Sophisticated Whimsy

Out With The Old, In With The New

2009-08-09T13:45:00.002-05:00

Lately, but especially this past week, Aaron and I have been making a mad lot of trips to our drive-thru Goodwill carting them our excess, the build up and residue of stuff that has been clogging the arteries of our home for some time now. We still have much more to go, but so far it's been a truly carthartic experience. I actually cried as we drove out from one donation as I watched my handmade stepstool float away. My Grandfather made it for me for my 10th Christmas/birthday. I've always cherished it and never thought of parting with it until recently when I realized... I'm 36 years old and I have this child's stepstool with big fat MICHELLE carved in the front... but there's no little girl in the house with that name anymore to keep it in her little girl's room. It really makes more sense for it to be just that: in a little girl's room named Michelle, even if it was made by my grandfather and not theirs. And though it actually caused me physical and emotional pain to let go, I'm so glad I did. Now someone else has the chance to cherish it and create new, wonderful memories around it.

On a similar note, I technically "closed" my business of Zoë Tops (don't panic... please, keep reading). It's really only a business restructuring, if you will. Soon Aaron and I are looking to incorporate and have one main umbrella company from which all our other ventures can sit neatly under and operate from. We'll be sure to let everyone know when they can expect the unveiling of the new company and the new website.

And along with these changes, I have a new phone number (on my swanky new iPhone). Can you say addictive boys and girls? The iPhone is simply amazing. Oh, yeah... the number.... my new number (drum roll please) is 1-615-752-0196. Update your records, write it on the bathroom wall... you know, whatever...

Aye yi yi...

2009-07-24T11:39:00.004-05:00

I know I'm nowhere near a perfect parent, but...

Last night Aaron and I grabbed a quick dinner at Snappy Tomato before picking our Sebo up from his Granny's and we were a bit freaked out by a scrub-clad DaDa also dining at the same time, same place, same bat channel. He walked in with his little baby in her car seat carrier, paid, and proceeded to set down the diaper bag... and leave his little bundle of joy and car keys atop a table while he trotted off to the bathroom all the way at the back of the building.

To try to give him the benefit of the doubt, he may have asked a woman who was cleaning tables nearby to watch her while gone... or she may have just thought like us... "Whoa, what the heck?" She looked around a little puzzled and kind of hovered near the table before goo-gooing at the little one until Papa was done bathrooming. He did posture a slight wave to her from across the restaurant after he emerged, so he was perhaps either thanking her for watching as asked or thanking her for stepping in. To us though, her body language read as if she was a bit confused or unsure which made us wonder.

Next, he was off for some pizza before finally returning to the baby. "Finally," I'm thinking to myself, "whew, he's back and can stay with her now." Well, along with what seemed like the normal taking-care-of-the-kiddo-type-business, and watching the bigscreen, this Daddy continued to go back and forth to the buffet over and over and over... and over. Once, maybe twice, while in line he would glance over his shoulder in the baby's direction.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm being overly cautious with saying... "WHAT the heck was he thinking?" I mean, number one, you're not even technically supposed to put those things on tables though everyone does. And as long as you're actually within arms reach so if your baby wiggles and you could catch the thing on its way to the floor, then most of us would assume all is good. But when you're across the restaurant, not likely there would be any catching action if something slipped. Then secondly, there's the whole... "What if someone walked off with your baby?" thing. I mean really! I hope he's got some secret ninja skills we don't know about... because right now, I wonder about her future safety... and "Does Mommy know Daddy does this when he's out with the little angel?"

Aye yi yi...

The kindness of strangers

2009-07-14T20:59:00.002-05:00

Tonight on the way home, I saw a vehicle a little ahead of us in the next lane over with his gas cap cover open as we pulled up to the traffic light. Then out of the vehicle right next to ours sprung this guy who went right up to the first car, waved, told them about the open cover and closed it for them. Such a small thing made me so proud of mankind and put a smile on my face and my heart: a complete stranger went out of his way looking after his fellow man. Now that's what I'm talkin' about. :)

The kindness of friends

2009-07-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to reiterate how thankful we are lately for the kindness of friends. Not only did we get some shelter from our little heat storm from our friends Mark and Diana, and a great tip off to a solution from our friend Lee, but late last week, out of the blue, there was a knock at our door and to our surprise, there stood our friend Dez with a little gift baggy for Mr. Sebo. It was some much needed "sucking pads" for our ERGOBaby Carrier! Sebo was all smiles and running around happily with one in his mouth until bedtime afterwards. It was such a sweet and thoughtful surprise.

I urge everyone to commit random acts of kindness. It just makes the world a better place.

xoxo.

It's not every day your capacitor explodes!

2009-06-29T09:57:00.002-05:00

Whew! Lots of thanks going out this morning to our friend Lee's AC guy.. who just replaced our exploded capacitor! John said he sees them go bad all the time, but rarely does he see them all out and explode!

It was 92 flippin' degrees in our little upstairs condo last night! So more thanks need to go out to Mark + Di who graciously let us bunk at their pad last night. So our little guy and the doggies got some welcome relief from the heat and a good night's rest.

