Pages

5.22.2014

AROUND HERE LATELY


how on earth is it thursday already and where did this week go!? well hey, here's a bunch of miscellaneous nothings so we're all caught up on things. yeah? should we throw in all the crappy photos my phone has taken? why not! nothing but the very best in photo quality for this blog! highest standards in the business i tell ya.


well first of all, are the tutus. huck's sweet friend biet had herself a birthday last weekend, and we were so honored to get invited to come help her celebrate. it was a brilliant ballerina theme + all the kids got tutus. huck was a good sport about it. oh who am i kidding, he was beyond into it. it was like the fluffiest, super-est super hero cape of his life. there was a lot of zooming and swooshing going on... sound effects... fists of triumph + fury... he was already wearing a denim vest i found in the girl's section at gap kids, so, you know. go whole hog, man.


sooooo, i gave myself some new piercings, again. i don't know what my problem is. well, i do know what my problem is, my problem is i'm impatient. and stupid. i finally got my tattoo situation figured out. it's all set! i'm totally ready! now i just have to decide when. and do i get a babysitter? obviously i get a babysitter. and who gets to be my special plus one? who will come with me + document my stupidity for all of time + posterity? this is a big honor, isn't it? it can't be just anyone, it's a little like choosing a maid of honor, i figure anyway. i mean, i guess it could be my husband... i'll need to pray on this. when you're feeling antsy you probably organize your closet. potato-potahto. someone's going to ask so i'll tell you now: i use a solid gold earring that i've washed with soap + water, and then i just shove it on in. brute force. stupid. once it's through i put on the earring back and then i keep it really, really clean. i know. i've done it six times now (all but holes one and two, plus hole five twice over), and no infections yet! don't take this as a you-should-too, though, because you shouldn't. i actually had to stop with the second post halfway through to go help huck start up a show on netflix. so, go to a professional. i mean, i don't regret it, but what kind of bad example would i be if i said as much? my friend caroline shared a tip with me--dr bronner's baby soap. really great on fresh piercings. (also it's easy on the eczema) thumbs up, bronner! they're healing quite nicely, thanks for asking! guys, i'm such an idiot.

but i like 'em.

moving on!



huck and his penguins. ohh, huck and his penguins. it's gonna be a real good summer for huck + his penguins in the penguin room at the zoo. you stop noticing the smell pretty quickly, is the good news. huck would stay in there for hours if you let him.


brandon continues to be ruggedly good-looking and terribly hard-working and henry's favorite person in the world. he was out of town for some management training all last week, and every time huck + i would come home from wherever we'd been he'd ask, "will daddy be home nowwww?" these two boys + their nightly gummi worms + their spirited renditions of that ridiculous hunting scene in the croods ("eep! avenge me!"). they're pretty great buds. it's an honor to be the one doing all the nagging when they're wrestling on the floor + knocking things over.


what else, what else.... oh! madison square eats! madison square eats is going on right now, it runs all may, every year. it's one of my favorite things to do in the city. i took these photos the last time we were there. they're mildly crummy. 


robertaaaaaas!!

let's wrap this up.


we'll end on this note. 'tis the season for 100% humidity and this year i'm ready for it. i got the kind of hair right now that looks unkempt on its best of days, so when the mist comes out, together we reach such epic levels of mop head, it's complete anarchy on my head. all i can do is embrace it. so i'm embracing it. last week i kissed my flat iron lovingly and wrapped her in her cord for a nice, long summer nap. ain't nothing she can do about this mess. see you in the fall, nerd! 

see how exciting things have been? also i bought apples today!  

that's the holbrook update, over and out.

56 comments:

  1. Your hair with all that volume in it looks lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your ear piercing monologue is golden. You're the funniest :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ok seriously I should be the plus one. I want my first tat this month but I'm terrified (but I really want it). I am in Brooklyn so just say the word lady-lets do this. Pleeeeassseeeee

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so glad you're going for it with the tattoo!! I have 4, two in pretty stupid in-hide able places, but I love them. Pamela love's tattoos are the BEST inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. your cartilage cuff! its perfect! may i ask where it's from?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. my friend Caroline made it! she sells them at www.brvtvs.com

      Delete
    2. I was going to ask the same thing! It's absolutely perfect.

