Ice and Chocolate from Floor to Ceiling

This post from Apartment Therapy got me thinking about the recent popular decorating trend using browns and blues together. It is a combination that seems to work well together in everything from weddings to bedding to home decor.

I, myself, have also succumbed to this trend. I purchased this bedding set for H (well, for me too) for Christmas.

But I began to wonder what it was that inspired this particular color combination. What was the original designer thinking, seeing, experiencing that got them to this idea? And then it hit me while looking at these colors. That blue isn't really just blue...it's ice blue. And that brown isn't just brown...it's chocolate. This choice of words seemed to be right when I had more luck finding the example pictures I wanted by deleting "brown" from my search and substituting "chocolate" instead.

So, how this ingenous person came up with "chocolate" led me to realize how he/she got the idea for the ice blue. What, besides chocolate, does a woman love??? For most women, JEWELRY. What is the most famous jewelry store known to every diamond-loving woman???
Tiffany's, of course. So, what this brilliant person has discovered that if you show us women a room drowned in two colors that remind us of chocolate and jewelry...chances are that the trend will catch on and any store carrying any product that will fill our rooms, weddings, and closets with these colors are sure to be bestsellers. Smart, very smart. And here's a treat for you for putting up with my thought process:

LonDolls Tea...A Barrage of Pics

Yesterday, I got to have tea with my LonDoll girls. I love spending time with them, doing just about anything. We tried a new English bakery downtown and it was just like being back in London. They had all the great dishes, pastries and teas. Before we ate though, we exchanged our Christmas gifts and I think we made off with a pretty good stash. From Bree, I got a tree skirt that actually matches our new stockings perfectly. From Liz, she brought us back some loofah soaps from Hawaii. They look cute and smell great. From Whitney, I got some really warm gloves that are in my fav color.And from Melissa, I got the same awesome present she gives every year...socks. Not just any socks, but fun socks.

So, it would only be fitting for me to get her the same thing. Really soft socks with reindeer on them. I also got Whitney some earrings that screamed her name when I saw them. (It should be illegal to be that cute!)

I also got Bree some bracelets. She looks good in anything. And "Footloose" for Liz, because someone has to educate these young'uns on the classics.

So now, on to the food. Bree and I ordered beans on toast and I also had a delicious dessert trifle. Some of the others had scones with jam and clotted cream and various teas. My choice of tea was, and always is, peppermint.

We laughed, we caught up on each others' lives and discussed baby names, even though I pretty much already have those decided. Bree works in a hospital maternity ward and she had many names to share. There seems to be a trend to name girls with traditionally boy names.

Oh, I can't tell you how much I love these girls. I've shared some of the best times with them. They are like sisters. They are such beautiful, intelligent women and they are such a blessing to me. I'm so happy that they are all accomplished and happy in their lives. Melissa studies labratory sciences and, while being a master of procrastination (only matched by me, I think), is brilliant. She also has a wry sense of humor that never leaves me bored. Liz is my sounding board and my main source of humor and laughter. She just graduated with a double major and a minor and hopes to teach ESL outside of the country. She is also coming along greatly in her tutelage of my procrastination as well. Bree, though amazingly beautiful on the outside, is more so on the inside. She is instantly engaging and sincerely loving. She is pre-med and a starry-eyed newlywed. And Whitney, well Whitney is brilliant...and beautiful. She, as pointed out on Bree's blog, is referred to as Google. She knows and remembers large amounts of information. She has a degree in English and also culinary arts. Beauty and brains abound in this group.

How can one not feel loved when surrounded by such ladies?

I Admit It...I Love George!

Those closest to me know that I have another love. H knows about him, understands, and respects this love. I have loved this man since I was old enough to have those feelings for someone other than my stuffed animals and Joey Lawrence. But it has stayed strong and stood the test of time, age, and trials. I LOVE this man:
I'm sure, looking at this picture, you can see why it would be easy to love George Strait. But, oh no, that is only half the package. He is the most talented country singer ever. Country music men nowadays can't hold a candle to him, in my humble opinion. This man has had over 50 number one hits, more than any other recording artist, ever. And there's always the fact that his stare could melt butter and the W on his wrangler jeans back pocket is infamous. I have been to two of his concerts...shameful, I know, but he hasn't been nearby in a while. But, oh, I love him. Below is some of my fav songs of his. It's easy to see why this man is amazing, in my eyes anyway. Oh, by the way, did I mention that he's also a rodeo competitor?! Oh yeah.

Eat all you want and still accomplish your resolutions!!!

I've never really been one to make New Year's resolutions. Usually because I never keep them. Reading other blogs, I've noticed that I'm not the only one with this dilemma. So, many people are compiling resolution lists of things they know they won't have a problem keeping and achieving. So, I will attempt to compile my own list of goals that I know I will achieve.


1. Go at least one day a month without t.v. It's bound to happen on its own due to blackout or something.

2. Read constantly. No worries there.

3. Blog post regularly. "Regularly" is a wonderfully loose term.

4. Gain weight. Yes, gain. That should be easy with a little person taking up the middle of my body.

5. Travel home, at least once. Better do this before I get too big.

6. Hug my children and husband.

7. Decide on a career path. A whole year to decide should be enough.

8. Buy new clothes. Unavoidable anyway due to expanding belly.

9. Spend time with friends. Easy, since I have some of the best friends in the world, nay, the universe.

10. And finally, not because ten is all I have but because it's a good number to end with, I will use more lotion and sunblock. Any amount of increase will easily top my previous efforts.

