Oh, the places you'll go!

Pink Plumerias

2009-06-01T09:19:00.002-04:00

Pink Plumeria, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

Plumerias became my favorite flower while I was in Hawaii. The resort had trees all over the place and I'd pick a flower to put behind my ear every single day.

Paradise Found

2009-06-01T09:18:00.002-04:00

Paradise Found, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

Went to Hawaii in December with my family. I took sooooo many photos. It's not even funny. I'll try to post a few of them here.

Hiiiiiii.

2009-06-01T09:09:00.002-04:00

It seems I've forgotten that I have a blog.

Many apologies. There are things that I've wanted to share, but never got around to posting. I need to get on the ball!!

Big box of awesomeness!!!

2008-11-22T01:21:00.001-05:00

Big box of awesomeness!!!, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

A wonderful package of moo postcards and yummy yummy goodies from the awesome Thomas. What a surprise!! It's such a nice feeling when someone does something unexpected for you. I'm so grateful!!

Banana Colada Fuze

2008-08-08T10:28:00.001-04:00

272/365, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

Yumminess.
If you haven't tried it, you must immediately.
Your tummy will thank you.

Because I said so, that's why.

She never claimed to be perfect.

2008-06-11T11:39:00.001-04:00

This blog, much like my life, is a work in progress. I procrastinate far too often. I neglect it to an embarrassing degree. I realize I should have done something with it well after the fact. Maybe one day I’ll be happy with it. I’m referring, of course, to my life just as much as I am my blog, but that is another story for another day.

Most often, I find myself at a loss for words when it comes to this blog. I think it all comes down to fear. I fear that, because I don’t have an interesting career or live in an interesting place, or lead an interesting social life, that I have nothing to say. No one would be interested in reading about my life or my thoughts, I think.

I also have a deep seeded fear of offending readers who may happen to stroll in, as well as the few regular readers I do have. I wouldn’t want anyone to be put off by something I might say or do. I realize that not everyone is going to agree with me and my beliefs, and I don’t expect them to, but I tend to stay away from “hot-button” issues for that reason. I don’t understand why I feel this way, because I don’t stop reading my regular blogs simply because I read a post I don’t agree with. It doesn’t make sense, but I worry that I will run people off for various reasons. Politics, which I am passionate about, is very polarizing. So is religion, where I find myself with more questions than answers.

I’m sure plenty of bloggers face this kind of writer’s block, and I’m trying to figure out why I feel this way, and more importantly, how I can get over it. It’s hard to think about putting yourself out there on the net, making yourself vulnerable to criticism, for your beliefs or opinions. That is natural, but I shouldn’t let it prevent me from blogging, which it does from time to time. Have any of you experienced your own “blogging fears” over the months or years you’ve been writing? Feel free to comment & respond. I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-24T00:13:00.001-04:00

226/365, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

A little session of dying Easter eggs for myself, my brother Josh & his girlfriend Valerie. I'll post more pictures when I get a chance. This egg was a mistake, but it ended up being my favorite after I doctored it up a lot. Serendipity!!

Did you leap?

2008-03-06T14:21:00.001-05:00

203/365, originally uploaded by givepeaceachance2.

I'm rather late on this, but I hope everyone had a great leap day!

p.s. I am testing out the "blog this" feature on flickr, which I've always seen, but never paid attention to. If it proves to be efficient and convenient, I will be greatly excited. One of the main reasons I have been so neglectful of my blog is all thanks to the "365days" project on Flickr. Taking & uploading a picture of myself every day has proven to be more time-consuming than I ever imagined and my little blog has fallen victim to time constraints. If I can blog some of the pics that I upload to flickr, it will be an immeasurable time saver. *fingers crossed*

My, my, my.

2008-02-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

It's official. I'm the worst blogger in the world.

I am sorry for this.

Random Fact #1

2007-10-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the day! October 15th, 1977.
On the day that I was born...

I....

weighed 8 lbs 1 oz.

was 20 inches long.

******************

It was 10:53 pm.

My mother was 22.

My father was 29.

Like most people in that day, my father was not in the delivery room.

***************************************************************

I was delivered with an epidural, which my mother regrets to this day. If she had it to do over again, she would have delivered naturally. I had to be dragged out with forceps and the doctor thought my eye socket would be a good place to put one end of the thing. What a way to welcome me into this world: with a poke in the eye. It was red and swollen shut for a week. My vision was always much worse in that eye (until I had lasik, anyway) and that eyelid droops ever so slightly. I always felt a certain kinship to Sylvester Stallone, because his paralysis was caused by forceps-related nerve damage. That easily could have been me. I will be damned if a doctor ever comes near me with forceps in a delivery room.

****************************************************************************

My mom went into labor while watching Hee-Haw.

*********************************************

I was...

The first child for my parents.

The 13th grandchild on my dad's side.

The 13th grandchild on my mom's side.

Followed by 5 more cousins (6, counting my brother), all on my dad's side.

******************************************************************

I will be 30 very soon. The time is close at hand. My 20's are slipping into the past as we speak. It is imminent. Thank you, dear readers, for joining me on this path of exploration. This walk down memory lane has made me smile often and hopefully you've at least enjoyed a giggle for yourself. I will be 30 when we next speak. Until we meet again, I bid you adieu. Farewell, my friends and my twenties. I will see you on the other side.

Random Fact #2

2007-10-13T23:27:00.000-04:00

I eat really, really slowly. I'm always the last one finished. People laugh at me all the time. I can't help it. I eat very deliberately, one bite at a time. It takes me awhile.

