I hope to spend a full day in the pool this weekend and am looking forward to doing a photo project at Taliesin West on Monday with my oldest son..What is capturing my attention this week..The Crock Pot Girls, these gals now have almost a million likes on Facebook..a MILLION! They are 3 stay at home moms who started a little page to exchange crock pot recipes and not like they were the first to have this idea and throw up a fan page but for whatever reason it took off like crazy and their likes continue to go through the roof..and get this they didn't even have a website or a blog yet..they are frantically trying to pull one together. Kudos ladies!!It doesn't look like their server is handling the amount of traffic very well yet but when they get it all together I will surely be stalking to not only check out these great recipes (choc. lava cake anyone) but to watch these rising stars.
I have spent the week with my nose in the books..studying about PreSocratic philosophers ..appreciating Socrates ever so much more..pouring over maps, comparing population figures...writing about popular vs folk culture as well as adaptive reuse. My architecture class is a blast so far..it is like my dessert. We are going over the Chicago Worlds Fair and how the Industrial Revolution impacted building, city planning and design in the years that would follow.I am not a big fan of my sport in society class which is a prerequisite for my degree. I am trying to look at the positives but 4 pages on why children in New Guinea prefer to play street hockey really? Guess what I will be doing Sunday night? But that's enough about school..I have been making time for relaxation and family as well and have been enjoying helping out at my sons school and reading to the boys just about every night. It is so important to read to your children, even if it is just for a half hour and of course if they are able have them read to you. We have been reading lots of Dr Seuss as my youngest son has been making these choices from his school library..tonight we read one of our William Wegman books, the kids just love the photos and I am looking for a poster to have framed for my middle son. We have been fascinated with monster fish, alien fish and finger monkeys..and we have been playing Chinese checkers like crazy and building card houses. It's hard to think of Halloween and all of the excitement that Fall brings when it is 115 degrees outside. It has been so darn hot we have been spending all our time inside, heck the schools aren't even having recess outside right now. We celebrated my husbands birthday Monday..he hates his birthdays something which I just cannot understand for the life of me. He is overworked and when he isn't working he is sleeping which has been the norm for some time now I only hope there is a light at the end of this tunnel for him.
Heading to the resort this weekend will be a welcome treat even if just for 2 days being inside all the time gives me a case of cabin fever and severe wanderlust..but I have been having fun at the theatre..this is the first season I have season tickets and have been taking the boys..we saw Beauty & the Beast last weekend and they loved it and I enrolled my middle son in an after school workshop..I am so looking forward to the upcoming shows especially at Christmastime...enough about me its time for something beautiful..the day just calls for it..



The Crystal Palace designed by Joseph Paxton. Considered to be the first modern building it was the inspiration behind the designs of Walt Disney (his father worked on the project) as well as the magical land of OZ. Destroyed by fire in the 1930's after years of being in ruin this is how I prefer to remember it, in all of it's glory.

United Colors of Benetton

Anyone remember United Colors of Benetton?

I used to love their ads...and still do..they captured current events, spurred controversy and all in the name of selling sweaters.

Speaking of sweaters I would have given my right arm to have owned one of their colorful cable knits circa 1989, no matter the color I just wanted one bad.

Here are some of my favorites over the years.

I will start with a glimpse into the Aids epidemic 20 years ago

The picture of a young man  David Kirby in his dying hours,as photographed by Therese Frare was ran by United Colors of Benetton as part of an add campaign in 1992 and became as you can imagine incredibly controversial.. The add was run with the consent of his loving parents to bring awareness to the devastation of Aids which had taken his life. The Catholic church would denounce this photograph and foundations would call for the boycott of Benetton as a result.



In the words of the great Oliviero Toscani the man behind these infamous ads:

Our prints does not tell people to buy our clothes, they are not even hint at it. All of our increasing aim at creating disputes over those items that are usually true, but that we believe should be widely discussed.

Read more: United Colors of Benetton - campaign archive - the Fashion Spot http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f79/united-colors-benetton-campaign-archive-77555.html#ixzz1Oia6bGrE

My Favorite Things~ Writing Prompt

Set your clock for 5 minutes and just write: Your Favorite Things



Strawberry jello with bananas..woody allen movies..pedicures..john lennon..kisses and hugs..making my boys smile..starbucks..french silk pie..satin pillowcases..swimming..fushia..thrift shopping..H&M...new perfume..yellow roses..waking up early..sundays..palm springs..nag champaka....my friends at the coffee shop..pugs..back rubs...laughing..burts bees..Coy Fish...mid century modern architecture..softball..my ipod..my husbands jokes..easter..tennis..airstream trailers..making homemade pie..smoothies..rum cake..making love

 What Are Yours? Tell Gypsy Mama