the waiting game...

We are still waiting for our newest family member to make his debut to the world.  It is crazy to think that our nine months are up and someday soon (hopefully, very soon...like today, maybe) he will be here.  I would be lying if I said we were waiting patiently at this point.  Little P is quite past his due date and there are some anxious grandparents, aunts and uncles that are ready to get their hands on this little guy...not to mention his mommy and daddy.
I've decided that today is my last time writing as the southern child.  The next time you hear from me, I will officially be a southern mom in the city.  Who knew last July when I blogged for the first time ever that in a little more than a year I would be living this life...the single, southern, world traveling child in the city would be married and a mom to be?  I guess that is what makes life so amazing...you just never know where it is going to take you.
I'll be taking a break for a tiny bit, just until I get this mommy thing under control.  Be sure to check back soon and drop me a little note.  I love hearing from you and especially love hearing what you are up to.
In the meantime, enjoy a little blast from the past...It's my waiting game song these days.

Talk to ya' soon!

xo...
ki (and P)

It's the end of the weekend...

A perfect time for relaxing with a big cup of coffee (decaf for me these days) and reading the Sunday Times...

But not for me...Mom gave me the day off yesterday but today it is back to walking!  Maybe if we shake things up a bit more, Mr Peanut will decide to show his handsome little face sometime soon.
I think that last night I may have finally reached the final frontier of pregnancy.  It is most definitely time to get this party over with.  These days--or nights I should say--I use my cell phone as a flash light when I get up in the middle of the night (which is about every few hours at this point) so that I don't disturb hubby.  Last night as I was fumbling around in the dark for the bathroom light switch I dropped my phone in the toilet.  And if that wasn't bad enough I had to fish it out half awake at 4 o'clock in the morning before getting back in the bed.  It.  Was.  Awful.  Gag!  I washed my hands up to my elbows.  Twice.
Bet you can't guess what the first stop on our walk will be!  I think it's time to get this show on the road...the wheels are definitely starting to fall off!

Happy Sunday!

xo...
ki
(via: pink lemonade)

a little game day multi-tasking...

Watching game day with hubby and looking one last time at New York Fashion Week photos.    Below, a few more behind the scenes shots from one of my favorite weeks in New York...

xo...

ki

(1 & 2: Tory Burch, 3: Donna Karan, 4 &5: Michael Kors, 6: Marc Jacobs, 7: Oscar de la Renta, 8: Bill Blass)

Goodbye...Hello...(a really long post)

At this point, each day is a big question mark...
Is little P (that's what we call him...P for peanut) going to make his grand entrance today?  No?  Not today?  Tomorrow?  Well...When?!?  He seems to be taking his sweet little time...
I decided I should make one last official entry just in case the little guy decides to show up sooner rather than later.  So with that said, it is time to say goodbye to my bump and hello--hopefully very soon--to my baby!
I haven't written a lot about pregnancy...I haven't written much about anything lately.  A lot of that is to due with the fact that the past nine months have been a whirlwind and I have barely been able to keep up with the mandatory day to day stuff, much less anything else. But it's also because I realized very early that something about this time in my life felt sacred to me and I didn't want to share it.  Call me selfish...I don't mind.  We all know someone that has posted a play by play of their pregnancy on their facebook/twitter page or even made their unborn child a facebook page to chronicle every single ounce, kick and ultrasound. (Seriously...people do this.  It's gross.)  I just couldn't do it.  It has been a moment too special to blab about to just anyone.

 (my bump at 39 weeks...)

Now with that said, the past nine months have not been totally serious all the time.  This is me we are talking about.  Fortunately I have a sense of humor because some of the things that people have said to me would make others cry...like when an old lady completely uninvited told me I looked too enormous to be having just one child. (Actually, she wasn't even participating in the conversation I was having and was too far away to be eavesdropping, meaning she actually had to track me down)  And she didn't stop there.  She insisted in spite of my best "bless your old crazy heart" smile (aka: stone cold silence and a tight, cool smile) that I go back to my doctor and demand another ultrasound because I was way too big to make it to September.  All the while I was thinking, "you may not be making it to September either, old lady."