Random Fact #3

2007-10-12T23:51:00.000-04:00

When I was in college, I used to make a lot of my jewelry and makeup. I would add food coloring to white nail polish to make bright, pretty pastels (back in the day when 'weird' colors were very hard to find). I mixed eye shadow and lip gloss to make my own lip tint. I found odd little medallions and other goodies in the craft section and made them into jewelry. I twisted wire into rings. Learned how to make my own earrings. I liked the accomplishment of wearing something I'd made with my own little hands. :)

Random Fact #4

2007-10-11T23:16:00.000-04:00

I buy a new Pumpkin Masters book every single year. I am serious about my pumpkin carving. I look forward to it every year. Later this month, I'll do my yearly jack-o-lantern. I can't wait!!

Random Fact #5

2007-10-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

I have an unhealthy love & affection for Old Navy flip flops (or thongs, if you prefer). I have them in about a dozen different colors. They're cushier on the feet than regular cheapo ones and they come in such cute colors. Love 'em!!!!

I realize I've now reached the homestretch on my 30 random facts series. It's gone by much quicker than I expected!

Random Fact #6

2007-10-09T22:22:00.000-04:00

I was in the marching band in high school. I played the saxophone and was the drum major my senior year.

My senior year, our show was "Les Miserables". If I knew how to convert vhs to digital, I'd put a little video clip on here, but it's late and I don't have the time or energy to research it. So, here's a few pics from the show.

I really got to missing this, going through the photos. That was a very fun time in my life. :)

Random Fact #7

2007-10-08T23:45:00.000-04:00

This is how I napped as a baby. All the time. That would be my dad, of course. He worked graveyard shift in the coal mines at that time. He slept during the day. I slept during the day. My poor mother. :)

Random Fact #8

2007-10-07T21:51:00.000-04:00

I get a little lump in my throat every time I think of my first day of kindergarten, but it makes me laugh at the same time.

I don't remember it, but this is what they tell me.

On my first day of school, my mom was worried. I would guess most mothers are when they send their first child off to kindergarten, but mine was worried on an extra level. She didn't know if I would be ok. I was the youngest in my class. I never attended day care, had only a couple of cousins my age, and until then, had mostly been around adults. I was a smart little cookie, like an adult very early on, maybe too smart for my own good at that age. She really didn't know if I would fit in with the other kids and partly expected a crying, leg-clinging fit out of me.

As it turns out, she had no need for worry. I was fine from the moment we walked in. My parents hung around, waiting for me to have some sort of panic attack, which never happened. My mom stalled, not wanting to leave. She tried not to cry. I came back over, hugged her, and said "It's ok, mommy, you can go now". :)
She stood outside, watching through the window, and cried.

13 years later, when my family left me at college on my first day, my mom stood in my dorm room, stalling & trying not to cry. I hugged her and said "it's ok, mommy, you can go now".
Of course she cried. I had to laugh.

It should also be noted that I rode the bus home on my first day of school. I had two different buses to ride, one to my house, and the other to my dad's gas station. I had to remember which bus to ride on which day. I am proud to say that once, and only once, did I get on the wrong bus.

Random Fact #9

2007-10-06T23:12:00.000-04:00

I don't often wear perfume. It gives me a headache because I have an overly sensitive nose. Every smell is stronger to me than most people. So, perfume is usually too much for me to handle. When I do want to wear something smelly-good, I always opt for Bath & Body Works Jasmine Essential Oil. It's not even a traditional perfume. It's meant to be added to bath water or massage oil, but I find that a single drop leaves me smelling like a jasmine flower all day. I just hope I don't attract bees....

Random Fact #10

2007-10-05T23:46:00.000-04:00

I have a mild case of hypoglycemia. It's not bad, but every so often, my blood sugar crashes, even if I've just eaten recently. I can't pinpoint what specifically triggers it for me, aside from eating something incredibly sugar-laden without a protein to slow it down in digestion. It happens from time to time. I get faint & dizzy, violently shaky, sweaty, and nauseous. It's not fun, but at least it doesn't happen all the time. A little bit of sugar puts me right again.

Random Fact #11

2007-10-04T22:39:00.000-04:00

I used to be vegetarian. Three times, in fact. The longest, for about a year, was in college. Thanks to immense guilt that used to creep up from time to time, I've tried twice since then to go back, once even vegan, but I just have to face facts that I like the taste of meat & dairy far too much to make the sacrifice. It's just not going to happen. I know all the facts, the statistics, the reasons why we shouldn't eat meat, but it's just so tasty... :)

I now eat meat and by-products with full knowledge and awareness of where my food came from. It's a fully conscious decision I have made to embrace food and not feel deprived. I eat with recognition. And without guilt.

Random Fact #12

2007-10-03T23:09:00.000-04:00

Really random...
I like the dry, crispy edge of a Pop-Tart far more than the filled center. If they ever make an unfilled pop-tart, I'll think I've died and gone to heaven. :)

Random Fact #13

2007-10-02T23:05:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite school picture, ever.

Random Fact #14

2007-10-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

I had cat scratch fever as a kid. Yep. Cat scratch fever. And not the song by Ted Nugent.

4th grade.
cat scratch fever.

yay.

Random Fact #15

2007-09-30T22:52:00.000-04:00

I was....um...a cheerleader in the 8th grade. :)

I know, I know, stop laughing. I am soooo not the cheerleader type, right? I know it. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. :)

Random Fact #16

2007-09-29T23:21:00.000-04:00

I have driven the same car since 1996. A 1988 Ford Thunderbird named baby. Baby has sputtered, broken down, and just plain died. She has been rebuilt and lives to ride again. She is a royal pain in my butt, but I love her.

Random Fact #17

2007-09-28T23:04:00.000-04:00

I went through a bit of a....gothic phase in college. My hair is burgundy in the top two pictures, but they are in black and white so you can't tell. But you were wondering. I know you were.

Right before that was my slightly punk-ish phase. It doesn't show very well in this picture, but my hair is pink.

