JAMIE UNSCRIPTED - LIFE IN MY TWENTIES

RAMBLINGS

2011-09-17T19:43:00.001-07:00

I was watching an episode of Mad Men just now, and I noticed in the background that Don's apartment needs a window cleaning. You know you have a window cleaning business when..... :)

Just look at this sleeping baby (see below). She's so incredibly precious to me.

When I think about it, I spend a lot of my life laying in my bed with my feet out in front of me, staring at the wall. Actually, I guess I'm staring at old episodes of Seinfeld instead of the wall. But anyways, this is what my wall looks like.

Last weekend, I happily took on the task of making 50 cupcakes for my nephew Bear's 8th birthday party. Have you ever made 50 cupcakes? Did I mention that I only have one cupcake pan? Anyone who knows me in real life knows I'm not much of a cook. But baking is a whole different story. Somehow, baking is kind of fun to me. Plus, really, there's nothing better than a cupcake with an army man on top.

Just for fun, here's a shot of Daddy and Little. They make me happy.

And finally, Elle Bell and her Momma. Funny enough, we don't get many pictures of the 2 of us. I'm always walking around with the camera. Well, maybe not the camera, but my phone anyways. I'm always grateful when I happen upon a picture of the 2 of us. Elle is my world. :)

2011-08-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm sitting at my desktop trying to filter through all the million things that go on each day that make me think, "I should blog that." The problem is, it's always a fleeting thought because by the time I get to a computer at night and have a free hand, I usually just pass out on my pillow!

But I'm having a rare moment right now. Elle Bell has drifted off to sleep, where she'll likely stay for several hours to come, Joe is off doing Joe things, the dogs are snoring at my feet, and the cats are lazing around the house quietly somewhere. (Did I mention lately that we have a lot of living creatures in our house?)

Even if you're all bored to death with it, can I talk about my child a little more? She has been doing so many cute things lately. Like, she found her tongue (See below - Elle with her Uncle Chris).

Oh, and as of a couple of days ago, she noticed the dogs. Like, for real this time. Every time she sees them she gets a HUGE grin on her face and she follows them with her eyes as they move around the room. Melt my heart.

She's such a happy baby. I feel so blessed to be her Momma.

A LITTLE SAP AND THE 4TH OF JULY

2011-07-11T17:51:00.000-07:00

Little is almost 3 months old now. That means that for almost 3 months, I have been taking care of an infant. I remember when I was pregnant, I was really nervous about what lied ahead. I knew that having a baby was going to be so much work. I was nervous about how on Earth I was going to make it through my already busy days and manage to still take care of a child.

In the beginning I remember thinking I didn't know if I could do it. I remember being so tired and overwhelmed. But already, in just 3 short months, I feel so differently. I'm still tired of course, but it really does get easier. We're learning about each other every day. I really have learned to tell when she's crying because she just bored, or when she's hurting. And I think she's starting to know who I am. She's beginning to calm down easiest when I'm the one holding her.

Selfishly, I love this. :)

To all the other Moms out there, do you still wake up LITERALLY every day (at 6 am of course), and just fall in love all over again?

Anyways! Enough sap. :) Below you will find some fabulous 4th of July weekend pics taken by none other than the fabulous Kori Hudson. Aside from Christmas, the Fourth is my favorite holiday. We got to visit with a ton of great family, and it totally charged my batteries!

The Hudson Crew

A Little Cossatot Fun

A Bunch of Cousins and our Faux "Camp Gray" Tattoos - We coined my parents house Camp Gray this trip. It was pretty fitting - 18 people sleeping in one house! Side note - Mena totally has a tattoo parlor now! The people at Modern Ink were awesome!

A Little Hula Fun

My Pretty Mama

My Cousin Dacota, Elle, and I

Shiloh and His Mama

Little and Her Daddy

Me and Sis

I'VE GOT BEEF WITH THE BEEF

2011-06-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

I went to Target yesterday to buy a new white bow for E.B. I had to buy it cause I lost her old white bow, and it's really our favorite accessory. That and our pink paci, which we also manage to misplace a lot. But that's not the point of the story.

As I was checking out, the food court was practically calling my name. So I decided to give in and buy a Target hot dog and an Icee. I was really excited to get a hot dog, because I ended up going without one the entire time I was pregnant. Now, most people who know me and my love for a good hot dog already know that Target hot dogs are my favorite. However, I learned yesterday that they no longer serve regular hot dogs. They only serve all beef hot dogs. While most people would think this to be a good development, I'm devastated. I thoroughly enjoyed the cheap taste of preservatives and sodium in every bite. Sigh.

C'est La Vie. I ended up buying the hot dog anyways, and wallowing in my own disappointment.

But let's end this on a happier note. Today, Elle Bell rolled over! It wasn't on purpose, and she had no idea she did it. But I was so excited! Atta girl. Can't wait to see if she does it again! :)

Goodnight from me and sweet love!

RAMBLINGS

2011-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Every now and then when I'm writing down the date, I have to do a quick double take. I'm not complaining at all, but is it really June already? I'm pretty sure I JUST wished everyone Happy New Year and wrote down my resolutions. Sheesh!

Elle Bell says hi, and look at my cool flower Aunt Koko made me!

Switching subjects, my husband is in love with my baby. And this makes me even more in love with him. It's the most precious part of my day when I watch him hold her. And despite what you see pictured below, she's pretty in love with him too! But sometimes, when you're 7 weeks old, you just gotta fuss! Learning to raise a child together brings so much new greatness to our marriage. I can't say enough how I excited I am about taking this journey with Joe.

Elle spends a lot of her life sleeping right now. It's nice because she's so sweet and happy when she's sleeping. Is there anything better than a sleeping baby? On a side note, when I was holding her earlier today, she tilted her head back a little more than usual and I discovered that she's been storing things under her double chin. Dog fur, milk, and other unidentified specks. Note to self: wipe under the baby's chin every time she eats. I have so much to learn about this whole motherhood thing.

One more thing. On my way to work the other day, I went into a local coffee house to grab my iced mocha with half-caf and no whip. I brought Elle inside in her carrier, made my order, and then set the carrier on the ground next to me. She was out of the high traffic area and no where NEAR the coffee pouring counter. Meanwhile, an older lady came by me with a scowl on her face and asked "Is that your baby?" I immediately decided that, since my hand was on the baby carrier and she still wasn't sure if it was my baby, she couldn't be about to say anything intelligent. I politely answered that it was, indeed, my baby. Then she proceeded to tell me that I had better get my baby out of there because someone was going to spill coffee on her. Sigh. I'm sure she was just trying to be helpful, but she was kind of ugly instead, and after she left the girls on either side of me remarked about how rude she was. I guess this is only the first of many times that people are going to give me unsolicited advice on my child. Such is life I suppose!

Just to let you know, we made it to work just fine that day without any coffee spilling mishaps!

Well, adios my friends. Enjoy your evening, and if you think about it, glance outside your window at dusk tonight and check out the lightning bugs. It's summertime y'all!

MY HAPPY GIRL

2011-06-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was making the bed the other day and Elle was in such a good mood that I had to stop and take a video. I'm sorry I've turned into such a sap. :)

WE LOVE YOU, GARNER!

2011-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

My Mom underwent knee surgery yesterday, and E.B. wanted to send her a message:

We love you!

