Ten on Ten: Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments.

Lazy Monday Hipstamatic Edition

 When oranges are cheap, I buy dozens and dozens of them, because honestly, is there a better way to start the day than with fresh squeezed orange juice.  If I won the lotto I would have it year round, with a full time orange juice sommelier.  Until that day, I wait for sales.
 Meet my new best friend.  My very first BRAND NEW sewing machine, gifted to me this Christmas, by my husband who knows that a sewing wife equals a happy wife.  I've always been team Singer, but now I have great love for those manly Vikings.  It's just so stinking amazing.
 Mondays are beach days around here.  When ever I crave a quieter life with wide open spaces, I need to remind myself of this gorgeous wide open space that is just minutes away.  Barefoot in January.  It is for real.
 Ugh.  December was especially chaotic and over scheduled.  Meet the debris it left.  A month of neglected laundry.  Which will take nearly a month to get through.  Scratch the o.j. sommelier.  Give me a laundress instead.  Or ten.
 I am rarely alone in my car.  But when I am WATCH OUT.  The music is loud.  Like a gansta rolling in her swagger wagon loud.  Except my gansta music today is Switchfoot's Hello Hurricane.  I cannot explain how good this album is.  Deep, thoughtful, rich, melodic, beautiful.  Every song.  So very brilliant.  I am the mom in the pickup line singing out loud to myself.  It's awesome.
 After school book rest.  This little reader freaks me out a little.  It is like seeing what I was like at her age, excitedly escaping in the world that is contained within the words on a page.  I am so proud to see her love for reading emerge.
 The curse of an artificial tree.  When we had a real tree it was on the curb by sunrise on December 26th.  I couldn't handle the needles, the watering, or the fear that it would spontaneously combust for another minute.  But now, weeks after Christmas, I finally get fed up and want to reclaim the house.  Tell me I am not the only one who still hasn't finished packing up everything.  It's hard work, yo.
 Happy mail.  One component of about five million that are part of our wardrobe for upcoming family pictures with DrewB.  It is either going to be brilliant, or Punky Brewster gone wrong.  I am hoping for the former, but fearing the latter.
 Monte Cristos.  One of the few meals that my doesn't make my picky, picky, picky family cry.
What sugar fast?  Thanks a lot Heather.  This bowl of peppermint jo-jo's is all your fault.  Totally worth it.  Tragic that it was the last of the carton.


42 Comments

  1. Will you please share your recipe for the Monte Cristo sandwiches? I'm looking at those ingredients and thinking it looks very tasty! Your recipe looks a little different then the others I've found. I love your recipes, I've made your breakfast casserole several times. We ate the "man's" version for Christmas and while it was delicious, I love the artichoke & sundried tomato one best.

    ReplyDelete
  2. love it! I drink a H-U-G-E glass of Oj every morning. Its like my coffee... gotta have it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on your brand new sewing machine!! Mine is a Viking too and I LOVE it :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just popping in to say HELLO!!! I can't wait to see how things come together for your photo shoot!! I am sure you guys are going to rock it!!!

    Think of you often...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have 6 "festive quarts" in my happy little freezer. No joke. Seasonal items make me panic and overstock. I can ship you some. It's FAHreezing up here. I bet it won't start to melt until well after the Grapevine.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE OJ, too. Have you tried Odwalla Tangerine juice? It's like $18/gallon. But worth every pretty penny.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your blog! I knew there was something I wanted to do for the new year- Ten on Ten! Darn, guess I'll have to start next month!

    ReplyDelete
  7. UGH! I still have my tree up too. I keep looking at it thinking maybe it will just be all packed away when I close my eyes. It never is.
    Love the idea of buying oranges on sale. I'm definitely going to do that!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, please post your Monte Cristo recipe? My daughter will love this, since she has a friend named Monty Cristo III - for real!

    Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOVE Monte Cristos... yumm-o...

    Love this idea of taking pictures on the 10th of each month. I am stealing, um... I mean "borrowing" this idea! :o)

    Congratulations on the new sewing machine! My daughter got one a couple of Christmases ago and I just learned how to use it right before THIS Christmas.

    (oh, you're not the only one... we just put our artificial tree back in storage on Sunday) :o)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great idea. I want a sewing machine too but I have know idea how to use it and where to even begin.

    ReplyDelete
  11. i liked this peak into your day. bare feet in january make me happy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. When I was growing up, we put up the Christmas tree & all decorations on Christmas Eve - in my mom's family, they went to bed with just stockings out and Santa brought *everything* (tree, lights, presents and all)! Over time, I've given in to have it up a little earlier (7-10 days before Christmas) but it never, ever comes down before Epiphany (January 6th - 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas!).

    So, no - you aren't the only one with a tree still up :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Glad to see I'm not the only one who wants the Monte Cristo recipe! I love those sandwiches and am super intrigued as to how you make them with a can of crescent rolls!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Finished?! I haven't even STARTED to pack up Christmas! I did buy new storage bins today though, so I'm thinking about it now.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I just read your comment under "leave a comment" and lol. I hear ya--only sunshine and happy people welcome on blogs! :) Happy New Year....and please will you share the Monte Cristo recipe?
    Sparkle, Sparkle Rainbow U-corn

    ReplyDelete
  16. That sure was fun! I want the monte cristo recipe too. Yum. That looked like a good day to me :) And happiness for your new sewing machine.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Please share the Monte Cristo recipe, it looks great. Can these be made with out a deep fryer???

