19 Months {Marcelo's Monthly Photo}

My Mom Turns the BIG 7-0 Today!

Is 70 old?  Not if you are Elaine Arnold!  Happy Birthday to my mom.  The best mom ever.  The most selfless woman I have ever known.  The most giving mom (both of her time and otherwise!).  The best grandma. (like get on your 70 year old knees and play kind of grandma)  The best DIYer.  The best recycler. The best gardener.  The best thrifter.  The best sea shell collecter.  The best seamstress.  The best craft room organizer.  And last but not least -the best online scrabble player.
My dad just texted this picture yesterday.  Always up for an adventure,  they hopped on a plane to Florida to escape the winter madness that is Ohio.
She is celebrating all week long, luckily with an overnight in Atlanta on her way back from Florida.  If a seventieth birthday isn't reason enough to break out the gold silverware flatware, then I don't know what is!!
We will be anxiously awaiting you mom! All 70 candles burning!  We love you!  Thanks for all you do!

**UPDATE**
Birthday dinner was delicious (Salmon, purple potatoes and roasted broccolli) and the carrot bundt cake  turned out perfectly.  My mom told me that she was secretly hoping for a carrot cake too:)
The kids helped her blow out her candles and open her gift.  A mega birdfeeder!!

Weekend in Asheville

Even though we just got Brrrian out of our house (ha!) after the lights were all down, we missed him.  

Plus it was brought to our attention that the last time we had been to Asheville to visit him was amost a year and a half ago (!!!), when marcelo was still an infant.  

Soooo, we picked up Mateo from school on Friday and headed for the hills.  Ok mountains of Asheville.

As if on cue, both kids fell asleep and it was smooth sailing. (3.5 hours) In the rain. 

We just bought some new [to us] appliances on Craigslist (oh yes I did!) and we donated our old ones (that were just 3 years old) to the cabin.  Brrrian's rehabbin' cabin.  Mateo and Marcelo were big helpers in the whole switch out process.

It was chilly outside, but you wouldn't know it sitting in Brrrian's little cabin.  It is heated by this little wood burning stove.

The heat from a wood burning stove is different.  It envelopes you. For me it is very nastaligic too, we grew up in a house heated by a wood burning stove.  Its a job keeping the fire going.  Mateo was fascinated by the fire and wanted to help tio Brrrian with bringing the wood in and piling it in the stove too.

Thank God both he and Marcelo understood that the stove was very hot and they could not touch it. Marcelo held his hand up and said "hot" 5 million times (actual number).

Just 10 minutes outside of downtown Asheville, Brrrian's place feels remote.  He is at the base of a mountain and this is his back yard view.

He collected  a bunch of rocks/boulders from his property and created an awesome raised patio with a firepit.  Totally rustic.  Totally Brrrian. 

. 

The front "yard" is used as a garden in the summer since it is the only area with full sun.  He recently added a chicken coop and was getting fresh eggs which I think is sooooooo cool. 

 Unfortunately, right before he came to work with us a hawk attacked and there was just one left.  Pobreceito el pollito.  He gave the other to his friend since they really need a partner to keep warm in the winter.  He will get more in the spring.  

Mateo was confused that there was coop since there were no chickens. 

Saturday morning was cold but we wanted to get out early.  Asheville Gymnastics has an open play hour at their facility and it was perfect for these little acrobats.

.

Yeah, he's up there pretty high papi, can you please get ready to catch him?

Trampolines, foam pits, bouncy floors, high bars, balance beams...all the stuff you want to try after watching the olympics. 

The had to practically kick us out at the end.  So fun. And yes, they were tired.  Mission accomplished.

That wasn't enough though.  We drove most of the way up a mountain and parked so we could walk [at least part of the way] up to University of Asheville's Lookout Observatory.  I would love to visit this place during an event.  They retract the roof and you are able to use the telescopes.  The view is spectacular. What better place for a family photo.

