Tales of Me and the Husband

3 months.

the only thing we can do is play on the 
one string we have, and that is our attitude.  
i am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me 
and 90% how i react to it.  
and so it is with you, we are in charge of our attitudes.
{charles swindoll}

broccoli.

i’ll leave you for the weekend with this: lindsey, looking for a pre-dinner snack, goes in the fridge and grabs this… a raw head of broccoli.  SHE DOES HER MAMA PROUD!
i may or may not be going to see + meet (like in person, ya’ll) some of my long-time blog friends this weekend.  i mean, girls that i feel like i practically know and consider legit friends even though i haven’t heard their voices.  woah.  hopefully we decide we like each other as much in person as we do over emails + blogs.  and if we do?  goodness, this weekend will be slammin’, folks.  and hopefully they’re really who they have been portraying themselves to be over their blogs for the last few years and not some 55-year old man with greasy hair.  eww, can you imagine?  that would take a lot of work to actually be someone else on a blog for 2+ years, don’t you think?  unlikely.  so, if i’m not back on monday with a post of our happenings, call the authorities.
i’m pretty sure it’s gonna go swimmingly.
and i’m out.
(oh, and that vlog i said i’d do?  i will do it.  before 2012.  promise.)

the best mac ‘n cheese ever.

yeah, i eat healthy a lot of the time.  but i definitely indulge in things like mac and cheese and ice cream more often than perhaps i should (read: a lot.  today i had some tj’s halloween oreos.  WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?!).  anyway, when i do indulge, i don’t want to waste it on mediocrity.  breyers?  meh.  i’m all about haagen dazs these days.  kraft mac and cheese?  aw, hells no.  homemade, baby!  (or, if i’m being honest, annie’s does a pretty good boxed version).  anyway, when i was a wee little girl growing up in nj, my friend’s mom used to make this and i’d somehow worm my way to their dinner table if i knew this was on the menu.  it’s really good.  make it.
macaroni + cheese
(from mrs. gold but technically good housekeeping)
8 T butter (nobody said it was low-fat)
1 medium onion, minced really small (secret ingredient, i think)
2 T flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3 cups milk
16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb. pasta (elbow macaroni is best)
melt butter on medium heat.  add onions, cook until clear + tender (about 10 minutes).  add flour, salt, mustard, a dash of pepper  mix until blended.  slowly add milk and cook until smooth and slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  remove from heat and add cheese.  stir until melted.
add 1 lb. of cooked elbow macaroni (cook a minute or two short of tender because it will cook more in oven).  put in casserole dish and cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  5 minutes without the lid.
EAT AND BE GLAD.
oh, and to cancel out the goodness that is that mac and cheese? 
see below.
also, i’m in two more places today!  
here at mackey madness talking about three things that are defining me these days.
and here at what wegan did next talking love story.

how i styled my shabby apple skirt!

shabby apple sent me this lovely skirt a little while ago and here’s what i did with it.  a satiny shirt with a funky leather belt (completely changing up the more polished feel to the skirt) and then another more wintry look with a sheer wool sweater and a skinny red belt.  how’d i do?  cause, ya know, tales of me and the hubs isn’t a bona fide fashion blog ya know.  even with mah red lips on.  
anyway, it’s from their academia line and i’m liking a lot of it.  here’s some of my favorites.
you want some shabby apple goodness?
use the code huntlife10off for your own
10% discount this week.

sponsor giveaway: old try!

i’m psyched about this next giveaway as letterpress is the bomb.
old try is a southern print shop (but based out of massachusetts, what what!) with
the coolest limited-edition prints full of southern sayings… 
some from virginia, mississippi, among others.
their stuff is so unique and their aesthetic is perfect–whether or not you’re nostalgic for the south.
they’ve already been featured on designsponge too!
ya’ll (so appropriate) want in on this?
they’re giving away a
print of your choice.
{to enter:}
(u.s. residents only)
//leave a comment below with which print you’d choose!
include your e-mail address!
{additional entries:}
(separate comments for each!)
//like them on FB
//follow them on twitter
//tweet, blog, and/or FB the giveaway (leave new comment for each)
giveaway closed.
carla jean is the winner.

a trip to concord.