I loved all things gothic for a long time. I shopped for my makeup in the Halloween section, mixing white face paint with my foundation (for ultimate paleness) and wearing black or blood-red lipstick. Lots of black eyeliner. Lots of black clothes. I still have a great affection for my favorite dark and creepy movies, but I no longer dress like it's Halloween all year long. :) Goth seems to be the new "hot" thing round these parts because all the teenagers look like walking death. I was goth when goth wasn't cool, but at least I was still a little cute. They look like morons. hahaha.

Random Fact #18

2007-09-27T23:40:00.000-04:00

My favorite actor is Kevin Spacey. Morgan Freeman is a close, close second. Sometimes it's even the other way around.

My favorite actress is Angelina Jolie, but I'm starting to feel a bit disillusioned because I loved her way back in the days when the whole world thought she was a big old freak. I feel like her fame has affected her acting. This disappoints me.

Random Fact #19

2007-09-26T23:56:00.000-04:00

When I was 4 or 5 years old, our house burned. Not completely to the ground, but enough so that almost everything inside was either torched or smoke & water damaged. I remember that we were at the skating rink when my aunt Joann came rushing in to tell us that it was on fire at that very moment. I remember a lot of things about the fire and the aftermath, but the most vivid memory that I have is of the smell. That acrid, bitter, melted smell. There's no other smell like it and I can't even describe it well enough to do it justice, but it is seared into my memory. We kept a set of singed encyclopedias for years and years afterwards and they never lost that smell. I have an overly sensitive nose and I am continually amazed at how easily a smell can trigger a memory. The smell of those smoke damaged books brought me back every time. Back to the smell of ruin. The smell of sadness. The smell of starting over.

Random Fact #20

2007-09-25T23:40:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I was almost always the youngest person in my class because I started kindergarten at 4 instead of 5. I had one of those birthdates where they gave my parents the choice to hold me back or send me on. They sent me on. When we moved to Georgia, the principal wanted me to skip the second grade, based on my placement test score. My parents decided not to do that because they didn't want to put a 6 year old in the 3rd grade. Probably a wise choice, considering that I would have had to go to college at 16 if they'd let me skip. On the other hand, the second grade was the absolute worst, most scarring school year of my life, thanks to a horrible witch of a teacher. I would have gladly avoided that woman if I'd had the chance.

Random Fact #21

2007-09-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

I was a biker babe back in the day.
This picture wasn't taken just for show. My dad really did strap my little seat onto his bike and ride around town. They tell me that I loved it and I think that it shows in this picture. Can you imagine if someone were to try this today??

Random Fact #22

2007-09-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

I have a nickname. See that sign at the top of the picture? It's what my family has called me my entire life. Only people who have known me since birth are allowed to call me that. Got it? :)

Random Fact #23

2007-09-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

I was named after Candice Bergen, the actress. Apparantly my dad thought she was the bee's knees in 1977. I've always liked her, but who knows if it's only because I was named after her? :)

Random Fact #24

2007-09-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

I'm totally into old-lady crafts. I have been since I was a kid.
My babysitter taught me how to cross stitch when I was in the 4th grade. I've been doing it off and on ever since then, but I've only finished one major project. hahaha. And it wasn't even for me...it was a gift for my aunt. I have a lot of unfinished projects lying around that need some attention...

Random Fact #25

2007-09-20T23:20:00.000-04:00

I'm short on time today, so a quick random fact.

I'm 5'6" tall. :)

Random Fact #26

2007-09-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

I've lived in three states during my lifetime. Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. In that order. We moved to Georgia when I was six years old and to Tennessee when I was fourteen. We settled on Georgia when my dad closed his eyes, pointed on a map, and his finger landed on southeast Georgia. No, I am not joking...

Random Fact #27

2007-09-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

I ran away from home once. I was 3.

I had gotten in trouble for something, although no one seems to remember for what. I decided that running away would be better than living with my punishment and informed my dad of my decision. I understand that I was a strong willed child...

As I started out the door carrying only my beloved Bugs Bunny, he offered to help me pack. I might need some things, he said. What would I eat? Wouldn't I need some extra clothes? It would turn cold soon. I might need a blanket. As you can see, my little red wagon is loaded down with runaway supplies.

So, off I went, down the street, my parents watching from the front porch. I never looked back. I made it as far as the next street over when one of the wheels fell off of my wagon. Even then, stranded, I had no intention of going back home. I parked my butt on the curb and sat there. And sat there. No one is sure for how long...

My dad finally had to come get me.

They say I was a strong willed child....

Random Fact #28

2007-09-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

Every single time I go to the movies, at some point during the previews, I forget what movie I have come to the theater to see. Every single time. Without fail. I sit there, struggling inside my wormy little brain, trying to recollect what it is I have chosen to pay $8 to see, but have miraculously forgotten.

For what it's worth, the last movie I saw was 3:10 to Yuma (awesome, by the way!) and yes, I forgot it by the second preview.

I'm not sure if I should worry about this....

Random Fact #29

2007-09-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

I have a widow's peak. See? This is made even more random by the fact that only one other person in my entire family has one. Both sides of my family. In all, 4 grandparents, 11 aunts and uncles, and 31 first cousins....one widow's peak on my aunt Judy.

The countdown begins...

2007-09-15T21:32:00.000-04:00

In 30 days, I will turn 30 years old. I still don't know how the day will affect me (celebrate? mourn? declare abject apathy? hide under the covers until the sun again rises?). I have decided, however, to do something a little unusual for me in the bloggy world. I have decided to post, every day, a random fact about myself leading up to the big day. 30 facts in 30 days. I can't say what will come of this. Ready, dear readers? Let's go for a ride. Scared? Me, too. Here, hold my hand; we'll walk together. Deep breath.... Ok, here we go.

Random fact #30: My favorite movie of all time...the one I will watch any and every time it is on is...The Shawshank Redemption. I don't even know how many times I've seen it, but I will never love it any less than I did the first time I watched it. Get busy living or get busy dying. Words to take to heart. I'm doing my best.

