Nine-Ninety-One

Gettin' My Swap On!

2012-02-29T23:59:00.007-06:00

Hey everyone!! I have taken some time off. Nothing major other than enjoying some great weather here in TN. Great weather as in short sleeves and flip flops a day or two. Yeah, baby!!!

Well, when I hear the words "Let's eat!", I am usually an eager beaver and first in line. BUT!! about three weeks ago, I heard 2 other words and it definitely made my ears perk.
BLOG SWAP!

I participated in Seriously Shawn and Confessions of an Impulsive Addict's blog swap. Just do a clickity click on the button here and it will take ya to the goods.

I was partnered with Brenna from Enjoying These Moments.
I want to give a HUGE shout out to this family. Simply because Brenna's husband is in the military. Their family is stationed in Germany and I have the utmost respect for ANY military family.

Thank you for serving our great country and sacrificing time from family, friends and from your own homeland!

I received my box a little later due to well...... they are in Germany! No worries because she came through splendidly-- sadly, better than my package that I sent her!!

Funny enough, my daughter helped me open the package. She was a bit confused when my bounty was in a Pampers box!! Can you see the scowl on her face?? lol

Yep, this is my loot. A cute basket, scarf,candles, lip gloss, nail polish, coffee mug, wooden flowers, blue floral hanging item, fun toys for the kiddos and....

CANDY!!!
German candy to boot! I have only eaten one piece (Stupo Diet!!) but it was delish. My husband has already told me to tell her to send more of a certain item!

My heart was broken when I saw this. This is a candle/potpourri warmer from Yankee Candle. It was beautiful... but broken. Darn you, Postal Service!!!
Seriously, the warmer was a beautiful glass and sooo MY taste!

My daughter got side tracked from the Pamper confusion because there was bubble wrap in the box. Who needs candy when you have plastic air bubbles to pop??

Thank you, Shawn and Impulsive for hosting the swap.

And a BIG thank you, Brenna, for such an awesome swap experience.

I Have No Idea What To Title This Post...

2012-02-16T11:16:00.003-06:00

Nothing earth shattering in the blog world today but I wanted to share some little goodies or pretties (however you want to look at it.) that my children received yesterday.
Ready??
This is a valentine bear and candy that my SON received…. from a GIRL!! I thought it was sweet but kinda made me sad. I know it’s friendly and innocent but it's MY son and it’s from a GIRL!!!! They just grow up so fast. And you know what’s even cuter?? She was too shy to give it to him. She asked me to do it and tell him “Happy Valentines Day”.—how cute is she?

Then, my daughter was not so lucky. She received a shiny, swollen, black and blue eye yesterday. She had a fight with a table and the table won. And let me tell ya, she has milked it for all it's worth. And I thought her daddy was gonna go beat up that table when he saw it. BUT... at least she made my blog post today.

TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!!

I Got You, Babe

2012-02-14T01:05:00.012-06:00

Oh, today is the day of LOVE. Bring on the red, white and pink. Bring on the sweet smelling perfume. Bring on the bouquet of flowers. Bring on......

SCREEEECCHHHHHHH!!!

.... Bring on the last minute run to the card aisle, ya mean!!!

Ok, maybe that is just me. But I am not gonna talk about the Cupid's arrow or the FAB 14th today.

No, No... I am gonna talk about this guy.

This is my son, Brandon. This past weekend we celebrated his "Gotcha Day". Now, you may question what the heck Gotcha Day is and that is fine. Have no fear, I am here to clue ya in.

Ya see, my son is adopted. I got to hold this amazing young man when he was 4 hours old. Even tho we got to bring him home shortly after his birth, in the state of TN, you have to wait 6 months before everything is "legal". All the adoption papers have to get to the capital. All the birth certificates need to changed, signed and recorded. And this all takes 6 months.

So, on Feb. 9th, 2001, we entered the courthouse in our county. We stood before a judge, our lawyer and many witnesses and this is the day that he "legally" became ours.

It was a great, GREAT day for my husband and I. Pictures were taken, tears were shed and I had a little guy in my arms that legally had my last name and we GOT HIM!

So, on that day (or around that day) we have a party that we always refer to as his " Gotcha Day". He obviously knows that he is adopted. But he ~~rubs it in his sister's face~~ loves having a Gotcha Day. In fact, it's like having two birthdays in one year. We always have dinner with the family and he gets spoiled by his grandparents.
And this year was no different. We celebrated by going to Lambert's Cafe!

Have you been there?? Home of the Throwed Rolls!

Ya gotta be careful or you can get nailed by a warm roll! But it's so fun to watch and who doesn't want yummy yeast thrown at them?

Bran and Bailey posing.

He was thrilled with these big cups. They were what you drank out of with your meal.

I had to throw this picture in there. This was of my salad that I ordered. It was HUGE! -- easily 12x12x12. I felt like a circus freak. When they passed it to me, people actually stood to take a better look. I even had people ask if they could take a picture of it. -- It was cray, cray!!

BUT!!!!! We were there to celebrate a great day. And I think everyone had a good time. And no one left with bread particles in their hair or black eyes.

Even tho I did not birth this boy, I could not love him more. He is amazing and he totally stole my heart.

Soo, glad that we got him!

Business Meeting

2012-02-13T02:25:00.001-06:00

This meeting will now come to order--

Thanks for taking time out of your day to attend the Nine-Ninety-One business meeting. We have quite a few items on the agenda so let's get to it.

Old business:

1. If you read my last blog post, I mentioned having a sickie. We are doing better and on the road to recovery.... one tissue at a time. Thanks for all the comments and well wishes.

2. I entered several giveaways this past week. Unfortunately, my name was not chosen. Hmph! - Moving on.

3. I recently participated in Pick Your Plum challenge hosted by Janette and Ashley. (Go HERE.) I appreciate all the sweet comments. I have not been approached by any Sewing Magazines, Craft Fairs or anything. Fingers crossed that talent scouts will be calling soon.

New Business:

I was given an awesome award by Miss FrouFrouBritches. She is a hoot and I have enjoyed getting to know her and her blog. Apparently, she thinks I am pretty random so she gave me THIS award.

While I appreciate this, I wonder when I will get the "I am kind of a BIG DEAL in my HOME!" award. (Side note: forward this blog post to my husband. )

The way it's described is that it's awarded to "versatile" blogs. I had to look up the Webster's definition of versatile. It states: "capable of turning easily from one thing to another". Is it a nice way of saying that I have adult ADD?? (Focus, Amy!)
Anyway, you know the routine. -7 random things and pick X amount of people to award. I don't know who to pick so... TAG! You all can do this!

So, my randoms are (and I may have used some of these before):

1. I had mono as a child. Fever was so high that my front tooth came in with a dent. (Got it fixed in 8th grade.)

2. Almost lost my hearing because of said fever. I had to take several hearing tests and special classes to learn sign language as a child. After a couple of months and additional tests, everything came back normal. -- Can you say, MIRACLES do happen!?

3. I use to tell people that I had a red headed brother named Fritz. Being that I am an only child and I was referring to my dog, it brings a chuckle to me now.

4. I am fascinated with spy , secret underground stuff.---I seriously could read books and articles about that for hours.

5. I am super competitive. And now that I have kids, I have to really work on that.

6. I hate chick flicks and sappy books.

7. My son is adopted. However, it's uncanny how much he resembles my husband and he has my odd quirks.

And finally on the list for the New Business: I recently participated in a Swap. - A Valentine Swap, in fact.

You can click on the fun heart there and go check out all the swappers. I got the sweet Tiffany from My Kind of Crazy as my swap partner.

Now before I show you my crazy cool stuff that I got from Tiffany, let me share some interesting. Ready?

I have participated in several blog swaps in my blogging career. I have ended up swapping with ladies from Pennsylvania, Texas, and Arkansas. Well, I get my email stating the name of my swap partner for the Valentines Swap. Of course, I get her name and email address. The idea is to write/email the swapper, view their blog and get to know them, right? Well, I get an email back from Tiffany and she sends me her address.

HUH? What??

I read the email again....and I could not believe my eyes! She lives in the neighboring city!!!! YES, she lives about 25 minutes from me! How crazy is that???

I have a few pictures of my envelope and goodies. The swap was for only $10.00.. and do you know how hard that is to follow???? UGH!

~~ Sweet card, post it notes, crayon hearts, nail polish, lip balm, candy, lotion, antibacterial gel, bath soap and note pad.~~

And I had to take a special picture of my hearts. I love them! I have seen these on Pinterest and she totally rocked this craft! They are crayons in the shape of hearts.

Thank you, Tiffany! Everything was great.

Meeting Adjourned!

Pep Talk

2012-02-09T11:19:00.001-06:00

Am i the only person that gives pep talks to their drinks in the morning ...."Ok, its you and me today...had a rough night and early morning ....lets get our head in the game!!"

(We have had a sickie in the family... sorry for my absence. Be back soon!)

High School Musical??

2012-02-07T00:10:00.004-06:00

Have you ever seen the movie, Romey and Michelle's High School Reunion?? I loved this movie. I am not sure if its because it had Pheebs from Friends in it or because it just hit close to home.

The movie storyline: Romy (Mia Sorvino) and Michelle (Lisa Kudrow) have been through it all including being tortured by the "popular" crowd when in high school. When they hear about their 10 year reunion, they come to realize their lives aren't as impressive as they'd like them to be. They go to the reunion with business outfits, cell phones, and one heck of a bogus success story. In the end, they see what is really important and the truth about their classmates.

Why do I bring this up?? I, along with some of my previous classmates, have been planning our...........
20 year high school class reunion.
*GASP*

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend due to a wedding that I am in that week. However, I have really enjoyed the planning, reminiscing and trying to find out where everyone is. I went to a private school so we were not a big class but it's great to know that we are all still living and no one is in jail! :) -- Honestly, that deserves another *gasp* because that shocks me a little.

But speaking of reminiscing, I have found some questions that took me back, back, BACK in time....

Enjoy and feel free to go down your own memory lane!

~~ MY SENIOR YEAR, 1992~~

1. Who was your best friend? Laura Anderson
2. What sports did you play? Volleyball and Cheerleading.
3. What kind of car did you drive? 1987 Ford Escort
4. It's Friday night, where were you at? Cheering at a game or at the mall with friends.
5. Were you a party animal? Not really
6. Were you in the "In Crowd"? Hmm-- I acted like I did when I was with the other cheerleaders or at a game. Otherwise, I was in the corner begging to be noticed.
7. Ever skip school? Nope. I was one of the geeky ones that actually liked to go to school. And I don't think we did the whole Senior Hookey Day thing.
8. Ever smoke in the bathroom? No
9. Were you a nerd? Not the "book" nerd but in my own little way, yes.
10. Did you get suspended/expelled? That's a negative.
11. Can you sing the Alma Mater? I don't think we had one.
12. Who was your favorite teacher? Oh... tough call. Tie between Mrs. Hall- She was tough but prepared me for college. Mrs. Hughes- If you were a senior, she loved you. Any other class, she could be a witch. She let the seniors get away with anything.
13. Favorite class? Probably Accounting. Again, Mrs. Hughes--- she let us cheat!
14. Your school was in what state? West Virginia

15. What was your team mascot? Soldiers
16. Who were your boyfriends during your Senior year? I had two: M* and L*. L* cheated on me so I don't really claim that one. And M* was precious. Although, it felt like I was dating my brother, so I broke it off.
17. Would you go back and do your Senior year over again? Most definitely! It was amazing.
18. Your favorite memory of that year? I got to travel ALOT! We had a great soccer and basketball team and cheerleading squad. Because of tournaments and competitions, I got to see many historical places and beautiful states.

Fill In The Blank Friday

2012-02-03T00:03:00.002-06:00

Once again, I am linking up with Lauren at "the little things we do". I always enjoy getting to know my bloggie friends so I enjoy filling in the blanks....to fill ya in a little bit about me!

HERE WE GO....

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is go on a fabulous cruise with my husband. Mmmmm... bliss.

2. Going to the dentist is something I like that other people think is weird.

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be DIETING STINKS. (Pretty sure it would R rated. I would kill someone for a candy bar right now. )

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are my son's Gotcha Day (He was adopted and we celebrate the day that everything was "legal"), Valentines Day and going to Lambert's Cafe. (Throw me a roll!!)

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is who knows? Whatever is on my mind at the time, I guess. It could even be Itsy Bitsy Spider because my daughter started it.

6. If I found out that the production of Diet Coke was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is my husband and kiddos letting me sleep in.

Pick Your Plum Challenge and Tutorial

2012-01-30T22:46:00.020-06:00

It's Wednesday and I have had this date circled on my calendar for what seems like 7 years!!
Why, you ask??? SOO glad you did!

I have linked up with Janette from Johanson's Journey. She and her friend, Ashley from Cherished Bliss, have partnered with Pick Your Plum and sent a challenge out to a few of their blogger pals.

AND.... being that I am Janette's life coach (Ha!), I was selected to take on this challenge.

Here is my package that Janette sent my way with a Pick Your Plum item. Vanna, please show the audience the fabulous package....

An assortment of Cuuuuu-UTE ribbon from Pick Your Plum.
PYP is a "deal of the day" site that really is amazing. They have great prices on their items. But because of those great prices, you have to act quickly.

So, Amy, the ribbons are your challenge if you choose to accept it.
I DO!!

There really are so many great ideas, photos, articles, etc. on ribbon crafts. I, however, went a personal direction.

I used both red ribbons from my challenge packet. I had some red and white plaid that I added to the mix. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of my starting item, but I used one of my daughter's skirts.

It was too blah and I wanted to "Plum-dazzle" it for Valentines Day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cut 1.5 inch pieces of each ribbon color/pattern. After "looping" them, I pinned them along the hemline of the skirt.
It looks a little something like this.

And I look a little something like this after looping all those pieces of ribbon!! I think I was starting to get a little "loopy" myself!
Cheesey line... moving on!

After pinning the different ribbons along the hem, you get a hemline that looks like this.

You can definitely leave the hem like this. However, I added the additional ribbon to cover the stitching to make it look more polished.

Pair the skirt with a red or white shirt and we are ready for Valentines!

Be sure to check out PYP. They also have a page on Facebook. Click HERE to become a fan and see their daily specials.

Also, be sure to check out Janette and Ashley. They are crafty bloggers and I SOO appreciate this opportunity.

Kissing Facts

2012-01-30T00:58:00.004-06:00

Well, Well..... Can you believe that there are only two days left in the month of January?? It's cray to the zee!!!

But this past weekend, on the 28th to be exact, I celebrated a little anniversary. I got engaged 15 years ago! Yep, my hunka hunka burnin' love got down on one knee. And with sweaty palms, white-face, pounding heart and nervous like no other, he asked, "WILL YOU MARRY ME??"

-- Insert an "Awww" here--

So in honor of that memory and with the month of love around the corner, I thought I would pass along these kissing facts.

Pretty interesting.. enjoy!

1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.

2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that's a rigorous workout!

3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.

