"picture this - a sky full of thunder...picture this - my telephone number" this week has been all about football, road trips, visits with family, puppy butts, and the taste of fall.
i've learned a few things in the past week, like: never leave your dishes for the next morning; dogs will protect you from zombie cats; and starbucks refreshers are delicious, low~cal, refreshing (duh doy, it's in the name) treats...
"i've got your picture, i've got your picture...i'd like a million of you all 'round myself" it's the little things that keep me happy around our house:
^bertie bots every flavor jelly beans from honeydukes^
^signs, signs, everywhere are signs^
^kitchen~aide mixers make life easier^
^coffee...it does the body good^
^halloween is everywhere...all year round^
and a little vine, cuz feeding our dog makes me smile:
"today is where your book begins...the rest still unwritten..." as i've said before, sundays are made for a hot cup o' joe, blankets, and reading. and every sunday i snuggle in my blankie, drink a cup of steaming (very caffeinated) coffee, and scroll thru my favorite blogs. and i am in L~O~V~E with bleubird. i'm not quite sure how i stumbled across this beautiful little blog, but i really had to share it... bluebird is written by "miss james" (a nickname)...she is married to aubrey...and they have 4 children (ages 12 to not quite 1). james did have an online vintage thrift shop that she has closed, indefinitely, since moving from texas to tennessee. she is a clothing designer, blogger, mother, home schooler, and photographer. she takes all the photos on her blog (with the, obvious, exception of shots of herself *aubrey takes those*. family shots are done with a tripod and self~timer) and they are amazing. she recently designed a line of children's sunglasses for bonlook that are super cute and i wish would fit me!! each week you get a portrait of her kids, with stunning photos she's taken of each of the 4 children...also, what i want need wear read, which features a different person, each week, showing you their favorite product in each of the 4 categories. but my FAVORITE(!!!) entries are a video series that just started, conversations with birdie!! simply a must watch!! there have only been a few of these 3~5 minute conversations with her 2 year old, so it will be easy for you to catch up. if you don't find yourself laughing there is, quite simply, something wrong with you!! this morning pour yourself a gigantic mug of java, head on over to miss james' blog, and see what you've been missing!! happy sunday!! happy reading!!
"dear sir or madam, will you read my book?...it took me years to write, will you take a look?" FLASHBACK december 2010 the bk and i meet with a new, to us, tattoo artist (you can find out all about matt clemmer here). he works out of his basement, meaning we get to meet his lovely family. his girlfriend, katie, and her cute~as~a~button son, max. katie and matt are freelance artists and they're work is displayed all over the house. katie is, also, a blogger. FLASH FORWARD january and march 2011 matt does an addition to the bk's tribute to his great~grandmother, america, and a beautiful portrait of my flock. mine takes two sessions. a total of 14 hours. it's painful. i cry. i cry a lot. but the end product is well worth it. a piece of art on my right thigh. also, i get to learn quite a bit about this beautiful little family. and i discover katie's blog...a glimpse into her life with these two charming men. FLASH FORWARD today it's sunday. i get up early...before the sun is even fully up. i make coffee. i scroll thru facebook. i scroll thru twitter. and i read katie's pencil box. full of stunning pictures, snapped and edited by katie, and quick peeks into her day~to~day, this blog just makes me warm and fuzzy. katie doesn't tell you how to dress, how to make the perfect breakfast casserole, or how to keep the perfect house. she just shows you how an artist, mother of two (phoebe is just 8 months old), and future wife takes the time to simply be. sunday mornings are for coffee, and blankets, and reading. take this time to check out katie's pencil box...you won't be disappointed. happy reading!!
a surprise message, from an amazing friend, has us at the paddock. what is supposed to be a drink, or two, turns into...well...it turns into waking up on kathy's couch at 6:30a. waking up there and not knowing how i got there. not knowing how the bk got there. finding a sippy cup, full of an electrolyte drink, on the table beside me along with ibuprofen, tums, and scope in the bathroom. we make the ride of shame home and sleep the day away. we vow to never drink again.
FLASH FORWARD march 17, 2013
it's a sunday, this year, but that doesn't stop everybody from getting their irish on. many local "pubs" are offering corned beef and cabbage and specials on pints of guiness. the bk and i opt out. seriously. you have know idea how last week stuck with us. but, many of our friends partake. i feel certain some of them will be feeling it tomorrow.
^the aftermath?^
FLASH FORWARD today
so. you enjoyed being irish a little too much yesterday? or you have a big party coming up and you know...KNOW...that, even though you will attempt to drink in moderation, that things will get out of hand? you want to know how to avoid a hangover? the only way to AVOID a hangover is to avoid drinking too much. and, although it will provide you with hours of laughter and fun filling in the blanks of a drunken night on the town, it's incredibly dangerous. alcohol poisoning is a real possibility. and, unless you have a designated driver (or a great friend who would never let you drive in that condition and will, also, take AMAZING care of you), you could kill someone with your car. i can, however, tell you how to ease the pain.
a bit of the hair of the dog that bit you: bloody mary's were invented as a cure for hangovers. but, honestly, the last thing you need is more alcohol. try a virgin bloody mary, instead. the tobasco will help wake you up and the juice will replace nutrients you may have lost the night before.