9/11

2007-09-11T09:28:00.000-04:00

Has it really been six whole years?
It still feels like just yesterday.
It still seems so unreal.
Watching it, year after year after year, still horrifies.

I feel I'm becoming scared at how quickly the time seems to rush by.
Six years feels like an eternity, but it's gone in the blink of an eye.
Six years, sitting in the same place.
Six years gone in the wind.

If I died tomorrow, would I be pleased with what I've accomplished in my life?
no. not necessarily.
Yes, I'm alive.
I have food to eat and a roof over my head.
I have everything I could ever really need.

That's not enough to squelch the need in me for more.
The hunger.
The yearning.
Human nature.
I want more.

The sands of time slip through my fingers, faster and faster.
Dreams hang on for dear life.
Desires cling by fingertips.
Heart aches.
Breath catches.
I want more.

Satisfaction.
Fulfillment.
Happiness.
A love that will quiet time itself.
I want more.

Eternally hopeful.
Not giving up.
Never giving up.

Before my time is up....
I want more.

Road Trip

2007-08-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Suzanne and I hit the road to Asheville for a concert. Shinedown was playing at the Orange Peel. I'd never heard of them, but she wanted to go, so off we went!! Suzanne is a scary driver. just kidding. :)

We hit a couple of little hippie shops and the Mast General Store, where we both bought a fabulous bracelet and far too much candy. :)

After that, we ate at the Mellow Mushroom, where I was in groovy music heaven and Suzanne quickly realized that I would hate the concert. We shared the hummus (awesome!) and a white pizza. The waiter was sarcastically un-friendly, unlike everyone else we met in Asheville, but that was ok. The place was great and the atmosphere more than made up for it. We cruised through a natural food co-op and a few more shops to kill time and then headed to the Orange Peel.

A few words about the Orange Peel. It's a small joint. With no seats. It's perfect for an intimate concert, but not so much for a loud, overexcited rock concert. I went once before for the John Hiatt concert. It was an appropriate venue for him. I was not expecting Shinedown to be heavy metal. Neither was Suzanne. She'd seen them before, when they were rock, which I could have tolerated. This was death metal. Three hours of screaming, yelling, death metal. To add insult to injury, they had two openers, both of which were equally awful.

A headache quickly took over my brain. An overly drunk man unsuccessfully tried to hit on me, a similarly drunk blonde girl tried to start an argument with Suzanne, all of the sound equipment was turned up about a thousand times louder than it needed to be, and it was probably about 95 degrees F inside there. All in all, the most miserable concert experience of my life!!! We tried to make the best of it, though. We found a wall to lean on in the back of the room and waited for it to be over. I recognized two of their earlier songs from the radio and actually liked those two. We stood it as long as we could, left before it was over and headed home, in blissful silence, mentally exhausted. I'm pretty sure we smelled like something died, too. :)

Concert aside, we had a really good day out. :)

Theme: Happy

2007-08-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

This picture is from one of the happiest nights of my life. I am a big Beatles fan. I happened to be on vacation in Las Vegas on the night of the Cirque du Soleil red carpet premiere of "Love". I love Cirque and I saw the show the next night (awesome show, by the way), but on this night, I stood crammed in a crowd of people for more than two hours with my camera over my head, waiting to see Paul McCartney walk the red carpet. I got just a glimpse as he was rushed through, but it was worth it. I saw him with my own eyes, from less than 20 feet away. I didn't even think I'd gotten a picture of him until I looked through the files later. I was so excited when I found this one. That's Paul in the middle. White shirt, hand up in the air. Look closely. I saw quite a few other celebrities and had a good time, but seeing Paul, Ringo and Yoko in person was a dream come true. It was over in a flash, but I was so happy!!

By the way, that's Siegfried and Roy on the right side, in the back. "Love" took over their theater at the Mirage after Roy was mauled by his tiger.

Campus lockdown

2007-08-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

I heard on the radio this morning that my old college, Carson Newman, was under lockdown yesterday due to a security threat. Luckily no one was hurt, but it appears that a young man, high as a kite, interrupted a faculty meeting on, ironically enough, security policy. He claimed men with guns were after him and tried to lock a professor in a closet with him. She refused, locked him in the room alone and called 911. He was under arrest within an hour or so, and everything turned out ok, but in the wake of the Virginia Tech incident, I'm sure it put them all on edge. C-N is a small, close knit school. The professor who was almost detained was my Nutrition professor and my old advisor (and favorite professor) is currently the interim president of C-N.

I'm so thankful that no one was hurt and that the man turned out to be high, not homicidal. It's such a peaceful and secure place, especially for a college campus, and I couldn't bear the thought of that being disrupted. Classes will start for fall semester very soon and no one needs to start college in fear. It is nerve-wracking enough just going off on your own and trying to find your place in the world, but the excitement of it all overshadows that immediately. :) New students at C-N should be thinking about welcome week, howdy hoot, the panty raid (*nowhere* near as dirty as it sounds - it's a christian school, after all), making new friends, and starting a life for themselves. They should not have to worry about their safety on campus.

Chair Dancing...

2007-08-13T15:15:00.000-04:00

I just had a very rare enjoyable moment at my work. :)

Eating an obscenely large grape juice popsicle at my desk, dancing in my chair to Sheryl Crow "Every day is a winding road" playing on the radio.

Such fun!!! I wish I had my camera. haha

and an even more rare 2-posts-in-one-day!!! Can't beat it with a stick!

I feel old....

2007-08-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

I should clarify.

Something happened yesterday that made me feel old. I'm not old in any sense of the word (in my opinion, anyway), but man...this hit me hard. It really made me think. Many years ago, when I was in college, I worked in a day care during my summer breaks. One summer, I worked in the crawling babies room. I had kids around 6-10 months old. When they started walking on their own, they moved on to the next room. One of my favorite babies was Elaine. She took to me very easily and I babysat for her and her brother a few times. Her family eventually moved out of state a few years later.