4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.

5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing.

6. Ever wonder how an "X" came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.

7. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.

8. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married. (HA! I am SO not average.)

9. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don't. - (For real??)

10. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. ( So if you've beaten that record, it's time to celebrate! )

Fill In The Blank Friday

2012-01-27T00:16:00.003-06:00

I am jumping in on "Fill In The Blank Friday" over at THIS blog . I have been lurking over at her place for awhile. She just recently had a baby... AT HOME, no less. Congrats to her and hubby.

Here we go.... I think I see a pattern with these questions! :)

1. My favorite place that I've ever traveled to is Canada. I was a newlywed and we went to Niagara Falls for our honeymoon. It was such a carefree and fun trip.

2. San Fransisco is somewhere I would love to go someday. There are so many places I want to see here in the good ole' U.S.A. And from what I hear and have seen (through pictures) San Fran would NOT disappoint. And then there is my whole fascination with Alcatraz.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, car, or train ride) by texting or reading a book.

4. My 3 must-haves when I travel are: 1. My cellphone 2. A book 3. A blanket

5. My favorite travel companion is My husband, Brian

6. The craziest thing that has ever happened to me while traveling is our car catching on fire. It's true. This happened while I was in high school. We were traveling home (Ky) for Christmas. I was in the back sleeping and I heard my mom yelling, " Get out of the car. It's on fire!!" Ugh.. what a way to wake up.

7. The most exotic food that I have ever tried while traveling is probably corn nuts.-- HA! What?? They were Caliente Mix flavored.

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in Texas! I don't know what it is about that state. They have such pride there!! AND with my big hair, I would fit right in.

9. I have been to 21 states in the U.S.

Have a FAB weekend!!

Dino Love

2012-01-25T22:51:00.011-06:00

My son got a dinosaur egg in his Christmas stocking. I failed to take a picture of just the egg but it has kept our attention for the past two days. -- SERIOUSLY!!

I really did feel like I was a new mommy waiting for my little baby to be born. We watched and watched and then would go back and watch some more. Many late nights, many trips to our kitchen counter. We (tried) to wait patiently.

This is how it works:

You put the egg inside a bowl and cover it with water. And.... basically, you wait till your little dino is born!

Oh!! I see some crackin' going on!

This was the proud big sister showing off (I think about 12 hours) that there was some shell breakage.

I see a head !! Seriously, we were all excited. I was getting ready to put it in the papers. I think this is about the 30 hour mark.

Big brother and sister seeing a little more of the head and neck.

This is the close up at about 48 hours. We put him back in some water to see if the rest of the egg would break away and his body fill out. Yes, a HE. I looked.

And after about 53 hours, here is our ~~blob of plastic~~ bundle of joy.

I am pretty sure the box said Dinosaur. I, on the other hand, think it's a cross between a lamb, llama and giraffe. Regardless, he was grown with love.

Cool Thought-- And I Am Tired of It!

2012-01-23T12:12:00.002-06:00

I think this is a cool thought. I am not sure who wrote it but I came across this and totally stole it.

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, tastey beverage in the other, your body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "Woo hoo!" What a ride!"

While I think there is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself and having a healthy body, I have found that over the years, I have let things and people rob me of my joy.

This has been on my mind a couple of weeks now. And I may be the only one that is like this. Are you the same person you were when you graduated high school? Are you the same person you were when you were in college? Are you the same person you were when you got married?

Grant it, we may not have the bills, the child sniffles, financial woes, decreased energy, or the busted head gasket on our car back then but why do we change?? Why do we let our surroundings change us?

Are we that much like a chameleon???

I, for one, am tired of it! I truly loved who I was back then. I was happy a good majority of the time. I did not care who said what about me. I was not trying to be part of the "mommy group". If something broke or didn't go my way, I may have been sad but I quickly let it go and looked for an alternative.

Because I have let people and circumstances in my way, I may have robbed my husband and children time and memories. And that really is unacceptable to me. In fact, it totally upsets me the more I think about it. I have wasted time, people!
So, go read that quote again. It's a good one! And a great reminder for me to enjoy life and have fun!!

How about you???

Weekend Recap

2012-01-16T00:09:00.017-06:00

Hola!!

It's Monday and while many hate Monday's, they are actually my favorite day of the week. My weekends are Sooo busy and I look forward to Monday's to just veg. AND since today is a holiday, I am gonna VEG a little more than usual. -- don't hate.

It's hard to believe it's already the middle of January. You would think that I'd have the hang of writing 2012 about now but nope. I STILL catch myself writing 2011. Am I alone in this?

Well, here are a few pictures of my weekend or what it consisted of. Nothing major but I wanted to share a few things and show that I DID get off my caboose.
I made a trip to this lovely store. Do you have one near you? I actually don't have one NEAR me. It's about 45 minutes away.-- Remember, I live in Mayberry.-- But it's a piece of heaven inside 4 walls.

I bought a few nail polishes on clearance and some humdity frizz control for my hair. I love clearance bins!

I made several batches of these little goodies, as well. My husband is on a peanut butter cookie kick. I found the key is to bake them for less time than what the recipe says. If it says to bake for 8 minutes... only cook for like 6. Delish!

I am not normally a TV watcher but when it comes to this show, I dare my children or husband to talk to me. :) I love Pan Am on so many levels. From the drama to their clothing. It's such a great series!

And if you are a fan of this show, you will know the gentleman in the uniform. He plays a captain on the Pan Am airline. His name is Dean. I wanted to also show you the gentleman in the suit. His name is Dave. Don't they look alike??? Dave was one of our groomsmen at our wedding. Although Dave is fuller in the face, I think he and Dean resemble soo much!

And lastly, this is our cat, Kitty B. He caught this mouse. YES!! CAUGHT IT IN MY HOUSE and then watched it walk around. And I, of course, had to snap a picture. I am weird like that.

HAPPY MONDAY!

DISS- Functional

2012-01-12T01:24:00.012-06:00

There are several types of ladies that I tend to just stand back, cross my arms and just snarl the snarl of hate. You know the ones. Where they are are so drippy sweet that you get a toothache just being around them. The ones that have the abs that would make Chuck Norris jealous. And the lady that is so thoughtful that she puts you to shame as you see her hand a birthday card to the Walmart greeter.
All of that is said in jest but I assure you, none of those define this gal.

Nope. I am not that woman.

So, to make YOU feel a wee bit more functional, I have compiled a list of items that has happened to me. You will see my dysfunction.

1. I was going to bake some cookies the other day. I spooned them on the slightly greased pan. I set the timer and placed the pan on the oven rack. I pushed start and waited my 7 minutes. The alarm buzzer went off and I went to claim my yummy and delish cookies. Only to find that the oven was not even turned on.

GRRR!!!

2. I found a red M&M under the couch and TOTALLY ATE IT!!!

3. I refuse to drive over a cigarette that someone has thrown out their window. I will cause a wreck because I will serve to avoid it. I have a mental picture of it blowing up my car. My husband thinks I am loco. But think about it!! A car is fueled with gasoline, right? A spark can fly off and we know that fire and gasoline do not mix! Hello!!? I will take no chances, thank you.

4. One day last week, I ate a whole bag of pepperoni for lunch.

5. That said bag of pepperoni was hid in the back of the refrigerator so no one could find it. I wanted it all to myself. Don't hate.

So there you have it. You are cooler than me. Hope this makes your day.

My Gang and I

2012-01-09T23:04:00.004-06:00

Hello all. I thought I needed to update my blog and explain where I have been. Ya see, I have joined a gang. "New Years Resolution Gang". I did the whole initiation thing and after some prodding, guilt and to be honest, some hesitancy, I became a member. I joined the "Get your House Clean and Organized Gang."

I have been a purging and organizing fool! I have taken every room in my house and literally stripped it down. If we have not used it in the last 8 months, it's outta here. Go ahead. Pick an item or say and object and I can tell you where it is and what drawer it's in.

Now, the other gang members and I are gonna try and really stay with it. I am hoping to get a patch to put on my coat or something. But who knows?

So, there ya have it. I have been busy, people!! Forgive me for not visiting your blogs like I should. The gang's rules are pretty tough. To show you some proof, I have taken some pictures for you.

Proof of my absence. These are bags of..... crapola to take to Goodwill!

And to show you how tough I am now. I thought I would throw out some gang signs for you.

Have a great clean and organized day!! :)

Episode 2012: The Missing Mailbox

2012-01-03T14:05:00.006-06:00

I just happened to look outside our living room window the other day and I loudly said, " Hey!! Where did our mailbox go??" I grabbed my jacket, put on my shoes and went outside. Lo and behold, I found a little more than our mailbox.

Looks like someone had a little too much to drink on New Years.

Yes, those are tire tracks off the road and into a ditch. They kept going and

BAM!!!

Our mailbox!-- or what's left of it. ** Grrrr, grumble, grumble**

And as they continue to regain control of their vehicle, I'm sure.... they happened to drop something out of their truck. They left us a lovely blue cooler.
Guess what was inside?

(Rhymes with Mud Fight!)

NEW

2012-01-01T19:09:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great and safe New Year. We celebrated at home. Everyone was inside, warm, tummies full and in their jammies.-- Just like I like it. :)

I am excited about 2012. I think it's what you make it, right?? I have been working on my NEW goals list.

New year financial decisions to make.

New holiday calories that need to be burned off

New Christmas items that I can play with.

New seasons of my favorite shows.

New trips with my family.

New styles to try.

New organization plans to achieve.

New friends to make.

New make-up I'm experimenting with.

New goals to achieve.

New school lessons to plan.

New pictures to take.

New planner - I just love a new planner.

New projects in the works.

New renovations on our home.

New memories to make.

How about you?? Tell me one new thing you are going to do this year!

Out with the Old, In with the New!

2011-12-26T12:52:00.006-06:00

15 years ago, I got married. And like most brides, I had a wedding shower. I received some great gifts but one that has received TONS of use were my pots and pans. It was a set of T-fal cookware.

Normally, I am not a brand snob but I specifically asked for this type. I love it and it has proven to be perfect for my stove top. Just my T-fal and I. We are such a great couple.

Christmas rolls around and there was a big box with my name on it. Oh, how I was praying to the aluminum, non-stick gods that it was what I asked for. I was seriously as giddy as the kids while waiting my turn.

Sure enough, the white box was peeking through as I started unwrapping it. Isn't she a beauty?

I rushed home, hurriedly grabbed my 15 year old cooking mates and said my goodbyes. But before parting, I snapped a picture. You can see that she served me well.

What was YOUR favorite gift this year??

The Jist of It

2011-12-20T21:47:00.004-06:00

My blog stinketh.

I have been busy and not really had time to sit down to write a post. So, in one quick post, I will fill ya in.

FAMILY

Everyone is doing well. One has had a runny nose and the other has been running his sister out of his room.... HIS SPACE, ya know. School is out due to Christmas break. Because of this I have not seen my son till 10:30 a.m. every morning. That boy loves to sleep in. Bailey loves that she has the TV all to herself during that time. And I don't really have to worry about making breakfast, which is nice. Hubby is fine. He is working mega hours. Thankful for work so no complaining ova here.

SCHOOL

Speaking of school, they are doing pretty well. Math still drives Bran mad. He hates it. But once he "gets" it, it's a no brainer for him. Bailey is a proud kindergartner and only "hates" school because she hears her big bro say it. I know this because after school is over for the day, she wants to do more worksheets. Pssht. Mom, AKA, the teacher is just glad that we are on break. --- nuff said.

CHRISTMAS

All my shopping is complete and pretty much wrapped or put in a decorative bag. We are traveling for a few days to Arkansas. I will be sure to wave at my Arkansas friends as we pass through. I have not really cooked, baked or decorated any sweets. A package of red cream filled Oreo's is about as festive as it gets around here.

And since I can not send a Christmas card to everyone, here is the picture we added to our cards. It's of those two rascals I mentioned above. Judging by this picture, you wouldn't think they argue and fight, would you?

Looks can be deceiving.

Morph-a-riffic!!

2011-12-13T01:15:00.003-06:00

I homeschool my kiddos. Yeah, Yeah.... that's another blog post. But while my kiddos are doing school, I often have to wait till they are done with a certain subject or task, right? And this is what I do.
I have an abundance of time obviously.

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph -

Ice, Ice, Baby....

2011-12-08T23:10:00.013-06:00

I am not a Vanilla Ice fan but this could have definitely been our mantra the past couple of days. My family and I went to Nashville to see ICE that was hosted at the Opryland Hotel. This year's theme was Merry Madagascar and everything was made with many, many blocks of ice. While it was supa cold, we had a SUPA good time!!

Photo overload.... but enjoy!

This was taken in our hotel room. I thought the non smoking sign was funny--"Breathing Room". And look at the cleaning price for those that paid no attention to the Breathing Room's demands! Ouch!

Here we go!! Welcome to Nashville!
We had to wear parka's inside, which they furnished. I am soo glad too. It added more warmth to our cold bodies. B getting B ready!!
The blue parka family. Cheese!!

This was all made with ice. I have no idea how they got the colors. It may have been food coloring. I don't know.. but it was beautiful!!
>

Bailey coming down the ice slide.

Again, everything made from ice. Even those little bundles of fruit above our heads. I could be wrong but I think there was an icicle that was forming on the end of my nose.

There were twinkling lights encapsulated inside those ice candles.- Amazing!

We went inside the Opryland Hotel to look around and warm our bones. Shrek's house was there!! I thought it was out in the woods.... who knew it was in Nashville all this time!?

Seriously?? This tree was gorgeous!

(Inside the Opryland Hotel)

Do you have 4 minutes to spare??

2011-12-05T12:57:00.002-06:00

We are leaving for a couple of days but I did not want to leave ya'll hanging. I ran across this cute little clip. To be honest, I can see my husband and I doing this. This is TOTALLY US!! It's perfect for the holidays and definitely made me laugh. It's only 4 minutes... take time for the chuckle.

CLICK ME FOR THE LAUGH!!

Secret Revealed

2011-11-30T15:06:00.006-06:00

I was recently reading a Christmas meme over at Living a Goddess Life . One of the questions was "When and How did you learn the truth about Santa". So I jumped into my time machine and traveled back to 1984.

First of all, if you know me, I hate secrets. I am nosey, people!!! And I HATE, LOATHE and SPIT on people that say, “ I know what you got for Christmas.” Hate it, I tell ya. Why? What’s the sense in it? Why glory in knowing that? Why hold the goodness in? . Share the wealth! Ok. I’ll stop. My heart is racing already.
I remember when I found out there was no Santa. I suspected it for awhile but at the ripe old age of 10, I became a member of the club called “ In the Know”. It was time to go to bed. I fought sleep. I tossed and turned. I sang songs in my head. I counted sheep, dogs, horses, armadillos and possibly a few dust bunnies. I held my breath. I did what I had to to stay awake. THEN my mom comes down the hallway. Instantly, I close my eyes. She turns on the hall light. Stands in my bedroom door way. And she Stares.… and Stares... and Stares.
I didn’t move. My breathing was consistent. My eyes did not flutter.

