obligatory vote post

Posted in Uncategorized by ElaineMarie

darla and i had fun with this chalk mural outside the wexner center today. we jumped from star to star all the way up to the door. we were attending a leibovitz event (post and pics tomorrow). i hope everyone is ready to cast your vote on tuesday. we’ll be vying for a spot to get into the big rally here in columbus tomorrow. i really want to give darla that experience. i was 9 1/2 months pregnant, waddling along with hundreds of thousands on The Mall during Obama’s inauguration. i’ll always feel that small connection to the beginning of her life and transport myself back to the excitement of that time in my life come every election.

she’ll grow up and form her own opinions and my only wish is that i do right by her giving her the tools to be firmly invested in her own convictions. i hope involving her from a young age might help her to be connected to her rights as a voter. and i hope you will be too.

remember, votes are like assholes…everybody only has one!

2Nov2012

weeksie

Posted in let me let me update ya by ElaineMarie

here’s a few snaps from the week. this month will be my thankfulness editions. because this is supposed to be the month i’m thankful and sh*t.

and the truth is, i really am more thankful than i’ve been in a long time. it’s something i’ve been working on.

1. i am most thankful for my silly, handsome husband who makes me proud everyday and does a great headless horseman impression.

2. thankful for friends both young and young at heart. thankful to be living in our ‘hood.

3 & 4. thankful for my new pretty hanky collection compliments of my cousin’s wedding. pretty handkerchiefs are an excellent wedding favor! there was an ample amount left at the end of the night and i’m thinking “hey, i’m always wiping things off people’s faces.” pics are pre and post darla discovery.

5. annnnd i’m thankful for good hair days.

have a good weekend y’all.

1Nov2012

love swap: runaway cape

Posted in Shopping by ElaineMarie

i’m very excited about today.

because my horoscope says new opportunities are on the horizon…

and

bc i’m excited to post my first sponsorship highlight. and i’m double-decker, triple-scoop excited that it’s on behalf of one of my family members.

you may remember that darla was a flower girl at my cousin’s beautiful maine-based wedding this summer. cousinbride had tons of handmade wedding details including these very cool light catcher decorations. i loved them so much that i begged to take one home at the end of the reception.

well, cousin-o-mine opened her own etsy shop for these handmade creations. cousin’s shop will be sitting over there on the sidebar for a bit. please click on over there and take a peek around. she has lots of color combos, including christmas and nursery themed options. it’s never too early to start planning for next summer’s nuptials either.

check back on friday for a Runaway Cape giveaway and a discount for momjeanz readers.

1Nov2012

punk-in

Posted in advantageous adventures, love and happiness by ElaineMarie

hey all! does everyone feel like crap from their sugar hangover today? nooo??? just me?

hope you had a grand halloween. we sure did. i am really going to milk these next 8-10 years of candy begging. this ONE night makes up for the 364 other harrowing nights of the year. just kidding. ya know.

truth be told, i know i’m going to enjoy halloween every year because darla enjoyed it so much. she wore a pumpkin costume my mom made for me when i was 3. it made the rounds through cousins and various family members and now returned to it’s rightful owner!…i mean darla…it’s a good little costume.

and then there’s me. when darla saw me she said “what are you? a game show host?” i had no idea she knew what a game show was, let alone a game show host. i dressed up as ALL of my bad fashion choices. really…really, all of that is just part of my regular wardrobe. it’s probably why i look back on so many photos and think “why…WHY did i think it was ok to wear that? ever?”

i’ll tell you why. because my name’s elaine and i like to sparkle.

hope you had a fun one, happy dia de los muertos! bye. don’t get diabetes!

30Oct2012

local natives

Posted in kiddie-do, Travels by ElaineMarie

i almost laugh when i look at these pics from our visit to the eiteljorg museum this past weekend while in indianapolis for my cousin’s wedding fest. you’d never tell by looking at them that we had a 3-year-old repeatedly telling us she wanted to “get out of here!” and throwing tantrums every 5 min. this is a visual example of how i have these expectations for how our excursions are going to go and then…someone has a breakdown.

it’s beyond my comprehension. i mean, i just don’t understand how someone could be upset in the presence of a tipi. i really don’t.

alas, the problem turned out to be a blood sugar one. it’s pretty nice to have a child that can tell you what is troubling her now. and i’ll tell you what. those tantrums were worth the half a beef taco i got to scarf down as a result. eiteljorg! them’s some tasty bites!

we lucked out because the museum was holding dia de los muertos (cousin and i agree this is the coolest holiday all year) activities for the day. we sat in on different dance troupes performing traditional dances from dia de los muertos celebrations throughout mexico. it was soooooo cool. darla even got up enough nerve to jump in and participate. imagine that.

so, even if we did deal with some slight attitude and darla’s unwillingness to participate in the family photo ( see below ) it was still a winner of a day. look….there was basket weaving! and babywearing! darla and i got to practice wrapping up a baby bundle for a cradleboard carrier. i wish i had thought to take a picture. i think i may just opt for a finely beaded baby carrier next time :)

tipi

and really, REALLY, any day that results in darla taking a little nappy-poo is golden in my book. she napped and had a grand time on the dance floor at cousin’s wedding. it was a good day.

29Oct2012

“we are the music makers”

Posted in Momma Needs a minute... by ElaineMarie

“we are the music makers. we are the dreamers of dreams.”

this is my favorite line from willy wonka and the chocolate factory. it’s from an arthur o’shaughnessy poem.

to me this is a more fancy version of saying “imma do what i want.”

so check it. i’m a music maker. i’m a dreamer of dreams. i fight a lot of battles inside this head o’ mine that the ideas i have for living are somehow going to be detrimental to darla just because they are not the accepted norm.

and then i get the little reminders like this poem.

this life belongs to each of us to live as we want.

aaaand

imma do what i want.

28Oct2012

an apology

Posted in Momma Needs a minute... by ElaineMarie

i just spent a bit of time reading back through posts from a year ago and moving forward.

i realized that i used to have a lot more to say.

now it seems i just post a bunch of our pictures and talk about what we do. the whole point of having a blog is to share thoughts and feelings, right?

maybe i’ve been to busy to explore thoughts and feelings. maybe the thoughts and feelings i’ve been having for the past months are such that i’m not ready to share yet.

i don’t know.

but i’m going to get back to that. this was supposed to be an exercise in writing.

now, if you’ll excuse me, i have to get back to interpretive dancing to the soundtrack of an american tail with my 3 year old. true story.

26Oct2012