Yesterday, I discovered that they have moved back to the area. I hadn't realized how long they've been gone until her mother told me that Elaine is now 11 years old, in the 6th grade.

All I can say is.............wow.
This child, whose diapers I once changed and watched learn to walk, is now a pre-teen. I just couldn't believe it.

It's amazing (and a bit scary) how quickly the time flies by, isn't it? It really seems like just yesterday that I was that young college kid, wrangling a half dozen babies at a time. What I wouldn't give to tell her what I know now. Oh, the wisdom I could pass on...Oh the heartache I could have avoided...The years I wouldn't have wasted. That's not to be, of course. Where is a time machine when you need one? I've learned from my mistakes, but it's a little surprising just how long it has taken me to learn from them, bury them, and move on.

Beauty and the Beast

2007-08-12T11:54:00.001-04:00

I love finding beauty in unexpected places....

Theme: Row

2007-08-10T23:28:00.000-04:00

Pretty little bottles, all in a row...

I think my collection has taken on a life of its' own.

I've been bad...

2007-08-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

So, I've been a bad blogger lately.... I know it. But I've been playing in the meantime.

Here are the results. :)

Theme: Funky

2007-08-03T23:11:00.000-04:00

This *funky* little car was too cute to pass up. I took this at the Auto Collections museum inside Imperial Palace hotel/casino in Las Vegas.

The quirky thing is called a Citroen 2cv Deux Chevaux. It's a 1959 French model with a top speed of 60mph on its' 2 cylinder engine. Best of all, it got 60 miles to the gallon.

Funky, huh??

Theme: Creative

2007-07-28T00:10:00.001-04:00

I had a hard time figuring out what to take pictures of for this week's theme. I love doing anything creative, so I had a lot too choose from. Too many things, in fact. Over the years, I've learned to scrapbook, cross-stitch, knit, quilt, make jewelry, beadweave, make gift baskets, and many, many other things. If it involves making something, I'm in love. Out of everything I've made, I think I love this unassuming tin the most. I decorated it almost ten years ago and I keep my nail polish and accessories in it. It's a medium sized danish butter cookie tin. :) Painted and decoupaged with magazine clippings, collage style, of course. It's even lined with muslin. I think I love it best because I didn't copy anyone else's idea. I didn't follow a pattern. I just sat down and did it. I always feel best about, and most proud of, myself in those instances. So, this is my homage to creativity. What have you pulled from your mind lately??

Help a girl out?

2007-07-23T09:11:00.000-04:00

My bloggy friend Amanda is trying to win an xshot. It's this groovy tripod-like thing that you hold out in front of you to get better self portraits at arm's length. Anyway, the win is determined by vote and she needs our help! If any of my readers are feeling generous, please head over to this site and vote for her. It's all anonymous and you can vote for her once a day. Go now. Vote, please! :)

Fun Fest 2007

2007-07-22T16:04:00.000-04:00

This year, our local summer week-long program, Fun Fest, ended with a concert by Charlie Daniels and fireworks. I'll admit, I couldn't have named another C.D.B. song besides "devil went down to Ga" before the concert, so I was surprised when I recognized a couple others. I wanted to see him play that song & his fiddle, so there was no way I wasn't going! The local symphony orchestra performed onstage with him, also. The only time we get any concerts round these parts is during Funfest, and the tickets are always super cheap - never more than $10. It's the only time we have a good concert that we don't have to drive a distance for!!

The fireworks were themed to music, which played in the stadium where the concert was. Our funfest fireworks are always better than our 4th of July fireworks. Always. The city of Kingport pays for the 4th, but our big, bad Eastman Chemical Company finances the Funfest fireworks. No question which one has more money to spread around!!

Theme: Tiny

2007-07-21T10:01:00.000-04:00

This is me when I was just a *tiny* little girl. :) Don't I look so very much like my mom now?

Surrender the booty!!!

2007-07-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

What day is today? Sunday??

Nope, it's...........Newshoesday!!!!!

I'm in love with my new shoes from Payless. Who'd have thought it? Pirates at Payless!!

Theme: Shadow

2007-07-13T22:41:00.001-04:00

A shadow of his former self...

I took this photo at the Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, TN. Apparantly this humpback whale skeleton was found off the coast of Cape Cod in the 1840's and was the first complete whale skeleton publicly displayed in the world.

Oh, happy day!

2007-07-13T08:59:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a quick post (with no pics, unfortunately - boooo) on my favorite non-holiday of the year. I LOVE friday the 13th. I walk around feeling good every time it rolls around. I've never bought into the "bad luck" aspect of the day. In fact, I consider 13 my lucky number and fridays are always a good day, so how can you lose?

I'm not superstitious in so many ways, but in other ways, I am. I could care less if I break a mirror. I'm more upset at the "money down the drain" aspect than I am over 7 years of bad luck. I also don't care if a black cat crosses my path because one does every single day. Several times, even. :) Her name is Jezebel. I walk under ladders. I open an umbrella indoors, without qualms, just for kicks. I think that superstition was made up by an overprotective mother who was afraid someone would poke an eye out.

On the other hand, I wear a Romani evil eye on my charm bracelet, to protect me from negative energy. I also find (and keep) 4-leaf clovers *everywhere*. My collection numbers in the hundreds. I kept the winning half of a wishbone over my doorframe for years. I guess I could be considered superstitious, but not in the normal ways. But hey, who wants to be normal, anyway?

So, here's to Friday the 13th, whatever the luck may be. Hurray! Enjoy the day!!

Bubble tea

2007-07-08T22:14:00.000-04:00

Went to Cootie Brown's yesterday for dinner with the family. It's a local joint that I love. If I had a picture of the interior of the restaurant, I would post it, but I don't. It's so eclectic, I wish I could live there!!! I got a bubble tea before I left and had to share it with you. (just a pic, not the drink itself!)

