Moving to the French/Italian Alps

Chateau de Vizille Park, Swan Lake, French Alps by Walter Bibikow

Wow, right?

Well, Husband and I always thought we'd eventually move back to the Midwest. We're from the Midwest, we met & fell in love there, and most of our family lives in the Midwest now. We love the friendly and easy-going pace of life. But, to be honest, I don't feel a strong pull to live there anymore.

After I moved to New England for my career years ago, the Midwest became my idol-area, my golden beacon, calling me back. New England was too fast, too rude, too business and no heart. I missed the cows, the smell of hay, heck...after awhile I was even nostalgic for the smell of skunk. Being secluded and in an entirely different culture will do that to a person. -_-'

But, perhaps now that I'm pregnant, or maybe because I'm not so Midwest-idealistic anymore...I just don't feel the frantic need to get back there. I guess...I don't think the Midwest is "perfect" anymore. I know that there is no perfection, unless it's where you want to be.

I'm also honestly thinking of issues surrounding racism, community, job prospects, and being an interracial/multi-cultural family. Growing up I dealt with a bit of racism, but like a sweet Midwestern Brown girl, I was a little hesitant to call it by name. I just thought that there were some misguided people in the world, desperately in need of friends, and that I shouldn't take their slights personally.

I'm not sure if that was a good outlook to have or not; I'm not sure how it prepared me for the nuances of broader American society where racism was more blatant and hurtful.

But now I'm thinking about how it will be for our kids to grow up in America, in the Midwest, as biracial. I'm also thinking about American culture and media and how I don't like how it's degrading towards women. Wherever we move, we won't have a television. (Please excuse how rambling this email might become...it's a serpentine and convoluted topic for me)

So, I asked my Sicilian what he thought about moving to Europe, since I didn't feel a strong pull to the Midwest anymore and he said "Sure." 

My brain reacted thusly: ".... did that really happen? Did he just say yes?"


So I asked him again, and again he confirmed and said he was open to it.

Now don't get me wrong: I'd miss my family, I'd really miss Husband's family, and I'd miss the rolling hills of fresh lushness found in the Midwest; those are the only things that could keep us in the States. But hey, family could visit us. ;) And lushness is everywhere. If we can't find it in the landscape of Europe, I'm sure Husband and I could find it in the dips and curves of our bodies as we enjoy matrimonial bliss.

(Back from a short fantasy about my Sicilian ;)
So, I work remotely as a Writer and Editor and I plan to continue doing so since I'm going to become a Mother. So, I can work anywhere.  Husband is a Scientist and those are needed all over the Earth. So I think after 4-5 years, we could be moving to Europe, permanently; at least that's one of the ideas we're throwing around.

So why the French/Italian Alps? Well, I speak French, I love French culture, I'm comfortable in France. Why the Italian Alps? Well, we'll have Italian citizenship, our kids will be basically 1/2 Italian and my Husband is Italian (and Sicilian); so it'll be nice for them to have a direct link to one of their cultures. Husband also still has family in Italy.

There's so much I want for the future, for myself and for my family.

via chateaudelille.blogspot.com

For my family: I want a calm life. My Sicilian has the tendency to overwork. He's a scientist, which is a great career, but he's also very spiritual and needs to be outside. He's very manly and needs close and immediate access to the wilderness. I also want the country for our family. I want our babies to have a big area to run and play. I want animals, I'd love to have some sheep. And I'd just love to have LOTS of babies and lots of room for babies, Husband said he'd like 5 children, I'd like that too. I'd like our cappuccino colored babies to live in an area with nice neighbors where I won't have to worry about having to kick someone's ass for being rude to our babies; don't tell me I won't find that place! It's illegal to burst a pregnant woman's bubble!
(Sorry, "turn the other cheek" is great, but I will always protect and confront on my children's behalf).

For myself, I want to continue my classical art education focusing on figure painting and I want to then go to graduate school for Masters or PhD. I'd like to do my PhD at a university in the States and then finish it in Europe. I also want to continue my hobby of playing the violin. So many dreams!

ps. I've found where we should live! I'll save that for a later post!

DO YOU have a dream-place you'd like to move???

Saying "non" to Baby Einstein and My Special Treat!

Bonjour Mes Cheres!