Thanks too to everyone who wished us well. We very much appreciate all the well wishes and offers of fans and the like. You guys are amazing.

Saffire is a very pretty color ;)

2009-06-24T14:33:00.012-05:00

Woo-Hoo, Aaron 's new art rep is rockin' out!

Aaron's work can now be found in Saffire Restaurant in The Factory at Franklin!!

Yum!!

I'm just sayin' ...

2009-06-23T21:04:00.007-05:00

Happy Daddy's Day!!

2009-06-21T10:02:00.015-05:00

Today I want to say what an enormous amount of gratitude and respect I hold for my Aaron, the father of my child. He's truly one of the most amazing men I've ever met, and I'm lucky enough to not only hang out with him every day... but I get to be married to him and raise a family with him as well. He's such a brilliant and rare find in a human being. He makes me smile; he makes me laugh (hard); he inspires me; he impresses me; he is my best friend. He has such a beautiful and loving heart. He's super smart, creative and uber talented. He can paint like a big mug, play guitar, make a mean batch of cheesy eggs and the most awesome turkey chilli (ever), is an unbelievable kisser, a fabulous photographer, has great legs, and is one of the most incredible fathers I've ever known.

I seriously couldn't imagine sharing this enormous job of parenthood with ANYone else. As a Daddy, he's strongly involved in Sebastian's life. He teaches Sebo how to respect, to love, and how to listen every day. He makes time for play and for fun. He supports, protects, and makes sacrifices for his family. He's simply a great father.

Also I want to say Happy Father's Day to our fathers and our fathers' fathers wherever you are... We love you.

*The photo above was taken by our dear friend and photographer, Kevin Rogers.

It's HOT out there for an Artist

2009-06-20T14:29:00.016-05:00

Today Aaron, Sebo and I ventured out into the sun to the 38th annual American Artisan Festival in Centennial Park. Wow, I feel for the artists out there this weekend.... it's a hot one!

It was well worth it though for some tasty Whole Foods hummus and pita chips, some great art and seeing some old friends both behind the booth and passing through!

If you get a chance to run out and see some beautiful work this Father's Day weekend, please do so... You won't regret it! Either way, get out there and enjoy that sunshine!

the Art of Simple :)

2009-06-18T16:13:00.011-05:00

Yes!! We just got GREAT news! Aaron 's art can now be found in "the Art of Simple" Gallery in Seaside, Florida!! The gallery is owned by husband-wife artist team Michael and Laura Granberry and features a contemporary mix of southern artists. The Art of Simple Gallery is located at 201 Ruskin Place, Seaside. Phone: 850.231.6748.

So... if you head for the beach this summer and have a hankering for some art, head for the "the Art of Simple"!!

Stumbling Stones

2009-06-13T10:05:00.006-05:00

My quote to you for the day:

"One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks."

{Jack Penn}

(Speaking of which, in my failed search to find an image to add to this quote... I couldn't find anything that worked for me, so I pulled out the polymer clay and threw some down on the computer desk for this quick shot which I was pretty darn happy with! Well, except for that thumbnail mark on the next to bottom "stone"... but regardless, Yay for making lemonade out of polymer clay... er... um, I mean... lemons.)

Weddings, Car trouble, and Boppy Pillows

2009-06-11T19:45:00.006-05:00

It can freak a person out when their little boy plops down on a boppy pillow and pops back up crying with a bloody nose! The culprit was a little plastic ball... Argh. But fear not, little man is a-ok. Just scared mommy silly for a minute! And, of course, while this was happening I was on the cell phone with Aaron who was stranded at an AutoZone with our croaked beetle.

"Shelby" the beetle got her tail towed to the dealership to get herself checked out and we'll figure out what we're into tomorrow with that. Doesn't car trouble just always happen at the most inopportune times? But, luckily we've actually been very fortunate that we've always had someone close by that could help us out or at least we've always able to see the silver lining and appreciate the fact that things could have been worse almost every time. Thank you Mark for your help tonight in getting Aaron home and the sharing of your car tomorrow. We owe you some serious nachos.

In much lighter and happier news... da.. dum dah dum... da dum da dum... Sebo's Granny and Digger got hitched today! And promptly went fishing afterwards! Congrats Guys!!!!! May you catch many a fish together happily ever after!!

Also, how can it not be good news to get to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory? Which we did quite yummily with Sebo's Grandpa Pete and Sandy today while they are still in town.

Tired. (yawn)...

Nite Nite, see you in the morning.

Birthday Birthday

2009-06-10T17:42:00.011-05:00

Even more birthday blog for your buck with post#2 of the day. Whoopee!

First, I just want to say how incredibly thankful I am to be a mom of such a brilliant little miracle. Aaron and I feel so blessed that God chose us to be his parents. We've had lots of ups and downs over the course of the pregnancy, the birth, and the first year and we round the corner with more hope and joy than we've had in so long. Just glancing at that smiling face can make you forget every worry you ever had. He is such a gift.