So, there you have it. Ten resolutions that should be easy to keep and achieve with minimal effort or change. Sounds good to me. Good luck with yours.

Merry Christmas

I thought I would post one last time before the holidays really kick off. Like many other bloggers, I plan to stay away the computer a lot the next couple of weeks in order to spend time with and enjoy my family. I am happy to say that I have all my shopping done and only have wrapping and baking ahead of me. On the baking menu is, of course, sugar cookies for the kids to frost and I'm going to try my hand at my mom's pumpkin empenadas (turnovers). I hope they come out as good as hers. I also baked some zucchini bread for the kids' teachers and the teachers I've been working with. I do plan to make a couple more loaves just for my family.

Christmas Eve will be spent at my brother-in-law's house, having dinner and enjoying their company. Christmas Day will be quietly enjoyed at home, unwrapping presents and eating yummy food. We've only spent one other Christmas at home, by ourselves, and it was really calm and nice to not have to rush off anywhere. Of course, I wanted us to go home to NM and spend it with my family, but we decided we would stay here this year. As long as I have H and the kids, I'm happy.

New Year's Eve has no big plans for us yet. We've usually visited the same brother-in-law's house to set off fireworks and eat yummy food provided by my sis-in-law. We have enough fireworks left over from July 4th to entertain the kids.

So, other than these tentative celebrations, we will be relaxing, enjoying the calm, and maybe sneaking in a bit of cleaning too...maybe. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you in the new year with what you need and even what you want.

Just in case you hadn't figured it out yet...

This is why I am so tired and haven't posted much lately.

Yes, that's what you think it is. Yes, it was planned. And yes, we are really happy and excited. So, from now on, if I'm not blogging much, or I'm taking a nap in the middle of the day or eating whatever I darn well please...I can, cause I'm doing it for two. Or, if H has it his way, for three.

5 Things Meme

I snagged this 5 things meme from Bookgirl's Nightstand. I won't tag someone, but feel free to snag from me as well.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Counting down the days until I got my tattoo, though I didn't get the one I planned on.
2. Meeting the guy I would date for the next two years.
3. Trying to stay out of trouble in a small town. Harder than you think.
4. Raising my son. Yeah, I started early.
5. Working in a pool hall. Job was fine, boss sucked.

5 Things on my To-Do List today:

1. Go to church.
2. Do laundry.
3. Rest before work starts again.
4. Fiddle around online.
5. Not much else.

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Pay off all our debts. I know, boring...but it would sure make me feel good.
2. Move to a nicer neighborhood, near the kids' school.
3. Get my masters degree, continuing with English Lit.
4. Buy new furniture...for every room.
5. Help family.

5 Things I’ll never wear again (or have never worn):

1. leg warmers...not sure I ever wore them, but they seem a bit pointless.
2. side ponytail...with large barrettes.
3. rolled socks. Yeah, I did that one, but in my defense, I was in elementary school.
4. perm
5. blue jean jacket...especially ones that have been bedazzled.

5 Favorite Toys:

1. cell phone...basically essential.
2. laptop...'nuff said.
3. books...never leave home without one.
4. my benz...when something isn't broken on it.
5. hair tools...what? I have a lot of hair.

Finally, something fun

I could post about all the reasons that I haven't been posting, but it would sound an awful lot like my previous post. Work, running around, being exhausted, etc. OR I could actually post about something fun. I just finished this:which is the second book in Meyer's Twilight Series. I read the whole book in just over a 24-hour period. It was FANTASTIC!!! I was crying my eyes out only a quarter of the way into the book. I had already become so attached to the characters after the first book that it was like an emotional rollercoaster. Meyer's writing style is beautiful, in that it is enthralling and yet, easy to read. My indecision between the two love interests shows just how well Meyer has developed each character and their attachment to the heroine. I have ordered the third book and know that I will be anxiously checking the post each day until it is finally in my hands. And I know that I will have completed the book a day later.

If you have not read this series, you simply MUST! The first book is "Twilight" and it was hard to put down for even a few minutes. What are you doing?! Go! Buy it now! And thank me later.

One heck of a weekend...graduations, bdays, and Santa...Oh My!

This weekend was quite full of fun. Thursday was Mister's 11th birthday and, since his party was on Saturday, we had a little family celebration. He got to pick the dinner, Little Caesar's, and the activity, a movie at the dollar theater. He had a good time. Friday, I worked in the morning again with the last rowdy class I had. Except, this time, they were much better. After work/school, we went with H to his boss' house for a few hours. From there, we took the kids to their theater class. After theater, we pretty much headed straight out to a friend's graduation party in a town about 1 1/2 hours away. We didn't stay long because I was exhausted and the snow was getting bad. So we finally arrived home a little after 11pm. Talk about a long day.