Mateo was running on the trail and Marcelo did a really great job too.  He didn't want us to pick him up and would barely hold my hand.  

He's a tough little cookie that Marcelo. And so gosh darn cute!

We stopped for acorns....

and pee pee breaks

but otherwise we were movin' along pretty good...climbing on fallen trees

and up rock walls?!  Oh these mountain boys.

The wind was blowing pretty good up there and I was wishing I had brought a coat!  Ha.  My new wool and mohair sweater looks pretty though, doesn't it?  A warm hat and gloves made all the difference.

Tio Brrrain eventually scooped this guy up so we could high tail it back to the truck.

Finally it was nap time!  Marcelo didn't last 2 minutes in the car, but that 3 year old had a little more will power.  He thought he could just squeeze in this twin bed with tios Brrrian y Kyja.  "Yes, I will close my eyes mami, I can sleep right here!"

 

Suprisingly that didn't work, but he did fall asleep pretty quickly once in his own bed.  Later he was up baking a cake with "tio Kyja." 

He was all over that hand mixer.  I kind of regret saying that I have one of these at home. 

That night 6 of Brrrian's friends came over for a carne asada.  So 10 adults and 7 kids!  Yikes!  What was so cool though was that the kids were outside running wild.  Like Free. Free. Range. Kids!!!  

It was amazing and just made me think of how lucky I was to grow up in the country.  I was running free my whole childhood.  I don't know if my mom knew if we were a mile behind the house in the woods, across the street in a corn field, or down the street at the horse farm.  Ah those were the days.

Mateo was having a blast! They had flash lights and were running with sticks and who knows what else.  Yes, I was inside having a beer.  What ?!  Even as I write that it sounds crazy to me.  Mateo has definately not had a night like that before.  That being said, there were a couple 10-tween year olds looking out for him.  But mostly, he and little 5 year old Max were best buddies. The night ended calmly with trucks [that we brought] by the fire. 

  

Mateo was asleep when his head hit the pillow...at 10:20pm!  (Marcelo went to bed at 8:30pm) A peaceful night at the cabin! 

The ride home on Sunday afternoon included a long nap.  By the time they woke up we were at the Tanger Outlets just one hour outside of Atlanta.  Yeah!  We took a little pit stop there.  I got a few bargains at the Gap Kids and we stopped for a little treat.  (Note to self: one mini blizzard should be split between the boys lest you have soup.  And soup is not a really good car food. 

I love how even a short weekend trip can feel like a vacation.  Thanks tios Brrrian and Kyja for having us!

Weekly Wishes #8

How is it Monday again?  Let's take a look at how horrible I did in fufilling last weeks wishes.  (Disclaimer: if I continually do not meet goals I may need to rethink this series on the blog.  Could start to get depressing)  What can I say?  but the week just got away from me and then we were in Asheville. 

1.  Drop rug and faux fur bed spread off at cleaners.  I could give excuses and I will.  The dry cleaner I use changed the drop off day for rugs from tuesday to Monday.  My plan was to drop it off Tuesday morning (why would I do it earlier?) and I called just to see what time they opened...it was then I learned the news that would make me fail at this wish of mine.  This wish of a clean rug.

2.  Put away the multiple baskets of clean folded laundry that is sitting in my room.  Yes! Success!! There is more on the horizon though.

3.  Organize our office/guest room  Oh I organized, but it is not finished.  

4. Paint twin spindle beds.  Yes!  Sort of.  I painted one bed.  I only need one right now. I should have wrote bed instead of bedS.  Can I still have this one guys? 

5.  List things to sell on Craigslist.  No. And I have no excuse.

Ok.  Let's start fresh...

This Weeks Wishes

1. I will get my rug to the cleaners this week! Damnit!!

2. Get gold flatware out of the box and use it!  I was so excited to buy this stuff [before Christmas] and it has been sitting on top of my fridge still in the boxes.  This must change.  I have decided that eating will be more exciting off a gold fork!