It's such a lovely day! As you can see, I'm really trying to blog more consistently. I totally have the TIME it's just I haven't had the will...you know, with the nausea and all. And then life just got busy with trying to get our flat together for the Baby.

But things have calmed down a bit; our flat is getting back to it's elegant and orderly self and I have more energy than I did 3 months prior :) I'm SO happy about that. My next post REALLY should be an update on my garden...or maybe I should say "garden." I wish someone could help me!

But I digress: Baby Einstein.

Baby Einstein by Disney

Have you heard of this? It's a franchise based around a series of DVDs for babies. Before getting pregnant, I crossed this off as some consumerist scheme to inundate babies with television and encourage passive parenting. But magically after becoming all round and glowy...I began to wonder "will Baby Girl be missing out if we don't get Baby Einstein?"

A little background: Husband and I don't own a television. Ok, that's a lie. My aunt bought us a small portable television last Christmas; and it lives in our closet. However, we do watch maybe 1 television show online per night (legally) but we agreed that we'd rather give our extra time to each other, not the boob tube (and television has literally become the "boob and butt" tube. Maybe if you watch it often, you don't notice how racy and demeaning television, and the media in general is towards women and women's bodies).

But a couple of months ago, my Sicilian showed me a baby prodigy who had apparently watched Baby Einstein and then started playing the piano ferociously well. So that made me wonder...should we try it out?

So I did what everyone does when they have a question: I posted it on my facebook. Let my friends tell me their opinions! Well...after saying my husband and I didn't watch TV so we could spend time with each other, I was confronted by an acquaintance who demanded that I get our unborn child a television! and proceeded to tooted the benefits of tv watching for babies.

Honestly I don't agree with anything she said,  but I didn't want to hurt her feelings (she's also pregnant) so I tried to say nicely that I respect her opinion but that it's not for us.

The reason that I work very part time now, is so I can give our baby all the attention she needs (I also like giving Husband all the attention he needs; because he deserves it and also because that love and attention is mirrored back to me. Meaning, you mimic what you're around everyday: if you're around someone who ignores you; you'll begin to ignore them. If the person you love adores you, you'll find yourself adoring them. This is not a universal, but I think it's true for marriages. Or it can be true if both partners are open).

So anyways, the conclusion is: I don't agree with Baby Television. I didn't like it when I first saw it, and I still don't. Instead when she's tiny, we'll play together. She'll have "tummy time" and a few toys. As she grows a bit bigger, we'll do different activities: singing, drawing, Mommy-Daugther dance class, outside play time, library fun, play dates, and baby sign language. I think active learning, through interacting with real people, is better than passively watching television. We may watch SOME movies later on, but the tv is not a valued member of our household.

It's fine if you don't agree. I'm not the ruler of your life. But Husband and I have decided what's going down in our home. And the constant drone of the boob tube is not happening. I don't like the pseudo-porn that is shown anyway. But we may get a television later on, to watch some wholesome favorites like: Mr. Bean (ha ha! ok, it's not traditional, but it's cute and funny), the Duggars, History Channel, Discovery, and various movies.

We also don't need any tv boobies and booties to add spice to our love life. Just mirroring love and affection to each other seems to be all the spark we need to ignite our blaze...if you know what I mean ;)

Ok, on to my special present....................................
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A Louis Vuitton Ladies Handbag!  Hooray! 

Ok, it's totally not mine yet! I have to work in order to buy it! I refuse to buy luxury items with our savings or with our everyday spending money. That defeats the purpose. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your RENT or your meals out or your everyday necessities to buy a luxury item. If that's the case, you need more money or to wait a bit longer to make a luxury purchase/investment. Unless you're single and having a very well-paying job where you won't be fired, then...I think it's ok :) Or if your parents' give it to you, that's super nice too.

I started thinking about a luxury bag back in 2007. I thought I'd buy a cute little Dooney & Burke, but they are not really my style. Neither were Coach bags (there are some I kind of like now, but none have really jumped out at me).

I'll tell you a secret: I don't like purse shopping. I like my bag to be like my Husband: DEPENDABLE; able to carry heavy loads, handsome, and goes along for the ride, whatever that may be.

I don't like switching purses. I don't like shopping for them. And even thinking about doing it makes me tired. All the purses I have now are pretty poor looking. Strings are popping out, they're broken, the faux leather is cracked, and they're just tired looking. Why? Because I USE them! And they're not Quality!

