oh MJ

flour power

I think we are going to need a new bag of flour...

Don't you?

Adding to the list of things to not leave on the floor:
1. Brownie mix
2. Ex-lax
3. Underwear (I know... GROSS. Be thankful that there is no link to remind you of this episode)
4. All-purpose flour

The culprit? Sweet Carowhine Whinerson. Her nose was covered in flour, her paws in the trail.


And because I know you are DYING to know the results of my vinegar rinse... a short story.

Now I'm not saying it is a complete success... but I did have an extremely creepy, late 40-ish, bushy haired man approach me in the dark parking lot at Shop & Save last night to tell me that my hair is so beautiful and shiny.

Thanks, I think?

Security? You there?

welcome home

I came home tonight to this guy.

He had fresh beer bread waiting for me at the door and homemade pizza baking in the oven.

He was even wearing my apron.

His lady friend (pictured above) was wagging her tail like I was the greatest person in the world.

For a moment, I felt like it.

I love my life.

I fail

My inability to pack our house in an organized manner has led to some pretty unexpected finds these days. Linens in with the yard tools. Dishes packed with unmentionables. Dog sweaters (yes... DOG sweaters) packed with old checks.

For weeks now Jordan has asked me if I have seen his electric razor cord. Since the Great Move of 2009 the cord has been missing. Every so often when his beard is taking over he looks for this cord. He knows I packed it and yet he asks so politely.

No, I fail.

Jordan found the cord yesterday. Jordan found the cord yesterday in the box labeled CHRISTMAS. He literally said it was the last of the unpacked boxes to go through.

I fail.

The pretend Uncle of Toby's namesake

Question:
What can $14.99 buy you at Walgreens?

Answer:

Sidenote:
For you Arrested Development fans,
do the little man legs on this
costume remind you of Uncle Jack Dorso?
Because all I can hear in my head when I see this is
"Dragon, SWOOP me!"

HAPPY HALLOWIENER!

woe is me and the mint green 626

As Jordan said earlier today,

our car has died a very expensive death.

We are in the market for a new-to-us car. Suggestions and donations are welcome. Preferably cash, large bills.

***note to husband***

Dear patient one,
I guess this means I will not have to clean out the melted peppermint bark from the door cubby thing. That's the upside of this, for me at least.
With love,
Your every-messy and forgetful wife, the one who left the peppermint bark there in the first place

oh dear

Looks like Caroline's long, lost sister/brother made this blog.

*Note, not the raccoon.

If you look closely, you'll see a spooky little house

One of the bedrooms upstairs has a small addition. The addition sits over the deck and has some amazing closet space. When we first looked at the home they had this sweet light fixture, if you can call it that, in the center of the addition.
Needless to say we were pretty bummed when the fixture was removed by closing day.

What was left however, was the hand-written list of the Pauline epistles, in chronological order.

Goodbye Aveeno..

After reading this post about rinsing hair in vinegar I took to the web for more info on the treatment. I figure now is the time to do it as I am severely congested these days. Really the only smells strong enough for me to notice are Toby's toots. Surely the smell of vinegar can't bother me too much. Tomorrow morning I am going to start. Other info found here and here.

Since the first post didn't discuss baking soda I had not planned on implementing that- other than the smell of vinegar the process didn't seem too *out there*. I'm undecided on replacing shampoo with baking soda.

Input please!

Have you heard of doing this, and if so what is it like? Success stories and horror stories welcomed. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

If I don't forget (remember, severely ADD), I'll update you on it. I'm feeling pretty skeptical about the whole process, but who knows!

4 hour difference...

The below picture was taken at 10:00ish Saturday morning:

The below picture was taken at 2:00ish Saturday afternoon:

another big, exaggerated *sigh*

Indeed, we will have yet another Chapell Work Day, 2009 this fall.

A day in the life of...

Through all the congestion I am still able to determine that Toby is indeed gassy.

This morning Jordan and I woke up (read: I woke Jordan up as I was already awake for an hour +, that's love people) and decided to declare today Chapell Work Day, 2009.
So I pulled the empty trash bin out of the scary garage, brought the rake up to the front yard, and began raking.
Question for the readers: Do you also think of King Triton when you see that stake? Don't let this sway you on your decision, but we do. For hours (read: 30 minutes) I raked and raked until I was so flipping hot and sweaty that I had to take a 5 minute break. Upon returning from my break (I ate oatmeal, drank water) I basked in the progress from the hours of labor (again, 30ish minutes). Almost immediately (I shan't become too boastful) I looked up and saw this:

Big, exaggerated *sigh*

There will clearly be another work day in our future. So many leaves yet to fall. So many.

