Valleybrook Farm

Come and join me...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:15:00 +0000

over here! My new photography blog! I will still be keeping this blog up with my boutique items, but my photography blog is exclusively for my photography business. YAY!

Adoption story

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:08:00 +0000

Okay, so I just happened to be in Nordstrom today during their 40% off sale. I tried to walk through with blinders on, honestly I did (crossing fingers behind back). But as I was passing by the shoe section, I heard this sweet little voice calling to me...

...please take me home...
...I just want someone to love me...

Over in the sale section was the most adorable pair of Coach wedges I'd ever seen. They looked so cute and lonely. I felt it was my civic duty to give them a nice home (that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) They are just high enough to make me look tall without sending me to the podiatrist.

Okay, so there was another pair of shoes there I had to adopt as well (no pictures of them yet.) I couldn't bring this pair home without giving it a sibling to keep it company, now could I?

Latest offerings...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:56:00 +0000

I have three brand new sets up on Ebay this week! I am donating 10% of the profits to the National Ataxia Foundation, an organization close to my heart, as my son suffers from this disorder. I plan to run more charitable auctions in the future, which means that part of your purchase may be tax deductible!

Click here to see the auctions and thanks so much to all of your for your support!

Good stuff comin'

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:50:00 +0000

With the decision to put off my son's scoliosis surgery for another 6-12 months to allow him a little more growth, I now have the chance to do some new designs for the summer! Thanks so much to all of my wonderful friends for your support. It truly means a lot to me. When the time comes for him to have the operation (he is already at 76 degrees so surgery is immenent), I will be taking a few months off to care and help rehabilitate him. But for now, it seems I'll be cranking out some new designs.

Here is a sneeky peek of what's to come:

Look for this OOAK set the first week in June!

Ladies Man

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:23:00 +0000

A few weeks ago we had a party for my son's 11th birthday. Wouldncha know it? All of his friends are girls. I can't imagine a nicer, more caring group of young ladies. They are all so sweet to Alex and truly care about him. They don't seem to notice any of his disabilities, they just love him for the great kid he his!

Kudos to these girls' moms and dads...they've done a wonderful job!

Even I would not spend $1,800 on a bag

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:43:00 +0000

However, I'd be more than happy to receive this as a gift!

Ahhh....Gucci...

Okay, no more posts about bags, I promise! At least not for a while.

Thanks for letting me get that out of my system!

Speaking of bags...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:32:00 +0000

I must confess, I am obsessed with the Hermes Birkin bags. Apart from the two-year waiting list to acquire one, I don't have an extra $30,000 to throw away on a new purse. But man if I did, here is what I'd throw it at:

**sigh**

A girl can always dream, can't she?

But I do have that itch for a new purse (always happens this time of year). Although I already have a ton of Coach bags, I decided last year that my next purchase would be a signature bag, since I don't have any in my collection. I've narrowed it down to these two: (decisions, decisions...)

Mother's Day Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:03:00 +0000

The only Mother's Day gifts I'll ever want:

I've been tagged!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:24:00 +0000

I've been tagged by Johnett of sunshine*kisses! Here are the rules!
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, so here it goes...7 weird facts about me:

1. When I was a baby I had a big, red hemangioma on the side of my face about the size of a silver dollar. Thankfully, it went away by the time I was 2.

2. I had a bit part in the movie War and Remembrance.

3. Mikhail Gorbachev waved to me from his car while I was walking down the streets of D.C. in 1990. I also saw Phil Donahue that day!

4. I have a crippling fear of heights.

5. My great-grandfather was both a U.S. Senator AND Governor from Kentucky.

6. My first published work was when I was 17 years old in the magazine SEVENTEEN.

7. My favorite music is from the 70s, and my favorite group is Steely Dan.

Okay, here is who I am tagging:

Wendy of Glistening Treasures

Eileen of Whimsy Portraits

Vanessa of Vanessa and Company

Heather of Daisy Head Maisy

Richelle of Richelle*Leanne

Have fun girls!

The bane of my existence

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:24:00 +0000

I am a bag lady. I LOVE bags. I have been collecting COACH purses since 1992. (I realize this means I either have no life or my priorities are completely out of whack.)

Appropriately enough, my daughter has also become a bag girl. She received her very first COACH purse when she turned 6 years old. (Can't help it...I'm a sucker for a nice bag!)

On par with my love of bags is my love of shoes. Quite ironically, if not utterly tragic, is the fact that I was born orthopedically challenged. My feet are two ironing boards with a couple of legs attached. Despite my LOVE of shoes, I am cursed forever to wear flats and sneakers and other low-heeled, boring footwear.

I remember toughing it out at my wedding, wearing a pair of ivory heels that had been dyed to match my gown. By the time we got to the wedding reception, the pain in my feet and ankles had forced me to swap my exquisite pair of shoes for a pair of flip flops. And so it is that the girl who loves shoes can only admire them from afar. **sigh**

Maybe, if my daughter is lucky enough to grow a pair of normal women's feet, I can live vicariously through her. Until then, I will just keep dreaming of these...

The boy makes a fashion statement.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:24:00 +0000

What do you get when a 4-year old asks to wash the car with Daddy?

A backwards bathing suit two sizes too small and UGG boots.

It's About Time

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:52:00 +0000

The truth is here.

Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:45:00 +0000

We all have them, whether we like it or not. And how we are labeled depends upon who is doing the labeling.

She's precocious. He's artsy. They're athletic.

