Making the Card: 2010 edition

Despite my lack of holiday spirit this year, I had BIG PLANS for a Christmas card.....(brace yourself for a near-repeat of last year's nonsense.)

We may not have a ton of traditions, but sending a Christmas card is annual goal. And believe me- I say "goal" instead of "occurrence" for a reason. You see, every year I insist on designing it myself, and end up spending FAR too much time agonizing over the whole thing. And after buying the envelopes, cardstock, ink, and stamps, we end up spending a small fortune. Every year I vow to just cave in and buy a generic box of cards from Target (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), or just skip the whole thing altogether....And just about every other year, I do skip it. So far- we've only sent cards in odd-numbered years. But without fail, when December rolls around, I go through the process all over again, even if I end up throwing in the towel in the eleventh hour. I go for it each time with fresh enthusiasm, because Christmas cards are just too “up-my-alley” to skip.... I mean, you get to brag about your awesome life, AND show off your craft skills. Yes, and yes. (Does anyone else enjoy judging Christmas cards as much as I do? Don’t lie....) But really, aside from the terribly narcissistic nature of it all, I really do love a Christmas card. People don’t mail anything anymore, so it’s fun that it’s become a little old-fashioned to send cards. And though I joke about judging them, I love to read people updates, and see photos of their kids (and trees, and cats, and matching sweaters...).

And as you all know, when it comes to things like this, I tend to go a bit Cah-RAZY and think that every year has to top the last (as if anyone remembers besides me! especially when we only send a bi-annual card!). This year, I decided the big design point would be a photo. I know...not super unique, but we’ve never sent a picture card before....we’re strictly letter people. (OH- do you remember letter people? From Kindergarten? So fun! Anyway....). So I designed this whole card, picked fonts, did the layout, the whole deal. I left space for a photo, figuring I could just search through our computer for a good shot, and we’d be done. Oh no no no. Never that simple. Would you believe in the hundreds (and hundreds) of photos from the past year, there is not ONE of the two of us that is card-quality? Honestly. Here’s the approximate breakdown:

• Photos we are both in: 47
• Photos where we are both in focus: 35
• Photos where we are both in focus, and my face doesn’t look stupid: 12
• Photos where we are both in focus, my face doesn’t look stupid, and Dustin has a shirt on (lots of Jamaica pics!): 5
• Photos where we are both in focus, my face doesn’t look stupid, Dustin has a shirt on, and we’re not doing something completely ridiculous (wearing snorkles, riding a giant fake cow, etc.): 3
• Photos where we are both in focus, my face doesn’t look stupid, Dustin has a shirt on, we’re not doing something completely ridiculous, and that fit the horizontal layout I allowed for on the card : 0

See where we went wrong here? So Dustin says we can just take a new picture, and use it for the card. And THAT my friends, is where Courtney’s Creative Train of Thought went off the rails......Allow this to be a glimpse into why Dustin sometimes wonders what he got himself into by marrying me (also known as “You can cover up the crazy REAL GOOD when you get engaged after 2 months.”) Because as soon as he mentioned that....this exchange followed:

C- “Dustin, I have a great idea, please say yes!”
D- “I don’t think I like that.....”
C- “Please.....”
D- “Ok.”
C- “Can we send a new year’s card?”
D- “Sure.”
C- “Great. Now I have an even better idea, pleeeeeease say yes!”
D- “ok.....”
C- “Can we take a fun picture for it?”
D- “Sure.”

And boom goes the dynamite.

Because what you don’t realize, (and what Dustin certainly didn’t realize....even after all these years) is that my interpretation of that conversation was I had just gotten license to go over the top ridiculous, and build a photo booth in the living room. Complete with a backdrop, props, a tripod and lighting. Not joking.....

So because Dustin is the best husband EVER (file this under: "Humors me and my wild, excessive ideas. So so much.") he obliged. Which includes tolerating me dragging in box after box of sparkling junk, wearing the outfit I picked out, helping me black out the window behind the backdrop (I did the lighting test at night....we were shooting during the day....amateur mistake) and generally not rolling his eyes at the entire endeavor.

And after all that? The day turned out exactly as fun as I expected (which was TONS) the pictures turned out at least as well as I hoped (which was humble, based on our track record), and the card turned out better than I imagined (love them!)

Hopefully you received on live and in person- but if not....let me show you the finished product...(or three....after all that fun, we couldn't settle on just one!)

