Pre-Packing Nursery

Hey all!
I promised nursery pictures... and you finally get them. Funny story though... it no longer looks as it will in the photographs.
WE ARE MOVING! To Tooele. In less than a month. So the once adorable (mostly) complete nursery is now fairly bare and has a small pile of boxes instead of cute artwork and books. On the plus side that means I get to put together a nursery again! And who knows... it might be the same or 100% different. But here you go:

                  Jude's dresser was an epic DI find but it's in need of a paint job or a new stain colour. We will decide what colour when we do his new nursery. His name was painted by our good friends and were an AWESOME shower gift. We love them. The tiny shelves were found at SUU. They were giving them away. It's been super useful as diaper storage as well as an awesome holder for all the other baby stuff we need on hand. John, Paul, George and Ringo were are inspiration piece. Jude stares at them all the time when we change his diaper and get him dressed.

The burlap banners on the wall were used at our wedding and say "Just Married" on the other side. I made the grey and white ones to add contrast and now they are used as perfect bow tie storage for our little guy. 

The book shelves were from IKEA... only $4 a piece and the frame was a shower gift. We were so lucky to get so many books from our showers. If you peek you can see Parker's face on our lumberjack storybook about the Great "Jedidiah Parks". The final photo is the bulk of the room. I feel like I live in that rocking chair sometimes. 

I'm so excited to someday be in our own place where we can paint the walls and really make the space our own. I feel like we did a good job with what we had though.

Anyways, much love from my mostly packed up apartment in Cedar!

-Sydney L

Mama Musings 1

Hey everyone!

Well it's been 3 weeks and about 2 hours since we welcomed our sweet little boy into the world. And everything feels different.

It's insane to me that 1) in one instant my whole world could change 2) that I could hold this tiny person in my arms and feel as if I've known him forever and 3) that I could love someone so much that sometimes it's completely overwhelming. I look at his little face and see my nose and Parker's ears. We literally made a human. Isn't that mind boggling? I know that we as a human race have been making more humans ever since we've existed so it shouldn't be that surprising and neat... but my brain can't really seem to get over it. 

Our little guy has been SO fun... and SO exhausting haha. He still loves listening to Louis Armstrong and the Beatles. Instead of cooing, as you would expect a baby to do, he growls and squeaks like the little (adorable) monster that he is. 

He loves flailing his little arms and legs around like he's treading water. His little hairs are turning red and his eyes seem to be getting more blue. 

I mean he's seriously adorable and yes he cries (and by that I mean screams) during the night and I often feel like a milk cow that needs a break but I love him so much. I get it now. I get why my mom does some of the things that she does. I get why my grandmothers did and do the things that they do. To be responsible for this tiny little person's life is an incredible responsibility. I think about him all the time. I worry about him all the time. 

I wonder what kind of man he's going to be. I wonder if he is going to be creative. Will he like seafood? Is he going to be an adrenaline junkie like his dad? Everyday I feel like I am discovering something new about him and myself and I can't wait to watch him grow... and a small part of me wants him to stay teensy and perfect and safe in my arms forever. It's conflicting and slightly confusing but I'm figuring it out. 

Oh before I go, here is the song that without fail makes my little guy smile or fall asleep. I can always count on John, Paul, George and Ringo.

So those are my thoughts for today. I hope all is well! Nursery pictures coming soon! I've just got a few projects to finish. 

Much love!

Sydney L

Tiny Tootsies

Guess what!? 

I had my cute baby! 

So here is introducing Jude Sebastian Alleman born September 18, 2014 at 7:37 am. 

He was 8 lbs 1 oz and 19.5" tall. 

And he's adorable. 

 

All my love,

Sydney Elle

No Filter

I'm not sure about the other mama's to be out there but I've noticed something in the past 7ish months... you get pregnant and people seem to say the strangest things in reference to you. So I thought I would share some of the trends I've noticed...