Come on, Amy. YOU GOT THIS!!!
The lights went out. SUCCESS!!!!

I listened intently. I hear the closet door open... IN THE BATHROOM!! Darn! I totally forgot about that closet. I hear the crinkle of bags. My mom goes back down the hallway and eventually, I hear the cutting of paper. After everyone is down for the night. I tip toe down the hall and sure enough, the Christmas tree looks as if Santa had been there.

Honestly, I was proud that I figured it out. BUT looking back, I think a little of the magic went away that day.

What about you?? Do you remember when you found out the truth about Santa?

A Trade Off

2011-11-28T23:02:00.003-06:00

Yes, this is my son giving my doggies and (probably) swollen piggies a massage.

Some may call it creepy. Some may call it torture. Some may call it gross. But I call it compromise.

See, my son wants to play the Wii. I don't have anything against games but just don't get what the fuss is all about. BUT, my son got a new game and wanted extra time to play.

So...... he said, "I will give you a foot massage if you let me play on the Wii."

What's a girl to do?

Word Of The Day

2011-11-22T00:12:00.001-06:00

Since I am back to blogging on a "semi-when I feel like it" basis, I am getting back to my meme's. This one is hosted by Impuslive Addict

and Shawn.
I have worked with them before. They are totally harmless.

Picture it--- Indiana, 1988. I was in my 8th grade English class. The bell rings and class gets started. The teacher takes roll and then says, “Look at the word on the board. Get out a piece of paper and write the definition of this word”. *All eyes go to the board. *

hors d’oeuvres

It was written in bright, white chalk on the green board. Now, I gotta be honest here. I was trying to act all cool and smart. But really, I had NEVA heard of “horse doovers”?? I am from Kentucky. They may very well have those kinds of horses here in Indiana, right? I didn’t know!?

But like I said, I was acting like I knew what the word of the day was. I get out my cute, girly 3-ring binder. I get out my piece of paper and snap it back shut. All the while thinking…. What am I going to write down?

I looked to my right.

I looked to my left.

Thank God, Tony G. had his paper where I could read it. He had a few words on his paper. I could only make out one of them. ---FOOD.

Ok. This totally makes sense now. So I write on my paper.

“Food that a horse eats.”

The teacher told us to raise our hands if we knew what the definition for the word on the board was. Of course, I raised my hand. Remember, I was cool… Tony G gave me a semi-answer and I figured it out. Thanks to the teacher gods, she did not call on me. Cause I . WOULD. HAVE. LOOKED. LIKE. AN. IDIOT!!

-- A cool idiot, mind you. One with with a girly, 3- ring binder!!

(BTW, if you are from KY and need help with this word, feel free to ask. )

Well Done Grasshopper

2011-11-20T00:20:00.006-06:00

Warning: MAJOR SON BRAG
I am a sports freak. I love to watch sports. Being from Kentucky, it's just known that you are born with blue running through your veins. I played sports in school and love to attend games. Huband o' mine is not too sporty but he loves his guns, cars, and tools. So, we tried to get our son interested in these sorts of things. I will be honest. I pushed sports. We went to batting cages, we passed every ball out there and we would play football until it got dark or was too cold. I wanted to be that loud mouth mom on the side. But, he really never showed interest in it. – competitively. His dad pushed woodworking, building cars, etc. and still nothing. That is, until this summer.
Some of you may remember but he started Taekwondo this summer. We were thrilled. He picked up on it so easily. He was focused. He did his exercises and practiced daily. He found his niche’.
Well, in the Taekwondo world there are 9 belts or ranks. – white, orange, yellow, camo/ green, purple, blue, red, brown and then black. His instructors have mentioned little things about him and his style. I always gloated inside. YAY, Bran!!
Well, this past week, Brandon tested for his green belt. He did his moves, challenges, etc. Then when we were finished and class was over, his instructor said she needed to talk to me.
Ugh—did I pay this month? Did he push a kid? Has he mouth off in class? Quite the opposite, we actually got great news!
Brandon has been chosen to be involved in the Taekwondo leadership program! He has moved on to another rank but she wants him to start working with the younger ones (called Tiny Tigers). She said she can’t legally pay him but will just credit our tuition fees. So, the grasshopper is now becoming the teacher. Yay, Bran!
He is happy. We are happy. Well, let me correct that by saying, I am now nervous. The rank he is in will involve sparring. Sparring is where they will gear up and start hitting and kicking one another. Now that I think about it, can any of you recommend a good nerve medication?
Have a FAB day!

Brandon and his other team mate getting ready for testing.

Brandon, challenging.

I love this picture. You can see that Brandon (yellow belt, far right) and his team mate, Koren are moving on to the next class and rank. The others are shaking hands and bowing as respect to their leaders.

Making A Big Splash in My Life

2011-11-15T12:35:00.008-06:00

I was going back through some of my old calendars recently. It was something that I wrote down on a particular day. Do you do that? Do you write down little tid-bits that you or someone is doing or have done that day? I noticed that six years ago today was a special day. I found out that I was pregnant with this splashin’ gal.

While the announcement of having a child is always a celebratory event, this was extra special for me. Ya see, I had been dealing with infertility for over 9 years. I was told at the ripe old age of 15 that I would never have children. And that is an entirely different post in itself. So, when I found out, I was super excited, reserved, and ever so cautious. I didn’t want to sneeze for fear of miscarrying. But God knew all along, didn’t He? Even when I was 15, He knew more than the doctors.

I don’t want to make this a snot slinging, Kleenex grabbing post. I just want to share a few thoughts about this water lovin' gal of mine.

• She is my mini-me.
• She loves to sing and dance like her mama.
• She has the best smile in the world.
• She is sassy.
• She is so girly.
• She has her daddy tightly wrapped around her little finger.
• She is super sneaky.
• She has the gift of compassion.
• She cracks me up when she mispronounces words.
• She is truly a gift from God.

Designing Women Love and Theatrics

2011-11-08T15:26:00.012-06:00

Let’s go back to 1986 or 1987. Oh, it doesn’t matter the year. Let’s just go to Atlanta, Georgia where there are 4 southern belles that made us laugh. I am talking about Designing Women. Out of the 4 ladies, which character did you like the best?

Was it Suzanne? -The spoiled beauty queen?
Was it Charlene?- The heart of gold office manager?
Was it Julia?- The fiery tongued brunette known as the "Terminator"?
Was it Mary Jo? -The beautiful brassy haired mom that was a creative designer?

Oh, I know this show got a lot of slack. But I truly loved this show. My favorite was Dixie Carter, A.K.A Julia Sugarbaker. She oozed femininity and was deliciously strong and independent. And let’s not forget that southern charm and accent!

The reason I brought up Designing Women was because the fam and I went on a little trip today. We visited The Dixie Carter Arts and Entertainment Center. It was founded by Dixie Carter and her husband, Hal Holbrook.

I was like a little girl going to that place. Of course, Dixie Carter passed away a few years ago, but I felt like I was going to meet her in person! And in a way, I did! They had oodles of pictures of her throughout her acting days. They even had outfits on display that she wore on the show! OHHHH… be still my stalking fan heart!!

Ok, back to the outing. We went to the theater to see this…

Bring on the Christmas spirit!!

It was such a great musical and play. The props, actors & actresses and atmosphere was so fun and festive. I know the kids and I had a great time. Although, my husband would deny it, I think he had a pretty good time too!

Here are a few more pictures....

This was in the main foyer. There's my Southern Belle!!

Waiting for the show to start, I had to snap a pic of my favorite gang!

We sat in the balcony. And we had pretty good seats. Although, the boy infront of me needed to be about 2 inches shorter. Pssht.

Could not take pictures during the show *grumble, grumble*, so this is courtesy of The Dixie.

The girl and I. I think we were singing Christmas songs or humming the Designing Women theme song.

Just a snapshot of the journey. Aren't the trees beautiful!?

Grossed Out

2011-11-04T01:25:00.011-05:00

There are few things out there that really gross me out. I can pretty much handle the foulest of smells. I can handle vomit, blood and guts. I like to think that I have a pretty strong stomach.

But there is one thing that I will straight up tell you that gives me the eebie jeebies. And that is..... pumpkin warts.

Do you know what I am talking about??

Fall is my favorite time of year. The scents are amazing. The changing leaves leave me breathless. Football gets my heart pounding. I mean, as cliche' as it is, I love fall, ya'll!!

BUT I do have a little panic attack to think I may see a warty pumpkin during the season.

Well, this little topic brings me to a point. I have a friend that recently had a baby. He is a childhood friend of mine. We grew up together so we are relatively close. So, I was beyond thrilled to see yet another picture of his precious punkin'--- no pun intended.

I checked my inbox and sure enough I see an email with a picture attached.

~~ NOW DON'T GET AHEAD OF ME!!!!!!! ~

I wait for it to load and..... BAM!!!!

Now tell me. Why in everything that is righteous and holy would someone put their sweet and precious child on something...... SO NASTY!!!???
I have yet to really see what this child looks like. I either have to quickly close the email out or all I see are those nasty, cancerous looking pumpkins! I need to have a good talk with my friend!

Now if you have warty pumpkins on your porch, in your yard or in your holiday decor, we can no longer be besties. -- Just sayin'.

I gotta end this post... my hands are sweating.

Have a great weekend (and I hope you see the sarcasm in my post!) :o}

Yep, I Have Been Missing

2011-11-01T23:39:00.003-05:00

I know. I’ve been missing for waaaaay too long. I have excuses but probably not very good ones.

One thing I know. I have some sweet, SWEET friends out there in blog land. You have sent emails, comments and FB messages. I SOO appreciate that!

I am thrilled that I am missed! Who knew that ya'll really read my crazy babblings!?

The only problem is... I am still going to be very inconsistent.

--SORRY--

So, now I am off to catch up on some of your blogs. Ta-ta for now!!

Easy Nail Marbling

2011-08-30T00:42:00.003-05:00

I recently found this video from one of my favs that I stalk on youtube. It was such a fun and creative video and I wanted to share with you.

http://youtu.be/MH1PdSs-dQk

Happy Marbling!!

Mommy Brag + More

2011-08-27T22:29:00.005-05:00

First matter of business. Thank you for all the birthday wishes. Thanks to two of my bloggie pals, Sara Kate and Jodie for sending me some birthday mail. You guys made it extra special.

Secondly, school is about to start and I have been busy prepping. I homeschool my lovekins so it's a bit crazy at times until we find our niche. Unfortunately, blogging will be kinda sparse for awhile. I will be checking in on your blogs, however!

NOW.... moving on to some brags. My son Brandon takes taekwondo and we recently went to a tournament. It was his first and I believe I was more stressed than he was. He did great and I could NOT have been more proud.

This was opening ceremonies. The black belts were getting ready to do their thang!

Brandon waiting his turn to get on the mat. He said the waiting was the hardest part. But look at that focus!

The ladies on the right were not praying. They were judging him! It was the coolest thing to watch.

Bran shaking hands with his opponent.

His instructor, Ms. Nancy. I think she was proud....

2nd place, BABY!

Award for Moi

2011-08-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks to THIS little hottie, I was given an award. I know you wish you were cool like me.
Well, in this said award, I am to mention 7 things about me. And pass it on to 15 other newly discovered blogs. So.. here we go.

I like to drink vinegar.

Even tho I am an only child, I use to tell everyone that I had a read headed brother named Fritz.

Fritz was our dog.

My very first job was a telemarketer ( DON'T HATE, PEOPLE!!!). I did pretty well. I got telemarketer of the year in 1993!

I actually love going to the dentist.

Because of a high fever when I was 5 I almost lost my hearing. I had to go through several sessions of hearing studies and speech lessons.

To this day, I have "above par" hearing in my left ear.

I was asked my senior year of HS to travel with a drama team around the US. I would have helped in the makeup/costume department.

Oh.... I honestly have not been cruising around blogland too much so no recently new blogs. So, consider yourself all versatile and go do this!!!

August Birchbox Vlog

2011-08-20T01:46:00.002-05:00

Why does Youtube always capture your face like you have major intestinal issues? Ugh

Enjoy!

My Mid-Section Telling A Story

2011-08-17T11:02:00.001-05:00

I will spare you with my tickers and birthday count downs. Ya see, I am trying to sike myself up for turning the big 3-7. It's just a number, right?? It's how you act, right? You have to OWN 37, right?

UGH!

Well, I am trying to better myself. I am exercising more. Trying to eat a little healthier. Trying to eat only one cookie instead of the dozen. We won't even talk about the doughnuts but I am trying!

I was recently looking through an article and noticed they were talking about having"MOM ABS". I quickly turned the page because I didn't really want them rubbing in some grand Jessica Alba abs. But after being curious, I turned it back. I noticed several pictures.

This is Alexis Bellino and she is from Housewives of Orange County. Yes, I am a fan. Shut it. She is a mother of 3. Of course she looks wonderful. She says she is "mostly healed" of her eating disorder.

Then I ran upon Janice Dickinson. She is 56 and a mother of at least one child. Now, upon glancing at this picture, I didn't know if the waves caught her bikini top and pushed it up OR was she from SAGville??

Those are ribs!?

Attractive?

But she is known to have oodles of surgeries to help remain her youthful look.

Later that evening, I was doing my 56th sit up and had a hunger pain. I tried my best to fight it but temptation was winning out. My mind went to those "mom abs" and the possible stories behind them.

But right then I glanced over and saw these two.

Brandon is adopted but I had to go through a slew of fertility treatments, depression and weight gain prior to adopting this precious child.

7 Years later, God blessed me with a child that I carried in my own womb. Having to have an emergency c-section, I am cut from stem to stern and I have the noticeable"baby pooch". Unfortunately, the doctor told me that I would never be able to lose that due to the muscles being cut.

As I looked down at my tummy, I DO have mom abs. Mom abs that tell MY story.

And, I am learning to be ok with them... at 37.

Pssst-- Hey!

2011-08-14T22:06:00.001-05:00

Hey Barn, did ya hear???

Brian and Amy are celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary today!!
Yep, 14 years here, folks. I will refrain from being all mushy and telling ya what a wonderful man I married. For fun and giggles, I thought I would ask him some questions. Let's see what he says!
Amy: What made you notice me and ask me out?
Brian: I noticed your long hair. I thought you were dating someone tho. I found out you recently broke up and went in for my move.
Amy: Were you nervous when you proposed?
Brian: Uhh, yeah.
Amy: What were your feelings on your wedding day?
Brian: I was a little nervous, anxious and pretty excited.
Amy: What was your biggest worry that day?
Brian: Making sure I had enough money for the honeymoon.
Amy: What was your best advice given prior to your wedding?
Brian: It was by Mr. Vaperzan.- "Marriage is not 50/50. It's 100/10."
Amy: After 14 years of marriage, what would you say has been the biggest lesson learned?
Brian: Communication. Cause that's what you stress all the time.

