another lovely poem from my poet friend John

Pretty Bird

Pretty bird little bird
sitting on a limb
Pretty bird little bird
singing to the wind
Pretty bird little bird
singing to the sky
Here for a little while
then away they fly

Flying away
flying away
Flying away
flying away
Here for a little while
Then they fly away

Springtime's the fine time
everything is green
Days are warm life is new
with the smell of dreams
Winter is so long
It wears a person down
Waiting for the spring when
The pretty birds come around

Flying away
flying away
Flying away
flying away
Here for a little while
then they fly away

dear fleet foxes, this song changed my life....Love Nicole

and may all your christmas' be white

Did you know... that Bing Crosby's rendition of White Christmas, is the top selling single of all time...In any genre.  Now that's pretty cool.

I listen to this song over ten times a day! seriously.

It is from the movie "Crazy Stupid Love" and I am crazy stupid in love with it.  Smiley face.

Gratitude. Thank you very much.

I haven't been posting a lot.  Really busy this December.  But I just wanted to say that I am grateful for my readers and that I will be back soon.  Please stop by again.

Disorganization, A case study

I have done it again.  I am not sure what it is that sends me into a flurry of flightyness, but I can't seem to get anything in my life in order!  I don't know if any of you out there have this problem, but it seems to creep up in all avenues of my life.  Let me begin by telling you that the main reason for my distraction is my one year old son, who requires a TON of attention.  I love giving it, but I think I am creating a monster.  You see, I have grandiose dreams of living out some sort of "Martha Stewart" scenario complete with labels for everything and a Jadeite collection that would have the vintage world in awe.  A table setting made of twigs I gathered from my back yard for the dinner party I am throwing for a few swanky friends.  I might even want to make my children some adorable little outfits to wear.  Ah, these dreams flood my head as I turn every page of my Real Simple magazine and imagine my life...Or should I say, someone else's life.  

You see, I can barely find the time to start a project over the seemingly never-ending pile of dishes.  And for some reason I swear clothing bombs have gone off in my house.  I had to laugh at myself today for reading a post I wrote a few weeks ago about my "30 day clean-up challenge", I didn't even make it to day 1!  Between the two children I have (the other is ten, and a girl) and the daily challenges I face as a rugged mountain pedestrian, I rarely find the time to maintain all of the creative ventures I have embarked on.  In fact, there is a very good chance that I won't finish this blog post.  I don't know if it's genes, perhaps some adult ADD, but I am truly ready for a change!  

I have decided that first and foremost, I will write.  I will write all of the things that I want to write, when I want to write them.  I have spent far too much time thinking about things and never putting them down and much too much too much time regretting that.  I am also going to stop letting discouragement stop my flow.  I will now ride out the waves of discouragement like a surfer tasting the first salty swell of the day.  As for my house, it will always be a battle on the brink of hoarder-dom, until I finally find a way to make sense of the endless ebb and flow of human life that occurs inside of it's walls.  I hope that as readers and friends you will come to love my quirky, unscheduled spontaneity.  Please do not get upset with me if I miss a deadline or never get around to doing things in a timely fashion.  I promise that every day I will get a little better.  

In life there are so many ways that we express ourselves,  I hope to use each avenue equally.  I know that to some it is chaos, but at least I am consistently inconsistent.  See you on...Soon.

The Ugly Sweater PARTAY!

sorry to have been spending so much time without a post.  I am working my butt off to get this "Party" started!  I am almost there and will have up the first of the sweater selections tomorrow!  So please check out my etsy store to see how you can help support the cause.  Let's make a big impact as bloggers and readers...We might make 20 dollars, might make 1000's, that's all up to you!!  Sweaters go on sale tomorrow at NOON!  aww yeah boyee!!

Northern California has an earthquake!

I was just sitting here on my computer a moment ago thinking about what to write and all of the sudden the screen started to shake.  I have not felt an earthquake since the big one in ...whas it '86?  Living up here in the hills we don't usually feel them at all, much less to the point where they are shaking objects in the house.  And we had just been talking about what happened in Oakland with the police after the occupation protests.  This is some apocalyptic stuff going on here in California!

You've heard of the Take Away Show...Here is the "Dine-In Theater".

