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In Between

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In between all of our renovations and chaos and wedding prep stress, we managed to squeeze in some regular people living.  Normal, everyday grind kinda stuff.  In between shopping trips to Lowe’s and Home Depot and True Value and Ace Hardware, we stop at the playground and the fruit stand and the Dollar Tree.  In between the minutes of our day that are spent cleaning and complaining and carrying on about nothing really important are the minutes that actually matter.  the ones that make us smile.  the ones that I care to remember.  the ones that make our lives, well, ours. 

and that my dear friends is today’s post…a glimpse at some of those in between.    

Will & I got temporary tatoos as part of our summer list events.  They came with his truck.  Mine was a barbed wire badge that said DRIVIN SKOOL.  Stop laughing Jeremy. 

Tinkler got his first tat…a big wheel…such a redneck.  

I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a Bud Light tat next to it and a chinese symbol for 10point buck above it.  We do live in the south ya’ll. 

I made some homemade spaghetti  sauce using my tomatoes from the garden.  I felt very accomplished by this. 

Will gave it the big thumbs up.  Is it weird that my ego was strangely boosted by his approval?  I mean, the kid would chew on one of those crunchy dead dried worms that end up on the sidewalk after a hard rain if I let him so I know it’s not like a high standard to get into his mouth. 

Spaghetti gang sign. 

Did I ever tell you that Will is highly opinionated?  He is.  Very.  And he likes to be in charge.  It’s weird seeing as how Jeremy and I are so laidback and unopinionated…ha. 

He also likes to feed himself.  ALWAYS.  I worry sometimes that he is gonna waste away because he seems to burn more energy trying to feed himself than the actual calories that enter his mouth. 

Nothing beats that tomatoey grin…

except maybe a closeup 🙂   This one needs a frame pronto.

Lately we’ve been hanging outside a little more often…Will (whattheheckishewearing?!) is finally getting the hang of riding his Buzz Lightyear motorized vehicle.  He now pushes the button and drives it straight into whatever is in front of him.  We are still working on the steering part.

And while Will rams the house, the car and the bushes, I break out the old September editions of my favorite magazines…2008 is still inspiring to me.  I am not so trendy that I need new magazines.  I just like the ones that are for my season.  Do you do this?  Read the magazine according to the month you are in? 

In other funny news, here is a recent convo between Sherry & me.  It got a little dirty with the puns – consider yourself warned.  You guys are always so interested in how she became my friend…sometimes I wonder the same thing.  I must just be lucky.  And yes, she is saucy and hilarious in real life and I for one vote that she has her own tv show. (I’m in green and she’s in white and yes, we say HAHA a lot A LOT) 

All that to say – we got Will a light saber.  He needed one.  verdict?  True love.

For him too…once he wrestled it out of my grip.  It lights up and makes noise all with the touch of a button.  If you don’t know this already – I am a big Star Wars fan.  And yes, for christmas I want one of those Darth Vader helmets with the voice changer…it’s on the top of my list 🙂  Don’t forget Jeremy… 

Did you see the harvest moon?  I heard about it on Martha Stewart Radio and ran outside to take a photo.  To be honest, I didn’t even know what it was before this year.  But in celebration, I ran to the garden with camera in hand and harvested two jalapenos just to feel like a farmer – harvesting my crops by the light of the moon.

Sometimes on a weekend, we allow ourselves a few precious extra minutes of sleep by letting Will lay in bed with us to drink his morning milk.   This particular morning I had my camera laying on my nightstand (from a late night blog photo download) and snapped some of my favorite funny family pictures so far this year. 

I love how Will looks like trouble.  It’s so him right now.

And we tried our darndest to get a family-in-the-morning photo only to discover that we are attempting the impossible. 

Although we did get this one…guess who is pressing the button?

And there are some sweet tender moments with our little Warewolf.  As much as I tell you about him testing his boundaries, he is growing to be more sensitive and more loving every day.  Like when he initiates kisses and runs up behind me when I am sitting on the floor and just bear hugs my back or when he hands me gardenia blooms to smell or when he shares his Goldfish and opens his mouth trying to make sure I know what to do….

those moments….

those ones are so so sweet.  they just burn in my chest.  like a swig of hot chocolate on a cold night.  it’s delicious.

In blog news, ABP has some new sponsors!  Can you believe it?  Yeah…actual advertisers…who are literally helping make things like bathroom makeovers and sister-weddings a little more classy.  First up is the Gifting Spot….makers of monogrammed gifts and personalized items for babies, kids, and adults for every occasion.  Oh they make these mini scrubs that are just about the cutest thing I have ever seen.  And if I ever am able to make Will a big brother (fingers still crossed for next month!), these would be perfect for the hospital visit.