Yesterday some guy actually yelled out at me across the sidewalk--as in across the street on the other sidewalk, "Damn! I hope you're using plenty cocoa butter, lady!"  What is that?  Have you ever needed to say something so badly that you actually shouted across a busy street to a stranger?

And last week was probably the best...at a pre-Fashion Week conference that will remain unnamed because I love the organization that hosted it (and it's not their fault that everyone there was a twit), I was told that I had so much 'courage' for being out at Fashion Week. Wait...what?  What the heck does that mean?  That happened within the first 45 seconds of arriving.  The rest of the day went something like this...
"I'm amazed you are here.  Good for you!"
"I really admire your courage/bravery/whatever for making it to the conference.  Isn't it hard to be here?"  The person who said the last part was referring to the sea of perfectly skinny blondes under 25 that I was surrounded by.  Well, I wasn't until now.  Thanks pal.
"Oh wow.  You can wear heels when you're pregnant?  I didn't know that!"
"How old are you?"  Apparently, only really, really, REALLY old people have babies.
"Do you need an extra lunch box?  This may not be enough for you..." Grrr...
Needless to say, I came home early from said conference.  One can only take so many beatings in a day.

Fashion's Night Out wasn't much better the next night.  We walked into one store in Soho and everyone stared at me like "Are pregnant people allowed to go out at night???"  Only when it's not a full moon, friend.  And it just went down from there...(repeat above commentary but with champagne.)

People, PLEASE!  Use a filter!  Don't tell the poor pregnant girl that she is a whale! Trust me...she knows exactly what she looks like.  Don't tell her the story about your neighbor's cousin's daughter's best friend who only gained 17 pounds and how she did a triathlon in her third trimester, looks better than ever post baby, learned a new language during maternity leave and had a two hour delivery without an epidural.  It never happened!  Don't ask her how much weight she has gained.  And DO NOT touch her belly!  When a girl is pregnant all she wants to hear is the following:

"You look amazing"

or 

"Your hair and skin have never looked better."

or 

"Pregnancy suits you!"

or

"You are the cutest little preggars I've ever seen"

or  some version of the above.  It doesn't have to be true...we know you are probably lying.  Doesn't matter.  Don't Be Mean! 

On the other hand, there are some perks.  D and I seem to get seated much more quickly at crowded restaurants when the host sees that I'm pregnant.  Recently 20-30 minute waits have been more like 10-15 or less.  I don't care why...a table is a table in New York.  People let me cut in line at the grocery store, and the nice people at the downtown food trucks give me a free drink while I wait sometimes.  I haven't had to carry anything in so long I'm not even sure I can recognize the notion anymore. And my husband, friends and family have treated me like a goddess on a lily pad in the middle of a pond guarded by magical fairies wearing couture...you get the picture.
It's pretty amazing.  There are other pretty amazing things too like feeling kicks and seeing your child--something you made--grow via ultrasound.  Hearing its heartbeat and finding out its gender.  I can't describe it.  It's just magic.    All in all, I'm going to miss my magical little bump.  It is hard to imagine that it will be gone so soon, but at the same time, the trade off is pretty great.  A son...a beautiful new life with a big beautiful future.  I can't wait.

 Goodbye bump!  Hello baby!

xo...
ki  

Once upon a time--ten years ago to be exact--there was a sweet southern girl who dreamed of moving to New York City.  For as long as she could remember she had dreamed of living a big city life in the greatest city on earth, so she worked, worked, worked as hard as she could, hoping that a little southern charm and a lot of blood, sweat and tears might help her reach her goal.  As her time in college started to draw to a close, this dream began to take shape, and she realized that she might actually have a chance to make her dream come true....
But then one day she awoke to a strange and unreal sight on television...a devastating, horrible, surreal vision.  It didn't look real.  This couldn't be right.  Why?  How could this happen?  Tears started to run down her cheeks...Why would someone do this to her future home?  The home of millions?  The center--as far as she was concerned--of the universe.  Her heart broke for her future city and the people affected there and across the country.  It was a horrible day that she has never forgotten...that no one will ever forget.

