My thoughts, exactly.

If you are a hairstylist, a person who regrets nothing, a hoarder or a fast food lover: you might be offended.

That being warned, read on.

{:} I want to be blonde again. Why does it cost an arm and a leg to get a cut and color? It's ridiculous. Seriously. Some stylists should get over themselves. It should not cost more than my monthly groceries from Whole Foods to get a flippin' haircut and lowlights. When a haircut- not a style- a haircut. a trim. less than an inch. costs more than 2 full tanks of gas for my car- they should be ashamed. This is why I still drive to Kennesaw to get my hair cut and colored. My girl doesn't have an ego, and she doesn't charge me like she is living off the one haircut for the month. Which is probably why she's booked solid. I should call her. It's been a while.

{:} I need to be tan again. I promised myself (and my mother) I would not go to the tanning bed ever again after I got married... So spray tan it is. My motto: tan fat looks better than pale fat.

{:} I love fall. What? Yeah. I said it. I have never felt this way about the season before- but for some reason this year I am happy about it. Not because I'll be stylin' fashion forward kicks or scarves- I don't even know what's cool- but because of the feeling. I was taking the pups out this morning and it just felt right. What's right? I dunno. It just felt good.

{:} I need to find some peeps that don't have jobs that I can hang out with during the day. I am getting stir crazy. I need some adult convo's. Where are you unemployed people?! Stay at home moms?! Come out from the woodwork. We need to be friends.

{:} Everyone has regrets. I get annoyed when people say that they don't. Sure, you may be happy to where things brought you eventually- but people who say they have no regrets in their entire life are either lying or have had a really boring life. That's all.

{:} I don't understand fast food. I mean, I get it. It's cheap and it's fast. Do you know what is in those burgers? That chicken? No, you don't. Because if you knew, you wouldn't eat it anymore. And if you would- that's just gross. I think everyone should be required to watch Food, Inc. before being allowed to eat fast food ever again. You would see how poorly the animals are treated, how the cows are corn fed and shot with antibiotics. You'd see that meat is sprayed with ammonia to "disinfect" it before it goes out to fast food companies. Seriously. Watch it. It's gross.

{:} What. is the deal. with the hoarders. I watched that show, "Hoarders" last night. This woman had 36 cats in her house- 13 were found dead during the cleanup. 13. dead. cats. Over a year's worth of cat feces and urine in her house- no litter box. A year's worth of 36 cats' feces and urine. I can't even get over it. She should go to jail. And throw some stuff away already!

{:} I am going to a cooking class with my friend Brian tonight. Doesn't he read my blog? I should be teaching that class. I think it'll be fun! Hopefully I'll learn some new tricks to use with my next recipe. You think they serve wine during class? We have so much leftover pumped milk it's silly.

{:} I bought a new 'diaper bag'. I figure: I didn't pick out our diaper bag. K did. I like our diaper bag- it is very functional. However, it doesn't go well with a cute outfit. When I do dress up to go somewhere I am totally brought back down to 'mom' with that bag on my shoulder. Which I don't mind when I am running errands...but when I am out to dinner? Anyway. You get the point. Don't you? So, I bought a new bag:

Love. It.

Chamblee loves it too. And shopping in general.

What a happy baby!

Until Next Time,

The Guff

Live and Learn

I did it. I left my baby for the first time.

My generous brother scored us VIP tickets to Widespread Panic Saturday night- which means I have been pumping milk for the past week in order for my child to be fed while we were gone. Call me an overachiever, but I pumped 6 bottles (36oz) and was worried it wouldn't be enough. Live and learn, right? I didn't think about having to leave her until D-Day. I could hardly walk out the door. . . which is ridiculous since we left her with K's mom who had triplets. Seriously. You'd think she knew what she was doing... but I still found myself telling her how to warm a bottle and what to do if she cried. Ridiculous. We had a great time, but I was SUPER happy to be back home with my little love- and my breast pump. Oh. My. Ladies. We were gone for about 7 hours and yowza I was hurtin'. and leakin'. and complainin'. I had a few beers at the show, so when I got home I still wasn't comfortable feeding her straight from the boob yet. So I "pumped and dumped" to get some relief. I am just. now. getting that relief. It was insane! Definitely not worth the beer. Period. End of story.