    ReplyDelete
  18. the beach! good lord and we are surrounded by snow...i love that picture! love this set and the peek into your day! : ) i also really love the color of those chucks, very cool.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Another vote for the recipe...please!

    We love fresh OJ and I was checking our tree in our yard and we got hardly any this year. I am so bummed!

    Guess I will have to go the sale route now too.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am slightly freaking out that you still have your tree up.(I am one of those people who have Christmas put away by the 26th/27th) And, Holla for Peppermint Joe Joe's ice cream! I stocked up on 2 more cartons over the weekend b/c my TJ's still has some in stock!

    ReplyDelete
  21. what the heck. why didn't anyone TELL me those jo jo's also came in an ice cream? you people just wanted more for yourself i think. and yes, we're still decking the halls over here. tree's gone, but that's all. don't stress, it will happen.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Need recipe.
    Starving two year old.
    That is all :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Nope, you're not the only one with Christmas still up. I've started to keep the lights off in the house so no one will see the tree through the window. Maybe this weekend...maybe.

    ReplyDelete
  24. OJ Sommelier - I love it. Someone to pair the different varieties of oranges with the dishes of the day. How cool is that?? :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Monte Cristo? I'm not hip. Oh how I love orange juice too. We don't get it that often because it goes so fast. Congrats on the new sewing machine. This really convicts me of that fact that I still haven't gotten out my new one I got for Christmas LAST year...sigh. I would love to be on the beach now instead of freezing in the cold. Enjoy for me, K?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh...and I love your reader...what a gift.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Mmmmm . . . Monte Cristos . . . those look tasty! Will you teach us?? I've become a juicer - not the bad kind :) I've been on a liquid/juice diet for a week now and I feel so clean and happy! I had real fresh OJ that I juiced in my borrowed juicer and it was fantastic. And I never realized how many oranges it takes to make a glass of OJ. No wonder the really good stuff is so expensive.

    ReplyDelete
  28. P.S. I finally have all my Christmas boxed up - as of 10 minutes ago - now the boxes are just staring at me, daring me to put them in garage.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Haha! Enjoy that ice cream, my friend!! I can't believe Janey is barefoot in a cute, little dress - it us beyond freezing up here!! XO!

    ReplyDelete
  30. We are big Switchfoot fans here.
    Have you seen this post?
    http://hagenhoopla.blogspot.com/2009/04/sorry-kid-cant-take-you-to-bar.html
    You will smile . . . or think I am a bad mom.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Barefoot in January? You lucky, lucky girl. I woke up to snow this am. Barefoot here=frostbite!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I have a real Christmas tree, and it's still up! Who cares about the needles on the floor...I love the sparkle! (It is coming down this weekend.)

    ReplyDelete
  33. love this, love the pictures! and congrats on your new sewing machine!

    ReplyDelete
  34. My whole family loves Hello Hurricane. The favorite song for the majority (3 years old to adults) is This is the Sound. It is amazing.

    I can tell the family pictures will be awesome. :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love this idea of one picture every hour for 10 on the 10th!! I love how the photos show such a sweet vignette of your life. Peace. Jer 29:11 ~Lori

    ReplyDelete
  36. mmmm......monte cristos? I'm curious please tell more!

    ReplyDelete
  37. what a fun post idea! i think i need to join you next month.

    my kids love punky brewster and are rooting for a photo shoot with pigtails, freckles, and mismatched socks.. i on the other hand hope it goes very smoothly for you!

    ReplyDelete
  38. btw- have you named the sewing machine?

    you should name her.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Turquoise Chuck Taylors? Petite no less, be still my heart...I'm in love! And umm, I'm gonna need that Monte Cristo recipe, stat. PS barefoot in January and Trader Joes, just two of the many reasons I need a Cali zip code.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hey friend!
    You are not alone ... we're still rockin' around the bare Christmas tree(s) here. I started the de-Christmas process on Monday and almost all is put away ... except for the pesky artificial trees. I think we'll decorate the one in my son's room for Valentine's day since it's a white tree ;).

    P.S. Need to e-mail you ... I have a tut-tut-tutorial idea ... involves hearts and I think you'll love it, LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Oh I long for fresh squeezed orange juice and bare feet!! ;) can I move into your house? I will do your laundry... (oops.. promises I can't keep... I am working on that ...) ;) I keep meaning to do this 10 on 10 post... one day I will ! they are so much fun! love the punky brewster reference!!

    ReplyDelete
  42. I'm picking out outfits for my girls' upcoming shoot, and now I have Chucks on my "must get" list. ;) Your girls always look cute - can't wait to see what you come up with. I think you'd like my colors, they seem like you. Navy, white, green, sunny yellow. Happy shopping!

    ReplyDelete