She Works Hard For the Money

2011-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

As a working Mom (I can't believe I just used those words to describe myself), I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to bring Elle to work with me for the past several weeks. (Shout out to Gayle for making this possible!) She'll continue to come to work with me until the beginning of July, so I get to have a few more weeks of spending the day with my little cuddle bug.

Elle Bell enjoying a little mobile time at work!

Can we please talk about daycare? Before Elle was born, I visited several daycares in town, and I was very.......surprised at the atmosphere inside them. To be honest, I had never really spent any time in a daycare, so I had no idea what to expect. They're all so loud and chaotic! In the beginning, the thought of taking her to any of them made me want to cry. But shortly after she was born, I did a little more searching and found one that is perfect for us. And my final thoughts on daycare are that I think it will be good for her to get a little exposure to some germs, and to be around other noises and kids. And as she gets bigger, I think the socialization will be good for her. I hope. :)

2011-05-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today my little family woke up early to take the cats to the vet for their yearly shots. It's still amazing to me how much longer every single thing takes to do.

You know how everyone always likes to tell you what it's gonna be like to have a baby? They say "you'll be exhausted", "it'll take you longer to go places", "sleep when the baby sleeps." Well, as it turns out, they're right about EVERYTHING. I really thought I was gonna be able to beat it all. I thought I would surely be different. Boy was I wrong!

But just to let it be said, it's all so completely worth it.

Anyways, Elle Bell and I took our first LONG walk from my house, to the park, and back. It felt so great to get some sun, and to get the exercise! I forgot to take a picture on the walk, but I took one earlier. So here you go! Happy Saturday!

I'M BACK - AND WITH A BABY!

2011-05-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Let's just go ahead and start this post off with some pictures of my new little one!

Meet Elliott "Elle" Gray Hiryak
Born April 14th - weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces!
(She's about 5 weeks in this picture though)

I cannot tell you how in love I am with my sweet Elle Bell. She's the most incredible thing that I've even experienced.

I also cannot tell you how many times I've meant to sit down and write a million blog posts about her and the experience of becoming a Mom. I plan on keeping up much better now though!

In the meantime, I just want to say that being a mom is amazing. It's so completely surreal still. Sometimes I feel like I'm still the 6 year old little girl playing with a baby doll in my bedroom. But then she cries and I am quickly reminded that she's the real deal!

Hope you're having a great Friday night - and hope to see you guys more often from now on!

NEW RESOLUTIONS

2011-01-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Okay - I realize this is several days late, but I wanted to do a post about New Year's Resolutions! I am well aware that no one EVER actually keeps up with all of their resolutions, but there's something great and refreshing about making new ones every year. For me, it's all about new hope. Here is my post about resolutions from last year. Just for kicks - I want to list the ones I actually did complete:

1) I read several books! Maybe not 7, because I kind of lost track - but at least like 5! That's exciting for me!

2) I paid off all my credit card debt! Done! Feels amazing!

3) I helped one animal get adopted! It was little Millie!

4) I got through the Book of Genesis. That one was tough - but I did it!

5) There was one secret resolution - and I totally achieved it! It was to try for a baby. As you can see below, it worked! (Thanks for the photo Hudsons!)

Anyways - not to ramble on - but I have a couple of Resolutions for 2011. Here we go:

1) Read the books of Exodus & Leviticus

2) Pick a church to attend regularly

3) Give birth to a sweet baby girl, and learn how to be a Mom

4) Help an animal get adopted

5) Get back in shape after baby!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2011 for everyone!

THE COOLEST THING EVER

2010-11-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

I know that for most of you, these are just another girl's ultrasound pictures, but for me, they are the sweetest things I have ever seen. Growing a human is the coolest thing I've ever done. Oh, and it's a girl! :)

2010-10-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

16 Week Belly :)

FACEBOOK

2010-10-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend the other day, and she pointed out how strange Facebook is. Don't misinterpret - I love Facebook, and I play on it all the time! She was referring to the fact that with Facebook, you have to be the same person to every single person you know.

I mean, you know know how when you're hanging out with your Grandma, there are certain things you'd talk about with her? And when you're talking to a business contact, there are certain things you'd talk about with them. You have all these different personas to keep with all these different people, and they rarely cross paths in real life. But all of a sudden, Facebook came into our lives, and we're communicating with all these people at once!

So when you update your status, you're telling your Grandma, your next door neighbor, and your 15 year old cousin all about the same things. It's strange to think about it - there's no separation! You tell them all. Just thought that was interesting. In a way, it kinda makes life easier. No more personalities to juggle! :)

On a side note, I'm growing a small baby bump. How fun is that? :) Pictures soon.

2010-09-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm laying in bed tonight curled up with my dogs, and my husband is asleep by my side. I just popped in "The Holiday," and I got all weepy at a commercial for a movie called "Catch and Release." (Note to self, rent Catch and Release) (Other note to self, pregnancy hormones make me irrationally weepy.)

I feel like I'm in such a great place in my life. I feel so truly happy. Joe and I just recently completely paid off all of the credit card debt we accrued in college, and are working on a plan to pay off my student loans. My sister and bro in law just had a sweet baby boy, their final addition to their family, and holding him makes me so happy. My parents come to town to visit all the time, so I get to see them frequently. I feel healthy and unstressed. Fall is in the air. And in April, I get to become a Mommy. Something I've really been wanting for a little while now. Life is truly good right now.

Sometimes, when things are going good, it makes me worried about what's around the corner. But I have to remind myself that whatever is around the next bend, it's going to come whether I'm prepared or not. So the best thing to do is just to sit back, kick my feet up, and enjoy life's blessings.

I'm grateful for my life every day. And for now, even if it's just for five minutes, I'm good.

Sorry for my sappy little post. :)

Happy fall evening my friends!

Guess What?

2010-09-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Guess what guys? We're expecting! Baby Hiryak is due on April 11, 2011! I've know for a while now, but I was trying to keep it relatively quiet until our first ultrasound, which was today! So, low and behold, we have a healthy little bun cooking! More to come on this, just wanted to fill you in on our little secret!

2010-07-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that today is Free Tea Day at McAlister's Deli! No purchase necessary! Just go into any McAlister's, and walk out with a free tea! Awesome!

WELCOME SHILOH!

2010-07-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

My newest nephew, Shiloh Bruff Hudson, was born at 12:07 am on July 27th. He weighed in at 4 pounds and 13 ounces. He's so little! Congrats to my sis and bro on their new bundle!

Mama with Shiloh

Daddy with Shiloh

The kids seeing him for the first time.

HELP MILLIE OUT Y'ALL!

2010-07-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! We're currently (accidentally) fostering a cute little pup that is up for adoption! Click the video below to see her story!

UPDATE: MILLIE FOUND A GREAT FOREVER HOME WITH A GOOD FRIEND OF OURS! WE'RE EXCITED THAT SHE WILL BE HAPPY AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF!

2010-07-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I rolled out of bed, stretched my arms, and realized that later that day I would be standing with my toes in the sand and saying "I do" to my best friend. I spent all day getting ready with my favorite people, and then walked down the aisle on my Dad's arm. I'll never forget the excited feeling in my stomach as I walked across the sand towards Joe.

Our first year of marriage, though trying at times, was absolutely wonderful. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful husband. And I'm excited to see what our future will hold.

Happy Anniversary Joe!

