Kelle, Author at Enjoying the Small Things

When I Grow Up

July 11, 2011 By Kelle

In yet another moment of deep self-analysis this weekend, I realized I am addicted to the euphoria associated with potential. Actually, it was more a moment of justifying that my house is never fully clean, a fact I excused with the idea that if it was perfectly clean, I wouldn’t feel that rush that comes with a good project. And this is true. There’s something creatively motivating about walking through piles of clutter, kicking random misplaced toys, passing by the fifteenth barette that Nella pulled out of her hair and tossed aside. Because simultaneously, I’m excitedly planning future attempts at managing clutter, how I’ll paint some great bookshelf for the misplaced toys or scour a thrift shop for an old green glass jar that screams “barette holder.” I know that not far off, there is a marvelous day awaiting where I will feel motivatived to attack the cupboards under my bathroom sink or touch up the base boards, and what will follow will be pure satisfaction. Flickering candles. Classical music. An invitation to friends for dinner–lemon caper chicken savored with wine around our dining room table…in an impressively immaculate house. My heart beats a little faster just thinking about it, even if presently I’m hopscotching across the few tile squares that aren’t littered with a lone sock, a broken crayon, and a hairbrush that never made it back to the bathroom drawer (and never will).

I thrive on possibility, I feed on potential. My hands actually shook when I received a new syllabus on the first day of classes every semester. The paper was so crisp, its clean font and detailed outline promising possibility. That maybe I’d actually get lost in the sensational history that is Old Testament Studies (yes, I took it; no, I didn’t find it sensational).

It’s why we plan out future vacations, our itty bitty dreams just barely sprouting and unsupported by current funds but rousing excitement for the potential of what could be. We could be skiing in Colorado, watching lobster boats dock in Maine, or hiking glaciers with babies on our back somewhere deep in Alaska. And we will someday.

It’s why I’ll never drop the phrase “when I grow up” from my vocabulary because, no matter how old you are, the fueling potential of what you want to be someday should make your heart race and your insides tingle. When I grow up, I’m going to take a ballet class, make pottery, have a successful garden, cook for a great big family, and take my girls to Italy. I’m going to be a more consistent housekeeper, a more skilled photographer, a more thoughtful writer, a more passionate mother, a more patient wife, and a more selfless friend…when I grow up.

Mama’s big rainbow to the left, Big Sister’s itty bitty rainbow to the right.

It’s why I start planning holidays in June, contemplating Halloween costumes in August, and dreaming of pumpkin bread and Christmas shopping and just how many light strands we’ll dangle on our palm trees this year, months before it’s time…because the thought of what we can do to make this year better than last thrills me. And potential drives me like no other force can.

We make wishes on rusty pennies and throw them in fountains. They hold potential.

I am excited for the future.

Nella’s dress, Tea Collection

This weekend, I spent hours in my closet in an amazing purge that was, believe it or not, actually enjoyable. Lainey tried on discarded old clothes (that happened to inlcude a gold sequin shrug from Las Vegas 2005; a pilly, faded brown turtleneck that adds five pounds of face weight and a pair of…wait for it…pleather pants), Nella climbed over the obstacle of shoe boxes blocking the entryway, and together we surrendered to the beautiful potential of…more organized.

And then it just crescendoed to heart-racing levels of potential. Cleaning overlapped to other areas of the house while I dreamed of room makeovers, DIY projects and thought about the potential that dwells in the coming months: late summer entertaining, pre fall rituals, visiting my mom in New York, trying new recipes, putting up the Christmas tree, setting new goals, creating new dreams. I love that this form of happiness is free, available to anyone and customizable to all talents, all incomes, all ways of life. Everyone has potential.

Our weekend treat of choice: Sweet Treats ice cream.