Coming at you straight from my dining room, please enjoy episode one of Dine-In Theater.  This week, my most talented children and I perform a sing-along to our favorite Fleet Foxes song, Mykonos.  Notice the little guy singing, he isn't even 1 yet!  I love them!  Tune in every week for another amazing episode of your new favorite web music show that you didn't even know you always dreamed of, haha.

claiming for bloglovin! oh yeah, hells yeah!!

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The top ten reasons that I love my little town!

I used to imagine living in a big city.  One full of lights and excitement.  Finally, at age 23 I had gotten my chance.  It was 2005 and I moved to Seattle with big plans to bring my daughter out there and start a new life in the big city...That only lasted a few months!  I moved back to my little town in California, where my daughter was waiting for me in the care of my parents, so that I could give her something that the big city could never offer.  Now, at age 30 and with another child, I have come to appreciate the little town that raised me.  So I decided to list the top ten reasons that I left my big city dreams behind.

1. Everyone knows who I am here:  Once, my daughter was walking downtown with her dad who rarely comes up.  Before the day was through I had received over ten phone calls about my daughter being seen in town with a man they didn't recognize.  I felt so safe!
2. There is only one stop light.
3. I am surrounded by trees and the beauty of nature.  I rarely worry about air quality (unless there is a fluke forest fire.)
4. I leave my car unlocked, with the keys on the floorboard and my purse on the seat, and it is all there when I return to it.
5. My garage is open right now and I never have to lock my door...ever.
6. The newspaper police reports typically contain headlines like "Man knocks over trash cans, police are called."  
7. I can get free coffee, free meals, personal credit at boutiques and I have never ever paid to park anywhere.
8. Three times a year the main street is closed off for street fairs, and wine drinking is encouraged.
9. I pay 1000 dollars a month for a four bedroom house with a rose garden in the back yard.
10. My children are safe here.  It's like 1955 but with better cars! 

I could never imagine leaving now.  Sure, the taste of the city still whets my palate.  The idea of having more than one option for nightlife can be appealing at times.  I have to drive over an hour to get to the nearest in and out burger...But I wouldn't trade the sound of frogs and crickets at night for the sound of sirens for all the money, fun or food in the world.  I will grow where I was planted, and what a lovely little garden it is!

How to score big at the thrift store

Go often. Keep your eyes peeled!  These little angels were only fifty cents each!  I am sooo amped.  And they kicked off the quiet launch of the old brown shoe's blog!

My Blog is what a kid with ADD's brain looks like, and my house is it's bi-polar cousin Melvin.

I have been attempting to clean my house.  I border on the fine line between collector, and hoarder.  I have accumulated many items over the years to "sell" and have fallen in love with many of them.  My love affair is an abusive one though, I leave these wonderful items in boxes and I have converted my home decor to "vintage, pile-chic".  I seem to get caught up on the needy rooms which always need attention or they start to cry an odorous rant.  The rest, well, neglect comes to mind.  I am now selling many of the pieces on my little etsy store, The old Brown Shoe.  I will be posting about my progress, and offering up some tasty finds and tips.  First though, I must show you a glimpse of what I am working with.  I am going to be extremely candid in these before shots...I am not proud.  In a life-long attempt to clean up my head, blog and business, I will first attempt to clean up the root of all of this chaos. My living environment.  Wish me luck! (Disclaimer:  All items seen here are MY mess, laundry,etc.  They are not the items for sale in my store which are neatly tucked in a closet ready to ship or awaiting my discovery of them in the neatly sealed box they currently reside in, in which case, you will see them soon.)

This is mad man!

I just sold an item from my etsy vintage shop, the old brown shoe.  Here is the clincher... I sold it to the prop master for the TV show Mad Men!  I am so flattered that one of my items is authentic and quintessential enough to that time period to make it to the show!  I feel famous by default.  I can now safely say that I knew those old Columbia records recording tapes when they were just sitting, collecting dust in a box in my garage...Now they've hit the big time!  I hope they remember the little people.  How exciting!

Operation Clean House!!

I am sick and tired of my house being so cluttered and messy.  I need to get organized once and for all!  Does anyone else have this problem?  I am trying to get my mind clear enough to be productive, but all that I want to do in my spare time is clean up a mess that has been building my entire life.  I have decided to write what I know, and messes, messes I know.  So the next thirty days will be devoted to tips, strategies and stories about the struggles to get this ole house ship-shape!  Maybe it'll set the rest into motion!