      Delete
    3. i was also going to ask the same thing! after a futile google search it dawned on me to check the comments...

      Delete
    4. my friend Caroline makes them! www.brvtvs.com!

      Delete
  6. wow I wanted a second piercing but.... not sure I have the guts to do it like you! haha
    love the last picture - your hair looks just fine! or is it STILL fine and will get worse? haha it doesn't matter... I say we should all embrace our hair. But that's just lazy me. If a hairstyle takes more than two minutes, I give up sooo...

    Valentina
    Valentina Duracinsky Blog

    ReplyDelete
  7. gosh i'm such a loser about earrings. they look so awesome on you! can't wait for this tattoo to be revealed! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. yessssss so excited for your tattoo.... go you! i also can't wait for the unveiling.

    also your humidity hair, um, no need to force yourself to embrace it, it looks so great! it is embracing itself!

    i loved this post very much. laughing out loud at work going on right here. commencing at huck in his fabulous tutu and culminating with the apples. love! xx jemima

    http://www.jemimajaneblog.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. also have the "oh maybe just ONE more" ear piercing bug -- as I'm in manhattan too, would you mind name dropping your studio? ive been combing through yelp reviews and haven't landed on a place just yet...

    ReplyDelete
  11. beautiful photos!
    www.agoprime.it

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've been shedding some of the old mormon skin lately and just got my tragus pierced and my first tattoo. It's so funnnn. And I've used bronner's on both, and it's perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My boyfriend is turning 30 this month and is still mad about penguins!
    Love your blog - greeting from the UK

    http://thelexchapter.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  15. Long time reader and first time commenter. Here goes. I LOVE that you're getting a tattoo!! I've had the exact same feelings about getting one for myself, it's stupid...but I still want it. So, SO happy for you and I can't wait for the unveiling! PS you are SO rad for piercing your own ears. Brute force all the wayy! Love your blog and love your hilarious posts. You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousMay 23, 2014

    I love that you make frizzy hair look glamorous!

    http://thatumamilife.wordpress.com - a clean eating bento blog. Japanese or Asian-inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i, too, have decided to hide my trusty flat iron for a while. i live in austin, tx and some days there's just no point in pulling it out whatsoever. here it's a little less of the humidity and a little more of the 106 degrees that keeps me honest with myself and says, you know what, self? you're gonna put your hair in a ponytail or top knot every day, let's be real.
    ps. your piercings are adorable + you are brave.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ugh, I get restless, too. As a life-long mormon who has been transplanted from Washington to Utah, I get those 'itches' too. So far, all that's come of these itches is a partially-shaved hair style (think Ellie Goulding). ps Huck looks adorable in that tutu!

    ReplyDelete
  19. om, your little boy and his penguin obsession/tutu pics is adorable! love this update!

    love, arielle
    a simple elegance

    ReplyDelete
  20. i must say - consider not bringing a plus one. it's the most liberating thing to get a tattoo by yourself. i got my huge back piece (2 of 2 tats) alone and it felt good to look around see all the giggling girls with their friends documenting their experiences and for me to be like 'I GOT DIS.' hahaha it's empowering in a weird way. and so excited to see it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree with this, but for your first tattoo I would suggest having someone there. It's nice to have someone to talk to if you don't have a talkative tattoo artist to keep your mind off the pain.

      Delete
  21. My nephew wore a tutu at our wedding (to match all the nieces) and totally loved it. A boy and his tutu, I tell you what. http://nickischmidt.blogspot.com/2011/12/wedding-on-ruffled.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yes yes yes on the tattoo bit! Please get one, I bet it will be perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your hair!! I know you've stopped washing it on a daily basis... BRAVO, btw. Wish I could! When you do suds up though, what's your styling routine? Blow dry? Air dry? Products? No products?