Saturday was Mister's party. Since I have been either working or tired all week, I had yet to buy a lot of party supplies and had to make an early morning run to Wally world. That wouldn't have been that eventful, except for the 8 inches of snow on the ground, and the car, and everywhere else. Thanks to 4wd and a slow speed, all went well. However, it was down to zero hour and everything was still not ready. I had to call in reinforcements...I called Mody. Being the rock star that she is, she dropped everything and came to my rescue. She decorated, she frosted, she entertained. She is the best. I now owe her dinner and a movie when she finishes her finals.

Back to the party, I had only a couple games, but I figured out that the older the kids are, the less entertaining I have to do. I led them to the living room with an endless supply of legos and they went wild. Once everyone showed up, I had them do a guessing game with a jar of legos. They had to guess how many were in the jar. BTW, there were 120. A winner was proclaimed and a prize awarded. A bit later, Mister tore into presents and ended up with 3 lego sets, moon sand, a nerf basketball net, cash, and an airsoft bb gun. Not a bad haul. He then blew out the candles on his lego cakes. Grab bags were stuffed with giant pixie sticks, plastic bubbles, candy, and slingshot toys that I'm sure their parents will looove. After they were all sugared up, we sent them home. Good times were had by all.

I bet you thought the day ended there, didn't you?! Nope, after getting showered and changed, we headed to H's company Christmas party at his boss' house. Minutes after we walked in, guess who showed up?! SANTA AND MRS. CLAUSE! In full festive clothing, they sang songs and consulted their 'naughty and nice' book while talking to each person on his lap. It was awesome. Tiny couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Mister even got an extra gift because Santa knew he had just had a birthday. So it went with each person, Santa would consult his list and talk to us, revealing a bit of info that only he would know. It was really great. Following their farewell, we ate some great food and had good conversation. I know the kids had a blast.

And Sunday, we slept in, went to church, and rested up afterwards. I am not really ready to start the new week, but this weekend sure was fun. I hope you all have a great week.

Just for Mama P

I am tired. Very tired. I'm subbing with resource teachers at my kids' school until Christmas. The work is fun and it's only half a day, but my body isn't used to being up and around and so busy that early in the day. There is another good reason that I am growing so tired, but I will wait just a bit longer to share that with you. But, I will definitely be heading to bed soon.

I just wanted to do a quick post, say hello, let you know I'm alive, and hope to post more soon. But I just couldn't let down my Mama P and not post a YouTube video or two. So, this one's for you...a couple of classics.

Snagged Meme

This is a meme I snagged off of Tiny Little Reading Room cause it looked fun.

Place you'd like to visit: I used to say London and then Ireland, but I've been to both. So, this one is for Mister...Venice. He's fascinated by the canals.

Favourite object: Books

Favourite Food:

Favourite colour:

Name of past pet: Cocoa

Screen name: Amisare Waswerebeen

Grandmother's name:

Major in college:

Tofurkey is Just Faux Turkey

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, I know we did. We had two of H's brothers over with their familes. The total was about 13 people in the house, from adult to newly arrived. We feasted on turkey (of course, no tofurkey here), yams, mashed potatoes with a LOT of butter, stuffing, deviled eggs, rolls, gravy, and plenty of desserts. I could only handle one plateful. I'm a lightweight. The kids ate and played and ran wild while the adults ate and chatted and passed around the baby (a new niece). It was a great time. This was only the second time I've made the turkey, but I felt pretty confident since the first one came out pretty awesome. This one did too. And I'm sure there was enough butter in the mashed potatoes to clog an artery, but hey, it's Thanksgiving.

After dinner, I made a fire in the living room and we watched "Blades of Glory", slowly saying goodbye to everyone. All four of us ended up passed out on the living room couch and floor, waking up at 3 a.m. to tuck the kids in and trudge to bed. The house is chaos this morning, a sign that fun was had by all (hee hee, Trippy). I would post pics of the aftermath, but I'm not that crazy. But I will go get dressed (yes, I'm still not dressed), clean up, and stuff myself silly with leftovers while thinking about just how fortunate I am to live the life I live, in the country I love, with my family that I adore, and to have enough work to pay for the bills that help keep us warm and fed. God bless you and yours.

As Promised...

Here are the invitations I made last night. Yes, I know some of them are pink. Those will be going to Mister's girl friends. I did them in many colors and had to make use of the only 5 markers I could find at 1 a.m.

Time Well Spent

I must still miss the hectic, up all night schedule from when I was in school, or I'm just a glutton for punishment. It is 2:45 am and I just finished making and writing about 32 birthday invitations for Mister's party. The invitations are shaped like legos; square with two round pegs on top. They came out pretty good and I am really proud...and VERY tired. I will post pics of them in the morning because I am too exhausted to even go downstairs and take pics of them.

So, why am I not in bed, you ask? Because a thought occurred to me and, of course, I had to share. I was thinking about how much of a toll all these late nights probably take on my body and realized something. When I am looking back on my life and trying to figure out where my youthfulness was spent, I will remember very late nights; writing English essays, cramming literature information into my brain, sewing/painting/inventing Halloween costumes, and decorating and hand-writing more than thirty birthday party invitations for the next day. Why? Because I get a smile from it, a thank you. And you know what? Though I might often wake up tired, have a darker shade under my eyes, or even gain a wrinkle or two........I LOVE EVERY FREAKIN MOMENT OF IT!