| louisa may alcott’s house… can’t you see just seeing it inspiring the march sisters?! | parker came along on his first history lesson and slept through most of it | minuteman national park + parker and i at north bridge | steve + i at minuteman | sleepyhollow cemetery where we saw the graves of thoreau, emerson, alcott, nathaniel hawthorne, and lots more |
massachusetts is seriously rife with american history.  most of which i ashamedly don’t know much about.  apparently i didn’t pay enough (or any) attention during those lessons.  walking around a place like concord, though, makes me realize how much i would like to know.  i’m all, “steve, what happened here?” and he’s like, “you know.  the shot heard ’round the world?”  and i’m like, “wait, that wasn’t hiroshima?” and he just sadly shakes his head at me (ok… we didn’t actually have that conversation but my lack of knowledge on historical matters is pathetic).  so, i’m going to start learning more about these significant events in our nation’s history… some of which have happened (almost) in my backyard.  and now that i’ve written it here, you’ve all got to hold me accountable (and this was one of 2010’s resolutions but apparently i didn’t make good on it).  anyway, the kids’ grandparents were here this weekend and took the kids on a special little trip to an indoor water park and hotel.  so, it was just steve, parker, + i.  we woke up saturday morning like, “what should we do!?”  steve suggested concord and i went with it.  that place is so nice.  the homes, the downtown, the churches, the parks, the history.  we had lunch downtown, then walked to minuteman national park and then to sleepy hollow cemetery.  it was a crisp fall day and the leaves are beginning to change and while i’ll be seriously pissed at massachusetts when it covers us in snow in a few months i was very much, “i love you new england!  you have the world’s most beautiful fall!”  and that was that.

Parker’s Nursery.

At long last, I’m posting Parker’s nursery.  This basically took me so long because I don’t do well with planned posts (like the vlog… that will happen this weekend… I think).  And because I keep making small changes and thinking… ok, now it’s done.  No, now!  Wait.  No… now!  I’m pretty sure this pattern will continue.  Anyway, his nursery has been completed since before he was born.  Truth is, he hasn’t spent a night in it, but pregnant women and nesting go hand-in-hand so we got ‘er done nevertheless.  I say we, but really, Steve worked on the room a whole lot more than my big-bellied body did.  I went to Philly for my shower and came home to a painted nursery and new closet shelving.  I bought things at Ikea… he put them together.  Got the crib… he built it.  He was the man.  I already loved him but fell for him even more when he completed the wish list of this slightly-hormonal-pregnant-girl-with-a-vision.  So, finally, here it is.  Mostly complete.

A few of those pictures I just ran up and took (low-light… nighttime… my apologies!) to show a few of the details of the room.  And the flag garland that was moved up to the shelf–a more kid-friendly place, if you will.  So there it is.  My idea from the get-go was gray + white (and any wood to be really neutral) with citrus pops of color.  The paint ended up being way more blue than I thought, but I love it.  Now, I guess I’ll source it cause that’s what people do.
And keep in mind I got the big-ticket items with a fabulous discount… benefits of working at a baby-maternity store for the months leading up to pregnancy!
| Paint : Behr Prelude | (inspiration from this nursery… still one of my favorites!) 
| Crib: Robin Crib by Oeuf |
| Chair: Empire Rocker by Nursery Works |
| Curtains: Target |
| Rug: Martha Stewart Custom cut from Home Depot |
| Dog, Squirrel, Trees, + Frog Pillow: c/o Erin Flett |
| Floating Shelves, Short Bookcase, Lamp: Ikea |
| Quilt (hanging on crib): made by my Mom |
| Baby onesie banner: made by my sister |
| Baby: made by me + Steve with God’s help (cheese-ball alert!) |
| Child of God print: Sugarfresh Etsy shop |
| Most of the above pictures by the lovely Sara |

the beach in october.

i have no complaints.  october in boston can be downright dreary, but not this one.  it was in the 80’s and we were ON THE BEACH.  IN BATHING SUITS.  IN OCTOBER.  it was awesome.  everyone was busy doing other things except william + i (and parker… he managed to work it into his schedule).  so the three of us took off for the beach.  glorious.  we brought along some drinks, and apples and pretzels and dip and sat for a few hours soaking in the sun before it goes away for the winter.  parker sat happily checking out the beach and listening to the waves, then ate, and slept.  he’s a beach bum already!  then, we came home, turned on some bob marley, i opened myself a blueberry beer and made roasted brussel sprouts and an orzo veggie salad and steve put away his work for the night so we could just hang out.
it was a good day.
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