Sweet as Honey

A Report of the past week and other random things:

Dearest friends,  I have loved all your comments and emails.  I am so happy you are checking in at my blog and saying hello. It means so much to me now more than ever that I am so many miles away from what was once my home - and many of you!  I want to visit you on your blogs too - so if I'm missing any, please link me there.

If Ruby Jane were the first or second baby, she may have a lovely baby journal or scrapbook ;-), but since she's not, I have to write these little tidbits somewhere and it might as well be here.  You know how all babies have a smell?  Not the sweet scent of just bathed Johnson and Johnson pink (heaven knows how much we all love that) - but their own actual smell?  Ruby's is the most distinct of all my babies.  Of all things, she smells like HONEY.  The irony of the sweetness of her smell and the sourness of her sleepytime demeanor is not lost on me.

I had a major win this week and got Josie into preschool for next year.  She was previously wait-listed and we got in.  I'm so relieved...and it is the favorite choice among many of my friends.  Also, one of the most affordable - unlike the one closest to me that has a $6000/yr tuition!!!! Yep - the bay area is just as nutty and expensive as its reputation suggests.

Speaking of expensive, gas reached over $4.00 here.  How much is it where you live?

The leprechauns are waiting for the kids to go to sleep so they can start turning the milk and the toilet water green. (Leprechaun Bryce came up with that last one a couple of years ago. Leprechaun amr thinks it's a little gross.)  The kids are already prepared and have laid out their green outfits and silly green headbands.  I was going to make green smoothies for breakfast, but eating cold cereal (Lucky Charms, of course!) with green milk is their favorite part of the morning so I think I'm just going to bag it.  Sweet and simple.

My sister and niece went to Our Best Bites cookbook signing party last week.  I was so ENVIOUS!  We have been major fans of their blog for a while now... my favorites recipes are their sausage tortellini soup and buttermilk syrup (not together!)  I don't have their cookbook YET, but plan on getting it when we visit UT this summer. Save one for me Mo-mos - don't buy them all out!

That's it for now.

Let me explain...

After a long and exhausting day of diapers and feedings and homework and chaperoning, I went to anxiously check the time and found this sweet little conspiracy in place...tacked onto the microwave clock with duct tape.  Max's bedtime is 7:00, but I can't EVER put him to bed if 7:00 never rolls around, right?  I died. "Bring me my camera!" I cried, and Kalli smacks me with these words: "Why take a picture - you don't blog anymore!" And my heart kinda broke.  She was right.  I would take a picture, eventually download it when my card was full, and this sweet story would stay put in iPhoto forever.  I would never  print it for a photo album, for a class project, or to frame.  But its little moments like these that are worth sharing...and more importantly remembering.  I really miss that about blogging - how you appreciate things a little differently because you get to share them.  So I'm back - really mostly for myself and this memory of mine that can't even remember my own kids' names.  Amidst this chaos of new baby, new state, new house - the life behind it all is just the same. Mine. And  I can't wait to share it.

Come along and melt with me...

Hey There Salt Lakers!

I got my tickets today!  Will I see you there?

Dorothy Knows Best

*image via flickr

My favorite kind of days are the ones when I just stay home ... when I choose to "forget" that the library books are overdue and that Max needs a haircut and new shoelaces before he starts school. The ones when I ignore the small farm of food pieces under the bar after breakfast or the piles of post-vacation laundry that need to be folded - and instead I chat on the phone with a girlfriend or my mom - or bake and clean (fun cleaning, you know - like wiping out cupboards). The best days are when the little ones are underfoot and I'm fielding silly questions like "Are "Pink Lady" apples really girls?" I have a hundred errands that aren't running themselves, twenty seven pieces of mail to sort through, nine rooms that desperately need some attention, and two little kids who still need to be dressed. But I don't care - cause we're home. And there's no place like it.

Can you tell?