1) Birth Horror Stories: Worse than any story I read in "Scary Stories to tell in the Dark" and any horror flick I've actually seen, moms LOVE to share their horrendous and bloody and fluid ridden child birth experiences with mother's to be. I can't really figure out why. Do they not already see the look of pure panic on my face BEFORE they started talking about emergency this and 15 weeks early that? Dear moms, your pain is real and I would love to commiserate with you... but could we maybe wait until AFTER this baby is out of me and I can empathize instead of shake in terror? Wouldn't that be better for all of us?

2) Size Comments: This may be a surprise to some people but when you get pregnant, you also get BIGGER... and it seems like you get bigger at an alarming rate. I mean you've got 9 months to gain 30 ish pounds. As a pregnant woman you are hyper aware of your changing body. Sometimes it's a wonderful miracle and other times you feel like a massive glacier about ready to take out those trying to squeeze past you in the grocery aisle. The last thing I want to hear is "Man, you sure look like you're ready to pop!" or "You've gotten so big!" or my personal favorite "I NEVER got that big when I was pregnant!" All of these things are said with a smile. Why are you smiling at me while you remind me that my pants no longer fit and that I can't see my toes? 

3) Cute. I've never been called "cute" more in my life aside (I assume) from when I was a baby. I didn't mind it at first, because let's face it, all girls love a compliment and as mentioned earlier being called big is tough to take. I've noticed though that how "cute" I am is directly proportional to how large I am. The bigger I get, apparently the cuter I get. I've started to feel a little bit like a puppy must feel as it waits to be adopted. All the the women scrunch their faces, almost squeal and say "Oh my goodness! You're so cute!" I keep waiting for someone to forget I'm a person and scratch me behind the ears or maybe forget I'm a grown woman and pinch my cheeks. Is this how older folks feel as the younger adults and teenagers patronizingly call them cute?

4) Birth-ucation: My last and finally point of confusion is why people think it's okay to tell me how (and with or without which drugs) I should give birth to my baby. It's not just that but it's how I should feed him after and for how long. I just feel like it's my decision to make. It's simple as that!

I'm aware this is a little ranty BUT it's been on my mind for a few months now. And in all reality my pregnancy has been pretty wonderful, despite my confusion at some of those around me. I'm so grateful to carry this little guy and I'm getting SO excited to meet him. In the mean time I'll take my "cute" butt into the nursery and get to work decorating. Thanks for listening!

Much Love,

Sydney L

Nursery rEvolution

Hey All!
So as with most things in my life, the more I plan the more things turn out NOT according to plan... and that is A OK. My only concern is that, like a crazy person, I do the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Anyways, thankfully for me this not plan, plan has turned out pretty well and in all reality it's not that big of a deal.
This is about... the nursery. Yep, that room where we will place our sweet little wailing baby in the hopes that he will sleep and not blow out of his diaper. There's something about putting a nursery together that makes this whole bizarre scenario of becoming parents all the more real. Maybe it's because you're actually assembling the cradle and rocking chair that you will use and that you're now assaulted by the sight of changing pads and onsies in dresser drawers when you walk into the once spare bedroom. The totes of fabric and patterns, as well as the golf clubs and Parker's "piles" have been stowed away. I mean it's real. There's a real person in me who's going to be really sleeping in the cradle under the window. It doesn't help that my body has reached house sized proportions and that our little man could show up literally at any time. I'm torn between elation and excitement and terror.

Anyways.... sorry about the mom tangent. Back to cute decor... When we had first talked about getting the room all ready for little Jude, Parker and I had decided on modern neutrals with a woodland kick. We wanted foxes, bears and a tee-pee. So I tailored our registry accordingly and kept an eye out for adorable creatures. Well it turns out that our dear family and friends (despite all of our hopes and dreams) did not use the month and few months since our wedding to learn how to use a gift registry... and so the random concoction of baby paraphernalia piled up and to our lovely family's credit, it's adorable albeit slightly non cohesive.
So as I organized clothes by size and looked at the adorable blankets given to us and made lists of the things still needed, inspiration struck in the form it usually does. As with the naming of our child, John, Paul, George and Ringo came to the rescue. No, there will not be yellow submarines hanging from the ceiling... nor will it resemble an octopus' garden... in the shade or the sun. Unfortunately for you, we aren't quite finished which means no reveal for you yet but pictures will be coming soon. Trust me. It's going to be adorable... almost as adorable as the probably ginger kid in my tummy.
Much love,
Sydney L

Baby Snaps

Hey! 

