Late night Fillin' It In {Friday}! Happy New Year!

I took the day off work to be home with my hubby while he is on his 2 week school break.  Last night we went with some friends to see a movie and then hung out until way too late catching up which was so wonderful since they live in Arizona and we rarely get to see them.

This is our friends wedding last year in AZ.  My hubby was officiating.

My Kindle Case

Earlier this year Phil surprised me with a Kindle which was such a wonderful surprise and I have loved reading on it ever since!  After I was using it for a few weeks I began to worry about scratching the face of it and thinking about what sort of case/cover I should get for it.  Then I I began to price the cases I was completely annoyed at the expense of these cases.

It's Christmas Adam {Friday}!!!!

You know like tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

I have realized that not too many people are familiar with the song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, I think it is a pretty funny Christmas song and Shirley Temple singing just makes it so cute.  But this year I have made up my own lyrics to the same tune.

ORIGINAL LYRICS                                     MY LYRICS
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas                       I hate being sick on Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do                                       Being sick just really won't do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy                        Don't want a fever, no stinky runny nose
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy          I want to be well to play and enjoy.

So anyway that is silly but it was what I was singing this morning as I made coffee so I thought I would share.

As Seen on TV

This weekend I went with a friend to pick out paint and fabric for her baby's nursery and while I was looking around Hancock Fabrics I found an As Seen on TV display.  One of the items stuck out to me immediately - The Fuzz Wizard!!! Now this may sound ridiculous but this little contraption totally made my weekend!  It is a "nubbie" shaver.  You know how clothes has a pristine look and feel to them when you buy them but after one wash they seem to look "frumpy" and old.  How is that?  I mean sheesh I should be able to wash my clothes and not feel like I need to just buy a new shirt.  Well this has been such a frustration to me especially when you have a nice dress or sweater that you no longer want to wear for nice occasions because it look worn.

Fill in the Blank Friday!!! Yippee

I'm so glad it is Friday!  Do I say that every week???  Well maybe but this week seemed extra long to me and I didn't get any chance to blog so this post seems extra important.


This morning on my way to work I was listening to Christmas music ('tis the season) and the Hallelujah Chorus began to play right as the sun peaked up over the clouds that were laying low on the horizon which created the most spectacular orange and pink beams across the sky, it was definitely one of those eternal moments that will be treasured up in my heart.  I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out as I had hoped, though I will share it anyway.

Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,

All Lovey-Dovey...

It's Friday and I am pumped about that!
The questions for today center around love because the gal who I follow to get these question is celebrating her 4 year anniversary with her husband... sooooo they all sort of center around that.  I think I'll take a little bit of a different approach in answering so they may seem a bit random but they should be still little tid-bits into getting to know me better....soooo I hope you enjoy.  this is a long one... hope you are bored or have endurance... I think it will be worth it.

Love is  an all encompassing word in the English language that we use for people we most care about to the food we eat most often. The Hebrew and Greek languages (that we see Biblically) have more than one word for different types or aspects of love.  So I'll break it down for interest sake.

It's Beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas came early to me this year!  We found a fireplace at Costco that I just had to have!  I'm so excited about it!  Yes, it's electric, yes it puts out some heat sort of like a space heater.  Mostly it is a warm ambiance but I think it is a great addition to our house.  And since you just plug it in it can move to any room as long as you have some strong people to help out.

As promised the making of the fireplace!

We enlisted a worker!

New Music shout out!

I have been feeling the need to share with everyone some of the new music I have been listening to.  My new favorite site is Noisetrade.com.

This site has tons of indie artists that release singles or albums for FREE! And you can tip the artist you like, which I must admit I haven't done but I hope to support my faves through going to shows and future album purchases. The these guys ain't playin' - they ROCK.

Filling it in!

Fill in the blank...Saturday!  oops!  Missed Friday again.  But nevertheless here they are in all their fun-ness!

1. The holiday season is time to reflect, spread the Hope of Christ, enjoy the busy time of parties with friends and family! 