An Introduction to Legs

Oh, the drama that is the 5th grade. Mister has a friend that he's been hanging out with for about 3 years now. Let's call her Legs, cause she stands about 2 feet over him, as do most girls at this age. So, Legs and Mister have been inseparable most of the 3 years and have always been in the same class. You can usually find them sitting together on field trips and chatting after school. In all this blissful friendship, I lost sight of something very apparent...Legs is a girl. I know you're probably saying, "duh" or "so what?" But this fact, I have found, makes a difference. Boys are pretty constant. Unless they steal something from each other, beat each other up, or any other major conflict occurs, they are friends. But girls, they have moods.

I remember being in elementary school and knowing that just because a certain girl is my friend on Friday doesn't guarantee that she'll like me on Monday. Girls are finicky and emotional, not always constant. Unfortunately, Mister is experiencing the same thing. After H dropped off the kids at school this morning, he informed me that Legs was in front of the school with another girl and seemed to purposely avoid Mister by putting up her hood and not looking his way. This breaks my heart. I know what a sweet, tenderhearted kid he is (no, it's not just because I'm biased). I briefly felt upset toward Legs, but soon remembered that that's how it is at this age. As in times before, whatever the problem is, it will blow over and they'll be hanging out again in a week. When this happens, all I can do is make sure he knows that things will be fine and encourage him to hang out with others until this blows over. I wish I could tell him what I figured out pretty early in elementary school. Having grown up with my brother, I had a low tolerance for girly moodiness and silly games. So, if they decided I wasn't going to be their friend that day, I just moved on to play with someone else. By doing that, I weeded out a lot of drama from my life and found some real friends.

While I know this will take care of itself, it does make me realize though that, if they remain friends, it will only get more complicated with age and hormones. Heaven help us.

Uncovering America by Horseback

I came across this news story on Yahoo this morning and was thrilled by it. Bill Inman, an Oregon rancher, and his wife decided that they were tired of hearing the daily media's focus on the negative things in the world. They wanted to do something that would put the focus back on the positive. So, they are on a cross-country trek from Oregon to the East coast, collecting stories and experiences from good, honest, hardworking rural Americans along the way. If that wasn't awesome enough, they are doing it on horseback. Bill is riding his 16-year old thoroughbred, Blackie, the whole way. His wife, Brenda, drives ahead of him in the truck and horse trailer with their two dogs and a documentary crew. He averages about 20-25 miles a day and they have met some great people along the way. I love what Bill says of their using their life savings (about $45,000) to finance the adventure.

"It's probably the stupidest thing I've done financially, but I truly believe in it."

I think that is truly amazing, especially because he is a man that has earned every cent through hard work; herding, ranching, selling horses, auctioneering, and shoeing. They rely a lot on the kindness of those they meet along their journey. They have been given food, shelter, and, I'm sure, some great stories to write about in their planned book. It's truly an amazing story and I can't wait for their book to be published. There will also be a filmed documentary produced. If you want to learn more about them and their journey, you can check out their website, Uncovering America by Horseback. Currently, it's running a little slow due to the media coverage, but I'm sure it will back to normal soon.

Bill shares that they've been through many extremes; freezing to scalding temperatures, water shortages, and rugged terrain. However, he's quick to point out, "I haven't run into any bad people." That makes me proud to be a part of this country.

Deep Arm Chair Dreams

You know, I remember when you could check out 20 books from the library, keep them for two months past their due date, and still end up only owing 25 cents. (I just realized that there is no symbol on the keyboard for cents. Wow.) Ok, maybe I exaggerate just a bit. But I do remember that if you lost a book, they didn't aggressively pursue you and your next of kin to collect the fees and cost of said book. They definitely didn't report you to a COLLECTION AGENCY and threaten your credit. It seems that librarians have gone from this:

to this:

Ok, I know it's not the librarians. It's the city/county that wants their money. I think my highest library fine to date was around $80, and that was after they cut me a discount. That was when our family banned checking out movies and music from the library. Books only. Over due DVDs were costing us a dollar a day and CDs were 50 cents a day. And that can really add up fast.

Seriously though, I LOVE libraries! Like bookstores, I could spend an entire day just casually perusing the shelves, reading leisurely, and reluctantly tearing myself away at closing time. However, bookstores have one slight advantage over the library...deep cushion arm chairs. Sure, the library is free and your not pushing your credit card limit when you take home 20 books (unless you return them late), but nothing beats a comfy chair when reading. I know, some libraries have this luxury, but not many. I believe my ideal home library would have a wall, or two, covered in books, large and small, paper and hardback, from floor to ceiling. It would have two deep armchairs and at least one down-filled couch with supple pillows and throws. And all of this would, of course, be surrounded around a large, roaring fireplace and there would be just enough sunlight streaming through the heavy drapes to illuminate the pages of my book and warm the room when I doze off. Oh, to dream.

I need to figure out how to occasionally make two of me

Good news: I was invited along to a Books and Authors Luncheon with a friend today where they feature great authors and books.

Bad news: I had to decline the offer because I was stuck in, er, I mean, substituting a 6th grade class full of the most talkative, wild kids I've had the (dis)pleasure of teaching since a group of kindergarteners a while back.