I embarked on a new adventure yesterday... I did my first newborn photo shoot! I was incredibly nervous but I think they turned out super cute SO I thought I would share some of my favorite photos. 

Isn't she just precious? All of the bows and lace made me a little jealous. Boys only get bows in the form of bow ties. I'm not convinced that I want to do MORE newborn photos but it's definitely a good skill to have I think... and it will definitely come in handy when our little nugget decides to show up. 

While I wait for him to arrive, I guess I'll just have to continue putting together the nursery and reupholstering chairs. Pictures of the nursery to come! As a hint... it may be slightly more British than we had originally intended. 

Love,

Sydney L

Lumberjack Mack

Hey guys!

So through all of my "baby prep" somewhere along the line I got a promo code for a free 8X8 Shutterfly Photobook... Naturally I had 150 ideas as to what to use it on BUT Parker and I settled on making a storybook for our sweet little baby!

Naturally the story that evolved was about a jerky eating, bear wrestling lumberjack that decides to go on an adventure to find a wife. And naturally that meant that Parker needed to grow out a beard and some of my dear friends had to dress up as animals. I thought I would share some of the photos with you because they turned out so dang cute!

Love,
Sydney L

Separation Anxiety

Hello All!
I know it's been a while. It's a little because not a lot has really been going on (besides my ever expanding to belly) and a little because I've been in Utah since the 4th of July and Parker has been in Indiana and won't be here until tomorrow. Honestly, this has been the longest six weeks of my life (longer even than the six weeks packing roe at the fishery in Alaska)... and I am beyond grateful that they are coming to a close. My parents have been champions at feeding me and entertaining me but I miss my husband and our life. There have been times when I feel as if I'm their wayward daughter that got knocked up and sent home and that I was never married in the first place. Thankfully the weirdness is almost over!
This whole situation has made me more and more grateful for modern technology. FaceTime, texting, online baby registries and more has made it so much easier to be away from my sweet husband. I have NO idea how people handled things like this before all of our modern conveniences. Anyway, I just thought I would type a celebration post real quick!
Now it's back to baby showers, waiting for this little guy to grow and making more and more lists of things to do! Wish us luck!
-Sydney

Golden Ticket

Hey everyone!

I just had the best morning EVER! Parker, our pal Phil and I had the opportunity to finally check out the DeBrande Chocolatier tour. It was magical.

They started by showing us a video introducing the company and showing us wonderful photos of their beautiful products. We were then given a tour of the 3 kitchens and were given samples a few of DeBrande's seriously delicious fillings. 

We then proceeded to spend WAY to much money on their chocolates they had available for purchase. I couldn't talk Parker into the gellato BUT we did get sea salt caramels, among some other wonderful flavors. 

On another happy note, our little baby was over the moon about all the samples. Judging by the tap dancing he was doing in my belly, he loved the raspberry creme. The chocolate was great. The factory was beautiful. My pregnant belly is happy. So triple win, yeah?

Much Love,

Sydney L

Watermelon Seed

So folks, I'm starting to look like I've eaten a watermelon seed.
It was bound to happen and I'm more than okay with it. Being pregnant is not what I expected at all. I expected to not be sick (my mom was never sick, my grandma was never sick...) I expected to be fat but to be pretty much the same. I imagined a little human growing and moving inside of me and would shudder at the thought. I assumed that eventually the hormones would be rough to manage and I'd never look at tiny shoes and squeal with delight. I was mostly wrong.
1) I had 3 full months of sick. It was not fun but for some reason I didn't mind to much. Parker hated it. He looked at me so sad and at a loss of what to do. Thankfully that portion of pregnancy is finished.
2) A little human moving around is so neat! He's gotten big enough that you can see my tummy move when he moves. It's amazing to feel him wiggle when certain music is on, or when Parker talks to him. I never thought I'd be so enthralled by looking at and touching my own tummy.
3) The hormones are rough. I cry and yell at nothing. It's pretty ridiculous. Thankfully my sweet husband is good at laughing at me and holding me until I calm down. I can't decide if it's hormones or the trouble sleeping but I also didn't expect my dreams to get so coo-coo. But they definitely did.
The thing that has mostly surprised me is how full of hope I am for this tiny life inside of me. I think about him all the time. What's he going to look like? Will he be creative like me or strategic and smart like his daddy? Will he have as much energy out of the womb as he does in? I just can't wait to get to know him. I feel so incredibly blessed to be in this situation. Am I terrified to be a mom? Pretty much. But I know that this is going to be a wonderful adventure.
Thanks for listening!
-Sydney L