breakfast at the waffle house: a big helping of greasy bacon, eggs, and grits will make you feel amazing. okay. fine! there is no SCIENTIFIC evidence that this works. but last week, when i spent my sunday feeling like my life was over, i ordered the greasiest pizza larosa's has to offer and, finally, felt human.
your pain reliever of choice: take two, before bed, and you should wake up headache free.
water or gatorade: alcohol dehydrates you, which is the main reason you feel bad the next day. try to stay hydrated while your partying but, definitely, rehydrate yourself the next day.
caffeine: if you are a regular coffee drinker, you could give yourself caffeine withdrawal. this would just make the hangover feel worse. so, drink that coffee. or a fully caffeinated soft drink.
sleep: you don't sleep well after a night of drinking. so, if you can, take a nap (or two...or three) the next day.
i hope you enjoyed your st paddy's day. and i hope you aren't feeling it today!!
fill a shaker with ice. coat ice with black pepper and hot sauce. add remaining ingredients. shake well. pour into a large glass. grind a bit more pepper on top. garnish with with lemon, or celery, or however you choose.
i've told this story before: like i have done countless other trips to philly, i have breakfast at a diner before heading to the airport. i give a hot cup of coffee, a donut, and 5 bucks to the homeless lady bundled in blankets beside the building. i'm paying it forward. FLASH FORWARD december 14, 2012 i am sitting in my living room...eating lunch...watching the local news. they begin talking about a school shooting. any school shooting is horrible, but this one. this one is different. far more devastating. i spend the rest of my day in tears as more and more news becomes available. 26 people are dead. 6 adults. 20 beautiful first graders. my heart is shattered. FLASH FORWARD december 15, 2012 as more information becomes available, facebook becomes a political soapbox for people...some screaming for gun control...others opposed to it...some people opening a debate about god in schools...i immediately close my computer. do these people have the right to discuss this? of course they do. but i have the right not to read it. this is not a time to argue politics...it's a time to grieve and pay respect to those who lost their lives. FLASH FORWARD december 18, 2012 the debates have subsided...people seem to understand it can wait a few days. now a new movement has begun. people on facebook and twitter are screaming "PAY IT FORWARD!!!!"...i'm proud of all my friends for pushing this movement. some of them are truly committed to it. the only thing that saddens me: why would it take a senseless act of violence to wake people up? shouldn't we ALWAYS be paying forward? need some ideas for paying forward? my first thought is: it should come from the heart...and it doesn't necessarily have to cost money...but here are some simple ideas:
over~tip your waiter/bartender/delivery driver
pay for a random person's dinner (in the drive~thru: the car behind you; in a restaurant: pick a random table)
leave a gift card on someone's windshield (grocery store, target, coffeehouse)
take a cup of coffee to your doorman or security guard at your office
give that homeless person your spare change WITHOUT questioning what (s)he might spend it on
give your time to a homeless shelter
go visit people in a nursing home
donate toys to toys for tots or your local children's hospital
bake cookies for your teachers, policemen, first responders
leave a brief note and money in a book in the bookstore or library
scrape all the windows in the parking lot before you go to work
buy a homeless person a blanket
give a stranger flowers
give a stranger candy (i suggest nothing with peanuts...you never know who might be allergic!)
let the person behind you in line go ahead of you, even if they have a HUGE cart full
pick an angel off the angel tree: get them everything on the list plus something fun
send a care package to a soldier...
leave quarters in all the gum ball machines at the store
take dog biscuits and cat treats to your local animal shelter
buy a weeks worth of groceries and give them to a needy family (you can find a family in need thru a local church or soup kitchen)
these are just a few simple ideas...i would love to hear any ideas you have...:)
^a check list if you want to participate in 26 acts of kindness or you could just do something everyday^
i apologize in advance: this IS gonna bring tears to your eyes
"lazy Sunday, wake up in the late afternoon..." i fly in to cincinnati for my first weekend with the bk. sunday morning he says he likes to go out and get a donut, coffee, and a newspaper. cool. i'm down for whatever. so, we get up and i start to go get dolled up. "what are you doing?" ummmm...getting dressed and ready to go get donuts. "what's wrong with what you're wearing?" ummmm...i'm in my pj's. "so? you look cute". so, off we go. me in my pj's, a sloppy bun, and VERY dark sunglasses. as we are walking out of the donut shop, bk stops to talk to someone. he introduces me to lance and alissa. i am SO mortified that i look like a live under a bridge. in my head i hear lance telling danny "bk's girlfriend looks like a troll, man". ugh. FLASH FORWARD september 2009 i have moved in with the bk. our first sunday morning, off we go. a donut. an extra large coffee. a newspaper. and football. all day. we never get out of our pj's. tradition. FLASH FORWARD today the bk and i continue our little tradition. but doesn't that get boring? don't you feel like you're in a rut, you ask? ummmmm...no. if you are in a rut, you do something all the time with no thought. kind of by habit. like smoking, only it could be going to the same restaurant every friday because you can't think of anywhere else to go. or walking the same trail because you aren't sure where the other trail will take you. you start getting bored, but you're afraid to try something new. but a tradition? a tradition is something you truly enjoy. you can't wait to do it. it boosts your spirits. our tradition. our lazy sundays. we can't wait for them. they boost our spirits. do you have any little traditions? tell me about them... :)
ps...3 years later, lance and alissa are allowed to see me looking like a troll...
"picture this - a sky full of thunder...picture this - my telephone number"