I am so excited! I am finally fulfilling my dream!

Today I went on my first consultation for vintage consignments!  The woman I met with has some really wonderful pieces that she would like to sell from furniture to fashion.  I took some of the clothing home with me to get ready for photo shoot styling.  I can't wait to get the new items up in my etsy store and out there for everyone to see.  I will keep you all posted, along with some tutorials about what to look for when shopping for vintage items.  Thank you all for reading!  See you again soon.

The take away show, Lablogotheque

One of my most intense, self-indulgent pleasures is watching the take away show until the wee hours of the morning (When I should be sleeping at least enough to be ready for my early rising infant.).  It is just the most wonderful thing to ever happen to music...Ever!  The inspiration is immense, it makes me want to go out, get a crazy hipster outfit, and play cute little ditties.  I think that all of you should watch some, but be warned, you WILL get hooked!  This one is my favorite, The Gardener by The Tallest Man On Earth.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do...eek I am excited to watch it again.

This website is awesome...Free clothes and Ipads and stuff...And it's not a gimmik (exactly)

I stumbled upon it while I was looking at blogs!  Here is the link...Sign up and get 10 bucks, get more friends and get 5 bucks a friend, it's that easy!!!
No More Rack is the site

Just so you all know...

Pinterest is no longer on my shit list, as they finally sent me an invite.  I apologize for calling them elitist assholes...Kinda.

How do I make a button for my blog?

I have been attempting to teach myself all there is to know about blogging, but some things are so confusing.  I decided to google it... these are my findings

1. Everybody on the face of the earth but me has already figured this out
2. I can read the instructions over and over and still not understand them
3. I thought the Gimp meant something entirely different
4. picnik.com is REALLY fun and easy!
5. Patience is a virtue

And then...at 1:31 AM....I did it!  Check it out, my first button!  Yay!

I hope that you like it...I got the little design from free pretty things for you...a splendid blog (maybe she will put up this here button!)

pinterest elitist assholes!

So I see people's really cool blogs and I think "Pinterest, what's that?  I like that website!" and then I see that you can only get an account and post the things your are (P)interested in if you are invited.  They send you an email about being on a "Waiting list" after you request admission.  As if there is a capacity sign hanging over the door to the freaking internet!!  Right.  I just want one...Can you tell?

Looking for sponsors!

I have not been a blogger for very long, but I am trying to generate a little bit of excitement!  I will be giving away a free one month sponsorship to the first ten people who might be interested.  Just send me a comment with your email address and we can get in contact!

The little blog that could

Who says that a blog must conform into some sort of mold to be successful?  I get on this little old blog and write whatever comes to my mind.  Sometimes it is meaningful and long, other times, short and to the point.  I love having that power over this space.  There are no rules here.  One day I could write about weddings, the next day, breakups.  I really am glad to know that we live in a time when we are technologically able to put our emotions out there for people everywhere to see.  Perhaps it will shape the way humanity develops.  Maybe we will develop more connections with people and stop fighting with one another.  I pray that many of you will stop here at this little blog and help her become strong and mighty.  Thank you to my readers...you are the core of my motivations.

How to avoid being a bridezilla!! (What to do when your wedding isn't going exactly as planned)

My friend is getting married in two days. As an assertive and opinionated woman (why we love her) we expected her to have a mild case of briditis. As it turns out, she is the reason for writing this post. I have been amazed with her cool demeanor and humble gratitude towards all of us. And it can't be easy. She has been experiencing a little more than a few snafus. Her venue isn't properly hydrated, along with her flowers. Her dress was altered and still a bit too big, along with the men's tuxes. A little thing here, another there...It is enough to make my head spin and I am just one of the bridesmaids! But she has been quite the opposite of the bridezilla we might have assumed anyone to be after such events, going out of her way to make us comfortable while we all scramble to the finish line. It really shows me how much she is ready to spend the rest of her life being a wife to someone she is deeply in love with. I have watched this person change in such a short time that it blows my mind. I love her even more today than when I first knew she was my friend. I see many people in my life becoming more and more wonderful every day. I see the power of love overcoming failures, shortcomings, and issues big or small. Love is my God, my God is Love. And I am happy to witness this exchanging of God through vows, bows, pom-poms, feathers, fancy dresses and good times...I hope that my newly different, old love becomes like theirs...and I hope someday we will be able to share days like this together...but that's a different story ;)

According to Blogger.com audience stats...