Managing May

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've made a "things that are making me happy" list. This could be a combination of business and laziness (you should probably believe it's laziness) but I think it's about time to do one again.
This week has been pretty rough between Parker being sick and me passing kidney stones... then there's the pregnancy exhaustion mixed with Parker's work exhaustion. So I think it's time to take a moment to talk about happy things and remember that I have a LOT to be grateful for.

1) ANNIVERSARY! It's crazy to think that it's been a whole year and almost a month since our delightful wedding day. I feel like I can finally think about it without left over angst and stress... which is a minor miracle. Not only has our anniversary given me a chance to do that, it's also let me reflect on the year. Everything has changed so much! Not only that but everything is 10 times happier than I could have imagined it being. If you would have told me last year that at this time I would be pregnant, we'd be in Indiana of all places, I would have laughed at you. Anyways, back to our anniversary.

Parker is always the champion of surprises. He LOVES surprising me... and he hates being surprised. Needless to say he went "all out" for our anniversary. He was nervous about planning anything because we weren't sure how I'd be feeling but luckily for us the morning sickness dissipated just in time. We stayed at the Grand America in Salt Lake City (which is definitely in my top 5 favorite places EVER). It was so beautiful. There's something about staying there that makes you feel as if you've been transported to a different life, where you may not be a princess but you are definitely some form of lesser royalty. We ate gelato and explored the hotel. That night we went to Desert Star Theater to see Provo Cop... which was hilarious!

The next morning we woke up to breakfast in bed and then we went to the ZOO!! I know there's those anti zoo people. I'm not one of them. I love being able to see the monkeys and elephants and roar at the lions. Parker and I got to squeal at all the cute baby animals. It was perfect!

2) Sour Cream and Onion Chips. This seems to be my most consistent pregnancy symptom besides medium rare hamburgers and enchiladas. There's something about the way they crunch in my mouth... just thinking about it makes me hungry but that could just be that I'm always hungry.

3) Target Baby Registry. I had no idea that deciding what you wanted/needed for an upcoming baby would be so time consuming and frustrating! There is SO much stuff. Target's online registry though, is wonderful. They have it divided into categories. It makes it way easier to not lose track of what you've already looked at. Their reviews are generally helpful and they even have a "mom's choice" section that has a group of mommies' top choices in any price range. It's been great and useful and stress relieving.

4) DeBrand Fine Chocolates. This place is right here in Fort Wayne... about 5 minutes away from our apartment. I've yet to go BUT they do tours and I have the boys talked into it for next week. Just thinking about going is making me salivate. Click the link to check out some gorgeous chocolate porn. Be warned though, it's going to make you hungry for the rest of the day.

5) The Paradise. I'm almost a fan of period pieces done by the BBC. This is no exception. For those that watch Mr. Selfridge on Masterpiece, this will remind you a lot of it. However, I never got into Mr. Selfridge. Anyways, back to the Paradise. The show is set in 1875 and is centered around an English department store. If you like accents, beautiful clothes and some romance, look into it. There are only going to be 2 seasons. The first is on Netflix.

and finally 6) Chasing Grace- Run and Ed Sheeran- Small Bump. Both have been playing in my head all month. Listen in and let me know what you think.

Much love from my home to yours!
-Sydney L

Truckin'

Well hello everyone! Sydney here. And by here, I mean currently typing in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This is a slightly different "here" than usual. Parker and I have finally made it out to our summer home. Our road trip out here was pretty great. We spent a night in Colby, Kansas, one night in St. Louis and the next day we reached our destination. 

