Hair, There & Everywhere

This momma got a new freelance job so I've been trying to balance bringing in some bucks with designing and writing copy for the new Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas website. I'm waiting on the photos from Stewart so I can start putting together the calendar. It's a lot of creative projects at once and I love it. My husband has been working extra hard on it and I'm so appreciative.

Been feeling bored with my hair.. straight and mid-length for so long - so I took a little trip to Sally's and ended up spending my first few days of freelance pay on hair supplies. A crimper, new rollers, a curling iron, feather extensions, the works. Even bought a little tube of red lipstick, wow!

Here's my hair with feathers in and crimped. No makeup; it was late.

My friends made comments like, "Get in the delorean we're picking up teen wolf and going back to the future!" and "Don't forget to roll your z cavariccis...." Haha, but I love it. It makes my hair thicker and alternating strips of crimped and straight hair is retro chic. I'm totally bringing it back. (Besides, my stylist's assistant had her hair crimped during the THPM calendar shoot and it was adorable.)

This is a style I'm loving too, especially for running out with dirty hair.

Onto other parenting things... My friend and fellow momma/calendar model Samantha is featuring some parenting stories on her blog starting this week, so head on over and check them out. Who knows? Yours truly might even have something to say. ;)

The Good & The Bad

Today my kids were in tag-team mode. From this morning until right before bedtime, they managed to play in toilet water, sneak into the dog's water bowl to have a second splash party, broke one of dad's prized possessions, dropped my birth control pills in the toilet, spread an entire box of chickadees (cheap goldfish) and Life cereal all over the kitchen floor, take all of the dirty clothes out of the laundry basket and spread them across the bedroom floor, feed the dogs their dinner, and threw water cups across the room.

And I got yelled at for not being a good enough housewife. Okay, well, I kind of got grilled by my hubby about smoking in the new car and how it smells like spoiled milk already... so I drove to the corner store and bought cigarettes. Right after I cleaned out the car.

So I should be writing about the third day's shoot and how fabulous everything went, but I'll leave that for a happier post. ;)

Thrifting Saturday: Styled

It's raining today and my house is trashed with all three kids and my husband home, so these pictures today are taken in our hallway of doors. If you ever come to my house, you may end up trying to pee in the garage or wash your clothes in the bathroom. It's confusing and distracting, so I'll do my best to crop these photos so you can focus on these fabulous clothes! (sorry about the cat door.) 

p.s. I guess Photobucket is going to be vetoed soon because these photos are wonky unless you click on them. Must install Photoshop on this computer.

Husband Envy

i got this shirt because i'm envious of my husband's similar one. it's a little too long to be styled like this, though, i think, so the picture is not one of my faves.  leggings: Victoria's Secret, boots: Payless by Dexter


Denim & White

thrifted white shirt & denim skirt, Old Navy black infinity scarf

little dude had to be in the picture

this is my first time to do a denim skirt with tights and boots and i'm not sure i like the way it looks on me. definitely pair these two thrifted items separate next time. boots: gift


LBD made for me

this LBD was made for me. evidently my shoes were made for my daughter.

thrifted doctor bag & LBD, cute baby and hot wheels

tattooed momma in action. black kitten heels by Naturalizer



Wiggle shimmy shake

my favorite find of the day, this flowered wiggle dress

i adore the shirring on the sides, but you will never catch me wearing this as a dress.

this outfit my be my favorite of the day: Old Navy black cardigan, VS leggings, black suede wedge boots from Target (if this pic ever flips it'll be a freakin' miracle. until then, just turn your head sideways.)

the details in this shirt are just divine

i quite like this top with jeans. i cut off the strings that tied around back and love it 100x more. left untucked may require a belt and leggings.

Thrifting Saturday

Thrifting Saturday may have to become a weekly event, because I had the best time with Skye and Myles today at the thrift store. Or I should say, the biggest most crazy thrift store with the best stuff hidden in it. We have a Goodwill, vintage stores, and a handful of random resale shops, but this generic thrift store is the best.

I went in with a plan and as soon as we hit the store, I said "I don't even know where to start." So we hovered together picking up dresses for each other and holding stuff up. Skye picked out this silky floral tunic that would never have made it to my closet without her, and I'm psyched to wear it. Also got some basics like a white button-down from New York & Co. ($3), a denim American Eagle skirt ($3), a couple tunics since they're my current obsession, and an awesome black doctor bag in great condition. Oh, and the most perfect little black dress that fits like a glove that was too small for Skye. Score!

Here are my finds, for a total of $39.