Siblings and Spouses on thanksgiving!

Happy December

Wow, the last month of the year!  I'm not sure I have anything particularly profound to say I'm just suddenly surprised we are here!  Finally, 30 more days and we will be into 2012, a year that is a light at the end of the tunnel. More about that next year ;)

Thankful.

I sort of realized over the past week that when people post what they are thankful for on Facebook throughout November and on Thanksgiving Day specifically I often skim over them with a quick glance barely stopping to read.  I mostly know what it's going to say.
They are thankful for their family and/or friends!

When life gives you lemons...

When life gives you lemons...make Lemon-aid!  Well that's how the saying goes anyway.  In our case this year the saying is When life give you a busy schedule...decorate early for Christmas!  I'm generally kind of a stickler for not decorating for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving simply because I love my Fall decor.  I love the warm colors and yummy scents. And I just finished and hung my fall wreath.

Fun Fill(ed) in the Blank Friday!

I'm actually on time this week so that's a plus! I've had a pretty good week.  One of the highlights has been editing photos from this past weekend.  Here are a couple for a little sneak peak.

Make-It-up Monday on repeat

Well darn it. I missed it again. Fill-in-the-Blank Friday is becoming a repeat on Make-it-Up Monday. Better late than never??? I hope.  As I read through these questions quickly I felt like they are going to be challenging to answer.  I'm not really sure why I felt so much pressure... it's not like there is a right answer or something.  Hope you enjoy and happy Monday!

Workplace Evil

I've been making a list for a while of things people do in the work place that should never be done in the work place.  So as you can image I have actually observed these things happening.  And while most of my friends (therefore probably readers) are SAHM (Stay at Home Mommies) and deal with grosser things I hope they and anyone reading this will at least appreciate/relate to one of these ridiculous behaviors from adults.

Make-it-Up Monday

I took the day off from "normal" life this past Friday.  I left all my usual responsibilities for another day and I headed to Canton Trade Days with my Mom, Sister-in-law and Nephew (his 14 months so he didn't mind).  We shopped for bargain deals and we found some great finds and steals-of-deals :)  It was so fun and I can't wait to post pictures of the projects I will be creating.

We found some Harry Potter glasses and we just couldn't not (yeah it's a double negative... it's that intense) try them on!  Haha they were awesome and Mom was a good sport.

She's gonna kill me for posting this.

Halloween Happenings

This year Phil and I decided to join in the neighborhood festivities and pass out candy to all the trick-or-treaters.  I bought two giant bags of candy at Sam's, one chocolate, one chewy-sour. So we dressed the dogs in costumes and headed outside to greet all the kiddos in costume.  Arden was a hot dog complete with mustard and Buster was... well the only thing I could find in the house to put on him was this giant sombrero.  He hated it but the kids in the neighborhood loved it and called him a Mariachi dog!  haha.

One kid said, "Oh! A Mariachi dog...where's the guitar?"  Phil said, "A guitar would be too much for him." and the kid said, "Ah well it's all about the voice and the looks!"  

Then we were joined by our friends Brittany and Isaiah so the guys left the fun and went inside to play Madden...boooo.  Anyway, us girls had a dandy time watching the kids.

So many were so cute and so fun - others were rude but all in all I enjoyed the evening.  

Fill in the Blank {Friday}

Being new to the world 'o blogging I am always looking for fun ideas to entertain whatever readers I may have. Whether  you stop by to catch up on my life or you stop by simply because you are bored my hope is that you find a little nugget of gold that makes you smile, laugh or think.  Several of my family members too have started blogging on a regular/semi regular basis and it is so fun to hear what is up in their lives though we don't all live close.  One of my cousins has been participating in Fill in the Blank Fridays which is an easy read and a little get to know the blogger moment that I really enjoy reading.

Twenty Nine!

Today is my birthday!  My 29th birthday.  I'm not really sure how I feel about this birthday—my last in my 20's.  I know that I have a lot of anticipation and expectations for this year, which is a nerve racking feeling.  But I guess at some point in life you have to accept that your expectations and planning aren't what matters, so you take one day at a time.

