Books, books, books

You may have noticed that I haven’t made any clothes in a while. (That’s a joke because I haven’t blogged about anything, much less sewing so how would you know?) Anyway, it’s partly because I have a new hobby I’m hyperfixated on…bookbinding!

I took it up last summer after being intrigued by it for years and years. (I designed a book right before the boys were born that was published by a local museum.) I enjoy all of it, from typesetting the words to making it into a physical book.

Earlier this year, a “club” was started at work for those who create, and I decided to make a book. There was an “art show” today (on Google Meet) and everyone showed what they made. There were paintings and music and fun sculptures and drawings (and a book.)

All of this to say, here’s my book! It’s a photo book documenting the past ten years of work travel since I’ve been at Automattic.

But this is the real fun part…a sped up video of the making of the book!

1Q 2024

Okay okay last year I did pretty good on the monthly recap posts. This year, not so much. But we just wrapped up Q1 so let’s see if I can handle quarterly posts instead.

This is all very out of order.

I made lasagna, we had king cake, we went and got pizza for my birthday (a bit early), then I got a tattoo and dinner with Jen on my actual birthday. Kiki gave me this beautiful pot. I love it.

A lot of driving happened. I don’t hate being chauffeured around.

Random things like, we went to the zoo, it got cold enough to freeze, Grandee and Larry came to watch soccer, we watched the boys’ and girls’ school teams in the state finals, we, uh, went to costco, the jasmine is blooming!, I hung a bunch of pictures, I made a quilt, I cut my hair off, our house turned 20 (well, with us in it.)

Kiki came to visit!!! We had dinner with Ren.

Mardi Gras happened! I covered a jacket in sequin patches.

My friend Erin was in town so we got to hang out and went to the insectarium/aquarium.

Ziggy was cute, as usual.

On to Q2!

Twenty years!

Either yesterday or today marks twenty years since we bought our house. Twenty years! I will never forget the feeling I got when I walked through the front door for the first time. I immediately knew this was our home.

Of course, did I have any clue what twenty years later would look like? I was in my twenties! We weren’t even engaged yet! Katrina hadn’t happened, and we thought two bedrooms would be PLENTY for the ONE kid we might have one day.

Do I still love our house? I mean, of course. But also of course not. It’s endlessly frustrating but it’s an old house. It’s too small. It’s weirdly laid out. I’d kill for a new kitchen. And new floor downstairs. But it’s where the boys have grown up, and I hope they will always be able to come home to it. (Will they still fit in their triple bunk beds? They’re going to have to!)

As someone who still dreams of the house I grew up in (that we moved out of when I was 17), I feel like it’s very important that they are able to come back to this house. But maybe I’m just overly sentimental. (I know Linus would agree with me, though.)

Just look at the trees!

2004 (I really wish I had a better picture):

2024:

(That’s not the same tree in front of the house. That tree was planted right before Katrina, and it was the size of a pencil.)

Here’s the Bradford pear that Kristina gave us as a housewarming gift when we planted it:

and now:

etc, etc.

Do I think we’ll be in this house in another 20 years? I mean. I kind of hope we aren’t in New Orleans anymore in 20 years, but I guess we’ll see. I do hope if we are, I have a new kitchen, at least.

16 + 2 + 1

Okay, so 2024 isn’t getting off to a rousing start re: timeliness of the monthly pictures. This one is entirely my fault. It was a gorgeous day, we were home all day, I have no excuse. I just forgot until it was already dark outside. George took a couple with his phone (it does better night photography) but I didn’t like them enough to use as the “official” picture. But you can see them below.

So yeah. One day late. Again.

I also haven’t had a chance to do my 2023 recap, but maybe I don’t really need to since I did monthly recaps? Maybe I’ll give myself a break on that.

Here are the two rejected pictures. (While I was impressed at how well the blur hides (much of) the disaster of the background in the inside pic, you can tell I haven’t yet removed the birthday banner. So. I should do that.)

