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11.30.2011

THINGS I'VE LIKED ABOUT THIS WEEK (SO FAR)


i am on day three of never-ending mild anxiety--you know the type of thing where it's just under the surface, and every now and then you realize you aren't breathing very well, or your arms are jumpy all day long and you can't seem to relax? nothing is overly dramatic, or really wrong or immediately troublesome, it's just things. and et cetera.

(actually, things are quite lovely--did you see this article?)

so i've been finding ways to distract myself, reminding myself to breathe deeply, and counting all of my blessings.

such as . . .


yesterday i discovered that my husband is a dead ringer for an old cartoon character called tintin. WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT! (and aw, it's a petey).


last night we hit the winter's eve festival restaurant booths at lincoln center. it was a nice night. but sort of exhausting. huck tried his very first venison lasagna and i was reminded how i am NOT a fan of fancy hot chocolate. a packet of powder with freeze dried marshmallows will do, thanks!


i took huck's shirt off after a very messy lunch yesterday afternoon and he promptly fell asleep all over me and my knitting just seconds after. my dude is playing hard these days and when he gets tired he crashes instantly. he is just so hysterical and so lovely. his baby cheeks taste like cotton candy. 


huck's stripey pj's c/o skylar luna

also his mohawk is getting a leeettle ridiculous. why won't hair grow on the sides of his head? it is this mystery to me.

i've been listening to the lower lights christmas album nonstop since courtney sent it to me. it's the perfect sing-along-while-dancing-with-your-baby-in-the-living-room type christmas music. 

yesterday i called my mom while walking home from the trader joe's to get the 4-1-1 on the lovin situation. my umbrella stroller was heavy laden with egg nogs and yogurts and about fifty packs of wipes from amazon i'd picked up at the post office because we have a terrible mail situation on our hands here. i managed to steer that stroller one-handed all the way home and into my apartment, all the while being very responsible and watching for traffic and small doggies, but when i got home i completely forgot the laws of physics and let go of the stroller and it instantly toppled over backwards. huck was safely strapped in of course and this hilarious look spread over his face once he landed, like, "i am upside down THIS IS AWESOOOOOOME!" i let him chill upside down for a bit so i could finish my conversation with my mom, since i can only get cell phone reception by the front door, which is a whole other story.


we took a long rainy walk up to the 80s this afternoon to buy binder clips. we got appropriately rained on. it felt fantastic. this weather lately!

while buying binder clips i got distracted by a idea, and then a very nice young man with leopard print hair helped me find a road map of the united states after two other employees swore they didn't carry any. i declared him THE WINNER OF THE STAPLES, and he took a very grandiose bow before pointing at his coworkers and shouting, "EAT IT!"

it was good.


as was the two hours of pointless crafting i did after huck went to bed.

over and out.

31 comments:

  1. What are you making with the map and stencils? I'm curious...please share:)
    Huck is too darn cute, i'm sure you've figured that out though!
    www.thehazelstreetdiaries.blogspot.com

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  2. Your paragraph about Staples makes my day. Best ever! Also, I need to go get Sharpie paint. Also, Huck's hair is fantastic. Very Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes).

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  3. he DOES look like tintin! my goodness. did you know they JUST made a movie about him? directed by none other than steven speilberg?! it's animated so i don't know how that works....but anyway, it's pretty great.

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  4. love the visual of upside-down huck (huck-side down, if you will).

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  5. Ahh I love this post!

    I'm sorry you're having latent anxiety. I'm having latent stress or something and it sucks the big one. I'm not really sure what to do about it? I'm sure we'll figure something out, because we are AWESOME!
    (do you like that I'm talking about "us" like we've met? ohh blogging, so awesome)

    And, as always, Huck is looking very handsome/adorable. I love that he falls asleep anywhere. Such a rad kid you have!

    XXOO

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  6. Oh and I almost forgot: yay for venison! I had some on Saturday (chicken fried with biscuits and gravy). I hope Huck liked it! It's definitely a northwest thing, and a delicious thing!

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  7. tintin is a french comic book character who i just learned about today in my french class! what a coincidence. and they're making a tintin movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op3w_ICK4us

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  8. I loooooove the lower lights Christmas album! So good! I've been listening to it non stop. :)

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  9. The Adventures of Tintin is currently screening in London. I actually saw it this weekend and it is super fun. So, maybe you just need to plan a trip to London to see Tintin/your husband on the big screen. Or, you can just wait until it arrives in the US, which I think will be next month sometime.

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  10. Not to contradict, but Tin Tin is actual Belgian. He's from Brussels and he's had adventures all over the world. He's probably the most famous of the Bandes Dessinées (Franco-Belgian comic strips). Tin Tin is awesome. Read more about him and his adventures with Milou (Petey) here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin

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  11. And I'm sure you did all that gallivanting around in heels or wedges, too! I get tired just walking a block. In tennis shoes.