This is the invite I designed for it.

This year I decided to throw myself a party. Just as a confession, (cause I like to keep it real here) I have issues with my birthday.  My issues of course stem from my own selfishness and while your birthday is usually an excuse to be selfish, this self focused-ness most always ends in frustration and disappointment. So rather than hinting or hoping for something fun to happen for my birthday I took matters into my own hands and planned a rather extravagant Roaring 20's party!

When I planned this party I didn't realize that 1920's theme was going to be such a popular theme this Halloween season but having a birthday so close to Halloween it really worked out for the best this year. Most everyone dressed up!
As I planned and planned I decided to do more and more.  First idea was that I wanted the house to "look" like a speakeasy.  I did a little research and I found out a few key points to creating a speakeasy.

Recipe Binder

I decided that my recipes needed a face lift, especially since I have been finding so many fun recipes on the web.  So I thought I would tell you how to make recipe binder, like I did.
Organization of my recipes isn't something I have really made time to do in the past other than to print and throw into a box, but then when I was trying to host a meal or just simply plan the week's food I had to pull everything out and rummage through tons of recipes just to find one that I wanted. Frustrating!

So excited!

Okay seriously I'm in love with my new flash!  No seriously.  Here are a few pics that demonstrate why.
And though my subjects don't always find a million pictures super fun to participate in... I think they like the outcome!

Isn't he just the sweetest!?!

Fisheye

I've finally starting investing more into my photography equipment.  So a few months ago I got a nice tri-pod which has come in pretty handy for my few little maternity shoots that I have done.   Here are a few shots from the two I did this spring/summer.

Friday Fun-day!!! --Things that make me laugh

This is how I feel too!

Her face!!!!

This one is interactive... click link below.  enjoy!

http://www.drawastickman.com

Grieving Expectations

Do you ever get smacked in the face by an expectation you didn't even know you had until it is broken or let you down?  What then?


Today I felt sucker punched as an expectation I wasn't even aware mattered to me was revealed and my emotional response shocked me; honestly, I was bemused by my own response of tears.  Disappointment and frustration are always triggers for my tears but when I didn't even know I had an expectation it is somewhat hard to comprehend the emotional response of tears.


So as I contemplated my heart break I realized that regardless of my disappointment it is healthy and appropriate to grieve the loss of it. Too often I think I should discard my feelings (not respond like a girl) and put aside my disappointment and frustration without processing it.  I guess that's "bottling" which I kind of a pro at but this time I want to reflect, I want to grieve, and I want to give that broken expectation to the Lord.... not blaming anyone, not feeling sorry for myself, and not feeling silly for grieving my unexpected broken expectation.


I'm sure I could find some scripture to add as supplemental reading but my heart keeps repeating one prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; 

accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 

taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; 

trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; 

that I may be reasonably happy in this life and 

supremely happy with Him forever in the next. 

Amen

Adventures in sports and getting old

A few weeks ago a friend invited me to join her and another lady to participate in a 5K Mud Run in Sanger, TX.  I thought it would be fun to do another Mud race since the last one I did was in 2003.
So Saturday was our day!  Our 5K - 18 obstacles - Mud Run started at 9:30am.  So as any good team would do we prepared for the event by making matching outfits which consisted of a bright pink t-shirt and bright pink zebra print bandannas.  We did a bit of brainstorming for what our shirts could say and came up with  Team JAC.  JAC is our first name initials (Juli, Andrea, Constance).  So these are our shirts.

We pretty much had the brightest outfits in our heat so we became known quickly at Team Pink which was fun as the race staff yelled encouragement and cheers as we ran along.  The first obstacle we came across was a giant bail of hay which had to be jumped on top of in order to climb over.  It was pretty high so pretty much we just beached ourselves on it and pulled up the rest of the way.  There was only one bail so everyone had to wait their turn to go which thinned the group out for the rest of the run.  Our third obstacle was our first mud pit which you had to army crawl through! We were instantly mud covered and drenched.  Good times!

