a story in a t-shirt

Sunday is usually a day that I do laundry.  So you can appropriately guess that a couple of days ago I spent the majority of my time washing, drying, and folding.  My husband, Adam, has always been a t-shirt guy. In fact, being that he works at a construction company, t-shirts and Levi's make up 90% of his daily wardrobe.  So I wasn't surprised to be folding what seemed like a hundred of Adam's t-shirts on Sunday.

I don't wear t-shirts that often, except when I am getting my lounge on at home or working out in the gym.  Despite the minimal wear I get out of them, I seem to have an arsenal of tees in my closet.  In addition to not wearing them that often, I only wear a certain few from the stash.  These are the ones that I wear over and over again, until they become rags and I can't wear them anymore due to the indecency of the hole sizes. 

I had many friends in college whose grandmother's had made them quilts out of their favorite t-shirts.  I got to thinking about that yesterday as I was folding, wondering what shirts I would select if I were getting a quilt.  It's funny how a simple tee has a long story behind it.  As I was going through Adam's and my shirts, I began pondering how long we had had each one, where we got it, why we liked it so much, etc.  I became nostalgic with many of my t-shirts, realizing that I had had some of them since childhood and the array of memories tied with that.  I woke up this morning still thinking about those shirts and decided to share some of mine and Adam's favorites with you. 

Heads up...  if you are thinking that I once was a groupie and have an amazing concert tee from that Phish concert in 98, well think again.... I'm not that cool.  However, hopefully you will find some of my shirts funny and maybe a little cool in their own way.

Keep Austin Weird w/Willie Nelson Shirt
It's hard to tell from the picture, but this shirt has a characture of Willie Nelson, standing on an armadillo, and smoking a joint.  This shirt is hilarious and it depicts the carefree yet unique way of life in Austin.  The "Keep Austin Weird" was started by various business owners in efforts for the public to support local businesses.  I bought this shirt at a locally owned store called Tyler's that sits on Guadelupe St. (aka The Drag) which is directly across from UT's campus.  I remember that I bought this shirt the first week of graduate school.  My undergraduate experience at UT had not been the best, partly due to my own decisions to not become involved.  When I got accepted into UT again for my master's degree, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to make this experience unforgetable (in a good way).  This tee was significant for me because it symbolized my commitment to be apart of a community for the first time.

Southeast Knights Football Shirt
This shirt belonged to Adam in high school and he gave it to me in the early months of our budding relationship.  This tee is one of my favorites because it is huge and soft, but also it represents a big step that AP and I had taken to be together.  This shirt had been a favorite of Adam's for the same reason's I like it.  It was almost painful for him to part with it, but it was something that he wanted to give to me.  I had asked him for a t-shirt of his that I could keep so I could be cliche and "have one of my boyfriend's shirts."  Adam took a risk by giving me this one because he was so closely tied to it.  That was a turning point in our relationship when I realized that he was legit and wasn't going anywhere.  Had he had any doubt that our London romance was going to be doomed, he would have given me a stupid, scratchy shirt he didn't want or he would have not given me one at all.  Now that's love....

New York Ballet Shop
My mom bought me this tee when I was 8 years old on our trip to New York.  Yes, by some luck of the universe it still fits and I wear that shirt to sleep in.  I was an avid ballet dancer, even at the young age of 8, and I remember that I was ecstatic to get this shirt.  One, all my ballet buddies were going to be jealous that I went to a ballet shop in New York.  Two, I was going to be even cooler when I cut the neck out of it (because that was how we did it in those days).  Three, my grandmother (Granny) took me, my cousins, my mom, and my aunt all on that New York trip.  My friends would be so envious that I had a cool grandma to take us on trips like that.  Twenty years later, when I wear this t-shirt, I remember my ballet days and the many times I wore this shirt, leg warmers, and trash bag pants (looking cool no less) at Nutcracker rehearsals.  I also remember the fun times and laughs that my family had on that New York trip...  eating at the restuarant at the top of one of the Twin Towers, going on a 2am limo ride, and haggling over a fake Louis purse on Canal Street.  I will never throw this tee away because of those memories.

BB King's Blues Bar T-Shirt
I got this shirt in Memphis, TN on a family trip with my mom and dad.  I can't remember the year that we went... I was pretty young.  I do remember that we flew into Arkansas and drove all the way to Memphis and then onto Nashville.  We drove through some pretty backwoods country, but the scenery was undeniably beautiful.  If I would have known about the movie Deliverance then, I would have hummed that banjo tune in my head the whole way there.  Though I never would have admitted to it at the time, I had so much fun sitting in the front seat (I got really carsick in the back) with my dad listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Magic Johnson T-Shirt
This is another tee bestowed on me by Adam.  However, unlike the Knights shirt, Adam only gave this one to me because it was his as a young kid and it is a bit snug on him as a middle aged man Also, he doesn't pull off the pop-punk look off very well.  Anyway, at the time of receival, I had strick orders to take care of this shirt because it is a classic.  Adam has loved the Lakers ever since he can remember and his favorite player was Magic.  Anytime I have this on he tells me I am wearing a legacy.