Caroline and Toby took turns whining to go outside, whining to come back inside, whining to go on a walk, whining to eat, whining to drink, whining to be free from their captivity.
All in all, success. The front yard was raked, Jordan painted the trim in the bathroom and this afternoon we will paint the walls, Grey clouds from Sherwin Williams.

Timeless Paper

So I'm pretty excited. I just ordered this for our Halloween Party.

Did you get the invitation? If not, let me know. We have been sick, sick and more sick these days. Plus with the move. Life is busy and I'm just really forgetful/absent minded/oblivious.

I think I would plan a party just to buy more of these. So beautiful!

Timeless Paper shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6486271

Timeless Paper blog:
http://www.timelesspaper.com/blog/

holding onto the good memories... that's all.

grace in the small things

I've been more than a little under the weather.
* I've been under the weather.
* The weather has consumed and taken over me.
* Me no longer exists for the weather hath dominated my entire being.

I was a tad bit dramatic with Jordan earlier this week. And while I really didn't want to die, I was so consumed with how I felt (read: not good) that the task at hand, successfully driving home, seemed just overwhelming. How do you drive home when all you want to do is slam your car into the back of another? That act will actually prohibit you from successfully driving home. At that point you can consider that task unsuccessful, incomplete, etc.

Rest assured I made it and thanks to a little friend I call Butorphanol Tartrate Nasal Spray I fell in and out of consciousness for the next 6-12 hours. Really it is less of a friend and more of a Plan E when there are only six plans on file and the sixth is, well, you can imagine... not good. So, Plan E it was.
Kids, Plan E is nothing to play with. Promise.

I was going somewhere with this... feeling miserable, taking medicine I loath taking, light at the end of the tunnel! Yes! Gift Ink and Flair Designery!

Amanda at Gift Ink hosted a giveaway that I won! And the best part of all, Abby of Flair Designery is local here in Saint Louis! Local as in Webster Groves people! Who doesn't love to support the local artists? So pop on over to both Abby and Amanda's blog... they are both just lovely:) Talk about grace in the small things... So moral of the story is, don't get sick so that you don't have to take medicine you hate to take, do participate in giveaways online and do support the local artists.

Their sites:
Gift Ink- http://www.gift-ink.com/
Flair Designery- http://www.flairdesignery.com/

the flying nun

Her tail was cropped but they left her ears natural. Love her ears. We (read: I) have always thought she resembled Sally Fields in The Flying Nun when she perks them up at the slightest sound. Do you see it?

tears of joy people

About 3 hours ago I watched Jim and Pam get married on hulu. I cried.

About 10 minutes ago I watched this scene again. I cried, again.

What's better than one dog-in-bra?

Two.

Like all tween girls, it's a little awkward and uncomfortable at first.

But you get used to it and sometimes forget it is even there.

Happy Saturday.

May your morning be more productive and less disturbing than mine.

Surprise Surprise! Dogs.

This video.

I certainly teared up a bit. And yes know this furthers me becoming that person. That dog person. Maybe I'm ok with that.

I'm also ok with this. I understand if you are not. But after the game last night I needed a little laughter. I needed a little dog-in-bra.

Mom and sisters, I washed it!

I went to the Cardinals game with a dear friend last night and after watching them have several fantastic innings we watched them break down. It has been a long time since I have been to a sporting event where people were so mad and so vocal about their anger.

Clearly the players were idiots.
Clearly we spectators can do what you professional players cannot.
Clearly we are better people and better citizens than you.
Clearly you deserve to *blankety blank blank off* for wasting my time and my money.

It was a glimpse into the heart of a Philly sports fan. If you have not experienced it, please do. It's raw and I love and miss it.

Being away from it for as long as I have (did I ever really live there?) I have forgotten what it is like.

Thanks STL for allowing me to remember.

This is the father of my dogs...

It's a wash really...

You know you've reached a new low in your obsession with dogs when you search, longingly, for "dachshund" on etsy.

My heart skipped a beat when I found this, and this and this. I had to stop and remind myself that I don't want to become THAT person.

I may already be there because really, who doesn't love a flying wiener dog? Seriously... name me one person, I dare you.