Plus, they are doing a discount for readers (that’s you if you are reading this…or having this read to you outloud…or just googled “THE GIFTING SPOT discount”)…just use the code BOWERPOWER until 9/30 to get 20% off!

Secondly we have Esalerugs.com who provide beautiful, one-of-a-kind Persian and Oriental floor coverings at affordable prices.  I’m seriously contemplating buying this rug for our house….

And last but certainly not least is Attiser – which is an “Artist Gallery” that has a unique collection of handcrafted bedding, linens and accessories. Their method of printing is known as hand-block printing– a time-tested technique has been refined by the inhabitants of the Thar Desert in India over hundreds of years.  Whoa, huh?   Yeah…just wait till you see these curtains…aren’t they amazing for a little girls room!? (or a big girl…um…like someone that has a name that starts with a K?!)

So thanks for checking out those sidebar peeps…you know that makes me feel like uber-special…like more than just my mom reads this here blog…oh and sorry mom about the that’s-what-she-said jokes.  It’s Sherry’s fault.  Unless you don’t know what a that’s-what-she-said-joke is….in which case, nevermind.

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  9. I keep old magazines for that reason too. I mean, I will always need that tutorial for how to carve an armadillo out of a pumpkin, you know? These things remain a classic.
    And I love Will’s pajama pants. There is something so darling about a toddler in lounging pants!

  10. Love these posts with all the pics! All that painting has paid off in the toned arm department. The family pic of you guys giving Will a kiss and the pic of you and Will snuggling are definitely keepers. Hope you have a fabulous weekend Katie!

  11. Adorable pictures and hysterical comments (seriously, “the a chinese symbol for 10point buck” joke is Tina Fey-level funny)… Thanks for such a fun blog to read! 🙂

  12. My 10 y.o. son and his friends LOVE that show. I always wondered why that actor seemed a bit familiar! 🙂

  13. Simply adorable. Those spaghetti photos are exactly the sort of things you put in Wills baby book to pull out and show his high school dates. If she doesn’t appreciate them then she is not good enough for him!

  16. LOVE the family-in-the-morning pics. And giiiirl , you’re looking good!

    I have to ask (being 23 weeka pregnant and getting bigger by the day-hello itchy belly) did you drop the baby weight by excercise? Cleaning your ginormous house? Chasing after Will? Or maybe you just don’t have time to eat with a little one running around?

  17. I love this post. I cracked up at the tattoo joke too! haha Men look even even more handsome when they are relaxed and sleepy, don’t they? I love to stare at my hubby until he notices me. 😉 I love the contrast between Jeremy’s outdoor “man complexion” and the smooth white skin on you and Will. Is your skin really that awesome?

    Have a wonderful weekend. xo

  18. Katie, Do you have a PO Box? I work for Hasbro and would love to send star wars stuff your way! I have a bunch hanging out at home that needs a new home 🙂 email me – keri (at) keriberi (dot) com

  19. I love me some Star Wars too! My son and I had a marathon last summer and watched the entire thing in order. 🙂 I even bought a Yoda tree topper for our Christmas tree, it is the single raddest Christmas item I’ve purchased to date. His little light saber lights up!!

  20. Woah!! Your shoulder muscles (deltoids?) are looking pretty fab. Do you owe us a post on your momma workout regimen?

  21. haha…working out?! what’s that??
    Actually as pathetic as this sounds, my arms always have muscles…the thighs? notsomuch.
    xo – kb

  23. To be honest, I don’t exercise unless you count walking around Michaels & Target or holding Will. I tend to lose weight when I’m stressed or under deadlines and lately that’s all that is happening in our lives so that’s probably why I shed a few pounds (also – taking a photo when the camera is up high and you are down low is suprisingly flattering – try that some time!)
    xo – kb

  24. I literally took a screenshot of sherry’s reply to one of my comments and emailed it to my husband. It felt like I had just spoken with brad pitt. No wait, Sherry would be Angelina.
    basically, I totally get why you’re so lucky to be BFFs!
    haha.
    in other news. your arms are so defined! Well done, KB!

  27. I love that last picture! Will’s hair is getting so long and you are getting so skinny. Check out those arms in the first picture! (I hope that doesn’t sound like a back-handed compliment!) I lost quite a bit of weight when my first became mobile, I’m hoping that will happen when peanut #2 starts moving on her own too! Picking those not so little ones up helps with the arms too!