So, today while it was raining and I was recovering from excessive lactating, I decided to sew. and nap. I have been trying to get started, and couldn't seem to get the machine to work right. It knotted up every time I started:

So, while my brother and his wife were in town for the concert, I asked her to take a look. She sat down, checked a few points, and then flipped a switch. "Wait, what did you just do?" I asked. "Put the presser foot down..." Right. The presser foot. Of course. So in one day I learned that I am an overprotective mother and also an idiot. Wonderful.

Anyway, here's the process of making a simple swaddle:

Cut the fabric to size. Our swaddles measure 28 x 28.

I cut 29 x 29 to allow for a hem.

Pin the hem.

Sew the hem.

After you put the presser foot down.

Yes, I realize I was sewing backwards.

See above paragraph Re: "Idiot"

Pin the ribbon.

Sew ribbon over hem.

Look nasty and tired while holding a ghetto fab swaddle!

Wrap it around your precious little one and give out lots of kisses!

I call the swaddle "ghetto fab" because it is. The machine that I inherited has 20+ different types of stitches, so I played around with each one. . . it makes the blanket. . . unique.

Can't wait to show you the other blankets when I'm finished, now that I know what stitches I like best. And to put the presser foot down. Live and Learn.

Until Next Time,

The Guff

Snooze

We cooked dinner last night. We.

As a result I have a recipe and pictures, but nothing interesting happened. K was helping, so it all went smoothly. Snooze.

Here goes:
Greek Pasta Stuff
( I have no idea what it's called)
You need:
1.5 cups of Penne Pasta
2 teaspoons Canola Oil
1 pound Ground Turkey, Beef, Pork, or Chicken--- your choice
0.5 Chopped Onion
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Cinnamon (or not... I didn't like the flavor it added...)

0.5 teaspoon of Garlic Powder

1.5 cups of Chicken Broth

14.5 ounces of Diced Tomatoes

2 tablespoons Tomato Paste

10 ounces well-dried chopped spinach

0.75 cup of Feta Cheese

You do:

Brown the meat & onions together

(we chose chicken)

Mix the herbs

Add in...everything

(except the pasta and cheese)

Bring to a boil.

Add pasta.

Reduce to medium heat and cover.

Cook ten minutes.

Add Cheese. And lots of it.

Serve it up.

Eh, I could take it or leave it. I think it would be better with about a pound of feta. Oh, and the fact that we got the wrong kind of tomatoes, not diced. Whatev. Another knot on the ol' apron.

Is anyone else freaking out about the premiere of Grey's this week? Ugh. I'm dying. I think I am going to pump some extra milk so I can really enjoy some wine while I watch. Yum. Who's with me? I wanna have a premiere party.

Until Next Time,

The Guff

i love this.

“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

I really love this.

I also really love this:

Even when she's doing this:

Instead of this:

It's not that I mind holding her. It's the fact that she tricked me. I thought she was sad and hungry. In reality- she wanted her mommy. (I really don't mind that, either.) As soon as I picked her up and kissed her nappy nap head, she was asleep. And she still is. I guess the laundry will have to wait. Oops.

Our nights have gotten worlds better...I think we've finally figured it out. We are all getting quality sleep; and even though she's not quite sleeping through the night- she's working on it. It's getting close. I am still nervous about letting her sleep overnight in her crib, in her nursery, all the way across the house. Why? Because I'm a freak. Last night I turned the moniter ALL the way up and basically slept with it. YOWZA that thing is loud!

Today I am planning on going through her drawers and closet to remove the clothes that don't fit her anymore. Already? Yes. Already. It's a sad day.

AND I typed this entire post left-handed. Ha.

Until Next Time,

The Guff

Get work done

What's up ya'll?! I'm in a sunny mood.

