four days in january

It's hard to keep up with an illustrated journal/calendar, but totally worth it.

willy wonka and the national stationery show

Yesterday's entry in Edgar's illustrated calendar. Note who gets to be poor little Charlie Bucket.

that beagle, mama and preparing for winter

a balance between work and the boys

For the past few weeks, we've tried almost every formula possible trying to find a balance between having a productive work day and spending time with the boys.  We have to admit it's been a challenge to swing both, but it's getting easier as the boys are learning to play with each other more and more.

conversations with claire

This past weekend we were so happy to have our friends Claire and Matt [who recently moved to DC] stay with us. Saturday was really one of the best days we've had in a long, long time as all we did was catch-up and lounge around.

Claire and Edgar have one of those special friendships where they love to give each other a hard time. For that reason, despite the fact we ALL talked non-stop this weekend, Edgar chose to, uh, highlight Claire's share of the conversation in his journal. Note a few bubbles have been emptied to protect the innocent :)

new goldfish

This morning I woke up to find one of my goldfish with his belly up. It broke my heart. Well, this evening I decided to get a new goldfish. I hope he likes his new home.

busy days

These days have been busy, but somehow I have managed to spare some time to have fun in my journal.

Mon, Dec 12 :: Max kept us up all night as he is currently teething. Miles slept like a possum.

Tue, Dec 13 :: Flew to Dallas, TX. Prepared for a big presentation.

Wed, Dec 14 :: Presentation went well! Suzanne called me to tell me Miles said "Dah-Dah".

note to self: chichi

illustrated journaling

Last week I mentioned my desire to freeze time in sketches. As much as I want to do this, Edgar is much better at actually making it happen: drawing daily, without fail, in his journal. As a result he's created quite the record of this past year...something I'm sure the boys will treasure as they get older.

Here's is a tiny portion of the entries from the last few weeks...

Arriving home from vacation:

Before a super-busy time at work:

When he was sick:

[check out my cleavage]

When I needed my own super hero! [AKA my mom]:

On his dad's birthday:

Pokey and Reilly's thoughts on our new furniture:

Discussions between Max and my mom:

And working late, like tonight:

the basketball diaries

Tuesday: Louie and I got our butts kicked playing basketball at the Rec Center.

Wednesday: Prepared and seeking revenge, we returned to the Rec Center, only to find the court was already reserved for a dog-training class. Bummer.

pokey grows up and out

Scattered throughout our studio on tiny bits of paper are Edgar's attempts to give Pokey a makeover. You see, Pokey has had the same cartoon persona for quite some time...but as he ages [and grows more three-dimensional in the process] we think so should his look on paper. This incarnation, in particular, is from last week when Pokey wasn't feeling so hot. Poor beagle.

brown knight + pf changs

In the last two months, Suzanne's mom broke her ankle...bummer; and my mom broke her wrist...double bummer. As they both recover, they deserve extra care and attention. On Tuesday, Suzanne and I decided to give my mom a surprise visit in Raleigh along with takeout from P.F. Changs. She was so pleased! and so were we.

royal wedding at reilly's

Oh well...since Reilly was not able to see the Royal Wedding in person, she decided to have the girls over and have a Royal Wedding Party. She was very meticulous about all the arrangements and details of her party that morning, but it seems Ally Mae (our neighbor's dog) did not meet Reilly's dress code.

By the way, only 4 Royal Wedding Hat Prints left!

while i was out

So I've been a bit neglectful...but with good reason.

First there has been a great deal of traveling with work.

Second, home improvements are needed everywhere!

And finally, there is all the loving I've been giving to babies and mama-to-be.

Hope to be more present very soon. Until then, thanks for tuning in!

from key's barber shop to emma key's flat top grill

As Suzanne and I searched for a place to eat Friday evening, we were happy to discover that Key's Barber Shop on Walker Ave. has been transformed into Emma Key's Flat Top Grill... as well as the fact that the 1957 building's character has been both preserved and celebrated in this tasteful renovation.

Not to mention that the tuna melt and grilled cheese were on point!

our boys

It's official. The ultrasound revealed yesterday that we have been blessed with two little boys. Suzanne and I were so happy to see them yesterday as they moved and cooked slowly in their mom's crock pot.

hello fall

You're my favorite season. But, oh, how you wreck havoc on my body.

As much as I love flea-marketing, Friday nearly did me in.

The intensity of the sun and unforgiving fall allergies, left me feeling pretty crummy this weekend. I'm crossing my fingers that today's rain and cooler temperatures mark a turning point.