Posted in a room of one's own, awkward girl, Puke of the Brain, writing on May 13, 2011| Leave a Comment »
You might have noticed a bit of silence around here the last few days… that’s because I’ve moved this here bloggy, and I forgot to tell you.
Oopsie. I’m giving away a necklace over at the new place, will that make it up to you? Please come over and say hello!
(And put www.wranglerdani.com/blog in your readers. Plzthx.)
Posted in family, holidays, men/women, shopping! on April 26, 2011| 2 Comments »
Hello friends! I haven’t shopped in a while, and I’ve been feeling weak, pale and much more apt to leap upon email-newsletter sales than normal, which means I need to do a bit of preemptive control of myself and my trusty credit card.
Hence, a shopping post! (Applause) In my opinion, Mother’s Day is on the same level as Valentine’s Day – a made-up reason to tell somebody you love that you do actually love them, especially if you don’t say it enough. Mom’s day gifts, however, are kind of fun, because they’re not particularly expected but are fun to shop for and always appreciated by our hard-working moms. Plus, a bunch of my friends have BECOME moms recently, so this post is the perfect hint to your fella: “don’t worry about getting up for the baby…. just buy me this“. (Seriously, that’s a link to something BEAUTIFUL. Hint, hint.)
We have a lot of goodies to get to today, because moms are way too easy to shop for and this is partly a list of all the things I want too and I just appreciate them so much. So let’s get shopping!
I love shopping for my mom, because we both seriously love to cook, and buying kitchen gadgets is almost as fun as using them.
This little beauty from Sur La Table would absolutely stop my herb-chopping world. It’s a knife. And it’s flexible, like a cooking gymnast.
Also, it’s only $17.95 and it’s SO PRETTY.
Speaking of cooking, check these bad boys out:
From vesselsandwares on Etsy. This might be the prettiest and most practical $98 you ever spend. Look at my gorgeous serving bowl! Oh, and he has two brothers that I’m making pancakes and scrambled eggs in. Yes, I am that classy.
What’s that you say? Your mom is more the wine and cocktail party type, rather than the whipping-up-breakfast-type? I can totally empathize with that, which is why we’re having breakfast for dinner tonight. Also, you should buy her this:
From Pottery Barn. I LOVE THIS. I’m fairly certain that any of the talented men in my life (Adam, my dad and my brother) could replicate this, and I’m also fairly certain that the ladies in your lives would be EVER so grateful if you did. It wouldn’t even have to be Mother’s Day. Just any ol’ time, if you want to whip this puppy up… (if you just want to go with a bottle instead of a bin, though, you should use these tags, because they are awesome.)
My mom and I have different styles, but one thing that we are Very Alike About (worst grammatically terrible descriptor ever) is A) we love anything vintage, particularly anything kitchen-related, and B) we kill plants. By the dozens. So I think the above gift (from plantology on Etsy) would be perfect. Already started plants in cute containers… if we do manage to kill it, at least we can try again next year with the vintage coffee can and another budding victim, right?
Chicha, from The Emperor's New Groove
I kind of can’t get over how much I love this necklace. Honestly. (From justexpressive on Etsy.)
Also, these are fabulous. They remind me of Costa Rica:
SO PRETTY. From BellaBeachJewelry on Etsy.
I’m kind of in a beachy mood, and I stumbled upon these sandals the other day and thought “this is what I’ve always longed for” then I realized how full of hyperbole my brain is. But seriously. These are really amazing – the perfect blend of trend and class, from J.Jill:
Finally, we are at our last two offerings. This is a sad moment for me, because I love shopping. You probably quit reading several dumb jokes ago. Anyways, our last two are both bags, one for toting everything, and one for toting camera gear. Both are adorbs.
The one for everything.
That’s all folks! Hug a mom today!
Posted in Faith, family, good question, Memories, Ruminations, writing on April 22, 2011| 1 Comment »
When I was around 11 or 12 years old, in my childhood living room, my dad taught my brother and I how to protect our faces and deliver a hefty punch, in case we ever got into a fight. (This knowledge was only to be used against meanies, of course). (Which it has, if you must know). Later, in college, I had a punching bag in my room that I frequently used to assuage my frustrated feelings and rattle the hallways of our poor old house. I’ve never been afraid of a fight, even though I consider myself a dreamy/artsy type, hence why the title quote made me smile this week.
I’ve been thinking about dreaming lately, and the fight that it takes to turn a dream into a plan. It’s said that planners marry dreamers, which is definitely true in my life. I’m the spontaneous and overly casual dreamer – I don’t measure when I cook and keeping track of my keys is my biggest daily challenge. Adam, the planner, makes a carefully printed out and detailed spreadsheet for work-outs, vacations and Big Life Decisions, while I tend to only worry about such silly details 10 minutes before we’re about to embark upon said adventure, at which point I realize that I maybe should have thought this through.
