I Came To On A Pile Of Laundry. This Pretty Much Sums Up How Last Weekend Went.

When I stopped moaning and opened my eyes I saw a pair of inside out underwear and could smell the shirt JD wears under his shoulder pads. He'd left it in his lacrosse bag for over a week and I recalled demanding he get it out before I put this load in the wash. I felt the dampness of a used washcloth under my right cheek. It felt nice. The pain hit almost immediately - right on the outside corner of my left eye.

Otis and I had just had our second collision in four months. The first occurred shortly after we adopted him. I was doing laundry and bent down to pick a sock off the floor that had fallen from the pile I was folding on the bed. As I was heading down to get the sock, Otis jumped on the bed - probably in an effort to help me with the folding or because he likes warm laundry. My mouth hit his head and I ended up with a fat lip and two giant scabs that made me look like a member of Spinal Tap at Bobbi Fleckman's party throughout our entire holiday season.

This time we hit heads. I was bending down to grab a load off the floor and he ran out of the bedroom like a racehorse because he heard voices outside and that meant we were clearly under attack and he needed to man his station at the front door to prevent the invaders from gaining entry to our house. The swelling started right away, which wasn't bad, but when I woke up on Sunday I looked like I'd lost a fight. I have a major league black eye and, based upon how dark the bruising is, I will likely look normal again about the time the kids go back to school (I'm talking Fall 2015). I think these injuries prove it's time we hire a professional launderer. Or I need to work on developing a laundry helmet.

Facial bruising was really just the tip of the ol' iceberg over here this weekend. Prior to my injury I had successfully broken two iPads in less than 12 hours. One I dropped in the bathroom after a heavy application of hand lotion and the other I threw off our balcony because I didn't know it was in our comforter at the time I gathered it up to shake off all the dog hair.

On Saturday night I reaffirmed that mixed drinks are not my friend. I am clearly a wine and beer only kind of girl.

Also, Eliza's car ,which was parked on the street in front of a friend's house, was hit by a drunk driver. Thank God she wasn't in it or near it at the time. But the whole shebang involved an arrest of the driver, a towing of the car, and now likely, a new car purchase due to the fact that the 4-Runner (which Geoff and I bought when I was pregnant with Eliza) is worth less than the required repairs.

And we have a new dog. Another adorable shelter dog named, Lucy. On Monday, less than a week after we adopted her she needed to have a very expensive dental procedure. This came as no surprise to us.

Here are some pics of the fur squad.

Otis telling me Lucy is chewing his elephant toy and he can't believe this is how it's going to be from here on in.

Lucy being demure.

They are hiding. I think. And yes, that's a bra there because I keep it real.

They smell something potentially edible.

But even through it all, Life is so good. Eliza wasn't in her car. Rescue dogs are wonderful. I am fully 'cleansed' after my margarita experience. iPads are replaceable. And the bruising on my eye really looks like a very impressive cosmetic application. Much to be grateful for, and this kind of stuff, entire weekends like this, help us to practice steadiness. No one in the family unraveled. Humor was maintained. I was impressed and proud.

gratitude: we're all here, yoga even with dogs on the mat, being asked to join Amy's class, Geoff's new anti-snore pillow (we may have something here)

thanks and love.

I Was Going To Post Yesterday, But I Was Afraid It Would Seem Like An April Fool's Joke. Which Would Have Made It All Too Easy For Me To Convince Myself I Was Just Kidding And Disappear For Yet Another Month.

I haven't had much to say lately so that explains the lack of postings. Actually, I've had plenty to say but most of it would have involved either expletives, moaning, or a quivering chin. If I shared a humorous perspective (however fleeting it may have been) I might have hurt some feelings or worse, appeared to not care about things as much as I really do.  I've spent a lot of time feeling a bit like this:

Anyway, the clouds seem to have parted either because of time, a change of season, or maybe the sage I burnt in a desperate attempt to shift my energy. I accept I'm at a place in life that involves managing a certain level of unsteadiness most of the time and I need to just deal with it as gracefully as possible or continue to move through my days whining - which is not how I like to live. This means it's back to the yoga mat, reading good stuff, and simplifying where I can.

Since I love clothes so very much, I'm taking an active approach to simplicity in this particular area of my life. I've read a lot about capsule collections - picking a limited number of pieces to wear for a period of time. I don't know about you, but my closet is full of different styles and colors, but I tend to wear only a few things most days. Looking at this jumbled array makes me feel bogged down, uninspired, and a little out of control. Strangely, these are some of the very same emotions that had been bringing me down in other areas of my life as well. Coincidence? Perhaps.

So, in the name of science and style, I'll be using April to experiment with the capsule wardrobe concept. I've seen a lot of capsule ideas on Pinterest and actually found a blogger out there who picks 37 pieces to wear for an entire three month season. Impressive, I thought. But, because I don't want to overwhelm my fragile psyche at this point, I'll start with a one month trial period. I've selected 30 items to wear this month (shoes and scarves included). This is really quite daring as Colorado weather in April could mean several inches of snow or 80+ degrees and the blogger that inspired me lives in more temperate Austin, Texas. And, April also involves a few occasions requiring snazzier dress than my daily "What should I wear to Whole Foods?" look, which will challenge the capsule approach further. And I like that.

This is what my April capsule collection looks like hanging in my closet.

Basically, it's three sweaters, two jackets, five pants, three skirts, two scarves and nine tops.

These are the shoes I'll be wearing, plus one more pair that should arrive soon thanks to a sale and coupon combo that could not be ignored.

I'm looking forward to all this. I feel like it will help me feel a little more settled and in control. Which would be nice. And from that calmer place who knows what other loveliness will emerge? Plus, I'll be attempting to post a pic regularly of what I'm wearing from the capsule (I know, so much to look forward to!) and because I really should write a little something along with the photo, I'll be making myself produce and create more often and maybe then I'll stop getting in my head so much and just write already.

Anywho, here is what I wore yesterday (4/1).

And here is today(4/2). Snow coming. Otis questioning.

gratitude: crock pot recipes that don't require processed food and actually have flavor, getting back to yoga again, a pedicure, the Kindle app on my iPad, patios

thanks and love.