Friday, October 01, 2010

7 Quick Takes Friday {#8}





1.)  I've missed doing this regular Friday post.  I don't know why, but it's fun--though sometimes challenging--coming up with seven random bullet-points at the end of a week.  Anyway, I'm going to try to get back into it.  (Part of me probably likes it because it's a little more "mindless".  I don't have to put TOO much thought into it and I can simply write a very little bit about seven different things.  OR, if I don't HAVE seven things to write about...I can use up one of them saying I don't have anything to say.  :)


2.)  Yesterday while running errands, I bought a fun basket to institute a new organizational system.  Nothing fancy, I assure you.  But a way to keep important papers (the kids' school stuff, adoption forms, coupons etc.) nice and tidy in a handy spot in my kitchen.  I think I'm going to be really happy with it, and it'll be so nice being a little more clutter-free around here.  Baby steps.  Several weeks ago I'd bought some cute (and cheap!) file folders to go inside, and I've already labeled several of them and put them in my basket, along with a jar for pens and pencils, my planner, and a pad of paper.  I got the idea from this friend, who along with this friend, have all sorts of wonderful organizational and home ideas.  I'm horribly uncreative but I get so excited when I see something I like!  Then I promptly attempt to copy it.  :)





3.)  Mary Lu has been SO foul-tempered lately.  I have no clue why.  (The above photo is of her in happier times.  With food on her face.  I couldn't find any pictures of her looking upset--I really need to remedy that.  Maybe tomorrow.)  By lately, I mean the past couple of days.  She's not sleeping as well and wakes up MAD.  And throughout the day, if a situation arises where she's not pleased--and when you're eleven-months-old, these situations DO arise--she is ANGRY.  Screaming and crying.  Loudly.  I've had no caffeine, and haven't been eating anything weird.  She DOES have THREE new teeth coming in, so maybe that's it.  Either way, I hope it's over SOON!  Because as nice as it is having her stay up until 11 pm watching Seinfeld with us, because she doesn't want to go to bed and literally will not scream and cry herself to sleep, I do miss her generally happy and laid back countenance.




4.)  I'm reading this book right now (pardon the blurry cover but I couldn't find a good picture) that the rest of you would probably find boring.  I find it rather fascinating.  One of the chapters however really turned me off, and since reading it, I've felt less inclined to pick up the book.  So lame, because I'm NOT Roman Catholic, and so I shouldn't, and don't, expect to hold all of the author's views.  Still, his personal take on salvation kind of irked me.  I want to finish the book, because it really has been a fascinating peek into an age-old debate that offers insights into the origins of some of the fundamentalists' anti-Catholic rhetoric.  But I think I'm actually a little mad at the author, and am giving him the cold shoulder.  Oh man, I need to get a life.  But not until after my falling out with Karl is resolved.  I need some space, and then hopefully he can enter my good, currently-Protestant-although-not-anti-Catholic graces, again.


5.)  Last night Kevin spoke these words to me: "Maybe if I was a computer screen, I'd get more of your love and attention."  While I was blogging.  It made me laugh, so I'm including it here.  Blogging friends, do your husbands say these sorts of things too?  (Kevin actually really supports my silly little piece of the blogosphere and is an avid reader.  One of the few and the proud.  For some reason it means a lot to me that he reads, and I get so excited to hear what he thinks about my posts.)


6.)  We watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid this week.  HILARIOUS!  Oh my goodness, we laughed and laughed.  Soooo funny.  Some great quotes in there, to be sure.  My kids however didn't see it...I wanted to preview it myself first.  I'm glad that I did because it's maybe a little "edgier" than what my kids (the oldest being six years old) typically watch.  Maybe in a couple of years.  Anyway, if your kids aren't interested in the movie, or are too young for it, watch it yourself anyway.  You won't be sorry!





7.)  I'm completely and utterly admiring-from-afar the joy that is...Fiestaware.  Why have I only recently discovered this happy-cheery goodness?  (Oh that's right, I am so not in the know.  Mostly I really like that.)  Anyway, I love all the bright colors and mix-and-matchy-ness of it.  My favorite colors in general right now are turqoise, orange, and gold-ish-harvest-ish-yellow (that's a color, right?!)  There are lots of fun dishes in those shades that I think would look GREAT on my black Pottery Barn via Craigslist table.  And I know, I just KNOW, that not only would food taste better, but that I would suddenly LOVE to cook and entertain, if only I owned some of these pieces.  Riiiigggghhhhht.  :)  I start to feel uncomfortable when I think about the principles behind consumerism and discontent and materialism.  But those dishes sure are pretty.  So I'm admiring.  From afar.  While feeling uncomfortable.  :)

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I hope you all have a great weekend!  We have a birthday party for a sweet little girl to attend on Saturday afternoon, but other than that, it's wide open.  Which should mean lots of relaxing and fun and maybe even some thrifting, too!

Oh and if YOU want to participate in the 7 Quick Takes Friday, head on over to Conversion Diary and link up.  Be sure to read through Jennifer's blog while you're there--it's one of my favorites!



15 comments:

Rachel said...

what if Mary is cranky because you haven't had soda in a few days??? Maybe she is having withdrawals? Something tells me it is something less sinister though, perhaps she is cutting a tooth?

Brianna Heldt said...