So............Happy New Year!
I think it goes without saying that we're approaching 2011 with our trademark Bowdenisms-gusto. Tons of fun, a little crazy, but full of love. Hope the start of your year is full of everything you wish for!

Sharing Christmas: 2010

Welcome everyone!! I feel like I should warn you, because if you came here for cute decorations, fun recipes and other inspiration.....well....we’re sadly lacking in that department. You see, this year we Bowdens have opted out of much of the traditional Christmas “stuff”. Not entirely on purpose....I wish we could say that we’re taking a conscious stand to reduce the commerciality and stress of it all, in favor of savoring the simple beauty and meaning of the season. But really? We just got tired. I struggled with this same thing last year....Working in retail can really suck the spirit out of you. But truly I’ve enjoyed our version of the Christmas season. We might not have done all the typical stuff, but we've had a good time together. Here's what our Christmas looks like this time around...

Instead of pulling out all our decorations....we cleaned up our house and purged a ton of stuff we don’t need. (Merry Christmas, Goodwill!) We've still got a lot to do, but it feels so good to have less, in a season that is usually about more, more, more. Plus- you have to make room for all the presents right?!


Instead of cuddling up by the fire...we bought a new boiler. Yep.... turns out ours had reached its limit, and no longer responded to our thermostat commands. That meant for a lot of cold nights- and a fire wasn't exactly a long term solve. So while I never wanted to be one of those couples that skipped gifts to each other in favor of buying something for the house....sometimes its necessary. We'll still get each other some small things- but elaborate gifts just aren't in the cards this year. (And please forgive us if your presents are more on the “frugal” side this year....heat isn’t cheap!)

Instead of cuddling up by the fire (I know...you're starting to think we hate cuddling...) We've been watching a lot of “Yule Log” on Comcast's OnDemand. We've had our Pandora Christmas station on heavy rotation too but for some reason, I just can't get enough of that crackle noise, and HD sparks. I even won an "Ambient Fire" DVD in a White Elephant exchange....and it's even more awesome than it sounds.

Instead of experimenting with complicated recipes and homemade gifts....we enjoyed take-out with friends, brought bottles of wine to parties, and went with good old fashioned store-bought gifts. Typically I love to try new recipes...especially for parties...And I don't think there's been a year in recent memory that I haven't made at least one gift. But this year it was all about streamlining. I always get myself in over my head, and while I'm sure people appreciate the effort, I don't think they have the same expectations of me as I have of myself. As long as gifts are thoughtfully chosen, and given with love, I don't think the origins matter. And I can assure you no one complained about the so-easy-it's-ridiculous chips and dip I brought to the potluck this year. Good is good.
So instead of slaving over each individual gift detail, I spent time making the wrapping fun and festive! Ever since my days as a “wrapper” at The Buckle, I’ve loved this part of Christmas. I’m happy with how our simple gift wrap theme turned out this year. (And these faux-bows sure do travel well!)

Instead of trimming the tree, and decking the halls, we've been pouring ourselves into projects that have been neglected the rest of the year. So the seasonal decorations have stayed in storage, but we've tackled more permanent decor projects like finally filling frames with art....picking paint swatches for our foyer...organizing and storing our DVD's and a few other why-didn't-we-do-this-a-year-ago type things. It's amazing how many projects I can start, and how long it can take to finish them. It's been fun to finally check a few things off that never-ending list. Oh- and skipping the decorations meant I had more room to make a complete mess in the process! (I suppose I could skip telling you we haven't had a traditional meal in the dining room this season....)
Instead of making a snowman, we made snowman sweaters for an Ugly Sweater party! No sense in slaving in the cold for a temporary sculpture when a trip to Big Lots, a stop at Goodwill and a half and hour of sewing can get you these babies:

(This is when I realized my perception of effort might be a little skewed....I told a friend, “That girl bought her sweater on ebay...she’s way more hardcore than me.” My friend replied- “Um, you made your sweaters....”. Perhaps I shouldn’t give myself such a hard time.) But it was totally worth it. Who doesn't want sweaters that can kiss?!


