Author: he brought me ice cream

FLOWERS IN THE CRACK DEN

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Katie: Pat, why don’t we have a ceiling today?

Pat: That’s called progress.

Katie: What if it rains?

Pat: It never rains here.

Katie: But what if it does?

Pat: It won’t.

A couple days later….

Katie: You know our neighbor’s cat pees on everything. If we don’t cover the hole to the crawl space, he’s going to come in here.

Pat: He’s not going to come in here.

(A couple of minutes later, cat strolls through house. Pat and I scramble while I repeat over and over “I told you so”.)

Welcome to the crack den. Pat does not find this term amusing. He also didn’t find it amusing when I told him I was sure I would find used needles in the backyard. In his defense, I am extremely dramatic. I did think of placing one of my ivf needles out there as a joke, but didn’t think it would go over very well.

Pat and I gutted and remodeled 90% of our house when we moved in. By ‘we’ I mean that I fully participated, in the heat, for 3 months and then complained and cleaned. It was brutal. One of the ways I kept myself from going completely savage while cleaning dishes in the bathroom sink was to have fresh flowers anywhere in the crack den. Sumatra and Stargazer lilies are my favorite. They are stunning and have a most glorious smell that can hide many chemical smells. When people came over, I could at least show them that while we lived like squatters, I had not forgotten my manners. I think outside of their visual fabulousness, I gained this love from my mother whose house is always filled with flowers. Her tip is to buy a bouquet and put 1 or 2 flowers in beautiful, tiny vases along window shelves. It looks so pretty and stretches the bouquet.

P.S. Pat is a very accomplished architect. For more of his work, see his website at www.studiobuildca.com. He would love to help you with your den too!

before work started

before work started

The crack den look.

The crack den look.

FINALLY!!!

FINALLY!!!

The bathroom now only washes humans and canines. No dishes.

The bathroom now only washes humans and canines. No dishes.

Always Wear Your Underpants

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  1. When I was a little girl, my mother one time told me to always wear underpants because if I ever got into a car accident, I would want to have them on. This has stuck with me.
  2. The entire time I have lived in California, I have never had central air conditioning. You only need it for about 6 weeks out of the year, but I still wish I had it. In this instance, however, it did help me out.

Pat and I first lived in an apartment near Old Town Pasadena, which is a fun area. One day, we had plans with friends and decided to walk to meet them. Coming home, we realized that neither of us had keys. Luckily, we had also forgotten to close the bathroom window. (#responsibleadults) Pat suggested that he hoist me up and I crawl through the window. I told him I didn’t want to do that because I had on an expensive skirt that I really liked. After a fair amount of brainstorming and a futile visit to the manager’s apartment, we decided that my climbing through the window was the only option. We also decided that I would have to take the skirt off in order to not rip it. Two thoughts went through my head. “If we are arrested, I hope they let me put my skirt back on” and “Thank goodness I’m wearing cute underpants.” I was hoisted up after Pat promised not to look and all turned out just fine.

The BEST skivvies are by Honeydew, in the mesh fabrication. You can buy them at discount at Nordstrom Rack, and regular Nordstrom usually has a good deal on them during their Anniversary sale. The mesh fabric is unbelievably forgiving (still matters even if no one is seeing them but you), they have cute prints, and they have a hybrid cut which means that you have moderate coverage, but will not have VPL. Even when I’m not fitting into my skinny jeans, I feel pretty good when wearing these.

honeydew

FIND YOUR THEME SONG

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“Hey big girl, make ‘em back it up.  Make ‘em back it up.  Wobble baby wobble baby wobble baby wobble.”  From the prophetic words of V.I.C., I was deeply inspired.  I had a few thoughts while running it out on the treadmill.  1. Was I too old to be in a music video?  2. If I were to audition, would I qualify to play the big girl?  I deeply wanted the lead….  3. Wow.  There is a serious jazz funeral influence on this song, and I want to know more about jazz funerals.

Itunes has changed the way we live.  You can pick and choose the songs you want and create your own albums from home.  Brilliant.  For a mere $1.29, you can have any song you want.  I find that I do my very best thinking when I hit the pavement or treadmill.  Any time I need to have a serious creative session or mood boost, I grab my headphones and take off.  I genuinely survived the ivf process with a pair of hot pink running shoes and head phones.  I end up drawn to 1 song and listen to it over and over while I work out solutions or ideas in my head.  This blog was created listening to “Wobble” and my husband’s innovative thinking.  This morning while T napped, I came up with several possibilities for creative outlets and projects for myself.  Most of the time these ideas are too over-the-top for my day to day life, but they provide fun thinking time and I always exercise longer than planned.   Give yourself some ‘me’ time and get your juices flowing.  Here is what was on my playlist today.