P.S. I'd like to shoot out one last heartfelt THANK YOU to absolutely everyone who helped pull our wedding together. Thank you Hudson's, Hiryak's, Gray's, Bennett's, Williams's, (Specifically the Jennifer's in those last two families! :) Aunt Nancy, our wonderful bridesmaids & groomsmen, our fabulous friends, and every single person who was a part of that wonderful day. You are all loved and appreciated!

BUTTONS!

2010-07-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've always been easily amused in life, so forgive me for my button love.

This weekend, while in Mena visiting family for the holiday, I inherited a jar of buttons. I know it sounds silly to be excited about a jar of old buttons, but I really am! First of all, now that I've become crafty and taken up hobbies like crocheting and knitting, I've realized how hard it is to find a cool button to add to projects. Second of all, how cool are old buttons? They came off of all kinds of old clothing, and I think it's neat to think about where each button has been. And it's interesting to me that the same button that once belonged to some sweet old man who sat and whittled wood in the rocking chair on his front porch, could now belong to some sweet little girl having tea parties with her dolls. Two different people in completely different walks of life still managed to cross paths. I just think it's cool how life works that way.

Anyways. Happy Tuesday. I hope today you find something as cool as my buttons! :)

HILLARIOUSNESS!!!

2010-05-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't seen this yet - watch it now. It's awesome!! :) Makes me want a Sienna.

To watch it bigger, just hit the "full screen" button! :)

BEST DAY EVER

2010-05-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

I got a package in the mail the other day that was possibly the best package I have EVER received. It was from Dwight K. Schrute, and it containted this:

That's right. I am now the proud owner of a Dwight Schrute bobble head. Life is good. :)

THE GIVER

2010-04-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

As a child, I was not fond of reading. I opted, instead, to spend all of my time playing with friends and exploring outside and flipping through the pictures in magazines. As a result of this, I have never read most of the books that all of you probably read growing up.

As an adult, I have decided to remedy this, and read all the classics that I can get my hands on. Classics meant for young and old. Most recently, I read the book "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. Let's talk about this.

STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT - AND FURTHERMORE, GO READ IT.

I received the book as a Christmas gift from my sister, Kori, and I have been excited to read it ever since I got it. I though the book was excellent, but I am left saddened at the ambiguous ending. In my head, I am sad because even though I know they were able to escape Sameness, it was my interpretation that both Jonas and Gabriel died. Kori, however, views it differently. She decided to interpret that they made it to Elsewhere, and found people and music and love. So I'm curious, what did you think? How do you interpret the ending?

IT'S EARTH DAY Y'ALL!

2010-04-22T07:44:00.001-07:00

Since I'm not in the fourth grade anymore, there's no one here to tell me every year that it's Earth Day. Thank the Lord for Facebook, or I'd have never known that I need to hug a tree today. I'm thinking about actually doing that - hugging a tree.

Speaking of Earth Day in fourth grade, do you guys remember that in elementary school on Earth Day, you always did something like color a picture of the Earth...on a piece of paper? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? Wasting a tree to save a tree? (Furthermore, I am aware that I used a piece of paper in the above picture - don't judge).

Don't get me wrong - I always loved Earth day, and I loved that every year, I got bettter and better and coloring in that picture of the Earth. I just find it to be ironic! But enough cynicism, here are some fun Earth Day facts for you (I like to keep you educated!):

-Recycling 1 aluminum saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours

-Earth Day is now observed in 175 countries

-More than 20,000,000 (that's 20 million!) Hershey's Kisses are wrapped each day, using 133 square miles of tinfoil. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it

So happy Earth Day y'all - recycle, reduce, reuse!

IN THEATERS MAY 27TH

2010-04-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

P.S. I SAW ANOTHER TRAILER TODAY, AND AIDEN IS IN IT!

THINGS MORE ANNOYING THAN MONDAYS

2010-04-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

After a long Monday, I thought I'd share a list of some common things that annoy us all. Let's hope for a better Tuesday! And now for the main event. Prepare to be annoyed!

-That dude in college who always asked a question at the very end of class

-When they get your order wrong in the drive thru - and you don't notice until you're home!

-People who won't turn right on red, and people who don't use blinkers

-When guys leave the toilet seat up, and you don't notice until after you sit down

-When spaghetti sauce drips on your favorite white shirt

-People in line in front of you with 40 items who don't let you go ahead and check out with your 1 item

-When you're eating your last 3 Starbursts and someone asks for a pink one

-Popping a Jelly Belly in your mouth and realizing it's a different flavor than what you thought

-Spiders, nuff said

-The talkative guy in line next to you with a severe case of gingivitis

-When you're in the line at Subway and you see someone you sort of know, you have to say hi, but that's really all you have to say. Awkard!

Need I say more?

2010-04-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

It occured to me today, as I was wiping black fur off of my countertop in the bathroom, that I spend a significant amount of time every day fighting off dog hair. It gets on EVERYTHING. It's ridiculous. Yet, I still let them stay? Oh well, it's worth the fight. :)

P.S. When I was posting this picture, I notcied that June's head is disproportionately big. Furthermore, when typing that sentence, I learned that disproportionately is a really hard word to spell.

MISSING: BROWN LLAMA

2010-04-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

So I'm browsing through Facebook this morning as I'm waking up, and I'm reading over the page that belongs to the radio station in the small town where I grew up. It always promises to be entertaining. Anyways, ever since I was little they've always had this program on in the morning called "Swap Shop," like a mini classified ads. But back to the point. I'm reading and I see this listing: "Lost...a brown llama on Polk-20....call....." Cracked me up! I bet no one in your hometown is missing their brown llama. :)

2010-04-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

I HATE APRIL FOOLS DAY! I'm way too gullable, and easily stressed out. This day is for the birds! (It is nice outside though, so at least that's pleasant!)

LIFE IS GOOD

2010-03-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

In this great game called life, we all spend a lot of time thinking about all the things that could have been. The what ifs. We look at every bad decision under a microscope, and beat ourselves up for not making a better decision. But we never spend a whole lot of time being grateful for the good decisions we made. For instance, today I was looking at my Facebook newsfeed and ran across the status update of a guy I dated briefly in college. It made me laugh out loud, and I was instantly relieved that I am married to Joe! At least I made one good decision! Take a minute today and be proud of a good decision you made!

HAPPY TREATS

2010-03-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

I had a cherry flavored Icee tonight for the first time in years (I usually get the Coke flavor). It was amazing. It tasted like first grade, and I was happy. And hyper. :)

Also, just to be said, the greatest treat in the entire world (to me that is), is a StarKiss from Dairy Queen. And they're impossibly hard to find where I live. I went to my sister's house the other day and found a box in her freezer. She said I could only have one. That's how awesome they are!

P.S. When I tried to Google image search "star kiss," it did not come up with the DQ treat as I expected. It came up with a bunch of celebrities kissing. Sigh. But alas, I finally found a picture of a random child eating one. I prefer cherry or grape, but any flavor will do.

CONFESSIONS OF A TWENTY SOMETHING

2010-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

CONFESSION#15: I'm a snooze abuser.

I mean it. I hit snooze at least 9 times a day. Literally. I set my alarm for about 2 hours before I need to get up, and I let myself hit snooze a million times. I realize that this is not a smart decision. I read that you get really bad sleep when you snooze, and that you should set your alarm for when you really need to get up and just get straight up. I tried this. I failed. So I hit snooze. ALOT. Don't judge! You know you do it too!

