New (to us) Furniture

 We got new couches off of craigslist. We are now ready for company.

(Apparently, I like the color burnt orange so much that I've decorated my living room with a burnt orange rug, blanket, pillows, painting, candle, grassy decoration, and now - thanks to some friends - a burnt orange jacket for Eli. Also, coincidentally, my front door is burnt orange.)

Update: I should have included this funny story about these couches...I'd been watching Craigslist for awhile, looking for the right couches. When I saw these, I contacted the seller, who replied back with an email address that was in my contacts already. It turned out to be a girl I'd met a few times at book club. Such a weird and funny coincidence!

Invasion of the Hipsters

Did you know that we live in the cool part of Raleigh? Do you know how you tell if you're in the cool part of Raleigh? Count the number of men with skinny jeans, beards, and dark-rimmed glasses and the number of women with top-knots, vintage dresses, and dark-rimmed glasses. Dark-rimmed glasses are very important. Even if you don't need glasses, you cannot be cool without dark-rimmed glasses. Plus, everyone rides a bike. That makes us cool.

Every year, some of our neighbors put together a little festival. The first year they had it was the first year we lived here, so we've gotten to see it grow every year from a pretty pathetic block party to a gathering of hipsters, including local artists, local bands, local restaurants, and (new this year) local bike shops.

Do you mind if I add a little rant here? It seems to me that if you're going to block off a whole street for a day to have a party, then that party should cater to the people who actually live on that street. And while our street is home to quite a few 20-something hipsters, it is also home to an ever-growing number of young families with young children who are not interested in locally handmade jewelry or vegan cupcakes.

Still, we try to go for an hour or two every year. It's an important reminder of how uncool we are.

Lately in Instagram

1. Our local Ace Hardware has a new display of sodas. There are about 20 kinds, and probably half of them are different brands of root beer. My first thought was, "Who knew there were so many kinds of root beer in the world?" My second thought was, "A challenge!" Rylan and I are slowly making our way through all 20 sodas.

2. On the bus.

3. The sign behind Cole says, "The average person unknowingly consumes a pound of bugs each year."

4-6. Rylan and I have been killing a lot of time at Marbles lately.

7. Our neighborhood has been invaded by pirates.

8. Eli and I went on a date to the Raleighwood Cinema Grill, a theatre that combines the dinner and a movie experience.

9. Our table at the end of a typical day.

10. Whoever arranged the playgroup at PetSmart, I love you! We had so much fun!

11-12. We walked into the library on Saturday, and the librarian said, "Are you here for the tae kwon do class?" I was like, What?! Tae kwon do at the library? Holy smokes, it was the best thing ever!!! Cole and Eli each broke a board with their bare hand.

Music Lessons: A Fine Frenzy

I really like A Fine Frenzy. She's on my list of Top Five Desert Island Singer/Songwriters. She sings that one song that you used to think was pretty but then everyone kept playing it everywhere and now you'd rather not listen to it at all (or maybe that's just me). Regardless, I still like her. She has a new album out, and her first single is catchy and fun but doesn't sound like everything else, and that's just what I like about A Fine Frenzy.

Michael's description of her music: "I think it's nice. It's just not my thing." What does he know?

A FINE FRENZY OFFICIAL

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Eli Says...

I was watching The Office while folding laundry. Eli passed through the livingroom during a scene where Michael Scott was talking to the camera. Eli said, "Is he the bad guy?"

I said, "No, he's not a bad guy."

Later, Dwight was talking to the camera. Eli said, "Is he the bad guy?"

I said, "No, he's not a bad guy."

Then Jim came on the screen. Eli said, "Is he the bad guy?"

I said, "Eli, there are no bad guys in this show."

Eli said, "Then what's the point?"

Go, Hoosiers!

Cole and Eli are playing soccer this year. Their team is called the Hoosiers.



So far, their team has only lost one game. It was the one game I didn't get to attend. I think that must mean I'm their good luck charm or something.



Or you could credit the hard work, determination, and talent of the kids on their team. You know, whatever. (They're a pretty great bunch.)



Eli likes to play goalie.

 

He's pretty good at it.



But we still see a lot of this when the ball is on the other side of the field:



Rylan hates soccer because his momma keeps saying, "No, you cannot play on my phone. You're supposed to be cheering for your brothers."