Happy New Year, one and all. Because the magic of the season made us lose track of reality, like it always does (see this and this for your January 2nd reality checks), we have been without Pictures and Distractions for a few weeks now. There's a serious backlog of crappy photos on my phone that just MUST be shared with you.

So without further ado, your Pictures and Distractions. (Please feel free to follow me on the Instagrams here. Or just follow Ollie, since he has his own account now. And find us on the Facebooks here. And my blog about sewing is here. Just kidding. That last link doesn't take you anywhere. I can't even keep up on my mommy blog. Fortify would murder me if I started up a blog about all of my sewing.)

Ollie and Matt at my house on New Year's Eve.



With my two older sisters.


Ollie doesn't always love letting go of his toy, yet insists on us trying to get it from him. 


Ollie slept at my house this week. I came into my bedroom to go to bed and found this. My favorite comment on the Instagrams was from justinekeyser: "Draw me like one of your French girls."


Ollie waiting for Matt to come pick him up after work. 


I was in Mexico the other day and saw this horrifying Mickey Mouse pinata. 


Not to be outdone by this nightmare. 


Or this one.


With Wade and Mr. Ollie Pants on New Year's Eve.


Kicking it with Wade and Matt and some people who got in the picture with us downtown in SLC on New Year's Eve.



And, finally, I'm having an island put in my kitchen so with the help of my sister Krishelle and Cathie, we created a fake island out of boxes to figure out where it should go. The side bar will be moved to another room. Please voice all of your opinions regarding placement, color, size, and my hair.



Crap to distract you from whatever you're supposed to be doing:

21 kids who shut down picture day. Thanks, Esther.

Most awful sleeping face cat. Thanks, Esther.

Surround sound Snuggie. Thanks, Becky.

Pets' Christmas costumes. Thanks, Garrett.

A house seeking freedom. Thanks, Juniper.

More updates to the Snuggie. Thanks, Juniper.

Ugly Christmas sweater suits. Thanks, Bonnie.

A man narrates strangers' actions. Thanks, Brittany.

Do you need to idle your car before driving it? Thanks, Paul.

It was a strange year. Thanks, Kimberly and Tyler.

If you would like to have something included on Pictures and Distractions, please email me at it justgetsstranger@gmail.com.

~It Just Gets Stranger