Rachel ha! I actually haven't regularly had soda in quite awhile...but if it's soda Mary wants, I'm DEFinitely open to taking one for the team and incorporating it back into my diet! :)

Kate said...

that comment from kevin made me laugh out loud. i could totally picture him saying that. and no i don't really get those kind of comments from travis because he's usually the one on the computer in this house :)

Kevin Heldt said...

Glad it means a lot to you, babe. As I tell you all the time, I LOVE reading your thoughts.

Kristen Borland said...

it is so irritating that i can't click the "send me follow-up comments" until i'm signed in, and i can't seem to figure out how to sign in without leaving a comment. so i can never receive follow-up comments from the blog i commented on first, unless i make a silly comment like this one JUST to sign in, and then post my real comment. to be continued.

Kristen Borland said...

ahhh... fiestaware. i'm sure there's a great discussion about materialism there, but let's just enjoy all there is to enjoy about that wonderful line of dishes. i always knew i wanted fiestaware, so when we got married, i registered for that. my only regret is that i only registered for THREE colors. what was i thinking? i'm SLOWLY remedying that by finding solo pieces in other colors to add to the collection. ideally, i'd start to sell off some of the colors i have a lot of as i collect variety. the bummer is every one else in the world knows the value of fiestaware (especially the older colors), so they are hard to come by at cheap prices. i did, however, find one serving bowl at the thrift store for two bucks, and that seriously made my day. never mind that i didn't need another serving bowl. (i got to give away one of my original serving bowls to a friend who also loves fiestaware, so that was pretty fun.) but if you ever get a chance to happen upon a fiestaware sale or something, look for the fruit bowls. there is seriously nothing cuter. and they will make you smile every time you use them. (and what's the point of having dishes that don't make you smile?)

Kevin Heldt said...

Kristen, after you write your (real) comment and fill out your sign-in info, click "Preview" instead of "Publish Your Comment". Then you can doublecheck what you wrote AND it will have the checkbox for emailing follow-up comments to your email account, which you can now check without having to leave an unintended comment first.

Brianna Heldt said...

Kristen I'm LAUGHING OUT LOUD at your first comment, ha! Oh how I miss you.

On to the Fiestaware. I am now highly envious (materialism be darned) that YOU are the proud owner of said Fiestaware. Which colors did you originally register for? I'm seriously debating the idea of starting a collection of these dishes. They are so fun!!! (Maybe I've even eaten off of your dishes before, at noon, while sipping a cream soda and escaping to Salem!

And, I miss your blog. Post soon! :)

Christy said...

Hey Fiestaware fans. The other day on the Macy's website, Fiestaware was Buy one, get one free.
Us enganged "registering" type notice these things. :)
However 50% off still isn't a thrift store deal!

Kristen Borland said...

unless i've always fed you off paper plates, you have indeed used my fiestaware! i have juniper (which is really starting to bug me, but it's retired, so that means i can get more for it someday), cinnabar (also discontinued-I'm starting to feel special!!), and cobalt. they are all dark. i need to lighten it up a bit. BUT i also have one peacock serving bowl and one periwinkle serving bowl (that's retired and the one i found at the thrift store). AND i have four fruit bowls (which you simply must have), and they are chocolate, ivory, turquoise, and tangerine. how much do i love THAT combo of colors!!

wished i had a reason to have a registry again. wouldn't THAT be fun!

and kevin, you are always full of information! thank you for making my blogging easier!

Amanda in NC said...

Target has this line of dishes in ALL sorts of awesome colors and since I, too, am in love with Fiestaware but was not aware of it at the time of my wedding registry (BOO!!) and since it's not a financial priority in the next decade or two, I've been building a doozy of a knock-off collection! ;-)

Brianna Heldt said...

Amanda that is good to know! I love me a good knockoff! :)

Janee said...

I became Fiestaware-obsessed about 3 years ago when Noelle was a baby. Mostly because in 3 years of marriage, I'd gone through 2 or 3 sets of dishes because they were breaking, or they got WAY too hot in the microwave, or they scratched too easily.

I stalked CL for about 3 or 4 months and finally found a woman who was selling about 16 full place settings plus a serving bowl, pitcher, platter, fruit bowls, cereal bowls, juice glasses (which I'd never seen before), cream and sugar, and gravy boat (plus a few others that I'm sure I'm forgetting) for $120. Half of it is cobalt and half is cinnabar. They're pretty dark but they go with our stuff and I LOVE them. I loved the multi-color idea but I knew that would eventually turn into the kids fighting for their favorite colors at every meal. And sure enough, even with just two colors I end up sorting through for the red plates for Noelle. =)

In three years we've only had one broken saucer, and my kids eat off of it every day. It's amazingly good quality. I personally would never pay full price for it but I do think it may be worth it if you have the money!

Unknown said...

oh my goodness. can't believe it. when i went to that retreat we ate off of fiesta ware the whole time, and i decided that when all of my pistolet is finally broken (which is coming nearer to reality every day) that Fiesta Ware will be my next purchase! My sis in law has had it for years, but hers were more pastel. I'm loving the bright greens and oranges and yellows. Beautiful!

Brianna Heldt said...

Janee that is AWESOME! I love, love, love Craigslist--what a deal!

Angela heehee, we can dream together then!

 

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