I love*love*love the bubble tea. From what I understand, it's a Taiwanese drink. It's tea blended up with ice and milk, maybe. I'm not sure what all goes into it, but it has tapioca cubes thrown in. It's topped off with whipped cream. Here's a shot of all the luscious, chewy goodness. Well, all that made it home with me.

See the super fat straw? That's for sucking up the tapioca.

Slurp. Chew. Repeat. Fall in love!!

Theme: Fake

2007-07-07T00:37:00.000-04:00

This pretty orchid that I received as a gift a couple of years ago is not real. It's fake! I was so fooled by it at first sight that I actually leaned in to smell it. Pretty, but not very fragrant. haha

Theme: Sweet

2007-06-30T00:57:00.000-04:00

Nerds....

Make me smile :)

1408

2007-06-28T20:58:00.001-04:00

yeah....if you haven't seen it yet, you need to go immediately. soooo scary!!!

Happy Birthday Josh!!!

2007-06-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right. Today is my baby brother's birthday. Ok, so 27 doesn't exactly qualify him as my baby brother anymore, but who cares? He's still my baby brother.

An interesting anecdote: I was 2 1/2 when he was born and I was not jealous at all when he came into my life. As my mom tells it, I was the exact opposite. I claimed him as my own and made her say that he was my baby. From day one, I was always protective of him and have felt more like a second mom than a big sister to him.

So, happy birthday to my brother!!

So...I was away

2007-06-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

So, the reason I didn't post for several days last week is because I was out of town. I went to visit family and took a day at the beach. Here are a couple shots from the trip. I'll post more later.

Check out my Guestbook!

2007-06-24T12:22:00.001-04:00

check out (and sign!) my nifty new guestbook that I totally swiped from Amanda's blog. She always has the coolest new things. I am shameless when it comes to blog-lifting!!

I won, I won, I won!!!

2007-06-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

Hey, remember my post from a while back on the dinner survey for Amanda's blog? If you took the survey and posted on your blog about it, you were entered to win a postcard from Taiwan from her students. She ended up having over 150 people take the survey for her students, far surpassing their expectations. Guess what?!? I won one of them! I'm so excited.

psst....I have a super geeky confession to make - I love getting mail, especially if it's foreign mail. I can't wait to get this postcard! I'll post a pic of it when it makes its' way from the tiny island of Taiwan all the way to Tennessee!

I finally got inspired and did some scrapping last night...

2007-06-10T18:41:00.000-04:00

...and here's the result. I tried using a "hidden" pocket and stitching for the first time and loved the outcome! I also used acrylic paint for the first time and I have to admit, I'm hooked! Once was all it took. It is so versatile - you can use it in sooo many ways and it adds a great deal to your page. love it!!!

Here's a close up of the hidden pocket.

I also loaded an 8x8 gift album I did for my mom online. I won't post them all here, but if you'd like to see it, you can find it on either my flickr or 2peas galleries. Look for the "moms 50th" album on either one. I made the album awhile back, but it's new for you to see. Hope you enjoy!! Here's a sneak peek of it.

Organization rocks....

2007-06-10T00:15:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in a recent post that I'd finally gotten my scrapbooking supplies organized so that I can actually use them. I thought I'd give you a peek into my corner "studio", if it can be called that. It's the eensiest scrapbooking space ever, I think. I have no workspace, so I scrap on the floor, but it's good enough for now. Even though it's not ideal, it's far better than the heap of supplies in bags that it used to be. It's so great to actually be able to scrap, instead of staring at the unused stash. I'm very excited!!

Mayhem

2007-06-08T23:15:00.000-04:00

in my brain....

I've been feeling rather uninspired and not at all creative this week. Must be my day job sucking the life force out of me!!!

Here are some more pics from my self portrait shoot the other week. It's all I have right now, but I'm working on some other stuff. Weekends are wonderful!

Scrap the world...

2007-06-01T22:25:00.000-04:00

So, I've finally gotten myself back into scrapping. It's been so long since I've done a layout (my nonexistant organization skills have kept me from being able to access my supplies until recently) and it feels so good to start back up again. Without further adieu, this is my first new layout attempt in about a year!!

Happy Memorial Day

2007-05-28T17:42:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Try to remember that if we had peace in this world, we'd have no need for memorial day, but since we don't, let's honor those who have fallen in defense of our country.

Just me...

2007-05-27T23:38:00.000-04:00

Taking a few self portraits today. Hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day weekend!

So freakin' cute!!!!

2007-05-26T20:38:00.000-04:00

My brother Josh and his girlfriend Valerie.

Aren't they so darn adorable it's not even funny??

FlowerPower*

2007-05-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

I was so totally in love with this flower I found on the floor in the dishroom in church that I had to wear it all night. Even with my grubby work clothes!! What have you been loving lately?

Self portrait challenge

2007-05-15T19:02:00.000-04:00

On A Beautiful Mess, Elsie is having a self portrait challenge. I'm entering so I can have a chance at winning some of her yummy goodies from her NEW scrapbooking product line.

Aren't I so very solemn in this pic??

Happy Birthday Jen!!

2007-05-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

A while back, my friend Jen turned 30, so Suzanne, my brother Josh, and I decided to embarass the daylights out of her!! We lied & connived to get away from her for the night and hung signs up absolutely everywhere on her usual route to work, even on the doors of her work building. We decorated her car like a bad wedding getaway. Crepe streamers toilet-papered the inside, along with about 50 balloons, fighting to escape their vehicular confines. We tied ribbons to the antenna and did it all in orange and white, her favorite colors (not!).

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain all evening and that didn't stop us, but we weren't able to get any pictures of the actual carnage. These are the signs we spent two days making, though. We secured them in zip bags so they were sure to be safe from the rain and she saw most all of them on her way to work. She caught hell all day for every bit of it and we wish we could have seen the expression on her face!! I'm sure it was priceless.