The rest of the obstacles pretty much involved climbing over things...

like this... nothing to catch you at the bottom.

Prior to the race I had tweaked both ankles and so I decided that I better get ankle braces for the race, and boy am I glad I did!  It was fairly rough terrain for my weak ankles (we saw a guy with a broken ankle after the race) and so I was glad for the added support.

We finished the race in about 53 mins so under an hour which we were happy with considering all the mud and obstacles.

Final Mud Pit!

Muddy Team JAC!

So that was the race!  So glad I did it.

Then Sunday Phil and I had a soccer game.  He some how convinced me to play in this indoor league - I have no idea what I am doing, but I run around and flail.  This week I made a GOAL!!!!!  But playing soccer has its consequences.  Last Sunday at the soccer game I tweaked my ankles... yes that is both ankles, at separate times during the game but nevertheless both.  Then Tuesday we played a little baseball at the park and I hobbled after the balls in the outfield because actually running was kind of a joke.  So thus ankle braces were required for the Mud Run and then Sunday I had to tape my ankles for the soccer game. But now both knees hurt and I'm really hobbling around like an old woman.  Today (Monday) I don't have ankle bones that are visible I just have cankles :(

So I'm not even 29 yet and today I feel OLD!

Book Club

A few months back well maybe like six I joined a book club.  It all started when we first joined a small group through church.  I met a gal who was fairly new in town and she had joined a book club through meetup.com and invited me to tag along.  (this is the same gal of course who we ended up going on our Colorado rafting adventure with)  Anyway,  since I have joined the group we have read Love in the Time of Cholera, The Help, Jerusalem Maiden, and I just finished The Violets of March. I thought I would do my own little synopsis of the books and ratings for those who are looking for books to read this fall/winter.

Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
First of all,  a little on the author: 

Gabriel García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, and is the earliest winner of this prize to be still alive.

He pursued a self-directed education that resulted in his leaving law school for a career in journalism.  His works have achieved significant critical acclaim and widespread commercial success, most notably for popularizing a literary style labeled as magical realism, which uses magical elements and events in otherwise ordinary and realistic situations. Some of his works are set in a fictional village called Macondo  (the town mainly inspired by his birthplace Aracataca), and most of them express the theme of solitude.
This book was on Oprah's list as well as this book has been made into a movie, which I haven't yet seen. 

My take on the book:
These are not meant to be plot spoiling just an overview of my thoughts.
Basically I thought this was the book that would never end.  "Gabo" is known for being very descriptive, and that he was.  I appreciated the detail with which he described the setting; however, the plot just wasn't one I got into. Well actually, I guess I got into it and then I got sick of it.  I loved the idea and the first part of the book and the end, but for me, the middle was a drag.  The main character Florentino drove me crazy.  He needs a therapist.  And his coping style was obnoxious.  Gabo created an elaborate story with so many characters with small parts it is almost impossible to remember them all  - let alone correctly.

Okay so that isn't a raving review but I'm glad I read the book.  I feel a little more cultured.

The Help, Kathryn Stockett
So again I will start with about the author,  

Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing and marketing for nine years. The Help is her first novel. 

So of course I found this quite intriguing because in so many ways she is writing her story.  Many have seen the movie so I don't really need to talk about the plot but I enjoyed the book immensely and I was pleasantly surprised at how closely the movie followed the book with only a few changes which I understand for movie purposes.  As far as characters, I adored Minny she has the stubbornness yet faithfulness I find within myself.
I never cease to be amazed that such hatred and racial turmoil that took place not very many years ago -- not even a lifetime ago (and let's be honest it still happens today) 

Jerusalem Maiden, Talia Carner
I have to admit I don't know much about this author but the novel was very intriguing to me.  Several people I talked to said they had a really hard time getting into the book and my personal thought on this is because they aren't "religious" people.  I found this book so interesting because it depicts the life of a Hasidic Jew in the early 1900's.  Her inner turmoil of her creative passion fighting against her strict religious society and her desire to honor God the way she had been taught creates a battle and a dynamic worth considering.  The first few chapters are kind of smack-you-in-the-face religious sterility but the story that follows is far from stale and definitely crossed bounds from what I expected. 