I was sooo tired at the end of the day, counting down the minutes until the bell rang, and saying to myself that THIS is the reason I haven't decided on going into teaching yet. I'm pretty sure I won't be seeing the insides of that classroom again anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, the kids were good kids, individually. But, get more than two together in the same room, and you have chaos. I'm really glad that I don't teach tomorrow.

So, tomorrow night, I'm meeting up with 3 of the other 4 LonDolls to go see "The Jane Austen Book Club" at the theater. I haven't seen two of them in a few weeks, so it should be great. Saturday, the kids are going to attend a church activity and then have some friends over to play. And, of course, Sunday is church. I'm hoping for a nice, relaxing weekend. Think it'll happen?

Busy and Tired

So, I guess I've been pretty busy. I've been subbing a lot lately at my kids' school and I have 4 weeks worth of subbing to look forward to between Thanksgiving and Christmas for a teacher on maternity leave. I may also be set up to do another 4 weeks with another expecting teacher. I'm getting tired just thinking about it. But it's really nice to stay busy and I really like the school. So, if my postings are scarce, you'll know why.

I blacked out and woke up with a paintbrush in my hand, I swear.

A little bit of info about myself: I love to redecorate. Paint, curtains, furniture...the whole shebang. The problem? No moolah. So, I use what I got and think long and hard before doing something drastic. If I present an idea for change to my husband, I have to remind him that if I am suggesting it to him, it means that I've already thought about it, thought about it some more, redesigned the thought, figured out how to do it as economically and effortlessly as possibly, thought about it a few more times and then finally decided that the idea is a good one, one that will be worth the time, effort, and money required.

That being said, I've been keeping my mind open to ideas for our living room and bedroom. I'm not one to be easily swayed by a photo of a redecorated room in a magazine or online. However, I caught sight of this beauty of a bedroom at Apartment Therapy's fall colors contest and was inspired.

It was calming, comfortable, and beautiful. It evoked all the right emotions and I fell in love. Now I'm desperately trying to find the name of this Valspar color. This solidified what I had started to formulate in my mind for our bedroom. BTW, I loooove tall headboards. So, for the final test of this future endeavor, I showed it to H. And he really liked it. So, this will be our room. I just gotta figure out how to get the furniture for next to nothing (cause that's what we got right now) and find out the color. Wish me luck.

Costumes and Books....a sequel

I don't think I finished posting about last weekend because I was just too tired to even think about it. Anyway, Saturday, I had procrastinated making the kids' costumes up til then and they had a Halloween/birthday party that night. Mister decided to be a Lego man and Tiny wanted to be Hermione (from Harry Potter). So, for Mister, I got a large foam sheet from Home Depot, cut circles out of it, hot glued the circles in a stack, cut a circle in it for him to wear it as a hat, and painted a Lego man face on the front and the Lego logo on the top, smaller circle. I used this website as a guideline for all that. Other than that, he just wore black sweats, but I'm going to get him some yellow cleaning gloves as well. For Tiny, I cut up my graduation gown to make a witch's robe, I painted Gryffindor colors on a sweater and tie, frizzed up her hair, and made her a wand from paper, hot glue and paint. For that, I got the idea from here. I worked all morning and after noon on the costumes, made a mess of foam in my living room (carve the foam OUTDOORS!), and lost a towel to paint. But, all in all, it was worth it. The kids loved their costumes, they looked great and they were ready for the party in time.

While the kids were at the party, H and I attended a dessert and game night at church. I scored a small loot of candy and a too-full belly of desserts. I was feeling ready to go home and pass out after my wild and hectic weekend, but was reminded by a friend that I was teaching a class in church the next day. I had forgotten this and, while thankful for the reminder, was instantly deflated and felt ten times more tired than before hearing that. So, after getting home, I had to prepare the program flyer for church (another task that slipped my mind) and read the lesson with my eyes half open. Thankfully, I had time in the morning to prepare and it went well. But boy, it was a looooong weekend.

This week didn't slow me down much either. I worked two mornings this week at the kids' school book fair (a task I didn't mind at all), subbed one day, took the kids to theater class, had some visitors from church over, went out to visit some ladies from church, had parent/teacher conferences, and three days this week were half days for the kids at school. Yeah, I'm tired again. The only day off I had to really relax was Tuesday and I took full advantage of it. How???

With this...

I ordered this last week after seeing it on another blog and got it in the mail Tuesday afternoon. I swore I wouldn't delve into it until I finished this... But I peeked at the first couple of pages of it, and was completely sucked in. I still can't bring myself to stop reading it. I am not done yet, but would already suggest it to all you Jane Austen fans. Now, if the books ends up sucking at the end, I'll feel bad for suggesting it. But I'm going to be optimistically forecasting that it won't suck.

My Pretty Awesome Weekend with Best-Selling Authors and Smash Mouth

Oh my gosh. Where do I start? Last Thursday began the AuthorWise Convention of BookWise. It was awesome. I was able to attend classes given by best selling authors. I got to meet many of them, including Marc Brown, the creator of the Arthur children's stories. He was really funny and nice. I also met, but had not previously heard of, Antonio Sacre. He is a wonderful story teller of Cuban and Irish descent. I also met Heather Graham, aka Shannon Drake, author of many best selling novels that span many genres. Another class I attended was with Mark Ludy. He is quite a dynamic personality and very engaging. Others I met and heard were Carla Neggers, Richard Paul Evans, and Mark Victor Hansen. Unfortunately, I didn't remember to bring my camera until the end of the convention.

