The Count Down!

We are officially departing in 9 DAYS. Yes, NINE days, oh, 9! Oh hell. If you could really see my house now.....


Hmmm, got some work to do don't ya think?


What's up with the tent your wondering? As we dig
things out of the basement, Henry has found some 'new' toys to play with!


What have we have been doing all this time since my last post about getting organized for a move (which I did do..but did not complete). You see we've been doing a lot of this:


Swimming and eating by the pool!



More eating and outdoor fun!



Eating more and playing with friends (who we will miss incredibly)


Our summer thus far has been loads of fun! And we are doing what we can to squeeze in the bit that we can before we leave in NINE days!
Starting to really feel mixed emotions. Life in DC will be fantastic as we have family and many close friends there. I can't wait to settle into my new job and get into the rhythm of life there!
And I can't help and feel some sadness too as we are leaving some of our most favorite people and places. We WILL be back to visit!

Come the 31st we will head out on our THREE day road trip!

Creating Buttons

Oh fun oh fun oh fun!
Today I did some of my very own creating! I am learning how to use html language to create buttons for the company Commandos. Very cool. I'll admit, I couldn't do this on my very own and have found a fabulous blog designer, named April, who has listed various tutorials on her site. I found April Showers Blog Design through the lovely Ali over at Holdenittogether. Thank you ladies so so much!

Here are some of my creations!


This one will be good for those who would like to post on their blogs or websites.
Nice feature is that it links to the Commandos website.



Use promo code COM-KBKb for 10% off.


This one will be used for those doctors and physical therapist whose practice focuses on patients who experience pelvic pain conditions, like Interstitial Cystitis and Vulvodynia.





Soft cotton alternative for painful pelvic conditions.
Click above and use promo code COM-KBK1 for 10% off.


Ok, so these took me all of a few minutes to make so I will definitely continue to play. But at least it is the start to having some more tricks up my sleeve! HA HA!

Happy Half Birthday HENRY!

Henry is 2 and a HALF today!!

My dear boy, is exactly 2 and a half! He is my joy, my little love bug, who brings the child out of me. Who makes we want to be the best mommy I can possibly be. My two and a half year old is not only sweet as can be but sensitive too! I love it when on his own accord will tell me "bless you" after a sneeze or will tell me "thank you" for helping get a book from the shelf. I adore it when he sings me made up songs about what he loves. I cherish his spontaneous hugs and kisses. I love him.
It is quite hard to believe how time has flown, thinking it was near to 3 years ago that I gave birth to this little being.
This child o mine has had quite an adventure thus far. Traveling to South Africa, moving from San Diego to Boulder and now to Washington DC. The countless flights to California and the east coast. His friends, the ranch, his love for books and cars, and his adventures and experiences at bilingual school. I can only imagine what the world will have in store for him. Where will he live? Where will he travel? What will he do for a living? Will he get married?
As his parent, I realize what we can do is be as present as we can with him every single day. We can teach by setting examples and nurture his interests. He will get to that point in his life where he will chose his own paths.

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be"
By Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw

I love you my babes! xoxo mom

Doing, doing and MORE doing!

So things are starting to get a little messy around here. I am just starting the process of packing house and things are only gonna get messier! Yesterday was paper day. I went through TONS of old piles of paper and files in my office, things that I just don't need. Desperately trying to put things in their place. This way when it comes time to put things in boxes, there aren't those completely random objects, papers and what not thrown in. Here is my approach to prepping for packing:

Few weeks before move:

- Place a box in each room designated for things you want to get rid of (whether you want to donate it or sell it).

-Place a large trash bag for papers and other trash or recycleables.

- Go through desks, drawers places that are likely to accumulate junk, trash etc. Decide what to keep, give or throw away.

-Go through clothing and especially those closets that like to hide things away from you! I have a box filled with clothes that I am going to sell or give away.

-Pair down your magazine collection. If you are a magazine lover like myself, you may have piles of them under your bed, in a closet? I have a huge pile I've been meaning to go through. So now I am flipping through and clipping what I want to keep in my design inspiration binder.
Binders: This system is great if you like to go back to and refer to things. I have binders for: interior design, South Africa, Inspiration/Betterment, Henry ideas (gifts, party ideas), Pilates and personal wish list (great for the hubby to peruse through if he has a hard time figuring out what to buy his wifey). I try to go through the binders often to eliminate and keep things manageable. All in all, this system really helps for my work!