We love our chalkboard wall. (Have you noticed it shows up in posts from time to time?) Sometimes it's menus. Sometimes it's favorite sayings. Sometimes it's surprise announcements. Many times it's just messy scribbles. Lately, we've been in a countdown mood. First for Max's birthday, and now for our highly anticipated spring vacay. The excitement builds each morning when we tick down another day. For a peek at some more kitchen chalkboard ideas, check out Apartment Therapy's chalkboard roundup.

Pathetic

Went out on a hot date last night...with myself. Mostly just wanted to avoid making dinner and bedtime (what can I say, it was a LONG week.) So around 5:30 Bryce lovingly nudged me out the door. I found myself a little tired, a little sick (anyone else have this nasty cold?) wandering in Trolley Square. What did I find to set my heart a'flutterin'? Not a zchuzzy piece a jewelry or a fab new pair of shoes. No, it was these GORGEOUS color coordinated cleaning supplies at Restoration Hardware. I think I've sunk to a new low.

Today

Today I am proud to be an American and am truly awed by a democratic system that allows and fosters a peaceful transfer of power. Despite my political leanings toward the other side, as a citizen of this great nation I respect my new president and wish for America growth, success, and renewal in the coming years.

"All Americans have a role in rebuilding the nation by renewing the traditions of hard work, honesty and fair play, tolerance, loyalty and patriotism."
-Barack Obama, January 20, 2009

November Weekend with the Fam

taking pictures...am I always taking pictures? practicing a song with the girls for a church performance. loving this charming movie we watched on Friday night. dinner in Park City with the kids. using the gap/old navy friends and family discount a'plenty!! and finally, some water storing, gutter cleaning, and other winter preparations. be well and happy week.

Rain Rain Stay Today

I love this rainy November Monday because:

• I've had my fireplace roaring all day and its just so cozy.
  
• I'm still thrilled about the antique chest we rescued from the deepest darkest corner of my garage on Saturday and placed perfectly in an empty corner of my family room. Seriously, how did I forget I had that?
• I happened upon a killer sale at the Gap Outlet in Park City this morning...40% off of all clearance items starting TODAY.
  
• Monday night means no soccer, no dance, no piano lessons, no playdates. I get my kids all to myself.
  
• While the kids and I are nestled in, B is down in Provo speaking on business strategies at BYU. He continues to make me proud.
• I want to kiss the genius scientist who developed the flu mist. No fear = No tears
  
• Josie's teeth (yes teeth, not tooth) finally broke through and I'm hoping we can enter the happy zone again. We've been in the unhappy zone for a solid week now.

Before I forget...

I've been meaning to post a few pictures of an exciting event that happened in our neighborhood at my friend Cami's house. Hollywood came a knocking and filmed a movie at her house. One of the most exciting props was this tree house they built - not in the backyard, but right in the front on the park strip. Needless to say, the neighborhood children came in droves and played and played until they un-built it a week later. Don't we all wish we could have a permanent one of these in our own tree?

Hello again

(To make your own iPhone message, go here.)

In My Next Life...

or I guess I could also title it: "If I could do it all over again..." I would still marry Bryce. (That's comforting, isn't it H?) But what I'm really getting at is this: I would study interior design in college so I wouldn't have to claw and dig and torture my brain (and the internet) for inspiration for my home. I think I have been to a bazillion design blogs and sites looking for ideas to gussy up my family room (which still has only two pieces of furniture). And I have finally found the THE room. Isn't it gorge?

Now onto my space:
I have this couch:

And one cream leather barcelona swivel chair (and two window benches). I am hoping to finally start styling my room using this room above as inspiration. (I doubt I can find a Merimekko butterfly chair but I have to start somewhere, right?) I am just loving this very neutral pallate with the small splash of happy yellow. If it's a success, I'll post pictures. If not, I'll curl up into a ball of shame...and take pictures of that.

-amr

p.s. you can find the rest of this sneak peek home tour here

Ta Da!

Well it looks as if many of you got a peek at the new look even before I did! Isn't it JOLLY? You may be thinking, now why would she say jolly? And that my friends is because I am in jolly old England on holiday with my lovely hubby; hence my delay of this post.

