Best Guests Ever

After four fun-filled days with the Johnsons, they left tonight, headed for Flagstaff. They're getting a bit of a head start so they can stop at the Grand Canyon tomorrow. Shannon and I had lots of time to catch up on each other - okay, you don't need to catch up when you IM half of every day - but the conversation never lagged. I haven't forgotten how great it is to just hang out together and share mothering responsibilities. You know, like taking turns yelling at the kids to be nice to each other. Plus we had Aaron & Tom to help out too. I spent most days just hanging out with Shannon & the girls when we lived in Florida and that's what I miss most. Way more than the beach because despite how beautiful it is, there's all that pesky sand.

And I have to say - Shannon is the best guest ever! She baked treats, held the baby, cleaned my bathroom, vacuumed the floors, baked treats, washed the windows, and held down the fort while I baked treats. Pretty sure we both gained five pounds. So worth it!

Fight the Frump! A quick new look

I love the concept of this new blog carnival I found, hosted by Mrs. Fussypants. It's called Fight the Frump, and is of course run on Fridays. I need this. I went back and read all the linked-up posts from last week. I don't want to look frumpy, but usually I am just too lazy to look better. Or I don't place enough of a priority on it. (Pretty sure I could do my make-up 10 times during the time I spend checking blogs in the morning.) Or even occasionally, I am actually too busy taking care of three boys under the age of four. I need inspiration and the Fight the Frump carnival can provide it for me, and for you. Check it out!

So, my advice for fighting the frump this week, and I recently took this advice myself - get a new chic & fun haircut. Obviously it must be wash and wear, and it must fit your style and face shape - but get out there and find something new and fresh that will update your look and help you fight the frump. Look at celebrity cuts in magazines or online. Ask your hair stylist about ideas for what would look good on you.

Another great idea - get a new pair of sunglasses that you love. You will feel all cool, and they cover a multitude of problems like under-eye circles from lack of sleep, and the lack of make up.

Here's a picture of me with my new pair, and the new cut. I would have looked much better with a little make-up, especially lipstick - but... next time. See this post for my celebrity inspirations.

Counting the Days...

Next week our friends, the Johnsons, are coming to visit! It's been 18 months since we left Florida and Shannon & I still manage to stay caught up with each other's lives, to say the least. We saw Shannon and the girls this summer while we were in UT, but not Tom, and we are looking forward to seeing him this time too. In the midst of all the planning I realized I might want to clean up my house a little. And hey, it's spring cleaning time, so here's my list of things to do.

Clean out and disinfect the frig
Wipe down all cupboards, inside & out
Scrub floors on hands & knees
Vacuum couches & upholstery
Wipe down appliances
Scour bathrooms top to bottom
Wash windows, inside and out
Scrub window screens
Air mattresses and bedding
Dust fans & air vents
Get the carpets cleaned
Organize closets and storage areas
Clean out and sweep garage
Declutter and clean back porch
Weed front yard and trim trees & bushes
Install sprinkler system in back yard
Mulch and spread new grass seed in back yard
Paint exterior of house

So, what do you think? Can I get it all done in less than a week? Maybe I'll just guilt Shannon into helping me with everything once she gets here. Afterall, I just had a baby and am still recovering. Hope they're just happy with clean sheets. What are your must-do spring cleaning items?

My New Look

After being forced to wear bangs for the first ten years of my life to cover a rather large birthmark, I understandably have gone with a bare forehead for most of the years since. But I've been needing a change, and since cutting my hair short is out (husband is typical guy - only likes long hair) and since my hair is starting to break and fall out already (typical post-partum for me) I decided to go with bangs. I was inspired by the following tv looks.


Nina Garcia, Fashion Director of Elle Magazine and judge on Project Runway. I didn't really notice her bangs until the Finale and when I went back to look at previous episodes, looks like she cut shorter bangs recently. But I like them. These pictures don't do her or her bangs justice, but they were all I could find.

Lindsay Price as Victory Ford on NBC's Lipstick Jungle. Victory has way more bangs than I want to deal with, and I'm sure her hair is much thicker than mine (everyone's is), but I like the overall look - especially how it's versatile: lotta bangs, some bangs, side-sweep, etc.

Frances O'Connor as Zoe Burden on ABC's Cashmere Mafia. I love Zoe's casual but stylish look. She doesn't look as high maintenance as the other characters, probably because she is the mom with young children - just like me! But her hair still always looks good and has the same versatility I described above.

So... my new look, two ways.

I like them, as does Aaron, and I was worried about him. At least they are something different. The only problem is they are already awfully hot on my forehead, and we're nowhere near 100 degrees yet - not to mention 115. I might be wearing a lot of headbands this summer.

Ultimate Blog Party

Hello all you bloggers out there! Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party here at Tara Thinks. If you're coming here from 5 Minutes for Mom, welcome. If you're one of the people who read my blog regularly, check out the Ultimate Blog Party to find lots of cool new reads. You might even want to participate yourself (you can win great prizes too). I am excited at the prospect of finding new blogs, written by talented and interesting women. And I'm hoping that some people might find mine worth reading too.

I started blogging about a year ago at The Carpenter Clan - solely as a means of keeping a record of my family's comings and goings. My husband and I have been married for 6 1/2 years and have 3 sons, aged 3 1/2, almost 2, and 6 weeks. I posted a lot some months, less others, fell behind sometimes - but at the end of the year was happy with my efforts and had our family journal printed as a blog book (see this post).

But along the way I started connecting with other women and found that blogging can also be a fun networking tool for woman, especially SAHMoms who desparately need another adult to talk to during the day. I started Tara Thinks for myself - to blog about things that family members wouldn't necessarily be interested in and that I might not need to archive forever. I love to read, shop, cook, and work on my home - along with all the other things in my blog header!

Please take a look around my site and comment on this post or any other that might catch your interest. Leave your URL too - I would love to visit your blog if we have something in common. Also visit my Daily Delight feature by clicking on the button at the top of my sidebar. I started Daily Delight to remind myself of the things that bring me joy and that I think are beautiful, fun, or helpful. Thanks for visiting!