Wordless Wednesday -- Dazed Dolly

Virtual Coffee I

This is a great idea, virtual coffee. I think I'll try it today and see if I can remember every Tuesday.

(And no, I do not usually drink coffee at 11 p.m. but today was busy and I'll take what I can get!)

If we were meeting for coffee I'd have a decaf with some kind of sweet pumpkiny creamer in it. Mmmm.

If we were meeting for coffee today I'm sure the first thing we'd talk about is the weather. How can it be 70 today when days ago it was in the 40s? But then we'd chuckle and say, "We'll take it." because it's the northeast and we take what warm weather we can get after September and until May.

I would definitely tell you that today I tried hard not to stress out too much but I decided to take all three kids, and the DOG, all by myself to get professional photos taken. Yes, I must be crazy. In my defense I knew what I was getting into when I planned this. I knew I could do it if I didn't expect it all to work out perfectly. I knew since I wasn't going to be in them I would have more control. I knew it would be easier and save more time to try it today because it was an on-site shoot at our local elementary. Verrrrry close by. Easy. Simple. Bliss.

Well, it wasn't bliss, but it wasn't much worse than that. I'd tell you it was nearly painless and it took all of 10 minutes and a shirt soaked with perspiration and then it was over. I'm assured the pics are adorable.

I brought the kids home and since my inner control freak took over (you'd laugh in recognition), and the warmer weather lured me, I grabbed my old (read: film-only) Canon Rebel and headed for the leaves with the kids. B did attempt to rake (!) the leaves into a pile but once said pile was made the boys went c.r.a.z.y. and wouldn't pose and the baby toddler wouldn't stay near me. "But everyone was SO happy!" I'd say. And you would agree that that was the best kind of crazy.

I'd finish up my story telling you how I chased E around until we were both tired from the effort and I used up the rest of the film. Which would lead us to talk about how crazy hard it used to be having a limited amount of photos to take and not know if ANY of them came out well enough for you to spend the $$$ to develop them. Which took days to do! We'd laugh and sigh at how our kids just aren't going to learn any patience with technology the way it is.

Then I'd have to slap your hand as you pulled out your phone to read a text message.

Halloween is coming up fast so we'd chatter on a bit more. I'd tell you about my search for a costume for E and settling on a bee. She even said, "Bee!" as I was trying it on her and that sold me. I'd then roll my eyes and laugh at how, once again, she's going to be a delicate insect (last year she was a ladybug) and her brother is, once again, going to be a demonic creature. <sigh> I guess I should be relieved my middle child still wants to go at all because my oldest has refused. We'll see when Halloween comes and he's craving candy!

Hopefully you'd have some funny stories of the day to share with me as we sipped the last of our drinks. It's getting late and we've both got full days ahead tomorrow. Thanks for meeting with me today. I've enjoyed your company and look forward to next week.

Thursday (aka "Applause")

Something worked. Something about writing it out made it happen.

Yesterday I spent the better part of the day going through the many boxes of clothing swamping the area I call an office. (The "office" area, by the way, would be great if it wasn't, in actuality, so pathetic.)

I divided! I conquered! I even got rid of four of the eight boxes to neighbors the very next day. I am awesome!

(I am also going to politely ignore the next pile of Hoarders-Worthy Evil waiting for my attention. At least for tonight.)

Tuesday

The funny thing is, yesterday's post was supposed to be more than that. I wrote a bit and didn't like it so I cut most of it out, then something weird happened, I hit "post" by accident, and what you see is what was left. And it was perfect. Funny how things like that happen sometimes.

Today I have managed once again to completely ignore the boxes. The some-half-full-some-overflowing-and-some-empty boxes of little girl's clothes that I have to decide what to do with. But not tonight. My daughter is not settling down to sleep and is crying a little so I'm going to check on her.

Screw those boxes and their representation of clutter and indecision and guilt!

Monday

I've quickly managed to ignore the piles of boxes surrounding my desk.



(See photo #10- 10-on-10 )

What is this about?