NY&Co shirt, AE skirt, unlabeled black dress, unlabeled floral tunic, cream striped button-down tunic with ruffles, and an unlabeled black and grey military style tunic that matches my hubby's (it was too big so i found my own!)

I'll style them later for y'all since it's raining outside and my 10-year-old loves taking photos.

Five Things You Don't Know about Me Friday

Since I've been blogging nearly every day, perhaps it's time for some theme days. So, I'm making Friday "5 things you don't know about me Friday." Little tidbits of info about me, favorite fashions, crushed dreams, reoccurring nightmares, dresses I'm obsessed with.. whatever comes out that day.

5 Things You Don't Know About Me Friday

1. Growing up I wanted to be a writer and photographer for National Geographic who traveled all over the world.
2. I never planned, or had any desire, to get married or have children until I met my wonderful mister.
3. My son Cole's name came from my late grandfather, who wanted to name my dad that.
4. Stella's name is a combination of Stacy and Shellie, only I wanted an 'a' ending. St-ell-a.
5. I've always been a bit of a trendsetter in a wear-what-I-want kind of way.

The other day's themes will be:

Mood of the Day Monday -an outfit based on my mood and things that piss me off or make me happy

Two for Tuesday -an outfit and a  bonus

What I Wore Wednesday - post my outfit of the day

Thrifting Thursday - incorporate a thrift store find into my outfit or show off new 'old' goods 

What do you think? This is my first go at this.
I don't have a tripod or know my camera lens, nor am I a fashion photographer. I don't shop at high-end stores, but still believe you can look good on a budget with clothes from Target, Kohl's, and thrift store finds. I'm a stay-at-home-mom with no reason to get dressed every day besides the fact that I like to dress up. Oh, and the occasional play date with my Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas. :)

Thrifting and Toddler Photography

Lately I've fallen in love with Feathers and Freckles.. she is the most adorable thing who loves to thrift. Since moving to Dallas from Southwest Missouri, my sense of fashion has changed quite a bit and my love of thrifting was forgotten. So thanks, Megan, for reinspiring me!

Last week we visited my mom in Missouri and I actually did a bit of thrifting in her closet! It was the best because she is a tiny bit bigger than me and her clothes fit loose on me, the way I'm digging wearing them right now. I ended up with a load of cute things, including a cropped white sweater, purple corduroy shirt, plaid button-down, and tons of adorable sweaters.

some of my finds from mom's closet

Since the mister is out of town I'm going to hand my 3-year-old the camera and let him have a go at capturing my outfit today. Wish me luck!

edit: So this is what happens when my good camera is dead and I tell my 3-year-old to take pictures with my crappy camera phone:

What you're left with are these sad shots of today's outfit:

belt & shirt: thrifted   jeans: Mossimo flares from Target

necklace: gift

2nd edit: the mister came home and took this full shot of me. this outfit coulda used heels instead of these old Payless flats and a scarf to add some flair, but it was hot and we didn't leave the house today.

Closet Makeover: Before

My closet is in need of a serious makeover. My clothes are taking over the entire closet while my mister's measly handful of unworn shirts hang in precious space that could easily be taken over by my items so they could be showcased better. So, this is the goal for.. um, whenever I get to it.

Here is the closet view:

 

My clothes are taking over: 

The side with all of my dresses, love <3

I'm thinking short sleeved, summer items on the top row and winter on the bottom. Dresses can stay where they are, but need to be rearranged. If I shove his clothes over to one side, I could easily take over 2/3 of the top. ;)

How do you arrange your closet?

My ink tells a story.

On my left forearm, this one represents TWLOHA and my struggle with depression and anxiety the past 15 years.

This was for a picture contest with my online Octomoms, but it shows off my pirate girl. (i don't drink and i was seriously pregnant here.)

my momma owl in orange

blue owl represents my son; birds on my shoulder blade are a Kurt Halsey piece that say 'we are more than most will ever find'

purple owl represents my daughter

pirate rocker skullies on my hips for each babe - a boy and a girl

With the title of this blog being tattooed hippie pirate momma, I thought I'd show you a little bit about myself through my ink. The birds on my shoulder were done after my husband and my first(?) anniversary. I also have a cursive W on my left inner writer that I got for our fifth when he was out of town as a surprise.
The pirate girl came after my first baby (my son) was born because I was itching for a part of myself back. Part hippie chick, part renegade loner pirate, tattoo lover, and proud momma.
The skullies were deliberately placed on each side of the stretch marks earned through pregnancy (not too shabby of a tummy after two 8 lbs. babies, if I can say so). And looking at my arm every day  - a piece of artwork I drew years ago that my friend traced on my skin - reminds me that I am not alone in this world, that the more love I give, the more love I will receive in return. It reminds me not to give up.