Conversion to Thinpak

2007-04-29T22:26:00.000-04:00

After much research and deliberation, I made the decision to convert my sizable collection of dvds to thinpak cases. I reached maximum capacity in my shelving unit quite some time ago and I was out of room and options. Either I had to stop buying new ones (not likely) or downsize my beloved collection (really not likely). I began to research better storage options and discovered the blank thinpak. It's half the spine width of a standard dvd case, so theoretically, I'll be able to double my storage space.

I've started slowly, but I really like the transition better than I expected. I'll take you on a little tutorial of how one disc went. First you start with a dvd.

Using a paper trimmer (to get the straightest edge), shave off about 1/4 inch from each end of the cover art, width-wise. You have to do this to make up the difference in the width of the thinpak spine.

This next step is functionally unecessary, but I found it more aesthetically pleasing. To avoid looking like it was chopped off (which it was), I used a scrapbooking punch called a corner rounder to hide the evidence a little better.

Slide the cover art into the sleeve and interior insert into the new case, pop the disc into place and presto!

Here you can see the difference between the standard and thinpak cases.

I am really pleased with the way they're turning out, so I would recommend them to anyone lacking in shelf space for their movies. Of course, if you're concerned about maintaining the integrity or collectibility of your discs, this is probably not the project for you. Since I buy movies that I like to watch and not for their collectible nature, this wasn't a concern for me. I'll update you when I get a little farther along into the process!

A most funny message

2007-04-27T09:13:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not know, I work in medical billing. I handle payment plan accounts for several major hospitals. Ordinarily, my phone calls and voice messages are all the same: credit card payments, missed statements, and typical complaints.

Yesterday was different. I received a voice message from a patient who gave a change of address. He then said "Always remember: money can buy a dog, but only love can make his tail wag."

No, I am not kidding. That is the message he left on my voice mail. We got a big kick out of that.

It gets scary, though. Today, on my "chihuahua a day" desk calendar, the doggie quote is "money will buy you a pretty dog, but it won't buy the wag of his tail."

That freaked us out!!!!

Tragedy in Virginia

2007-04-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to post a little about the horrible events at Virginia Tech. Although I don't know anyone personally who goes to Tech, I still feel so saddened. Tech is pretty close in proximity to my corner of the world and that makes it feel so much more real. I can't imagine what the parents and friends of the students must be feeling. Having gone away to college myself, I can really understand how something like that would just absolutely rock a campus to its' core. The school will never be the same, but I hope that the tragedy draws the students and faculty even closer as they try to heal in the coming weeks and months.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by this.

won't you take a survey?

2007-04-09T09:10:00.000-04:00

One of the blogs I read regularly is "following an unknown path". Amanda is an American ex-pat living and teaching in Taiwan. Her graduating students are writing a thesis on American dinner habits and they need our help. They have posted this survey to gather information on how we eat. It's only 30 questions and it won't take long. As an added bonus, if you take the survey and link to it on your blog (of any kind), you'll be entered to win one of ten handmade postcards mailed from Taiwan. Visit Amanda's blog for the trackback info.

Go on, take the survey. You know you want to. Everyone's doing it. :)

Just a little behind??

2007-04-02T23:32:00.000-04:00

Recently, it came to my attention that I am more than just a little bit behind on posting anything here. Shameful, I know. It's not because there has been nothing going on. I've just been sidetracked and procrastinated far too much. To remedy this void in the blogosphere, I'm going to start doing what I shall call "back-up blogging". I'm going to post on some older things. Things that are not current events, but that you still might like to see. So, stay tuned and I'll try to get you up to date as soon as possible!!

Suns at the Bobcats

2006-12-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Suzanne is a die-hard Steve Nash fan. She's going to marry him someday, aside from the pesky wife he already has. hahaha. So, when the Suns played the Charlotte Bobcats, we were there! I'm not even a basketball fan, but I had a great time. We were very far up in the nosebleed, but we still had fun. The Suns won handily but we ate the saltiest pretzels in the free world, so it's a trade off. I played photographer the whole time and got some pretty decent shots, if I do say so myself. Take a look!!

Happy Birthday to me!!

2006-12-25T23:17:00.000-05:00

Well, this post is a little behind, but better late than never!

Back in October, I turned 29. Yes, I've started the official downhill slide towards 30. I got together with my friends and family for some cake and gifts! My people know me so well. They all got some great gifts for me. After I opened presents, we went to the corn "maize", which I posted about awhile back. Here's some pics of the day!

Josh and Jessica gave me handmade gifts from their trip to Fiji.

Mom and dad gave me cash to buy a dvd I had on order (a season of La Femme Nikita) and Suzanne gave me a Marilyn Monroe framed picture and mirror compact. It was all great for the last birthday of my 20's!!

Taking the long way

2006-12-05T19:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, my brother, sister-in-law and I went to see the Dixie Chicks in Atlanta. We originally had floor seats for the Knoxville show, but it ended up cancelled and we had to transfer our tickets. We were disappointed over that, but we ended up with really great seats in Atlanta. We were quite close to the stage, on the side. We had an awesome view....too bad I didn't sneak a camera in!!

The show was really incredible. You wouldn't have thought the chicks had lost even a single fan by the size and enthusiasm of that crowd. The arena was packed and it took several minutes for everyone to calm down before Natalie could even speak. They entered from backstage to "hail to the chief" (ha!) and started the show with "Lubbock or leave it". They played a great mix from all of the records and had everyone hold up their cell phones on "lullaby". It's a sign of the times when the cell phone has replaced the cigarette lighter at concerts!! It was really beautiful to see that huge arena lit up like a thousand fireflies.