We ate some wonderful food, went to the zoo... Did I mention the food?

It was so wonderful to spend some time with my cute husband while not worrying about school or doctors appointments or running errands or meeting up with friends. It was just us and my constant need to eat (yay for pregnancy!)

Now that we are getting settled real life is also settling in and that's okay too. I'm so grateful that Parker and I have had the opportunity to see so much of our beautiful country in our 13 months of marriage. Hopefully after little baby comes we can continue to explore. 

Much love from Fort Wayne!

-Sydney L

 

Beans: Take Two

Hey! I just got back from the doctor (DUN DUN DUN!) and guess what?!! We are having a baby boy! All of Parker's dreams have just come true. He keeps talking about playing catch and going fishing. It's down right adorable.

Anyway, we are so thrilled for tiny bow ties and a whole lot of dirt! 

Much love, from our home to yours!

Sydney L

When you wake up in Disneyland...

Hello Everyone! 

Do you ever have that weird feeling when you come home from vacation, and feel like your vacation was wonderful but not necessarily relaxing... and you feel more tired after than before you left? That's how I currently feel. I feel as if I'm still recovering from our California trip.

Parker and I had the awesome opportunity to go to DISNEYLAND with a couple of new friends. It was absolutely wonderful. I've always told Parker that I wanted to go to Disney before we had kids. We cut it close but we made it happen and I'm sure our little bean loved all the stimuli. 

We got to the park around 11 on Friday and ran all day. We ate churros, were serenaded by a live jazz band , laid on the couches in the Lincoln Theater and rode the riverboat to relax from all of the line standing and ride riding. Parker hadn't been to Disneyland for 11 years! Which is crazy to me. California Adventure didn't even exist when he came last. His favorite was the Car's Racing ride. We road it twice and it was awesome! We saw Mickey and Minnie and took quizzes to see which Disney Character we were most like. I got Belle and Parker was Buzz Lightyear. We rode the classics like Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan. As always Soarin' Over California was great and reminded us that California is awesome. We saw World of Color and rode the Haunted Mansion. I'm very excited about our "Happy Haunt" that we got to bring home. Being there just made me feel so excited to take our children someday. It was perfect.

On an even happier note we got to help our pal Saul propose to his adorable girlfriend Rachel. He asked her on Splash Mountain and it was so stinkin cute. We made signs so the boys could hold them up on the ride when the picture is taken. Poor Rachel was in the front of the log, looking like she wasn't going to make it. Saul asked her to marry him in front of the picture monitors at the end of the ride. It was so happy and clever and I'm so excited for them! They are going to be great. I'm so grateful that I was able to be a part of something so exciting.

 The day after Disneyland we went to the beach, ate delicious food and saw a car show. I feel so blessed to be able to have these adventures. I'm doing my best to never take it for granted. 

Much love,

Sydney L

Beans

Hello Everyone!
I've got a special announcement! It would seem that I'm going to be getting bigger over the next couple of months.... and our little family of two is growing into a family of three!

We are so excited and surprised and excited (did I say excited?) for the wonderful new adventure we are blessed to embark on. Our little bean will be joining us in September and we can't wait!

Much love,
Sydney L

New Growth

Hey everyone!
Now that it's finally March, I feel as if winter is gone. I'm sure that we will have several more random snow storms and I'm sure that the sun won't warm us up as much as I'd hoped but I'm full of hope for this month. Really I'm just full of hope for this life. I find myself in good spirits today, despite the mountain of homework I've been avoiding... I look out our huge sliding glass door and see green grass sprouting and hear birds chirping. It's simply beautiful. I love the new life and wonder that spring tends to bring. There is something amazing about taking off a layer or two for good... at least for a couple of months.

