Autumn Bliss and Halloween Plans

Well, it's my favorite time of year again, and as promised I'm dedicating a separate blog to all the upcoming events in October.  The weather is starting to finally feel like autumn, and our sunsets have been earlier and earlier- a signal that nature takes care of the time change all on her own, without man's interference.  Updates for the month: our baby's nursery is about 70% finished (!!!!!!!) and we're putting the final decorative touches on everything.  School fairs are kicking in, and the pumpkin patch is back- although this year, due to time constraints, we will probably scoop our pumpkin up at Wal-Mart (and spend this weekend carving it and hanging up the rest of our creepy spiders/web outside of the house).  I volunteered last Saturday with my final animal rescue event of the year (till post-baby anyway!)- Delgado's Expo, with the Louisiana Boxer Rescue. I wasn't able to stay for the entire event but it was fun-filled, and the weather cooperated beautifully.  The highlight, of course, was our Boxer Kissing Booth- Cooper and his human mommy Vicki were handling that part of the program.  If there was a record for best Boxer kisses, Coop would have to take the prize, paws-down.  Here's a shot of the boy in his place of honor (the halo effect was unintentional but fun):

The big event on this month's list is....me and Lucas's 4th Wedding Anniversary! Traditionally the symbols are books, fruit and flowers (why they have three for one year I have no idea, but I'm fond of all three so it works, lol) and I'm brewing some ideas on how to incorporate all three.  Thinking about going to the bookstores and picking out books together; having dinner at a restaurant with a flower in the name; then hitting the farmer's market for the third and final fruit part of the program. Since our special day falls on a Thursday this year, we'll begin celebrating early (Sunday), with our annual picnic in the park where we got married, followed by a school fair.  Keeping fingers crossed that the weather cooperates the way it's been doing.

 

 

Something that has amazed me- this month is going by faster than all our other Octobers put together! It's that nesting thing hard at work again- I've lost complete track of time! After last weekend soared by on rust-colored leaves, I took a good look at the calendar and called it to Lucas's attention that we were officially halfway through October....and we HADN'T DECORATED OUR HOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN!!! Le Horreur!! This is a record for us- usually the Halloween festivities begin on exactly the first of the month and last until the end of the thirty-first.  Something had to be done, immediately! So we dug out our plastic storage boxes filled with Halloween deco- bypassing the costume boxes (this year is going to be a "little" different in the costume dept, lol) and got our pipestem spiders/paper pumpkins/grinning skulls out, and began making up for lost time.  I also made a new addition to our decorations- I borrowed a page from Martha Stewart and took a styrofoam mannequin head, covered it with that faux spider web material and placed one of the pipestem spiders on top as a "hat" of sorts.  The effect was fun, and I'll post a shot later.  Looking around the house, it is FINALLY starting to look appropriately spooky around here, at long last.

As far as Halloween costumes go, I've been scouring the 'net looking for ideas and inspiration but haven't come up with much to pique my interest.  There were some cute "mommy and baby" skeleton tee shirts, but nothing else really screamed "Halloween costume".  Eventually I came up with an idea on my own: cookie!<--(insert Cookie Monster voice here). It would incorporate the big belly, and I could either dress up my arms and head as Cookie Monster, or see if Lucas wants to play that role (either that or he could be 'the last cookie').  If I go the first route, all I need for this costume is to buy royal blue arm warmers/gloves, and make a simple cookie jar shirt or poster board cutout.  I already own a C.M. hat Lucas gave me a few Christmases ago, which would be the final touch.  For Lucas's costume I can design a shirt with the saying "The Last Cookie" with a Natalie-Dee-ish sketch of a chocolate chip.  A far cry from the usual scary stuff, but change can be fun sometimes ;) This year we won't be venturing out very far, and it would be a good year to dress comfortably to stay home and hand out candy to the kids/watch scary movies/nest some more.  And next year there will be three of us doing a family theme, for baby's first Halloween!!

This is what's going on in our corner of the world (the big stuff anyway).  Hope this finds my readers preparing for a spooky, scary, scintillating Halloween time!