Violets of March, Sarah Jio
I read this book so fast!  I don't know how many pages it has cause I didn't look it up and since I read it on my Kindle I never see that but I read it in about 3 sittings which was unreal!  It was certainly a fluff book compared to the others.  Just a life book - about hurt, love, betrayal, secrets, forgiveness, all that good stuff.  Can't say my life was changed by this book it was a bit predictable but since I read it so quickly I didn't mind, I mean everybody can use a little soap opera in their life whether they are daytime soap's or Gray's Anatomy.... this book hit the spot for an easy read.   


Well that's it for book club reads so far.

Some other books of interest I have read:
Water for Elephants, which I loved and can't wait to see the movie. 
Same Kind of Different as Me, I cried - so will you.
Kite Runner
Confesssions of a Shopaholic
 If you want a review let me know I'll be glad to share my take.

And more...  if you like to read and what to keep up with what your friends are reading a great site that I use is www.goodreads.com

Goodwill Hunting

The List

I decided the other day to reembark on an adventure I haven't participated in since high school; that is, hunting for treasures in thrift stores.  Of course, Pinterest is the culprit behind this long lost desire.  So I decided on Wednesday during my lunch break to take twenty bucks and see what what I could find.  I started my hunt at The Goodwill.  I took with me my list of things to look for so I wouldn't get lost or discouraged -- sometimes the hodgepodge of stuff is overwhelming to my type A personality.  So I headed right in to the housewares area looking for brass candle sticks, mason jars, cool mugs, old chandeliers, etc.

I found a chandelier that would be pretty awesome painted a bright color but I think it is too big for my low ceiling house.  I guess if I was truly committed I could get it and paint it and sell it for a good price, but that sounds like making a hobby a job and I don't think I'm ready for that.  Maybe one day...

Unfortunately... no wait fortunately I got a bit distracted in the dishes area.  I was inspired!  Much of my house is very eclectic well I actually describe it as modern eclectic because I love to mix the modern with the vintage eclectic. But as most engaged couples do we registered for dishes and kitchen ware for our wedding and were blessed by our family and friends to receive plenty.  But it's all the same!  I don't know maybe it just matches too much but I love the idea of mismatched dishes.  So each place setting is unique. So I started gathering dishes that were in my favorite color palette which is greens, browns, and golds.

I also found a few other things I couldn't resist.

Note: the blue one has Ray etched in it!!!!

The clear glass mug I am hoping is actual glass and not pyrex... I don't really know how to tell.  I need to look into that, anyway I really want to etch it.  Here's to hoping!

So The Goodwill was a success... although I didn't find much that was on my original list so I decided since I  still had money from my $20 left over that I would hit one more store.  Hear I found brass candle sticks!  This store had TONS of clothes so I could probably find some good shirts for making skirts or quilts but I was pretty much out of time on my lunch break so I took my candle sticks and went home.

The idea behind the candle sticks is that I paint them... but then I got them home and kind of loved them just as they are - so I don't know if I'm going to paint them or not.

Well I really had a good time and I hope that my hubby isn't too annoyed with the my rekindled hobby and joy of great finds.  Oh I found a large black ceramic vase at a garage sale in my neighborhood today, as  I rode by on my bike, for $3!!! So awesome.  I'll probably re paint that one!

Sun Pictures

I was syncing my phone the other day and in the process decided I should download all of my phone pictures so they would be safe.  I synced them into iPhoto and began sorting them into their proper folders.  As I was doing that I realized a had quite a repetition of photos.