So we didn't exactly do it up in traditional fashion, but it's only the 22nd....and we've already eaten more than our fair share of Christmas treats, danced the night away to Christmas tunes, acted as a Secret Santa in an exchange, and taken some pics for our better-late-than-never Christmas card. (check back for that in a week or two....it could be my favorite part of this season so far!)
But more than any of this stuff I've shared, I'm looking forward to actual Christmas. We're headed for a busy few weekends of packing, driving, working, car scraping, unpacking, and more traveling...And in the crazy mixture of stress and fun, it's easy to get bogged down in the busyness or to get too mindlessly caught up in the the festivities surrounding the holidays. But I really just want to be in a warm home, with friends and family, talking, laughing, giving, and loving. And that is a tradition we'll never skip.
P.s. don't worry....I did find the time to paint my nails for the occasion.

What? That’s not a tradition at your house? Then tell me what is....go share your Christmas!!
Thanks Megan for "hosting" and forcing me to record some of the small and silly details that make up our small and silly (but wonderful) life.

Talent That's Inspiring

Every once in a while I'm blown away by the talent that is out there in the world. It kind of goes with Court's last post. Anthony Barlich is super talented at taking pictures and Courtney is super talented at designing windows and generally being creative and awesome.

Personally, I don't think there is anything that I'm super talented at. If you ask people I work with, they'd probably say I'm super talented at Microsoft Excel. It's not really true. I'm pretty good at Excel, but super talented is a stretch.

But if I could be super talented at anything, it would be music. And if I could pick someone to model my talent after, it would be Andrew Ripp. I've posted about him before. Feel free to search the archives to learn about him. I'm writing this because I was inspired by the below video. Watch it. Love it. See if you agree with me.

Awe

You know what's awesome?
Great friends.
(well...great friends are actually just great. Awesome friends are awesome...but you get the point).

You know what's even awesome-r? (how many of you are thinking, "Even awesome-r friends"? True, but not what we're looking for.)
Great friends who are also super duper talented people.

We're lucky to know lots of people that fit that first category...and perhaps just as many that qualify for the latter. I'm always amazed by the skills that different people have, and love to see people in their element and pursuing something they love.

A few weeks ago, Dustin and I went out for a night of culture, checking out a delicious local restaurant/wine bar, and attending a community theater production of a friend from work. Now here's where you think I'm going to rave about the skill of the actors, and how fun it was to see "regular people" from our city living out their passion for the arts. But unfortunately not. While they were talented, it turned into an unbearably long play, that Dustin and I just barely made it through. (Shout out to my friend on lighting.....you were great! Helped me keep my eyes open the whole time!) So as the curtain lowered, we made a dash for the door and vowed to avoid the theater for the foreseeable future. (like, until our kids are in high school. And even then- no Shakespeare).


But wait- this is going somewhere. Somewhere awesome....
So at close to 11pm, we are making our escape, thankful to be in the warm car on the first truly cold day of the season, when we get a call that an out of town friend, Anthony Barlich, is in Pittsburgh. Just for the night. So we had to take off our (figurative) lame pants, and don our (figurative) party clothes and meet up with them. Only problem? They wanted to go to Mt. Washington (a local lookout point). Now, normally I'd be slightly skeptical about this plan...I mean, the city is pretty and all, but I've seen it, and the parking is a bit of a pain (understatement). But on this night, I was especially skeptical (read: cranky) about the plan, as the weather was in the low 40's, and neither Dustin nor I had thought to wear a coat. Or long sleeves. But again, we ignored the practical downsides of it all, and put on our (figurative) happy pants even without our (very literal) warm pants.


But wait- I swear this is going somewhere. (Somewhere that probably includes lots more parenthetical asides)....(it's what I do...)
So we arrived atop the mt. (after double-backing up Pittsburgh side streets for 20 minutes because we were FAR out of our directional comfort zone.) and guess what- it's even colder up there. And windy! So I planned to stay approximately five minutes. Quick ooh, quick ahh. Everybody back in the car, let's go inside and drink some beer! But the group had other plans. You see- Barlich is a photographer (a real one...like, for a living). So while the rest of us hung out, snapping quick self-takes and huddling for warmth, he trotted of to his car for his camera. And returned with a gigantic DSLR and tripod. We were clearly in this for the long haul. So, even though I couldn't feel my fingers, and this wasn't where I originally saw my night going, I borrowed a too-small sweater from a friend, and slapped a smile on my face.

And boy, am I glad I did. I mean, look at this:


So fun right? Through the excitement of the group, and Barlich's enthusiasm for setting up shots, I was very quickly reminded that practically is boring. Complaining is lame. And living life full tilt is awesome. Standing in the cold for a few minutes, goofing off and taking pictures isn't exactly life changing....but it was a shift from the typical pattern of day to day life, which does count as a change afterall.

