On Sunday afternoon, Jeffrey and I grabbed our favorite new soda, corralled some cherries, carrots, and pineapple, grabbed a baguette + some cheese, and biked onto campus for a lovely picnic. Just as we left our picnic spot it began to rain, and we rode home in delight. How was your weekend? xo, R.
Showing posts with label simplicity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simplicity. Show all posts
Monday, June 11, 2012
Monday, July 19, 2010
peanut butter sleeve.
I remember the day I got my first American Girl doll. I couldn't stop running her shiny hair through my fingers, changing her into different outfits, and bringing her up and down to see her small eyes open and close. I played with my dolls for years. My best friend and I spent hours sprawled on the floor, pretending, imagining, and laughing. One day, I just didn't want to play with them anymore. And that was okay. My mom and I boxed them up and stuck them in my closet.
It was sad, but not too sad.
Some day down the road my own little girls would play with my dolls. They would hold the small hands I once held, buckle the little overalls I buckled, and squeeze the little frames I squeezed.
Fast forward 8 years.
Today, I started running American Girl doll camp. It lasts for one week, and girls who share the love for the very dolls I was attached to throughout my childhood get to make crafts and laugh with other girls who also love their dolls. And I get to run it. Today, I forgot it was a privilege. Today, I forgot that I get to run this camp. Today, I forgot that in the midst of kids who play video games, eat, watch TV, and sleep, there are still young girls who let their imaginations run wild all while holding on to little dolls who keep their deepest secrets.
9:15 AM.
A little girl walks in with long, scraggly blonde hair, and thick-rimmed, purple glasses. Her mom looks panicked:
"She doesn't have an American Girl doll. She just likes them. I didn't realize everyone in the camp would have one."
Rewind to the evening before.
After years of sitting in a cardboard box, I pulled out my dolls. I chose to bring Kit with me to camp. She was the last doll I got, and I remember being excited when she came out because she kind of looked like me.
(This was before the fancy Just-Like-Me dolls that American Girl now has, so Kit was kind of special.)
"That's okay. She can borrow Kit."
I could tell the little girl felt kind of embarrassed. She wanted nothing more than to have a doll that was hers; she didn't want the one that the silly counselor let her borrow. After some coaxing, however, she grabbed Kit, and sat down next to another little girl.
She hugged that doll, squeezed her, made her the most intricate Birthday party hat ever, took her to lunch, sat her down on the splintered wood next to her, ran her fingers through her shiny hair, and loved her just like I used to.
During our bird feeder craft, most of the girls ended up covered in peanut butter. The craft was not perfect. I would never do it again. I felt like it was a complete failure, and most girls just asked if they could throw the feeder away.
(Think bagel covered in peanut butter, covered in bird seed, dangling on some yarn. Not pretty.)
But after the scraggly-haired-purple-glasses little girl handed me Kit at the end of the day, I noticed some peanut butter on my doll's shirt sleeve, and some more on the bridge of her nose. And the peanut butter on her nose came right off, but the peanut butter on her shirt sleeve didn't.
And I was happy.
And I get to run an American Girl doll camp.
And Kit gets peanut butter on her shirt sleeve.
So, it was a pretty good day.
xo, R.
It was sad, but not too sad.
Some day down the road my own little girls would play with my dolls. They would hold the small hands I once held, buckle the little overalls I buckled, and squeeze the little frames I squeezed.
Fast forward 8 years.
Today, I started running American Girl doll camp. It lasts for one week, and girls who share the love for the very dolls I was attached to throughout my childhood get to make crafts and laugh with other girls who also love their dolls. And I get to run it. Today, I forgot it was a privilege. Today, I forgot that I get to run this camp. Today, I forgot that in the midst of kids who play video games, eat, watch TV, and sleep, there are still young girls who let their imaginations run wild all while holding on to little dolls who keep their deepest secrets.
9:15 AM.
A little girl walks in with long, scraggly blonde hair, and thick-rimmed, purple glasses. Her mom looks panicked:
"She doesn't have an American Girl doll. She just likes them. I didn't realize everyone in the camp would have one."
Rewind to the evening before.
After years of sitting in a cardboard box, I pulled out my dolls. I chose to bring Kit with me to camp. She was the last doll I got, and I remember being excited when she came out because she kind of looked like me.
(This was before the fancy Just-Like-Me dolls that American Girl now has, so Kit was kind of special.)
"That's okay. She can borrow Kit."
I could tell the little girl felt kind of embarrassed. She wanted nothing more than to have a doll that was hers; she didn't want the one that the silly counselor let her borrow. After some coaxing, however, she grabbed Kit, and sat down next to another little girl.
She hugged that doll, squeezed her, made her the most intricate Birthday party hat ever, took her to lunch, sat her down on the splintered wood next to her, ran her fingers through her shiny hair, and loved her just like I used to.
During our bird feeder craft, most of the girls ended up covered in peanut butter. The craft was not perfect. I would never do it again. I felt like it was a complete failure, and most girls just asked if they could throw the feeder away.
(Think bagel covered in peanut butter, covered in bird seed, dangling on some yarn. Not pretty.)