H and Heather Graham. We were pretty sweaty from the concert.

Mody asked me if all of the speakers were getting me motivated to sell for BookWise. I told her that it has all actually motivated me to start writing again, to really devote myself to it. Through these speakers, I can see that it is a very doable, possible thing to write, get better, and publish my work. Marc Brown started out writing Arthur stories doing nothing different than what I have done numerous times,...making up bedtime stories for my kids. I even remembered one story in particular that I came up with a long time ago that I thought was a really good one. It has all really got me thinking about it again.

As if all of that wasn't awesome enough, the second half of the convention was kicked off with a concert by Smash Mouth. H, Mody, and I got to attend. The audience was only about 300 people, very intimate and they really rocked. I even got to go up on stage once with some others and dance. They played all their hits and more, and then they played some Van Halen, which H loved. After the concert, we hung around and chatted with some other convention-goers. As we were heading out the back, we saw a few people going into a backstage area. We decided to check it out, figuring that that was where the band might be, and that there was a chance we'd get turned down anyway, so why not try. We walked and and were waved in and told to go right ahead. The guy pointed us to the sectioned off area where the band was hanging out. We got to chat with them for a long time, take some pics, and get to know them a bit. It was pretty great. Steve Harwell, the lead singer, was chatting with H about how he's going to start in racing. Paul DeLisle, the bass guitarist, was telling us how he just bought a house. It was just like hanging with friends. It was awesome. Right after we left, Mody and I started trying to call everyone we knew to tell them that we just met Smash Mouth.

Paul DeLisle (bass), Me, Mody, and Greg Camp(guitar).

H, Me, STEVE HARWELL, and Mody.

So, that was Thursday and Friday of the weekend. Stay tuned for more of the weekend. Have I peaked your interest in BookWise at all? Check them out. They say that next year's convention will be even bigger and better.

The title isn't humble, but I like it.

And for all my efforts last night, you know what I got? An enthusiastic hug and all-encompassing smile from Tiny and H, while helping load the kids into the car with poster and cello, mouthing the word "SUPERMOM" to me while blowing a kiss. Yep, it was all worth it.

Posters and Pumpkins

If there was ever any doubts about me being a mom, they can now officially be laid to rest. It is 2:34 a.m. and I just finished a poster for my daughter that she forgot to do all weekend. She finally did remember at about 10:00 p.m. on her way to bed. I'm also to blame. She is only 7, after all. I am the one that let the teacher know it would be ready on Monday. Now, I'm not the kind of person that will completely bail out my kid when they have had plenty of time to do their homework/project/poster and only remember the night before (though I probably would stay up all night sewing a costume...wait, I have done that before). Anyway, I usually lecture them on the importance of remembering and doing these things on time (while I would remember a paper I had due the next morning) and then request from their teacher more time for them to complete it. But this time, I felt mostly responsible for the blunder. I also know how important it is to my daughter to be prepared and to do well in school. She tries really hard in all her work and I figured she deserved my larger-than-usual dose of help on this one. I think I'm getting soft. Next thing you know, I'll be building a volcano, sewing a costume and proofreading a paper at 3 a.m. Now I remember why I became addicted to those energy drinks.

The finished product: A Show-and-Teach about Chocolate Labradors

Much earlier in the evening, here is what else we did...

This was the first year that the kids actually de-gutted the pumpkin by themselves. Mister actually prepped and carved his pumpkin also by himself, the one on the right. Tiny needed some help, but she did very well on her own too. Nothing like carving pumpkins to get you in the mood for fall.

A New Chapter (and blog) with BookWise

I'm excited. I'm embarking on a new adventure...and I would like all of you to come along with me. After much curiosity, I researched an up-and-coming company named BookWise. I was incredibly impressed with the company, its mission, its charitable contributions and finally, its product, books. I love books. I have been reading nonstop ever since I first learned to read. BookWise is a networking company that sells and distributes new and best-selling books. Aaaannnddd, I am one of their new independent associates. I will have the opportunity to sell a product I love, on a flexible schedule from home, potentially earn a high income, and receive free books monthly. How much better can it get? It's like having your own bookstore, without the overhead costs.

I would love for you to check out my website and browse the catalog to find your next book purchase. If you would like to know more about the company and this great business opportunity, contact me or check out the BookWise website.

In addition to this good news, I will be posting about my new career and featuring the great books that I am offering on a new blog, BookWise and Loving It. I hope you will visit it and enjoy.

Catching Up

Ok, no more excuses for not posting. I got my new laptop cord a couple of days ago and am really glad to have my comp back. Unfortunately, you know how it goes. When one thing starts working again, something else will inevitably break. That something is my cell phone. If I call someone, they can't hear me at all. If they call me, I can't hear them. I'm keeping my eyes open for a deal on a new cell because I don't want to buy a brand new one and I don't want to have to renew our contract to get an upgrade. Other than that, our internet and power both went out today. Fun, fun.