The main categories were:

• Me (I sort of use it as my mirror)
• Food I Made
• Dogs
• Sun

The category with the overwhelming majority of photos was Sun.  I realized that I take a sun picture about once a day, generally in the morning because my commute is usually around sunrise or just after but sometimes the clouds provide exceptional midday photos that just can't be passed up... if you can get the phone out and app loaded before the moment is gone.

I decided that I should display these images... so here they are:

I made a movie.

enjoy.

My new addiction... no wait, hobby... no wait, idea motivator

Of late I feel as though I have been one very busy person.  I have been mostly playing and hanging out with friends but nevertheless I haven't really stopped and rested which I really want to because I have so many things I want to do. Hmmm that doesn't sound like resting :)  Well, as many of my Facebook friends know I am recently addicted to Pinterest.com  This isn't really a new website but it is one I finally stopped resisting and thought I would check out and of course, as I suspected, I was hooked! 

-- And what fun would it really be if I didn't hook all of my friends.  --  

So I have been spreading the word and creating more addicts :-) If you are a crafty person or a visual person that loves art, ideas, fashion, photography and DIY then this is a site that will more than likely hook you too.  I call it a virtual bulletin board where you pin up ideas you like to save for later.  They say, 

"Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

So I have some boards, here are the highlights:
Hair Happiness: is where I store my hair ideas.  right now I am growing my hair out so I love braiding and styling in fun new ways, especially in ways that keep it off my neck, since it's 106°F out these days.  Also, I am seriously considering bangs so I am collecting the type of bangs I would like to have.  Since I haven't had bangs since 1990 I figure I better do some research, plus Phil is a bit apprehensive about the idea.
I Want To Make: this board is full of things that are awesome and I think I can actually make them. Each one is a link to a blog online where someone has created a sweet tutorial so all I have to do is use a little creativity and follow directions.  I'm hoping some of these turn into awesome but low cost Christmas presents!
One Day...: this is probably my most controversial board to date.  It is full of ideas for baby things nursery, gifts for showers, shower ideas.  All things baby.  It's true I have baby fever... but while I'm waiting for the day I get to plan for my baby I think I will practicing making things for other's.

Original Recipe

I've already put some of these ideas into action.  This week I made a recipe I found.

My "jazzed up" version

These are Peanut Butter Chocolate Crescent Rolls.  I made them as the directions said but in the end I thought they were a bit dry so I decided to "jazz" them up.  I brushed on a little oil and sprinkled with sugar, and when that didn't satisfy me I drizzled with chocolate.  Served best warm.


I also tried out one of the braids I saw:

I also made a box and got crafty wrapping a birthday present for a friend.  

Now for my next adventure.... sewing!!!!

ROAD RAGE

I’ve been brainstorming and scheming a post about driving.  I drive a lot, as most of you know, and in all my driving I have learned lessons about myself. I have also listened to extraordinary things that I might have missed out on, if not for driving so much. I have loved and I have hated Kidd Kraddick In The Morning. But beyond these things I have learned about humans.

My plight in this post is to reveal my thoughts and at least get them off my chest so, I hopefully, won’t be fuming ideas for this post so often.

First I will just start with a few rants (prepare yourself and please don’t judge me - these thoughts usually get no further than the car):

1. Just because your “blinker” is on doesn’t mean you automatically have the right-of-way.
2. The slowest and most obnoxious drivers are most of the time Asian. (I told you not to judge)
3. The dumbest drivers always drive Mercedes.
4. The rudest drivers almost always have a University of Texas sticker.
5. Girls really drive stupid when they drive a pick-up truck!  (sorry all those of you who think you are an exception - you’re not!)
6. When merging lanes - actually merging is required (SURPRISE) and it goes smoother if you start early.
7. If you try to sneak in the front the cars waiting in line, I laugh at you when you don’t get in and I will NEVER let you in.  Sorry cheater.
8. Accident on-lookers actually make me want to cause another crash by ramming them.
9. Also, service your car people!!!  Headlights and break lights being out is really unacceptable.  Don’t tell me you didn’t notice - you easily check your reflection in the car behind or in front of you and they are usually pretty inexpensive so no excuse.
10. Oh and if you can’t remember to turn your turn signal off once you change lanes because you are talking to a passenger or because you are on the phone... don’t drive!
11. And if you are going to make a turn don’t just randomly brake and then at the last second turn on your turn signal... use your turn signal before breaking... duh, that’s what it is for to tell others to either prepare to slow down or to go around you. IT’S CALLED COMMUNICATION