Amy: What three words would you use to describe me,your wife?
Brian: Beautiful-Persistent-Loving
Amy: If there was something you knew 14 years ago that you know about me now, what would it be?
Brian: If I knew I had to answer so many questions, I wouldn't have married you.
Pssht- Whatev!!

Love you too, babe. Happy 14th.

CARD-tastic!!

2011-08-11T18:38:00.006-05:00

Remember awhile back when I was talking about the lost art of snail mail?? I had asked three of my readers to send me their address and I would send them something in the mail. Everyone loves mail, right?? Oh...I had soo much fun picking out cards and sending them to my gal pals.

I wanted to do a little sumin' sumin' different , so off to the wonderful world of Etsy. Enter Cardcapers . Cardcapers is an Etsy store of homemade cards. The maker of these cards is Kathy. She is UBER sweet and quite helpful. After I received my cards, I was soo happy with my decision. It DEF added some pizazz. And... the best part? Her prices!!

Go check out Ms. Kathy at Cardcapers.

If you order any of her cards, let her know that I sent you and she will give you

10% off your order.

Didn't I tell you she was sweet??

Here are a few from her store!!

Wet Weekend Recap

2011-08-09T20:35:00.009-05:00

It's my BIRTHDAY MONTH.Everyone do the happy dance!!!!

This past Sunday we went to Eddyville, Kentucky. We visited Venture River Water Park. Are any of you from around that area or have been there? It was LOADS of fun. It was homeschool day so we got to meet a bunch of other homeschoolers PLUS get in at a discounted price. In the wise words of Madea...."Helluurrr!!"
We arrived a day earlier so the kiddos to play in the pool and we could just veg. I love veggin' in a hotel room, don't you?? A nice cool room, kids jumping on the bed, hubby hogging the romote control, and me chompin' on a Slim Jim. GOOD TIMES, I tell ya.

I took only a couple of pictures because I didn't want to lag around my camera all day. BUT.... here are a few. Enjoy!

Bran headed to the top of the Waloopas. - a water slide.
My girl and her crazy cool floaties.
Bran coming out of the Twin Twisters.

A tired little girl.

Now to catch up on your blogs. C-ya around!

If You Stayed In Bed, This Wouldn't Happen!

2011-08-07T22:32:00.000-05:00

Bedtime is always fun around here. I know you can't hear my sarcasm but know it's oozing right now.

It's always a routine. Each child has to go to the potty, brush their teeth and go to bed. They then wait on me to come in their room, give sugars and tell them goodnight. It's always been that way. BUT, it never fails that one child forgot to do something, get a drink or they get up fifteen times just to tell me that they love me or something they thought was funny.

I am gonna miss this someday, I know.

*sigh*

The other night I was in my bedroom doing something and I hear Bailey yell for me.

Me: Bailey, get to bed.

Silence.

Bailey: Mama! I need you.

Me: No ma'am.... get to bed.

Bailey: I can't!

Me: Girl, I'll make you think....*stomp into the kitchen*

AND

FIND

THIS.

Uhh..... any guesses??

Yes, she got stuck on the cabinet hinge.
*tee hee, snicker , snort*
I know, I am horrible. Cause I said, "Don't move... I gotta get my camera!!"
This face is her telling me to hurry cause her hiney hurt.

*chuckle, chuckle*

Giving Swirlies at 4 AM

2011-08-04T23:07:00.006-05:00

As mentioned in the prior post, I hate frogs. Wait, I LOATHE frogs. ICK!!! They are of the devil and truly have no purpose in my world.

Well, not too long ago in a land far, far away. Some people call it Tennessee, but whatever. This one particular girl got up to go potty in the middle of the night. Let's call her uhhmmmm, Amy, shall we?? Amy was a lovely lassie with brunette hair and beautiful brown eyes to match. She was slender and fit with all the girls in envy over her trim and taught little bod. ( Warning: some of this story may be told under false pretense.)

Amy did her business. She had her eyes kinda closed all the while because she didn't want to wake up TOO much. You know how it is. She wiped, she pulled things up and flushed. She then went to sprinkle some water on her hands at the facet. Again, not trying to move around too much or quickly, because she had more ZZzzzz's to catch up on.

Not remembering if she flushed, turned back around and saw something in the toilet. Wait!! What's that? I didn't, errrr... I mean SHE didn't poo. No, no..... Amy remembers that she just went... #1. What is that??

With both eyes fully open now she bends down to see what that dark spot was on the toilet seat.

AHHHHHHH!!

How long had that frog been in there?? Was it given a golden shower???

What if it jumped up on her while she was doing her business?????

Needless to say, Amy.... ok, ok..... it WAS me. I called for the husband to come with a quickness!! He was a little upset thinking that I needed him to get the toilet paper in the closet. Oh, no.. I needed a face mask, rubber gloves, pepper spray, 22 inch tongs and something large enough that I just just whip this ugly amphibian inside.

oh yeah, and the camera so I could take a quick picture at 4 AM.

~Gross~

Have a FAB weekend, lovelies!!

Could-a, Should-a, Would-a

2011-08-03T00:56:00.004-05:00

I saw this on a blogger friend's post the other day. I figured what the heck...I'll do my own!

I can't...

go a day without shaving my legs...I have to do it every night before I go to bed!

stand to empty the dishwasher.

wait till I get to eat my first carmel apple this fall.

believe we've been married for almost 14 years.

I can...

make the perfect bowl of salsa.

spend hours walking around TJ Maxx, Ross or Hobby Lobby.

watch re-runs of the Golden Girls every.single.day.

run 2 miles in less than 19 minutes. *woot*

I won't...

ever be seen holding a frog. HATE them.

sleep facing my husband. I panic to think I breathe in his exhaled air.

be watching any of Shark Week.

tell you what you want to hear. If asked, I will give you my opinion. -- in a loving way, of course! ;)

I will...

always be nostalgic.

always see two sides to every story.

start homeschooling my children in September.

always question some people's actions/leadership.

I shouldn't...

worry. Period.

touch hubbies feet because he hates it. BUT I always try just to get one over on him. :o}

eat my weight in the salsa that I spoke about earlier.

let my past determine my future.

I should...

drink more water.

stick within a budget. It's just so hard.

daily thank God for giving me healthy children.

live my life to the fullest every day.

Things I Am Learning at the Gym

2011-07-29T11:17:00.002-05:00

My crazy cool kid is taking taekwondo now. And while he has class, I often times go run for about 15-20 minutes. While I am running, I tend to look around and watch others. The view is quite funny and this is what I have learned:

Men are so vain. They crack me up when they look at themselves in the mirror and flex.

Women can be just as vain... but not me.

Junior High girls are there simply to check out the guys.... and text.

I miss my Junior High days.

Asking a question to the guy next to you is not always a good thing. I have been asked if I will be returning the next day. Maybe the red face and gasping breath is a turn on??

Women that are 50+ and have perkier ta-ta's than I do...... uhh, you are not foolin me, sista.

People, you can still be heard when singing along with your IPod on the treadmill/bike even if you can hardly hear yourself.

Make sure the treadmill is off before you step on it.

Have a FAB weekend!!

Hello, Barbie!

2011-07-28T00:53:00.005-05:00

There is nothing quite like waking up all groggy. Your eyes are not well adjusted. You slowly walk to the fridge. You yawn. You stumble over some toys, the cat...whatever. You may even scratch yourself in several places.

You open the fridge door and on the second shelf you see this looking back at you...

with a smile and a cup of joe, none-the-less.

If my daughter didn't do this, I am really going to question the whole Toy Story theory.

What I Am Loving Wednesday

2011-07-27T12:12:00.000-05:00

I actually like this little meme from over at Jaime's blog. It gives me time to reflect and appreciate the little things that make me happy. Wanna see what's making me happy this week?

BLT sandwiches!! LUURVE these. These are especially good with fresh tomatoes from the garden. Which reminds me.... a big shout out to our local farmer markets!

Do you prefer Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?
Running skirts. In my opinion, these are the best! They also have bike shorts sewn in so that you have a little bit of modesty when you run.

I just recently bought a new planner and I am one big planning and organizing fool lately. My life feels better when I plan... with style, of course.

Mary Kay Eyebrow Gel

I have to rave about this little goodie. I have always tried to save money and use a little spritz of hairspray on a brush to control these brows of mine.

I would have to reapply several times.... and still have strays that had a mind of their own. I broke down and thought I would go ahead and give MK eyebrow gel a whirl.

O MY GOODNESS!!!

A world of difference. No reapplications. It holds amazingly!!

Definitely loving this.

(If you are interested in this, I'll give ya a deal. )

What's In My Bag

2011-07-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

What's In My Bag?? I absolutely adore reading "what's in my handbag" blog posts, especially from my favorite bloggers. So,
I thought it would be lots of fun to compose a little nosy post about the contents of my purse lately.
I am not one to have alot of purses. In fact, I have carried this purse for MONTHS. I really need to invest in a new bag.

Here is my bag that I bought at Goodwill. I was super excited about it because it was a PRADA. It was only 5.99. Don't hate.
Anyway, it's like a blue color hand bag. You see my handy dandy Bath and Body Anti-bacterial hand gel there.
Ok-- Watch your step and follow me.

♥ My cell phone
♥ My journal. I don't normally keep that in there but have been writing down juicy gossip lately.
♥ My keys
♥ 2 pens
♥ Some "K" post it notes.
♥ Business card holder.-- Cause I am so important.
♥ My wallet
♥Victoria Secrets perfume
♥ Clear rubber ball.
♥ Hair pick
♥ Trident gum
♥ My makeup bag.

And for your viewing pleasure, the items in my makeup bag.

♥ Mary Kay hand softner.
♥ EOS lip balm
♥ 2 Mary Kay lip sticks.
♥ Mini- nail files.
♥ Contact container.
____________________________

So what's in YOUR bag??

I usually have some receipts in there. But I promise that I just cleaned it out on Thursday. Do you switch out your bags or do you carry old faithful like me?

The Day I Got Cooties

2011-07-21T14:16:00.004-05:00

The other day my son was watching one of his 11 year old shows that oddly enough his dad still enjoys. They mentioned something along the lines of the SPIN THE BOTTLE game. My son caught on to this simply because it had the word game in it. He wasn't too interested after he found out that it does not come in the form of Wii or Playstation. But none-the-less, asked if I had played it.

*GULP*

"Yes, son. I have. It was a horrible unchaperoned game that I probably got cooties from. No good Christian boy needs to come in contact with any bottles that are spinning and/or girls lips until you are 32." PERIOD.

Do you think he bought it?

But it did take me down the path of my first Spin the Bottle fiasco. I was in 10th grade. -- Yes, we started late back in the day-- I was actually on a college tour in South Carolina. One of the hotties that ~~was so fine~~ I had my eye on went along. There were 5 of us total. 3 guys and 2 girls.

The day's activities consisted of seeing the campus, joining in on a class of our choice and then have lunch. We could have some free time, swimming and then meet up for dinner.

Now here is where it gets fuzzy. I don't remember seeing too much of our chaperones after swimming. What I DO remember is all of us being in our swimsuits and towels and being in what SEEMED to be an alley. I know it wasn't but it had that feeling. We were eating some snacks and having some drinks. Then someone piped up with the Hey, let's play Spin the Bottle. Now, keep in mind, I knew I shouldn't but I soo wanted to! So, I was the first one to pipe back with ohhhhhhh yeah!!!! Knowing that there were only 2 girls and I KNOW the guys aren't gonna kiss one another, the odds were looking pretty good.

So in a circle we all gathered. I was a total spin virgin so I had no idea what I was doing but the first rule of the game was... Always act like ya do!!

Ok... one of the guys went first. *spin* Shew.....it landed on Ellen. Poor girl. I watched the kiss. It was quick peck. No biggie. Then it was Ellen's turn..... EWW!! Her brother! But!!!!! He was the little hottie that I spoke about earlier. Of course we all agreed that they did not have to kiss one another. Let's face it, the south is known for " keeping it in the family" but we are not into labels.

So, the brother wanted to spin. I was nervous, anxious and praying to the kissing Gods that it would land on me. They must have loved me because it landed RIGHT ON ME!!!

Those of you that have played know how it goes. Everyone giggles, makes kissy noises, the parties that are involved act shy. OMG-- Is he leaning into me first?? He wants this just as much as I do!!

I look at my friend, Ellen, giving her a cool grin. I lick my lips. I cock my head to the side. (( Do I close my eyes or not??? Is he?) I decided to close my eyes. I open my mouth just ever so slightly like I have practiced so often on my pillow.

YES!! Victory! My kiss was longer than Ellens! Woo Hoo!!

Then just as if the kissing Gods were shining down on me, we hear a bell and know that it's the sign for curfew and for everyone to get to the dorms.

I was on cloud nine. How could I sleep after that magical moment?? It really did seem like forever until I fell asleep but I was a happy girl. If I DID get cooties, I didn't care... I had the good kind.

But don't tell my son.

What I Am Loving Wednesday.

2011-07-20T10:04:00.010-05:00

Happy Wednesday day, ya'll.
This is what I'm loving on this great and sunny Wednesday.

Since I was a little girl, I loved the thought of drinking coffee. It just looked classy and sophisticated. I just hated the taste of it. No amount of creamer or sugar helped either. UNTIL!! Someone was brilliant enough to throw some ice and mocha in there. God bless them!!

Summer dresses.- Can a girl ever get enough of these cute things??

EOS lip balm-- A to the MAZING!!

Big rings.... to go with my summer dress, of course

Have a wonderful day and please head over to Jamie's blog to see some other loves.

Chores on a Dollar Store Budget

2011-07-18T11:54:00.009-05:00

CHORES, CHORES, CHORES

They are no fun, huh? That's why I had kids.

KIDDING!!

(Sorta)

I think the key is variety. Not too many people like to do things over and over. It's monotenous and dreadful. I know I frown on that. That's why I only shave my legs every other Tuesday. -- Kidding, again!

I wanted to share our chore chart, baskets, container, thingie idea.

I bought these containers at Dollar Tree. -- One for each child and then an extra for our holder. The really cool thing about them is that they have magnets on the back so they were easily placed on our fridge.

Bailey's is blue and Brandon's is the green. And obviously, the red one holds all the sticks. I need to get some letter stickers and fancy them up a bit, eh?

Each morning before school, tv time or whatever, they have to finish their chores. So, they go to the fridge and ~~get me out a Diet Coke~~ look in their chore container. The night before I place several chores in each container and when they wake up, they are ready to begin!

But here's the dealio...

it's different each day.

A couple of our chore sticks.

And here is Vanna White showing off her sticks this morning. Lord, I love that cute kid.

And hubby if you see these pictures. I apologize. I understand that the containers are not even and that drives you nutty. Love you, Monk

Please Pass the Grease

2011-07-16T10:19:00.015-05:00

I did NOT want to cook this past Friday. So, being the submissive wife that I am, I asked hubby if it was ok. Ya know he loves his woman barefoot and in the kitchen.