This painting is by native New Yorker and family friend, Peter O'Neill.
It now hangs in the NYC Fire Fighters Museum.
Visit his site for more info and a lot beautiful artwork...

Ten years later, I have been living my dream of a big city life in the greatest city on earth for almost nine years.  I have had the incredible and amazing opportunity to watch this city rebuild, grow and become an even greater city, but on this day it is hard not to feel the sadness and fear that I felt--that we all felt--on that day and to ache for the ones who lost their family members, loved ones, friends and neighbors as a result of that treacherous act.
I just wanted to take this moment to thank New York City for being everything that it is.  Passionate.  Strong.  Beautiful.  Tough.  Resilient.  Amazing.  For the past nine years, New York has given me more than I could have ever asked for...my dream job, my best friends, my husband, and very soon a son.  So in spite of the terrible tragedy that people across this country will spend the day remembering, I can't help but also spend the day thinking of all of the wonderful things that New York is and has become in the past ten years.  It is a true testimony to the strength and the courage of not only this city but also our country, and I am forever proud be a citizen of both.

My sincerest and deepest thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who have been affected by the 9/11 tragedies.

xo...

ki
     

happy friday...

Don't forget to kick up your heels and have a little fun this weekend...
I would if I could but the only thing kickin' on me these days is a little munchkin in my belly.  (Hard...I might add.)
In the meantime, I am dancing vicariously through BHLDN's new video...

One day I know I'll be able to do more than just waddle again!

Be sure to check out their gorgeous site when you have a chance (and watch the video in full size...embedding issues today)...I want everything on it.

Happy Dancing!

xo...

ki

Happy Happy Happy...

Labor Day!

Where has the time gone?  It doesn't seem possible that it is time to wave goodbye to summer.  I guess time flies when you are making way for a baby :)

Anywho...

Have the most wonderful, splendiferous, fun day celebrating the end of summer...
May your autumn have plenty of exciting and fantastic moments awaiting you!

Here are just a few of my favorite things about the season to come...

Fashion Week!  I may be nine months pregnant but I will still be at Fashion's Night Out...in heels!
College football season...thankfully no heels required for that
The arrival of my little peanut!  The biggest day of my life is coming very soon...
P's first Halloween...what should he be???   A banana???  a pumpkin???
Beautiful weather and brightly colored leaves
My nephew's first birthday!
Thanksgiving!  gobble gobble....

What about you?  What are looking forward to?


xo...

ki

lil' nephew crackin'
himself up...

am inspiration: oh baby...

I told my mom about a month ago that I had officially fallen off the fashion train.  I tried to fight it as long as I could but one day I realized that everything I currently own fits into two categories:
#1. the sausage casing:  any version of a tight and stretchy tube dress/top that I can pour myself into.  I have strapless, one shoulder, sleeves, no sleeves in a variety of colors and lengths.
and #2. the modified tarp: anything big and floaty (also known as the "moo-moo" when worn by a preggars).  I've tried to stay away from this category as much as possible as I was once told I looked like I was having twins while donning a beautiful white silk maternity top at five months pregnant.  I decided it was the big fluffy shirt's fault and never wore it again...
So after months of pregnancy and muggy summer heat, I finally gave up my spot on the fashion wagon (temporarily, of course) and hopped happily onto the baby train.  Since then my shopping days have been exclusively for the new man in my life (and just as exciting as the last time I bought myself a pair of Louboutins).  With less than a month to go before the little bambino arrives, our house is quickly filling in every corner with blankets, binkies, onesies, bottles and everything else in between.  It's crazy how much a girl's life can change in a year...or nine months to be exact!
Below, a few of our favorite new things from our fav local baby shop, Giggle...

Cozy Chic Cardigan and Hat Set

Alma Mini Crib

Mo the Monkey Plush Rattle

Sausalito Moses Basket

giggle Better Basics Stripe Lap Shoulder Romper

Manny and Simon Elephant Rocker

Milo Monkey Hooded Towel 

Treetop Friends Activity Mat

Too cute...Is it possible to spoil a baby before he's born???

xo...

ki 

all items available at giggle.com

Pea Brain...

