Ten on Tuesday

Well hello my friends! Remember me? You know the former Mommy Days blogger. No I didn't slip into a coma. I just had a really rough December and it's taken me this long to recover and catch up. I really do want to blog and I actually bought a blogging tool app for my new iPad in hopes I will be able to be able to blog more.

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?
Yes I do. Not a huge amount but a few little things like window clings and candles.

2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?
I don't have a desktop any more but my laptop has a collage of Noa & Marley that were taken by a local professional photographer I had done of them last year.

3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?
I use a Mac so I use and LOVE iCal. I can enter a date on my computer, iPod or iPad and it will be transferred to all my other devices when they are synced. Plus I print out the month to put up in the kitchen so everyone can see what's happening for the month.

4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?
It all depends on my mood. I usually change purses when I get tired of using the current one. So fairly often I guess.

5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?
So my previous answer was nothing but I totally forgot all the videos of my friend Jennie that I think are hysterical.  So here is one.  And if you feel like it go to YouTube and search Jennie Stencel.



6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
We take our taxes to someone. I don't even want to attempt to try doing my own.

7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones?
This is going to be long. My goal is to one get to all 50 states one day.  North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii, & Alaska. 32 in total.  Plus Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?
18 countries so far.  Mexico, Canada, Aruba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Curacao, Venezuela, Grenada, Bermuda, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, & Kiribati.

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
Oy.... Around 40 is my best estimate.

10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?
For me there is no such thing. Well sort of. I wear flip flops all year round inside. But if it's colder than 60 outside I don't wear them out.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Follow me!!! Please. There's a giveaway!

I am a Facebook addict.  I know it and I own it.  It's a major time suck but I love it.  But I have also discovered that it can be a good business tool.  For those of you have been hiding under a rock and not reading my blog I have an Etsy store.  I sell handmade frames, origami ornaments, baby mobiles, and sometimes candles.  But I recently set up a fan/business page for my shop on Facebook.  So now Facebook is helping get my shop exposure and hopefully some new customers.  So now it's not just a waste of time for me!  But I am so close to having 100 "likes" or followers or whatever Facebook calls it now, but I want that 100 soon!! So as an incentive as soon as my Etsy shop's Facebook page gets 100 likes I will be giving away a frame and an ornament to one lucky random follower/liker (??).  So if you are not already a fan/follower/liker of my Etsy Shop on Facebook head on over and become one!!!

Ten on Tuesday

I'm back for those of you who missed me last week .... did I just hear crickets.  Yep I'm sure I did.  So for the one other person besides my mom who reads my blog I was in Walt Disney World last week for Thanksgiving with my family. It was so fun but also exhausting!!  As soon as I download my photos I will do a post about it.  But to download my photos I need to find the cable which is somewhere in a suitcase I have yet to unpack ..... so in the meantime enjoy a ToT!


1. Where are you from? Have you lived there your whole life?
I was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado but lived mostly in and around Boulder, Colorado as a child.  But then we moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina when I was about 8 for my father to finish up his post-doctorate work.  I lived in Chapel Hill until I went off to college at 18.  I moved to Wilmington, NC to attend UNCW and never left!

2. How would you classify your clothing style?
Casual.  Lately whatever is cheap and looks pretty good.

3. What kind of car do you drive?
Honda Odyssey mini van.

4. What would your dream home look like if you could have it (or already do!)?
I actually love my house.  That doesn't mean that there aren't a few hundred things I would love to do to it or change.  First off I would like to add an addition off the back to add a little extra space to my master bathroom and the kitchen.  I would also love new counter tops and cabinets in the kitchen.  I would like to extend the hardwood floors we have to all the rest of the downstairs and up the stairs too.  And lastly I want to add a bunch of built in bookshelves and cabinets to the craft room/living room.

5. Do you have kids, and if so, how many and how old were you when you had them?
I have 2 little rug rats.  Noa is 7 and I had him when I was 27.  My baby girl Marley just turned 3 yesterday!  So if you can't do the math I was 31 when I had her.

6. What is your favorite hobby?
Scrapbooking and going to movies.  I also like crafts in general and like to try new ones.

7. Are you going to have any New Year’s resolutions for 2011?
Nope.  I never keep my resolutions anyway.

8. What is something, if anything, that you’d want to change about yourself?
One thing??? More like several but I think I would like to try to be less harsh on my husband.  He tries his hardest but I don't give him enough credit most of the time.  I need to remember it may not be done the way I do it but at least it's done.