Georgia is a country. Just thought you ought to know that. Another fun fact is that my grandmother used to call children "Hooligans". I would love to bring that back. Hail to the hooligans, hehe, haha.

I smell a hitchin'

My best friend is getting married. I am frantic. What now?

i have a lot of blogs...

And yet, am pondering another one. This one will have one central theme and purpose, I will let you all know what that is when I get both the permission and everything together. This blog will be to benefit a very special little baby boy, who I have fallen madly in love with. Please follow if you would like to keep updated on the new blog. And "The old brown shoe" my vintage and design blog ought to be up soon as well.

All I want to do is write!

It seems as though I would be able to do things that I want to do. I am basically a stay-at-home mom although I am broke and really should be working. I live in a super small town and really do not have any job opportunities that are worth paying for daycare. I want to write, blog, be successful, but somehow when I finally get the baby to bed, all that I seem to do is clean...And my house is still dirty. Oy Vay!

Sometimes, you just have to let freedom ring...I guess.

I realized today that freedom (or at least fireworks) cost ten dollars a person at the Ironstone winery near my house. I couldn't believe that they were charging so much for people to see something that should be free. When I was younger there we were very poor but I could always guarantee that we would see fireworks on the fourth of July. I loved the fireworks so much! Now, on the 2nd of July, in 2011, you must pay! I feel for the children who don't understand why they can't go to see the most magical of all things, because their parents don't have enough money. I am grateful that my daughter, who is 9, is in Missouri with her dad this summer where that isn't a worry. It reminds me of old caste systems in India...segregating the children who come from means, from the poor kids who might be lucky enough to have their parents park their cars on the side of the road near the venue so they may get to see. I would've been a side of the road kid if the fireworks in our town weren't free back then...but hey, LET FREEDOM RING right??

Blogs with themes...

I have never been one to do anything "By the book" or "By the blog" in this case. I have really been leaning back and forth on the idea of doing something with some sort of guideline. I suppose that really, my NON-guideline is, in fact, a guideline. I don't know! Tell me what you think.

Oh Em Gee!

I wish I wasn't such a damn procrastinating loser! haha. I rarely finish anything and it is really starting to get to me. I am really frustrated because I never know where I want my blog to go or what direction I want to take with anything. I hope to conquer this writer's block!!!

Nobody wants to bring their mom to the dance...

...Or their girlfriend to the gig.

Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor...

What ever happened to those good ole days when love was still something that one felt lucky to have? When the word family was synonymous with a bond that holds tighter than glue? And when did soda stop using real sugar?

Moses, the king of the poo's!

I won't be needing any sort of exodus from my new life. Sure, I could sit here and imagine all of the ways for my life to be a little easier, a little less stressful and a bit more "normal", but I have recently (8 weeks ago to be exact) embarked on my greatest adventure. My son Moses came into my life on November 5th, 2010. The labor was short and sweet. The night before, two weeks past my due date, I went with my boyfriend and Moses' dad, Keno to sing karaoke in hopes that it would cause nature to take it's course. Well, it did! A mere couple of hours after whaling out the lyrics to "Sweet child o'mine" I was getting ready to deliver. It was about 2am when the contractions really started to grab my attention, you know, right when I was trying to go to sleep. We made it to the hospital by 4 A.M. after a snap decision to switch hospitals. Our original plan was to go to Sonora regional medical center to deliver, but after finding out about their neo-nazi visitor rule of a mere 2 people, we decided to head over to Sutter Jackson, where we could invite anyone we chose. Good thing we did because before it was all said and done there were 11 people in that little birthing room with us. The contractions were quick but powerful and I sailed through them with no drugs or epidural. Keno was such a good coach, rubbing my back and staying right by my side. At 8:02 in the morning, after a mere ten minutes of pushing and a quick gaze into the face of my nine year old daughter, our little seven pound son was here. Moses Jude Rojas, just in time for breakfast.