That's what my mom calls my inability to remember anything...ANYTHING...these days.  For all of you non-preggars out there, it's a pregnancy induced state of amnesia that leaves you walking around like, "duh..." all day long.  For the past seven-ish months I'm proud of myself if I remember to put on real clothes before leaving the house in the mornings...

Poor little peanut.  He's not even here yet and he's already being blamed for his mother's short comings...

Anywho...
I wanted to share a picture or two from our trip to Bermuda in May.  Bermuda is just one of the prettiest places on the planet and we look forward to returning every year, so it only made sense that our fifth or sixth trip in as many years would be the perfect opportunity to tie the knot!

On a weekday evening in the middle of our two weeks on the tiny little island, D and I met on a tiny little strip of pink sand beach as the sun went down and said "I do."  It was just the two of us, the sand and the waves as the sun sank behind the backside of the island.  It was magic...

It rained and rained and rained that morning and we worried that our perfect day was going to be a little soggy.  But magically--as if the universe knew--exactly an hour before we exchanged vows, the skies cleared and the sun came out, leaving the water crystal clear and the beaches calm and quiet.

But before we took off our shoes and walked down to the beach we played in a puddle or two...

I've decided it's good luck to play in the rain puddles on your wedding day...

And then, so quickly, the day came to an end, and after six and a half years of ups and downs, in and outs, lots of trips, dates and more fun than should be legal in one lifetime, we finally became Mr and Mrs D!

And we've been living happily together ever since...

It was our best trip yet.

A special thanks to the very talented Amanda Temple for our gorgeous photographs and Michelle at Flowers by Gimi for my beautiful bouquet.

xo...
ki

bad blogger...

Bad BAD blogger!

I know...I know.  there isn't much I can say back to that except that it's the truth.  I hate excuses so I offer nothing now but a big sorry for losing touch...

I'm just in love with these photos of Alber Elbaz's new children's line for Lanvin.  They are just about the cutest things I've ever seen...

Aren't they just precious?

They are almost as precious as the beautiful little boy D and I are expecting in September!  Yep...that's right.  I'm going to be a Southern mom in the city...
We are so excited and can't believe that he will be here so very soon.  The past six months have just flown by...I feel like I'm still trying to catch breath some days.  I have so much to share and say very soon, but today I just wanted to share my very happy news with all of you!

More soon!

Have a beautiful day...

xo...
ki

In the past month...

I have been assaulted by New York's seemingly endless cold...I hate my winter coat more and more everyday.  No one should ever be wearing a winter coat in April.  It's just wrong.
Fortunately, the skies have finally allowed a ray or two of sun to visit us.  But only occasionally.

I have worked, worked, worked...
I have so many things to share.  I think you'll like them.

And somehow I planned a wedding and designed a wedding gown.  I don't know how...maybe because it is such teeny weeny little thing (the wedding...not the dress).  Even still, weddings can make a girl crazy.  Wedding gowns can make her crazier...

But this week, it has been difficult to feel burdened by all of the usual things, especially when this is the view outside my window every morning...

Ahhh...paradise.

A little bit of relaxation is just what D and I needed, so we are here at the lovely Tucker's Point in Bermuda soaking in a little sun and a lot of necessary rest.   So far our trip to our favorite little island (this is our sixth trip) has been exactly what we were looking for...lots of sun, lots of rest, and lots of food.  I have had bread and butter with every meal...I probably need to slow down a bit or I won't be able to fit in the aforementioned wedding gown!
Anyways, we are having a lovely time.  I am tagging along with D while he plays golf in a bit, so I have to go get ready.  I hope they have snacks... (told ya...lots of food.)

More pics soon.

xo...
ki

another week...

has flown by and I haven't even dropped in to say hello.
Not once!
How can that be?