*arm pieces by Pat Beck at Arsenal Ink in Denton, TX
*love and skullies by Derrick Teal at Love & Hate, Euless, TX
*birds on shoulder blade by Josh at Denton Tattoo Co, Denton, TX

When Dad's Away...

When Dad's away.... Mom takes the kids to the toy area at Target to save her sanity as she waits three more days for his return.

Seriously, what can you do with two accident-prone speedy children for that many days straight without a break? Even my nights are kid-filled as the boy insists on sleeping with me.

We have a two-story house with all of the bedrooms upstairs. Half of the living room is set up as kid space with a shelf and bin of toys, with the other half the TV space with two couches, a chair, and an ottoman. Being that our living room is already the size of a dorm room, it becomes a problem with only so much space to wander around in. However, I'm not comfortable with letting my 14-month-old daughter climb the stairs with the assistance of The Boy, so it's baby gate central over there. I can't even go upstairs without a kid crying at the bottom stair.

There has to be an easier way to make our house more open. Can anyone recommend a gate that you don't have to remove every time you want to go upstairs? I'd love a solution to this stupid 'we bought a two-story house before having kids' issue.

So what did I buy in the toy aisle, you might ask? A slide. Oh yeah. Because of all the space we have and how easy my kids are, it was the perfect idea. *smacks forehead*

Hey, the mini trampolines were out of season.

Stella's birthday pics

As if they aren't late enough..... we celebrated Stella's 1st birthday on Dec. 25 at the great-grandparents' house.

Yes, they're a handful. So what? I'm handling them just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Hello, I'm Stacy. Meet my kids.

It is fair to say that my two children are daredevils. When Cole was little, I wanted to teach him to be tough when he fell and not to cry over small things, aka, not to be a wussy boy. So, the first time he fell, I hit the ground and said "Boom!" and it became our joke from then on out. With Stella, there is no boom because the girl doesn't cry when she falls. She is a fearless climbing machine, with the dexterity of a monkey and the determination of an athlete on steroids.

Since my husband works and spends a lot of time out of town on business trips, I'm forced to take the monkeys to places like the grocery store, where I hold my breath and hope that I can get out as fast as I can with as little damage as possible. I get a lot of stares. It could be the tattoos, or it could be that I'm super petite at 5'2" and 95 lbs. (Don't hate, it's genetics, bitches.) My guess is that these old folks who stick their nose in my business think I'm a "young mother" who must be "clueless" and "needs advice and wisdom." HA. (I'm 31.)

It happens in convenience stores, in restaurants, at the checkout line in Kroger. "You sure have your hands full there." "You got yourself a handful with that one," and depending on the day and who's acting out more depends on which one is pointed at. This week some stranger in a gas station told me Stella was going to be a handful... Why? Because she was standing still looking at the chips with a gleam in her eye? She didn't mess up your shelves, lady, and she even politely said goodbye when we left.

I'm never quite sure how to respond to that statement. Before I had kids I would have let my birdie finger fly and my lips let go of hateful words, but now I have to think about my actions in front of my two children. Then again, before I had kids I guess my hands weren't so full. Sometimes it's anger that churns, paranoid these strangers are thinking I'm a bad mother.. and for what? They don't know me. They can't simply observe my children in a five-minute span to determine they are "a handful."

I've come to peace with the fact that, yes, I do indeed have my hands full. My 14-month-old daughter is breaking all stereotypes by outdoing her brother in acrobatics before he could even walk, and my 3-year-old is so smart that it scares me sometimes. While out of town this week, my daughter tried to take some concrete stairs alone and my son ran face-first into the pool table's corner. Both of them look like they've been beaten, so I've started telling people "I didn't do it" when they look at me.

So yes, I have my hands full. But so what? I love it, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm a fantastic mother and I'm handling them just fine, thankyouverymuch.

Today's Kidisms

• I can't decide if it's cute or creepy watching Stella walk around saying her own name in Cole's voice.
• After this week's falls, I now greet everyone when with my beat-down looking children with "I didn't do it."
• At Kroger and the boy's unders are sticking out the top of his pants, which is hilariously entertaining... until he mooned the Starbucks barista. Yes, this IS my life.

No Coffee? No Problem. I'll Pee On Your Rug.

This week my lovely mister had a business trip to Vegas (I know, poor him), so I packed up the two kiddos in the car and headed for for my mom's house in Missouri. The drive wasn't a total disaster like expected, so by the time the trip was over and we had another successful drive home, I was - and still am - feeling like Supermom. But I digress.