“LA Song” by Beth Hart.  I decided I needed to learn this song for any future karaoke time.  I had some good arm movements to accentuate key phrases.

“Closer” by Tegan and Sara.  Fantastic beats for models walking in a fashion show.

“Love Somebody” by Maroon 5.  Adam Levine keeps me on the treadmill.

“Wobble” by V.I.C.  I actually got an extra workout as I had to get off the treadmill to do my best wobble dance when this was on.  Go abs.

What 1 Moment in 1999 Taught Me

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Karen Kane tank

Soon after I moved to Manhattan, my best friend and I were invited to the opening of a big deal restaurant.  I was certain that I was on my way up in the town.  I wore a sheer top in a fabrication that is best described as panty hose in oxblood (for any men reading, this is the color of barbeque sauce, roughly).  Underneath this, I wore a pink tube top.  (This was 1999 after all)  The night was fantastic.  Minor celebrities such as a soap stars were there.  Oysters AND champagne were consumed, and all of this within a beautiful setting.  My boyfriend of the time came to pick me up and said, “I can see through your shirt.”  I was way too full of myself after a night of glamour and replied, “Yes, that is the point.”   Really, someone who only wears Brooks Brothers could not understand my forward fashion statement.  I sashayed one more time through the fabulousness to get my coat.  Standing in front of the mirror to put it on, I realized what he was saying.  My tube top had fallen down and my girls were out in full view with only oxblood panty hose over them.   It was certainly a moment.

What I would wear today underneath that top is a Karen Kane super soft tank.  It would have been dressy enough and never would have left me hanging, literally.  These tanks are fantastic.  They are nylon with a smooth sheen.  This means they never stick to whatever is on top of them.  While pregnant, I wore them in the hundred degrees plus weather at night to feel cool and to avoid arm chafing.  Post-pregnancy, they are tight enough to fake my old stomach without the crunch of an actual shaper garment.  People who have tried them are cultish in their praise.  Karen Kane makes them in every color, but I do find myself gravitating to the black and white the most.  They are 100% made in America and the company is a major leader in the Los Angeles garment business.  They run great deals at different times off of their website too, www.karenkane.com.  It is $40 worth spending!

It’s a Scary, Hairy Mess. This Helps.

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beach spray

My post pregnancy hair loss has started and it is startling.  Yeah, yeah, yeah it supposedly grows back, but there is a possibility that it will not.  Like all other curve balls, I just have to deal with it.  The positive side to this is that I have a fabulous Halloween costume.  I will let my hair air dry, wear nothing but a cape and heels, and go as the scary guy from “Silence of the Lambs.”  My neighbor told me that she saves all of her dog’s hair that she sheds and is planning on having it made into a quilt. I struggled for an adequate response on that one, but now it has me thinking.   Perhaps T would appreciate my hair shed from his birth woven into a small hot pad?  This would be a nice wedding gift for the “something old” portion of the program?

I have settled into a high-low balance on my hair care over the years.  I spend on color, conditioner, and products that really tame the natural frizz, and go low on shampoo (or get it during sales), styling tools and products that I don’t need for my daily look.  One thing I have always wanted was the Bumble and Bumble Salt Spray, but I could not justify buying it.  They promised beachy waves and I wanted them!  I recently found L’Oreal’s Ever Style Beach Spray for $6.99 at my drugstore and decided I would give it a try at that price.  I like it!  You are supposed to go easy on hair when it is in this shedding phase, and there are days when T wakes up early from his nap and straightening is not an option anyhow.  I still need an anti-frizz serum with this, but the waves are great AND it makes my hair look a ton fuller.  I also love the texture it creates because it makes it really great for an updo the next day.  This is a great product to have on hand if you are a curly girl.