Well, time seems to be flying by these days, but I woke up early this morning to read all of my emails and catch up on my own blog reading.  I can't remember the last time I just had a moment to sit and read.  It. Was. AMAZING.  Just me, a big bowl of cereal, and the laptop...It was lovely.

I so enjoyed catching up with all of my bloggy friends and neighbors that I decided I would share a few of my favorite things from this morning's blog round up.  You should definitely check these out...

1.  Viva la garment district...

My friend and super talented designer at Good Clothes Open All Doors has a great clip about the Garment District...or as I like to call it: the Bermuda Triangle.  Just kidding.  (You have to work there to get that one.)  Anyways, watch it.  It's pretty great.  

2.  Fashion takes shape...

My long time pals and college buddies at SC&E Designer deconstruct the triangle shape and how to shop for blouses that flatter this very common body type.  

3.  I want a craft room...

but in the meantime, I have to live vicariously through Grosgrain's Top 10 Big Ticket Items Every DIYer Should Own.  Start at the beginning and work through the posts.  I'm going to need a bigger house...

4.  Funny bunny...

And I just cant resist a chocolate bunny in a beaded basket.  Visit Design Sponge to learn how to make the basket.  So cute...Miss B would love these.

And now a little something from moi....

Even though it says spring on the calendar, it says winter on the thermometer.  This Essie nail polish in Sand Tropez is the perfect color for chilly (and apparently snowy) spring NYC days...

And a couple of things from the workshop...

Some fluffy stuff for a friend's wedding gown.  More about that later...

And a set of jewelry pouches with contents pretty enough for a bride and her bridesmaids...and one little flower girl.  More about this one a little later too...

Amazingly, the sun has decided to grace New York with a visit this weekend, so I'm headed outside to enjoy it!  

Hope you're enjoying a lovely, sunny weekend too!

xoxo...

ki

it's been a while...

Where has the time gone???

I can't believe an entire month has passed, and I haven't even popped in once to say hello...
Well, life got a little hectic, and I had to take a tiny break while I got organized.  I'm finally feeling a little more together and I'm so happy to be back!  I've been working on so many great projects and I can't wait to share them with you...

But the best news of all is that it is officially spring!  Which means that even though it is still grey and cold in New York, sunshine and blue skies are right around the corner.
Well...in a month or two...
(long sigh)
In the meantime, I'm surrounding myself with as many pretty flowers as I can possibly find.  I especially love these flowers in vintage tins...

They brighten up even the gloomiest room and the snowiest March days.  I might have to try it out before tomorrow's snow hits...I think I'm gonna need a lot of flowers!

I hope wherever you are, you have the brightest and cheeriest day!

xo...
ki




  

this trip...

started out like any other trip...we left early in the morning, this big city cold and grey.

The flight seemed long.  I was getting restless.  And then we landed in Barbados...off came our sweaters and out came our sunglasses.  

Back in the sun at last...

We played on the beach just outside our lovely home.  We played and played and soaked up the sun...

and when we got too hot, we hopped in our little plunge pool, complete with a waterfall...it was heavenly.

We watched the most amazing sunsets every night...each one better than the last.

We even made a few friends along the way...

On the last day, our friends had to return to New York (not the ones above...actual friends), and D and I found ourselves all alone in our big beach house for our very last night in paradise...

So we took our last walk on the beach, and watched the boats one last time.  As we sat listening to the breeze stir the palm trees and the waves lapping up on the shore, D said he had a question for me...

"Well???" He asked...

I said yes!

And then we lived happily ever after...

This trip was definitely not like any other trip.  It was the perfect trip.

xo...

ki

aaack...

Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like everything is falling apart?

Literally falling apart...

Well, I had one yesterday.

On the way into the Garment District yesterday morning, my beloved Marc Jacobs purse fell apart in the subway.  The clasp fell off and the contents of my bags fell all over the subway platform.  My first thought was "Craaaap!"  Immediately followed by my second thought:  "Gross!"
All of my stuff has now touched the subway station floor.  I'm seriously considering burning all of it...Ick.

stupid buckle...grrr

Fortunately, my dear friends at Mood Fabrics were kind enough to give me a shopping bag to use as a purse for the rest of the day.  I walked around all day like a bag lady, stuffing everything I collected into my shopping bag.  I received plenty of dirty looks from cashiers when I would have to remove all of the contents from my bag, swatches and pieces of paper spilling out everywhere, in search of my wallet.  I even had my bag searched in one store.

