"Trick or Treat" or "How I used my baby to get candy"

We took Ruby trick or treating this year for the 1st time. Hand-me-downs determined her costume & it fit so she went as a stupidly cute turtle. I couldn't find the head to it so I improvised & used her fleece. I just stuck paper eyeballs on the hood. Go me!

we started at the Knauer's annual throwdown & then hijacked Bennett's wagon to mosey around the neighborhood. (Way to focus, stupid camera).

her 1st piece of candy! Hand over the goods, yo.

Child, I don't want no suckah. Gimme the snickers.

these are the most gorgeous trees. This picture does not do them justice. (great job, camera).

this house was so festive! Loved it.

that thing on my head? those are my rabbit ears. We were the tortoise & the hare. Zack was supposed to be the referee to complete the family ensemble but he had to leave that night to go play a show in Johnson City so he bailed on the costume. Instead, he went in his regular clothes & told people he was "an effing idiot."

She loved rummaging through all her goodies. Actually, she loves buckets & cups & putting things in them & then dumping them out. It's so exciting.

Please look at Matt & Natalie. So proud of Matt for fully committing to his look with a pirate shirt complete with keyhole neckline that shows off his hairy man chest. And as you can see, Natalie's a big fan too.

This guy right here? Oh, he's a banana hammock. Crazy awesome. (forgive me for not even knowing his name. Somebody help me out here).

We gave Rubes a Twizzler & she gnawed the ever living crap out of it. Notice the crazed-sugar-high eyes.

Yay Halloween!

Ho Ho Home Show, y'all.

For all those who can make it...

Ellen Troyer (& her super cute jewelry) & I will be sharing a space here (at this marvelous house in Weaverville) in 2 weeks!

Come prepared with your Christmas list! Lots of great handmade stuff from local artisans.

Extra incentive: if you buy something Ellen & I will break into a song & dance of your choice. Or give you a cookie. OR I'll let you touch my infamous, hard-as-concrete butt (it's so not a cute booty, but it's amazingly impenetrable). Either way, an awesome deal.

here's the invite (click to enlarge):

And here's Ellen modeling her super cute jewelry! Isn't she purdy?

Mother of 3. Jane of all trades.

Hope to see your beautiful mugs there!

and it burns burns burns.

When Zack & I first started dating, we were so smitten with each other.

He says it was love at first sight.

I say he grew on me like kudzu- a warm, sweet blanket of all consuming vines.

When I think back on those first days, those first "uh oh. I'm in trouble with this guy" moments, those first butterflies in the stomach, I am reminded of how scared I was. So scared of what I thought might be happening within my timid heart but yet so entirely intoxicated with Zack Plemmons & his dimples & his quiet strength & the way he looked at me.

I'm happy to say that we are still very very much in love with one another. Even more so now with little Rubes in our life. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't talk about how happy or crazy grateful I am so I won't jinx myself. Like that's how it works or something...

My heart is so full.

I hope this is just the beginning.

(picture courtesy of Brian McGee & Celia Gray's moustache/silly prop photobooth at their wedding reception. Look how pissed Ruby is!)

vloggin' fools!

Well, this is my 1st vlog. (video blog) It's pretty terrible cause:

a) photobooth has picked up the humming from the fan on my MacBook. So that's annoying. Just ignore that.

&

b) I was winging it & had no agenda except to get Ruby to say "Hi!" -which she does a couple times but very faintly.

&

c) it's just dumb.

soooooo yeah. enjoy?

(at least Ruby is cute)!

you look like a monkey & you smell like one too.

Ladies & Gentlepeople, I present to you, video footage of Ruby meeting her 1st birthday cake. (Watch, she touches the fire. You can just go ahead & give me that Mother Of The Year Award already, k?)

words + purdy aesthetics = marvelous match

I love these!

so cute, colorful, playful & sentimental. I want one.

really liking these colors & the imperfect "font." And of course, what it says. I want one.

How much do i adore letterpress?!?! It gives boring stationary depth & texture & this vintage-y feel. I particularly like smartass letterpress. I want all of it.

Here's another creation via Jonathan Adler. He took the traditional formal framed silhouette, added fun color, a dog & some lighthearted captions. I want.

First off, that bird staring at the french fry is adorable. And it reminds me that my happiness is my own choice. I want I want I want.

Maybe one day I'll be able to afford to just buy art all the time. I'll type it into existence...

(i know i really should give credit where credit is due. I'm terrible about that. Almost everything you see above is from etsy except for the Adlers).

this social media interaction makes me LOL.

Added February 26 · Comment · Like

Robin Sterrett Plemmons

you like how i use my child as a prop to hide my double chin?

February 26 at 4:45pm · Delete

Beth Godsey Maslin

you like how i use a big pink blanket as a prop to hide my baby that i use as a prop to hide my boob?

March 1 at 9:26pm

Sarah Hughes

do you like how I am using grayson as a prop to cover the fact that I don't have a baby?

March 1 at 10:00pm

Robin Sterrett Plemmons

oh that's funny.

March 2 at 8:28pm · Delete

Sarah Hughes

what is chris covering ?...

March 2 at 8:57pm

Beth Godsey Maslin

well. . .

March 2 at 9:07pm

Robin Sterrett Plemmons

oh that's funnier.

March 2 at 9:11pm · Delete

I'm thinking ink.

I have always wanted a tattoo. I just haven't found anything that I have been, "YES! I want THAT on my body FOREVER." I used to tell people that I had a tattoo on my butt of a robin bird pulling a worm out of my hole. (I hope someone out there still thinks that I do).

It feels like such a commitment to me. I love lots of tattoos on other people but when I imagine myself with a bunch, it makes me feel claustrophobic in my own skin.

Then I saw this:

Isn't it beautiful? It's a white ink tattoo by Shannon Archuleta out of San Francisco.

I love how delicate & subtle & feminine it is. I wouldn't want it this big though. Maybe something small on my shoulder/collarbone area- about the size of the palm of my hand.

I think I would absolutely love it.

I'm going to give myself some time to think about it & decide on the exact design. Maybe even incorporating a Z & an R in there somewhere.

Whatcha think?