12 months of "me" time. {February: Take a Sewing Class}

This year, I promised myself that I would take better care of me.   The "me" outside the roles of wife, mother, butt wiper.  The girl who still loves art.  Alone time.  Time to create.

For my 30th birthday, my mother insisted on buying me a lavish gift.  Some girls may have chosen jewels to celebrate the entry into real adulthood, but me?  I chose:

Yup.  A sewing machine.  My 30th birthday was over two years ago.  Everything I made has been from random tutorials on youtube, and I had a freakish fear of installing a zipper.

So, my friend Natalie and I set off to an uber-trendy fabric shoppe that also offers sewing classes.  {You can see Natalie battling her new machine in the background}.

Namely, we chose the very class that teaches you the dreaded and feared zipper installation.

So armed with a few supplies in one of my many lunchboxes...

I spent the better part of the afternoon turning a happy little piece of fabric

into this:

I promise that I will share my version of a pillowcase{with a zipper} tutorial soon.  I wish I would have tried it sooner.  Not hard at all!  The zipper is key, when you have kids.  It means it can be washed...

Did you miss January's "me" time?

What have you done for yourself lately?

creative juice #60 {link-up and features}

Welcome back to another edition of Creative Juice...






This link party is in its golden years now, people!

How do you like the new header??? It's a little gothic...

My crafting has taken a backseat lately , because I've been busting my hump working on coding for a new TOP SECRET site that will be live in Spring. I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with "preaching" and it has something to do with my old career.

It's going to be big.

Can't wait to tell you all more about it.  *squeal*  Especially those of you that teach, homeschool, or have little kids at home...okay, that was another hint.

Now, time to showcase some of the features from last week's party:

From Big Plans, Little Victories: How to DIY your own Mercury Glass

Imagine these filled with some of the happy little tulips and daffodils popping up at the groceries...

Much cheaper than the West Elm and Pottery Barn counterparts!

22 ideas to entertain the "kidlets" from Lifestyles of the Stay-at-home Mom

{perfect for the end-of-winter blahs}

From Tree Gold and Bee Gold: This Adorable Plush Sock Sheep

Now onto the the renegade of all link parties.

The anti-rules...

1.) Don't follow me or rss feed me, 

2.) Don't visit anyone else. Just link your project and run!

3.) Use this party to sell your wares from your etsy shoppe.

4.) Don't grab a button or text link back.
5.) Leave no comment.

{If you link I have the right to ruthlessly promote you across all my social media and use one photo/link back if you are featured.}

how autism stole the birthday party {or the post where I butcher dr. seuss's how the grinch stole christmas}

the invites for birthday party season roll in.  and my anxiety level increases as my sons realize that their cake is different.  our family is different.  that their mother is a nutritional dictator.  {that could be a great resume addition for the 5 year gap of SAHM}


{with apologies to dr. seuss.  you legacy lives on each night at bedtime}.


now to butcher your greatest work.

{Moose at his 2nd birthday: enjoying gluten, dairy, and food dye}

Every mom down in neurotypicalville liked birthday parties a lot, but the momnivore, who lived just north of neurotypicalville - did not. 


momnivore hated birthday parties - the whole balloon popping season. 


Now, please do ask why; you should all know the reason. 


It could be, perhaps, that the dyes on the cake were too bright. 


Or it could be that the other moms in neurotypicalville didn't understand her gluten-free fight. 


But I think that the most likely reason of all... may have been that some moms down in neurotypicalville had hearts two sizes too small. 


But, whatever the reason, the dyes or the fight, momnivore stood there at birthday parties hating the sight. 


Staring down from her soapbox, with a sour gluten-free frown, at the warm, lighted birthday cake and a scary rented clown. 


For momnivore knew that every mom down in neurotypicalville beneath was busy now, ordering a sheet cake her kids can't eat, with colors too bright, and frosting too sweet. 

the many headers of momnivore's dilemma. a retrospective. {and a giveaway}

Before I knew anything about blogging, this was my first header.  

I remember being so overwhelmed uploading this.  

I knew little in the way of pixels and size.

But I loved the image.

The photojournalism. 

The message behind my son's eyes.

Then, armed with a few tutorials, I made this:

A slight improvement, but far too wide.

 Getting better... I finally added a "tag line" so people understood the three-tiered mission of my blog: a creative outlet to inspire others, a place to document my parenting mishaps and triumphs, and a journey to heal my family through food.

I do love photographing the mundane.  Like sippy cups.

And my sons' feet.

The middle photo of Moose was my first take on instagram.

 This header was Moose's first day of school.  Sentimental... Probably my favorite.

This is Monkey wearing Moosey's shoes.  Doctored up with Instagram.

This photo was taken while sitting at a red light, on the way home from therapy. 

This, captures, how I feel most days.  Underwater.  Overwhelmed.  But still in awe of the kairos, the mystery.  This photo was taken at the zoo with my iphone.

It was the first time Moose interacted with the animals in years.  It was the ultimate kairos moment.  Seeing my son see again.

 I knew I needed to change my header to remember my word for the year...

That everything is

Proof that you don't need a DSLR to rock a decent header.

I believe your header speaks volumes.

I love making them.

Truly. I do.

I am looking to build my portfolio of headers...

So, if you don't have time to do yours...and like a photojournalistic style:

Leave a comment below.

And I will do one for the first three commenters who wish!

Think of me as your fairy blogmother...

So I guess this is a giveaway? 

My very first giveaway...

I just want to make a few other blogs a little happier.