P.S. Just FYI, I set this alarm at 11:19 only for the purpose of having a picture to put on this post. This is not the ACTUAL time got up this morning. :)

A SONG FOR YOUR MONDAY

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

I found a lovely new song on Juliana's blog. Check out her blog here, and listen to the song below. Thanks Juliana!

HAPPY SNOW DAY!

2010-03-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog friends, I know I may be alone in this, but I have adored watching the final snowfall of the season, resulting in a FOOT of powdery awesomeness! Here in Arkansas, we never see this much snow. Especially when it was 60-something degrees the day before. And although it will melt off in the next few days, it was enjoyed!

OH HAPPY DAY

2010-03-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it or not, but did you guys know I work at home on Thursday and Friday? Joe and I have a window cleaning business - you can check it out here!

We started the business in 2008, and with the economy being the way it is, it hasn't been easy. But it's SO worth it. We wake up every day and work hard to grow our business, and it's finally sustaining itself pretty well!

I'm so grateful to live in a country where I can create a business out of thin air, even without money in the bank, and live my life according to my timeline.

Take a moment today to stop and be grateful for the things you have. We are SO blessed to have not only the simple pleasures like food to eat, but also big things like homes and business ventures. Even though it's human nature to take these things for granted, today, in this moment, I am very thankful.

WISHFUL WEDNESDAY

2010-03-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Every week, Kelsey at The Seattle Smiths does a little thing called "Wishful Wednesday." This Wednesday's topic intrigued me, so I thought I'd participate! So here is this week's "I Wish" statement:

I wish I could win the lottery REAL soon, and I would hope to ________.

1.) quit your job/career

2.) continue working

I'd choose to continue working. I think. I've always heard that most people who win the lottery are bankrupt within something like a year. That blows my mind. How?! Step one would be a financial planner! Right? The last thing I'd want to do is walk into the motherload of money, and then blow it on junk I never wanted! But I guess no one wins the lottery and thinks, "I plan on losing this." Anyhow, that's why I think I'd keep my job. At least for a while. But really, you never know. I might quit my job and move to the beach. :)

RAMBLINGS

2010-03-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

So I whipped out my flip flops last week, only to have to shove them back in my closet for a few more weeks. Sigh. Is winter over yet?

A big congratulations to my friend Holli on her new arrival! She had a little boy last week and named him Madox. I love it!

This weekend I went with my family to Tulsa to watch my niece's cheerleading competition. It was adorable. At the end of the competition, a special needs team performed and I bawled my eyes out! It was so sweet and moving!

Anyhow, on a final note, I'm not so happy with how American Idol turned out last week. We lost 3 of my favorites! Bummer. So I'm calling it now. It's gonna be Crystal Bowersox. For sure.

Well, I guess it's goodbye to the weekend, and hello Monday. I hope you all have the best Monday that a Monday can be! :)

SUNSHINE AWARD

2010-03-10T08:22:00.001-08:00

Hi y'all! So, I received a new blog award from my awesome blog (& real life) friend Ms. 20-Something Career Gal! She's awesome, and she's always happy, and without her company I never would have made it through school. :)

It's called the "Sunshine Award," and here are the 12 people I bestow it upon:

Sunshine Meg - she's called "Sunshine Meg", so she's gotta get this one!
Kelsey over at The Seattle Smiths - she's happy and fun!
Jonnie over at Oh, The Places I Want To Go - she's been bein' happy with me since 1st grade!
Hollie at All Things In Moddy - she's a funny little blogger who's always good for a chuckle
Amy at Ha Ha, Wait, What? - cause she's entertaining - and really good at Facebook Grafitti
Kirby from Good Gals, Inc. - always worth a read
Brown Girl at Brown Girl Blogs - cause she entertains me
A Suburban Housewife In Training - cause she's fun!
Taza at The Rockstar Diaries - cause she's awesome!
The Newlywed Next Door - cause she's cheery and fun
Jennifer at Crazy Shenanigans - cause her blog is fun!
Heather at Live. Laugh. Love. - cause she's happy!

There are always a million people I could give these to! These are just the first 12 I came across in my Reading List! Thanks for making me happy y'all, and pass it on!

AMERICAN IDOL PICKS

2010-03-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, (if there are any gentlemen that read this blog), here are my American Idol picks for this season:

Alex Lambert

Casey James

Lilly Scott

Crystal Bowersox

Didi Benami

Katelyn Epperly

AND THE WINNER IS......

2010-03-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

All right guys! The official winner of my scarf giveaway is:

Congratulations to Nicole over at You Had Me At Hello! I will be emailing you in just a second to get your mailing information! Thanks for participating y'all! And happy Friday!

C'EST LA VIE

2010-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

First of all, don't forget to enter my Giveaway! Second of all, the waiting is over, and Jake has made his choice.

Here's what I've decided. I think he really liked her. Even though I don't agree with him, AT ALL, at least he was confident in his decision. And if nothing else, this season was extremely entertaining, right?! C'est la vie!

A GIVEAWAY FOR YOU!

2010-02-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

All right y'all! It's been a while since I've done a giveaway, so here I go! As I have mentioned before, back in September I took up knitting and crocheting. So I have decided to make you something myself! I made a scarf to give to one of my wonderful blog friends! Remember, that even though it may not be perfect, it was made with love and happiness!

To win, all I want you to do is leave a comment on this post! Nothing else. Just let me know that you wanna be in the running. And if you're bored, tell me where you're from, or what your favorite color is, or what new song I will love. Whatever your little heart desires! But whatever you do, make sure I know how to contact you if you win!

Oh yeah, and a winner will be drawn at random at some point on Friday. You can enter until I do the drawing! Good luck everyone!

2010-02-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

All right y'all. Who are we votin for this year? Who's gonna win this?

RAINDROPS ON ROSES: EDITION 3

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my (current) favorite things:

SUGAR FREE RED BULL

MCALISTER'S DELI NACHO BASKET

MY IPHONE

OZARKA WATER (ONLY IN THE GREAT STATE OF ARKANSAS)

CHERRY CARMEX

BRILLIANT BRUNETTE SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

2010-02-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

You know who's always been a phenomenon to me? Dakota Fanning. On the left, she's like 8 years old, and on the right she's like 15.

Seriously. I remember watching her on interviews years ago, and being completely amazed by her poise and maturity. I am genuinely amazed that some children are so incredibly talented. And against all odds, she has managed to transition from child star to regular star without losing any fame. Let's just hope that as she grows older, she doesn't follow in the footsteps of Hillary Duff, Miley Cyrus, or Lindsay Lohan. But I'm not too worried. I have a feeling we'll be watching Dakota films for a long time!

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

2010-02-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

Click the Play button below to see how easily amused I am. :)

OPRAH

2010-02-20T22:26:00.001-08:00

I came to a realization today: I'm never going to be on Oprah.

To be honest, it's not that I ever really thought I WOULD be on Oprah. It's just that, now that she's announced her retirement from the show, it's final. Before, at least I always had the option to write an amazing book, or save a dowdy woman from dressing poorly, or just happen to get picked for the Favorite Things show and score a free car (and iPod Touch, and cupcake from the "it" bakery in California, and...you get the point).