9. What is something that you love about yourself?
I will go out of my way to help a friend or loved one.

10. Pick one of the following: Someone to cook for you, someone to do your laundry, or someone to do your dishes.
Someone to do my dishes!!  I don't mind cooking and I actually like doing laundry but I hate doing dishes.  I especially hate it after I have just cooked a big meal.  

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite breakfast pastry?
Croissants are my fave.  I don't get them often because I don't make them so I only buy them when I happen to be at a good bakery or cafe.  A chocolate croissant is my idea of heaven for breakfast!!

2. Were you ever in a Thanksgiving or Christmas play?
Not that I remember. 

3. What is your favorite clothing accessory?
I guess a belt.  I love jewelry which I consider a much more important accessory than a belt but there ya go.

4. What is your favorite item of clothing?
A really comfy nice looking V-Neck t-shirt.   I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl.

5. What is your favorite color and why?
Blue or purple.  Blue because it compliments my eyes and purple just because I really like it.

6. What is your favorite type of Christmas cookie?
Sugar cookie (from the recipe my mom always uses) decorated with colored sugar or vanilla frosting.

7. What is your favorite scent (food, perfume/lotion)
Vanilla, White Musk lotion from The Body Shop, Cool Water cologne on my husband, and the smell of a new baby.

8. What is your favorite household cleaner?
A mixture of 50% Hydrogen peroxide and 50% water in a spray bottle.  It cleans most anything including glass and it kills germs.  Not to mention it's cheap and green!  The only thing it doesn't do well is tackle grease.  I still have yet to find a good green product for grease cutting on the stove etc.  So if you have one let me know!!

9. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? And what did you actually grow up to be?
I wanted to be an astronaut for most of my childhood.  But as I got older I decided teaching would be the best option for me.  I actually was a special education teacher before I had my kids.  But now I am a photographer at a chain portrait studio. Oh and I love it too!

10. What is the last song or album you bought?
I am totally going to admit that I bought Dynamite by Taio Cruz and Bulletproof by La Roux a week weeks ago.  I'm not embarrassed by the Bulletproof song but I kinda hate admitting I really like Dynamite, it's really not very good pop but I like it all the same.

Confessions of the Day 19

My daughter Marley loves to have her toes polished.  I have no idea where she learned this!!  I do love a pedicure but as of late I get one maybe once a year because they aren't cheap.  But I keep my toes polished by doing it myself at home.  But I usually only give myself a pedicure at night once my kids are in bed.  So I can't really figure out how she learned that the little bottles on my night stand are for toes!  But the fact that as a 2 year old she is already demanding pedicures leads me to think I am big, big trouble later on down the road.

I am so glad the fall is here for a lot of reasons but one of the major ones is because I get to start wearing pants again.  And the reason I want to wear pants is because I can stop shaving my legs so often!  I hate shaving my legs.  I always end up nicking my self and I have to do it just about every other day during the summer.  So it's a nice break to not do it so often during the winter.  I'm sure my hubby isn't thrilled about it but well ......  too bad!

I have yet another new obsession (like I needed another one).  Dexter!  Now I know this show has been around for a few years but I really didn't know anything about it until a few months ago.  We had gotten Netflix and we have the unlimited online viewing.  So I also have an iPod touch and there is a Netflix app. that allows you to not only put movies into your queue but to watch any of their movies or TV shows right on the iPod.  I was bored one night and was playing with the app and decided to see what they had for suggestions for me.  The first season of Dexter happened to one of the suggestions.  So I decided to give it a try and watch the first episode of season 1.  I was hooked!!  Michael C. Hall is amazing!  So I watched all of season 1 and  2 with in a few weeks.  But they didn't have season 3 or 4 on the instant play yet.  So I have been slowly watching my way through season 3 as I get the discs from Netflix.  But I am OK with stretching it out because I learned the hard way with the Sookie Stackhouse books that once you are through them all, then that's it your done.  So I am savoring my time with Dexter!

Ten on Tuesday

1. Who makes your Thanksgiving dinner?
It all depends on where we are.  If we are with my mom then she cooks most of the dinner and I bring a side (usually my great grandmother's broccoli onion casserole) and a desert.  If we are with James family it's a big pot luck and since we stay in a motel we get out of bringing anything.  This year we will be in Disney World so once again I will not be cooking.  I think we are going to be at the Movie Studio (formerly MGM Studio) Park and I know my mom made reservations somewhere but I can't remember where.

2. What is your favorite recipe that includes pumpkin? (bonus points for including the recipe)
I love plain old pumpkin pie.  I tend to like the kind made from the recipe right off the back of the can but as I was reading Chelsea's ToT post her chocolate pumpkin cupcakes sound soooooo good.  I will have to try those.