~Jamie aka  "Cookie Monster"

September Updates

Hard to believe that we are into another month! September was the month of Hurricane Isaac- the storm that blew our "normal" everyday schedules into shreds, and destroyed the homes of so many poor people.  Every hurricane has its own agenda, and it seems that the people who do well during one storm will inevitably be stuck dealing with horrendous damage from yet another one.  People are still rebuilding and dealing with the aftermath.  Prayers go out to each and every one of them. 

As for us, we were incredibly blessed- the winds sounded like they would rip through our roof, and it felt like the gods were bowling outside our window- but we suffered little damage, and ended up enjoying time with our neighbors playing board games and visiting with our dogs.  The day of the storm was terrifying, but the afterwards was strangely, thankfully quiet and peaceful. And the day before the storm we saw the strangest "sign"- a giant bird was perched on our patio fence, his back to us, staring out at the weather kicking up.  Looked like a falcon or peregrine hawk.  I raced to get my camera but didn't make it back in time.  It seemed like a lucky sign, and gave us a little comfort before things got bad here with the weather.

The rest of the month was busy, and thankfully uneventful post-hurricane.  I experienced a BIG growth spurt with my baby on board, and now I'm in the phase of my pregnancy where I'm going to the doctor's office every 2 weeks for visits, so things are progressing quickly!

I'm thankful September is over- it was hot, humid, stormy and insane.  Now we're in October and the weather gave us our first "real" cold front of the season! This is my favorite month, and I'm going to reserve a separate blog to catch up on it. 

Hoping this finds my readers doing well and enjoying the change of season!

August Updates

There is so much ongoing in my life, and not enough time to share it on this blog.  I'm going to have to begin logging in the basic highlights at this rate! Here goes....

A few weeks ago we had the ultrasound done, and found out that we are having a baby boy!!! Biggest thrill EVER!! Yet, at the same time, I knew from early on in this pregnancy that it was a boy.  There was an energy, a visual in my head, that it was a little guy nesting in there.  I guess the instincts are coming out early- amen to that! The ultrasound experience was incredible- seeing how big our baby is growing, and watching him move and shift around, was fantastic! It was like watching a hologram, images popping out at random (or maybe that's the way my brain was processing the whole experience!)  We could hear the heartbeat again, and as always it was music to my ears.  Lucas was quiet and watchful and very very happy.  We got a dvd of the ultrasound, and a couple of photos printed out to share with family.  Funny thing happened: as I sat up afterwards, I got a weird surge in temperature and felt on the verge of fainting.  Arrghh! Embarassing, but I was told by the tech that its common for women carrying boys to be a little more unsteady.  Maybe its the hormones.  I mentioned it to Mom after and she said that the same thing happened to her when she was carrying my brother.  At least its "normal"! And baby has been moving these past few weeks- its something that always makes me stop what I'm doing and absorb the experience.  Small miracles.  Mini Zen moments.

Nesting: We are still in the early stages of preparing the house for baby.  Thankfully there are a few months left, and family is helping us out with the grunt work.  The studio is going to be converted into a nursery/baby room, and we are working on theme ideas.  For now, we've picked out the colors blue and chocolate brown.  Mom bought a beautiful 3-in-1 natural wood crib (Simmons), perfect for what we're doing with the nursery.   I am working on the rest of the house, and building bags of things to donate to the Louisiana Boxer Rescue Garage Sale at the end of September.  Also working on registries (Target and Babies 'r' Us)- it's an eye opener how much baby will need.  Trying to cut down on costs by shopping for secondhand furniture like a dresser, chest of drawers, baby changing table etc., and comparison shopping.  Also reading pregnancy books by the dozen- so much info, so little time!

Beau: About a month ago, my furry son started exhibiting strange behavior and aggression towards me, and every day was a battle between the two of us.  It got to the point that his "time-outs" were 5-7 times a day, which was very unusual and distubing.  It was a very difficult and depressing time that seemed to drag on and on.  I contacted every person in the dog business that I could find, and asking for help/advice/info on what to do.  The main concern is baby- we don't want Beau showing aggression towards our little one once he's home.  I've been working with him on a daily basis and trying to re-train him, with some improvements.  So far his aggression symptoms are improving a LOT, but he still barks at everyone when he's out in the yard, and still has issues (mainly, hardheadedness).  One day at a time...and considering crate training, along with a refresher course in "Beau-bedience" for the two of us.  The photo on this blog entry is very dear to my heart-a shot I call "My two sons", with Beau and the baby bump.  Beau has an affectionate and lovable side to him that makes me hang in there, despite the bad times, and this photo exemplifies that side of him. 