The rest of our weekend in photos and musings:

Jack

Lainey jumps every time this jack-in-the-box pops up. Even though she knows it’s coming with another whirl of the crank and right after “the monkey thought ’twas all in fun.” Still, POP! goes the weasel, and her little body jolts like she just saw…well, a gorilla mask. Unlike the mask, she thinks it’s funny. What’s funny is that Nella is completely unphased by both the gorilla and the jack-in-the-box.

Nella does however love playing the piano. She will sit and peck at the keys for a good fifteen minutes, sometimes adding vocals as well. Her songs have a bit of Indie Rock vibe. She will be touring college campuses in about twenty years, I am sure.

Bake

Lainey and I threw down in the kitchen this weekend. Vanilla cupcakes with pink buttercream frosting. The balance is slowly shifting–less guidance on my part, more independence and following directions on hers.

Polka dot cupcake wrappers, Darlybird.

A few eggshells make their way into the batter, but if she did it perfectly, there of course would be no potential to be better next time. Ah, that damn glass-is-half-full.

Party

We were invited to a birthday party last night. I purposefully left Nella with Brett and took Lainey alone because those short, impromptu outings with just the two of us leave remarkable impressions on her. We played Eye Spy and “the favorite game” in the car on the twenty-minute drive, and I marveled at her budding socializing skills while I watched her with friends at the party.

Felted Necklace, Darlybird.

Spy Camera

I like taking pictures of them when they have no idea.

Lainey, the Author

She wrote a book this week. Scripted the entire story while I furiously scribbled to keep up with her imagination. We used the 5×5 blank board book from Darlybird (only $3!), and she colored pictures to go along with her story when it was finished. She is proud, and it is the first thing she brings to whomever is visiting our home, including therapists.

Her story (verbatim as she told it except for the addition of the words “the princess said” I added to suggest a quote):

The Princess Goes to the Castle

Once the king went to the castle and saw the princess and said “Hi.” The princess loved the king and she recognized she wanted to marry the king. “I love it when the king gives me a kiss on my cheek and says it’s an I love you kiss,” the princess said. And then the princess wanted to make him happy and that’s why she wanted to make him cereal. The princess said, “the king is going to come to my birthday and give me another kiss.” The princess sent the king a letter and he said, “thank you for the letter.” The princess said, “I love the king because he’s so nice.” And the princess is so nice too. The End.

And I realize princesses don’t marry kings because that’s just wrong.

But I still cried when she smiled with pride after I read her story back to her.

Darlybird

So, I’ve dropped Darlybird three places in this post. They inquired about sponsorship a while back and, having never heard of Darlybird, I went to check out their site and got completely lost. It was like one of those dreams where you walk into a store with all your favorite things, everything’s on sale, and your favorite song is blasting while you throw things in your cart in a mad shopping spree. And then Matthew McConaughey is the check-out boy. And maybe he forgot to wear a shirt.

Darlybird Rosy Ranunulous Hair Clip

I’ve been so excited about Darlybird’s sponsorship because I think you all are going to love their incredible range of fun, whimiscal, colorful products from home goods to accessories…and I love making readers happy! The site is dripping with style and character, and every product has a personalized, fun description to go with it (worth visiting the site just for the colorful product descriptions).

Bla Bla doll, Giselle the ballerina, Darlybird

left: set of 12 wooden pencils only $5; right, cupcake papers and ballerina toppers, all Darlybird

I’ve already bookmarked the site as a favorite place for gifts. Use code ENJOYDARLY for 15% off your order (good until July 25).

Two comments will be randomly selected to each win a $50 gift certificate to Darlybird. Tell me what you want to do when you grow up. Happy Shopping!

You know what makes me insanely happy right now?

The fact that I have so much on my to-do list, I don’t know what to do next. That’s potential at its finest.

And I am loving this song. (The acapella part at the end? Turn it up. And twirl. I close my eyes to listen. It’s crazy good.)

“Oh you can judge all the world on the sparkle that you think it lacks.

Yes you can stare into the abyss, but it’s staring right back.