3. What are 5 things you want for Christmas?
A full time job at my current work, an iPad, free movie tickets for a year, gift cards to Target or iTunes, and a good Christmas with family.

4. Does your family draw names or do you buy for everyone?
We buy for everyone.

5. How do you feel about motorcycles?
I don't get it.  Now granted I have never even ridden on one but it's just not something I want to do.  If that's your thing more power to ya but I could care less. 

6. What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy Saturday?
Stay inside and sleep in or watch movies or read or play games.

7. What is the coolest thing to do in your city?
The beach but downtown, the aquarium and the battleship run a close second.

8. Do you paint your fingernails?
Nope.  I like to but since I use my hands so much to clean the house and stuff the polish just chips off and I get frustrated.  So I just don't put any on any more.

9. Who is your favorite actor over the age of 50?

Bruce Willis.  I just saw him in RED and thought he looked soooo good.  Not to mention it was a good movie and he did a great job.

10. Do you have a high school letter jacket?
No.

Halloween was all consuming last week for us!!  I pretty much had something to do dealing with Halloween every day last week.  It was fun and I love Halloween but I'm kinda glad it's over for this year.  But that just means that now it's November (where in hell did this year go??) and we are just ramping up for the whole Thanksgiving/Christmas season....  well any way on to ToT!!

1. Do you color? If you do, is it with markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.?
I do sit down with my kiddos and color and my choice would be brand new box of Crayola crayons.  There is just something about a new box of crayons I just love!

2. What’s the most organized part (or system) in your house?
It would be my kitchen.  Everything has a place and I get touchy if things are not put back in right places.  Having an organized kitchen helps make cooking or baking a lot easier because I know where everything is and can get to it quickly.

3. What’s the most unorganized part (or system) in your house?
Hands down it's the kids playroom.  I swear I get it organized and then in less than 10 mins. it's a friggin disaster again (Marley just pulls EVERYTHING out and dumps on the floor).  So I get demoralized and just leave it because I know they will just trash it again.  So what's the point of picking it all back up again.  And they just do not help.  I have got to figure out a solution ....  got any suggestions all of you organized peeps out there???

4. If you had unlimited amounts of time and money, what museum would you want to see and why?
I would go back to the Louvre in Paris.  I've been twice but only for half a day each time.  And that is just not enough time to see all there is to see.  It is an amazing museum and I would love to have a few days to see all of it.

 James & I in front of the Louvre in 2007 (oh and I was pregnant with Marley at the time)

5. What is your favorite part of the fall season?
The cool weather.  After the brutal summer here I look forward to the cool nights when I can have the windows open and turn the air conditioner off!

6. Did you dress up for Halloween?
Me? Nope not really.  I put on devil horns and tail to go hang out with work friends for a little bit last night but that was about it.

7. Have you started Christmas shopping?
Yep! I buy through out the year.  If I see something that I think someone will like I go ahead and buy it.  I have a section in one of my closets for presents.

8. Do you crack your knuckles?
I do! I learned to do it when I was 4.  There was an older boy who taught me how because he did it all the time and I had a crush on him I decided to do it too.  So now it's just habit but I don't do it nearly as much as I used.  Just once in awhile maybe a few times a week.

9. If you had to live in another city for a year (all expenses paid), which city would you choose?
London, England.  I love London and I would love to live there so if I were able to live there all expenses paid I would do it in a heart beat.  The other nice thing is that if I were living there I would be able to take trips to other parts of Europe fairly easily and that's a huge bonus!

10. Do you have any reoccurring dreams?
I used to have one where I was driving a car but for some reason I couldn't control it.  When I tired to turn left it would go right and it acted like I was driving on ice.  It was scary and it would freak me out because I had so little control but I was the one who was supposed to be in control.  I now know why I had those dreams (I felt out of control about certain things in my life) and now I don't have them anymore.

Ten on Tuesday

I just realized that I didn't post a blog at all last week .... bad blogger, bad blogger.  I have ideas for blogs but I get busy and forget.  Plus if Chelsea doesn't do a Ten on Tuesday I just sort of loose my steam for the week and let it go.  I won't promise to try harder because well I have done that and it doesn't seem to help.  I guess I just have to be more self disciplined.  Ha ha that's a good one!  I am going to have to give it some thought and see what I come up with.  But for now here is a ToT!

1. What is your favorite decor item in your house?
Family pictures in frames.  I like seeing my kids and family all around the house.  It's sort of comforting to me.

2. What is your favorite hair product?
Any volumizing shampoo or conditioner.  I have thin hair so any extra volume I can get is always good.  Pantene seems to be one of the best.