I bought a black faux lambskin arm bag from Walmart the day we left for Europe. (I know...Walmart?! well, I was rushing to finish packing for our flight and it was the only store that was close!) It was a lovely little purse. It did everything I needed. It handled well and looked great with ALL my outfits. But, at the end of our +2week trip, the top handle which attaches to the "leather" had ripped! :( I still have the purse, and still plan to wear it out, I just wish it would last forever so that whenever I carried it, I could remember those special traveling memories. :)

Apparently, I need a Louis Vuitton. They look chic and they last forever. An acquaintance told me that her mother has had a LV Speedy for 30 years. That sounds like my kind of man...I mean purse! ;)

But...I have to wait and see if I'm hired for this job; since I already said I'm only using my play money (my own personal spending money) to buy luxury items! And after I buy this one special item, the rest of my money will go to our Nest Egg and investments <3

~*~*~Imogen~*~*~

My Naked Palette and a Good Book Find!

I just had to share, I'm so excited!

Husband bought me the "naked" palette from Urban Decay!

courtesy of urbandecay.com

Hooray! He actually bought me the "Dangerous" palette for my birthday (in April) and we just exchanged it today for the Naked. And I LOVE it!

**Edit** I have to confess, when I returned the palette, I said it was unused: TOTALLY THE TRUTH. BUT I'd forgotten that I'd used the eye pencil that came with it and that it was actually IN MY PURSE!!! DUN DUN DUHHHHH!!! I didn't return it or even remember it!

My Hottie Husband was rushing me off so he could get to his martial arts, and with my pregnancy brain I was too distracted to remember until late last night. Well let me tell you mes chères, I was so DISTRAUGHT that I couldn't sleep! I kept tossing and turning, racked with guilt, knowing they thought me such a bad girl, a bad person, a horrible makeup thief, while they cried in the storeroom bemoaning how evilly I had tricked them with my devilish cuteness & cunning  :'(

I was still awake, sopping with guilt at 2am, and as a preggie, I need my sleep! Bien sur! So the only thing that calmed me down was thinking about where Husband and I would buy our European vacation home and what should be our child's second language: French or Italian???.... eventually I fell into a fitful slumber.

Now, as soon as my hottie Sicilian comes home we are dashing to the Makeup Store where I will apologize profusely and buy a replacement eye pencil for my returned UD palette!

Whew! I'm glad I got that off my chest! :D Thank you for hearing my confession. Now tell me to do 10 Hail Marys and to wash all my dishes and I'll feel almost all better. :)

Now, I can tell you about how FABOOSH my Urban Decay NAKED palette is!
(yes, I use slightly outdated slang, I don't care. I mean, I'm not one of those posers who uses SUPER outdated non-culturally related slang just to be retro cool. (like me saying "that's so radical dude!" just doesn't fit!  So it does seem a little weird when I see my creamy counterparts saying "hey sistergirl" or "sup" or "what's up my brother" to each other...randomly inserted thoughts are a part of pregnancy!)

So anyways, LOVE THIS MAKEUP!

At first I thought it would be too...neutral for my luscious roasted chestnut skin tone. I was wrong!

I also thought all the colors were basically the same, which is why I passed it up in the first place: wrong again!

The palette is amazing!
I'm not a self-proclaimed "makeup guru" nor am I a "product junkie." I must say that I rarely buy makeup, so that's how I justify buying a $48 set of eye shadows! But let me just say mes petites, that I LOVE these makeups! The eyeshadow is so powdery, but it's not loose and hard to control. They are pigmented, but they don't make me look "ashy," as many makeups do! I really like this. (I also like Bobbi Brown's foundation, blush, and under eye corrector! Lovely!)

Other than my makeup adventure yesterday, I also went to the library! By myself- I should add. Since Husband hardly lets me go anywhere by myself...ever. I only got to go because he was doing Martial Arts! And it was a lovely trip! I found the best book and I'm so excited to read it:

Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV 

by Karleen Koen

 

Let me just say, this seems like a great novel! And not just because of my consummate love of all things French (excluding their men of course, I'm married!)