When my turn comes.

Ohhhh. Oh oh.” ~Dawes, “When My Time Comes”

Gorilla Gone Bad

July 8, 2011 By Kelle

I did something really stupid today, and I don’t know why I did it. Perhaps it’s the Cryderman gene responsible for weird spontaneity, the same one that, last year, compelled my cousin to pen a letter to her daughter from the tooth fairy explaining that her four day delay on leaving a dollar was because she was held up…in jail (which, for the record, isn’t true. My cousin’s a good girl. One of the best).

It was a serene breakfast moment. Brett was feeding Nella at the counter and Lainey was happily marrying her bagel halves into a cream cheese sandwich at her table. I went to refill my coffee cup and noticed the gorilla mask Brett used to scare me the night before was lying on the counter (that’s another story).

I don’t know why I did it. I should have thought it through. But I didn’t. I put the mask on and walked toward Lainey’s table and roared at her.

I roared. It was definitely more of a cute bear cub roar than a ferocious lion king roar, but still…I roared. I wish someone would have stopped me, really. I thought it would be funny. I thought the saddle shoes and the coffee cup I was holding would most certainly give it away. That I wasn’t a gorilla but just a funny mom.

It went badly. Very. There was this look of terror I’ll never forget, even though I only saw it through the blurred vision a rubber eye hole with fur offers. My stomach dropped, and I whipped the mask off so fast, my cheek got rubber burned.

Why, oh why, did I think a four-year-old would laugh at a gorilla mask?

There were tears. I ran to hold her, squeezed her tight, told her I was sorry, promised her I’d never do it again, and inside scolded myself for being so thoughtless.

Brett, unscathed, scooped Nella another bite of food, flashed me a look and calmly asked, “And you were thinking that would be hilarious?”

We learn.
I did.

But I made it up to her.

Determined to make the best of a short sliver of sunshine today, I loaded up the car and drove. I had no idea where we were going and I changed my mind three times on our drive. Beach, no; park, no; fruit market, no. So we continued south, past Old Naples, until we landed in the parking lot of our Botanical Gardens. A welcoming scene greeted us: a crew of volunteers in summery straw hats pulled weeds and pruned flowers and smiled at us as we made our way to the entrance.

It was humid and buggy and I quickly regretted my choice of jeans, but there was a breeze, two happy girls, and some overcast skies that finally proved useful.

We forgot our bathing suits for the fountains, but that didn’t stop the woman at the beach yesterday. So, we stripped down and frolicked. Well, the girls did. My clothes stayed on and frolick, I did not. Okay, I frolicked.

Nella likes to climb and investigate solo.

She does not appreciate Sister’s assistance.

But she does smile every time Lainey tries to take a picture with my phone. It makes me swoon.

I witnessed several moments today that made me near breathless with humble adoration for these two little spirits whose souls are interwined not only by common genes but by moments and memories and this obvious security they feel in each others’ presence.

It just happens. Right when I’m digging for goldfish crackers or rolling up my pant leg for the fiftieth time. I’ll catch them locked in this moment of sisterhood. Lainey knows just how to smile to make her laugh. And little sister knows just how to laugh to make Lainey smile.

Gorilla mask’s got nothin’ on that.

We stayed just long enough to wear them out and run through an entire trial-sized bottle of overpriced organic mosquito repelling oil, the only one the gift shop sold.

But again, it was worth it. Because it always is.

The gorilla mask is packed away deep in the Halloween closet, and we are preparing for more rain, more crafts, more mushrooms in our woods.

And more rainy days mean more moments in my kitchen gettin’ fresh with a sharp-dressed man.

He’s a Scentsy brick, in case you wondered.

*****

The $50 gift certificate winner for Amber Silva’s Stella & Dot store is Comment # 373, Evelyn Louise: “I got down here, saw that quiet water, and it looked so inviting. I jumped in, clothes and all, and floated on my back in the rain. It was amazing.”
Seriously, best quote ever.
Now I want to find a body of water in which to float fully clothed in the rain.
Heading to the beach for a week…perhaps I’ll find that body of water and a rainy sky.