This weekend is the first weekend that we haven't A) Had company or B) Been company since Chamberonia was born. Phew! We have been traveling and entertaining fools for the last 6 weeks! Not that we haven't thoroughly enjoyed the company, or the visiting- we are just thrilled to be able to relax on a Saturday, enjoy some college football in our living room, with our favorite bean dip, just the three of us- for once. Oh, and those sugar cookies I could not resist from the Publix bakery. ::nom nom nom::

I am getting comfortable in my daily routine with the wee one, leaving a little wiggle room to do a few things for myself during the day. *Note: I said daily routine. Little hoot is still lovin' the night life. This week that wiggle room allowed us time to get dressed and out to Hancock Fabrics, which is right around the corner, to load up on some materials to make a few swaddle blankets with my new sewing machine! (whoa, run-on sentence, anyone?) I am lovin' their $1.95 per yard aisle! Mr. Hancock, My budget- and my husband- thank you.

This is what I scored this trip:

5 Fabrics, 2 Spools of ribbon, 350 Pins, 1 Yard Stick

All for right at $20!

This wasn't my favorite at first.

I got it basically to practice on- but it's definitely growing on me!

Ditto above.

This is my favorite, and of course, it was not on the $1.95 per yard aisle... ... ...

Eh, after I saw it I had to get it for K. 'Nuff said.

I got some Terry Cloth for the backside of some burp cloths I am planning on making as well.

I'm so ready to start sewing!!! I have pinned the hem on one blanket, but haven't gotten my foot to the pedal yet. Stay tuned...

Since I have a new love for fabric, and I will be sewing a lot, (right?) I realized that I have got to get a sewing basket! Duh!

Do I go for the traditional basket:
Or the more modern bag:

Probably the basket since the bag is 2x the cost. Boo.

Know what else I realized I need? A recipe box! Never thought the day would come... But look at these super-sweet recipe boxes and dividers I found on Etsy:

I need one.

I also need to join a gym now that I am cleared for all normal things. Including working out. I am looking into LA Fitness, because they have 100 locations around me, they have day care and Mae is a member so I would have accountability. Which is my problem. I mean, who gets out and works out on their own? Pfft. No one. Well, not me. But seriously. I gotta get in there and get work done. I can only ride the "You just had a baby" train for so long, and 6 weeks is cuttin' it close.

Oh Em Gee. Chamblee is 6 weeks old. Un. Real. I just gave her a bath and laid her on the bed to get her dressed- and she promptly peed on it. I had specifically asked her not to, dangit.

Until Next Time,

The Guff

Calendar Girl

I found out I was pregnant on December 6th. We were on our way out to the bar to celebrate Alabama's National Championship win- and I thought, "I better take a test just to be sure." Good thing I did. With the excitement and the holidays I didn't start my writing to Chamblee until January 1. I decided early on that I was going to write to her every day- about every step of my pregnancy. The good times and the bad. The easy days and the hard. The fun planning and the stressful. So I did just that. Some days I wrote more than others, and some days all I had to say was 'I love you' or 'TGIF!' I think it will be fun for her, and for me, to look back on. It will be good for her to know what it was like for me to carry her, and how dearly and deeply she was loved from the moment we knew she was coming. So, I bought a desk calendar and wrote to her on the back of each day. This calendar is still sitting on my night stand- with the date: August 6. I never got to write to her on the 7th because I was in the hospital. Or the 8th, the day of her birth. Or the 9th or the 10th... I guess after we got home it was a whirlwind and now, 5 weeks later, it still sits:

I love that this is the verse on the front of the day she was born.

It is one of my favorites!

Here are all of the days laid out.

I am calculating around 208 entries.

Hot pink entry on the far left: The day we found out she was a girl!

Because I know my memory will one day fail me, I am so glad that I chose to do this. There is an entry for the first time I felt her kick, the day we found out we were having a little girl, the first time I got morning sickness, the day we chose her name, my cravings, my prayers for her, and the list goes on.