Photography: Until this week, my photography has taken a very dusty backseat to everything else.  But this week I started up again- took some great shots of Beau drinking water out of a hose- a series I call the "Dog Days of Summer".  I am reading up on photography basics, and in the process of learning how to use the lovely Canon camera that my Mom gave me several months ago.  Its a tool that can push my pictures from really good, to incredible.  Determined to learn it, and will be going to parks and outdoor events to practice and get familiar with it.  Especially want to know how to operate all the special features before the arrival of baby!

Another photo note: I entered the Hearst 8x10 Photo Contest.  Subject matter up to the photographer, and you can submit 16 photos.  Winner receives an exhibit opening in New York.  Ahhhh, the glory! Winners will be announced October 1st.  I wrote up a bio explaining my volunteer work with animal rescue groups and how my photography tied in to that, then selected 16 photos that, to me, exhibited both animal rescue and life here in Nola.  Regardless of whether or not they win, I sent them off with love and optimism and hope.  Stay tuned....

20 weeks and counting....

This is one of the biggest Zen moments of my life.  Baby boy- 13 oz, perfectly healthy, active, annoyed at having been awoken from his morning nap.  Tiny hands like two works of art.  My child, warm and snug and growing surrounded by love.  I am humbled.  I feel like a queen, able to take on the world.  I am grateful.  I am inspired.  My heart is so full I can't even set it all down in words right now and will revise this blog at a later date. 

Back to Work...

After a very extended break from our art work (due to a "slight" case of pregnancy, haha), I am finally getting back into the swing of things.  Today while checking in on Facebook, I was inspired by a steampunk photograph in the news feed, taken by a company called "Dim Horizon" http://dimhorizonstudio.com/), which specializes in costume shoots, steampunk and high fashion among others.  It was a lovely reminder that time's a-flying, and hubby & I have art work to revisit.  So while on FB, I spent a long time updating the photos of our mask line to get back on track and help get the word out.  Then I signed back into the mask website for the first time in several months, and updated our page with photos of the latest "additions" and upcoming events that are in the works, along with the link to my art blog. 

I am very proud of this particular Zen moment- looking back at photos of the masks we have completed, it gives me a sense of accomplishment to see the quality of the masks and to remember the work we put into each and every one- absolutely a labor of love.  The mask line runs the gamut- good and evil, colorful and dark, dreamy and realistic.  I'm a big believer in the concept of balance, and it is gratifying to see that reflected in this line of work.  We are definitely not a "one-note" wonder.

Now that I am shaking off the remnants of the pregnancy nausea (for this trimester anyway!) Lucas and I will be gearing up to continue the mask line in full force.  We have so many ideas brewing, and the hot and humid days of summer will be the perfect time to close myself in the house and begin once more.  Lucas works full time (somebody's gotta earn the dough!), but he will be guiding me each and every step, and providing his own additions to the mask line as the days progress.  We'll be collaborating on weekends and bringing new ideas to the line, so be prepared to see a lot of newcomers in the months ahead.  And I can't wait to find out if the Sprout is a boy or a girl, so we can make a special mask to display in the nursery.   Hoping that our little one will enjoy the mask line as much as we do- maybe we'll be blessed to have an apprentice on our hands!


Hope this finds everyone surviving the long hot Dog Days of Summer!

My best,
007

Pizza Recipe (It's all in the Crust....)

