fast, sexy, and seats 7

growing up, my father, who is a guy who knows cars, grew up working on cars, hot wiring and stealing cars, and just loving cars in general, would always be the dad in the car yelling "59 ford- did'ja see that?! what a beauty..." (and then he'd usually make a growling noise).

and any time an old car would drive by, you could trust he'd know just what it was, the kind of engine it had, and which guy he knew that had one when he was growing up. so, at this point in life, i could give a fair amount of guys some competition when it comes to make and model. and genetically, i'm a girl who gets a little short of breath at the sight of vintage corvettes.

namely the 69.

(my heart done just jumped into my sock, to use the famous words of an older man who stalked me in college.)

now that baby 3 is en route and the murano only seats 5, we're in the market for something a little bigger. the other day, our friend cody was asking me what my criteria was for car shopping, and i said:

1. it has to be fast
   
2. it has to be dead sexy
3. and it has to seat 7

ahem. seriously.

i was thinking about my criteria later on, and wondering if my criteria is a bit inappropriate for a pregnant mother of 2. like, what about safety, michelle? and what about economy? or cargo space? and those are important to me. i mean, i'm not trying to get us all killed or anything.

but i really can't drive cars that aren't fast.
and if it's ugly?
i mean, it is some kind of vanity to say i need a sexy car, i know it must be, but if i'm going to be in it, it has to be aesthetically pleasing. uncompromisingly, i have to like to drive it and look at it.

but, really?! how many cars out there fit that criteria? i fall into the camp of minivan-avoiders, and not because they don't make WAY more sense, or afford the room you need to accommodate so many small people, or that they're not fast enough.

i just. don't. like them.
(if anyone sees a sexy minivan, let me know, okay? because i'd consider it.)

on our way back from a spontaneous drive down the cape yesterday, dave and i took the kids car shopping yesterday (luckily dealerships have play spaces for kids now, and besides the waiting and the car seat switching, it wasn't as bad as you'd imagine. if you'd dare to imagine.). we took these 2 cars that had made our short list for a test drive (i, like my father, love test driving cars. going fast and racing around on someone else's gas?! pure joy.).


we drove the nissan pathfinder

and the mazda cx-9

i liked them both. both were 2007's (we are pre-owned car-type people) with lower mileage, and were in good condition. but i have to admit...the cx-9?
was fast.
and it was dead sexy.
AND? it seats 7.

does it have a lot of extra cargo space? well, no.
(but it does have roof racks for when we travel)

is it super on gas? well, no.
(but no car or SUV or minivan that carries a bus load of people IS fuel efficient, unless i robbed a bank and bought a hybrid)

BUT. it was fast.
and it was dead sexy.
AND? it seats 7.

and for a girl who would rather be in a 69 corvette?
it might be the best fit. (or the only fit.)

so we'll see, but this one has some promise.
so tell me- does anyone have any other suggestions of 7 seaters that provide a driving experience that is more like a, well, 2 seater??

photo booth

me and the kids went to the mall the other day (and every time i get home, i think to myself, "why? why did i ever do that?") to do a couple returns. elias is a big fan of camp bucky, and i am a big fan of shopping alone. we can't, of course, ALL get what we want, now can we? so i told elias we could pack a lunch and play on the slide at camp bucky if he cooperated while mom went to 2 stores. easier said than done since some random nonsense kept me in old navy for an eternity. i feel like the only time i get held up in a store is when i'm trying to just get in and get out. ahhh, the irony. he and piper were SO well behaved (this is not always the case. my kids mostly hate any shopping experience that lasts over 1 hour.) and because they were über-patient in the store (unlike me), i treated them to a photo shoot in a photo booth (after they had run around like wild animals for 10 minutes), which blew their minds. they though it was so fascinating and hilarious, which made for a positive ending to what could have been a debacle of a day.

and now i have the perfect photo to keep in my mom purse to show if for some reason i'm out and about without them (gasp).

hey, it could happen.

right?

l-o-v-e in the uk

can you even STAND it?!
even MORE fabulous items in target?
is it possible?!
march 14, liberty of london is headed to target to make it even more impossible for me to not shop.

i might need an intervention. someone will have to literally lock me in my house and steal my amex. the pillows and lamps and cannisters and note cards and dresses...and...and...

oh gosh. it's hard for me to breath with all this fabulousness.

anyone?!

ikea is for lovers

i just have to say for the record that i love ikea. LOVE. everything is so inexpensive, and since dave actually enjoys putting things together, it's the perfect place for us to shop!

there were a few things i've been searching for at target and walmart with no success, so dave and i took the kids for a little road trip up to see if we could locate any of these elusive goods. and did i ever!

be forewarned: it doesn't take much to get me excited. so don't continue reading unless things like finding awesome chair pads excite you...

the curtain below is called "lill" and piper already had these amazing gauzy wonders draped on her window. but they're so sheer, the air conditioner blows them all around, so i wanted something a little heavier to give her window some weight, and get a two rod curtain look going. enter: "matilda" (above), a fab addition to her lill's. it's hard to see the detail on them, but you'll get to see them up close when i post again about her nursery. it's coming. promise.

and here are the chair pads i mentioned. we have an farm table-type dining set, and the chairs hurt my butt. i am not big on 80's looking chair pads with ruffles or anything i'm going to have to tie in a bow 5795038 times. so i found this chic, black, modern, tailored little number (ie, i don't have to worry about it looking gross or getting dirty) and the bonus? it velcros. they fit PERFECTLY on our chairs. i could die they're so perfect. (listen- i warned you...)