Now it's been a busy and wonderful week. I thought I'd give you a quick update!
We finally have a summer plan! Wahoo! Parker and I will be travelling to Fort Wayne, Indiana with Now Communications. Parker will be selling satellite TV. And in happier news, this will be our LAST summer of sales. It's been an amazing experience to travel to new places and meet new people but the time has come to transition to grown up life. Oh! And Boone is going to come and sell too! It's going to be great to see my two favorite boys working together. It should be great!
SPRING BREAK is next week. I'm headed to Tooele land for some wonderful adventures with my family and friends. I NEVER thought I'd miss that place but I certainly do. I'll keep you posted on my adventures and discoveries while I'm there.
On a side note, I've just started rereading My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath. It's a beautiful book. It's written for children BUT I love it. I thought I'd close with a quote from it.
"Suddenly I realize that everyone in the whole world is, at the end of a day, staring at a dusky horizon, owner of a day that no one else will ever know."
Take advantage of the opportunities today holds!
Love from my home to yours,
Sydney L

Cathedral Gorge

Now I'm not particularly thoughtful or deep today, but I am happy! So I thought I would share our latest adventure with you! Our dear friends Krystal and Bryce kidnapped us on Saturday for an EPIC trip to Nevada. We visited Cathedral Gorge State Park. We ate delicious food (grilled chicken, beans etc.) and hiked around the park. It was absolutely beautiful. It was also a nice reminder that Heavenly Father made this world for us to enjoy! So get outside and enjoy your beautiful February!
Much Love!
Sydney L

Annie Oakley and Pistol Pete

So the strangest thing happens when you get married... you change. And I guess that's life really BUT I've found myself doing things I didn't think I would EVER do... for example I was anti digital scrapbooking until I ran out of time to do the physical book. I also never used to brush my teeth before bed. I feel like it makes my breath taste like mothballs in the morning but now I do it anyways. I never understood why people talked about baby names or whined when their husband was out of town. I get it now. I hate it when Parker isn't home and our list of baby names has grown exponentially. It's ridiculous, I'm aware because chances are we really aren't going to name our kid Roanoke Jupiter Alleman but it's fun to giggle about now. That brings me to the giggling. I love playing with Parker. I knew that we would play, but I don't think I realized that sometimes we would be literally 5 years old playing tea party or whatever I talked him into. It's happy. 

I've always thought of myself as a free spirit, in the general sense of the word. I do what I want, I fight for what I want and I do my best to make myself happy. It would seem however, that I am perfectly comfortable with my comfort zone and I don't want to go too far out of my bubble. I always order the same thing at Applebees, La Frantera, and the Pastry Pub. So Parker has been trying to get me to "try new things..." which really means do something that he's comfortable doing... but it's good for me. The biggest fight since marriage has been about... GUNS! My mom NEVER allowed guns in our home. Until we were married I'd only held a firearm two times and I'd only fired it once... with my eyes closed.... supposedly pointed at some target. Hand me a bow and arrow and I'm a Native American Princess. Hand me a gun and I look like some poor Victorian Era socialite with a poor constitution that whimpers when made to walk to the stables. The point is, the make me uncomfortable and scared and when we got married I most definitely did not want them around. I mean it seems completely unnecessary. 

Anyways, after much persuasion Parker has taken me shooting several times, the latest time with some of our "married" friends. We at "man-burgers" and shot our pal Bryce's handgun. I'm more of a rifle kind of girl but to my surprise I'm kind of getting the hang of this whole gun thing.. and I'm even starting to like it. Am I going to go out and kill little living creatures? Probably not. BUT I've definitely learned that knowledge is power. I'm not scared of them just going off because they feel like it anymore and I know what I'm doing, so that's a huge help in accident prevention. There is a kind of power in being able to protect yourself and your family if something happens. Besides that it's kind of fun and it turns out I'm a pretty good shot. I guess the point is maybe we should be more open to trying new things... You might surprise yourself.

Happy trials on all of your new adventures!

Love from my home to yours!

-Sydney L

Dreaming of Disney

Now, please be warned... when it comes to Disney I turn into a 6 year old girl watching Little Mermaid for the first time. Proceed with caution....

