Blog a la Cart

Happy 2012

In 2007 we got engaged and moved across the country. In 2008, we were married, announced our first pregnancy, and I started a Master’s program. In 2009, we welcomed that baby, Addison, into the world. In 2010, I received my Master’s degree and started back to work full time, we moved back across the country, rescued our super mutt, Hanna, and announced a second pregnancy. In 2011, we welcomed that second child, Courtland, into the world.

And so, James and I have determined that 2012 is the year of NO BIG LIFE ALTERING EVENTS.

As much as we can control sticking to that kind of resolution, of course.

We had a discussion this evening, processing the past five years and all those crazy life happenings, and we’ve decided that this year we are forgoing major milestones. Ya hear, UNIVERSE? Sure, home ownership would be the next appropriate step, but that thought is so overwhelmingly exhausting that I say, NO! We have the absolute ideal rental situation, so until we have to give up these digs in the summer of 2013, we’re staying put. Settling in. Building upon and growing the already established, quiet, lovely life that we are creating for our family in The Berkshires. Focusing on our growing girls. Our family of four (or six if you count our furry dependents). I’ll be overhauling and rethinking this space and Green Eyed Monster to more accurately account for the direction and focus I’d like to provide my creative side and resulting impulses. And I’ll be settling back into a full year of work without the interruptions of a maternity leave. Perhaps I’ll finally stick to my resolution of not biting my nails or picking at my face. I actually may learn how to properly wield a camera and edit in Lightroom. I could get real crazy and finally learn to sew like I’ve always wanted.

So, 2012, let’s be uneventful, shall we?

And uneventful most surely does not mean boring. Life is anything but when you have rascals like this living in your home.

Cheers to 2012, the year of minor milestones and baby steps, in the most figurative and literal of senses.

I like that. Yes, yes I do.

Week 20

Oh sweet sweet vacation. A time when we sleep just as few hours as we do NOT on vacation, except we get to spend the day in pajamas. And we don’t have to go through that pesky routine of bathing.

Good thing we have two dogs to blame for the resulting stench.

The baby’s sleep habits are improving. Although now that I’ve immortalized that in sans serif on The Interwebs, we’re surely screwed. Now, off to consume the abundance of leftover sweets lying around this house. Simultaneously the best and worst part of hosting the holiday festivities.

My pant zippers are disgruntled indeed.

Courtland: 20 weeks
Addison: 31 months

Christmas 2011

Courtland’s First Christmas

The 1st of many obligatory sister shots!

Enjoying the fire in matching plaid dresses.

Family photo in our Christmas Eve PJs. Yes, James and I wore footed pajamas. And yes, they are as amazing as they sound.

Looks like Santa dropped in and buried our tree.

Santa even left treats for the pups!

Present opening in PJs was a hit. As was this marble block set from Sunny’s FGPs.

Kaki and Kimmy. The little sisters.

More pictures of the sisters!

Although we decided that last picture had far too much red, and opted for a fuzzy blanket backdrop instead.

We adored our monkey-in-the-box.

Almost as much as we adored posing with Auntie Kimmy on Mommy and Daddy’s new Suzani furniture.

It was a happy Christmas for all.

Our Little Rudolph

It was a merry Christmas, indeed. Sunny requested that every member of the family sing Rudolph at least five times, and if we hadn’t distracted her with cookies, it could have gone on all day.

I particularly love Courtland chilling on the couch in the corner of the video and my raspy, out of pitch voice enthusiastically blaring in the background. Sunny sure did love twirling that Christmas skirt, too.

James and I were nostalgic, emotional messes most of the day. Okay, mostly me, although he deigned to admit that it was a pretty magical state of affairs. We realize that we’ll only get so many Christmases like this where both of our families – our parents, our siblings, our friends, our children – are all alive, healthy, well, happy. Christmases where our children wholeheartedly believe in the magic of Santa, and joy and happiness are in abundance. We are very very blessed. And filled with ooey, gooey, weepy gratitude.

It really was the perfect Christmas.

Merry Christmas from GEM

How did Kimmy and I spend Christmas Eve afternoon? Why making a stop motion Christmas video, of course!

From our family to yours

Design by Paper Culture

Week 19

Well, I’m just admitting that we are three weeks behind on this series and skipping weeks 17 and 18 because, quite frankly, there are no photos to show for it. Between returning to work, Kaki’s horrendous sleep habits and this cold, no one’s surprised that we fell short on this front.

I’m going to get back in the groove for the New Year, because I cannot wait to put together a time lapse movie of this series come August of 2012. In the meantime, the Cart household is about to burst with the toddler’s enthusiasm. SANTA IS COMING, y’all! WE NEED TO MAKE REINDEER FOOD! AND COOKIES FOR SANTA! AND! QUICK! CHECK THE CHIMNEY SO SANTA CAN GET DOWN! LOOK AT ALL THE PRESENTS! MOMMY! DADDY! I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s intense. And awesome. Also? How awesome is it that Addison and Courtland have similar expressions in so many of these shots. It’s sisterly symbios, or something.

Courtland: 19 weeks
Addison: 31 months

Kaki’s Style, no. 6

It’s official. I have really really ridiculously talented friends. See Courtland’s Christmas gift from her Fairy Godparents. A beautiful hand knit baby sweater, complete with whales. Worth noting: The whale blanket pictured in the photos below were also made by Kaki’s FGM.

{Sweater: Hand Knit by FGM; Leggings: Lacoste; Blue Whale; Borris by Soft Clothing; Orange Whale; FattyCakes}

Hot Butter Rum

Okay, so I am clearly on a sugary, spiced treats kick. Given our household’s affinity for rum-based cocktails, we were pleased to discover this yummy (and dangerously sweet) Hot Buttered Rum recipe thanks to Tree Top.

We made up a batch of the Kris Kringle’s Jingle Hot Buttered Rum mix and gifted it in mason jars topped off with cinnamon sticks and ice skate ornaments to a number of family and friends. We used Tree Top’s Spiced Cider and our favorite rum, Gosling’s Black Seal, but adjust the recipe and your ciders/rums of choice accordingly.

And while you’re at it, make yourself a cup and cozy up by the fire with some holiday tunes. It’ll get you in the spirit in no time!

Again, recipe card is thanks to these lovely free printables.

Fabric Gift Wrap

I’ve always been enamored of fabric gift wrapping and the art of furoshiki. Thanks to a supply of fabric spray paint by Spray Paint 4 Fabric and some simple flour cloths, I decided to give it a go this season. I didn’t get too fancy – just did some Jackson Pollack like spray painting over the cloth, let it dry, and then got to folding and tying and wrapping!

This site provided much inspiration. I decided to wrap up this little package using the Apple Wrap. (And I made my first animated gif. WATCH OUT! It’s not nearly as hilarious as this Cookie Monster gif. But, ya know, it gives you a sense of the process).

It’s particularly lovely that the wrapping then doubles as a gift itself, no?