Anyways, I guess that's okay. I can't even force myself to write in my journal let alone write an entire novel. And I cannot possibly point fingers at dowdy women, being as I'm sure I am one and don't even know it. And as far as the favorite things? Sigh. I guess I'll have to settle for writing my own "Favorite Things" posts on my blog. It's kind of the same, except for it's completely different.

Happy Saturday night y'all. Hope it was great!

BIRTHDAYS, LENT, & MUSIC

2010-02-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to wish a big fat Happy Birthday to my sister Kori! Hope it's fabulous! Also, a big Happy Birthday to my blog friend Megan! Make it count y'all!

Now, down to the knitty gritty. I've got two thoughts floating through my head today:

1) Today begins Lent. This will be the third time I have ever done Lent. (This is because I just discovered it 3 years ago!) It's always so hard to come up with something that I should give up. In 2008 I gave up ice cream, and in 2009 I gave up soda. This year, I've decided to give up booze. It's not that I'm a heavy drinker, but I do have a couple glasses of wine or a few Miller Lites a couple of times a week. So that's it. For the next 40 days, adios! It always interests me to know, what did you guys give up?

2) Isn't it so weird how a song can suddenly evoke a strong visual memory in your head? I'm sitting at Gayle's office yesterday jammin to the Jack Johnson station on Pandora and all of a sudden, Wonderwall - by Oasis - comes on. Instantly, I pictured myself at the pool lifeguarding in the summer when I was in high school. A flood of memories from that time in my life shot through my head. And then a little bit later, Lean On Me comes on (clearly not the Jack station anymore!) and I'm instantly reminded of sitting on the sidewalk outside my friend Jaclyn's house in the 4th grade with cassette tapes and one of those old school tape players. (Also reminds me of my mom, since that's her ringtone!)

Anyhow, happy my sisters birthday to you! Have a great day everyone!

THOUGHTS FOR TODAY

2010-02-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

1) People and advice don't mix. You either take too much of someone else's advice, or too little. There's rarely middle ground.

2) Wild Berry Skittles are by far the best flavor of Skittles.

3) All paychecks should have just one more zero tacked on before the decimal. I think employee productivity would increase if this happened.

4) I don't understand how companies can afford to produce and mail out catalogs all the time. I also don't understand why I feel compelled to look through them all before they hit the recycling bin.

5) I heard Jake picks Vienna. Ugh.

6) I also heard that it's not over between Ali and Jake, and that she might be coming back? Hmmmmm.

7) People who talk to themselves have always annoyed me. Today I caught myself doing that.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

2010-02-07T19:47:00.001-08:00

This weekend I got to enjoy a super fun birthday celebration! My fabulous sis, Kori, and I are two years apart. Since we were both born in February, my family gets together sometime between the two birthdays and we have a joint birthday celebration! It's always a blast. Thanks for dinner Mom and Dad! Oh, and thanks to the Fochtman's for my awesome celebration at the office!

The Birthday Girls

Gray is our maiden name

June and Cooper had to get in on the party
Joe enjoying his usual love fest with Coop
The sweet card Joe made me - inside there was a gift certificate for a massage!

A BELATED CHRISTMAS SLIDESHOW

2010-02-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Kori and Jason (my sis and bro in law) just put together a cute Christmas slideshow! Click the picture below to check it out!

I MISS SPENCER

2010-02-03T10:36:00.001-08:00

You know what I miss most about cable? Crappy TV. I miss flipping on the tube and watching old episodes of Americas Funniest Home Videos, and shows about forensics, and reruns of Home Improvement.

Late at night when Joe is fast asleep, and I'm laying in bed couting my 895th sheep, I really wish I could turn on some Roseanne. Sometimes, I even miss watching the Hills and talking about how awful Spencer is. (You know it's gotten bad when you wish you could spend some TV time with Spencer. Ugh.) I'm so embaressed about that, that I'm considering not posting this. Nah. I'll post it.

Speaking of bad tv (but also GREAT tv), have you guys been keeping up with this season of The Bachelor? I really like Tenley. I liked Ali in the beginning, but the whole Vienna thing got real annoying, real quick. And as it turns out, I even like Gia okay. She's grown on me. But I definitely still like Tenley the best, and that's who I'm rooting for. Who's your fave?

YOU CALL IT REDNECK, I CALL IT GENIUS!

2010-01-31T20:45:00.001-08:00

Well guys, instead of that awful ice storm we all anticipated, we got an incredible snow storm instead! Wow! About 5 and a half inches of sweet, powdery, fluffy snow. And we enjoyed every single minute of it.

On Friday it snowed all day long, so we just stayed inside and watched it fall down. But Saturday we couldn't stand to stay inside! We loaded up the Trail Blazer with all the people and snow gear it could hold, and loaded up the trailer with the 4 wheeler and sleds!

We ventured on over to my friend Rachel's house, and met about 14 other friends there to spend the day sledding (and freezing). We used the 4 wheeler to haul people up the hill all day, that way you didn't get tired doing all that walking! I realize it's a little redneck to use 4 wheeler in the middle of town, but I like to think it's just plain common sense! It was fabulous!

Anyhow, I'll leave you with a short clip of Joe doing a couple of donuts on the 4 wheeler. I hope you all got to enjoy a good weekend with great people, and I hope the coming week is great for you!

SLEEPING DOGS AND A FUN FACT

2010-01-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Twas the night before an ice storm, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring (except for me that is!) And yes. That IS my leopard snuggie Joe is cuddling with.

So tonight there's a rather large ice storm headed my way. We had to get prepared because last year we had an ice storm, and it was a doozy! (How do you spell doozy? Doozy? Doozie? I like Doozy.) We were without electricity for 3 days, and I wanted to be clean so bad that I had to take a freezing cold shower!

Anyways, say your prayers that this year won't end up as bad as last year. And in the meantime, I leave you with the following fun fact:

"The average American eats at McDonalds more than 1,800 times in their life. " Woah!

THATS HOW I ROLL

2010-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Do you guys remember this post about which direction the toilet paper roll goes? Well, I was watching something on Hulu the other day, and I saw a commercial for the Cottonelle Roll Poll. Love it! Guess we'll find out for sure!

P.S. There's a definite majority. Find out if you're a part of it! :)

CONFESSIONS OF A TWENTY SOMETHING

2010-01-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

CONFESSION#14: I'm a late night eater.

When you're 13 years old and rail thin, eating late at night is completely acceptable. My only problem is, I'm not a rail thin 13 year old anymore. (The years keep creeping up on us by the way - what's up with that?)

Even after watching a million episodes of Dr. Oz on Oprah telling me not to eat after like, 8:00pm, I simply cannot follow those instructions. Right now, for example, I'm eating a DELICIOUS bowl of homemade potato soup. I think I can feel my butt growing.

But really, night time is when I am the hungriest. I don't eat breakfast (I know that's bad for me too), because I am simply not hungry. I've tried things like brusing my teeth to discourage it, but then just realized that I have to go to all the trouble of brushing my teeth again because that last snack of the night is inevitable.

Maybe someday I'll grow out of it, right?

NEW TUNES TO CHECK OUT

2010-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

James Morrison - Better Man

Jason Castro - Let's Just Fall In Love Again

Allison Iraheta - Scars

Carrie Underwood - Change

Glee Cast - Dancing With Myself

Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah

OH HEIDI, HONEY

2010-01-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Y'all. I know I said I'd try really hard to only say nice things about people this year, so I'm going to make this post as nice as possible. That being said. Heidi, honey, PLEASE stop with the surgery. PLEASE. I can hardly handle looking at that new face. It doesn't even look like her.