  28. So, I can’t remember exactly how old your precious boy is, but I remember thinking that 16 months to about 22 months were some of the hardest months! My son understood enough to know that he really wasn’t supposed to [insert something, like picking up dog poop, here], but was just too curious about it all that he just couldn’t help himself. Once he was a bit more capable of communicating and more interested in his TOYS than other things [like dog poop], it got so much easier! On top of that, things like time-out actually made since to him, so disciplining was so much easier. You’ll find that he just gets sweeter (not that they aren’t sweet from 16-22 months… they just aren’t AS sweet :)) and sweeter and time-out is an amazing thing!!! Good luck! Here’s hoping you can do the baby dance next month!

  29. My Will (almost 3) is sitting beside me as I read this post and he keeps saying, “I want to see more pictures of another Will!” Too cute.

  31. My Granny always says stuff about gardening by moonlight. As in, you’re supposed to plant your garden under a full moon. Naked. No joke. Actually, now that I type that, I wonder if she was trying to play a joke on me? I need to ask her that. Anyway, I’m off to go look up the harvest moon. She’s never mentioned that…

  33. dang girl, you have gotten super skinny! 🙂 and wow those baseboards are ahh-some. they are super tall! you don’t notice how tall they are until you see Will standing beside them.

  34. My 5 yr old son loves Star Wars too. He has a light saber, but not the one that lights up or makes noise. I’ll have to get him one. I will probably have a Star Wars themed bday party for him next April. I want to make a pinata, maybe a Yoda one or something. Also thinking of making him a Lego Star Wars or Lego Indiana Jones Halloween costume this year that I saw on Pinterest. Not sure if I can pull it off, so we’ll see. Just found a Lego Star Wars tshirt today in a box of clothes my cousin gave me for my 21 month old. I cant wait to see my 5 yr old’s reaction when he sees it on his brother when we pick him up at the bus stop today. He will be so jealous!

  35. Love this post. I hope one day I get to have a baby as cute as Will.
    After seeing the picture that he’s wearing a Beatles shirt, my heart melted! 🙂

  36. You may have posted this somewhere already but where did you get the runner in your kitchen? I love it! Thanks.

  38. It’s a chocolate mold that forms a mustache and the candy stick (like a long lollipop stick) just gets pressed into it before the chocolate hardens. Then you can hold it up by the stick giving yourself a stache 🙂
    xo – kb

  41. I do the same thing with magazines only just Martha Stewart Living. I have 14 years worth. I usually pull out all the same month issues during the Holidays for inspiration and scatter them around the house. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas especially. All the decor ideas and recipes are a huge help. Aside from the old, out dated adds, the ideas are still relevant, even from 1999.

  42. Katie!

    I’m a new-comer to your (fan-spanking-tastic) blog and I’m itching to start my first DIY project. Can you recommend the top 5 can’t-live-without-em tools for your projects – specifically furniture face-lifts? I’ve got a birthday coming up and I intend to ask for tools this year….this will undoubtedly be humorous to many of my family members.

  43. Katie you look awesome! Really cute pictures in this post. House updates are good but family ones are my favorite. And thanks for telling us about the gifting spot – i’ve been looking for a monogramming place like that. i’m from mississippi but living in san diego and not many people monogram here – weird right? in the south people go monogram crazy with kids! so we need atleast one little something.

  44. I can’t believe how grown up Will is looking all of a sudden! Love these random glimpses into your life and as always I love your photos.

  46. Katie:

    So nice to hear you love being a MOM. You inspire many of us with all you do and especially your sense of humor. It is GLORIOUS!!!

    Have a wonderful weekend…is this the wedding weekend?

    B.

  47. One time Sherry responded to one of my comments too and I felt the same way!! I told my husband!! I felt so cool!! Hahaha

  49. I found my self crying while reading this… I’m SO not a crier. I cried/soda-spewed/ laughed though your convo with Sherry and then it didn’t really stop because you started talking about sweet moments with your little boy. Im not sure if its because I’m in that ‘need a baby’ mood or if it was honestly the sweetest thing ever but what ever it was, it was nice (that’s what she said) so thanks. 🙂

  50. Updated House Tour?!?!?! 🙂 (Because I know you have nothing better to do.. hahaha- actually, I would love to see another real/messy house tour in the chaos of all you have going on!)

  51. Haha, I agree! I was going to call you out on that too…suuuuure it was a late night blog post 🙂

  52. Katie,
    I’m new to your blog, but have been reading for a few weeks now. You have a gift for seeing the beauty “In Between.” Thanks for all the inspiration!