3. Are you a good dancer?
Nope not really.

4. You get some good news, who’s the first person you call?
James because he's my best friend and husband.  Then it would be my mom or a few of my friends.

5. Would you rather take pictures, or be in pictures?
Take pictures!! I have always liked taking pictures and have always been the picture taker in my house.  But now that it's my job I do it a lot more and think about it a whole lot more!

6. What is your shoe style?
Flip flops aka very casual.  I do like a nice pair of cute flats or wedge sandals but never high heels.  I'm already tall enough and I just don't walk that well in them.

7. How often do you eat out?
Lately twice a week while I am at work.  We don't have a break room and there is no where to heat up food or really eat food at work.  I would have to eat in my car which I am just not crazy about and it would have to be food that didn't need  to be heated up.  So I just head to one of the restaurants in the shopping center where the studio is.

8. If someone has food in their teeth, do you tell them?
Yes, as long as it's not in front of a bunch of people.  That's embarrassing so I try to let them know discreetly.

9. Do you fold your underwear?
Nope ... what's the point???  They don't really fold well and who cares if your underwear is wrinkled?? Not me!

10. Milk, dark, or white chocolate?
Dark or milk.  I HATE white chocolate.

Ten on Tuesday

1. What does your work out schedule look like?
OK so I'm gonna go ahead and tell you right now my answers to these will be very short.  I am not a gym person at all.  I should be doing more to work out but I'm not.  I typically walk around my neighborhood.  I take my daughter in a jogging stroller and try to go right after breakfast.  My route is a little over 2 miles long.  I would like to do it everyday but to be quite honest it just doesn't happen.  I actually did it today and will try harder to do it everyday.

2. What is your favorite machine to use at the gym?
NONE! Ha ha I hate the gym.  I hate to exercise.  But if I have to and well I NEED to but I like the treadmill or a stationary bike.  But I prefer to just walk in my neighborhood.

3. What is your favorite class to take at the gym?
I see a pattern here.... none.  I am not a class person.  I always feel uncoordinated and out of place in a class at the gym.

4. Where do you shop for work out gear and clothing?
Target.

5. If you can’t go to the gym, do you have a favorite outdoor activity?
I don't go to the gym.  I like geocaching and just walking or playing with my kids.

6. What about a favorite work out DVD? If so, please share!
No DVD but I do like Wii Fit for the Wii.  Especially the yoga and the boxing.

7. Are you more active now or when you were in high school?
I was more active in high school because I took PE and I even took advanced PE.  Plus I just walked more because I had to get around.

8. How has your dieting/working out philosophy changed since high school?
I have always struggled with my weight and so I feel like I have been the same cycles since then. But I have come to accept my weight now and I am just more comfortable with my body in general.

9. What do you do while working out– (i.e., day dream, read, listen to music, gab with a friend)?
Music.  I would rather talk to a friend but I don't have a walking partner.

10. What working out resolution would you like to make for yourself this year?
I would like to try to walk for at least 30 mins. everyday.

Ten on Tuesday .. wait I mean Wednesday!!

I totally tried to get to this yesterday and it just never happened!  I liked this one too much to not do it so here it is.  I really need to try and get my S%$& together and do these posts ahead of time.  Maybe that will be my new goal.....  Anyway here are some very interesting and different questions for ToT.  I can't guarantee my answers will be interesting or different.


1. What keeps you up at night? (figuratively)
How we are going to get through the next few months on my part time salary.

2. What keeps you up at night? (literally)
Too much caffeine too late at night and sometimes my achy knee.

3. Where do you want to go in life? (figuratively)
I just want to raise good human beings who are smart, well mannered, kind and caring.
 
4. Where do you want to go in life? (literally)
Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Greece

5. Have you ever bit off more than you could chew? (figuratively)
Yes, I don't like to say no.  I am getting better about it but when my son was little I often over extended myself because I couldn't say no.

6. Have you ever bit off more than you could chew? (literally)
Are you kidding! All the time.  I'm really bad with salads.  It always looks like just a small bite of lettuce then I try to get it all in my mouth and I have half of it sticking out of my mouth!


7. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? (figuratively)
No!  I seems that way but once you get to know those other side of the fence people you realize they have their own issues to deal with.

8. Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? (literally)
YES!! Our backyard is not in the best shape right now and I know our backyard neighbors have a really nice yard.

9. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen? (figuratively)
Yep.... that's another thing I have learned in the last few years.  I used to want to be in the middle of everything and know what was going on with everyone even if it meant I was in the line of fire.  Now I just was peace and as little conflict as I can manage.

10. If you can’t stand the heat, do you get out of the kitchen? (literally)
Nope I just open a window or turn down the AC.  If I don't cook no one else in this house will!!