LIFE'S LITTLE DETAILS

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

Happy Thursday, m' dears! I realize this isn't the day I typically dump a bunch of photos with Swell Rio scenes on the blog, but scheduling has been a little off with gift guides and my goal to post FIVE times this week was shot when our AC and heater broke on Tuesday and maintenance showed up to fix it that afternoon. Oy! So long, nap time! Actually, we can thank a barking Beesly for killing that dream. Sigh. Anywho, here's a glimpse at what we've been up to and a few delightful details I don't want to forget...

• Monday morning I cleaned our washing machine's filter (I always forget to do this "monthly" chore), gave myself a mental high-five, and started a load of towels. Feeling proud of myself for remembering to do this menial task, Max joined me outside to take the trash to the curb. Because a certain tot LOVES himself some garbage, we made it a whole thing and took five minutes from start to finish to complete the weekly job. Upon coming into the house, I kicked off my wellies and heard Max utter the word sh!t. As if a two year old cussing wasn't bad enough, I found water rushing out of the washing machine, which flooded the majority of the house with water (about 1/8 of a guesstimated inch). Frantically I scanned the scene and realized when I returned the filter, there was a small gap from where it wasn't screwed in properly. Yep, I spent the rest of the day washing every towel we own and slightly impressed—but mostly embarrassed—my kid used that potty word in the right context. Maybe he said shoot or sit?! Fat chance, Fine.

• Flyboy returned from his duck-hunting trip in Missouri last week and he had a blast! Woo Hoo! Seeing photos of him with his dad and best friends, along with hearing their stories, made my heart SO happy. But since we hugged and exchanged hellos last Wednesday night, I swear we've been in full-blown Christmas mode around here. Tis the season, right?! Between the squadron holiday party last Friday (Hola sparkly heels!) and trying to take care of this whole Dieselgate thing, I've been wrapping gifts, tracking packages, stuffing envelopes, and making multiple trips to the post office with my wily toddler in tow. Deep breaths. It's so easy to become a Grinch when it feels like there's still a lot to accomplish in the next week, so I've tried to ensure I don't kill the spirit of the season for Max by drinking lots of hot chocolate, eating oodles of cookies, and scheduling frequent trips to the park. As evident from the last photo of dear Maxwell, getting one's tinsel in a tangle this time of year isn't totally unavoidable. Bah humbug, baby...

• Speaking of Scrooge, we'll officially part ways with The Rig this Saturday. Sigh. Flyboy is going to San Antonio to see the new Star Wars movie with some of his coworkers, so we went ahead and scheduled our buyback appointment for that morning. As silly as it might seem, I think the Christmastime chaos has been a gift because it's prevented me from thinking about it too much. Aside from the paperwork and checklists, it doesn't feel real yet, but you can bet Max and I are making the most of our time with the chariot by visiting Starbucks often and running every errand imaginable. 

• Bright spots of cheer can be attributed to striped washi tape (obvi), a blowup Minion in the backyard (pictures to come), my innate desire to adorn every piece of mail that leaves this joint with festive stickers, twinkly boxwood wreaths/garland (we're tree-less since we won't be here), unexpected Hydrangeas at Wally World, Mrs. Meyer's Peppermint Cleaner, and mixing Hendricks with Prickly Pear and Orange San Pellegrino. Trust me on that last one!

• Last but not least, I apologize for not being the most attentive when it comes to responding to emails, blog comments, etc. It's clearly been hectic, as this time of year is for everyone, but I want you to know how much I enjoy your feedback and desire to share with me. I feel like this weekend is going to be a great chance to regroup and relax.

Enough about me. How the heck are you? Finished shopping yet?! Favorite part about the holidays?! Go.