There are few things that I love more than Disney. Those include my family, the gospel and I think that's about it. Nothing puts a smile on my face like walking through the gates at Disneyland or daydreaming about what it would be like to be a Disney Princess. I'm aware that this behavior is questionable for a 22 year old woman but I can't help it. I dream of living on New Orleans Square, right next to Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. I don't think I could ever talk Parker into it... or the Disney Company for that matter but a girl can dream.

Speaking of dreams, last night I had a most magnificent one. Parker and I went to Disneyland. It was just the two of us visiting. There were no lines. The dancers in the parades had us dance with them. We got to fly and crow with Peter Pan. To say it was magical, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, I woke up to cold Cedar City, which is cause for rejoicing most days but now I've got Disneyland under my skin. So I thought I would share some of my favorite Disneyland memories with you!

In 2008 I went with my high school orchestra. This is the first trip that I can remember well. We got a full day in the park. It was absolutely magical. You must understand that I've spent a large portion of my life convinced that I am Princess Ariel... at this time it didn't help that I was 16, had gingery hair and was wanting a little freedom. For the first time I got to see her. She was in the parade and she had her cute little grotto that has now been replaced with Pixie Hollow. My mom asked the Ariel we met how to become a Disney Princess. The girl stayed in character and said, "Well, I'm a princess because my dad is a king. Maybe you've heard of King Triton? Then Disney came and made a movie about me." Then she turned to me and asked, "Have they made a movie about you yet?" I said, "No, but it's in the works." And that was that. I remember being completely taken with the whole place. I felt like every direction I turned there was something wonderful to be found. One minute I was in the future and the next you could be completely taken with the past. To say I loved it would be an understatement.

If 2008 was the Ariel trip, 2010 was the Peter Pan trip. I was about to graduate from high school and life seemed new, scary and like it was moving way to fast. I became taken with Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. I spent the trip with my mom and my brother... most high school kids would hate it but not me. I felt that there we could make time stop. Unlike the first orchestra trip, we got two days in the park instead of one and we got to do a masterclass with Backstage Disney. We were taken into a studio and we played the movie music and the Imagineers played our track against various Disney Films. We did part of Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King. The one I remember best is the Lion King. We did the scene where Simba finally takes his place as king after defeating Scar. The rain is falling and he climbs Pride Rock to roar. There is something about playing the movie music that brings it home in a different light. I remember having chills all over my body during Simba's ascent to the edge of Pride Rock. Like most of Disneyland, it was magical. After that the rest of the trip was amazing. I crowed at Peter Pan during the parade. I talked my mom into riding the teacups (a miracle) and Boone and I wept on Tower of Terror because we were so scared. I was there with my friends and family. It was wonderful. It also helped that during our performance award ceremony in the park, I got a solo award. Double win!

The next Disney trip was different. We went as a family with my cousins and my Grammy. We got to eat lunch at Ariel's Grotto and I matched Mickey on his steamboat. It was great to spend so much time with my family, especially as we were all getting older and spreading out (at least geographically speaking). This was the trip that I knew I would be "discovered". Someone was bound to look and me and think, "Ah! There she is! We've been needing a Cast Member just like her." I just knew that my parents would just have to leave me in California. Maybe if I stood on the curb and sang at the top of my lungs or was just perfectly helpful in one of the boutiques. I mean, they needed me... right? They really didn't. I was great at answering visitors questions when they were directed at me and I often had to explain that "I don't work here..." especially when we were in the shops by the Boardwalk in California Adventure. It turns out that if you want a job or if you have a dream, you should fill out the application.

Later in the week, Boone and I pretended to be pirates for a whole day. We only spoke pirate and we drove my mother insane but it was hilarious. We spend half of the day on the Pirate's Hide-away Island. We memorized every nook and cranny. It was awesome. I'm sure some of the little children we were surrounded by didn't appreciate having the "big kids" around. I promise we played nice though. 

The next step I guess is to get Parker to go. He's only been once a

nd he doesn't remember it well. I think he will love it. His imagination isn't quite as ridiculous as mine but it will be fun to be 6 years old together. I can't wait to show him all of the things that make my heart soar. It seems to me that in Disneyland, anything you can dream can be. I guess the world is really like that, it's just easier to remember in the world of "yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy..."