Ask anyone who enjoys cooking, and they will probably agree....a good pizza recipe is hard to find.  My personal experience with pizza recipes involves hunting through magazine selections, online hints, Create TV, cooking channels and a slew of cookbooks including Better Homes and Gardens.  All are informative and helpful, but so far my best find has been a recipe for pizza by the creative and awesomely talented Guy Fieri.  The recipe itself is basic and straightforward, and the secret to its great flavor is found in the pizza dough.  For folks who like their pizza basic (no chunky sauce, onions, ultrathin crusts or gourmet flavors), this is the one for you.  The crust is thick and hearty, and you can either whip up your own pizza sauce (using a tomato paste and tomato sauce puree) or borrow a quick-fix at the grocery (Mama Mary's is my go-to brand these days).  My husband is a meat-and-potatoes personality when it comes to food, so his toppings lean towards pepperoni (turkey), chorizo, or ham, and all of the above plus jalapenos, mushrooms and black olives for me.  It's also a fun twist to squeeze a little pepperoncini juice to finish the flavor (like Papa John's).   Eventually I plan on experimenting with dessert pizzas- currently on the lookout for a smores recipe, and a cinnamon apple streudel.  And maybe later we'll do a "stuffed crust" on the regular pepperoni.  But for now, this basic recipe works perfectly.  All it requires is time and good planning- while the dough is in its rising stages, you can be doing other things in the meantime while waiting.  Remember to start early enough to give yourself time for the prep work. 

Here is the Guy Fieri Pizza Crust Recipe, as taken from the Guy Fieri Cookbook:

Ingredients:

•  1 tsp sugar
•  1 cup warm water
•  1 tbsp (or 2 packets) active dry yeast
•  2 tbsp olive oil
•  1 tsp sea salt
•  2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (plus a little extra for dusting)

Directions:

(1) In a bowl, dissolve sugar in the warm water.  Sprinkle yeast on top and let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.  Add olive oil and salt to the yeast mixture.  Mix in the flour (by hand, in a large bowl).

(2) Turn the dough on to a floured board (or a cookie sheet, if pressed for space) and knead until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Place the dough in a bowl that has been wiped down with olive oil, and turn the dough to coat the surface.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until the dough is double in size, for about an hour. 

(3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide in half (for two large pizzas) or in four (for four small ones).  Form into smooth, tight dough balls, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a well-floured kitchen towel, and set in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.  *Note: at this point your kitchen will smell like a bakery with all the rising dough- just a nice side perk of baking at home :)

(4)  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (or, if using a gas oven or high-powered oven, 475 degrees).

(5)  Uncover the dough, and press dough with fingers until it is as flat as possible.  Drape over both fists and gently pull edges out, while rotating crust.  Or, to cut back a step, simply smooth the dough and press it outwards into a circular shape, which will allow you to make it either thick or thin crust.  When desired size/thickness, place on a floured pizza pan or cookie sheet. 

(6)  Top the crusts with preferred toppings.  Our family enjoys the basic traditional style pizza: tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, Mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan (prefer the shredded style), a drizzle of olive oil, turkey pepperoni/chorizo, and other toppings depending on who the pizza is for (use your imagination- pizzas can pretty much use anything from chicken to veggies to fancy cheeses- the sky's the limit). 

(7)  Bake for 8-12 minutes.  Best served with Italian salad (toss mixed greens, artichoke hearts and Feta cheese with balsamic viniagrette) and icy-cold soft drinks. 

Ciao from my kitchen to yours!!

~007

 

In Bloom

Hi Everyone!

Earth Day seemed the perfect day to post my big news on my blog: Lucas and I are having a baby at the end of this year!!!!! We have a little sprout in the works- and these past few weeks have been one crazy ride!

March 23 was the day it all began.....I thought I was having my period, but nothing happened.  It was cause for concern, because I've never missed one my entire life.  I wondered if I was sick.  Then I realized something completely different could be happening.  I had one pregnancy test in the linen closet, and decided to "waste it" and double check to be on the safe side.  When I got the results back, it was confusing- two lines mean pregnant, and while two showed up on the test, one was so faint as to be almost invisible.  What to do?  So I drove to the corner drugstore and bought two more tests, then called my dr. to make a follow-up appointment.  I took another test later that evening, and it came back with the same results as the first.  That's when I started really going, "hmm...is this possible???" It was more than possible, it was probable. 

