Ten on Tuesday

1. What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day. Do you love it? Hate it?
I like it. I like to get flowers and it's one of the only times I get them.  Oh and I don't care if it's $75 roses in fact I would rather it wasn't.  I'm just happy with a bunch pretty flowers, some conversation hearts and a card.

2. What is your favorite romantic comedy?
As usual I don't have just one.  But at the top of my list is Brigdet Jones' Diary, Say Anything, and French Kiss.

3. Meg Ryan & John Mellencamp: what’s your first reaction?
As long as they are happy it's all good.  I happen to love John  Mellencamp and Meg Ryan so I wish them all the best!

4. All time favorite poem or quote? 
Again I am not going to follow directions.  I am going to give you my favorite quote and poem.
My favorite quote is;
"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." by Juan Ramon Jimenez 
It was my senior quote and to this day I still love it and try to adhere to it.  I like to be different and question things.
And my favorite poem is;

Homework! Oh, Homework! by Jack Prelutsky

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	Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink. If only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You're giving me fits.
	I'd rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework my teacher assigns.
	Homework! Oh, homework! You're last on my list. I simply can't see why you even exist. If you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

I love Jack Prelutsky!  In fact I like him better than Shel Silverstein (I know start the hate mail now).  But I choose this poem to memorize and recite in front of my class in the 6th grade and to this day I can still recite the first 4 lines or so.

5. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve gone without sleep? (like consecutive hours).
I went about 48 hours once when I flew back to the US from Europe and I didn't sleep on the plane and then had to ride on a bus from Atlanta to SC then I drove myself from SC back home to NC.  I was 16 at the time and was so into talking and having fun that I didn't sleep during the flight or bus ride.  I remeber being so tired and trying to drive home and now I know how dangerous that was and I just chringe.

6. What color ink do you prefer to use?
Black but I am not really picky as long as it's a good pen and writes well.

7. Share with us a blog that you recently found and fell in love with (and link us!)
To be honest I haven't searched out new blogs lately.  I've had a lot going on and I am just barley keeping up with the ones I do read and to be honest I haven't been commenting on them like I used to because I just haven't had the time.

8. If you could be on a reality TV show which one would you choose?
Amazing Race!!!!  I love that show and it makes me want to travel so bad!  Just think of all the fun places I would get to go!  I just need to find a good partner (oh and loose some weight so I could really compete well).  I could not do it with James because we would kill each other!!!

9. Mountains or Beach?
I love the mountains and they are close to my heart because I am from Colorado but I happen to live at the beach now and I love it!

10. With the Oscars around the corner, what’s your pick for best picture?
I've only seen 4 of the nominees but I would have to say Toy Story 3 because it made me laugh and cry.  And I just loved it!

Life would be eaiser without a 3 year old .... but no fun!

My mom and step dad agreed to take my kids this last Sunday so that James and I could finally (we had a leak and had some drywall replaced over 3 years ago)  repaint our family room.  I just knew there was NO way we could get it done with our kids in the house.  Noa really not so much he can entertain himself at 7 and knows to stay out of stuff.  But Marley is whole other story.  Point blank she's a terror.  She gets into whatever you don't want her to with attitude.  Noa was somewhat the same way but she is 10x worse with attitude.  Anyway as soon as my mom dropped the kids back off Sunday night she said something about not being able to get anything done with Miss Marley in the house.  NO KIDDING!  Anyway James and I moved all our furniture to the middle of the room Saturday night and bright and early Sunday we started filling nail holes, cleaning moldings and painting.  Not only did we repaint the patched section of wall but the whole room and then we cleaned everything and ended up rearranging the room.  My cousin asked for pictures so I am obliging her and getting in an overdue blog post.  We ended up choosing a lighter, brighter gray color (it was a sort of purple gray before).  I have so much color already going on with my art, curtains, and furniture that I figured a neutral would still be the best way to go.  So here are some pictures of the newly painted and rearranged family room.  We still don't have any of our art or pictures back up on the walls because we have to rearrange them to fit the new furniture arrangement.  I will try to get some more pictures after all the stuff is up on the walls.  But for now just admire the lovely new gray painted walls with no scuff marks!!