Also I want to mention how grateful I am that we were able to spend the day with our dear friend Megan, her gorgeous daughter Sage, and our incredible friend Kevin (with camera in hand to capture the day). You three made our zoo day extra special for us and I know Sebo thoroughly enjoyed your company. And what a sweet moment as Sage and Sebo passed out at the exact same moment on the way out to the cars!! Maybe they were dreaming of storks, goats and meerkats all the way home!

I could wax poetic about remembering the day Sebo was born, but to stay brief... the most amazing part of it all were the moments just after he was born. Never have I felt such a tremendous all-encompassing sensation of euphoria in my entire life. There's really no way to describe how that feels.... because even saying what i just did feels like a complete understatement. A birth truly is a miraculous moment and I want to send out a special note of gratitude to my birth team who stood by my side and supported me when my wits were gone through 34 hrs of back labor and 6 hours of the best epidural ever: my husband Aaron, my mother Pat, my mother-in-law Barbara, my doula Nicole and my nurse Allison who caught Sebastian since the doctor didn't make it in time!! Thank you all so much for everything you did. Nicole spent countless hours sleeping on the floor beside me between contractions only to jump to her feet to massage my back during contractions and likewise the moms and my Aaron took such good care of me and the little guy, it was just amazing. It was an unbelievable event... and everyone's love and support and patience was incredible. (I think about my dad, my brothers and extended family out in the waiting room for what seemed forever to me and to them I'm sure... and I still feel bad for making them wait.) Sebo was coming when he was good and ready and not one moment sooner!

Something else I wanted to mention is a little thing Nicole suggested to us shortly after he was born at a visit to our home. She felt Sebo would be an empath too. She thought this because of the signs he was exhibiting of already being aware of our patterns and cycles of the day and because he was so seemingly linked in with us. One small example, just in terms of sleeping, if I would wake, he would wake - even if I didn't make a sound. This even happened later when we moved him to his own room. We would watch him wake or stir on the video monitor just after I did. Even the first night he stayed away from home overnight, an hour away, he woke in the morning promptly at the same time I did!

Also on suggestion from my friend Megan, we realized that Sebastian was a "high need baby". I think this is completely tied in to his empathetic nature. You can read more about "high need" babies on Dr. Sears's website.

Sebo's empathetic nature, his qualites of a high need baby, along with Sebo and I both having thrush starting the week we came home from the hospital (probably because of the antibiotics given to me after birth) for a complete month was outrageously painful and draining for us all. Despite all that though, somehow we worked past the thrush (and a multitude of other breastfeeding issues from Sebo being tongue-tied to having milk supply issues) we were miraculously still able to breastfeed alongside formula until 10 months (After he started walking, I think he decided he was big boy enough to stop). I want to encourage any woman out there that it can be done. I never thought I would be able to do it so long considering I literally had a laundry list of issues I was fighting against. I would also highly recommend help from the La Leche League in your area. Lactation Consultants can be helpful too, but be wary of meeting with too many of them as they all have differing opinions and it can get really confusing. The best way is to always find your own way.

Though the newborn phase was a rough one for all of us, it made all the ups that much richer by contrast. It made the first smiles and the first giggles that much brighter and louder. Every time Sebastian makes a leap forward and advances we all are much happier and more delighted. Even our friend and nanny, Diana, was quick to state that as soon as he could crawl he was 80% happier. And the same thing happened when he started walking at 10 months. He loves each developmental leap because of being able to do more and express himself more. He loves crowds and people and attention and loves to show off all his skills and all the things he knows how to do. It's a beautiful thing to see him want to share all he knows with the people he meets. Just this past week, he was lighting up the dentist's office waiting room in the arms of a complete stranger and his granddaughter. He had them all in giggles and vice versa... just playing and sharing and smiling.

He's such a sweet, sweet boy. He's so gentle and thoughtful, aware, generous, kind and funny... he has such a fabulous sense of humor! Can you tell I just love my little boy?

To see a video of him at his 1st Bee-Day party at the park this past Sunday click here. His Daddy also posted one today of him minutes after he was born here. Hope you enjoy.

Love to you all and... Nite Nite, see you in the morning.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy SeBaStiAn!!

2009-06-10T10:57:00.004-05:00

Don't have long to write right now... we're on our way to the Nashville Zoo for the day! (Sebo's got a birthday date with his sweetie Sage). Also planning on getting some family photos thanks to his "unkle" Kevin!!

2009-06-09T17:07:00.007-05:00

Sebo's 1st swim of the year

was yesterday 6/8/09.

It was also his 1st day to

successfully feed himself

with the spoon (a little).

I love quotes

2009-06-09T07:12:00.006-05:00

So expect to see lots of them from me. And here's one for today:

"I'm broken but I'm happy to be alive, as long as I can paint."

{Frida Kahlo}

Bloggedy Blog Blog

2009-06-08T21:18:00.010-05:00

Holy Cannoli Batman... 1 year after I went into labor (to the day, but just half an hour early)... I'm blogging! (much less painful, btw)

And it's also my grandmother's (aka "Big Pearl's") birthday and a day after my son's first birthday party.

tee hee.