We had to get out and do something and ended up at the dollar theater. We did a double feature of The Simpsons Movie and Transformers. This is like the third time I've seen Transformers and it just gets better every time. It's one I will definitely be buying when it comes out. The Simpsons Movie was good, enjoyable. (I know. High praise, huh?)

This week was season premiere week for television. The three shows I made sure to watch were Heroes, Ugly Betty, and CSI (the original). The one that I was most impressed with was Ugly Betty. Last season's cliffhanger left you wondering if Betty's sister's fiancee had been killed in a holdup. The season opened with it showing him injured, but mending. The sister and he spend the whole episode holed up in the house and spending every minute sharing how grateful they were and how much they loved each other. It was really touching and made you feel great that he survived. He convinces her that they really should leave the room and get back to life, no matter how dangerous and unsure it is. Then, it next shows Betty's sister sitting on the bed, clutching her pillow,.....alone. He had died after all. The whole day that they spent together was actually in her own mind, she was dealing with the pain of losing him. It was such a stunner. I was shocked and sad. But it was all done so perfectly too. That show is a winner for a reason.

So, other than my tv addiction, I am looking for more permanent full-time work. I have an exam for an USPS job next Saturday morning. I am also building my resume to apply to 2 or 3 different jobs. If I work more, we can hopefully get some of our debts taken care of. With the kids both in school full-time and them being older now, there's few reasons for me to not work more. I just hope I can find something good that pays decent.

The kids are doing fine. Mister has taken up cello for the school orchestra. Tiny wants to participate in a program where little girls will cheer with local high school cheerleaders during a football game half-time show. And they both want to take part in a play with a youth acting group. So, that should keep them busy for a while.

Adventures in Babysitting...I Mean...Substituting

My lack of blogging is due to the fact that my laptop is still unavailable and I have been working a steady stream of substituting jobs this week. I thought I would quickly let you know this and to also share a few things that I am learning from my subbing adventures.

1. Subbing for elementary grades is a lot like actual teaching.
2. Subbing for junior high and high school is a lot like babysitting.
3. When an elementary student hears "substitute", they think "fun, new person."
4. When a jr. high or hs student hears "substitute", they think (and sometimes shout) "yay, we don't have to do any work today and get to chat at horrendous volumes."

Yeah, can you tell which one I'm leaning toward as my preferred substituting grade level??? Goodnight...I'm tired.

Ta-Daa

Here's what I've been missing. So glad to have it back, and looking so purdy and shiny too.

Power Cords and Diamonds

Still laptop-less. I believe that H damaged the power cord or it's connection by accidentally tripping on the cord. A comp-savvy friend has offered to check it out for me before I go and spend money on a new cord. Best Buy has a cord that will work...but it's $120! Other places I checked with were $100, and the computer company had it + s&h for $90. This is a lot to part with, especially when one full day of subbing energetic and loud 2nd graders only nets me about $70. But, the internet may have saved me once again. The wonders of an ebay purchase will only run me between $25-40. But, I will wait until I am sure that the cord is the problem. Let us give thanks for that one friend everyone has that could take spare parts from your toaster and repair any model of computer.

News flash: I am currently without my wedding ring. No, H didn't run off with Heidi Klum (good news for Seal...and me too). No, I took my rings in last Thursday while out window shopping. I needed them cleaned desperately (hasn't been done in about 8 years), sized down a little and soldered together (so they would stop sliding around). The jeweler told me he might have them done the next day, Monday at the latest. Well, it's Monday, so I called and another jeweler at the store let me know they wouldn't be there until after 7pm. Granted, this is still a lot faster than most jewelers that will send it away for 2 weeks, but I miss my rings terribly. In 8 years of marriage, I have not been without them this long. My finger feels naked. To compensate for the lack of bling (and to ward off any unwelcome suitors...yeah, right), I have been wearing a cheap, yet super sparkly, fun ring from Claire's. But, it just doesn't compare. I'll have to post a pic of the new-ish and improved ring when I get it back. I'm very proud of it. It's an emerald cut diamond set in a white gold band with a complimentary band. I loved it the moment I saw it. I knew it was for me. You'll see what I mean. The best part...NO ONE has a ring like mine. It's simple and beautiful.

Well, that's all for now folks. Hope you have a great day.

Don't read the ingredients

Well, folks, it's been more than one week....and I've only had one coke. Cut me some slack, I was at the state fair with 5 5th-graders. Don't get me wrong, I haven't cut out chocolate, but I've cut back. After the first couple of days, it was a lot better. I have successfully walked past the soda and junk food aisle about 4 times without yielding. *standing ovation*

The fair...I volunteered to help out with Mister's class trip and really enjoyed it. I got some good kids in my group and we covered almost every exhibit. They weren't allowed on the rides, for which I was thankful. I had promised Tiny that I would bring her back some cotton candy. But, no matter where I looked,.....NO COTTON CANDY. What kind of fair doesn't have cotton candy. Weird. Knowledge I gained from this trip, pigs are the stinkiest animals there are...even when they're clean.

