WRINKLES! Or, when we got a puppy.

So, we're crazy people. 

Shocking, right?

Dude. You could have at least pretended to be surprised. 

Anyway, we have two dogs whom I have mentioned in previous posts.  

Big dog:

Little dog:

Well, in our insanity fueled by being baby crazy or, you know, just crazy, we decided that, amidst our 60-80 hour work weeks, two existing dogs, obligations galore and baby making plans, it would be a good idea to add this guy:

He doesn't have a name yet. My husband refuses to name him. We've only had him for a week and a half. (Grrr.)

He's insanely cute, all kinds of cuddly, and fairly well-trained already.

This is him on his first day of leash training. 

Mom! Stop! You're embarrassing me!

So far, he has mastered the stairs, made friends with big dog and learned that chasing little dog around the house is intensely enjoyable. He's had very few accidents, and I'm sure he would know his name if my husband WOULD GIVE HIM ONE. 

So, yeah, we're crazy. But we're also happy.

Fast friends.

You can also look for more puppy-related ridiculousness at www.omgwrinkles.tumblr.com.

As always, it's hip to be square (AND WRINKLY!), kids.

Self-Image

I have a problem that no other woman before me has ever had ever.

I worry about my waistline. Constantly.

Oh wait! That's not novel or rare.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately since my mid-20s silhouette is a little larger than I would like. I'm still small and not quite overweight, but I used to be SO tiny. To be fair, when I was that tiny, I thought I was a heffer, but I digress.

I also LOVE cheese fries. Is there a support group for that?

Anyway, worrying about weight is exhausting. I know there is plenty I can do about it, but I'm so exhausted from worrying that I don't think I would have the energy. (Isn't that an amazing and terrible excuse?) 

The thing is, I would love to have my 19-year-old figure back, but would I be willing to take back who I was then to complete the tradeoff?

Hellllll no.

At 19, I was in a bad (described as abusive by my best friend who was the only one willing to say it to my face) relationship. I was lonely. I was filled with anxiety all the time. I was unwilling to make mistakes. I followed the rules too closely. I worried that everyone had an opinion about me. I was terrified to leave home and get out on my own. I didn't speak up. I didn't know how to speak up. I didn't know that I was worth anything.

I was a child. 

Don't get me wrong, there was a lot of fun, but those things wouldn't be fun for me anymore. 

Being a woman is way better than being a girl ever was. If I have to hold on to the spare tire around my waist as a memento of how far I've come, I think I'll add some glitter and a medal. 

I have earned it. 

And eventually, eventually, I'll get to the gym. 

As always, it's hip to be square (and wider), kids.

CREATIVITY... For A Second

My husband and I moved into our house more than a year ago. In that time, we have bought a small amount of new furniture and painted. Some pictures were put up by my sister-in-law before our rehearsal dinner, but that is pretty much it. The walls are pretty bar. I want to put more up, but I am, uh, interior-design-impaired. My brain does not work in blank canvases. It works in words and numbers. I am useless with color and space.

That being said, when you get married, there are these things called "pictures". They have your face on them, and you will never look better than you do in those photos. My husband got a bunch of amazing prints for me, and he framed them. I really wanted them hung. It took me months, literally MONTHS of staring at this one small section of wall on the first floor to get the courage to get the hanger.

I also had to make it such that I was able to calculate distance and size more easily considering the fact that the frames were all different sizes. One was already on the wall from before, but the rest were going to be a challenge for me. I am "special", but I am not good with spacial. Numbers and lines, however, I can do. I did this: 

The lined paper gave me something to count, and I could step back and make sure the points were correct. The were approximately the size of my frames. 

In all, it turned out like this:

Don't worry. I straightened them again after the picture was taken. 

I know this doesn't sound like a big achievement, but this was huge for me. I had no assistance, and I made something that looks GOOD. I can craft, but design is so difficult for me. The different frames really made it pop, and I am so happy with the product. 

Now, I return to words and numbers for at least the next year.

As always, it's hip to be square (and creative!), kids.