    Inquiring minds want to know! :)

    Happy Memorial Day to you and yours! Enjoy the holiday weekend :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I should do a post! and thank you! you're so sweet! xo

      Delete
  24. I would love to see you get a tattoo -Hanna Lei

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousMay 23, 2014

    Hey I noticed on instagram you haven't been wearing your garments and now you're getting a tattoo. Are you not Mormon anymore? I would love to hear what your thoughts are on the doctrine and stuff you seem like you're in a questioning phase? Just would love to hear your viewpoint!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hah! it's a funny thing when people think they have a right to speculate + comment on another woman's underwear, but actually this is an insightful question and i''ve batting around the idea of whether or not i should ever write about it "offiicially" or whatever. basically, for me, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. there's a whole spectrum in between. there's a lot that the church administration does that goes against my personal beliefs, and there's a lot that the doctrine teaches that i full-stop don't believe in. but, i like taking my son to church. i like having that influence in our lives. no church is going to be perfect, and i'm too lazy to find a new one. so i'm making this church work for me, as opposed to forcing myself into a one-size-fits-all mold, which made me feel inauthentic, distanced from god, and completely ornery. i don't like a lot of what the church does, the church doesn't have to like a lot of what i do. it's been incredibly freeing to focus on what i do believe + work on making myself better in the ways that personally feel strongly about. xo

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 23, 2014

      Thank you for replying! I wasn't trying to judge. You share so much of your life (pictures of your fallopian tubes!) that I thought it was odd you hadn't mentioned it but alluded to it with some of your actions. I would definitely be interested in seeing a post (or posts) about your spiritual journey and which issues you do like and don't like. It's helpful. We're all in different places but it is nice to hear other people's viewpoints.

      Delete
    3. so interesting to hear your viewpoint on that nat! i've been struggling with the 'all or nothing' ideals i've had since childhood, so i'm glad you've addressed this, even just a bit. (i can also see people misunderstanding your 'too lazy to find a new one' comment so i'm going to say - people - take that with a grain of salt and a wink.) but really though that might be the most interesting thing i've ever read from you. thank you!! i needed this.

      Delete
    4. natalie! you NEED to write about this. seriously. it really matters. and you are such a good writer and can articulate your ideas in such a graceful, but tactful and still so beautiful sort of way. the readers are demanding it! (: no but really, i would love to hear more. i mean i completely identify with everything you wrote in that comment so i'm biased in my desire to hear more, but still. i am a returned missionary for crying out loud, but i have really been going through a big crazy scary but liberating and enlivening transition of faith the last few years and sometimes i have felt like the only person on the planet blogging about it. why? i can't tell you how good it was to just hear you, someone i have truly loved and admired the last few years, be so open + honest about this topic. more more, please! (: i think it would benefit everyone. anywho. besides this comment, i have been meaning to say, i really adore ya. you rock.

      Delete
    5. I've been reading these comments about your spiritual journey and just wanted to send you love Natalie. This kind of thing can be tough to go through and tough for our mothers to handle lol. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a little sad, but I agree with you on so many levels too. Listen to your heart, you've got a good one.

      Delete
    6. PS I just wanted to clarify, I hope that didn't sound preachy as if I am trying to say which way your heart should go, how the hell do I know where your heart should go?! You know where it should go, and maybe it's down to a tattoo parlor! Interested to see what you do choose, since regardless of church teachings I've never been too fond of tattoos, but you have impeccable style.. so yeah. Very interested to see.

      Delete
    7. natalie, i'm so glad to see this reply even in just the comments. I'll admit I've been curious about your spiritual journey. I could have said so much of what you said in that comment, except that my path led me, my husband, and our daughter out of the church. I just want to say, I know how painful it can be, and i am so SO glad you've found ways to be and feel authentic. I wish you peace as your continue to follow your own path. it can be a lonely one. it's always nice to know we aren't the only ones who don't fit in the mold.