H and I have been watching the show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel lately. The host of the show travels to different parts of the world and tries as many of the local cuisines as possible, no matter how bizarre. I've seen him try a drink processed with human spit (and I know someone who's actually done the same thing...he wasn't impressed). In South America, we went to a large meat roast in a cattle community and had his fill of rare steaks. He then made the mistake of visiting the ranch after eating and watched a bull be castrated. The meat in his stomach didn't sit so well afterwards. I eat meat, not a lot, but I do. I can appreciate that an animal's life was taken for me to have that meat. I have a simple understanding of how they are killed, processed, and prepared. But my bottom line is...I don't want to be intricately educated in how what I am eating was once living, and the process that has brought it to me lifeless and ready to consume. I'm a bit weird in the fact that I have a problem eating some meats and not others. Chicken, I usually pass when it still looks like the body part it came from (wings, legs, etc). But if it's chopped up in pieces or compressed into a patty, I'm fine. Hooves, snouts, toes...there's no way. Even if they are pickled, I will not try them. However, when they are ground up and combined into an unrecognizable food item, such as chorizo or bologna, I can eat them just fine, as long as I don't think about it too much or look at the ingredients. Like I said, I'm weird. Hope none of this offended anyone, but it's my life, my blog, and my palette. Thanks for reading though.

Problems

Just wanted to let you know that my computer is currently a bit out of commission. I hope to have the problem fixed soon. But, until then, there will be fewer posts. Hope you're all well. Laters.

Willing to work for caffeine.

Today has been a bit rough. I have not had any soda for almost three days now. I did not set out to give it up. I simply ran out of soda and decided that I should not buy anymore. I've been noticing that the kids have taken an interest in how much soda I drink. They've been asking why I drink so much coke and why they can't have any. It's getting harder to convince myself that soda is not having a negative effect on my body. It's so bad for the teeth and I don't dare to think about where all that sugar is going. I don't know how long I will be able to hold out though. I'm incredibly tired all the time and am having caffeine-withdrawal headaches. When I told H how long I've gone without soda, he asked if that was a good thing. I told him, "Well, it's not fun. That's for sure."

Dripping all over and then it rained...

We got a good storm last night. The wind blew down some trees, the rain soaked the ground, and the temperature is much lower today. The only bad part is that the smell of the lake is wafting over the city and invading my house. I hate the smell of it and it seems to be affecting my allergies as well. Growing up, I never had allergies to anything. But for the last few weeks, I seem to start sniffling right after I wake up. It's annoying, all the sniffling and sneezing and dripping. Yuck. Well, at least we got some rain out of it.

Labor (Day) of love and sore muscles

It's 11:30 and I'm tired, but can't go to bed yet. I'm waiting for laundry to finish drying. I was pretty impressed with my latest purchase, OxyClean Versatile. I threw the kids' muddy and wet new school shoes in the wash after our hike today and was just praying that they would come clean. I put in the regular detergent and a scoop of OxyClean. I wish I had taken a pic of the shoes before I washed them and another after. I was amazed. The shoes looked brand new. I love this stuff.

So, as I said, we went for a hike today. We headed for a waterfall that H and Tiny have visited before. It was really worth the hike, but I have to say that climbing some steep hills and rocks does not bode well with a fear of heights. H and the kids made it up above the waterfall by scaling a really steep, loose dirt path. I know my limits and that was it. I waited for them. But the waterfall was awesome. It came from above, fell through an opening, and down into a cave. The rushing water emitted a cool spray that was nice on such a hot day. We took a few pics and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then we headed back down, driving the scenic route. I told H during the drive that I loved living here. I love driving up the mountains on a hot day to cool off. I love when the leaves turn in the fall and I love to watch the kids snowboard down the slopes. I think we'll be here for a while. I hope your Labor Day was as enjoyable.

Go From a Size 20 to a Size 2 in 2 Minutes!!!

I just wanted to share this eye-opening link that I found through the ever-so-stylish and lovely GlamNest. Towards the end of the post, she shares a link that reveals the amazing transformations that airbrushing does for the celebrity photos we see on magazines and advertisements. I am very much in favor of the recent movements to reveal these airbrushing techniques and educating people (especially young girls) on just how imperfect celebrities really are, though no less attractive. As a woman and a mother, I wish more promotions kept it "real" about the models/actors/singers' appearances, instead of bewitching young women and men with an unattainable perfection of appearance. While I can admire the skill of those doing the airbrushing, I believe that their contribution to the final image should be made more known. GlamNest provided a link to one such studio that uses these talents on celebrity images, IWANEX STUDIO. They have a portfolio of celebrity photos. You must scroll over the image to view the before and away for the after. I didn't even recognize one photo subject as Naomi Watts until I viewed the before image. This GlamBlush post has an amazing video of how an airbrush specialist was able to take a photo of a size 20 model and whittle her down to a size 2.

This makes you wonder, do they only do this on people? How about those home decorating magazines? I know they do it on the dieting product befores and afters (this was suggested to me by H and I was incensed by it, the poor trusting soul that I am). How about the babies and kids in mommy magazines? No wonder you see a whole generation of toddlers being primped and label-outfitted beyond recognition. Ok, maybe that is going a little overboard. I'm just saying, I'll never look at any magazine in the same trusting way again.