Little Bro

After a hellish week of working my tushie off, I found this post that I forgot to put up! Missing my family and the love they provide for me. My mom and dad checked in every day this week and they were the one phone call I would make when I went uptown for cell service. Missing good people surrounding me.

My brother Clint and his wife Haley visited me for the first time! We had such a blast together. He said his favorite thing was staying at my apartment and feeling like he lived in my great little neighborhood. They were able to see my kiddos at work and meet all my wonderful friends and neighbors. A true highlight was the galleries in Chelsea (we had quite a participatory experience at one gallery in particular). It was so nice to have time as part of my daily life, if only for a week. I miss them already! 

Minute by minute

My favorite 5 minutes on the phone (complete with air kisses!)+

New Street Art+

Sidewalk Iris+

The New Spidey+

I got my legs did+

dancing with Deb+

The best kiddos you could ask for=

a week fof minutes that bring me joy.

Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!

Making Cashew Butter & Strawbery Whipped Cream filled Cream Puffs (with dehydrated strawberries!? What what?)+

A visit from Jaime Noche+

Art Fun+

Birthday Spank Trains and fun at Immi+

It's Birthday Month!=

Getting back on track, back to life, back to reality.

Live it Out

After an unexpected trip to CA due to a family tragedy, I came back to New York and I've been feeling a bit out of sorts. Typically, my dad and I spend Spring Break going on a trip together. It's an amazing time for us to share stories, reminisce, build new memories and just enjoy each other's company. Instead, I spent most of the week inside my apartment. After a week of feeling totally blah (and after listening to perfect advice from a wonderful friend) I realized that I  can't take care of other people unless I take care of myself first. I wasn't sleeping, kept forgetting to eat dinner and was a general mess! I started thinking about the things I would do as a kid to take care of myself and what I did to enjoy my time and make my life great. Some of my favorite memories as a kid are: curling up in bed with a good book or my most recent Calvin and Hobbes, dancing my little heart out all afternoon long at Joan Golden Dance Studio or choreographing solos in my bedroom to ridiculous music, doing impersonations (apparently I loved doing this for my parents), spending time with friends, writing in my journal and just being an overall happy person. I think it's time to bring it back.

HOW TO LIVE LIKE A KID:

1. Learn something new:

Every week, I used to memorize a new vocabulary word. Since when did that go out of style? Now, I keep a list of words on my phone that are new to me and that I love, but why not seek out more? 

Word of the week: 

Amanuensis (noun)

1

a person who writes down your words when you cannot write, for example if you are injured and have an exam2an assistant, especially one who writes or types for somebody
Use it in a sentence: I needed an amanuensis for Summer of Tammi recently, as I've been too darn busy to create a post. 

2. Play outside. 

I kept myself holed up in my apartment and realized after three days that I needed to get out. Just being outdoors in the sunshine makes everything better. One of my favorite pictures from my childhood is me with my cousins--in our bathing suits, in the grass, licking Popsicles--time to get outside and explore.

3. Try new things: 

When I was little, I had these cookbooks that I loved to make dinner from. I would cull my favorite recipes and try them out on the family. These days, I sometimes fall back into what's comfortable. I forced myself to make some new treats. Sometimes it's scary doing new things, but I have to remind myself, what's the worst that can happen?

4. Write thank you notes: 

When you're a kid, you are always required to write a thank you note. Why do people stop doing this as adults? I'm a lover of all notes, especially thank yous and realized I haven't had a Grateful Grazie in awhile either...time to get crackin'.

5. Cry....a little, or a lot. Yeah, whatevs, I cry.  Sometimes crying just helps.

6. Love and Be Happy: 

As children, we just do the things that make us happy. We spend time with the people we like. We don't bother to eat the foods we hate or play with the mean kids on the playground. 

I need to spend more time with the people I love and the ones who love and support me. 

Brina Got Back

My sister Sabrina is one of the most giving people I know. As part of continuing my "creating a rap" tradition, I made one for her this month. 

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life -Isadora James

She is a beautiful young woman who has grown so much personally in the past few years. She is such an amazing force. She is constantly giving to all around her. She has graduated from Brandman University with her masters in Human Resources. She was hired last year at the Apple store in Roseville, and since then, she has gotten two promotions and is moving up the corporate ranks. Everyone at work loves her (as I found out when I went into the store and said I was her sister...nothing but compliments for my amazing sis. I felt great just by association!). 

A sister by blood, a friend by choice-Author unknown

She recently created an entire advent calendar for her Apple store (she's a crafty maven and I can't wait to see what she creates with her new Cricut). When the corporate representative came to check on her store, the terse and direct manager wanted to know who had made the board. All worried fingers pointed to Brina-girl. The manager then went on to say how much she liked it and wanted it at corporate.

Not only is she a hard worker who is dedicated to her job, she does the same thing at home. She's always creating some amazing meal, using her new cakepop maker to concoct delicious maraschino cherry cakepops for my brother's birthday, or making the most amazing homemade cucumber salt scrubs as Christmas gifts that she'll graciously hand out to every single person she knows.

I love her so much and I'm so proud of her. One of my favorite moments, from this woman who was once a little girl who wore her purple fringe outfit and cowboy boots non-stop, was her wedding last year. Giving my maid of honor speech at her wedding, I was never prouder. She has matured into a woman I respect, admire and adore. She is a supportive and encouraging wife, a devoted aunt, a loving and kind daughter, an exemplary employee and the best sister I could ask for.

I'm so proud of you my dear Brina-girl. You are amazing. I love you. I can't wait to see what the new year brings for you and how you'll face every challenge head on and with grace. 

Not my best work...perfection is is not...heart and soul it is :)

Nike-Goddess of Victory

My friends and I recently had a baby blessing for our dear friend Megan.

It was such a lovely afternoon celebrating her, her family, and the bundle of goodness coming soon!

I'm so proud of her bravery, her compassion, and her willingness to dive into this adventure open hearted. 

We had a really lovely 'string ceremony' where we all sat in a circle with a string (we used baker's twine, Deborah's genius play on "a bun in the oven, from my favorite neighborhood letterpress store, Pink Olive) and said our name, our mother's name, our grandmother's names, and who we were the mother of. I said I'm the mother of myself, yo. :) We then each cut a piece of string and we will wear it until the baby is born--keeping her and baby 'Nike' (Nee-kay) in our thoughts.  It was a really nice way to honor her, baby, and my own family.

We each brought a special reading for her as well.

Mine was from a lifelong favorite, Kahlil Gibran.

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

We finished with a belly painting activity.

Watching Nike kick the entire time was incredible.

I painted a cupcake! (my artistic skills are somewhat lacking).