3. List Mateo's bed on Craiglist so I can bring newly painted bed inside!  

4. Set up date for kitchen cabinets to be painted. This is exciting guys!  The house across the street from us [that has been deserted for 5 years] is finally being renovated.  I met the guy who made the custom cabinets and he also refinishes cabinets.  How convenient that his truck just pulled up in front of my house?!   He came over and gave me an estimate and I said yes.  I saw his work and it's good! I don't want to look around and compare, I just want it done!  Oh what a bright difference white cabinets will make!  He was booked all of January, so hopefully next month I will have a "new" kitchen.

5.  Get my compost bin put together Guys, this has been a year coming.  Pallets are outside just waiting to be put together.   I was tossing my compost into a corner of the yard but Ernesto was not down with that.  It is just rediculous that this gardener is not using all of her reusable waste.  Embarrassing more like it.  It's just too easy to not do.  Plus I really liked seeing my bucket under the sink fill up.  The fact that all that will turn into the best soil I could use on my veges/flowers makes composting a no brainer.

Ok that is enough for this week.

I hope you guys have a great week...and get some shit done!!

First Photo Dump of the Year

You may have seen a few of these already on my Instagram, but here are some random shots of what has been going on with us so far this year. 

Cold days are for haveing fun in the bathtub!

Gotta wear shades!

Also been painting a lot with watercolors.  I think we have a budding artist on our hands.

Mateo is the sweetest with little babies.  They are about the only thing that keep him still and quiet.  My friend Lucy's little Eloise made an impression on him.  "I want a baby sister!" he proclaimed.  Me too:)

I have been doing some thrifting (shocker!) and scored quite a few things. I found this vintage oil painting for a few bucks at one of my fave thrift stores [by Mateo's pre-school] and I wasn't sure where it was going to go but bought it anyway (story of my life). 

After leaning against a wall in the living room for a few days I realized it would be perfect on my mint walls in the master bath.  (which have nothing on them yet) and I was right.  It's been making me happy.   The frame is just ok, kind of old world-ish,but I just ordered these sea urchins and I think they will compliment the painting.  (since they are more modern)   Once those are up I can finally show pics of the bath. 

This mid century lamp for $5 was a no brainer.  Needs a shade though.  Probably going in boys room. 

This pink leather is beautiful color and in great condition, but really it was the chunky gold hardware that sold me on this Coach bag at the Salvation Army. $20?  How could I not?

I know, I can't be stopped with the brass animals crustaceans either.  I have a problem. 

Zoo Time!  So glad we live walking distance to the zoo.  It's an easy and entertaining afternoon out.

And with a stop at the coffee shop for ice cream these guys are happy!

There are no words for this perfect face.  Or maybe too many words.

One cold day, we headed to Phipps Plaza to check out LegoLand.  

And although he boys had a great time, I would pick one of the indoor playgrounds over this for a morning out.  It was great entertainment, it just didn't wear them out as well.  Still, a good time. 

My parents missed us so much, that a week after Christmas they flew down to our house for a few days.  We had been telling Kyja about Fabric World, so finally she got to experience it.  

She found a lot of fabric for all of the clothing she is going to sew.  I was not as lucky.  I was hunting for velvet for my bed and although I found some nice colors, I need roughly 10 yards and these were less than.  The silvery-gray was my number one choice.  Kicking myself for not buying it anyway...surely I could have used it for something! Pillows! Duh! 

Make this Mediterranean Salad.  Que rico!

I forget what magazine it's from but here it is. Just "Chop and Drop" as Rachel Ray would say.

Speaking of food, our neighbor works for Lagunitas Beer now, but was an executive chef for 10 years.  He invited us to a beer and food tasting where he designed a 7 course menu.   Here he is in action.

Gorgeous scrumptious food. One of my favorites was this Massaman Curry with a potato pancake.

Rediculous.

These brussel sprouts did not suck either

Also was a nice date night.  We are trying to squeeze more of these in this year. 

What have you guys been up to?