Usually if a book (novel, non-fiction, or otherwise) doesn't grab me from the first page, I'm bored. I read a LOT and I don't waste my time with duds. That's just how I roll (see, more slang). But yes, this novel was interesting from the prologue. It was actually the sweet and contemplative cover that caught my eye. The woman is not coquettish at all, at least not to me. She looks intelligent, unwillingly charming, and disarmingly challenging...looking boldly at me. So, I accepted her challenge and picked up the book. I got 1/2 way through the first chapter before it was time to go pick up my hot sweaty Sicilian who most likely would look gloriously playful after his hard workout. So needless to say I felt no need to dilly dally at the library ;)

But, I soon discovered that I couldn't check the book out because I remembered that Husband still had my keys and therefore my library card! I was a little more than upset. Unfortunately I was having another bout of Preggie Brain and was wrong again! My Keys were in my purse the whole time!

I really need to wear a wooden sign alerting everyone to the dangers of Preggie Brain. Or perhaps a public service announcement.

But if I concentrate really hard, I CAN be productive and normal!

I have my second interview this week and I'm super excited! I hope they offer me the position.

(Don't tell them about the Preggie Brain)

I am so bored and I am so bad!

I know, I'm a naughty blogger! I haven't posted in MONTHS!

Oh well, that's life. Hope you all don't hate me too much ;)

I'm also terribly bored! Why? Well, because I'm not working. I'm not doing a d@mn thing actually. Well, accept getting our petit condo ready for our new arrival. And working on a couple of art pieces for the bébé's nursery. And playing in my hair and being increasingly girly :)

I mean, I AM doing a lot HOBBY-wise and in the Housewife-realm, but I'm not doing much of anything outside the home. I'm not working because, well, I don't work in the summers. I've never worked during the summer and I prefer it that way. But right now, I'm just a bit bored and antsy. I can't accomplish as much at home because, well, since I'm pregnant, I can't lift and carry heavy things. And also, I get tired very quickly. And sometimes, I'd just rather not move! My hips are so sore! And then to top it all off, in the middle of doing a task...I'll completely forget what I'm doing.

Not so fun.

But I do have some news, I have a job interview. Yes, at +5 months pregnant, I have an interview.  And the job seems wonderful since it's in my field, part-time, pays extremely well, and I would be able to work from home while taking care of our baby! My Sicilian's just OK with me having a job. But it has to be part time and from home.  But he often tells me I don't need to work. ahhh, so romantico! Like music to my  ears <3

Well, that's my small update! I'm bored, I'm full of baby, and I'm just chillaxing a lot.

What's new with you?

Bonjour! Hello! Goodmorning!

The sun has arisen! Birds are chirping! Rainbows are...doing their thing...

I'm in my 2nd trimester! Hooray! I actually really do have more energy! I'm not bouncing off the walls or anything, but I can actually clean my house well (I'd just been pitifully shuffling around our flat, heroically filling our dishwasher or straightening up then I would be exhausted).

And I'm not chronically nauseous anymore! I still have my moments, but I'm doing better! Hooray!

One thing is, my homesteading has actually been put on the back burner!!! Oh No!!!!

Well, I'm not surprised. It's a big undertaking (for this city girl who would like to be a bit more rural) and I'm easily exhausted since becoming pregnant.

Also, my husband can't help on the homesteading front because he is taking his comprehensive exams for his PhD...so he's a bit busy.

I only work part time, the rest of the time I'm a housewife/stay at home mom-to-be.

And I will be leaving my job soon because of a few injustices that have popped up.

(I was hired. I happily and diligently worked for 2 years. I saw my job advertising for another person, and because I needed the hours, I emailed and said I would like to apply. I was told they were only hiring candidates with a Master's degree. I said alright. A girl was hired, she has less experience, went to a less prestigious college, is not great at our job, and DOES NOT HAVE A MASTER'S yet she is paid more than me and given my hours. I also discovered I'm the lowest paid person at my job. But, I'm also the most experienced. The new girl is blonde, all of my coworkers are white and we are currently stationed in the southern US. I'm feeling like I'm being discriminated against. My husband, who is Italian/Sicilian agrees and is livid. So I won't be staying at this job much longer.)

I'm mad about the above situation, but most of all I'm hurt. I think hurt may be underneath all anger. It just hurts that after knowing me for 2 years, they could treat me like this. They treat me like I could never be their friend. They actually treat me like a coiled snake, as though I'm fine as long as they don't get too close (emotionally). That hurts. It's just sad, because they're missing out on a good person's friendship.  

So, I'm currently looking for another post/job, until we can move out of this region.