Here's where I'm gonna try to be nice. Personality aside, Heidi has always been a pretty girl. She doesn't have to wear ridiculous amounts of makeup, and she has pretty blond hair, and she's quite thin.

So I think it's really a lack of understanding for me. It's not my place to get to judge, so I won't. But I will say, as a completely unqualified normal human, my medical advice is to stop now. Please. :) Also, pick up the next issue of People if you want to read about it. There's also a little video clip on their website. Very interesting guys!

2010-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

Tonight I took down my Christmas tree. And to make it a little less sad, I put on one of my favorite movies of all time: The Sound of Music. Everytime I watch an old classic like this, I sit and stare. Completely amazed by the music and dance in every scene. Those people really new how to make a movie. And Julie Andrews really knew how to sing. Wow.

COME ON ALREADY!

2010-01-11T21:41:00.000-08:00

So I was sitting at a stoplight the other day and there was a couple in the car in front of me. All of a sudden they went for a little kiss. I thought, "Aww! how sweet!", and then smiled a little. 45 seconds later, I had to force myself not to honk at the STILL smooching couple to let them know that the light had turned green a good 10 seconds ago. Not so cute anymore.

Is that allowed? Can people just make out at a stoplight at like one in the afternoon?!

Sigh.

OUR LITTLE SECRET

2010-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have a little secret to let you in on. I whiten my teeth every single day without using bleach trays! I have bleach trays, but that bleach costs too much, right? Did you know you can spend like 4 bucks at Wal-Mart on the whitening rinse, and it actually works?! (I even save another dollar by buying the Equate brand.) I've tried toothpastes, white strips, and all that other junk. None of it seemed to work for me. But this stuff really does! I do one rinse in the morning, and one at night, and it really does work (not overnight, so don't give up after the first rinse)! Not to mention it kills morning breath, and keeps your teeth healthy!

The only downfall is that it tastes TERRIBLE (it's the hydrogen peroxide at work). But anyways, I love it. And if you want whiter teeth without spending big bucks, go out and get some.

There. Now you know my secret. :)

RESOLUTIONS

2010-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

I've always loved sitting down to write my New Year's resolutions. I think it's fun to come up with goals for the coming year. A few years ago I almost gave up writing them, because I never keep them. But instead, I decided to change them up a little.

Now what I do is try to think up some goals that are really attainable. I keep it simple. Knowing that I'm resolving to do things that I'll ACTUALLY do really motivates me. This way, if I exceed my goals, it's just a big bonus! Anyways. Without further ado, here are my 2010 resolutions:

1) Read 7 books (I've never been much of a reader, and I'd like to change that)
2) Learn how to cook 1 dish perfectly
3) Pay off all credit card debt (almost there!)
4) Personally help 1 animal get adopted
5) Finish remodeling my house
6) Have 12 "dates" with God
7) Get through the book of Genesis
8) Say only nice things about others
9) This last one is a secret. I'll let you know if I achieve it!

I'll probably come up with more in the next few days, but this is my starter list. I can do it!

HAPPY TAILS AND A NEW YEAR

2009-12-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

The beautiful snow that was here for Christmas is now melted and gone. Which means my yard is soaking wet. Which means when the dogs run around outside, they get wet. And muddy. I decided today was time for a bath. Why is it that dogs hate baths SO much? While I give June a bath, Cooper hides under the bed thinking that maybe, just maybe, I might forget about giving him a bath. No such luck, Coop! When I was done, I even pulled out the blow dryer and gave them both a good old fashioned hair dryin'! Now they hate me. But the good thing about a dog is that five minutes after they hate you, they forget that they ever hated you, and they're your best friend again. I love those dogs. :)

Speaking of dogs. I have a question for you. When dogs are sleeping, and they start running and making noises, should we wake them up? Are they scared? Are they happy? Are they chasing, or being chased? Does anyone have any insight on this?

Anyhow. Happy New Year's Eve y'all. Please be safe, and please have fun! It's a new beginning. Make it worth your while. Let's make 2010 one for the books!

A Happy Holiday

2009-12-30T00:08:00.001-08:00

Hi there friends! I genuinely hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. I hope that each and every one of you got to spend time with your families and friends and got to give and receive something really cool! :)

For the first time in my entire life (to my memory), I had a white Christmas. I couldn't believe that it actually snowed, and stuck on the ground all throughout the day. I went sledding on CHRISTMAS DAY!! It was awesome. And I was thankful for the memories that it brought.

Also, for Christmas, I got a leopard print Snuggie. I love it very much. I remember the first time I saw a commercial for a Snuggie, I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever seen. I couldn't believe that anyone would actually buy one. But then, they started to grow on me. And then my friend Rachel got one. And then I realized that I needed one too. And my sister got me one as a surprise! You have no idea how much cooler I am now that I own a Snuggie. :) (Please excuse my Christmas morning hair in this picture!)

As much fun as I had over the Holiday, I have to admit that after it's all over, I'm a little sad. I'm sad that the trees and lights will be taken down, and I'm sad that all the secret presents aren't secret anymore, and I'm sad that all the togetherness goes away. I get a little lonely. Just me?

On a more fun note, New Years Eve is fast approaching. I write resolutions every year. Even though I know that I won't keep half of them, I write them anyhow. I think really hard, and I try to set goals for myself that I know COULD be reached if I set my mind to it. I'm working on them now, and I'll share them as soon as I have them done!

Hope you're all having a great week!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!

2009-12-22T22:34:00.001-08:00

ANYBODY UP FOR A GAME OF SPOONS?

2009-12-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

So who else knows the card game "Spoons"? Is it just my crazy family? This weekend we attended our annual family Christmas gathering in Dallas. It has become a tradition that every year we have a Spoons tournament. This year, it was a big enough tournament that we had to seperate into 2 tables, and then have a championship match with the top 4 people! Just so you know, if anyone in my family ever challenges you to a game of Spoons, SAY NO! It can get violent when two people are after the same spoon!

Random Photo before we left: I made my dogs these sweaters!

After the gathering, we stayed at a fabulous hotel called Aloft. Have you been to one of these yet? It was awesome! The best part was that we got a GREAT rate online! This is an example of what the rooms look like. It was such a cool place!

We also got to go Christmas shopping at Ikea (love that place!)

And finally, we made a quick stop by The Galleria, and picked up a couple of things. I could have spent hours there (maybe even days) just window shopping and watching the people ice skate.

Hope your weekend was full of fun too, and hope you Christmas week is so very merry! :)

Oh, and a quick PS: Happy belated birthday to my bestie, Jonnie! Love you!

CHRISTMAS PARTY

2009-12-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that my husband and I own and run a small window cleaning business here in town called Fayetteville Window Washing (click here to check out our website and blog!). Last night we went to the ever so fabulous Mellow Mushroom and had the second annual Fayetteville Window Washing Christmas party! It was a blast, and a good time was had by all!

It's so much work running the business, but it's nights like those that make it all worthwhile. I'm so very grateful every single day that we have been blessed with the opportunity to have our own business. And I'm so grateful to everyone who helps to make this possible! Thanks so much y'all!