I could be getting all sentimental because I just found out that I am allergic to dog dander. Let that sink in a moment. I woke up yesterday with a firm understanding that I did not have allergies and went to bed overwhelmed by how many things I am allergic to. Trees, grass, weeds, mold, dust, DOGS. Oh dear. Not cats, but dogs. People, I am allergic to dogs, like in Carowhine Whinerson and Toblerone, the one who sleeps in bed with us.

Apparently I have exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Now take a moment and let that sink in. Maybe all those years of dreading exercising was my subconscious telling me DANGER! AVOID! DANGER! Maybe running in place in the living room to avoid running outside was kind of a good thing. Maybe having a gym membership for a year and only going twice was wise.

So... anyone interested in a whiny doberman and a cuddly dachshund? My husband comes with the dachshund because those two were so made for each other.

Jordan is practicing for Sunday's evening worship and sitting downstairs I can hear:

**spoiler alert**

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us.
That we should be called the sons of God.
That we should be called the sons of God.

Two great reminders from hearing this- how fabulous it is to be married to a musician and just how good it is to be a child of God.

h to the p

So... is there life after Harry Potter? I'm struggling with that question having just finished the series. If there is, tell me? Direct me? Suggest new books for me?

Thanks,
Suzanne

My assistant Toby T.A.P.W. is like my shadow...

He walks when I walk, runs when I run, stops suddenly when I stop suddenly. He even trips on the stairs when I trip. Seriously. He's amazingly in sync with my movements.

But the sound he makes? The tap tap tapping from his oh-so-long nails-- mind blowingly loud. Powerful even. We turn the TV up when he is walking in the room. No we don't, because if we are in the room he is already there. Sitting. Waiting for the next chance to follow.

Jordan just cut his nails. Sure it has been, um, over two months since we last did it but at least we did it. Well *we* didn't. Jordan did. I like to avoid giving the dogs baths or clipping their nails because when they begin to associate pain with the bather and clipper, it won't be me they are running from.

But now I can't really hear him. I'm walking and feeling all lonely and insecure and BAM, Toby is there. He is looking up at me, wagging his tail and begging for me to walk some more. Maybe the dining room. Maybe the basement. Anywhere.

Speaking of baths, did you know that tonight will be the 3rd day in a row that we bath Princess Caroline? Yep, it is. We gave her one the night before last because it had been OVER TWO MONTHS since her last bath. And then she rolled in poop. I came home from work with dinner all ready and delicious in the crock pot only to find that fabulous smell offset by poop. Rotting poop. Poop so grotesque that I lost my appetite.

So I bathed her last night.

And tonight she rolled in poop again. So we banned her from the house, wiped our hands of her and said ROLL IN POOP WILL YOU? THEN ROLL IN POOP. Who knows if she did, at this point my sense of smell is so jacked up I can't tell.

** This one's for you MOM and DAD: Tomorrow is our final, FINAL, big move. By this time tomorrow we should have all boxes in, furniture set and a headaches worth of organizing to do. My family is conveniently out of town. No, actually they just don't live here. But let me publicly offer them to come to Saint Louis. I'll assign you a room and you can just go crazy with it. Like vacuum and dust. And make us dinners and clean our poopy dogs.

Rumor confirmed: We spent 40-some minutes deciding on this pillow. True Story.

Jordan's pillow.

It is the pillow that I never like until he is gone. It is the pillow that is so floppy and flippant in it's cushionicity that by the time you put the effort in to find the exact amount of flop and sustainability to drift you off into sleep you are too tired to appreciate the perfectness. You are actually annoyed now. And awake. Stupid pillow.

Sustainability? Really? Yes.

It is night 3 of Jordan being on a work trip. That son of a gun is in NYC. He says he has all these meetings during the day and work prep at night. I think he's just touring the city, one fabulous street at a time. He's all I just walked by Saks when I'm all I just drove under Clayton on I-270.

But his pillow. Oh that pillow. I usually don't like it. We have 47 pillows to choose from on any given night and while this same pillow is his go-to I am perfectly happy using Caroline's booty as a place to rest my head.

But on nights like tonight, when the OC can fulfill me no more, I need his pillow to sleep. Love that pillow. Amazing!


**On a significantly more important subject, my brother and his wife welcomed sweet Anna Catherine into the world today. Mother and baby are doing well and I heard she has a full head of hair...