KIDDING!!
So after B got off work, we went to local restaurant that is known for their catfish. Oh my goodness! It's so good and O' SO YUMMY.

We placed our order and then looked around to see what we could do to amuse ourselves. B went to the bathroom a couple of times. I looked out the window to see and laugh at funny people. The kids found some things nearby to pass the time.

The Lemon Face

This face cracks me up!
The infamous coffee creamer tower
Mmmmm! Look at all that yummy greatness!!

And to conclude our grease fest, a lovely walk along the lake.
Beautiful!

Hope you are had a great weekend!!

My Chinny Chin Chin

2011-07-15T00:40:00.006-05:00

I was on the phone with GMAC today trying to pay my car payment. You know how it is. You have to wait on the phone and hear a total of 8 songs before someone gets on the line. Bailey and I were on the bed watching TV while I waited. We were also talking, laughing and had an occasional tickle fest.
FINALLY....

GMAC: Thank you for waiting. This is Gina. Is this concerning acct. number XXXXXXXXX?
Bailey: Mama.
Me: *Putting finger up to my lips* (towards Bailey) Yes, ma'am.
GMAC: For security purposes may I have your phone number and address.
Me: 731-XXX-XXX and the address is....
Bailey: Mama, Mama
Me: Bailey, hush. 991 Walter .....
Bailey: But mama...
GMAC: Great. What can I help you with today?
Me: Well, I was going to pay my bill online but it says that it's temporarily down so I...
Bailey: MOM-ma....
Me: *hand covering phone* Bailey, stop being rude... What??
Bailey: You totally have a black hair on your chin. You need me to get the tweezers?"

* It was only one hair, I swear.

(( By the way, tonight is when I pick a winner for THIS giveaway. Enter if you already haven't!))

Buddy Brag & Snail Mail

2011-07-13T19:07:00.005-05:00

Definitions of friend (n)
friend [ frend ]

1.somebody emotionally close: somebody who trusts and is fond of another
2.acquaintance: somebody who thinks well of or is on good terms with somebody else
3.ally: an ally, or somebody who is not an enemy
Synonyms: pal, buddy, chum, companion, comrade

Blog land is a funny thing. I remember when I was a bit intimidated by it.-- Of course, that was nearly 5ish years ago. I remember reading blogs about marbles. I remember blogs about different furniture re-dos. I remember finding blogs about different beers!! I mean, there is a blog out there for just about anything!

Over time, I have met some great and dear friends through blogs. -- Just for clarification, none through the beer blogs.-- Some that I have laughed with, some I have cried with and some that I have even met and had lunch with. - Great experiences, I tell ya.

I am not the first. You hear about these things happening all the time.

I digress. These past two weeks have been a little turmoil-ish (is that a word?) and I have had some things on my mind. Someone noticed and went the extra mile. I be-bopped to my mailbox today and found something in there for MOI. No, not an insurance EOB. Not another stupo AARP application. ( I am 36 people!!). Just something cute, girlie and addressed to me.

It was from my blog buddy, my gal pal, my Texas tornado, my friend, Janette, from Johansons Journey!!

Thanks, Janette. You made my day, doll.

Cute little card with some sweetness inside.

Two gift cards for Starbucks and McDonalds. She knows me... she really knows me. ;)

But here's the thing. While I SOO appreciate them, she did NOT have to put those gift cards in there. Just her sweet gesture and hand written note was A-MAZE-ING!!

** This is what I need YOU to do for ME. The first 3 gals to email me (bramy97@hotmail.com) me with your address, I will send you some snail mail. Snail mail is a lost art, isn't it?? It was so great to get something in the mailbox from a friend... instead of the electric company. :o}

Go the extra mile today. Do something special for someone!

Jamberry Nail Review, Tutorial AND Giveaway.

2011-07-11T15:23:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to review these really cool nail shields from Jamberry. I have seen something like this at a store but honestly, didn't know how well they would hold up. I am pretty active with my hands so wasn't too sure about them.

Until Jamberry allowed me to try these babies:

What are they???
Jamberry Nail Shields are the newest way to accessorize your fingers or toes. They have a sticky back and you litterally stick them on your fingers.
It's a solid film covering that can be applied directly to the nail . You need some heat and a bit of pressure and voila!!
Let me give you a little glimpse.
This is the before. And ironically enough, I had on my orange shirt. Accessories are SO important. Even on phalanges.

Find the size for your nail and cut it accordingly. Then, use a little heat (from your hair dryer), smooth out, and grab your nail file. In a downward motion, file and cut off the access shield.

Looks a little something like that!-- See how well it goes with my crazy cool shirt?

I was too busy bouncing and flaunting my new nails in front of the mirror, that I forgot to take a picture of the AFTER. So, I snapped this while I was emailing Mrs. Obama about these neat nail sheilds. She never replied back. HMPH!

Here are my thoughts about these nail shields: They are so different than what I thought originally. Like I mentioned earlier, I have my hands in water, banging them around, etc all day long. I wondered how they would hold up. -- Pretty darn well, I must say. I wore them approximately 4 days and there was no snagging, no ends coming off, etc. Impressed!! I only took them off because I needed to finish this review. You literally peel them off.-- No cotton balls or nail polish remover!

It does take some time, however, to put these on. It's not like nail polish where you apply two coats and blow on your fingers. No, no.... ya need some prep time. I would say approximately 12-15 minutes.

The owner is super sweet and great with their customer service. I have emailed her several times and she is quick to reply.-- unlike the presidents wife! ;)

Now, because I am ~~awesome~~ in the giving spirit, I am going to give you a chance to win the other OTHER half of my nail shields. Try them for yourself and see how you like it.

This is floral orange.

MANDATORY:

~Leave me a comment.

OPTIONAL: (and please leave a comment for each)

~Become a follower of my blog

~Go to Jamberry and tell me your favorite pattern.

( I will leave this open till Friday, 7/15 )
Disclaimer: I received a sample product from Jamberry in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinons are my own.

Goodwill Find

2011-07-09T23:25:00.006-05:00

On the first Saturday of every month, our local Goodwills have 50% off on every item. I just so happened to pass near mine on this particular day and something caught my eye.

I got out of the car and took a closer look. The tires were good. The chain was good. The seat was not wobbly or torn. Woo hoo!! The bike was calling my name!

I went inside and asked about the bike. Someone came out and helped us. It was in one of those bike racks. Bailey climbed right on.-- PERFECTO!!

I went back in and told the cashier that I wanted it. She pulled out a piece of paper from under the counter and said, "It is priced at $7.99. "

The bike is in great shape so I guess it was worth it. So, I got out my wallet.... ready to be rung up.

DON'T GET AHEAD OF ME!!!! Stop it... STOP IT!!!!

Remember, it was 50% off day???? I only paid

$3.99 for the bike (plus tax, of course)!!!!

I felt like a princess because of such a great deal!

I know I will make some of you mad but we didn't have our helmets on our heads as we rode down our road. And yes, this is our road.-- It's the country and we have very little traffic.

She looks like a pro, doesn't she?

All smiles.
Here is big brother giving brotherly advice.

He is just too cute not to share this picture. -- Look at that corn behind him! :)

Amy, Eat Your Own Grass.

2011-07-07T19:34:00.007-05:00

Oh My goodness.... 199 followers!! YAY!! Hmmmm I am thinking about a giveaway when I get to 200. I love monograms so I am thinking something along those lines. Yeah? Yeah?? Spread the word about mi casa blog and help me get there!! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week me AND my attitude have kinda been on the (grumble, grumble, spit, choke, @($*!, hiss ) side.-- if ya know what I mean. I have just been in a funk, upset with circumstances and really wanted to quit on some things. Could it have been worse? Of course. Was it really THAT bad? Of course not. Am I being a big baby? Of course not!!!! Ok, MAYBE it's possible.

I was driving down a country road recently and I saw an interesting sight. I passed a field in which many types of animals were grazing. As I got closer, I saw a goat close to a barbed-wire fence. I thought, surely the animal was dead. Surely, that position is not the normal stance!?

Its hind legs were straight, but the front legs were completely tucked under, so that its shoulders were flat against the ground. Its neck was stretched out farther than I thought possible for a goat, and its head was under the bottom wire of the fence. I thought it was caught in the fence until I drove past it and saw its lips moving. It was then that I realized the goat had put itself in this crazy position on purpose to reach out as far as possible to eat the grass about a foot outside the fence. This goat was going through all that trouble to reach the grass on the OTHER side of the fence when it was standing in a field full of the exact same grass!

Why would a goat do that?? What a crazy animal! Bless his heart... he probably doesn't know any better.
SCREEEECCHH!

Wait. A. Minute.
It hit me.
How many times have I given all my energy in search of the "grass that is greener on the other side." Or why be in a funk because I don't agree with something that is being done and it's (kinda, sorta) not even my business. I need to look around and just be happy with the field that I am standing in. Be content with stuff, people, circumstances that are mine.

There is a quote that came to mind. " When you learn to play the hand that you have been dealt, you will find that the game's worthwhile. It's so simple, isn't it?

** Sorry for the serious blog post. I promise I'll find my wit soon. :o}

We Want To Know.... Q & A

2011-07-05T23:11:00.006-05:00

I am so proud of myself. I have participated in this blog meme longer than any other. This is quite rare and I definitely deserve a gold star.... Frappachino from McDonalds or something!

It is hosted weekly by these 4 amigas: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.

Ok... here are the questions AND the ones that came up with them. Let's get started, shall we?

1. Name five of your favorite new blogs that you're reading. (homesick Cajun) I am not sure I have "new" blogs that I am reading. Here are a few newer ones that I visit often.

catastrophywife-- (She is funny and I love a great sarcastic blog)
Sarah Kate- ( She is lovable to a fault. And she lives in a pretty darn cool state!)
Jodie- (We have oodles in common and what great style she has)

2. When you were a young child or teenager, did you have an idea of how many children you wanted and what their names would be? Did you follow through on your ideas? Lindicious Life
Yes, I did. I wanted two children. One boy. One girl. I wanted the boy first and then the girl.-- And that's exactly what I got! As for names??? HA- Not even close.

3. "What is the silliest thing you fight with someone about? Could be your spouse, sibling, parents, co-worker etc." Jessica McCoy Silliest-- probably with my spouse. He is so OCD. His alias could be Monk. He has to have everything in order and in perfect lines. DRIVES.ME.CRAZY!!!! But he smells purty so I forgive him. *snort*

4. What is your favorite scent that other's may not find very nice? ie: gasoline, sweat from your sweetie, etc. Amy King -- Hey!! That's me. Mine is the sweat from my husband. Now let me clarify. There is a difference between body odor and what I'm talking about. There's just something about him working outside and when he comes in..... Mmmm those Pheromones! HA!

5. Thoughts on Plastic Surgery? (had it? want it? regrets?) Yes, I want it.-- Uhmmm almost every time I look at myself nakkie in the mirror. Ya see, I have a " butt-in-the front" thanks to my C-section scar. I was not cut like a normal c-section; I was cut vertical. So, when I see my scar and junk. I wish I could have it but probably never will.

I have a New Pal!!

2011-07-05T00:48:00.002-05:00

The 4th of July is over and I guess I have to go back to dieting. But gosh, those burgers and dogs were super yummy. And that dessert?? Don't mind if I do!!

Speaking of dieting, I wanted to show you my new pal. She is super cool. She doesn't talk about me behind my back. In fact, she HAS my back. We all need a friend like that, right???
Her name is Fitness Pal. You can find her HERE at My Fitness Pal. Doesn't she have like super long and graceful legs?? I am super jelly. She needs a tan tho.

What is My fitness Pal?
This is used to determine how many calories I should consume per day. I could also track what I ate during the day by entering the foods into the system, which would then show me the calories, fats, proteins, etc. consumed and what I have remaining for the day. My Fitness Pal claims to have the largest food database with over 750,000 foods in their database.

The on-line program is sort of like Facebook. You set up your profile page and get to upload a photo of yourself. It shows your friend list and has a place for you to write status updates. Your friends can comment on your wall and you can do the same back on their walls. The only difference from Facebook is that My Fitness Pal is all about fitness, diet and keeping motivated between friends who are also trying to get in shape or loose weight. It’s like an on-line support group!

But you can be like me and be a snob. I just use the food, water and exercise journal. I really don't use the chat or any of the conversation boards. But it's nice to know that it's there if I need that extra support. It's a very cool thing and best of all, it’s entirely free.

Grant it, you have to remember what you have eaten and jot it down. Yeah, Yeah...I get that people don't like having to remember it and jotting it down. BUT these crazy cool chic has thought of everything. There is even an application that you can download on your phone and log everything there as you go. How cool is that?? I bet she will even shave your legs for ya if you ask politely. So, go check it out!!

Enough of that, let me show ya these cuties. May I??

This little rag-a-muffin looks tattered and torn. But after hours of playing outside and reaking of Bug Off, she was one happy girl when it was dark enough to see the fireworks.

Love these guys!!

My Pain and My Gain!!

2011-06-30T17:43:00.005-05:00

Men have no idea what us ladies have to go through to look beautiful, huh?? We tweeze, pluck, wax, shave and often times we go through more extreme measures. For example, laser or what I did today... Electrolysis.
Ya see, God blessed me with a disease, if ya will, called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Let's just call it PCOS for short, shall we? Also note that there was MAJOR sarcasm oozing about the blessing.

Thankfully, I didn't get all the symptoms that go along with this illness, but one that I am going to mention today is HAIRYNESS! Now, don't let your mind go to Jo-Jo the circus freak. I assure you that I am not that person. However, I do have a few unwanted hairs. So, to take care of this and help maintain, I go to electrolysis.
Do you know what that is??
During electrolysis, a very thin metal probe (needle, torturing device, whatever) is inserted into the hair follicle. A current of electricity zooms through the probe and into the hair root. The root is destroyed and the hair cannot grow back. The dead hair and dead root are simply plucked out with a tweezer.
Now, can anyone do this?? Uhhh not really. I go to an Esthestician. They are licensed and all goes well. My hair-taker-outer is named, Betty. She didn't want me to take her picture today but this is sorta her work environment.

Once I get done, I look like a blotchy red mess. And, I would be a big fibber if I said it didn't hurt. In fact, I actually had tears coming down today.

OUCH!

But as the saying goes, " No pain, No gain". I always feel much better about myself after the process. I can hold my head up, look at ya in the eye and not worry about if you see my whiskers sticking out to say hello.

I firmly believe that when one does well, he or she should get rewarded. SO, I had a quick business meeting with myself and all was in favor of starting my reward here...

Have I shared my love of the Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad? *slurp*

Then, I went to Ross Department Store and found this.... Clearance 2.99! SCORE!
So, all in all, I had some pain but I also had some gain. It's a win anyway you look at it.

We Want To Know!! Q & A

2011-06-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

\It is hosted weekly by these 4 mamma jamma's: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.
Go visit them and join in on the fun!