I'm also studying so I can take the GRE before the baby is born and I'm gathering my thoughts and journaling so as to know what I'd like to pursue.

I just have so many interests and I'm quite talented. I'm not trying to sound inflated, it's just that, it kind of poses a problem when it's time to choose a career path.

Alright, time to get dinner on our plates! yum!
<3 Imogen~*~*~*

I have not been blogging...

This picture is so creepy...please don't be creepy when you bring the Pizza...(I've linked the source, as always)

Uhh!!!!!!

I KNow! I'm so bad! I haven't updated in over a week!!!

But hear me out:

I'm tired.

I'm in my first trimester of my first pregnancy, and what I really need are everyday pity parties concerning my nausea and tiredness. And although I tell my Sicilian this is what I need to be complete, he only indulges me for a few minutes before becoming bored and deciding that he should really be practicing juggling, or meditating, or brushing his teeth (he's obsessed with teeth brushing), or wrestling me & our unborn child (it's more like cuddling while making growling noises). And while that's well and good...

What I really need is an old school chorus (in the Greek sense) to surround me and start singing of my woes. Hence the picture above. But it's really creepy! I almost didn't post it! Are all Greek choruses so chill-inducing? Maybe I really just want some 50's french singers with guitars to just laze about and sing backup to my woe-ing. (I made up a new word! A new "gerund" if you're cool like me!)

Either way my backup singers or Chorus will start singing of my aches, and that I have to PEE a thousand times a day, how I'm TIRED...ALL THE TIME, and moody, and sleepy. But Nausea will definitely take the spotlight.  Then everyone will cry and hug me and then call everyone I've ever known and tell them to each give me 3 minutes of unadulterated sympathy :D and a gift for being a trooper.

Man! I'm so melodramatic.

But at least exaggerating and laughing at myself takes my mind off of these little inconveniences.

I realize that my Husband and I are truly blessed with the little Bean that's growing inside of me, and I'm doing my best to adjust to my body which feels weird now.

I hope you'll find it in your hearts to forgive my absence...

And that you'll come to my apartment, bearing gifts of Pizza Hut, ready to sing a good round of "Woe is Imogen and her pregnant woes"

I'll be waiting for ya :)




((cricket....cricket))

My hair, my life, my stomach...

 
I really need to do my hair.

Like really.

I need to get out of the bed, shower, slather my hair with conditioner, and tame these bedraggled sorry droopy crunchy things that should be tiny little coiling luscious curls. Instead I look like some sort of dried up mohawk bird.

I just don't have the energy right now. AND I'm scared!

I had a bowl of cereal with milk about an hour ago, and I'm afraid if I move too much (more than approximately an inch, in any direction) I will become instantly nauseous and puke out the nutrients my baby and I desperately need.

So this is what I've become.
I've gone from a woman who gloried in delicious foods, who orgasmed at the thought of having jambon beurre and chocolate chaud in Paris,  to a dry-headed scaredy cat...too afraid to eat.

Man. That jambon beurre sounds delicious. Hold on, I need to call my Sicilian and ask him to bring home some french bread and thinly sliced organic ham for lunch! Pronto! OMG! My phone is out of my one inch radius!!! What do I do???!!! He didn't answer!!! And after all that harrowing grabbing and reaching. I'm going to need to watch a Duggar episode in order to calm down...

Ok, back to what's going on: last night was NOT a good night. I had to climb OUT of our warm luxurious bed, away from my hot husband, and out into the cold, frigid air, to run to the bathroom....around 7 times. Let's just say I had an upset stomach. Then, at 1am I woke up very dizzy, almost falling over to relieve my upset stomach.

If I haven't told you already, I sometimes suffer from SEVERE VERTIGO, which makes my eyeballs roll around in my head...very creepy, but also so scary the thought of it happening again makes me panic and cry. It's very disconcerting not being able to control your Eyeballs!

So anyways I had to take one of my dizzypills (the prescription says take 2 but one is fine for me) and I spent the rest of my conscious hours praying for the baby not to be affected and ordering my husband to do the same in some sluggish sleeptalk language that he seems to understand.


So after such a hellish night following 3 days of nausea, I'm just chilling right now. 
No guilt. Not doing housework. Nothing. I may not even shower.
Nasty, I know. I just want to sleep.

When I wake up, maybe I'll be ready to become a functioning human being again...