Love Love me do little

As with most holidays, I tend to build up in my mind all the fabulous things I will make and do to make the day special . . . and then the precious day arrives and I'm scrambling around just to get through the day in one piece. Well, for once, I think I'm okay with that.

No, I did not make the paper chains I bought cute paper for the other day to hang all over the house and no, I did not make the French Silk Pie I thought would be the perfect over the top chocolate Valentine's Day dessert and no, I did not figure out how to make the needlepoint "LOVE" bracelet that I tried to do but eventually gave up on and no, I did not sew the velvet backed vintage valentine sachets I had conjured up in my mind to give out to friends and family. I mean, what kind of super woman do I think I am?

But, after going in to work this morning to finish up my prep for my dessert special at the restaurant tonite, I did get to spend the rest of the day with my two beautiful, spirited, and loving little boys -- and on top of that, I did take a nap that I desperately needed and I did make cut-out cookies. Granted, I was finishing them up around 7pm so essentially that's what the kids had for dinner and for the next hour they were running around the house like the sugar crazed maniacs that they were.

I actually saved some of the better ones to ice with a little more precision after they'd gone to bed, but I'm throwing in the towel at this point. Instead, I've decided to take a few minutes to appreciate the things and people in my life that make it what it is - far from perfect, but worth cherishing all the same. So please indulge me ( I never did the 25 things about me list on Facebook and trust me this list will not be 25 things long - it's past 10 pm and I'm eager to get in bed with my book.)

So here goes . . . Loves of My Life:

• My husband Andy, who is, as I write this, slaving away at work feeding romantic dinners to over 200 people and who probably doesn't realize how awesome and amazing I think he is
• the fact that my sons Finn and Graham are so willing to smother me with hugs and kisses throughout the day - I know it won't last forever
• flip-flops
• a hot cup of English Breakfast tea with milk and sugar
• my sweet baby Lu - our 12 year old chocolate lab Talullah who can barely walk these days from excruciating arthritis, but still always greets me at the door when I come home and lays by my feet in front of the fire
• cheeseburger, french fries, and a vanilla malt - when I was pregnant with Finn that's all I ever wanted to eat and I still think it's one of the best meals ever
• Santa Fe, NM - I'm really not a big fan of the cold weather but this place from May until November is truly heaven on earth
• pies, tarts, cookies, cake, ice cream, custards, mousse, chocolate bars, . . .
• my family - mom and dad, three big brothers and three amazing sisters in law
• Andy's family (I know, isn't that lucky for me)
• my new Janome sewing machine which I have barely used but it is there like a promise of all the things I will someday have time to create
• my antique drafting table that my good friend Quentin gave to me and which kind of legitimized my new role as a crafter
• speaking of friends, my friend Allison who has known me and loved me since the eighth grade - she lives in L.A. and we never get to see each other and only talk on occasion, but just knowing she's there makes me feel better about myself
• the South Carolina coast - we've been to the beach with Andy's family the past few summers and it is by far the greatest place to vacation with kids I've been to so far . . . no frills, no fuss - just time to hang out and live in the moment
• hiking - hopefully Graham will be more in to it this summer so we can enjoy how lucky we are to be able to be 20 minutes from incredible forest trails, mountain streams, and high dessert vistas without having to carry him the whole way
• Dwell magazine, Readymade magazine, and yes, I confess, Martha Stewart magazine - I can't help it, those people have so many good ideas
• family meals - the four of us rarely get to sit down all together . . . I'm more and more impressed all the time that my mom succeeded in getting us all to the table together every darn day
• really soft sheets
• the Texas hill country

All right at this point I could just keep going on and on, but who wants that? So this list is by no means complete and a little all over the place, but it's nice to take a minute to remember what's important. Since I've started blogging I sometimes get overwhelmed by the other blogs I frequent - how can they do so much, write so well, take pictures of it all and still be a mother of three and hold a job?

Honestly, I don't really get it. My kids are nuts, my house is usually this side of a disaster, and I'm not performing at my job as well as I'd perhaps like to - but for today, I'm giving myself a good ol'fashioned break. It all starts with loving yourself, right?