      Delete
  26. What a sweet update! your earrings are so rad. natalie, just have to say that your reply about church is awesome. your words relate to me (and others, I'm sure!) no matter the church...because I feel the struggle between the 'society' of church and my personal beliefs. I've learned the most important is the relationship with God. You said it perfectly, so thank you, and hugs, and can't wait to see your tattoo!! xo

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love your answer about church. I felt the same way about mine (Catholic) and threw the towel. There's still a lot of good in there and it helps me every day. I wish I had kept going just so my kids had the benefit of something to turn to during life's rough patches. Love the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Natalie, Just curious if you would share Brandon's thoughts on you getting a tattoo? Is he supportive? Or would he rather you not because of the churches stand on tattoos? Please share only if that's not too personal. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi! Brandon's completely supportive. he's a pretty laid back, open minded guy. there's not a whole lot that'd ruffle him, i'm probably the more conservative of the two of us. ;)

      Delete
  29. LOVE that last pic of you! you look gorgeous!!! I lived in Brazil for a while and looked like a sweaty tomato with frizzy hair most of the time just went up in a very unflattering bun. Humidity is not a close friend of mine haha

    http://thebudusadventure.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love this post! Written so genuinely and with just my type of humor!
    My favorite part was about Brandon and Henry's relationship....I'm having a little boy in one month and I cannot wait to watch him grow up and become best friends with my hubby, you just made me even more impatient for those moments ;)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh my gosh I want to pierce my nose so bad. It doesn't help that my husband is all for it. Ugh, such bad Mormons. I think the main reason I'm not is because I'm pretty sure my mom would cut my nose off and then I'd look like Voldemort and that would be really unfortunate.

    ReplyDelete
  32. You don't need to apologize for your phone pics. I hate that it's like a requirement to blog only fine art-quality photos these days. Who cares whether they're from a phone, point-and-shoot or high-end DSLR? They're beautiful because they're photos of your family (especially that delicious Mr. Huck). Post 'em all and never apologize!

    ReplyDelete
  33. You don't need to apologize for your phone pics. I hate that it's like a requirement to blog only fine art-quality photos these days. Who cares whether they're from a phone, point-and-shoot or high-end DSLR? They're beautiful because they're photos of your family (especially that delicious Mr. Huck). Post 'em all and never apologize!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Your kid! I hope I'll get one like that one day (if I ever want one that is).
    Also, how odd that churches "forbid" people to get tattoos ( just read through a few comments). I am more spiritual than clerically religious (if you know what I mean), so I don't know much about the many rules of different churches, but that just seems like a very specific (and random) prohibition. Do what's good for YOU and your beautiful, fun and free heart&soul. Also, very happy you're not tattooing yourself btw ;) Can't wait to see it!
    x
    Maja

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The idea behind the no tattoos is the belief that your body is a gift from God (specifically a temple; 1 Corinthians 6:19, from the Bible) and that we should not defile the body as we would not defile a temple. It is a modern interpretation of the LDS church that a tattoo would 'defile' that temple. Many believers of the Bible do have tattoos, but they may not think of their tattoo as 'defiling' their body/their temple, for example a tattoo in tribute to a loved one who has passed on certainly does not seem like what you would call 'defiling' the body. So that's where it gets really confusing. I hope that sounds a little less random/crazy :)

      Delete
  35. I love your circle earring - mind sharing where it's from? Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Basically, you're blog posts are the best ever.

    ReplyDelete
  37. So many adventures! This post was adorable, penguins forever!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I love the Tutu lol, i have two boys and they would be all over it too.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Tattooed, formerly infertile mom of a 4-year old boy here. Not Mormon, but I love your take on your church and your faith. I just wanted to say, it is crazy weird how you look EXACTLY like your younger sister in the piercing picture, and EXACTLY like your older sister in your mophead picture. (That is not a comment about your sister's hair. Its something about the facial expression.) The three of you are breathtakingly beautiful. Also, your Henry is just so completely adorable!!!! Oh, and one last thing, thank you for turning me on to Biet's and River's moms' blogs!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I'm inspired. Kissing my flat iron goodbye!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I'm obsessed with that first photo. Huck's like "Yeah, I'm wearing a tutu. Whatcha gotta say about?! Nothing? That's what I thought..."

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated because mama ain't no fool.