friday 5 spot.

25 May

Hello Friends!

Well let me start off by saying I am finding my little life groove more and more each day and it feels good! Here is what I have been up to-ish as of late. And as a little pre-func p.s., I am in love with instagram and have been for the past year or so. If you are too, find me at anyamonroe! We can hang out via cool pictures!

1. I just made these amazing scones. They are my go to scone recipe {cranberry orange} and include 3 sticks of butter. So, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t make them *often* but they seemed perfect for a Friday morning treat for the kiddos. I made them in triangles here instead of circles and they are easier this way.

2.I painted another wall in my living room. It feels good to be continually adding color to my home that inspires and stirs creativity within me. If that is what I want my life to be about, I find that the space I am trying to do that in needs to match. This was a 20$ project and *much* messier then anticipated. It was magnetic paint from the hardware store and so cool and it WORKS! But, it is very. very. very. messy. Like, I need to repaint all around the circles because there is black splattered everywhere.

But don’t let that deter you completely. I used 4 coats and am thrilled with the results. I had old paint in the basement that I used to create the border and now there is places for the kids to hang artwork without you know, all over my fridge. Or taped to random doors. Or under their beds.

3. I have been back to my GoodWill addiction latley. My kids are outgrowing everything. Case in point:

I have been finding some great deals on summer gear, and trying to shop now when it is still chilly and no one else is thinking shorts and tank tops and summer dresses quite yet. I will do a fashion show shortly to show you my finds!

4. We have been playing lots of games lately. We currently have 4 versions of Dominion and let’s just say, as a family we should start entering some serious competitions because we are rocking it! This three day weekend is going to call for some serious gaming in our house! {Yes, I know, we are one step away from Magic the Gathering. I am okay with that.}

And while the bigger people play that, the little ones are loving the Picnic Game! It is the best game ever for little people and I can’t more highly recommend it. We have gotten a ton of use out of this!

5. I am so excited for summer. I have some amazing things in store the month of July and pictures like this:

are what is getting a smile on my face as the countdown begins to summer fun!

Have a fantastic weekend, friends.

xox,

anya

Tags: , , , , , ,

KICKSTARTER worth supporting! Alessandra Rose

23 May

The beautiful and talented Alessandra Rose is working hard at getting her kickstarter campaign fully funded! At the moment she is 86% to her goal! If you donate 10$ you will get a copy of her full length album in the mail! Not to mention you can feel awesome about supporting the arts in a grassroots way!

I am of course a bit biased, as Alessandra is my little sister- but listen below and you will see why I adore her so:

Don’t forget to visit her kickstarter page!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/796590665/alessandra-rose-launches-her-first-solo-album/widget/video.html

Tags: , , ,

this weekend.

21 May

{self portrait. backside.}

This weekend my aunt and my dad came over for breakfast and we sat at the table, the kids being silly and ridiculous, trying to one up each other on stories of glory and we were drinking coffee and eating scones with home made jam and it was good.

This weekend Jer and I had a stay at home date night that involved tucking kids into bed much to early, but still plenty worth it and pizza and salad and wine and laughter and love.

This weekend I wandered my very  favorite store for much to long and bought one very cute dress and felt like I was indulging because it was $7.99 but oh-so-perfect.

This weekend I wrote words on a page and shared the words aloud on a stool in my living room to ears who asked to hear verses and I felt validated.

This weekend I called my dear friend and talked and caught up and made plans and laughed about latin lovers and smiled.

This weekend I yelled and cried and felt like things were in despair and then I remembered to breathe and I was okay after a bit.

This weekend I didn’t feel like making breakfast when my husband was gone for the day so we went grocery shopping early enough to buy donuts and the kids ate as mom shopped and it was perfect because it kept them quiet and happy.

This weekend I went to the store to buy yogurt and left with chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered pretzels and m&m’s and dark chocolate and then I brought them to my writing group and shared my loot.

This weekend I felt good in my own skin and my own heart and remembered to be gentle with myself.

xoxo.

 

Tags: , , ,

holding a piece of my heart.

14 May

My hands are covered in paint and so are my pants and my feet and my freshly coated wall. I hear the clunk of the mail being delivered in the box. I peek out the window and wave generously at our postman, thankful to see his smile on days when my life is mostly full of little faces.

I set the brush on the pan of wet paint and sneak out the front door while no one notices I’m gone. The stack I take from the box is thin. I scan the envelopes quickly and when I see the one addressed to me I sit down outside, knowing the steps and the sunshine are the exact place I need to be.