and one of the most exciting finds on our ikea excursion was this fabric pull curtain. and it's wide enough to adorn the oddly sized kitchen window i gaze out each day as i wash dishes and prep dinner. you see, the sun sets in our backyard, which is delightful, but rather warm and bright when it summertime and 6:00. so this is a nice addition. my hunky handyman is going to install them today. now, if i could only get the sun to shine...

and just for fun, i love their kids plastic dinnerware. our friends ian and elya bought elias the forks, knives, and spoons a while back when he was too big for baby sized silverware, but too small for our silverware, and he LOVES them. heck, i love them. so we added some plates and cups to go with bowls and fks set. perfection for $1.99.

so ikea, i love you. thank you for selling affordable and adorable goods.
i'm thinking, maybe you're awesome because you're swedish. just a thought ;)

my preliminary findings

i don't know what it is with me today. i'm all hyper, and giddy, and chipper, and productive, and patient, and positive, and...hmm- myself.

weird.

i keep trying to figure out if someone slipped me a mickey, or what it is that has gotten me all high on life. there's a few possibilities. these are my preliminary findings:

a. getting some sleep.
last night piper only woke up once, because she was freezing her little biscuits off, and went right back to sleep, and slept until 7:30 this morning. i had forgotten what it was like to have her sleep. it's a distant memory now. because honestly, the night before, she woke up at 12am and i could not get her back to sleep until 2:40am, and i almost hurt her. but for the grace of God, truly. she screamed and screamed and fussed and kept opening my bathrobe up like it was doors to the refrigerator. sorry, no late night snacks, kiddo. haven't done feedings like that for over 6 months. she was adamant about being awake, crying, and trying to eat. and ask me- did feeding her make her simmer down?? ohhhh no. it was bad. luckily, today is a new day. yesterday, i could not muster up the ability to blog anything free of profanity or rude, ungodly thoughts. i'm glad i waited. too many of my relatives read this blog ;)

b. shopping at target.
i managed to find all the things i needed today without having to be one of "those moms" in the store screaming empty threats at my 3 year old. even though elias concluded wearing a diego backpack means it's yours, and proceeded to throw himself on the floor over a diego slip-n-slide, i managed to stay very calm and firm. as if my son needs anything that will make him go any faster or be any more dangerous. he though it was a pool, anyway. "it IS a pool, mum! me bring dis hommmeeee!" there's no talking sense to toddlers, is there? no, you're right elias, i can't read, it must be a pool. my mistake...(eye roll).
so as shallow and terrible as it may be, shopping, even with two small children, brings me great pleasure. i can't explain it. mostly for clothes, especially for elias and piper. even with the tears and the drama, today, i found some of the MOST adorable things for my cutey beauty. just look at how adorable these are! and oh, so affordable!

c. getting my hair cut. YAY! what's better than friends, starbucks, and getting your hair "did"? amber's bringing baby yuuukas (lucas), as elias would say, so i get to chop this hair, and squeeze a bitty baby, and chat without interruption. i love my husband, who makes all these things possible, and gladly. seriously. i am married to THE most amazing man in the world.

so tomorrow- 12:30, new hair, new me! going bold- going short!

SO nervous.

today i love:

my sister lauri. if someone ever was given the gift of encouragement, it was her. she got all of it. no one else got any. not even a little. that's how much she's got.

the snow! especially because i don't have to be out dragging my kids about in it. but i can look out my windows and see it. and be inside...warm. well, warm-ish. this house is 150 years old...and you sure can tell in the winter.

eggnog. what's better than eggnog?! seriously. try thinking of one thing. good luck...

being mostly done with my christmas shopping. i'm on the verge of sweet relief.

my husband for making all of my christmas shopping possible. because i swear, i can't take elias and piper to the mall by myself. it's harrowing. have i already mentioned this? well, it's true. shopping with them may very well be the most dreadful thing i can think of. i'd rather poke my eyeballs out with a branch of my christmas tree. don't judge me. i'm sure people in my position do it all the time. they're either just crazy lunatics or they don't have a son like mine. who is also a crazy lunatic. and oh so very sweet. killer combo.

home alone. my holiday favorite. what's not to love? i even like when he gets lost in new york the next year. it's all good to me.

dean martin. another favorite. he could sing me the ABC's and it'd be phenom.

that i slept through the night last night. this is not to be taken lightly, people. and certainly not taken for granted, those of you who have not spawned your own kind yet.

surprises. i LOVE surprises. LOVE LOVE. and i never have any idea what my handsome husband is getting me for christmas. SO good!

family. i love my little strattioni's. and the crazy bartlett's i come from. i really feel so blessed that at the holidays, i don't dread family things. we even get to see dave's fam this season, which will be really nice. and with all this immediate family...we're talkin like 30 people, here-- no one hates anyone or fights with anyone or dreads seeing anyone. i hope many of you here experience the same thing. i'm not sure most people do. but i sure am grateful for it!

quiet. whether it's in a shower for 10 minutes or at this desk for 10 minutes, i sure do enjoy me some quiet. and i quite miss it when it goes away...

that God loves us despite ourselves. despite our bad attitudes, our impatience, our unfair judgements, our inability and lacking, and the fact that we constantly choose things over him all the time. he still loves us. and he doesn't love us less, like he should. his love is unconditional in a way we literally can't comprehend. i think that's why i love him so much. he's so complex! so hard to understand sometimes. and yet he meets us right where we're at. crazy.

what do you all love today? c'mon, there's always something to love...