A Little Life

The other day… Just as we were about to walk out the door to school… J: Oh, Mom! Can you give me a dollar? Me: Why? J: Because… I need one. Me: Why do you need one? J: Because I promised *Leo I’d give him a dollar. Me: Um. Why did you promise Leo you’d give him a dollar? J: Because he let me cut in line. So I told him I’d give him a dollar. He puts his hand out. I stared at him blankly.  J: Mom. Hello? Can I have one? Was this conversation really happening? When did he get to be a full-fledged kid ensued in  playground bribery? Are these kind of exchanges between boys common, I wondered? When ...Read More
Jonah’s example of an animal hibernating Lately, Jonah has been obsessed with using my computer to play online math games. These “games” are more like digital workbooks, and the kid cannot get enough. (Nerd alert). The games start at Kindergarten and go up to 8th grade. When Jonah found out that there was Geometry and Algebra and a chance to do 3rd, 4th, or even 5th grade math, he begged me to let him do it. I’m happy to support the curiosity over what “big kids” in 1st and 2nd grade are doing– as long as he can do most of it on his own. You can’t learn anything if I’m ...Read More
Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great joy that I present to you the new and improved….. Perfectly Disheveled! (The crowd goes wild) Every now and again, we all need to hit the reset and refresh button and PD certainly needed that. From design, to platform (buh-bye Blogger), it was time to take this site to the next level. In addition to how sweet and delicious life is between a 6-year old with two front teeth missing and a fiance that wants to marry me even though I sleep with my mouth open (TMI?), I’ve also had the great opportunity of working with incredible brands this past year and have some wonderful ...Read More
Every now and again, I start feeling a little sentimental about how much I miss Jonah’s baby and toddler years. Though age 6 is proving to be fantastic in a million ways,  there are moments, like this morning, when I wish I could go back in time… just for a little… The new words he’d use, the developments he’d make, the way he ate… I know this sounds silly, but when a 6 year old eats, let’s be honest- it looks, well, like eating and usually just looks like a mess (on the floor). Eating is for survival at this point.  But when a 1, 2, or 3 year old eats… Well, ...Read More
This morning, I intended to share this delicious Giada DeLaurentiis Eggplant Capanata recipe and sort of brag about the fact that I am “woman hear me roar” because I’m making an Thanksgiving appetizer that will also double as a fantastic leftover dish to add to pasta (okay, so I still kind of roared). But right as I started to craft the post and upload my ever so stylized and glamorous iPhone -push the mess aside so it looks just like Pinterest minus the blur photos, I remembered the date:   Exactly one year ago today, I went to Haiti. One year ago today, (which happened to be the week after Thanksgiving), I ...Read More
What post plastic perfection seeking looks like. This past year, I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredible brands and partners on various campaigns. While a lot of my editorial content has been tied up in these various campaigns, this blog is still very much dedicated to telling candid stories, sharing ideas for DIY projects, fashion favorites, recipes, and more. By the end of the year, I plan to give this blog a complete face lift and makeover (if only under-eye cream worked that fast), which I’m super excited about and very much ready for. When I speak with web designers and marketing teams, or am out and meet new people (or my ...Read More
A couple weeks ago, Peter and I took Jonah to Disneyland for his 6th birthday. In a recent post for Babble, I shared how this trip made me realize I don’t always need to be the Fairy Godmother of Fun… *** “Mom, pleeeeeease can we play? Can we do something fun? This is so boooring. Monday is soooooo boring,” my 6-year-old whined to me as I sat at my desk. Nine times out of ten, I would have called in the circus and pulled out my “let me entertain you” hat. Instead of letting him be bored and then sitting with my own guilt about having to work, steam broccoli, fold laundry, and ...Read More
It occurred to me the other day that there are two very important things my son does, that are not only crucial to being a functional and independent human, but that as a parent I can take very little credit for: #1. Going to the bathroom (in a bathroom)#2. Reading. Let’s start with #1. Sure… Right before Jonah turned 2, in hopes that he would just be naturally drawn to potty training, I bought a little potty that lit up and sang if “the goods” hit the bowl. In truth… Other than becoming a receptacle for Curious George stickers and thick strands of black hair during my (weekly) blowout session (it’s the best I can do, people), ...Read More
09.09.13
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My 35th Birthday Two years ago from this exact weekend, I decided the best way to celebrate a milestone birthday (my 35th) was to do it with a group of my nearest and dearest girlfriends. Using every last bit of my savings — or checking– depending on how you look at it, (I admit, not one of my wisest moves), we spent the weekend at a nearby resort in an oceanside villa, drinking, laughing, eating, sunning, toasting, cheers-ing, walking, talking, drinking and taaaaawlking some more. It was my treat. My joy. My pleasure. My honor to spend a weekend with a group of women (including my mom and aunt) who were ...Read More