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  12. how do you not know tintin?? i grew up watching the adventures of tintin and hos dog snowy on tv every single day and the fact that the rest of the universe apparently didn't makes me sad. you have all been severely deprived. they had these two twins on the show that i loved, and i always found the captain extremely hilarious, and my sisters and i would fight over who "was" tintin. good times.

    also, i've been wondering, how do you sew a christmas tree skirt? all i can do is scarves and hats and i feel like this is important for me to know.

    and huck falling over backwards sounds adorable.

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  13. Tintin! I think he's a British teenage spy or something, there's a new Tintin movie coming out soon I believe!

    PS: Hucks little mohawk is so adorable!

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  14. I've just found your blog and I can't stop laughing. I love the way you write. Also, I love the pictures of your beautiful family- Gap ads in the future?? I'm a new follower. Stop by my blog some time and say hi, and follow back if you're interested.
    Sarah
    http://comingunstitched.blogspot.com
    Ps... Who IS Tintin??

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  15. Pointless crafts always make me feel better. Also, the fact that Huck is so laid back that he thought being upside down was awesome cracks me up. I hope to have a kiddo like him some day!

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  16. Tintin was such a huge part of my childhood...but I didn't grow up in the States, so that must be why? There was a tv show and there are these lovely hard-bound books that collect the original newspaper strips. I bet one would make a neat stocking stuffer!

    http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tintin-America-Pharaoh-Complete/dp/0316359408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322670501&sr=8-1

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  17. I think I know what you're making and I love it! I have something similar on my to do list!

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  18. i think if i were there when he said 'eat it' i might still be on the floor laughing. this just made my day.

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  20. I LIVE with that nasty nagging anxiety!!! Though my worst moments with it are right after I've gone to bed--I'm alternately filled with angst and great decorating ideas (which is why I keep a pencil and paper on my nightstand--I write down my worries/brilliant ideas so I can get on with life and go to SLEEP). I had to add that there is NO such thing as pointless crafting. And I also liked your interview. Your honesty was refreshing. I myself have never officially taken a break from church, but I've had to have serious talks with myself about why I do what I do. We all need to find new motivation for our choices, especially when they're difficult to make or they require painful personal sacrifices. Okay--my girls are shrieking back and forth as though they'll win a prize if they can do it louder than their sister. Must go. :)

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  21. Natalie:
    I just read the article on Good and wanted to say that it made me want to give you a hug!

    I have suffered from many of the prejudices against Mormons that you describe in the article and feel terrible about it. Yet, here I am and I really like your blog and your outlook on life. The article talks about your design sensibility that makes Mormon Mommy blogs so appealing to a wider readership but, frankly, I think that's wrong.

    I think that it's your attitude that draws people. I love that you hold YOURSELF responsible for making yourself happy. That's truly inspiring.

    Sorry for being so sentimental ;)

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  22. things i like about this post - those yellow nails and that sleeping baby!!

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  23. That was a very interesting article to read. Thanks so much for sharing:) Love how the little guy falls asleep on you still, I dream of those days and my little girl is only 18 months:)

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  24. natalie. i feel a sistership with you right now. i was sent to staples by my husband in search of sharpie paint? and was told that this product did not exist. i however did not have a store associate save the day and show me the sharpie paint, lucky you.

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  25. Tintin is awesome! You have reminded me to dig out my Tintin glasses mugs.... wonder where they are?

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  26. That article was FAB! It makes me want to be Mormon, and I'm currently a Nothing, so that's saying a lot. The values of Mormonism speak to me, and I know it's weird to say you're proud of a stranger, but I'm kind of proud of you for being Mormon, Mrs. Natalie L. Holbrook. There ya go.

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  27. Natalie, I think you are an entertaining writer and seem like a beautiful person, but sometimes I have been annoyed with "the image" you are projecting. After reading the article, my interest in you changed when I read that you had questioned leaving Mormonism. That was the first time you seemed real to me.

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  28. Excellent article, Natalie. I have to admit, I was a bit uncomfortable when I suddenly realized - like many others - that I was addicted to a herd of lifestyle blogs written by upper-middle class Mormon women.

    ...BUT THEN I gave my head a shake and realized how ridiculous that was! I really enjoy your writing, and your religious beliefs do not (and should not) factor into that.

    So... I guess I'm apologizing for being a bit judgy :)

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  29. I'm with you on the fancy cocoa; the envelope of hot chocolate with the dried up little mallows is just FINE by me! -Except for...the salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks. That stuff is worth every dollar! (But only on special occasions.) YUM!

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  30. hot chocolate doesn't need to be fancy!!!
    I love declaring people the winner of things. Even if it's pointless it never fails to make them happy.

    floridagirlinoklahoma.blogspot.com

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  31. i love going through your archives when i should be working. did you know the apthorp is where nora ephron lived in the 90s? sigh. being the fan you are, i'm sure you must. i would have loved to see it 20 years ago.

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