1. What was the last thing you searched for online? Curriculum for my kids schooling.
2. If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving? Hands down-- Go to Giovanni's pizza. Say hello to deliciousness.

3. What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet? Stupid pill?? Or is that one too easy? Ok.. I'll go with a pill that cures cancer.

4. When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad? I had pecks but my first REAL kiss was when I was 16. And no, it was not good and I'll leave it at that.

5. What is your guilty pleasure tv show that you can not miss? Well, my Real Housewives of Orange County just had their final episode and reunion show. So, I am down with Jerseylicious.

--
Question #4 is from Amber @ Ambersmusingcorner.blogspot.com and Nadine @velvettush.blogspot.com

We're All In This Together....

2011-06-28T01:07:00.007-05:00

Come on. Let's sing the High School Musical Song....

You know you wanna.

Let's talk about BLAST FROM THE PAST, shall we?

Guess what I have been doing?

Guess?

Planning MY 20 YEAR REUNION!!

It's not THIS year, but next. I am not sure how I feel about this.

Am I nostalgic? Always

Excited to see everyone? Very

Bothered by the 20 year mark? A little

Ready to own it? You betcha!

But a few of my friends and I have been choosing the place, hunting down

everyone in the class and getting the consensus of everyone's location for the middle point.

Ya see, I am from a small private school. We had a total of 22 in my class.

The only pics on my PC that I have are cheerleading related. Sorry, they are kinda boring.

BUT... it's me back in the day with my big permed hair.

Don't hate.

Distant shot but I am in the second row. Second from the right.