Thanks for listening to my memories and putting up with my childlike fantasies. 

Much love, from my home to yours

Sydney L

Warming Up Winter

January has a special place in my heart... probably because I was born in January and (in my mind... not real life) winter is half way over! I mean it's going to warm up... right? Probably not as soon as I want it to, but a girl can dream. So even though the snow is falling and our apartment is literally freezing (I'm sitting at my kitchen table in gloves and two sweaters), I thought I would share what is keeping me warm this month!

1) My grandpa bought me a Berkshire Blanket for Christmas this year... and it is literally keeping me warm. I'm not sure what has been done to this blanket but you wrap it around yourself and almost immediately you are surrounded by happy fluffy warmness. It is absolutely wonderful and it matches my living room so double bonus. When I'm wrapped in it I can almost tune out the noise of our neighbors' nightly dance party above my head. They (the blankets, not our neighbors) are sold at www.berkshireblanket.com

2) Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries- http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/miss-fishers-murder-mysteries/

I seem to be going through a 1920s thing right now and Phryne Fisher seems to have made it worse. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a TV program filmed in Australia about Phryne Fisher, a female detective in the 1920s who solves murders and helps the local police in Melbourne, Australia . It sounds like a pretty regular concept and it is. The part that makes it amazing is Phryne. She is a regular flapper, a free spirit if you will. She is incredibly smart and gives everyone a run for their money. On top of that, the music is superb and the costuming is absolutely brilliant. The show has me searching for the perfect bob haircut for my hair. It's also different to look at the silly things we take for granted that were just coming out in 1926. I loved watching Phryne's companion, Dot, jump in fright every time the brand new phone rang. The series has 2 seasons out and both are on Netflix. Apparently a Christmas Special aired a few days before Christmas. It's the only one I haven't seen but if it's anything like the rest of the series then I'm sure it's amazing.

3) Billie Holiday- Now I've loved Billie for a long time. She was my introduction to jazz. Her phrasing is unlike anything I've ever heard and she has the ability to give me the chills or warm me up from the inside out. It seems that I always come back to her in the extreme times, the freezing cold or the hot summer nights. Which explains why I'm feeling her now, considering how cold it's been. 

As a music lover I try really hard to give all music a change and as much as I love the direction new music is going, there is nothing like going back to the roots. I find that it always feels familiar, even if I've never heard it before, and "cleanses" my musical pallet.

4) Last summer I read a marvelous book called The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro and ever since I've been on the hunt for a "signature scent". Apparently I'm quite picky. I don't want something immediately identifiable like Chanel NO 5 and I don't want anything that smells like food. I don't want someone to catch a whiff and think of dessert or their morning smoothie. I've been thinking of roses, something floral and feminine. In an Etsy wandering I found a perfume named Dauphine by Goest Perfumes. It is absolutely scrumptious. I literally want to bathe in it. Follow the link to look at the shop & buy a sample! https://www.etsy.com/listing/94342179/sample-dauphine?ref=shop_home_active_5

5) Now I don't cook... not really anyway. I'm a champion at heating up refried beans for a burrito or making a perfectly toasted grilled cheese but that is the extent of my skill. Recently on a Costco trip I stumbled upon Seeds of Change- Quinoa and Brown Rice. It is seriously the most delicious stuff ever and all you do is pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds. It's organic and healthy... which is great because Parker and I tend to gravitate towards Arby's or Gold Fish Crackers!

6) Last month Parker and I went to Las Vegas for a few days on our "honeymoon". We didn't really get the chance to have one after we got married, because of Parker's job with Vivint. It was great to "get away" with my sweet husband for a few days! We stayed at the Rio, saw a Cirque du Soliel show, walk the Strip, and ate DELICIOUS seafood from Joe's Seafood, Steak and Stone Crab at Caesar's Palace. The weather was perfect and I got my view of the fake Eiffel Tower to tide me over until Parker takes me to Paris ;) Just thinking about the warm weather and the fun we had warms up my insides.

Anyway, I hope that January is treating you well and all those headed back to school have had a great first week! Cheers!

Much love from my home to yours!

Sydney