But I am as happy to announce here as I would be anywhere that Show and Tell is now officially "Melt by amr." You can still find me at bamroberts.blogspot.com (though that will soon be changing as well). Why Melt? Because everything I post on this blog is something that I love (or like) or wish for (or wish on)...in essence, it all makes my heart melt and it makes my heart melt to share it all with you.

Come along and melt with me.

xoxo

-amr

Right Around the Corner

Three weeks from today to be exact. (Not that I'm counting or anything:) All three little Roberts who attend school are actually getting quite excited. You remember how it is...back to school shopping, pencil cases, new shoes, glue sticks... During some of our back to school preparations, I came across this great article in my file folder on volunteering. It's such a great resource full of tips from successful classroom parents and volunteers.

-amr

p.s. I'll add one more tip of my own. I took loads of pictures at school last year with my iPhone which has a really decent little camera. When I found out who was on the yearbook committee, I began e-mailing them to her as soon as the event was over straight from my phone - wa la! I was done before the call even came out for photo contributions.

Ch Ch Ch Changes...

Are you noticing any? There are a few hints of what is to come here and there. One of which is the adding of new blogs to my blogroll. Of course, the connection to old friends is one of the many perks of blogging. I've added a childhood friend, two families from our Provo days, and one of my nieces along with several favorites that you can link to. Stay tuned...there's more to come.

-amr

p.s. How much do you love this candy table, Amanda? The image is from Martha. You've all got to check out what they're doing. These ideas are making me itch for the fall!

First teaser...

Blogging, I'm learning, is an evolution.

First, you have to decide if it's for you.

Next, you have to commit.

Then, you have do to it. (Post, that is.) Over and over and over...and enjoy it.

Well, after eight screaming fast months, I'm hooked and excited to take my little corner of the blogosphere to the next level There are lots of things I like about my blog and lots of things, how do I say...not so much. So, I'm beyond excited to share that Show and Tell is under going some major construction. Lots of changes are a' brewing and I can't wait to share, but for now I'm exercising some serious patience and restraint. In the mean time, I'll be playing around with some picture sizes and resolutions, sidebar content, and post dating (I'll link if you're interested, mom:) Come along for the ride. It might not be pretty, so be patient. But I think the end result will be worth it.

-amr

Today I am grateful for...

Volkswagon Bugs. Old, new, white, black, green, no matter! We love keeping our eyes peeled for these fun and funky little cars. They make our often dull errands seem a little more exciting and since we don't have an in-car dvd player, *gasp*, trying to be the first to spy one of these keeps the kids occupied and agreeable. Buggy, what color?

-amr

*image via flickr

to all the good, honest, and decent people out there. I had a little incident where I lost a $45 check from one of my Craig's list transactions. The bank called the check owner, we got in contact and tonight she brought me cash for the stamps she purchased from me last week. Anyone could have just kept the goods and never paid me. I so appreciated her honesty and effort to get the money to me. Now its my turn to pay it forward.

-amr

All Dressed up with No Where to Go

Last night I had the kids all dressed up with hair done, clothes ironed, no detail left undone for a photo session at a local photography studio. We arrived right on the time and there was a little suspicious scrambling going on in the backroom as we were checking in. One girl was sent out to tell me the photographer was not going to make it due to an "emergency." (Which I later found out was not true at all.) Needless to say I was furious because we were literally "all dressed up with no where to go." So I decided to turn lemons into lemonade and go have my own impromptu photo session. I got some pretty cute shots, so I thought I'd share a few.

-amr

p.s. The manager called with a sincere apology and offered to waive my sitting fee if I would come in again. We're going to do it because I need to get Ella's baptism picture before she gets her braces on next week. Do you think that's enough compensation for my trouble?

Inspiration

I am constantly looking out for design inspiration. I find that I am drawn to several different styles of home decor and the challenge is incorporating them in an eclectic, yet cohesive, yet personal way. I can't say enough how much I've enjoyed perusing this flickr set titled "rooms I *heart*". Not every room is a personal favorite, but there is much to appreciate and inspire in these photographs. Go ahead, click on and let the brainstorming begin...

-amr