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. And it was smiles and easy breezy moments of mimosas and picnics and laughter. Phoenix wasn’t here, though. And so once again the pictures that we take at the park hold only a portion of my heart. But now, in the sunshine on the steps, I get a piece of him. A piece of my heart, in the form of a letter addressed to me, from him.

“…I still remember when I first met you. I remember looking up at you and one of my first thoughts was ‘wow she’s tall’…you still wanted me to be your son, even if we were kinda different…You always forgive me, when I am rude or do not listen. You always forgive me no matter what and you still love me as much as you did when we first met at Burger King.”

And my eyes, they were blurry in the sunshine and I kept reading, knowing the gift I was holding was precious and rare and a treasure in my hands.

“…I love the artwork you do and how our whole house is like  piece of art. I can’t wait until I see your book sitting on a shelf with your name on the bottom. My mom wrote that, that is what I will say…“

And my hands, you know the paint covered ones, were wiping my tears on those paint covered pants, and I just keep thinking about how I feel known and connected to my son who hasn’t lived at home for over a year now. My son who has caused me to rethink the beginning and the end and reason and worth- the boy who has undone me in ways  I am still learning about. As I find the broken pieces of myself on the ground, I pick them up and try to put them back, but  the pieces don’t fit together in the same way anymore.

I am changed because of him.

And I read his words and my heart is confused. Because so much of me wants to hold tight to what if’s and if only’s- the words that get me no where but empty. And I read his words again and see,

“…Thank you Mom. Thank you for all you have done, and all you are doing for me…”

And I know, God knows I know that everyday isn’t sunshine on the steps and Thank You’s- but somedays- this day, it is.

And it fills me up like little else could and will keep me going in ways little else will, because he has a portion of my heart. And on this day my heart fills more whole.

And I know that the pieces that don’t fit in the same way anymore are still finding the place that they belong. And it is scary, you know being remade, but it feels better then being undone and I am just gonna take a minute on the steps in the sunshine, letter in hand, holding a piece of my heart.

Tags: , , , , , ,

sunshine makes the hard *stuff* more bearable.

11 May


Kids have this ability to take things that seem really complicated,

you know,

like,

Life,

and making it

simple.

Like sunshine

and swings in the tree

and shouts of,

Mom, watch this!

Mom see this!

Do you hear them? They are saying’ I want you to be proud of me.’

I hear you, son.

I hear you daughter.

I am proud.

You make those complicated bits of life,

the parts that seem too big

too big to bear-

much more bearable.

So thank you.

Thank you for asking me to come outside.

To see your swing and your sunshine.

You are sunshine.

Tags: , , , , ,

where i get all sentimental.

10 May

The kids school had a ‘Muffins for Mom’ hour yesterday, in honor of Mother’s Day. Upon arriving at Moses’ classroom he gave me gift, one that would make any mom-heart melt. He had finished sentences about *me* and then compiled them in a book with drawings. I thought I would share some of my favorite ones here, for the sake of preserving a moment.

*My mom is happy when I give her a kiss and a hug.

*My mom is funny when she tricks me.

*When we are together my mom and I like to talk to each other.

*I really love it when my mom gives me a new book to read.

*My mom always tells me to use my words.

*The best thing she does is let me read.

*It makes her happy when I use my words.

*The best thing she cooks is lentil soup.

*My moms favorite household chore is cooking. 

*If she could go on a trip she would go to Italy.

One day, sweet goose, we will go to Italy together, and it will be *magic*.

 

Tags: , , , ,

hello there.

5 May

Hello there, friends.

I don’t know where I have been or what exaclty I have been doing.

Except, maybe, painting a hundred tiny flags in the boys room. There are flags on every wall…

Besides that I am working very hard at daily setting aside my ‘free time’ to write.  I find that by the time the big kids are taken to school,  Maisey and Lincoln get their time in with me practicing numbers and letters and handwriting skills, Atticus is fed his 14th snack of the morning and the dishes are done- it is already lunch time, then nap time, and for me, writing time. After I get two hours logged in with my characters I feel pretty emotionally exhausted. I remember feeling this way last year as well when I was finishing up the novel I was writing then. So I find myself unwinding from the process for the rest of the day. That is why blogging has been on the back burner, a bit.

But I feel so renewed. I am so excited about this story and with my timeline posted clearly ,

I am constantly reminded of what I get to focus on from now till end of June. I am hoping my diligence will pay off with a finished manuscript as we head into summer vacation.

With that, I am going to cross off my goal for this week, because I have finished a day ahead!

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 274 other followers