But the worst was definitely when I was attempting to match beads to a prototype I brought along with me and the proto broke in the middle of the bead store.  I don't know how, but beads went flying in every direction...we found beads in every corner of the store.  I was immediately asked to gather my things and leave.  I was obviously up to no good.  I don't blame them....I probably looked like a maniac.

Don't worry...I will be staying at home today.
Aaack.

xo...
ki

     

Super fun...

Being from the South generally means that you grew up a college football fan.  As a child it was a rare occasion that I heard my dad and his friends talking about which NFL team had the best offensive line, or who they thought would go all the way that season.  However, this same conversation applied to SEC football could be overheard everyday of my life...college football was real tradition, and I grew up knowing nothing but that. 

As a result I know very little about professional football and have never followed a team (sorry Falcons).  But now that I live in New York I am learning to embrace professional football and have even started to follow a couple of teams...sort of.  

Anywho, it has become somewhat of a tradition for D and I host a little Super Bowl party, and this year was no different, complete with a lots of food, drink and plenty of merry making among friends.  We had quite the spread, if I do say so myself, and no southern child in the city gathering would be complete without a few touches from home, including fried chicken and biscuits from Hill Country Chicken...

and deviled eggs a la moi...

It was just what the doctor ordered after a long, dark and cold January...for those few hours we all forgot how cold and damp New York has been and just enjoyed each other's company and watched the game.  A perfect Sunday, no doubt. 

Here's the deviled egg recipe for all of you who asked last night.  Super simple.  I mean, ridiculously simple... 

ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup light mayo

1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

paprika for garnish

Split the hardboiled eggs in half and carefully remove the yokes from the whites.  Mix the yolks with all of the ingredients except paprika.  Fill the egg whites and garnish with paprika. (I put the filling in a ziploc and cut a corner out, creating a little pastry bag.  It's faster than using a spoon.)  

They can be refrigerated for up to one day.  

et voila...the easiest deviled eggs ever!  This recipe easily doubles and triples (or in yesterday's case, quadruples...)

Enjoy!

xo...

ki

my month in shopoholic detox...

At the beginning of the month when I decided to freeze all personal spending, I had no idea what I would learn from the experience.  To be honest, I really thought I had a handle on how much money I spent each month, and this would be an easy first resolution.  After leaving my job last year I decided one way to save money would be to make most of my own clothes (not a lofty challenge for a clothing designer).  I assumed that the majority of my spending was on fashion, so I was convinced that this would save me so much money.  I was shocked when I discovered that in spite of my best intentions to avoid clothes, shoes and purses, I was still spending a ton of money each month on other things.
Snacks, restaurants, art supplies, cab rides, and cosmetics seemed to be slowly eating away at my savings even faster than my sample sale habit.
 
In the end, I saved an estimated $300 this month just by eating at home, avoiding coffee shops, taking the subway, and staying clear of the make up aisle at the drug store...pretty amazing.  

But so boring.  In an effort to stick to my very strict resolution I became a bit of a hermit.  I rarely left the house...which was partly to blame on the weather, but mostly because I wasn't allowed to spend money.  Recreation is rarely free in New York...it always seems to be revolving around cocktails, dinner, a show, and it's somehow, always a cab ride away.  By mid-month I had become quite dull and anti-social from staying in and watching tv every night.  Nights out with friends are necessary in this great big city...they keep me sane, and I missed them the most this month. 
On the upside, my skin looks great from a month without my 3 pm candy fix, and after 31 days on snacking lockdown, I am craving junk food far less...a major feat as candy and potato chips are two major food groups in my world.  Hopefully, I will be able to stay away from junk without my resolution...maybe I'll be able to stay away from the beauty counter a little more, too.