The crowd went wild at the line in "Goodbye Earl" when Mary Anne flew in from Atlanta on a red eye midnight flight. Natalie dedicated "White trash wedding" to Kevin Federline and Britney Spears. She said she used to be on team Britney, but after seeing the (uncensored) photographs of Britney on the internet lately, she just might have to switch over to team Federline!! I must say, I might be in agreement with her... The chicks finished up their encore with "Ready to run" and we ran out of the arena in an effort to beat some of the traffic. The city planner who thought it was a good idea to hold the concert on the same night, on the same block, as the SEC championship game should be fired!!

I was really surprised to see just how tiny Natalie Maines is in person. I don't remember her being so small on the last tour, but our seats were farther away. It upsets me a little to think of how often her weight has been addressed in the media, in the past. She is very short, and all-around little. It amazes me that someone so small could have such a big mouth, as well!! No one danced around the issue at all during the concert. In fact, the girls were rather cheeky about it! They showed a preview of "Shut up and sing" on the big screen before the concert, which I look forward to greatly. I'm still horrified that in our country, the most "free" country in the world, someone could receive death threats for disagreeing with the leading governmental party. It sickens me. (the fact that I agree with her is irrelevant, haha) Right now, the free world is reeling over a poisoned Russian spy who disagreed with his government. Are we really that far off at this point??

I'll hop down off my soapbox now and say again that it was a great concert! I look forward to the next album and tour, whenever that may be, of the best female band in history! chicks rule... :)

Black Friday...

2006-11-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

As is tradition for me, I headed out to the stores this morning for day-after-Thanksgiving shopping. I didn't leave the house until about 7:30, so luckily I missed the early morning madness. I only lost out on a few things I was hoping to pick up, but that's life, I guess. I got many, many dvds, as usual. I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done today, except for a few small things. It's amazing how tiring lugging gigantic shopping bags through a mall can be!! Black Friday is an amazingly over-indulgent, gluttonous, typically American tradition, but I love it!

Marilyn Monroe

2006-11-16T23:36:00.000-05:00

I'm a huge Marilyn Monroe fan. Among my many, many items of memorabilia is this pin-up calendar printed in 1955. I just got it recently on ebay and it's quickly become my favorite piece. It was an absolute steal!! I double matted and framed it. It turned out great, if I do say so myself. :)

In case you hadn't noticed, the calendar is the infamous pin up photo that became the very first Playboy centerfold.

I just love this calendar and I'm so proud of how it turned out. I love the picture itself because it's so hard to see the icon that she would become in the eyes of the young girl in the photo. She was so beautiful, but there was always something so vulnerable behind her smile. It makes her life so sad and tragic.

Update: I've been told by my friend Greg that I should clarify something. I framed this up myself. Meaning, I cut the matboard and assembled it with my own two hands.

Pumpkin Carving 101...

2006-10-28T01:28:00.000-04:00

First, pick out the prettiest pumpkin...

Well, maybe not the prettiest, but it has potential...

Cut out your lid...

Scoop out the inside, but don't eat it...

Now, the hard part...start carving...

And....the results!!! From left to right - mine, Suzanne's, Jen's. I'd say they did a great job for their first time with Pumpkin Masters carving kit.

John Hiatt in concert

2006-10-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

Last night, I got to see John Hiatt in concert!!! He played at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. It was a smaller, more intimate setting and he was just amazing!

I was very, very satisfied with his set list. He played enough of my favorites and several newer songs I didn't recognize, but still found them on par with his older stuff. My only wish is that we hadn't been surrounded by people who paid $30 to get drunk, talk the entire time, and not watch him perform. It was sooo distracting and incredibly annoying. I also wish I could have taken pictures, but no cameras were allowed. I could have gotten some fabulous shots...

Like my hat?

I was just so thrilled to get to see him live. He's my favorite singer/songwriter and I hate that more people don't recognize how talented he is. The highlight of the night was in his encore, though. I got to see my all-time favorite song, sung live, by the man who wrote it. "have a little faith in me". It was absolutely incredible.

Fender's Farm Corn "Maize"

2006-10-16T23:24:00.000-04:00

On Friday the 13th, my friends Jen, Suzanne, and I went to the corn maize at fender's farm. We got spooked, drank some cider and chocolate, bought some goodies at the country store, watched a drunk guy make a fool of himself, and froze our booties off. All in all, we had a really good time!!

It was good to go out and scare ourselves like 10 year olds!!!

Free goodies!!!

2006-09-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

I recently ordered Mario Badescu's "world famous" drying lotion. It's this fancy-schmancy acne drying lotion that all the celebs swear by. It looks like calamine lotion when you put it on, but it's supposed to work like gangbusters!!

It came in the mail today and when I opened it, I was so pleasantly surprised to find oodles of free sample-sized goodies!!!

I got an enzyme cleansing gel, seaweed cleansing lotion, moisturizer, hand cream, and a citrus body cleanser. I received more in freebies than I did in my actual order! I love getting mail regardless, but it's even better when it comes with such fabulous goodies!! www.mariobadescu.com Go check it out!!

Moment of silence

2006-09-11T11:52:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to make a little mention of 9/11. It still doesn't seem real that it happened in the first place, but it especially doesn't seem possible that it's been five whole years. I can't believe how quickly time flies. The tv has been absolutely inundated with 9/11 footage and documentaries for the past couple of weeks and it just brings back, full force, all of the horror and sadness of that day. So, I wanted to have an honorary moment of silence for everyone who was lost and lost someone that awful day. May you never be forgotten.

Farewell to the Crocodile Hunter

2006-09-04T03:28:00.000-04:00

I was up late tonight, working on the blog, when I flipped over to cnn.com and saw that Steve Irwin was killed today. I just can't believe it. I always thought he was lucky he hadn't been eaten up by some croc before now, but I guess you can only be lucky for so long. It's just so sad, though. He's left behind two kids whose major memories of him will probably be from old tv clips.

Prepare for launch!!

2006-09-01T10:57:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'll get everything together at a later time. For now, I'm just testing.

2006-06-25T21:41:00.000-04:00