But after the scraggly-haired-purple-glasses little girl handed me Kit at the end of the day, I noticed some peanut butter on my doll's shirt sleeve, and some more on the bridge of her nose. And the peanut butter on her nose came right off, but the peanut butter on her shirt sleeve didn't.
And I was happy.
And I get to run an American Girl doll camp.
And Kit gets peanut butter on her shirt sleeve.
So, it was a pretty good day.
xo, R.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
ice cream in a parking lot.
Last night Jeffrey called me at around 11pm
and told me to come down to the parking lot.
When I met him, he was standing there
with a carton of chocolate ice cream and a box of cake cones.
"We forgot to have the chocolate ice cream you wanted."
He scooped some out for me and we sat side by side
in the middle of the parking lot, enjoying our cones.
That's love.
Have a happy day! xo
and told me to come down to the parking lot.
When I met him, he was standing there
with a carton of chocolate ice cream and a box of cake cones.
"We forgot to have the chocolate ice cream you wanted."
He scooped some out for me and we sat side by side
in the middle of the parking lot, enjoying our cones.
That's love.
Have a happy day! xo
Sunday, February 7, 2010
a lovely weekend.
i went home this weekend and we had a really nice time.
jeffrey and i shared a root beer from the bottle on the way home.
{his attempt at the 'elvis face.'}
we listened to old crow medicine show and the avett brothers.
my family got thai food take out and played bananagrams.
my mom and i fell in love with this blog.
my dog cuddled up to me and stayed with me all night.
{he thinks he's too good to pose for pictures.}
on saturday, we got my computer fixed at screwbox solutions (probably one of the finest shops i have ever been to.)
we ate lunch at smoke.
we ooh-ed and aw-ed over every piece of merchandise at indigo bee.
we bought sharpie pens (my dad and i are newly obsessed!).
i went out to dinner with my two best friends, sara and alex.
my mom and i stayed up late sharing creative ideas.
my dog cuddled up to me, but was being a bed hog, so only stayed with me half the night.
we woke up on sunday and made german pancakes. highly recommend.
we also made paula deen's apple cake. also, highly recommend.
{paula deen's cake required that you poke holes in it so that you could fill them with a buttery sauce.}
my mom and i went to target, our favorite place to shop — especially together!
we bought dove chocolates for valentine's day.
jeffrey and i drove back to school and shared fries and a coke from mcdonald's. it's practically tradition by now.
i hope your weekend was just as lovely! xo
jeffrey and i shared a root beer from the bottle on the way home.
{his attempt at the 'elvis face.'}
we listened to old crow medicine show and the avett brothers.
my family got thai food take out and played bananagrams.
my mom and i fell in love with this blog.
my dog cuddled up to me and stayed with me all night.
{he thinks he's too good to pose for pictures.}
on saturday, we got my computer fixed at screwbox solutions (probably one of the finest shops i have ever been to.)
we ate lunch at smoke.
we ooh-ed and aw-ed over every piece of merchandise at indigo bee.
we bought sharpie pens (my dad and i are newly obsessed!).
i went out to dinner with my two best friends, sara and alex.
my mom and i stayed up late sharing creative ideas.
my dog cuddled up to me, but was being a bed hog, so only stayed with me half the night.
we woke up on sunday and made german pancakes. highly recommend.
we also made paula deen's apple cake. also, highly recommend.
{paula deen's cake required that you poke holes in it so that you could fill them with a buttery sauce.}
my mom and i went to target, our favorite place to shop — especially together!
we bought dove chocolates for valentine's day.
jeffrey and i drove back to school and shared fries and a coke from mcdonald's. it's practically tradition by now.
i hope your weekend was just as lovely! xo
Monday, January 25, 2010
Love.
Who can say whether or not love is coincidental or fateful or pre-determined?
All I know is that it really doesn't matter because I found love in an amazing guy and sometimes I wake up in the morning and think to myself, "Oh my God, how did I get so lucky?" My boyfriend is a stand up guy and has done everything in the world for me. I never thought I would meet someone who truly knows me inside-out. Sometimes he even knows me better than I know my own self.
He lets me keep his big, green sweater.
He lets me eat all the ice cream I want.
He gives me kisses on the cheek.
He gives me kisses on the forehead.
He gives me kisses on the nose.
He dances with me in the hallway while no one is watching.
He twirls me around when I ask him to.
He encourages my hopes.
He believes in my dreams.
He makes me the best version of myself.
I am in love with the most incredible guy and I love it.
xo
All I know is that it really doesn't matter because I found love in an amazing guy and sometimes I wake up in the morning and think to myself, "Oh my God, how did I get so lucky?" My boyfriend is a stand up guy and has done everything in the world for me. I never thought I would meet someone who truly knows me inside-out. Sometimes he even knows me better than I know my own self.
He lets me keep his big, green sweater.
He lets me eat all the ice cream I want.
He gives me kisses on the cheek.
He gives me kisses on the forehead.
He gives me kisses on the nose.
He dances with me in the hallway while no one is watching.
He twirls me around when I ask him to.
He encourages my hopes.
He believes in my dreams.
He makes me the best version of myself.
I am in love with the most incredible guy and I love it.
xo
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