16 years + 1 month + 1 day

It kills me to put that +1 day there, but there was no point during daylight when all three boys were at home and awake so I let them talk me into doing it today rather than inside, last night, when they were all exhausted from their soccer game. But at least it was a conscious decision and not an “oops I forgot.”

On the bright side, I made them promise to smile if we put it off until this morning, and they kept their word.

(Poor Miles is home sick today.)

December 2023

December! Gotta finish this so I can do my year-end recap, which in retrospect seems kind of silly after writing the monthly recaps but whatever.

The boys turned 16! They had friends over a couple of nights before, and we went to the bonfire, as usual. We had steaks for dinner on their actual birthday.

I got to see my friend Zandy for the first time since 2019!

Their big gift was Saints tickets, which we went to (and this time, they won, woo!)

Ziggy was cute, duh.

Soccer was played. They actually won a game! Twice!

Took them shopping individually. I only had to have sushi twice!

Christmas was nice. We did the usual Christmas Eve traditions (steak dinner, eggnog daiquiri for me, read TNBC, took the stocking pic. My sister and fam came to Baton Rouge for Christmas, so we went there on Christmas Day.

The next day, they came to New Orleans and we went to Christmas fest. I ice skated!

Later in the week, I went to Baton Rouge alone to help my mom and Larry after she had a procedure on her hand. I don’t want to talk about it.

Lots of driving happened.

Then it was New Year’s Eve and Miles and I watched the fireworks on the levee!

Other random things: my car broke down, pretty decorations, our friend’s birthday party, moms blog Christmas party, camellias bloomed, Oliver made an island, advent calendars, hooray! etc.

November recap

Oops, I forgot to do this. My bad.

November was kind of slow? I can’t even remember what happened.

Not necessarily in this order…

I had dinner with Kristie and her sister and Ren!

We went to Baton Rouge for the LSU game.

I got my hair did.

There was soccer.

The boys got their learner’s permits.

George and I had our 18th anniversary.

Thanksgiving happened.

I was driven around a lot.

Ziggy was cute.

And now it’s December! Where has 2023 gone?

Sixteen years 🎉

I can’t believe these messy-haired, crocs-wearing, sports-obsessed boys have been here for 16 years now. Love them so much.

Happy birthday my sweet boys, Lenny, Ooman, and Piller!

15 years, 11 months

One month from 16! Eek! They’re getting their gift from Grandee and Larry next weekend – I’m taking them to their first LSU game. (It might be my first one as well, I honestly don’t remember if I went to one in college.) They’re very excited. I am…happy they are excited. (Our seats are so high we may need supplementary oxygen.)

And then we’re going to get their learner’s permits so they can drive me to the grocery store. Fun!

October, a recap

Well that was a busy and fun month!

Started off quiet. I finally tested negative for Covid. I made a shirt.

Went to Los Angeles and Vegas, but I already posted about that. (But here are a few highlight pics anyway…)

The day after I got home, the boys and I went to a Pelicans game, because tickets were super cheap.

Not a whole lot happened for a while. I made that moto jacket.

Ziggy was cute.

Took the boys driving a bunch to practice before they started the driving portion of their driver’s ed class.

Then I went on my the second trip of the month! Also to see Kiki and go to a show!

I flew to DC Friday, and we went to a Caps game.

Hung out with Maxie and I tried on $80k worth of jewelry on Saturday. We went to some thrift stores to finish off our costumes, and Kiki bought me this Friends Christmas sweatshirt. Later that evening we heard about Matthew Perry. 😦

Saturday night we went to a Halloween party. Our costumes were awesome.

Sunday, Kiki and I drove to Silver Spring to go see a concert and spent the night at a hotel there. Then I flew home the next day. A short but super fun trip. I hate not knowing when we’ll see each other again. Hmmph.

I did get to see lots of fall colors, which was neat.

And then yesterday was Halloween. I handed out candy, but not many kids came. Mark my words, next year I’m going to get full-sized candy bars. I’m going to be one of those houses. Don’t let me forget.