Stitch'N Bitch: Fayetteville Style

2009-12-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Last night a couple of gals organized and hosted Fayetteville's first "Stitch'N Bitch." (Excuse my cursing, it's the name of the book!) Anyhow, I attended and had a GREAT time! My favorite part is that is was a random group of people, so I got to make new friends! I'll be excited when my regular friends get to attend too, though!

If you live the the NWA area, please come out and join us next time! It doesn't matter if you're super experienced, or you've never knitted before! We'll teach you! Hope to see you there! (It's held every other Tuesday at The Lightbuld Club in Fayetteville - the next one is December 22nd!)

FUN CHRISTMAS PICS

2009-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to take a picture with two dogs AND two cats? Well I officially have. It was hysterical! We eventually gave up on the cats, and just took some with the dogs. Then we kicked the dogs out, and just played around. I even got to take some with my sis! And my nephew Bear took a photo of all 3 of us! (Keep in mind that kid is 6! Pretty good pic for a little guy!)

STOCK THE SHELTER - ON THE NEWS!

2009-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday night my friend Rachel and I got a call from a friend of ours who recently started working for a local news crew. She informed us that we could be on the news with Stock the Shelter if we wanted! We jumped at the idea of a little publicity for the event, and met up to make the clip on Sunday. Click the picture below to check out the clip!

ALL TIME FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

2009-12-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Here they are, they top Christmas movies of all time in no particular order. If there's one you haven't seen, do it this season!

1) National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
2) Elf
3) White Christmas (the colorized version with Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye)
4) A Christmas Story
5) It's a Wonderful Life
6) Surviving Christmas
7) A Charlie Brown Christmas
8) How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon version)
9) The Polar Express
10) The Santa Clause
11) Home Alone

December is here!

2009-12-01T16:21:00.001-08:00

Oh, my friends. It is finally December. This month is what I look forward to every day of every year. Everywhere you look you see twinkly lights. Everywhere you go you hear happy tunes. Everything smells like cinnamon and cider. And guess what? Tomorrow, there is a chance of snow. Life is good.

Sometimes I get stressed out about my to do list. And money. And all the other million things that run through my head every waking hour. But then I stop and look around me, and I remind myself that I am so truly blessed.

I have a home. That I own. (Or at least the bank owns it and I have a mortgage :) And inside it I have heat, and dogs, and cats, and food, and appliances that make my quality of living better. And I have movies, and books, and a computer, and a Christmas tree, and a loving husband. And we own a business. At ages 25 and 27, my husband and I own and run a business that is somehow surviving this recession. I look at all these things, and I remember that I am okay. And even if I don't get everything done that is on my list, and even if there's not a whole lot in the bank, and even if I am eating ramen for lunch all week, I am blessed. And life is good.

STOCK THE SHELTER 2009!

2009-11-29T19:13:00.001-08:00

I'm proudly announcing the start of the 2nd Annual Stock the Shelter event! Stock the Shelter is a food and supply drive that benefits the Northwest Arkansas shelter animals!

My good friend Rachel, and Joe & I all have a big weak spot for homeless animals, and since we're both at capacity (4 at my house, and 5 at hers) we want to do all we can to help keep the local shelters up and running! So, last year Rachel and I brainstormed, and we came up with a little event that we could sponsor. Stock the Shelter 2008 resulted in a ton of great donations, and we can't wait to see what Stock the Shelter 2009 will bring!

If you're interested in making a contribution, here's what the shelters are in need of:

Pillows, towels, sheets, bleach, leashes, blankets, pet beds, cat litter, cat and dog food (both wet and dry), pet shampoo, dog & cat toys, brushes & combs, laundry detergent, stainless steel bowls (these don't hold germs), flea treatment products, pet carriers, newspapers, office supplies, paper towels, dish soap, aluminum cans (by the bag), and shredded paper!

Please give me a call at (479) 234-2740 to have your items picked up! We'll be taking up items until December 23rd!

And for all you bloggers who don't live near here - call YOUR local shelter today to see what they're in need of. Remember, even the smallest contribution goes a long way!

P.S. Thanks so much to Barrett Daniel for your great contribution this year! A 6 year old gave up birthday presents for the sake of the shelter, and received contributions to Stock the Shelter 2009 instead! Now that's a good kid!

HONEYMOON NIGHT PICS

2009-11-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are a few snapshots from our honeymoon evening at Mt. Magazine. A big shout out to our great friend for the wonderful time!

Our beautiful cabin

The beginnings of a perfect fire

And just for kicks, a cool bridge we saw on the way!

ONLINE SHOPPING SECRET

2009-11-22T21:49:00.000-08:00

With all the online shopping that is sure to take place over the course of the next month, it never hurts to save a few dimes where you can! My favorite money saving website to visit is Retail Me Not. It's a great place to go and search for coupon codes. This site is different from similar sites in that it actually lists the code on the site (almost always) instead of redirecting you to something first. Just tonight I saved $8.98 on shipping. What a great deal! Go check it out!

BELATED HONEYMOON

2009-11-18T22:23:00.001-08:00

Today, Joe and I are off to enjoy a mini honeymoon by spending the night in a beautiful cabin at Mount Magazine State Park. I can't wait to get there! I'd like to extend a big giant "Thank You" to our dear friend who gave us this night as our wedding present. It's going to be awesome. I'll post pics as soon as we get back. Adios, and see you guys soon!

DO YOU REMEMBER........

2009-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember GigaPets? I always forgot about mine and killed them!

Do you remember Doug? I so wanted to be Patty Mayonaise.

Do you remember Caboodles? They were perfect for everything. Makeup, nail polish, you name it!

WE GOT SKILLS, YES WE DO, WE GOT SKILLS, HOW BOUT YOU?

2009-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

MY FIRST DATE WITH GOD

2009-11-15T21:18:00.001-08:00

So. This morning I rolled myself out of bed, threw on some clothes, and decided to follow in the footsteps of Angie over at Bring The Rain. I ventured out into the world to have a "date with God."

It was such a neat experience. I drove over to the closest coffee shop, got a tomato bagel (with cream cheese of course) and an Iced Mocha (one shot of espresso instead of two), and sat down with my notebook and pen to people-watch for a little while.

Here is an excerpt from what I jotted down:

"In a coffee shop, people smile & laugh. They stare at their computers, & they read newspapers. They greet people they know. They come & they go. With all their uncommanalities, they have one thing in common: They came here today. While I was here. They came so I could watch their lives. God sent them to me. To learn. So I will. And right in front of me, He placed a family. They're oblivious to my existence, & they have no idea how much I feel when I watch them. A mommy, with her 3 sons. So unscripted, so sweet, so real."

I sat there for a long time. And I just thought about God. And how he played a role in my life. And compared it to where I want him to play a role in my life. It was awesome.

When I left there, I was in the best mood of my life. I'm definitely going to do it again. And again. And again. :)

2009-11-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

So many things have gone on lately, I don't even know where to start!So instead of cramming story after story into one post, I will just tell you that I put up my Christmas tree.

It's beautiful. I'm in love with it. For the first time, I switched from the white lights, to the large Charlie Brown lights that look so much like Christmas! So much fun. I decided that since I'm not very good at making a fancy tree, that I should just make it fun and sentimental. So that it what I did. I'm going to post a picture below, but for some reason I couldn't make it look like it does in person. The lights look a little different, but regardless, I love them, and that is what counts!

Oh, and yes I know that it's early. But the greatest part about being an adult is that when you are ready to put your tree up, nobody can tell you no! :)

LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN!