Now. What do I do with them? Do I store them in something in her baby book? Do I have a separate album where they are stored as photos that she can flip through? Do I just stash them in an envelope and give them to her free hand one day? Ideas welcome.

She has no idea how much I love her.

Until Next Time,

The Guff

There's an App for that...

Tonight I cooked. Again. Lift your jaw off the floor.

I was trying to think of things to make for dinner this week while compiling a grocery list, and besides the 2 things I know how to make already, I was drawing a blank. So I got to thinking, "There's got to be an App for this." There is. It's the AllRecipes.com App, and it rocks. Get it.

Tonight's menu: Linguine with sausage and peppers

Recipe: Here.

Rundown:

See, not that many ingredients:

Red Bell Peppers, Onion, Garlic, Parmesan Cheese, Sausage, Linguine and the cheapest wine you can find. Unless you plan on enjoying some of that wine with dinner. Then you might not wanna get the $5 bottle like I did.

I think you can buy sausage casting free already, but we didn't. So I had to remove the casting. Do you know what casting looks like by itself? It's disgusting. See Below:

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Again. Bleh.

Tonight I learned how to break open a garlic clove.

And I learned what mincing means.

Word. Up.

Saute the sausage.

(FYI- I would probably use more than the recommended amount. I'm a meat lover.)

Boil the noodles until al dente.

Yes, I know what al dente is. I learned it with the bowtie pasta.

Mix peppers, onions and garlic in bowl.

Add in with sausage. Stir until tender.

Wait... what's that...

Oh. That was my little girl crying. She's as hungry as I am.

"K! Take a picture! I dried my hair today and I have mascara on!"

"...and can you finish cooking dinner? ...and take good pictures for my blog!"

Add in wine and noodles.

Top with Parmesan Cheese.

Annnd Serve.

By the By, Chamblee had her 1 month check up last Friday. She's 9 pounds 10 ounces and 22 inches long. My big girl! Doc says all is well. I go for my check up tomorrow. . . Yike!

...Just for good measure, here's another picture of my little bunny rabbit:

"Mama, don't you know it's time for bed?"

Until Next Time,

The Guff

Home Goods

This weekend we traveled down to the 'Bany to celebrate my dad's 35th anniversary with his job. Saturday night there was a low-key party and (what's the opposite of low-key?) a high-key good time. (what?) I love going home. There's always SO. MUCH. FOOD. and there's always, always wine. My mom makes the best pesto -in the world- so we had lots of that. She also makes the best pimento cheese -in the world- so of course, we had that. (remember?) We had pancakes and french toast for breakfast. We had 12-layer cake, coconut pie, pecan pie, brownies, pound cake and some blueberry somethin' for dessert. And, of course, the week that I go back for my post-partum appointment to get cleared for exercise and you know what, I have eaten myself into a coma and have no motivation to exercise at all. Especially when my mom sends me home with this:

Why, yes, that is a whole pound cake. Well, it was. She also sent us home with this:

A tupperware full of fresh pesto and a loaf of delicious bread. I somehow managed to escape the homestead without any of the 12-layer cake. How I was able to turn it down is still unknown. And why? Questionable decision.

Also while there I recovered some things from my childhood- this pink & white blanket:

and the duckie blanket seen here:

Model Credits: C. Guffey

Ok, so I saved the best for last. I have been saying for some time that I would really like a sewing machine and I was really hoping that this Christmas Santa would be good to me. Well, no need to be a good girl the rest of the year- Santa came early.



My wonderful Mimi donated one of her sewing machines to me! It's a really nice Singer- with several different types of stitches. I can't believe I have it! I am so excited to get to sewing things for Cham and hopefully, once I learn more and have a lot of practice, open up an Etsy shop- all things baby. Thanks Mimi!!! *Stay tuned for sewing disasters.

First stop today: Lunch with the girls from where I used to work :) YAY!

oh sushi, i've missed you...

Second stop today: Hancock Fabrics. I'm getting on this sewing bus NOW!

Dear Chamblee, please travel well today.

Love, mom.

Until Next Time,

The Guff