Since it was the middle of the week, my sister Rachel invited us to tag along with my niece Lily, 4, and nephew Ethan, 9 months, to their weekly story time at the library. I happily grabbed my morning coffee and donuts from the best local place in my hometown town, Daylight Donuts, and met my sister in the parking lot at the library down the street.

As we walked in, Cole took off running with Lily and I called (rather loudly, my sister said), "Cole! Come back here!" My sister shushed me. Then the librarian approached and said, "Ma'am, you can't have your drink in here." I looked down at my coffee and back at her. I wanted to strangle her, being that The Boy had already disappeared into the enormous book shelves and my daughter was trying to climb me. My sister volunteered to watch them while I returned my sweet, hot coffee to my freezing cold car.

Story time went well for the first five minutes, with Cole on Rachel's lap and Stella on mine. Some serious woman in a silly hat read Dr. Seuss books to the small crowd of really, really silent children and mothers. All I could think was how quiet it was with a room full of babies and toddlers, like some freaky twilight zone. Then my son discovered the doors to this community room were open to some really cool hallways and stairs, and of course, his sister quickly followed him.

At first we were a little worried he'd climbed up these steep stairs, but he quickly - and too quietly - called out my name (Mom, of course) from a dark room across the hall. With the girl in my arms - captured after too many retrievals from the stairs of death while searching for her brother - I saw him peek out from behind the door. "Cole," I whispered. "What are you doing?" I went closer and he pointed to the corner behind the door. "Pee," he said. Horrified, I looked down into the darkness to see a tiny puddle of pee on the carpet.

Story time ended after that. I guess the moral of Cole's story is if you don't let my mom have her coffee, I'll pee on your rug.

Wagon Ride

It's gorgeous here in Texas so we spent lots of time this week outside. Took Stella for her first wagon ride and told Cole he had to hold her tight, so he did. <3 I love these kids.

Cole's view of Mom

That's enough, I'm walking.

Crybaby

The majority of my days as a SAHM are spent cleaning up, picking up, moving things around, and cleaning up some more. Luckily my son has learned how to clean up his own spills and runs for a towel before Stella can climb into the liquidy mess. Unfortunately, he has this game where he hides with his cup or Stella's bottle and pours it out. Usually all over my nice rug.

We've had baby powder explosions, crayon on the doors, marker on the floors, paint on the kitchen chairs. All of which I handle quite in stride, I might add, because I AM, after all, the mother of a 1 and 3 year old. Magic Erasers are a gift to moms everywhere and the Dustbuster is one interesting gadget to a 3-year-old, often enticing enough to make him clean up his own messes.

This morning, however, we decided to play upstairs, where all the bedrooms are. While I was hanging laundry in my bedroom, across the upstairs I could hear the kids playing in Cole's room and then go to Stella's room, which came across my bedroom monitor. When Cole giggled and ran to the bathroom, it was obvious something was up. He had taken Stella's Advil down from her dresser, poured it all over her floor, blanket, bed, and my antique couch, a gift from my late Aunt Diane. I had to send him out of the room so I could cry.

Some days I'm a real crybaby.

Like a Teacher

what I wore today... please excuse the messy hair, red eye and tiny hand prints on my jeans. it was the end of the day and my girl had climbed me too many times.







My husband told me I looked nice when he came home, so he must have approved. (I'm never dressed when he leaves.) White shirt and green cardigan set from Old Navy, jeans from Target by Mossimo, boots by Nine West.

(I always splurge on boots. The other day Kev told Stella, "I hope you don't like boots as much as your mommy because she likes boots so much she needs an entire closet for just boots. She wears boots until her feet hurt and then she wears them some more." haha)

Let's hope photobucket changes my photos soon so you don't have to turn your head to view them, ;)

Maternity wear as daily wear?

How many of you still have maternity clothes that you wear and you're not pregnant?
*raises hand*

I admit, my pregnancy wardrobe was much cuter and more comfortable than my normal clothes. And I tried to keep some of the stuff - like a gray and black striped dress  - after Stella was born, but all of them emphasized the bump there in my midsection that I was trying to make disappear. I did, however, keep one thing: a black hooded wrap sweater in a sweatshirt material from Old Navy. I wear it as a coat, jacket, layer it over tees, and it's perfect over leggings because it's just long enough. Every time I wear it, people compliment me, so I guess it must be working!

What do you have from pregnancy that you still love and wear?

Striped.

standing on the dog bed, haha

cardigan: Old Navy  shirt: Ralph Lauren Polo   jeans: Delia*s