Evelyn Louise, congratulations. Please e-mail your info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net, and you will be soon be sportin’ some new jewels.

*****

Have a great weekend!

Overcast

July 7, 2011 By Kelle

For three days now it has rained. Somewhere out in the gulf, Tropical Moisture has unpacked his bags and decided to stay a while, and his staycation has consequently colored our skies to a constant state of dreary gray. The sky looks like an ashtray, even though the glass-is-half-full voice that dwells within is begging me to retract that statement or at least change my description to mysterious silver. Pensive sky is, I believe, how I’ve referred to it in the past, but the monotony of this weather pattern is wearing on me and affecting my mood.

I went down to the beach today, just a quick trip to inhale the best of the stormy landscape, the brightest and most open of skies, even though the sea sky was still heavy and gray. The mangroves were thick with mosquitos, and the sand was dense and wet. But the view from under my umbrella was still beautiful. Quiet.

Just as I was arriving, an older woman was crouched over on the boardwalk, wringing out her socks. Her hair was still dripping, and her clothes stuck to her skin like wet paper.

“That’s not from the rain is it?” I asked, startling her on a vacant beach.

“Oh no,” she smiled. “I got down here, saw that quiet water, and it looked so inviting. I jumped in, clothes and all, and floated on my back in the rain. It was amazing.”

I smiled. I’d like to be her someday.

I haven’t taken very many pictures the past few days as good light is absent, and that vibrant inspiration that’s easily ignited by the sun seems to be a little lacking these days. It felt good to force myself to take a few shots on the beach though, to find my inspiration even under stormy skies.

*****

Nella has taken up climbing. This chair is, as Goldilocks would say, “just right” for Little Bear, and she’s memorized every step to get up in it, turn around, sit, and slide back down to start over.

*****

RAINY DAY D.I.Y. Photo Display Project

Obviously, we have a slew of photos to choose from for display in our home. But displaying them the same way can get boring. Framed 8 x 10s? Fuhget about it. I am always looking for (inexpensive) new and interesting ways to display our pictures to tell the story of our family. This one happens to qualify for debeigifying as well (a long project I’m working on, room by room. Color and Character!)

1. Begin with 12 x 12 frames. I purchased these at Michael’s–buy one, get one free. I spray painted them red to add some ooomph for our walls.

2. I discarded the glass as I was going for a 3-dimentional look and wouldn’t need it. I traced the back of the frame onto a piece of fabric, cut the square out, and adhered it to the frame backing with spray adhesive.

3. I hot glued 1/2 inch wood blocks (Michaels) onto the middle of the fabric backing for mounting.

4. Next, I used 5×5 photos I had printed on Styrene (I used WHCC Labs) and hot glued them onto the block mounts.

5. Secure back in frames. And Voila. New photo wall, highlighted nicely by crappy overcast lighting.

And that little project right there was almost as good as sunshine.

*****

Congratulations to the Net Nanny Giveaway winners:

Comment #8, Emma: The 4th Juky is one of the things I miss most about living in CA! The pictures are lovely but the last shot is completely awesome! Glad that you had so much fun xx

Comment # 185, Jayme Smith: You mix your pictures and words so beautifully. I am so glad that I found your little piece of the net. PS. So jealous of the fireworks. We had to watch them on TV here in Texas

Please send your contact info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net, and your registration license number will be e-mailed to you soon!

*****

Welcome to our new sponsor, Amber Silva’s Stella & Dot store. I just went peeking around and fell in love with about twenty different pieces. Her shop features both casual and night-out-on-the-town jewelry pieces as well as children’s jewelry. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve complimented someone on their jewelry only to hear them reply back “Stella & Dot.”

Bomboleo Necklace