So after a few group shots (and an impromptu shoot for a couple nearby that had just gotten engaged...) we prepped to make our exit.

But no. Barlich's friends announced they wanted to play a song or two. Umm, what? Like on your pocket harmonica for spare change? Before I could guess what in the world they meant...they scurried to the car and back. Returning with a guitar, and a banjo. Naturally.

You see- what I didn't know, is that Jon and Laura are in a band (or are a band, I guess), and they were all on the way home from a show in New York (which Barlich photographed). So they broke out the instruments and began to play. And they were awesome. They only sang a couple of songs (turns out without her puffy coat-which she graciously lent to me during the performance-Laura's strumming arms got cold fast.) But they still managed to draw a small crowd. It was freezing cold, in the middle of the night, on the top of a Pittsburgh mountain...and it was magical.

As they played, I was in awe of all the talent surrounding us. And it was more than just their amazing voices, and Barlich's eye for capturing the moment....It was the moment itself. It was a simple quiet time of appreciating life. The pure, fleeting second where you get a glimpse, of how God created you to be. Without the demoralizing logic loop that sometimes plays in my head (they're better than you, you'll never be able to do that, why are they so much cooler etc etc etc.), I was able to feel a clear sense of joy that comes with living life in a full way. I wrapped my borrowed-coat clad arms around my husband...glanced at the smiling faces of the couples around us...took in the sounds of the band...marveled at the lights of the city....and was thankful for the moment.

I don't know if any amount of my rambling could express the simple pleasure of that evening...but if you're lucky, you'll be able to experience your own version, in your own life. And perhaps if we were all a bit more perceptive (or maybe a lot less distracted) we would see, and appreciate, more of the simple moments that reveal some of God's greatest gifts to us.

You can check out more of Anthony's work on his website.

Or become a fan on facebook.

Oh- and check out The Indian Summer fanpage.

P.s. Full disclosure- Laura and Jon aren't really my friends. They're more like friends by proxy. But they are supertalented. Directly.

This guy though? He's a friend. And a snuggler:

All photos are by Anthony Barlich. As if you guys thought for two seconds they could possibly be mine....

Blue Christmas

I was in the car this evening when Blue Christmas by Elvis came on and I couldn't help but do my best impression as I drove through snowy Pittsburgh.

Here's you chance to do your best impression. Ready...go!

I must have sung this song for an additional 20 minutes. I love it... Elvis is awesome! After a while I started chuckling to myself because I started thinking of Blue Christmas as sung by Porky Pig. If you've never heard it... here's your chance! Listen, sing, and do your best impression. I guarantee you'll have fun!

Ready... go!

Better Deal

A long time ago, Dustin and I heard a quote about marriage that I never forgot (well....I forgot where we heard it, and I don’t remember the exact wording...but the concept has stuck with me): In order to have a happy marriage, each person must believe they got the “better deal”. Each person in the relationship should feel like the lucky one....leading to endless blissful years. I’m not sure this is the only key to a successful union, but I do like the idea. If you’re aware and grateful for what you have, it’s hard to build up resentment, or self-bias. (otherwise known as the “I do everything around here” grumble.)

The thing about Dustin and I though....is that I totally got the better deal. It’s not something I have to convince myself of- it’s pretty much a fact. Don’t get me wrong- I hope that he feels the same way about me....but even if he does, I’m still pretty sure that I’m the lucky one.

Reasons I totally got the better deal
Dustin....