Ice Cube T-Shirt

I included this shirt because I find it hilarious.  This is really Adam's shirt, I might only wear it if you payed me.  This shirt is a relec of his disturbed teen years living in the Midwest.  Every once in a while AP will come down this stairs wearing this item and I have to chuckle to myself.  First of all, its got the arms cut out like he's about to go lift something heavy.  Secondly, it represents the legendary rap icon, Ice Cube.  Finally, I love when he wears this shirt because I get to ask him, "Are we there yet?"

santa on crack

This weekend, my good friend Tanya Spratt and I ventured down to Kansas City (my second weekend spent in the wonderful city) to shop and enjoy the Junior League of Kansas City's Holiday Mart.  To describe Holiday Mart, I have to refer to this blog's title, "Santa on Crack."  Yep, that's right.  Holiday Mart is compiled of over 200 vendors selling clothes, accessories, food, and you got it, Christmas decor.  The "Mart" was held at Kansas City's convention center downtown in one of the humongous exhibit halls.  As one walks in, she (and the sparse he who is either shamed into it or trying to rack up points with his lady) is confronted with an abundance of color, crowds, useless crap, and Christmas music.  I got so overwhelmed with the sensory overload that I physically became dizzy.  I had to sit down on a catwalk for the Dillard's Holiday Style Show.... oh my Lord.

This was my second year to go to Holiday Mart.  Tanya and I made a tradition of it last year when we went with her mom and a friend.  We had so much fun that we decided to come again this year and most likely will make the trip down next year.  The experience is really not about the shopping, even though we never have a problem with that...  Tanya and I just have so much fun together laughing and most often being inappropriate that we keep find ourselves in the mix of this holiday craziness.  http://www.jlkc.org/?nd=photos

So this trip, I learned some valuable lessons that I will most likely revisit if we make the trip down next year.  Here is what I concluded from our trip:

1.  Eating Chick-fil-A in St. Joseph, MO is better than any fancy meal in Kansas City.
2.  I do not like sleeping on Sleep Number beds in hotels.
3.  I become a major beast when I am hungry.
4.  Don't underestimate the sheer pain a stroller can cause when rammed into one's shins and knees in a large crowd.
5.  If you think that the Cajun, Garlic, or Fiesta dip mix you bought last year are going go great with all the parties you have, well think again.  You suddenly remember as you are lured in by the same cute old man at that booth this year that those mixes are still in your pantry.

6.  The coolest thing you could buy for yourself is really a t-shirt that says, "On my way to Skanky Town.  Wanna Go?"

7.  And finally, you can take the girl out of Austin, but you can't take Austin out of the girl.  In other words, I spent the majority of my time (and funds) at this cool girl from Austin's booth.  She made unique jewelry out of hammered metal and various leathers and hides.  I love the cuff I bought from her.  You can find her pieces at http://www.leighelena.com/

chasing pavement

This Saturday, my step-sister, Jessica, and I ran the Kansas City Half Marathon.  It was Jessica's first race and she did phenomenal.  I was so proud of her and I know it felt good for her to run across that finish line.  Though we had to tackle some daunting hills throughout the race, I was distracted by the city's scenery of beautiful parks, cool artwork, and quaint hipster neighborhoods.  My favorite part was running through the Westport area.  I also really liked running by a piece of art that was stacked train cars.  Here is a picture of it that I found on the internet.

Not to brag or anything, but I do have to say that I am proud of myself for running despite some obstacles.   As mentioned above, it was a pretty hilly race.  My shins are screaming at me today for that... But what I was really concerned about before the race was the fact that I forgot a hat and my ipod.  I'm not superstitious or anything, but when you train for a race a certain way, you get used to the feel of certain things.  Jessica and I both trained with ipods and we both forgot them.  Also, I always wear a baseball cap when I run and she wears sunglasses.  Guess what, we both forgot those items, too.  Despite it all, we pushed through and I am proud of myself for that.  However, I was disappointed that I didn't get to listen to the special playlist I made just for this race.  I share it with you even though I didn't run to it.