- Try to recycle as much as you can!

- Go through labeled boxes. I have clear boxes that have crafty items, fabric samples, photographs, toys, letters, Henry's artwork. I took a quick peruse through those just to see if I could pair down. Some, but not much.

- Pair down toy collection. No point on keeping those cars whose tires are missing or somehow have been COMPLETELY dimolished.

Somehow, just writing this all out makes me feel that much more organized. However, there is still the garage AND basement. Wish me luck!

DESIGN & LIFESTYLE FRIDAY

BEACH COTTAGE LIFESTYLE


I am addicted to cottages and beachy ones at that.

(image from www.coastalliving.com)


(image from www.visi.co.za)


(image from www.visi.co.za)



(image from Southern Accents via www.beachcottagelove.blogspot.com)


I do have many tastes from stark white and clean lines to colorful and traditional. To marry the two can be overboard but I think with moderation you can find the happy medium. To be just focus on one genre can be at times boring.

But what excites me the most is the fabric choices you can make in decorating a beach house! Some of my favorites:




















All fabric is designed by SEACLOTH



After coveting Cottage Living magazine for many years, I needed to fulfill the void once it went under. Now I get Coastal Living which doesn't quite hold a candle to Cottage Living or Domino for that matter, but I did find the following and think I might enjoy anticipating it's arrival every month in my mailbox...I found this adorable hotel in their July/August issue:

The Surf Lodge

(image from www.thehotelchatter.com)


(image from www.nicoletteandthecity.com)

I think this hotel is pretty fantastic. What makes me excited about going to stay, is it has a bit California surfer style meets Morocco . You don't quite realize your are in Montauk NY (except maybe for the striped chairs). The hotel is owned and designed by Robert McKinley.


Have a lovely weekend!

And....the news is.................

...that we are packing house and moving to Washington DC!

Wow, ok whirlwind is approaching fast, I know. The life we have lead since May 2008, has been a crazy one. Now we are returning to my hometown and I couldn't be more excited!
Our departure from Boulder is gonna be a sad one, though. I've already shed a tear or two with my friend Carol. I've got a nice handful of fabulous girlfriends here who have children that have become friends with Hen. Definitely hard. We are also leaving behind extended family and the topper to this rather delicious cake, is the ranch. Yikes! I will definitely miss the beauty of Colorado (gotta love the Rocky mountains) as well as the weather (although it is a tad too dry for my vata body. My skin gets super dry).
But I must admit, that what will unfold for us in DC is incredibly exciting. I've been offered a position as Pilates director at a studio (the proposal went very well thank you). YAY! This is huge for me. Another fantastic factor is that both my mom and dad live there as well as my brother Rob (who is newly engaged). There are a schlew of friends who I still keep in touch with who are also still residing there. So we'll transition well.
There is MUCH to do at this point. Am needing to go through the house starting this weekend and decide what is to trash, pack or sell. The garage sale will be great. As I mentioned in my previous post, purging feels oh so good. We must get house packed by the 29th of July as we load on the 30th and head outta town on the 31st. WHAT? yes, we are heading out on the 31st of July. That is exactly 29 days from now. Oh this is gonna go quick. Fortunately, we haven't to worry about finding our house just yet, so we will be staying with family for a bit until we find the right neighborhood (schools, work etc all factor into that). School for Henry is something I am starting to get a bit nervous about as I keep hearing about waitlists. The same goes for here in Boulder, but I will take my time and find the right fit for him. There are numerous bilingual schools there so I know this won't lay over my head for too long.
Yesterday was definitely a day of reflection for me as it was the day that I found out about the job. I took myself for a walk so that I could really look at what we are leaving as well as what we are coming into. There are always the pro's and con's, but for me the biggest motivating factors to move east back to DC are my parents (who I very much want to be apart of Henry's daily life), and the successfulness of our careers. These are pretty big things. Deep down inside I've wanted this for a LONG time!