Being with Adam reminds me that I’m not a planner. Honestly, I’m in awe of someone who is so rarely rattled. So, if I’m honest about my own short-comings, I’m completely shocked that my business is thriving. I very nearly break out in stress-related hives every tax season, I have done my fair share of blowing by opportunities and I often make dumb choices. Basically, I’m me and I never realized that I could actually be good at things. I’ve always expected much more from myself, and when I didn’t deliver, I would assume that was just how it was. Punching something, in my mind, only helped me feel better – little did I know that very fight in my heart, and that mere strong-willed determination might be enough to overcome my failures.
I know now that a bit of grit goes a long way, and a good pummeling only makes me stronger. A few tough brawls have taught me that although I’m rejoicing in my momentary success, hard times are just around the corner. That’s what boxing lessons with my dad taught me, anyway, and it hasn’t been disproven yet – don’t ever turn around on your adversary, don’t ever assume you’re safe – fight until you know you’ve won.
As much as I’ve wanted to give up sometimes, I’m glad I’ve learned the art of hunting down my dreams and giving them a stern beating. I have a new, personal goal to achieve and it will take a lot of clobbering to overcome. Luckily for me, I have a deadly right hook.
Posted in a room of one's own, Faith, good day, writing on April 18, 2011| 2 Comments »
I’m forcing myself to talk about my right now, since lately it’s felt like a terrifying blend of too big, too scary, too much and too boring all at once. I’m sorry for the vaguery, but the Stuff that is all over my brain is not fit for public consumption. (You really are glad that I have some self-control and am not vomiting my Stuff all over the Internet. Trust me.)
Right now I’m defrosting chicken breasts and planning an evening hike with my hubby. I’m reeling from compliments at this morning’s writer’s group and praying for courage to pursue an unpopular road. I’m craving chocolate and drinking Diet Coke, hoping for sunshine and noting the misty gray skies still lingering, wishing that I had an answer to questions that are pounding at my door, seeping through the cracks in my walls, tugging on my shirt-tails and whispering in my ear.
I’m learning to be gracious and generous. I’m learning to listen to my husband and let him lead. I’m learning to say “thank you” when someone says nice things about me and my work, to brush it off when they don’t agree or get offended. I’m learning to not worry about tomorrow, to be grateful in the moment, to fix my eyes on the Author and Finisher.
Right now is a hard time. Right now is an in-between time. Right now is a beautiful time.
Posted in family, Great Outdoors, shopping! on April 7, 2011| 5 Comments »
On Monday, we hung out with this face:
*Pause for awwwwwwws*
Anyhoodle, we went with this little chicita and a handful of her big kid friends on a boat and had wonderful times. Then I remembered that I have a blog and maybe I should write on it instead of just letting it sit out on the interwebs and gather dust. Also, since all of you have requested so many great shopping ideas and babies are always fun, let’s talk about that, shall we?
Speaking of boats and babies and nautical themes… isn’t this the most darling thing? My dear Kirsten, who requested this shopping theme, is actually married to a sailor-type fella and has a baby boy, so this is just so perfect it makes me SQUEE. Plus, it’s on sale! Squee again! (From justbunch on Etsy.)
Also, may I remind all of you that Easter is coming, which is the holiday designed around adorable/embarrassing baby pictures, that we can reveal in 20 years at our children’s weddings. (Theoretically, of course.) Hence, your child needs a tie. (From petitepeanut on Etsy.)
If tying a tie is just too tough for your Easter brunch plans, never fear:
(From WeChooseJoy on Etsy.) (I seriously might steal one of these babies for myself. Holy moly SO CUTE.)
But enough cutesy stuff, right? These are little boys after all, and every little boy needs to go vroom-vroom:
My First Harley from Toys R Us. I have a soft spot for little rough-and-tumblers, and I just might keep this one bookmarked for someday. Or I might get pregnant tomorrow. Or steal a baby. (JK! I’m a safe babysitter, promise!)
Since we’re on the subject of vroom-vroom, check this out: Tubby the Tugboat. Yup. Why don’t we play with bath toys as grownups? Also, how cute are these blankets?
Also, I’m all in favor of bedtime stories, specifically this one. (Nerd alert!)
I’ve outed myself as a nerd, so you might as well know that if and when I have a handsome little fella in our house, these pictures will be among the first things that hang in his room. (Wookie the Chew)
Also, as we have firmly established, this is a little BOY we’re talking about, who will need to go splashing in mud puddles and clamboring around in inclement weather and preparing for a life of derring-do, so obviously he needs this rain suit and these boots.
Finally, to wrap up, I looked everywhere for a little building/handyman set that would be baby-safe, and this was the best I’ve found:
Awwww! He wants to help his daddy fix mommy’s sink and hang Wookie the Chew pictures, right?! What a guy. (From littlealouette on Etsy.)
Love. Love. Love. Hope this helps you find something fun for your little man!
Posted in inspiration, job angst, shopping!, writing on March 24, 2011| 2 Comments »
I know, I know.