Now onto my thoughts toward the human race observed from an automobile (as if the above wasn’t enough):

I think we have a really sad human race, especially if it is mostly observed from a car. I mean the way people behave truly reveals our heart’s nature and selfish motives. Most people would never act in “real life” as they do on the road way.  An example of this is cutting in line.  No one in public or in life would simply throw themselves in front of you and make you get out of the way all the while throwing you the “bird” as if you - by sitting and waiting your turn - actually did something wrong. (Only exception here I guess is Tickle Me Elmo at Christmas). Selfish behavior is highlighted on the road way.  I am always amazed at people who fly by me at 90 mph and glare at me going 70mph, I’m already going over the speed limit and they look at me like I’m sooooooo in-the-way. Also, watching people swerve across 5 lanes of traffic to “make” their exit is astonishing.  Sure it is annoying to miss your exit or turn but risking others lives and investments is just stupid.

I’ve thought about going “Jeff Foxworth” on people before.  I think I’ll just get a light up sign that I can type messages in like, “Your left brake light is out!”, or “Turn Signal Would Be Nice”, or “Worst Driver of the Day Award goes to YOU”, or “Nice Move”.  I mean seriously people - Here’s Your Sign!

Check out these links they could be other good alternatives:)
or this could be an option
oooooo or this could be addicting

Now I’m not one to say there should be more laws for drivers.  I think there are too many already... and survival of the fittest I think should apply.  :-) But among all the laws for driving I think having to retake and PASS Driver’s Ed should be a law.  I mean it’s like people forget the basics or something and defensive driving after a ticket is stupid.
I like the way this guy thinks! 

I’m not saying I’m a prefect driver, I definitely have my own struggle with road rage and selfish actions on the roadway but I’m just saying we should all be more conscious of the message we are portraying as a whole.

Happy driving, I'll be seein' ya!!!

My ride around town!

August!?!

I must admit I feel a little overwhelmed that it is somehow already August.  “Summer” always seems somewhat over once August gets here although the hot temperatures will continue.  In August I start mentally preparing for the holidays.  As I have mentioned before, I don’t do change well so I start mentally preparing early.  I start brainstorming gifts ideas, putting the budget together, worrying about whether or not Phil will have to work on the holiday and not be around (this always annoys me and gear up early)…I’m  not saying this is the most healthy approach to the holidays.

August 24^th kicks off the busy season with my Dad’s birthday after that is my “little” sisters on September 4^th (she will be 21 this year, CRAZY!!!!) and Boone (my nephew) will be 1 year old this year and so a BIG celebration is in order.  That is also, of course, Labor Day weekend.  Then October is my birthday month and you can’t forget Halloween.  November strikes quickly with Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years are always full of parties, family, planning, busy, and that means stress.  Hmm did I just get to the end of the year in a paragraph?  Sheesh.

Before I even get to August 24^th I’m headed down to Camp Eagle for a week/weekend of babysitting Boone!  I’m so excited about this I can hardly contain myself.  He is walking now and is full of fun and energy I’m pumped. I’m also going to use this time to help my sweet friend with Hope Mommies.  It is a non-profit organization that I am the Creative Director for.   The ministry serves Mom’s and families who have lost a baby.  We are going to be putting together boxes for hospitals to give out to families experiencing this loss.  I’m so proud of my friend Erin for trusting the Lord and being a faithful follower to work so hard in this ministry, even when she doesn’t feel adequate. I have been so challenged and blessed by her. 

Here is the brochure I designed for Hope Mommies.
More on how I got involved in a later post. 


Stay tune!