Whatever this has been, I’m going on day three of it and about ready to surgically remove all of the organs confined in my torso. I made it worse by eating extra strong cheddar cheese today. I KNOW NOW!

I don’t know what else to consume. I’ve run out of all possibilities other than to mix up some brownies. I can’t imagine that would help.

The reason I’m such a mess over it is because I have an unusually strong stomach. So whenever I have internal angst, I become a complete baby. Kinda like men… whenever they’re sick.

So on that note, I’ll go whip up those brownies and let you know how they turn out. Cause at this rate they’re destined to come out, one way or another.

Luckily, Pottery Barn has plain stocking holders for sale in the bronze finish, so Mojo will get one of these. Unpersonalized. Are all first children shafted when the second comes along?

From Daily Daguerreotype

The thing on my mind is this - we’re considering buying a house in the new year. Of course, I’ve found one online that I’m obsessed with, and suddenly the person who sleeps better than a baby sloth finds herself unable to sleep at night because she’s planning how she’ll reface those kitchen cabinets. And how about that back yard! I’m gonna need to put up a little white picket fence around the back yard so that Berlin can play out there and curl up in her brand new dog house that Matt will have to build for her. And can I paint it red? With black shingles?

So instead of going on and on about my dream house, I’ll rustle up a good picture of something Christmasy - the only other thing I’m obsessively thinking about.

A big thank you to my loving and supportive family, Matt’s loving and supportive family, and you our greatest friends. You have held us up during some of the toughest times in our lives, and we owe you a lot.

And Matt, thank you for being my best friend and my strongest ally.

Now let’s rock dinner like the Pilgrims taught us, yo.

From Daily Daguerreotype

Here’s the triptych that Sarah painted for us to go above our bed. I am absolutely in LOVE with it. I sent her a photo of some other paintings we had in that room, and she matched the colors PERFECTLY as well as adding some orange to make Matt happy. I cannot recommend her paintings any higher. She does beautiful work and you can get original artwork from an up and coming artist for a great deal. Check out her site for more. Thanks, Sarah!

The nerves set in halfway up the mountain and I started to feel quite ill. I didn’t want to admit it to Matt so I kept my nausea to myself until we reached the summit. I have never been so happy to get out of a little red cube and into the fresh mountain air as I was that day. I walked around the mountaintop enjoying the scenery but staying very far away from the edge and took this shot of a grisly plant that very accurately mirrored what my stomach was feeling at that very moment.

I basically kept my eyes closed the entire ride down.

From Daily Daguerreotype

From Daily Daguerreotype

My good friend John was dandy enough to let me borrow this gorgeous photo for use in Daily Daguerreotype. There’s a bit of a story behind it that I will attempt to recount.

When he was on his virgin voyage to Thailand, John was struck down with the notorious dengue fever. Having never fought this illness myself, I can’t quite relate to the misery that he must have endured. Regardless, he’s a bit of a wuss, and stayed indoors for the first few days until he was feeling better.

Finally, John emerged from his bungalow (with a clean pair of shorts) to do the crazy rock climbing above the ocean thing that only morons attempt. But he was so taken aback by the beautiful seashells on the shoreline, that he decided to delay his death defying stunts to take his D80 out for a spin - this photo is the result.

John has beautiful photos of not only his trips to the East, but quite a few award-winning shots of Chicago. He often has them for sale, and if you’re interested in viewing them or purchasing any, drop me an email and I’ll put you in touch with him.

Thanks, John, for the photo and also for suggesting I get a Nikon. And all the other good & bad advice you give… unsolicited.

After using one Magic Eraser to clean the entire bathroom I became a believer. This is the only cleaning agent I have ever found that can remove the stains on my white tile and white grout. (I know, black dog who loves to roll in mud + white tiles + white grout = the worst idea ever.) My only complaint is that it only seems to come in sponge form. If I could get it in a concentrated powder, my life would be complete.

I would love to switch over to entirely green cleaning products, but I can’t imagine giving up my love affair with Mr. Clean. Does anyone know of a product that works like the Magic Eraser but doesn’t kill baby kittens?

I’m preparing myself to participate in a wedding as a bridesmaid for the third time. My first two attempts found me unmarried and, to be perfectly honest, uninterested in many of the goings-on of wedding etiquette. I’m truly amazed that I made it to the bridal showers with a gift, let alone with the obligatory games I was expected to prepare.

This time however, I’m more excited than ever before to participate in the blessed nuptials of my dear friend. After going through the whole bloodbath myself, I remember with sincere gratefulness the favors that our friends and family bestowed upon us - small details that made the day as memorable as it was. I remember our close friends flying in from all over the country to make it to our wedding despite the fact that they had been married themselves only a few days prior, or were to be married a few days afterward. My sister-in-law slaving away to bake our wedding cake and transport it safely from New Jersey to the reception. Friends and family picking up instruments they hadn’t played in years to practice over and over again for our processional and recessional.

So this time around, I have the opportunity to get all dolled up without fearing I’ll forget to have the officiant sign the marriage license. Instead I’m thinking up clever and creative ways to show my friend how much I love her and make her day a little less stressful. (Any great tips?)

Plus, I owe her a lot cause the bridesmaid dresses she’s looking at are GORGEOUS. Although after all the steak I ate in Argentina, I’m preparing myself for the vice-like squeeze it will take to get me into any of them.

Since then, the leaves have mostly fallen and turned a nasty shade of grey making our park rather unphotogenic. Not only that, but Berlin was groomed on Sunday, and because I neglected to say anything to the groomer before dropping her off, they gave her face a “poodle cut.” She looks like the most hysterical and embarassing creature to ever walk the face of the planet.

So this photo brings me back to a beautiful fall day when it was truly enjoyable to be outside, and my dog actually looked cute.

From Daily Daguerreotype