I’m way behind. I haven’t blogged in weeks days, I’m working like crazy to cover everything I didn’t cover while Little Joe and I recovered from the Plague and plus, we still like eating, so I’m still cooking and new recipes might be joyfully taking over my life, without a care for the poor little blog.
And I owe you all much more of a shopping post than this. However, today I saw this spoon and thought, “I NEED this”. So meaningful in my life right now, in more ways than one.
From Sycamore Hill on Etsy
Also, I went on and on about cupcakes and DC and TLC and following my dreams. Clickity!
Posted in Great Outdoors, Home, horses, observations, Puke of the Brain, sick days on March 18, 2011| 1 Comment »
“Bonanza” is on TeeVee during the day. Did you know this? It, combined with a blanket and a cup of coffee, is the best possible cure for an achey head and general sicky feelings. Pa Cartwright gives heartwarming speeches to the town drunks and helps them mend their ways, Hoss looks vaguely concerned at all times, and Adam is boring and handsome. Also, they all ride horses everywhere at top speed, which once again solidifies that I was born in the wrong century (except that I would probably be in a long skirt on a wagon in danger of fainting instead of galloping about on my horse. Minor detail).
Also, Little Joe frequently gets shot in the upper body, so that he is forced to continue to fire at Indians/Mexicans/cattle rustlers and other good-fer-nothings completely shirtless, with only an artfully placed bandage to wreck the view:
Not that I’m complaining, I just thought I’d point out this piece of information, in case you find yourself down and out and in need of daytime entertainment.
Posted in a room of one's own, moodiness, sick days on March 16, 2011| 1 Comment »
Hello, Internetz.
Ok, since I know you’re all on the edge of your seats wondering how on my Earth my contagious self is faring, let me tell you a couple of things that I learned today.
Thing #1: Going to the doctor is preferable to staying up all night in pain. Adam suggested that we head on over to the medical practitioners yesterday, an idea which I bah-humbugged, citing my earnest belief in my immune system and the power of OJ. I then stayed up all night against my will and made Adam very sad by moaning/crying in pain until we could get into Urgent Care this morning. It was great.
Thing #2: I have never had a sinus infection before. When I heard of other people having sinus infections, I would usually sigh sympathetically and think “oh, yeah, how terrible, that’s like a stuffy nose with extra stuffy, right?” WRONG, Dani of the past. It is a horrific phenomenon in which your entire face falls off and you can’t sleep and you can’t eat and you think you might just die if your temples throb one more time. I now have had a sinus infection. To anyone who’s ever told me of theirs and gotten a vaguely sympathetic nod in return, I’M SO SORRY.
Also, it really sucks to be the sole owner and work-doer of your business and be sick and woefully unable to string sentences together, when writing is kinda how you make your living. I feel terrible for letting people down, even when my face is falling off.
One last update, and then you can go about your healthy lives. I’m going to blame this decision on lack of sleep and too much DayQuil, but today I was feeling terrible, and on strict orders to remain in a mostly prostrate position and NOT sweep the floor even though it is getting way gross around here. So, I thought, “Hey! Time for a mid-day movie. I know! I feel awful and depressed, so let’s watch one about sweet little kids dying of cancer. That’s the ticket.”
SERIOUSLY, Dani? I can’t even look at the poster without feeling sniffly. Well, at least some of the Kleenex thrown out today were used for a nobler cause than simply catching my germs, right?
(PS – I have to give a shout-out to the Hubs, who not only listened to me moan but drove me to the Doctor and held my hand and bought me breakfast. What a guy I’ve got.)
Posted in Home, Puke of the Brain, quirks, sick days on March 15, 2011| 2 Comments »
The last five days, I have been gamely attempting to fight off a ferocious head-cold/pukey-feeling/illness from Hell, mostly by cowering under a blanket and only emerging to grouse about the lack of OJ in the house or feebly reach for the tissue box. (I did make occasional soirees into the land of the living, only to deeply regret them within hours, hence the resignation to my fate on the couch).
However, I will NEVAH SURRENDAH and will be back in business shortly. (I really, really, hope so, anyways. My poor Hubs is getting run ragged caring for his pitiful wife and I’m getting a bit tired of sounding like a man. Also, I’m a very dirty sick person and I really need to sweep the floor, if only I could get up. Also, I start getting militant and very frustrated with sickness if it dares to stick around longer than 46 hours.)
BRING ON THE OJ! FIGHT LIKE A MAN, YA COWWAD!
(See? Sorry ’bout that. While I’m at it, any tips on fighting this booger off?)
Posted in church, driving, friendship, inspiration, lists, shopping!, talking, the woods on March 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I’m jumping aboard Gitz’s wagon train (or was it train band? train wagon? Something about a band and a train and some oxen and 1848 and everybody’s doing it. Whatever, whether I get the saying right or not, it makes no sense) and blogging for five straight minutes about what makes me feel loved.
BONUS, this will also be a list post. Because you care an awful lot about me accomplishing my blogging goals, I know.
Wrangler Dani 