I’ve found out over the years, through many heartbreaking experiences, that my son is destined to go through life with dozens of “labels” that describe him as a series of conditions, not for the beautiful human being he is. This fact revealed itself to me the day I took my beautiful, injured son to the emergency room for a broken arm. Based upon the reaction of the doctors, the arm was the least condition of interest. His grocery list of medical issues seemed to be more appealing than the mangled arm resting on his lap.

Today I watched my son as he drove his wheelchair through Barnes and Noble. Watched the people stare at him. Watched him struggle to navigate the narrow aisles of books that the staff had shoved together without regard to access by those who cannot walk on their own two feet. I watched him look around the store for books he wanted, seemingly oblivious to the children gawking at him. I fought back the tears and helped him find some books.

I wish I knew how to change the world in this regard. It is unfair. It is criminal.

**sigh**

This is my son “on paper”:

Ataxia
Auditory Neuropathy
Deafness
Large Fiber Sensory Neuropathy
Optic Nerve Atrophy
Nystagmus
Areflexia
Scoliosis
Legally blind
Hypotonic
Retinal Sheathing
Muscle wasting
Language delay
Neurological disease
Finger contractions

If only people who first meet him could see him as he really is:

Kind
Joyous
Loving
Above average intelligence
Gifted artist
Incredibly handsome (some tell me a young Tom Cruise)
Best big brother ever
Outdoorsman
Courageous
Persistent
Curious
Great sense of humor
Astounding memory
Story teller
Master of puzzles
Math whiz
Spelling whiz

But most of all: regular 10-year old boy trapped in a body that doesn’t work the way it should.

No, it's not fair. This world...this terrible, judgemental society...it's just not fair.

I'm sorry Alex, my love. I'm so sorry the world has this in store for you. I am here to crash through the walls for you. To pound down anyone who limits you and belittles you because you are not who they envision a "whole" person to be. I know who you are. And I won't ever let you down. I love you. -Mommy

Love-Hate Relationship

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:31:00 +0000

I should probably confess right now that we are not farmers.

There. I said it.

Nontheless, we do live on what was once a working dairy farm. Originally called, Oakdale, at some point in its past a previous owner re-dubbed the property, Valleybrook Farm. A wise choice, considering there are no oaks on the property and we are in a valley with a creek intersecting through it.

Over the years I have developed a love-hate relationship with Valleybrook Farm (the home, not the business.) Depending upon the day and the time of year, I either love it or loathe it. Today I decided to examine some of the things that enter into this complex relationship.

I LOVE the million dollar view.

I HATE the 2,000 foot long driveway that makes trash hauling and snow plowing a pain in the butt.

I LOVE the old time-weathered buildings, especially our majestic bank barn.

I HATE my $700/month electric bill.

I LOVE the serentiy.

I HATE our crummy, ugly driveway.

But most of all, I LOVE that all of my children have lived here from the day they were born, and (hopefully) will take this place with them in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:19:00 +0000

This morning I was greeted by 28 Canadian Geese enjoying our pond. This is the time of year that they go pond hunting; scouting-out real estate for the perfect place to lay their eggs in the Spring. Every year we get at least one little family who decides to stay a while.

Hopeful one of these nice young couples will call Valleybrook Farm their home.

Gates

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Some are for keeping people in. Some are for keeping people out.

This gate is long overdue.

The latest additon to Valleybrook Farm is our goregous new entrance gate. After 15 years of looking out my window and watching curiosity seekers wander across my property, fish in our pond, wander through our historic buildings, we finally have a way to keep our home private. Only time will tell if this gate will truly keep people out, but for now, I am just delighting in the sheer beauty of it.

My favorite designer

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:34:00 +0000

I was more than just a little excited when I read about this week's Fashion Forward Challenge. Then I realized I have more than just ONE favorite designer, and would have to choose. Not as simple as I thought. Should it be my favorite Ebay designer? How about my favorite Project Runway Designer? Okay, how about my favorite shoe designer? Ugh. Well, when it came right down to it, there really was only one choice for me: Alice Temperley.

Not only are her designs a cut above the norm, her work is amazingly innovative and dramatic. I've yet to see anyone whose design style marvels hers. Her designs are almost theatrical in nature; more like works of art than clothing. Her silhouettes are unique and dramatic and her choice of fabrics seem to hark back to a different era. Needless to say, you aren't likely to see her runway designs standing in line at 7-11, however, I do understand that she has made a deal with Target to sell some of her designs in a more affordable and, yes, scaled-down version. Who says you can't find glamor in the department store?

What would P.T. Barnum have to say...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:38:00 +0000

...about my latest Ebay offering? I hope he would have enjoyed this little number as much as my guy does! Click here to see the auction.

There's nothing like a friend on a beautiful day.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:33:00 +0000

Sometimes, a picture tells it all...

Oh yes, and I also need this...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:21:00 +0000

I need this...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:16:00 +0000

I have no idea why I'm obsessed with these dolls. I love anything unique and gothic.

Can I get this in my size?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:31:00 +0000

How cool is this? I wish I'd had one of these when I was a kid! Check out the cool colors and all the other great things this company has to offer. You can find them here.

Aw, shucks, ma! Not another space outfit!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:50:00 +0000

Well for goodness sakes, beam me up, Scotty! I just can't control myself when it comes to the boys space sets. Can I help it if I love a man wearing intergalactic couture?

Goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 27 May 2007 17:44:00 +0000

A great day at the zoo. My two oldest with a friend.

Beautiful Blossoming Baby Bloomers! (Say it three times fast!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:37:00 +0000

I am so excited to finally be doing a line of baby items!
Even with my "baby" heading off to pre-school in the fall, I still get butterflies whenever I handle infant clothes. These bloomer sets are just the fix I need! I wish I'd thought of these when my daughter was still little!

Check 'em out here!