KC Half Marathon Mix

1.   Canto de Ossanha  -  Jurassic 5
2.   Hip Hop Hooray  -  Naughty by Nature
3.   Animal  -  Miike Snow
4.   Murs Iz My Manager  -  Mr. Lif
5.   The Power is On  -  The Go! Team
6.   Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)  -  Gnarls Barkley
7.   Ladies First  -  Queen Latifah
8.   I've Just Seen a Face  -  Arlo Guthrie
9.   Now That We Found Love  -  Heavy D & the Boyz
10. Helena Beat  -  Foster the People
11. Quiet Dog  -  Mos Def
12. Everybody C'mon  -  Ugly Duckling
13. Grand Prix  -  Giant Panda

My mom and Adam were our cheerleaders and snapped these pictures of us after the race....

After the race, Jess and I rewarded ourselves with some deliciousness and gluttony at the Cheesecake Factory.  I ordered chicken and biscuits it was the largest portion I had ever seen.  Thankfully, I didn't eat the whole thing, but I did enough damage to look like a heifer.... oh well.  After that (and a hot shower), the girls headed to The Plaza for some shopping.  I normally refer to the store, Anthropologie, as the Devil because of it's amazing clothing finds at atrocious prizes.  However, my mom was there to help me out with some darling pieces.  My friend, Whitney, refers to an experience like this as "the magic hour."  Man, this moment with my mama was magical...  God Bless You, Betsy!  After the shopping and upon leaving The Plaza, I was rewarded with the creepiest fountain I've ever seen.  I will share a picture with you because I want you to be creeped out like me.  I don't really have to describe it because it speaks for itself...

All in all, it was an amazing weekend.  Lots of exercise, shopping and good eats, but most importantly I got to spend it with my loving family (here is where you say "aahh").

monster dash

Yesterday morning, my good friend Breanna and I ran in a 5k to support the Child Advocacy Center, a Lincoln organization that supports children who have been sexually abused.  Both being therapists, we were excited to take part in this event because this is a population of children that we have become familiar with while working in the schools.  The race was cleverly named "Monster Dash" and took place at Roca Berry Farm.

The race began to the honking of a fire truck horn (which scared the crap out of both of us).  The trail was strategically laid out so that we got to run through pumpkin patches, scary props, and rows of corn crops (that one creeped me out a bit).  Breanna and I both agreed that the best part of the run was seeing the sun rise over the beautiful landscaping and vegetation.  This was Breanna's first race to run and she did a phenomenal job!

As usual, I forgot to document our racing adventures so I do not have any pictures to show you.  However, I have added the links for the websites of the Child Advocacy Center and Roca Berry Farm.  Check them out if you are interested.  You can also see pictures from the race under the Child Advocacy Center's facebook page...

Child Advocacy Center
http://www.smvoices.org/

Roca Berry Farm
http://rocaberryfarm.com/

room by room: sleeping room

As many of you know, Adam and I began building our house two years ago.  Our builders completed the construction of it last August.  Despite the finality of the word "complete," I quickly learned upon moving into our new space that houses are never done.  Since moving in, my work as an interior designer has kicked in.  At the beginning, my efforts to design my house were quite amateur to say the least.... But, as I got comfortable in my new space and gained some confidence in this area, the ideas began to flourish.  Now, Adam hates it because I always have some design project going on.

The first step in beginning to design my home was overcoming the many obstacles that I faced: no money, impatience, etc.  Luckily, I had an arsenal of reading material to get me started.  Some books that I have loved are:

Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home that Makes You Happy
Editors: Deborah Needleman, Sara Ruffin Costello, and Dara Caponigro

The Well-Dressed Home: Fashionable Design Inspired by Your Personal Style
Author: Annette Tatum

Design Sponge at Home
Author: Grace Bonney

After scouring these books front to back many times, I finally got a feel for what I wanted my home to look and feel like.  Tatum describes my style as "Homecoming Queen" a vintage/casual look that portrays a feeling of comfort through antiques, cushy pillows, vibrant colors, folksie art, and open spaces.  It's like "tweaking an old family recipe" and the "accents have that same vintage yet casual appeal of a Nanette Lepore summer dress."

It is has taken over a year for me to finally style one room in the house.  Yes, that's right my friends it's just one room, a guest room at that.  Don't get me wrong, AP and I aren't sleeping in sleeping bags in the master bedroom or anything, but each room has bits and pieces... not yet fully complete to my standards (though Adam would just as well be done with it all).  So, I included pictures of our first fully designed guest room.  AP's dad calls it the "sleeping room" because it is in the back of the house and you feel like you are in a womb when you shut the curtains and turn out the lights... quite comfortable I hear!  So here it is!  I hope you like it!