We were at cheerleading camp.Notice our shirts are alike and our hair was all pulled back in french braids. What twinkies we were.
Can ya find me??
The one on the left in the white.
We are not in our uniforms so I don't know if we were going to a game, traveling to a tournament or something.
NO CLUE.
~~~~~~~~~
Hello, Class of 1992.
Stats about my senior year:
Voted most athletic and most bubbly.
We went to Atlanta, Georgia for our Senior Trip.
Class Song: City of Angels, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Graduated with Honors with GPA of 3.68
Was a MAJOR teacher's pet.... and honestly the QUEEN of brown nosers!

Like... yeah!

Swaptastic!!

2011-06-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

I recently participated in two swaps and let me tell ya.

These two lovelies made me tuck my tail between my legs and ~~walk~~ run away. They

SPOILED

me to the third degree!!

SPOILED, SPOILED, SPOILED, I tell ya.

If Flip Flops don't scream summer, I don't know what does. And I wanted to do more screaming ~~My husband thinks it's my love language~~ so I participated in Texas Darlings Flip Flop Swap. Thank you, Rebecca, for hosting this.
My swap partner was Ann from Annisters Domain. I got to know her and her fam through the blog. She was super sweet and she literally blew me away with this swap. The details were to send flip flops and maybe a little something from your state to represent you. SHE went above and beyond and showed some serious bloggie love. THANK YOU, ANN!!

I started unwrapping and totally forgot to take a picture of the cute packaging. She took the time to make it more "summery" with painted sunshine.
And if the sunshine wasn't cute and creative enough, she adorned some of the packaging with some CUTE summery items. -- Starfish, seahorse and there was a shell too... but I'll explain that one in a minute. :)
Here is the finished package. Join me when I say, "HOW AWESOME IS THIS????" The flops were great and oh so comfy. There was a vinyl bag that was matching.. perfect for toting my summery things! She even included some Crystal Light packets. Uhh... perfect for sipping around the pool. Jellybeans, Bath and Body hand soap, yummy chocolate bar, keyring calculator and emery boards. AND because she is such a team player, she read in my blog about my mom being a breast cancer survivor. She sent those adorable pink ribbon magnets.

Let me add this..... There was also a flip flop plate to go along with the theme. Unfortunately, Mr. Post Office was rude and broke it. The thought behind it was AMAZING. Also, the chocolate bar had some history behind it (it was from a local store) but unfortunately Mr. Post Office and Ms. Mother Nature got together and had it in for me. It was melted. But I hurriedly put it in the freezer... all is good. Errr...Well, it was good. :) But, it melted onto the shell that I mentioned earlier.

And for her PA state shout out, she added a cute magnet of Pittsburgh.-- I think. My daughter took that one already.

Thank you, Ann!! You are awesome.

Speaking of MORE awesomeness!!

Mary from Mary, the 1st, I am, I am was my swap partner for True Colors Swap. Thanks to Jessica from Duck, Duck, Cow for hosting this swap.

We were to share a favorite color and send items in that color.

I will give you one guess to guess mine?

Didn't she do a great job??

Again, SPOILED!

Well, she is spoiled too... but I'm talking about THIS piece of awesome!

Sorry the picture is so small. I can't find my camera, so I took it with my phone.
Here are my pink thangs:
Orbit gum, bath sponge, soap, awesome vinyl bag, great breast cancer cup, a cute pink flower, Whoppers, Yankee candle, bandanna, glittered pink ribbon AND....
a homemade Hawaiian lei.

Thank you, Mary!! I loved everything!! You also know how to do some serioius spoiling!

Meet Me On Monday!!

2011-06-26T23:11:00.010-05:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Forecast called for rain. But guess what???

IT DIDN'T!!!!

Na-Na-Na- Boo Boo, Mother Nature!!!!

I am participating in Never Grow Old's: Meet Me On Monday!

You answer these 5 questions:
1. What is your favorite food?
2. What color scheme is your bedroom?
3. Do you carry a donor card?
4. In your opinion, is the glass half empty or half full?
5. Vanilla or Chocolate?

HERE. WE.GO!!

1. What is your favorite food? MY families Spaghetti. It's a recipe that has been around for years. But add the trinity of side salad, garlic bread and sweet tea.-- YUMMY!!

2. What color scheme is your bedroom? If I could find my camera, I would take a picture. But the colors are brown, white and aqua.
3. Do you carry a donor card? No, sure don't.
4. In your opinion, is the glass half empty or half full? Is it full of Sweet tea?? Oh...... Uhm, I could lie and say half full. But, depends on the day really. AND if I really want to be honest... I probably set my glass down and can't remember where I put it.

5. Vanilla or Chocolate?

Need I say more?? Like mother, like daughter.

The Letter

2011-06-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

Dear unhealthy snacks in my cabinet,

We seriously need to talk. I have had this on my mind now for almost two weeks. In hopes of not hurting your feelings, I wanted to wait till after the last Little Debbie Cake was eaten, last bag of butter popcorn was popped and last salty chip bag was gone. Alas, I can't hold it in any longer.

I hate what you are doing to my... back side. It's growing day by day and I really need to take control again.

Please know that it's not you. It's me. You have always brought me great enjoyment. I love your salty goodness. I love your sugary sweetness. Let's not forget your gooey greatness. Walking down the store aisle, my eyes have danced the dance of joy. I have become as giddy as a school girl. And my heart races with anticipation as I unwrap the folds of paper from your mouth-watering morsel.

I appreciate you taking me under your wing as I dealt with my stress. Yes, you have been very good to me. However, I must slowly back away. We will still remain friends. I am sure that I will call upon you from time to time. Just know that I need to get back on my diet and lose these pesky 10 pounds.

I feel better now that I have gotten this out in the open. I hope there are no hard feelings.

Your friend,
Amy

We Want To Know!! Q & A

2011-06-21T20:16:00.007-05:00

Lookey, Lookey. It's Wednesday's "We Want To Know".

Let's just jump right on in.

It is hosted weekly by these 4 bumble bees: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Shawn for these questions:

1.} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given? I am not sure if it was the best or worst, but it had me laughing!! Ready?? " Screw me if I am wrong, but you look familiar."

2.} What is your most and least favorite day of the week? Believe it or not, Sundays are my least. They are just sooo busy for my family and me. It's literally a go, go, go, kind of day. Fav??- Definitely Monday. They are like everyone's Saturday. I can slow down and relax.

3.} How many hours of sleep do you require each night? Comfortably about 6 hours.

4.} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it and what memory is it attached to? OMG There are so many songs. BUT... the one that popped into my mind immediately was "Life is a Highway" --- The original version takes me back to my cruising days as a teen.

5.} What is your biggest guilty pleasure. Pedicures!! I LURVE them. They are not that expensive, per se, but they add up. I am taking donations if you want to help keep my talons in tip-top shape. My hubby thanks you. ;)

Weekend Recap

2011-06-20T21:25:00.005-05:00

Hey gang!! I trust that each of you had a FANTABULOUS weekend. Ours was super busy but a good one, indeed.

We had Father's Day at my house. In fact, I had my parents and in-laws over for a trip to Mexico. Oh yeah... Chicken enchiladas, baby! I make a killer enchilada, btw. Don't be hatin' on my Mexican skillz.

I got to spend some extra time with my dad. My dad is a Vietnam Vet and I could seriously listen to stories for hours about his service over there. I don't fully understand what he has to go through but I love him for it. Case in point, 4th of July is coming up and he hates this holiday. He says that when the fireworks go off unexpectedly, he has to regroup his mind of where he is and what's going on. That, to me, is very interesting. -Sad, but interesting. All of that being said, he and I were looking up some men that he was stationed with over there. Again, the stories were amazing. Big shout out to all the servicemen, btw!

Then... bright and early we took Brandon to catch the bus leaving for camp. I am normally a counselor when we go to youth camp, but this time around, he was getting on alone. He did well. But mama wasn't.... isn't.

So, my husband and daughter surprised me with this....

Pretty amazing, huh?

But don't think he made it just for me.... Oh, no. He made one for himself too.

I Need A Laugh Today... How about you??

2011-06-16T23:24:00.002-05:00

This week has been a bit emotional. It's really from one spectrum to another too.--- From precious babies and their illness to my son leaving next week for camp. But it's the weekend and we need some laughter in our lives, right?? I had this joke jotted down and I wanted to share it with you.

One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.When he returned, he told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion.'So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time.When the angel returned he went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true.The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good.' God was not pleased. So He decided to e-mail the 5% that were good, because he wanted to encourage them, and give them a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what the e-mail said?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-Okay, I was just wondering, because I didn't get one either.

Hugs to all!! Have a great weekend!!

Marley Lilly Review

2011-06-14T15:12:00.018-05:00

Marley Lilly is an online business dedicated to providing you with top quality, distinctive, and unique monogrammed accessories that scream "toooooo cute" for every age!

And let me tell ya, I have been corresponding back and forth with the owner. Not only is she super sweet but their customer service is top notch. They respond very quickly. And I, for one, love the quick, fast, in a hurry type service!

For review, I was sent this very cool tumbler. Forgive the instructions inside. I just grabbed it out of the box and snapped the picture. It is monogrammed (I LOVE MONOGRAMS!!!) with my initials in this very cute font. They chose the color of the tumbler and font color and script. I assure you the combo is adorable. However, when you place an order, you get to choose from their great collection.
The tumbler itself is sturdy and well insulated to keep things cold or hot. AND the best thing is that they don't sweat. I also noted a plastic seal at the top of the lid. The job of a seal is to keep things tight and spill resistant. How great is that??

The only negative thing about this tumbler. ---It was not filled with sweet tea or some cold beverage ;) What were they thinking sending me something empty???

Please go to Marley Lilly and take a look at their great personalized items. For kicks and giggles, I would love to know what your favorite items are on the site.

Here are a few of mine:
This bracelet is so versatile.-- With a cute dress or a dress up a pair of jeans!

Really?? Need I say more about this cutie?

Disclaimer: I received a sample product from Marley Lilly in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinons are my own.

We Want To Know!! Q & A

2011-06-14T14:15:00.014-05:00

Yay!! Welcome to yet another week of WWTK!!!

I love this day. It's a day that I can be nosey and have a reason for it.

It is hosted weekly by these 4 calico kitties: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about? The first 5 minutes would probably tell them to stay away from blogs. They are addicting and bad for your health. Blogs give you ulcers because you stress so much about comments. *snort* But the remaining 5 would be this: Have fun just being a teen. There is no reason why you should act like an adult and LIVE like an adult. Be responsible but have fun. Adulthood will show up soon enough. No need to rush it.

{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why? Yep! We have a black cat named Kitty B. You can see him in my VLOG post HERE. I am sure there are a few dust bunnies under the bed too. We have yet to name them.

{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living? OMG-- Can you say Mayberry?? I have to travel 30 mins to the nearest McDonalds or Walmart. In my whole county (which includes 6 cities), there are NO traffic lights. Yep, for rizzle!! I am pretty sure there is a one bullet Barney protecting our community.

{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? Coming from a super strict and conservative background, I have branched off from my "right winged" world of thinking. I still have my convictions and standards, but they are MINE and not what he said/she said.

{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done).

* Never will sing karaoke. I know, I am a prude.
* Never been drunk. Pretty sure I'd have to be drunk to sing karaoke.
* Never would jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Skydiving is just not for me.

#2 is brought to us by McKenzie & #3 is brought to us by DateGirl

FUN and FESTIVE Cake!

2011-06-14T00:17:00.005-05:00

Both of my kids birthdays are in July. In fact, they are 5 days apart. Grant it, it's only June but I have already started making my game plan. A couple of years ago, I didn't want to buy two cakes so I thought I would make one.

A recipe caught my attention and it was a big hit. So, I dug out the pictures and thought I would share with you.

It can be called a rainbow cake, hippie cake, 70's cake.-- Whatever!! Just make it and call it yours! :)
Ok, on with the ingredients:

Yep, pretty easy huh? * Yellow/white cake mix (and its needful ingredients) * White icing* Gel food coloring* Let me say, that I didn't use the sprinkles that are shown on the icing container. It was what I already had. I will just save and use those at another time.
Just mix your batter like it states on the box.
Because I want to use all the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, blue, green, orange and purple), I evenly divided my batter into 6 bowls.. Then, I added my food coloring.
*The food coloring only comes in the primary colors. So, you will need to mix the yellow and red to get your orange. Also, mix the red and blue to get your purple.

Now, you can make this as hard as you want to or as easy as you want to. If you are the kind that needs to be precise in your measurements, go for it! You will have to do the math. HA! It makes my head hurt just to think about it. So, I just basically put half of each color in the cake pan.
I put it in rainbow order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Drop the colored batter, one by one, into the middle of the pan, in neat concentric-ish globs. (Yeah, right!)
THEN, in the other pan, (and the remaining half of the batter) I went in reverse order: purple, blue, green, yellow. orange and then red.

Bake it according to the box.
Then, use your color of choice for the icing.

Cut a slice and BAM!!!! Look at all that purty!!

Have a great day, ya'll!!!

Happy Confession- VLOG

2011-06-11T00:12:00.001-05:00

After much begging, I am coming clean today. It's kinda lengthy so get something to drink and kick up your feet.

Another Swap?? I am insane!!

2011-06-08T23:11:00.003-05:00

... but I do love me a pair of flip flops. That's what kind of swap this is. How fun, right??

The Texas Darlings is the blog hosting this and I can tell she knows what she is doing. Go check her out and tell her I sent you. She may reward me with some animal crackers or something. :o}

6/8--We Want To Know!! Q & A

2011-06-07T17:47:00.007-05:00

Oh Me.... It's MEME time!! :o}

It is hosted weekly by these 4 American Beauties: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.

Here are the questions. And let me tell ya, I had to put my thinking hat on for these, babies.

1. Everyone seems to have a quirky family situation-- what is something unique about your family dynamic? Well, a Tennessian (hubs) and a Kentuckian (me) met in Indiana while in college. We married and eventually were blessed to adopt a baby boy. Brando looks like like my husband and is, smart, friendly, giving, passionate caring, understanding, did I mention like smart *snort* like me. :) I love when people who don't know us say, "He got his daddy's looks, didn't he?" I smile and answer with a "yes". It's not quirky but I think it's unique that an adopted child can look and act so much like his adopted parents. :o}

2. What is the most stressful aspect to blogging (aside from the network going down)? This makes me sound like such a whiney baby but it's getting comments. I want to know that the person reading my blog was here! lol I can see from the little side bar thingie that a certain state showed up. But leave a comment, darn it!! I wanna visit your blog too!

3. We all end up on a blog at some point in our day, but name your top 3 favorite websites you flock to daily (non blog)! Facebook -- All da time! Youtube (ugh, remember my confession on Friday) and as of late, Ebay.

4. What’s your sign? Believe in it or not, does any part ring true to you? I am a Leo. And I use to think that our birthstone was butt ugly. Now, I am kinda diggin' that peridot green! As for it ringing true.... I think it's pretty accurate! I am loyal to a fault and can hold a grudge like no other!! ;)

5. IceCream!! ICECREAM!! We all scream for icecream! Name your favorite flavor/brand!
Dairy Queen's soft serve. Chocolate, please!

2 BONUS QUESTIONS were thrown into the mix.
A. Name the blog you credit for linking up with us today? Initially, it was Mamarazzi .But Janette let me peek at the questions a tad early. Their blogs are listed above.
B. Suggest a question you want to see in future WWTK’s! How come they didn't ask me to be a co-host on this meme?? (JUST KIDDING!!!)

Winner and a Movie

2011-06-06T23:28:00.008-05:00

The winner of my necklace giveaway was # 15, Mrs. Huse Clifton. YAY* YAY* She has been on my blog roll for some time now. Congrats to you, girlie.

Ok, more photos of the family. I know. I am sure you are super tired of seeing them and hearing about them. Just be thankful you can't smell them!

-- Ya gotta look for the positive, people!--

Well, my Bailey got a "first" a few weeks ago. She got to go to her FIRST movie. Unfortunately, it was kinda for my son as a school outing. But we made it a big day for the Bailey girl.

We went to a matinee on the first day it came out...

... Pirates of the Caribbean! Argh, matey!

Here she is with her cool movie pack. She is such a show off blowing a bubble AND carrying her stuff.

Waiting for the movie to start.

Nothing special about this pose. I just think he is handsome.

This leads me to the question of the day....

Do you remember your first movie in a theater?

Mine was Disney's Jungle Book... when it came out ORIGINALLY! O' Vey! I am old.

My Award and Trip to Memphis

2011-06-04T23:39:00.012-05:00

Tomorrow is the last day for my Giveaway. Seriously, if you are here and have not entered, go HERE and sign up! What are you waiting for??

Guess what I got??

I was recently given a way cool award from my way cool bloggie pal, Janette at Est. 5.26.07 . She thinks she is all that. I kinda think she is right so go check her out. :o}

There are rules to accepting fabulous awards like this and it's super easy.. Tell 7 facts and give it away to another 10 blogger pals! EASY!

1. I panic to think that I am inhaling someones exhaled air. Very rarely do I sleep face to face with my hubs.-- or anyone else for that matter. Ha!

2. When I was 5, I almost lost my hearing.

3. When I was 5, I almost drown. ( 5 was a bad year for me)

4. I am an only child. But when I was little, I told everyone that I had a brother named, Fritz. I was referring to my dog.

5. I prefer writing in blue ink.

6. I like to have a certain amount in my checking account. I will avoid paying a bill just so that the amount does not fall below my "comfort amount".

7. I love wearing dresses and skirts. It makes me feel feminine and girlie.

Well, I am suppose to tag 10 people. Consider yourself tagged if you read my blog, comment at least once a week AND I visit you. lol--- Then you MUST have a "lovely blog" right??

The family went to Memphis last week. I just love that place. We usually stay downtown and just walk everywhere. It was a little toasty but we had such a good time.

This was taken at the Peabody. We got to see the famous ducks. Do you know about those??
How sweet is this picture??? Lurrrve them!!!

And then there were two sweaty Betty's.

Friday Confessional

2011-06-01T16:05:00.007-05:00

M is for...

Mamarazzi and Meme's!! Seriously, she seems to be the queen of meme's. Go check her out.

1. I confess that I am on a mini-vacation with my fam and have had this post already typed out. Sneaky, I am.
2. I confess that I got in trouble at Walgreens this week for sampling fingernail polish. The Walgreens lady said, "Ma'am. I am gonna have to throw that out because that's considered 05629. We don't try on nailpolish because of the bacteria on our nails." I studied her stern look to see if she was serious. Then gave her some lip (thankfully, my children were not near) and said, " Seriously?? You know I am not the only 05629er that does this."

3. I confess that I am secretly in love with youtube right now. I won't tell you who I watch. That will be another confessional. I laugh until the wee hours of the morning.

4. I confess that I am not your typical girl that likes love stories and mushy endings. If I find that I am reading a book with a love story. *SHUT* I stop reading and move on to another. If I think that a movie character has a love interest, I turn if off or go to something else. I SERIOUSLY hate them.
5. I confess that as wierd as this looks, I kinda dig it!

Seriously?? Ingenious! Brilliant!! Space Saver! Fun!! Kinda Wierd!
Have a great weekend!! I am at a family reunion so prayers are requested. *snort*
DON'T FORGET MY GIVEAWAY!!!

OH!! And another matter of business. I am participating in a swap over at DUCK DUCK COW.-- I am a newbie to Jessica's blog. She is from Utah and I am seriously meeting soo many cool people lately from that state!! :o}
>

We Want To Know.... Q & A (# Siete)

2011-06-01T02:25:00.003-05:00

Hear ye, Hear ye... I am being praised and worshiped ~~(bout time!)~~ over at Take It From Me . Not really, but I am in the "spotlight" at the Wednesday Blog Hop Meme.--- Nice of them to think of me, huh?? So the ones that are visiting from there, WELCOME!!! Just be sure to watch your manners. *snort*

Speaking of Memes-- I usually have a red string tied around Mrs. Pointy Finger to remind me to head over to THIS blog and sign up for "We Want To Know".

It is hosted weekly by these 4 queenies: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi.

(( And before I forget, don't forget my giveaway that ends on the 5th. It is purdy.... go HERE to enter!))

Here are the questions:
1). If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be? Gonna go with a juggling act. Seriously, why is blogging such a hard task, yet it leaves me with my mouth open in awe with curiosity? I truly love reading blogs, meeting others, etc. AND I do enjoy giving you small, yet real glimpses into "Amy's World". But I would be one big liar, liar, pants on fire if I didn't say it stresses me out on the direction of my blog.

2). What's the most likely reason you might become famous? I truly have no idea on this one. But I do have a brilliant idea so just hear me out. If Kim Kardashion and J Lo were known for this, why can't I?? ---MY BIG BUM can make me famous!!! I mean, I can get my bootay insured for 27 million, right?? (Ya may want to think hard on how you answer this!)
3). What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing? Other than men constantly asking for my 7 digits, I am going with something that is close to home. As soon as I get in the car with my son, I can almost count down to the second when my son asks, "Mama, where are we going?" To you this may be no big deal. BUT. I . HATE. IT!! Just ride, Clyde!!!

4.) What's the last thing you broke? A bowl. I knocked it off the counter with my hand.