  54. Oh Katie…how I love love LOVE your blog. Seriously…I’m habitual with it. Where you have the morning people who drink coffee and read the paper…I come home from work and once the little one has gone to bed, I pull up your blog and Sherry’s blog and just dive in…tonight, I laughed so hard on the “that’s what she said” jokes and even had to call up one of my best friends to read her the conversation because we do those ALL THE TIME! She was laughing so hard she snorted! Anywhoo I just wanted to let you know that I am forever faithful in reading every single night! (and when there’s not a new post, I did through old ones 🙂 and find tips)
    Have a great weekend!

  55. haha…yeah – Jer once asked for a naughty picture and I told him that photos of me naked instantenously combust because I am so dang hot. I hope he still believes that 🙂
    xo – kb

  57. oooh fun birthday! I definitely recommend Purdy brand paint brushes…a slanted 2 inch is useful for EVERYTHING. Also, a pack of cheapo foam brushes (for polyureathane topcoats) is great. I also love an orbital or regular old electric sander – they aren’t too expensive and help prep furniture. I use our DeWalt drill on everything…so that is definitely great but a regular old screwdriver set is just as helpful if you don’t wanna spend the money. And if I could choose only one BIG ticket item, I would say it’s a tie between a miter table saw or a jigsaw or the drill. Like I said, it’s a tie 🙂
    xo – kb

  59. Hello-awesome Mommy of the year award to you! Thank you for sharing your daily life with us. Will is so adorable-love the spaghetti pics. 🙂 A tip, if you want it (and totally not saying anything at all)-but when my kiddos (twins) were old enough to feed themselves, we switched to finger friendly pasta, like bowties, rigatoni, those spiral-y things, whatever to make it easier for them to pick up and (slightly) less messy for us. Funny, tho, my 6 yr old’s son’s favorite meal is now spaghetti (recently re-introduced) to him-with REAL spaghetti noodles.

  60. We have the Darth Vader voice-changing helmet! My daughter wore it for Halloween about 5 years ago – for about 5 minutes. Apparently it is comfortable in the privacy of one’s own home, but not so much on a cold October night. She’s almost 13 now, it no longer fits well, but she looooves it.

  62. Just have to say… Your blog is my fav. I follow about 4 or 5… but this is my fav and the one I always check last… I love that you always upload lots of pictures and every day is something different… and I definately admire your courage to post things (like the Will behaviour post) that are controversial…
    I love that every day I never know what to expect (Pics of Will? DIY Projects? Decor Inspiration? a Giveway?) and I never know how many times ina day you will post so its always fun to check once or twice a day…. Just wnated to say keep up the good work lady!!!

    Whatre some of your fav blogs and what makes YOU love a blog?!!?

  63. Aw, such great pics of Will. It’s crazy how much he is changing so quickly!! He is always adorable, though.

    I’ve never tried my own spaghetti sauce, but our favorite Italian restaurant has a fabulous sauce. It has a slightly sweet taste. Is it possible that flavor comes from some sort of wine??

  64. I totally read your text convo really quick, and was trying to figure out why you would by a kilt to make chocolate mustaches…I am so blonde some days!

  65. I imagine that it’s possible…also possible – sugar. I learned in the movie Bandits that it can cut the acidity 🙂 Things I learn from the movies…
    xo – kb

  66. Haha! Thanks Sara – you totally are so sweet to say all that…I always feel my blog is so spazzy so hearing that you like it makes me smile…really big.
    As for my fav blogs – I have them listed in the blogroll…but I probably need to update it a little because I do love Ashley Ann over at Under the Sycamore and Kelly Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things.
    xo – kb

  71. Loved this post…love will looking at his belly tatoo!

    Okay, I gotta say that I’m sitting here at Starbucks trying to study and I took a break to read a few blogs…and I totally laughed out loud at your and Sherry’s conversation. I mean….”he’s horny.” I dream of being that funny. Totally entertained me for sure. So, thanks!! 🙂

  72. I just have to say, your Bud Light tattoo comment reminds me of a time my husband and I had to go to traffic court. This uninsured loser hit my husband while he sat still at a red light. He was super redneck about it (both of them actually; my husband and the uninsured loser!) but on court day, the loser showed up in a Bud Light hat AND tee shirt. Who gets up on a day they know they are to attend court and actually thinks “I think I’ll wear my Bud Light hat AND tee shirt!!”. WHO??!! Only someone in East Tennessee!!

  74. Just that they were really on top of being advertisers. If their rugs are anything like their ad spot process, then they are great 🙂
    xo – kb

  75. I was going to post something along these lines as well. You’ve got some serious guns going on with those arms. I wish lugging around my 22 lb baby gave me arms like yours. 🙂

    Sarah R

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