With love,

Nicolette

real-life wardrobe for the SAHM: spring trends 2012

It's easy, as a SAHM to wear "the uniform".  Yoga pants.  Tee.  Whatever shoes are by the door.

My husband said the other day, "If I were you, I'd never get out of my pajamas."

Five years ago, yes. I wore my husband's sweatshirts covered in baby Moose puke.

Now what's my excuse?

That just makes me unproductive and blah.

Lately, I've been making more of a concerted effort to feel "put together".

I don't have much to spend in the way of clothes, because all of our extra cash goes into supplements and therapy for the Moose.

So I stick with the budget stores: Forever 21, Old Navy, Target, Marshall's, etc.  I can't spend more than $40 on an article of clothing without getting a cheap attack these days.

Here's a few real-life {not runway ridiculous trends} that I will be wearing around Chicago this spring:

Colored Skinny Jeans.  Yup.  I will be rocking them.

{forever 21} $15.50

{old navy $32.50}

At risk of not looking like Rainbow Brite, I won't be "color blocking" like all the magazines proclaim, rather pairing them with more muted tops and flats.  

I'm 32, not 22.

It's fun to bust out color here in Chicago, after months of life indoors.

In addition to the loud colored jeans trend,
I will also be ditching my gothic ways of all black
and moving into the light with
pops of color:

francesca's $48

{for a May wedding}

forever 21. $12.80

{for days at the park with the boys}

Lace.  Always classic.  Fun for nights out with friends.  Dinner with the husband.  I love that this "trend" is back again.  For me, it's a staple...

{francesca's collections} $34

Animal Print

Not a season goes by in my life without it.

Probably because I've adored Betsey Johnson's work since I was a teen.

It wouldn't be my wardrobe without some animal print...

{target $12.99}

 {francesca's $44}

Stripes.  I never liked them.  Now,  I do.  Never say never.

forever 21 {$10.80}

Trends I wouldn't be caught dead in:

Half-tops.

I've had 2 kids.  I'm 32.

I may be a 100 lb weakling in a size 0, but no way.

Even though gluten-free has my stomach back to what it was when I was in university.

I will leave that one to the college girls.

also not really feeling the tribal print thing.  

a gaci

maybe it just reminds me of cross colors or something.

circa 1992.

Hope you've enjoyed window shopping here at momnivore's dilemma.

{post was not sponsored by any of these stores.  this really is where I shop}

Sharing @ Home Stories A to Z & TipJunkie

What trends are you partaking in?

What would you not be caught dead in this spring?

the imperfectionist.

Don't worry about the dust.  It will always be there. -Grandma Jensen

I wave the little white flag.

I believe that women who keep their homes "perfectly together" either

a.) have a staff: a nanny, cleaning service, or a live-in grandparent.
b.) have zero hobbies other than homemaking.
c.) have closets overflowing with piles of crap just minutes before company arrives.*

I admit to doing "c" before each party and play date.
But, I am getting better.
Purging out crap and decluttering my massive collection of books and crafts.

I don't have any of the services mentioned in "a", but my mom does help me out.  I wish I only had the house to consume me at times because my  "B" is overrun with blogging, crafting, sewing, painting, jewelry making, and real food cooking.

I've always struggled with organization, but have a profound love of art and things beautiful.

I am a Libra after all, the vainest of the astrological signs.  Here's me, unwashed hair.  Probably have gluten-free oatmeal all over this shirt.  The buddy, to your right, Monkey Magoo, is responsible for 98% of all housework here at the estate.

I try to focus on the little things in the house that aren't run over with Thomas the Tank Engine and fingerprints.

Like when I make something pretty in a house full of testosterone.

Even my beloved Doodle is male.

It's the little things...

like when my crafts are organized.  For a day.

Or how the light from the east in the morning

 makes the messy home somehow, glow.

The calm...

before the storm...

Each day is a pile of laundry and mountain of dishes.

Also factor in that my oldest is in preK in the mid-afternoon, which makes-getting-anything-done...well, impossible.

I dream of having a

or having some mad witchcraft skills

Between fighting autism's ugly underbelly
cooking everything from scratch
screaming at insurance companies on the phone
schelpping two 40lb kids in and out of my unfriendly Jeep 5 days a week
for a less than 3 hour preschool
I live in my muddy SUV
{did I mention the grounds at Moose's school are MUD}
and run to and fro like mad woman
in rain boots
even when it doesn't rain
due to the mud pit that is my son's school


I am a useless heap by 2:05 p.m.

so watch your step
you may kill yourself on a toy car

and meanwhile

my head's in in the clouds
reworking that old manuscript
making goods for my etsy shoppe

coding galore for a *new* website
that is top secret
with my business partner and mom extraordinare...
Karen.
{wish I could tell you more...I am about to burst}

I am pulling 18 hour days.
somedays, I forget to shower.
my socks don't match.

sometimes, I wear the kids' socks.

or no socks
with the rain boots.

Mommy's busy.
Working on her dreams
Playing therapist on the floor with Moose feeding him his "sensory diet".
Mixing supplements.
Baking GFCF goodies from scratch.
Reading Is Your Mama a Llama for the 1000th time.
Driving to and from preschool.
To and from therapy.

So if your feet stick to my floors.

if you can write your name in dust on my dresser.

That's okay.

I could have written this book.

We need new couches, 

paint on every wall, 

and a dining set because of the boys.

This past year they've broken their beds, 

a dvd player, 

a cell phone, and 

a partridge in a pear tree.

my home isn't magazine friendly.

it will not make you breathless at Pinterest.

it's real

often messy

often sticky.

but it's full of the most important thing
in life:

love.

Sharing @
the nester