I wanted to break the news to Lucas in a special way, so when he got home from work I told him that we should take advantage of the lovely weather and go to the park to sit and relax and catch up together.  He gave me a look and said, "Are you pregnant?" I gave him a stare back, and re-iterated: "Honey, let's go to the park and enjoy this nice weather and just catch up."  He started chuckling and said okay, and shortly after we headed off to Lafrieniere.  We parked by the bird sanctuary, late evening, and sat in the car to watch a gentle rain slide down the windows, and the birds strutting around looking for bread and socializing together.  We sat and talked about the day, and then I told him I had some good news- then took the pregnancy test out of my purse and handed it over.  Then handed the second one over.  He said, "I knew it!" and we embraced and laughed and it was quite the moment.  Needless to say, in his own quiet and intense way, Mr. Lucas was overjoyed and very very VERY happy!!! The rain drizzled down the car windows, the birds outside called to one another, and everything was dreamy and lovely.

The next day, I woke up and immediately thought "Pregnant???" and took the final test, which came back the same as the other three.  What can I say? Pregnancy brain puts you off- I knew in my heart it would be positive again, the third time, but everything was so surreal I had to go through the final test.  Then later that morning I went to my dr's appointment, where they drew blood to confirm my pregnancy.  They promised to call by lunch since the office closed early on Fridays.  When I left, I took five flights of stairs back to the car, where I had time to think on the way down.  The stairs looked like an Escher painting, and as I climbed ever downwards, the news hit me: I really AM pregnant! And later, around 1:00 I got the call congratulating us on our baby!!! After I hung up with the nurse, I sat down and bawled my eyes out, completely overwhelmed with emotion.  Then I called Lucas, Mom, Angie and a few other close friends and family.  Everyone's reaction to the news was uplifting- each and every person I talked to was overjoyed, and it was gratifying and I truly felt the love. 

Monday was another big milestone on the journey to motherhood- I got my first ultrasound at the dr's office! It was unexpected- originally before my appt, I was told that they would be able to detect the heartbeat- but I didn't realize they would actually be able to view the baby too!  Mom went with me, and held my hand as we watched the photo of the baby appear on the screen.  It was surreal and amazing! The tech called it "doodlebug" and I call it "my sprout".  Then they charted the heartbeat, which to me was the very best part of all- the sound was like a stream of music: lovely, optimistic, strong, steady and determined.  The loveliest song I've ever heard.  A miracle.

We brought home photos, which I scanned and made copies of.  Its an incredible reminder that yes, the baby is REAL- because for a while I simply couldn't believe it.  There's nothing to compare pregnancy to.  Its a leap of faith into the absolute unknown, and my emotions have been riding a roller coaster ever since.  The first few weeks were so smooth, I didn't even feel different than normal (which really made me doubt the reality of the situation).  But now, after being on progesterone meds, and as the days progress, it feels absolutely real. The drawback is that the past two weeks, I've been overwhelmed with nausea, my equilibrium is off, I'm craving all kinds of unhealthy foods, and the exhaustion is immense.  Its a lot like having a severe case of the flu, and you just wait and pray for the sick feelings to go away.  I spent the past two weeks eating, sleeping for 6-8 hours at a time, and praying for the nausea to subside. I've had to cancel plans with friends and family, and couldn't even make it to the local farmer's market because standing up makes me sick.  Ugh!!!  Its been difficult- but I count my blessings that I haven't thrown up yet (knock on wood!). I read in the books and heard from friends that the worse you feel, the healthier baby is doing, so I hang on to that when things are really rocky.  And Beau, for the most part, has been a good nanny dog- he crashes on the sofa with me, or sleeps on his bed on the floor next to my head, and will pop up every so often to keep an eye and "check" on me.  Such a good boy!

I opened up a new website on The Bump, which I will devote to all things baby, since its special and should be kept separate from this Zen blog (although I'm sure baby news will infiltrate on here periodically!).  I'll post the link a little later.

So now its Earth Day, and I feel celebratory (if queasy, lol).  Once I regain my footing, Lucas and I will go to Lowe's and pick up a few plants and soil, and do some spring planting in the backyard.  The weather here has been unexpectedly, miraculously cool and spring-like, which is abnormal for our neck of the woods.  Abnormal, and completely welcome.  I have found that fresh air and sunshine are good for me and my little passenger- and today I'm going to take advantage of it as much as possible. 

Wishing everyone a very happy Earth Day! Celebrate by enjoying the great outdoors, and realize with each and every breath of fresh air, and the warmth of sunlight on your face, and the song of birds in the trees, that life is truly a miracle. 

Barefoot & preggers,

007