My blog isn't about anything in particular except what strikes me as interesting or important at the time. I guess that is a valid type of blog in and of itself. But I haven't been able to figure out if I am that or more than that... if I will be able to write and maintain some kind of consistency. As it is, I don't tell anyone that I write a blog and I do nothing to promote myself. It's like I'm hiding out in the open. And this is because I just don't know why I'm doing this.

I used to keep journals, most of my young life and early adulthood. Writing helped me get out what I wanted to say whether it was acceptable or not. At first I used to self-edit by not writing exactly what I meant, or by using code or alluding to things instead of being direct. I look back and wonder why the heck didn't I just write what I meant!? Why did I only write the name of the boy that I had a crush on in fifth grade behind a heart sticker? In my locked diary. Talk about issues.

I became more honest in my young adulthood. It was much easier to put my feelings on paper. Mostly about how lonely I was and why didn't so-and-so feel anything back for me. Then I got married and "vented" to my journal. My husband was, unfortunately, the focus of my vents many times so I couldn't share it with him. It became too painful and eventually I fell away from writing at all.

(I then got really into scrapbooking. I loved framing my children's lives to look all lovely and beautiful. I found that quite satisfying. I would still do it today if I could fathom how I am going to catch up on eight years of my boys' lives. Plus the last 18 months of our baby girl's! Oy. I am nauseated just thinking about it.)

Eventually I was lured into the digital world and blogging. I can go back and edit my paragraph fifteen times before I publish it. Which takes me forever to publish a post. Which makes me not bother doing it at all. There has to be a better way! Maybe I can just let go of what it's "supposed" to be and just embrace what it is. Me. Blabbering. It's what I do best!!

So if you have come here because you are one of two friends I told about it, because you stumbled here by mistake ;), or because you are curious if this is an interior design blog, then I'm sorry but I cannot tell you what this is all about. Well... maybe this will help: The reason I chose "Bland to Grand" is that I wanted to transform from what I felt like I was at the time (bland/boring) to something that I felt I could be. Awesome. I've been working on that, inside and out, and I'm definitely making progress.

Another thing I can tell you is this is written by a woman who really wants one of the following things:

1. To make you laugh
2. To vent
3. To make you laugh when I vent

I prefer method number 3.

Consider yourself warned. If you stick around, Thank You, and if not, I shall (hopefully) never know the difference.

:)
Pam

10-10-10

I love this idea of "10 on 10" that I first learned about on this blog Trains, Tutus and Teatime. (I love Corinne's honest and lovely writing, and her pictures are authentic and adorable.)

Ten on Ten is a simple idea: "Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments. Then share your beauty with us!"

I have missed the 10th of the month quite a few times and finally today, on the historical 10/10/10, I remembered! Only problem is... I didn't quite get it "right." It wasn't for ten consecutive hours because I started late and, honestly, forgot all about that part. But I did capture ten moments in the day so here they are for October 10th:

Click here to view these pictures larger

I will learn how to embed them next time. For now, they were supposed to be labeled as such:

1. shoes
I took E out for a bit in the morning.

2. breakfast
She loves her yogurt. Today mixed with sweet potatoes (which she also loves).

3. goodies
My leftovers after a pancake breakfast at the local firehouse.

4. lunchtime show and tell
E points to her big brother.

5. cards
D brought out the cards today. Haven't seen them in awhile.

6. goofy nuttiness
D goofing around with Grandma (or "Nana" to E).

7. fall leaves
I wanted to capture the deep blue sky contrasting with the bright colorful leaves on my neighbor's tree. I'll need to work on that.

8. pie
My FIL loves apple pie. I made him one on Friday and got a chance to bring it to him today.

9. diaper change
We are entering the difficult or wiggly stage of diaper changing. Tonight we got a laugh though.

10. mess
Today I moved this mess from my porch to my office space. No, I did not go through any of it before fighting my way to my laptop to write here tonight. Tomorrow is another day.

And another mess to clean up.


I hope you enjoyed viewing and I hope to remember next month! :)