2009-11-10T22:13:00.001-08:00

Every year, my good friend Allison and her bros & sisters host a little event we like to call "Thanksgiving!" It's a pre-Thanksgiving celebration with a bunch of our friends. It's a potluck thing, so everyone brings a dish, and it always turns out FABULOUS. It always amazes me how good these people can cook! We always follow up the meal with a dance party, and then some quality campfire time.

I love having traditions like these. It makes for great memories! Thanks Corbin Family for always hosting us!

2009-11-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Something I find interesting about being in my twenties is that I find myself paying a lot more attention to EVERYTHING. I'm still learning new things every day, and realizing things are different than my child mind thought they were.

For example, I never REALLY thought about where my meat comes from. I am a true blue meat LOVER. It doesn't seem like a meal unless there is meat involved. The only problem with any of this is, lately I've realized how horrible the animal's lives are.

I really don't think I could ever be a vegetarian. I don't think I have enough will power in me. So, how do I fix this problem? I've been buying free range eggs and free range chicken. But is that really better? I just don't know!

Sigh. Sometimes I hate having a conscience.

CATS + YARN = BIG MESS

2009-10-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

After a long day of watching my niece, working, helping (okay, watching) Joe hang my sister's TV on the wall (quite a project by the way), and assiting Joe while he changed my flat tire, I was excited to get home and cuddle up with my dogs to do a little knitting.

I walked up the stairs, flicked on the light, and stood in horror as I stared at the massacre that laid before me. I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe that my innocent little kitties could have POSSIBLY made this horendous mess with my enitre loot of yarn.

In an effort to catch the culprit, I ran into the bedroom where I keep my yarn stash safely (or not) hidden in the closet. And I found Lizzie & Bo playing happily with the leftovers. After about 30 seconds of observation, it appears that all 4 pets were in on it. And they had a system. June and Cooper (the dogs) pulled the yarn out of the basket and knawed on it for a while, and then left it for Lizzie & Bo (the cats) to destroy.

So, I after a long moment of deep breathing and sincere restraint I picked up the pieces and began to untangle the giant mess. I was able to save several balls of yarn, but sadly, some did not survive the attack.

However, I'm happy to report that everyone has been forgiven. After all, their brains are much smaller than ours. ;)

CONFESSIONS OF A TWENTY SOMETHING

2009-10-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

CONFESSION#13: I've never read the same book twice.

Well, unless you count Where The Sidewalk Ends (oh, and countless other children's books for that matter). But back to my main point. As far as REAL books are concerned, I've never read one twice. Have you?

If you have, what is it like the second time around? Is it better, is it the same? Do you have the same emotions? Does it take as long? Hmmmmm.

Speaking of books, do you know what I LOVE about books? The way the smell. The older the book, the better the smell. You know, like when you're reading a page turner and you flip the page and you get that quick whiff of air that smells like the pages? I love that.

HOMEMADE APPLE PIE

2009-10-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my entire life, I made an apple pie completely from scratch. I got out the infamous Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and even made the crust from scratch (which in my personal opinion was the best part). Plus the apples came from my an apple tree on a local farm. I accidentally forgot to peel the apples first, but to my surprise they were excellent once cooked!

Anyhow, it tasted just like fall, and I think my husband loves me alot more now. :)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2009-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

A FEW LAUGHS FOR YOU

2009-10-20T19:51:00.001-07:00

TWINS

2009-10-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

One interesting thing about being married to a twin is that when you get mad at one, you kind of get mad at them both. They're just so similar in their mannerisms and their voices are the same. So when they're both together, and I get irritated at Joe, I'm automatically irriated at Chris. I know it's not fair, but it's true! Poor Chris!

PETS & TAXES

2009-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

If you like pets, and you like tax deductions, then click here to read an interesting blog post!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAYLE!!!!!!

2009-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick birthday shout out to Gayle! Hope it's fabulous!

2009-10-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today I pulled up to my office and saw my little tree. It's the tree I look at every day when I'm parking my car. I loved today because I noticed that it had completely changed color into the crimson that I love so much every year. It made me so happy.

STRUT FOR A MUTT

2009-10-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

Back in September I got to participate in a local event called Strut for a Mutt. It's a fashion show put on by the fabulous Lola Boutique in Fayetteville, and all of the proceeds benefit the Fayetteville Animal Shelter and Spay Arkansas!

We all know how much I love my mutts, so I was thrilled to be a part of it (but also SOOOO extremely nervous!) Getting ready was super fun, and I met all kinds of great gals! It ended up being a blast, and I had a great time! Here are a few pics taken by the infamous Kori Hudson!

Oh yeah, and as a little bonus, they brought out Samantha Ronson to DJ the afterparty. Cool!

2009-10-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Guess what?! I got a new blog award! And I got it from the ever-so-fabulous Sunshinemeg! If you don't already follow her, go check her out. She's a hoot! Thanks Meg!

So I here I go passing it along to............

1) Tara at Jimmy Choos & Tennis Shoes

2) Jax at The Roaring Twenties (mine that is)

3) Rachel at It's A Hero

4) Lizzi at Life According To Lizzi

5) The Novelista Barista

Good blogging guys! Keep it up!

ALL RIGHT, WHICH IS IT?

2009-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

I've been debating this for a really long time. Which is correct?

I'M GONNA BE A COWGIRL.....AGAIN

2009-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, about 6 years ago I decided to be a cowgirl for Halloween. And then the year after that, I decided to be a cowgirl again. And then the year after that, AGAIN. And then I decided, why switch it up? Sometimes you just gotta find something that works, and stick with it. So guess what I'm gonna be this year? Yup. You guessed it. A cowgirl. :)

What are you gonna be?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBY!

2009-10-05T08:05:00.001-07:00

This past Friday we celebrated my husband Joe's 27th birthday! Here are a few pics from the celebration!

The AMAZING blackberry pie that Kori made from scratch!

My first ever Husband card!

Joe's twin brother Chris - we celebrated 2 birthdays!

The whole group out at the farm on Sunday

2009-10-02T06:37:00.001-07:00

I've recently decided that kitting/crocheting has become a dying art in my generation. So, in doing our part to remedy this, my friends and I have started a Wednesday night stitching club! (We're working on a catchier name, but for now that will have to work. :)

A special thanks to my friend Rachel for letting us all crash her house, and for being the one to teach us all how to stitch!

I'm telling you, if you don't already know how, you should learn! It's SO much easier than what I anticipated, and it's so inexpensive! I've decided to stitch a bunch of Christmas gifts this year, because it's heartfelt and easy on the pocket book all at the same time!

Anyhow, I'll leave you with a few pics of our night. I'm so excited about this! (P.S. The scarf in the picture below is the first thing I've ever done, so don't make fun of it! Rachel's husband jokingly asked me if my dog had gotten ahold of it!)

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

FALL IS IN THE AIR

2009-09-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

I went grocery shopping last night, and it was all I could do to keep myself from buying every single fall thing that was for sale! It was all chilly and crisp outside, and the air smelled like fall. And I wanted to buy apple cider, and pumpkins, and those things of decorative dried corn that are useless but look like fall, and carmel apples, and pupmkin smelling candles, and apples. Mmmm. This is my very favorite time of year, and I love everything about it! Happy Fall Day everyone!

P.S. Starbucks has GREAT carmel apple cider. If you live near a Starbucks, go grab one tonight!