Quit Diagnosing Your Friends

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My father is a physician.  For some reason, I believe that this is a genetic trait I have been given instead of a very learned profession for which I have no qualifications or education.  When I left for college, he sent with me the medications that I needed along with some antibiotics, in case I got sick.  I started diagnosing my friends’ illnesses and handing out my meds.  When I called him for more, he told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to continue this behavior.  I no longer have a stash to pass out (aside from an Ambien or two that I received from my own doctor in California), but I still diagnose my patients.  One of my favorite humans alive and I have spent much time on the internet together discovering the source of an illness or pain.  She will also call me with a diagnosis and I will say things like, “Well did you ask about this medication?  That’s what I would recommend.”  I seem to know about medications.  Perhaps from magazine advertisements?  I was really stumped one time and decided to call my colleague to ponder (i.e. my dad) and there was a long silence.  I assumed this was because he was thinking about the possibilities, but he squared me away pretty quickly about my inappropriateness.

Medications aside, there are so many supplements that truly do enhance your health.  I have a wretched stomach and have been put on so many medications over my life that never helped.  These actually CHANGED the way I live.  So, from Dr. Katie to you, here are supplements that I am never without.

Probiotics: You want live cultures and yogurt does not count.  I have not taken antibiotics in over three years with this program.  If you take antibiotics, you want to FOR SURE take these as they will replace the good bacteria in your digestive tract that the antibiotics kill.  If you have a bum stomach, “The Gut Flush Plan” is a great book, but super embarrassing to carry through the book store, as Patrick told me.  One night after T was born I was afraid I was getting a stomach bug that I would pass along to him.  I took 5 of these and then 5 more a couple hours later and it completely went away.  These might be the best thing I have discovered in my 30’s.

Digestive Enzymes: As you age, you have less and less of these naturally and Dr. Oz taught me that 70% of your immune system is in your gut.  I had been on these for 3 years already.   A healthy immune system keeps you looking better too.

Purified Fish Oil: It’s a wonder supplement.  It does everything from protecting your mind in ageing to keeping your skin pretty.  You want it purified so you do not ingest mercury.

Biotin: Aids in healthy hair and nails.

Pycnogenol: I just learned about this.  It is apparently the next big thing in wrinkle prevention.  It plumps your skin cells back up which decreases wrinkles.  It takes a while to work, but I started it.   I will keep you posted.

Excedrin over Tylenol:  There really is no comparison in which one gets rid of your headache faster. Excedrin does contain caffeine, so be aware of that.  It wires my best friend like a puppy with free reign in a new house.

Teenage Boys and Musicals

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I grew up with adults always asking me to sing for them.  This was great for my self-confidence, but not so much for my cool factor.  My husband and I went out, briefly, in 9th grade.  I was really excited about this because he was popular and thought it could help me out.  I invited him over one day after school while my parents were gone.  Like any normal teenage boy, he thought this could be a promising moment to fool around.  Like any focused, future artist, I thought it would be a great moment to sing for him.  He sat down in my tv room and I put on my Andrew Lloyd Webber cd and sang ALONG with Sarah Brightman to “Phantom of the Opera.”  I thought it went pretty well.  We broke up a couple weeks after that.  After we reconnected 10 years later, he told me it was one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life.  Apparently my son shares his view point because he started crying when I sang the high note of “I Had Myself a True Love” recently.  What do they know?

My favorite entertainment in life is musical theater.  It brings people closer.  One of my dearest friends became so after we bonded over our love for “Rent.”  It is not only a little luxury, but a necessity in my life.  Here are “musts” for any newbies to the art form.  I’m only listing shows that are on dvd, but support live art over a recording when possible.  There is always a deal to be found for the ticket.   Most of you reading this have children.   Little kids love musical theater.  Skip the weird new kid shows and pop one of these in.  You can even consider it educational and feel good about your parenting.

Adult Fairy Tales: “Into the Woods” (my very favorite)

Feel Good and an upgrade from Grease: “Bye Bye Birdie”.   Ann Margaret is to die for in the movie.

Swagger: “Guys and Dolls”.  Come on, Frank Sinatra is in this.

True American Nostalgia: “Oklahoma”.  I met Shirley Jones through my husband’s uncle and it was one of the best moments of my life and I had nothing remarkable to say.  I’ve seen her again and in true fan form, I avoid her but stare intensely from afar.

This is the New York I know: “Rent”.  The movie version is a far cry from the stage, but the music is still inspiring.

Probably the Most Beautiful Musical Score: “Camelot”.

Always a Winner with Kids: “The Sound of Music” and “Oliver”.  Oliver was the first musical I ever saw (at Scottsbluff High School) and it was so moving that I begged my mom for days to adopt an orphan.  I was 4.

Sexy and a Motivational Tool to Start Working Out: “Chicago”.

Great Dance and My Dad’s Favorite:  ”Westside Story”