• Packs my lunch every day! And usually remembers the spoon for my yogurt!
• Serves as our family “grounds crew”- raking, mowing, shoveling....
• Makes root beer floats, because he knows they taste better when he makes them for me.
• Invented custom Kraft mac & cheese- with sour cream instead of milk. (try it....you won’t go back).
• Snuggles me whenever I ask. Even if he was already asleep.
• Keeps track of all of our bills and investments, and (probably) doesn’t funnel it into a secret account without me knowing.
• Dances with me...slow, fast, or funny....
• Won’t let me drive when my car needs oil because he doesn’t want anything to happen to me (...or the car...but mostly me...I think).
• Volunteers for errands, like grocery shopping, library book returning, etc. when I have to work late.
• Accepts “I’m scared of the basement” as an excuse, and does our laundry (including separating and line drying my unmentionables.)
• Humors me and my wild, excessive ideas. So so much.
• Gets dressed in the dark (or by flashlight if necessary) to avoid waking me up in the morning.
• Lets me put my cold feet on him when I don’t feel like getting up to get socks.
• Buys me special surprises- like a replacement for my long lost water bottle, or a game that he knows he’ll be forced to play forever.
• Texts me traffic or weather updates when he leaves the house first.
• Buys tampons for me....even without me having to ask.
• Has a signature dance move where he only moves his knees, that makes me pee my pants laughing....every time.
• Tolerates my trash tv habit with (minimal) gripes.
• Lets me have the last bite of just about any food we share.
• Does 90% of the driving on road trips (including a NYC-South Carolina trip in which I lasted precisely one half hour before trading back.)
• Almost always apologizes first.
• Defrosts chicken because he knows I think it’s icky.
• Serves as a fashion consultant when I need an outfit opinion...even if he thinks both pairs of boots look identical.

I’m sure there are a million more reasons...but if I go on anymore you all are going to get jealous (even more than you already are!) At his core, Dustin has a servant heart, and I’m beyond blessed to be a recipient of so much of his love and attention. Above all he teaches me how to love like Jesus does. And that is the best deal of all.

Tree of Thanks

Every month or so at work, I get a package in the mail from my mom… She includes fun snacks, and surprises that I share with the department, so now the deliveries are not only anticipated, they’re downright requested. (People get a little cranky if they’re not given chocolate on a regular basis). But one of the best parts of these packages, are the projects she includes from her second grade students. Each box includes a few of their most recent crafts, which my co-workers love to display in their cubes (most of us don’t have kids, but still love some homemade art to liven up our space). Yeah….some of the kids probably wonder why their projects don’t make it to the school bulletin board, but I’m pretty sure my mom says they’ve been “specially selected” to send to us (truthfully she usually doesn’t pick the best…preferring to send the most “unique”- i.e. funniest.)

I snapped a pic of my cube a little while ago to show the full display. (side note- I have the messiest, or most fun, desk on the planet, depending on who you ask. I fully believe that it is both. But I can’t, and probably won’t, have it any other way. Creativity knows no bounds!)

If you narrow your focus to the back wall (tough, I know) you can see some of their past projects- including a groundhog, jack-o-lantern, choir singer, presidential profile, butterfly and flower basket.

So last week, we were sent a special Thanksgiving package, that had coffee filter turkeys, and “Trees of Thanks”. The turkeys were great as always, but the trees were really something special. Each child traced their hand to make the trunk and branches, and then added paper leaves- writing something they are thankful for on each one.

There were lots of leaves with expected items- Family, Friends, School, Pets, were big, but the ones that really got me were the more unique notions. A couple favs: “cookies that I eat” (I mean…great point…who is thankful for cookies that you don’t eat??), “costumes” (yes. YES.), “chipotle” (written by the same kid that listed “food” and “water”….this might have been Dustin’s….) and “pres BD” (I think this is just an indirect way of saying “free day off of school”, which I’m totally down with).

My family actually has done a similar project for the last two years over Thanksgiving….We each get a paper “4” and write what we’re “Thankful 4”, and hang it on the Tree of Thanks.


It’s a fun way to record our thoughts, and look back on them later (before this tradition, we had to go around the table and announce what were thankful for….as it was captured on video.) And while I love hearing/reading what everyone in the family is grateful for, the themes are usually broad- family, health, God etc. But I also wish we had the simple spunk that the second graders do….Previously, it was a tradition for me to say “pie”, but other than that, we didn’t have many silly (but true) missives. So while I’m beyond thankful for the large blessings in my life (see last year’s note for a summary)

I also think it’s important to say thanks for all the little things that make life just a little bit better. Because as one of the students accurately recorded- where would we be without chocolate chips?

On our everyday “Trees of Thanks”...

Courtney:

• Dancing
• Jammies
• Silent, body-shaking laugher
• The smell of grapefruit
• Cuddles
• Coke Zero
• Maracas
• Cheese (+burgers, mac+)
• Scarves
• Sunshine on my shoulders (makes me happy).

Dustin:

• Flip Flops
• ipod
• Nail clippers
• Pizza
• Climb-on
• Peanut butter
• Ponytails
• Beer
• Prime numbers
• Football

What’s on your tree?