5.) Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to ________. ...want to marry R. H. I was soo in love with this boy and he broke my heart in college. I recently saw him and wow... dodged a bullet on that one!!

For whatever reason you are here, THANK YOU for visiting. Please leave a comment and I will be sure to return some love!

Necklace Set Giveaway!!

2011-05-30T20:32:00.006-05:00

Lets get June started off with a BANG with a super cute

Necklace Giveaway

You will get this summer white stone glass necklace and earring set. All I ask is that you become a follower of my blog AND leave me a comment so I can count it as your entry!

If you would like to share with others, that's quite alright too. Just leave me a link of your tweet, facebook or blog post and that will give you another entry!!

( Winner will be chosen by random.org on Sunday night, June 5th)

Happy June!!!

5-30-11

2011-05-29T22:23:00.001-05:00

From our family to yours..... HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!

Handwriting Analysis

2011-05-27T00:09:00.008-05:00

Oh, boy!!! I am such a bad friend. I was tagged by THIS cutie back in March. I am just now getting to it. Sorry, sista... better late than never.

BUT here's the scoop:

Get out your handy dandy notebook, a pen and write down the answers to the assignment. Then, stand back and think Oh my gosh!! When did a chicken walk across my paper??

The writing assignment:

1) Name
2) Your blog URL
3) Write "a quick brown fox jumped over a lazy dog"
4) Any quote/favorite quote
5) Favorite song
6) Favorite musical artist
7) Write anything you want
8) Tag people !!!

No fancy shmancy paper. Mead college rule is about as fancy as we get around here.

(click on image to enlarge)

If ya can't read it, basically... it's chicken scratch. I am suppose to tag people to do this so consider each of you tagged. Let me know if you do this, I would love to check out your handwriting analysis.

We Want To Know.... Q & A

2011-05-25T03:00:00.003-05:00

Guess what today is?? Yes, Yes, OH YES!! It's Wednesday and WE. WANT. TO. KNOW!!!!!!

This is hosted by these four cuties: Janette, Seriously Shawn, Impulsive Addict and Mamarazzi. It's a super fun meme that you can join along and we can get to know you too.
And I love being all up in yo biz!

1.} What must you do before you go to bed at night? Wash my face like a good girl should! Then I have to read in bed. It makes me supah sleepy so I don't lie there and think... and think.... and think.... You get the idea.

2.} What is one thing you must snack on at the theater? I can NOT snack. Really, I can't. Here's why: Snacking causes me to get thirsty. Thirst causes me to take several sips of a drink. And several sips cause me to do this...

3.} Before going on vacation what must you do? Check around for the best deals on hotels. I do this for days upon end. I try to go at it several ways, directions and attempts. I get online and find the best price. Then I call the hotel to see their price. I call the reservation line and check the price there. I'm a willin' and dealin' fool!!! I barter and see what kid I can sell JUST TO GET THE BEST PRICE, MAN!!!

4.} What is one thing you must do every day? Gosh! Just one?? NO FAIR! I am going with SAP for 1000, Alex and say making sure I tell everyone that I love them. It's a daily must!

5.} Is there something you do that must be done in a particular order? Putting on make up. I have tried to change it up several times and I end up looking like this.

*sigh* I thought those big yellow hoops would distract from my routine change. Now that I see my picture, I think it was a failed attempt. I think.

PLEASE leave me a comment to let me know you were here and I will visit you and return the love!

Weeks Photos From My Cell Phone -5/22

2011-05-22T18:27:00.000-05:00

I did this last Monday and kinda enjoyed giving ya small glimpses into my week. Not that my life is interesting or worthy of praise. But I am pretty cool, darn it!

This is Bran Bran, the Taekwando man. He just started this class and I couldn't be more proud!

He said this was something like the last stage of a low block. I don't know. I just snap the pictures.

This is hubba hubba hubster and Miss Priss looking at something in our "garden of yester year". Hmmm- wonder what they are looking at?

Aww! Look at those little strawberries peeping up to say Hello.

Relax and don't call social services on me. I know she is out of her booster seat and standing up. We were looking at a snake on the side of the road near our house. This is how we celebrate seeing snakes, people!!

This was just toooooo pretty not to take a picture.-- In honor of Memorial Day!!

Thanks, Edna

2011-05-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

“I never look back, dahling, it distracts from the now.”

Never thought I would be taking advice from a 3 -foot snooty little dwarf from a fantasy world. But Edna from the Incredibles was spot on!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I share this quote because for nearly 26 years, I have lived to please other people. Ya see, I am kind of starting a new journey or chapter in my life. I am coming to grips that I have lived my life following the commandments of men. And looking back on it, I could kick myself. I have lived for years striving to gain acceptance from different people around me. I have made choices, changed who I was, what I wore, what I listened to, where I went, and what I did all to be accepted as a "good Christian girl".

I am slowly re-learning, that I am enough for God, my parents, friends, in-laws and various authorities around me.

Some days are better than others. I slip. I stress. But at the end of the day, I know that I shouldn't live in the past. It definitely distracts from my new life now.

Thanks, Edna.

* Sorry if this post was a little deep. -- Just sharing what's been on my heart and mind.

We Want To Know!! Q & A

2011-05-17T23:08:00.013-05:00

Week #5 of

Welcome to yet another week of "We want to know... Q & A"

This is hosted by Charlies Angels. AKA:
Mamarazzi, Impulsive Addict, Janette and Shawn

Here. We. Go.

1} If you could choose a Super Power, what would it be? Are blinking my eyes, bopping my head and wiggling my nose super powers?? Just call me Samantha or Jeannie!

{2} What would be your first frivolous purchase if you were awarded a million dollars, tomorrow? Ohhh! A beautiful home.-- with the new smell and everything!!

{3} What would be the hardest current luxury for you to give up? Ya know, as silly as it sounds, electricity. Recently we were without power for nearly 4 days. IT. WAS. HORRIBLE!!!! I think I know why back in the old days they had 15 kids!

{4} If you were given a choice between being given great wisdom and great wealth, which would you choose? Show me the Money!!!! I have a Magic 8- ball. That's all the wisdom I am needing at the moment.---- I mean, "Signs point to yes".

{5} If you were to be stranded on a deserted island for 100 days what 5 THINGS would you pack?

-My cell phone with unlimited batteries. And it WOULD have a signal.

-Water

-A VERY long book.

Cot/Hammock

-Last but not least, Jack Sparrow, of course. ;)

Weeks Photos on my Cell Phone!

2011-05-16T11:14:00.006-05:00

Here I am checking out my "look" in the mirror to see if this shirt makes me look pregnant. It was a cute blousy type tank but truly didn't want anyone to ask when I was due.
Lock your boys up, ladies. She will be on the market in a few

short years.-- Notice the Mary Kay badge.
Ok... wanna guess what this is? My daughter gave herself a hickey on her arm. Geez...Like I said. Lock up your boys.

If you have been a follower of mine for some time, you know this is my FAVORITE salad of all time. --TGIF's Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad. It's D to the licious!!!! I really am like Norm at Cheers when I walk in . They know what table I want and they always get my Diet Coke and PCC salad. And I'm going again this week. Woot, Woot!!
Blast from the past, man! Does anyone remember these when they first came out? -- like when I was 8??? Yep, I bought them. What? I'm nostalgic!

____________________

I am going to leave you with a joke that also came across my phone this week. Hope it brings a chuckle to you like it did me.

There is a new study about women and how they feel about their butts...

The results were pretty interesting. 30% of women think their butt is too fat. 10% of women think their butt is too small. The remaining 60% say that they don't care, they love him, he is a good man and they wouldn't trade him for the world.

--- And for my honey that may read my blog. I was NOT part of that 60%. ;o}

How do you say ... Vlog Hop

2011-05-13T13:45:00.007-05:00

Hello, Hello!! Big day at Nine-Ninety-One. Today is my first blog hop. I am joining in with Mama Dweeb and participating in "How do you say..." Mind you, I live in TN but I am from Kentucky. I assure you many of my words are probably my hillbilly, back wood ways of saying it. So, perk your ears up and take a good listen. Overlook my red swollen lips.-- remember my chronic chapped lips?? Enjoy!

How it works:
You read the list of words and answer the list of questions on a vlog. Then, you upload the video to your blog and link up here so all can see.

The Words:
Aluminum, Dunce, Wagon, Carolina, Later, Misery, Told, Brother, Lord, Beer, Homemaker, Vacuum, Washer, Respond

The Questions:

1. What are the locals called where you are from?
2. What do you call the candy you suck on a stick?
3. What goes on top of your “to go cup of soda?”
4. Is tea sweet or unsweet?
5. What is another way of saying someone is “new” to something?
6. What do you call a place that is not anywhere NEAR a city? “out in the….”
7. What do you call people related to you? “they are my…..”
8. What do tell your children to call another adult? Do your children call them by their first name? Last name?
9. Do you know what cheese curds are? if so, do you like them?
10. what is a way to say, “Yes, I agree”?

Mary Kay Before and Afters

2011-05-10T21:51:00.009-05:00

Thanks to the new followers!! I am excited that my followers are increasing!! And I didn't have to be a bully and meet you at the bike stand after school or anything!! Woot, Woot!!

Many of you know that I sell Mary Kay. I recently went over to a friend's house to give her a facial and have her try some stuff. Her family has always been on my top "Awesome" people.-- Really, seriously love them. I have a 'Before and After" profile book that I put together and thought why not show you wonderful ladies!!?

I must be honest. I am a traitor. I dabble in other makeup besides MK. *gasp* I know. I know. But when it comes to our skincare--- Wow! Nothing holds a candle to our stuff. I am allowed to have my opinion, right? It is MY blog after all.

I have permission to show these so no need to call a foul on the play. But I just wanted to show off some of my cuties.

This is "B"

Before

After

She is soo stinkin' cute!

This is "J"--- she is 82 and SPUNKY!!!! I love people like that!

Before

Uhh.. yeah! HUGE difference.

Thanks for letting me share and compare!! I have no idea why I have huge gaps of space in this post.

Sorry for that!?

Happy Wednesday, ya'll.

Tribute Tuesday

2011-05-09T23:24:00.005-05:00

I have set alarms. I have placed a sticky note to my head. I have put a red string around my finger. I have set reminders on my computer and phone JUST TO REMIND MYSELF....
that today is Tribute Tuesday over at Est. 5.26.07 blog.

Janette and her friend, Allison, just recently started this meme. And I like what she said,

"We all have friends, family, co-workers or even the new friend you met via blog hopping that you genuinely care about and want to let them know. You may have someone whom you’ve lost and never got the chance to tell how you felt. Lets not let anymore time go by without letting those we care about know how we feel!"

Go check these two out and let them know I sent you. I may get some peanut butter and crackers or something.

Now, on to my tribute...

Since I didn't have the red string on my finger last week, I forgot about this and wasn't able to talk about my mom in regards to Mothers Day

Meet Becky....

This is my mom. The one on the left.

My mom is a survivor. Survivor of 2 types of cancer, mental illness, physical and mental abuse. She unfortunately had no father due to suicide and had to be raised by her grandmother because her own mother was too drunk to notice she was around.

My mom is a survivor. Better yet, she is an over comer.

Thank you, mom. You have taught me how to get up when knocked down. You have taught me how to dust myself off and get back on that track with my head held high.

Have a TERRIFIC tuesday, ya'll!!

Not Sure What To Call This Post---??

2011-05-06T21:18:00.005-05:00

We have had a couple of warm days lately. After all these storms, I am really not complaining. But I can seriously tell by my swollen fingers, that summer is soon approaching. Yay! How exciting, huh? Who knows-- swollen phalanges may be the new trend for the season. One can hope.

In other news, there really is no other news. Although after seeing my inflated appendages, I have been thinking about losing these last 10 pounds. I find that when I have extra poundage, that I hold more water. But dieting is so hard, isn't it?? Why? Why?

I actually went to the store the other day and bought some diet food.- Ya know the low calorie/no fat/no taste/ fake good food. But I kinda have a food crush with Fiber One bars. They have been around for awhile but they are oh. so. good! Being that they are fiber and all, be cautioned they do give you a little (toot, toot) digestive willys.-- if ya know what I'm saying. But it is better than rice cakes.

Still, one marches on and goals are made. I am going to try to lose the extra weight before it REALLY turns hot. So, by June I am determined to become svelte. Svelte, I say. Svelte and less swollen.-- More ways than one.

She Thinks She is Funny

2011-05-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

I was actually getting out of my PJs today and went to grab my way cool, overly used, deperately need another pair Nikes . Not paying attention (cause I was watching TV), I started to put on my shoes. Uhh.... BUT COULDN'T!!

Look at what my silly child did.

That's sales receipts ( My hubs is OCD like that. NOT I) stuffed in my shoes.

Yeah, she thinks she is funny.

We Want To Know.... Q & A

2011-05-04T09:54:00.004-05:00

It's Wednesday and that means a "We Want To Know" meme. This is hosted by Janette, Impulsive Addict, Shawn and Mamarazzi. Push the cutesie little picture below and it will show you the way!

1. If money didn't matter, where would your perfect vacation take place? Briefly describe. I am gonna have to go with a warm and sandy beach here. And "perfect" meaning no sand in every orifice of my bod, every piece of clothing, etc. :)

2. What's a bad habit that you have {or ha} that is/was hard to break? Probably being on this silly computer all the time.

3. If you weren't on a diet or counting calories, what would you like to have for dinner tonight? I must have missed the memo on being on a diet but I am leaning towards a steak, baked potato and side salad.

4. If you had the chance to interview anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what's one question that you would ask? I am thinking my mamaw/grandmother. I miss her greatly.... and just ask what heaven is like. *Yeah, I went the sappy route.

5. Describe yourself in 6 words. friendly, outgoing, bubbly, competitive, blunt and loyal

United States of Shame

2011-05-02T23:08:00.001-05:00

I was lurking over at a blog and found this interesting map. In my particular state, I find that corruption can be very broad. I do know a few corrupt people, however. :)

Ohio is considered the nerdiest state and I am sorry but that makes me chuckle. Living near the border of the state as a teen, I thought for sure it would be in the running for the most pot smoking state. My blog bestie is from Ohio.. hee hee Love you, nerd!!

Having dealt with infertility, I am kinda shocked that Vermont has that title.

And if I have any North Dakota residents reading my blog.... I think you are beautiful!!

How does your state add up??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With all kidding aside, let me say how proud I am that I am an American!! We had a great victory this week.

♥ My Happy List ♥

2011-04-30T10:16:00.006-05:00

I am joining Mamarazzi today with the happy list. I actually needed this today. After a crazy week of storms, having swollen red lips (yeah, don't ask) and more storms on the way.... I need to reflect and be happy!!

Ready to be happy with me??

♥ The smell of honeysuckle- Our bushes are getting full and beautiful. The smell is amazing!

♥ Sonic Happy Hour- I mean seriously! Don't they have the best ice?

♥ Healthy children-- Something happened this week that reminded me that I am TRULY blessed and often take this for granted.

♥ My bonus checks from the great company, Mary Kay!!

♥ Getting outta dodge this week with the hubs. Going to Texas de Brazil. Have ya'll been to that place?? D to the vine!!!!

Have a great day, ya'll!!

Milestones... the chewy kind!!

2011-04-28T22:27:00.003-05:00

Big day here, people.

My 4 year old daughter

has joined "the club".

She has reached a new milestone.

And this mama is PROUD!

She learned how to blow a bubble.

CUTENESS!!!!

What's Your Dress Personality?

2011-04-28T00:15:00.002-05:00

Spring is here. Time to put away the sweaters, pants and boots. Get out the sandals, tanks, sundresses and shave those legs, lovelies!!

Uh huh... you know you let a couple days go by in the winter. :o}

During this time, I am usually found in a dress or a skirt. I have been on a hunt to find the right dress lately. I didn't even get an Easter dress this year cause I couldn't make up my mind!!

Indulge me. Sharpen your No. 2 pencil and take THIS dress personality quiz.

My results couldn't be more accurate!-- or so I have been told.

Your dress personality: Elegant

Your Personality : You love everything that's classic. People see you as the quintessential woman – refined, poised and feminine. You exhibit an aura of sophistication, and your class and maturity is reflected through your style.

Your Dress Style : Your philosophy on style emphasizes on understated beauty: Well put-together outfits and makeup that are timeless but ultra-feminine at the same time. You're not especially fanatical about buying the latest fashionable apparel, but you can be very particular about the finer.

What's your dress style??

We Want To Know.... Q & A

2011-04-27T10:21:00.007-05:00

Hello gang! We survived the storms and I am happy to report that I do see some light at the end of the tunnel. I think there is one more round and we are done for a couple of days. Can I get a Halla-loo-yer?

On to serious business. I am linking up to a little diddy over at well, 4 other people. Click on the button above and it will show ya the way.

Thanks to SHAWN for asking the questions. You can thank ME later for answering them! *snort*

{1} What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Are you an eyes or a smile person? Maybe another body part? True story-- I was introduced to my hubby (although he wasn't at the time) by a friend because she was interested in him!!! Yep.. I was a witch like that. Long story but true. I noticed and commented on his eyes. I said, "Girl, I love his eyes. They smile when he smiles." But...... now I notice mens hands.

{2} If a movie was being made about you who would you like to see cast to play you? And would your movie be a comedy, drama, romantic-comedy, action film or a horror movie? If the movie was being made about me at this very moment... gonna say Helen Hunt in the action packed TWISTER. lol Living in tornado alley, keep an eye out for me. I just may be flying by your house soon.

{3} Does your high school yearbook include a senior comment section? If so share what you said about your future goals. Have you met those goals? If you do not have a yearbook just share what your goals where when you were 18 and if you have met them. If you’re brave enough include your Senior Picture! Ironically enough, I said that I wanted to live in either Alabama or Tennessee. Why?? No clue. After graduating college, I got married and was TN bound!! *Sorry, no senior picture to scan but this was done with two of my gal pals right after graduation. We wanted to get this done before we left for college. I am on the left. Higher the hair, closer to God!! :) And we are such twinkies dressing alike. Why was that cool? Thank you, 1992.

{4} What latest trend simply baffles you? This trend is not the latest but it came to mind first.

Let's all sing in unison... "Pants on the ground. Pants on the ground... "

{5} When you walk into a room how do you present yourself? Do you walk in with confidence and command the attention of others or do you slink in and do your best to go unnoticed? Hello. My name is Amy and I am a slinker. I am the one that arrives right on time and goes in quietly. I am a people person so I am not sure why I do this.

For You

2011-04-26T11:06:00.003-05:00

It seems like a lot of people in my life are having a pretty rough time right now. I hope that this funk hasn't extended to you, but if it has, I hope things get better for you.

Between the robbery, car accident, this silly rain and damaging storms, things can DEF get me down.

But.... I truly have soo much to be thankful for.

You know who you are.... {{{HUGS}}} coming your way!

So... are you gonna watch it??

2011-04-25T11:58:00.003-05:00

William and Kate's wedding, of course!!?!?!!

I got my personal invitation. Did you??

I can't decide if I want to go or not.

Hmmm

It's a week away. SOO much to do before I leave.

I have to show up like major early to get security searched and checked out. ( Gosh, I hope the security guy is cute!)

I have to get my plane tickets.

What am I gonna wear?? My Target dress just will not do!

Do I bring a gift or not?

Wonder if I can make one of those British guards laugh?

See? Lots to do....

(like ask forgiveness for that huge lie above.)

Missed you guys!!

One For the Good Guys

2011-04-13T18:05:00.002-05:00

Where were you on the evening of Feb. 25th??

Well, this was the evening that our home was broken into. Remember that post?? Well, I am happy to announce that they caught them!!!!

YAY!!!!

Unfortunately, none of our stuff was recovered.

(INSERT BIG "UGH" HERE)

At least they were caught right? Here's the thing... it was a 3 man ordeal. Well, 2 men and 1 woman ordeal really. They confessed to burglarizing up to 9 houses a day!!

9 houses a day?!?!!

I just wanted to update you. Hugs coming your way!

My pc is in the "shop" as we speak. So, I will be back soon!!

It's a SWAP thang!!

2011-04-05T11:52:00.005-05:00

Hey all!! I am back shortly to post about my Mamarazzi swap. It was fun but honestly hard. Because they are my FAV things, I wanted to keep them for myself!! UGH! :)

My new friend, Lisa, had my name and I had hers. Unfortunately, due to my silly computer problems, I didn't get to know Lisa like I wanted. But DEF go check out her blog and take a looksie at what I got her.

BUT... in the meantime, look at what she got me!!

Shout out to Mamarazzi for hosting this fun swap!

Here are my goodies:

1. Nicholas Sparks book
2. Vanilla scented lotion. ( My hubs fav scent!)
3. Zebra flip flops.
4. Chic flick movie
5. Picture frame
6. Tweezers (I am thrilled about these. They are FAB)
7. Scrub brush for my feeties.
8. Fingernail polish
9. Flavored tea
10. Some yummy candies

11. Pen and notebook-- it's not shown because my daughter grabbed it and I didn't realize it!!

Thank you, Lisa!! These were very thoughtful and I appreciate it!

Internal Crack

2011-03-30T17:21:00.002-05:00

...that's what I got. Speaking about my computer,of course. I just got this new pc about 5 weeks ago. I picked it up wrong and now I have an internal crack. So, please stay my friend. Please stay tuned. I will be back once I'm off my crack. I mean... my crack is fixed.

New Marketing Methods??

2011-03-22T18:20:00.001-05:00

I trust that everyone has had a great weekend and start of the new week. I feel that I can breathe a huge sigh relief. I had a ladies meeting to prepare and get ready. It was Monday evening and while I had a great time doing it, I am thankful that it is over.

Here is a pic of the my Mr. He and another guy dressed up in chef's coats to serve the ladies. Pretty sweet, huh??

A friend of mine sent me a picture today. I thought I would also share it with you. It seriously made me LOL.

Really?? Right there in the store? Great Marketing!

*snort*