In the end I learned that there is a balance that must be met...I plan to keep saving money, but spending it when I need to.  The key is to have a plan.  As a matter of fact, I have decided to extend my personal savings experiment into February, but this time, it will be with a different purpose.
This idea occurred to me about a week ago when I went to visit my storage unit.  As I was rooting around in the numerous boxes of shoes, dresses, coats, and bags, I started thinking about the contents of my overstuffed unit.  It's like an urban version of that show about hoarders...Some of the items in the unit have not been touched in at least a year and a half, and I probably couldn't even tell you what is in 50% of the boxes.  I'm not sure why I'm saving all of that old furniture, and I certainly don't need all of those clothes and shoes.  Well...that point could be argued, but we'll get to that.

So this next month, my goal/resolution will be to cut the fat in my life: organize, clean up and streamline.  In other words, I am calling the next chapter in my year of resolutions:
"Waste Not, Want Not: a southern girl's attempt to clean out her big city storage unit."

Stay tuned...

xo...
ki  

resolution recap...week 3

I am in the process of having a little dental work done.  A lot, actually.  I recently discovered that many years ago I received a series of treatments that were performed incorrectly, and now, as an adult, at the threat of health and severe dental complications, I must have everything removed and redone.
I had not planned on ever mentioning this to anyone.  It is very private and a little embarrassing. (I find that sometimes people have a tendency to associate dental problems and dental work with bad hygiene or laziness...two things with which I have never been plagued.)  It turns out, however, that it will take at least a month to correct everything, and after the first appointment, I discovered that there is no way on any planet that I will be able to ignore what is going on inside my mouth...It has somehow complicated and consumed every part of my life, including my resolution to cease all wasteful spending for a month, which is why I am starting this week's recap with this little bit of info...

Now on to a few highlights...another slow week, for which I am quite grateful.

Friday: My first dental appointment.  Ugh.  After the two and a half hour appointment, I am too woozy from anesthesia to walk to the subway, so I take a cab...a medical emergency, trust me.  And then later I am too sore and swollen to eat anything, so I head downstairs to the deli and buy ice cream.  I'm so excited that I finally have a reason to buy junk food.  The sugar and novocaine combo makes me sick...I should have gotten real food like soup or yogurt. Karma.

Saturday/Sunday:  More of the same.  I eat basically nothing over the weekend.  Finally break down and order take out. (another medical emergency...I was starving and too sick to walk.)

Tuesday:  Back to normal and running errands in the "wintry mix."  (the two worst words in the English language, by the way.)  I am standing at a street corner as a big moving truck barrels through the tiny West Village intersection, creating an eight foot street-slush tidal wave.  I am completely enveloped in street-slush.  My hair is sticking to my face, and I can feel icy water running down my neck into my jacket.  My pants are beginning to freeze to my legs; my shoes are soaked all the way through to the lining.
I want to cry.
Now, normally I would find the closest coffee shop, buy a cup of tea, freshen up in the ladies room, and regroup before resuming my task.  However, I don't know if you have heard, but I am on a spending freeze.  Therefore, I can't buy a cup of tea, which means I cannot use the ladies room...Tears are welling up in my eyes, but I have no choice.  I wipe the street sludge off my face, pick up my quivering chin, and carry on.
When I finally return home, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror...I have a Hitler-esque smudge above my upper lip, a few new "freckles" on my nose, and dirt frozen to the tips of my hair.  I can't believe I just walked all over New York like this. Explains the weird looks at the post office...

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Five things I would have bought this week:

1. lulu lemon leggings.  mine are falling apart and I can't live without them.
2. a cup of tea on Tuesday.
3. a plane ticket to a warmer climate
4. a facial after Tuesday's sludge attack...or maybe a tetanus shot
5. hair color...I cannot look at my roots a minute longer


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This week I learned one of the following:
a. my former dentist was actually a circus performer posing as a dentist in the witness protection program
b. bad dental work happens to good people
c. life is all of that crazy stuff swirling around us day in and day out.  We really have no choice but to keep moving along...with or without a cup of tea
d. all of the above


xo...
ki