on my radar: tv and movies

I'm kind of embarrassed about how much TV I've been watching lately, especially for a girl with a KILL YOUR TELEVISION bumper sticker on her car (well, it's my husband's car now -- I got the new car, muahaha). I rationalize it with the I have a new baby card. Kind of the same way I rationalize eating too many desserts with the I'm a nursing mother and it'll make good milk card (is that even true? wait, no, I don't want to know).

* I must live in a cave, because I had no idea that Les Mis was being made into a movie??!!! Eep! The trailer is incredible, but this trailer plus interviews about the singing totally knocked my socks off and has me marching around the house belting out the time is now, the day is heeeeeere!

* Speaking of December movies, who's geeking out on The Hobbit? I re-read the book right after Max was born, during all those middle-of-the-night feedings. Now, at the ripe old age of 7 weeks, he only wakes once or twice a night, and my noble aspirations of reading while nursing have morphed into aspirations of lean-head-back-and-pass-out-until-suction-stops-so-I-can-get-as-much-sleep-as-humanly-possible. Whew.

* DOWNTON ABBEY DOWNTON ABBEY DOWNTON ABBEY!!! First episode of season 3 here. I was planning a predictions-for-season-3 post for December, but I think we'll be doing it next week perhaps? hmm?

* Once Upon a Time on Netflix streaming. I realize I'm possibly the last person on Earth to see this series, and I like it, despite occasionally cheesy acting and a whole lotta ladies (especially in the before/fairy tale land) who need to put their boobs away.

So what else do I need to know about? What have you been geeking out on (TV or otherwise)?

right now: on my radar

My big sister's music. Her arrangements are getting more gorgeous all the time. Case in point.

The Honest Toddler. I don't really go for humor blogs, but this one is hee-larious.

French onion soup sandwiches, aka heaven on a plate.
Southwest-style sweaters in bright colors. This one's sold out, anyone know of something similar?
Seedfolks. A beautiful little morsel of a book. It would be amazing for a book group.
Field Study + simple strip quilt. I need to make this happen.

Safer birth in a barn. Oh yes.
Growing out a pixie cut, month by month. Rachel is my hair muse.
aaaand...
These guys.

my 80s-tastic barbies

Miss Maren has mixed emotions about Lizzy being at school all day. On the one hand, there's no one to fight play with. On the other hand, she doesn't have to share anything. Like, say, Mommy's old Barbies, straight-up late 80s style. 

My parents, who are living in China right now, sent a box full of my old Barbies before they left their home in California. I'd totally forgotten about most of those outfits, but lots of memories came flooding back, mostly of playing with friends at swim meets when I was 6 or 7. Or of my brother dismembering  the Barbies and reassembling them in Sid-from-Toy-Story type ways for me to find in the bathtub. That probably happened to you, too, right?

Anyway, when Maren opened the box, her expression was one of unbridled joy. She was so excited. I'm so glad my parents hung onto these. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

garlicking

I've majorly neglected the garden since Max was born, but not enough that I'm throwing in the towel completely. These bags of beauties arrived in the mail the other day: heirloom organic garlic, three different varieties, all ready to plant as soon as we have a little frost action, which should be soon. Garlic is usually planted in the autumn, overwintered in the ground, and is ready to harvest mid-summer. Yum.

and then the angels sang

Or at least I was singing. Because peeps, I am not one of those mamas (bless them) who's getting teary-eyed at the bus stop. I'm the one marching down the sidewalk singing in full vibrato, GLORY, GLORY, HALLELUUUUUJAAAAAAAH.

She loves kindergarten. But I might love kindergarten more.