 View looking down the stairs into the family room (Marley is sitting on the couch)

 On the stairs looking the right where the kids toys & computer are

On a side note the bookcase in this picture is half of what it was before we started our repaint.  It was a full 6 foot bookcase but after we cleared it and tried to move it the bottom half just fell apart.  I love Target but this bookcase was from there and it totally fell apart after 3 years.  And that is pathetic because I still have a bookcase from when I was 12 from IKEA that is perfect.  So now we are on the lookout for a new full bookcase because what you don't see is our dining room table that is covered in kids games that were on the bookcase that now no longer fit.

Ten on Tuesday

1. Any vacations you are looking forward to this summer?
My step sister is getting married in Chicago in May and I am looking forward to being there.  Plus it will be nice to see the city in the summer for once (I usually end up going for Christmas so I always see it in the winter).

2. What is your favorite article of summer clothing (shoes are included)?
Flip flops!!!!! 

3. What is your favorite summer drink (alcoholic or non)?
A Margarita on the rocks with salt.

4. Do you tan or burn?
I burn after only 15 minutes in the sun then  the best part is I peel and I am just as white as I was before the burn!

5. Any goals you are working toward this summer?
Getting some much needed yard maintenance done.

6. What is your favorite summertime food?
Fresh fruits like blueberries, watermelon, and strawberries and fresh corn.

7. What song most says “summer” to you?

Summertime by Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff.

I love that song and it's just a great, fun summer song.


8. Any home improvement goals planned for this summer?
Well we have to repaint our family room and we have paint.  I just have to pawn my kids off on someone for a day to get it done so it could take us until the summer at this rate.

9. What is one thing you hate to see at the beach?
Trash all over the place.  I can't stand it when people don't put their trash in the trash cans.  Besides I live here all year round and I know the impacts trash has on the sea life. 

10. Did you ever go to a summer camp?
Every year until I got old enough to stay home.  But I only went to sleep away camp once.  My brother and I just went to day camps in our town because my mom had to work and she was a single mother.

Procrastinator Edition of Ten on Tuesday

OK so I did well for exactly 2 weeks.... I am really a truly bad blogger.  But as usual I have an excuse (boy I'm full of them lately).  I got laid off.  You remember that job I got last summer working part time at a portrait studio?  Well I no longer work there.  It was a corporate decision.  My manager said she didn't agree and really loved having me there.  Anyway it is what it is.  I have truthfully been in a bit of a depression about it. But hopefully I am on to bigger and better things.  Anyway my intention was to do the ToT post last night after my kids went to bed but I got a custom order in my Etsy shop and I always want to get those done asap.  So instead of doing my ToT post I folded flowers all evening.  But here it is a day late. Better late than never????

1. What’s your favorite kind of donut?
Iced chocolate cake from Krispy Kreme.

2. Do you use the snooze button?
Way too much! Some days if I'm not tired once but on days I am really tired sometimes I hit snooze like 5 times. 

3. Do you write in cursive, print, or a combination of the two?
A really bad combo of both.  I have terrible handwriting.

4. Tell us a joke.
Say pickle nose.

Did you just tell me to pick my nose????  Ewww gross!


It's bad I know but it makes the kids laugh.  I used it all the time at the portrait studio and 9 times out of 10 it made 'em laugh.

5. How many languages do you speak?
One.  I can understand Spanish as long as they aren't using a lot of slang. But I can't speak it that well.

6. Why did you start blogging?
It was a release.  Sometimes I put thoughts out on my blog that I don't say to other people.  Sometimes it's passive aggressive but mostly it's me not wanting to bother anyone so I let it out here.

7. Do you use bar soap or liquid body wash?
Body wash.  Right now it's Dove Grapefruit something or other.  It was cheap and smelled good.

8. Do you buy bottled water?
Only if I am out and forgot my water.  I use aluminum or plastic water bottles and fill up at home.

9. What did you think of the Super Bowl Half Time Show?
I thought it was terrible.  I like The BEP but they sounded awful (yes I know it was the sound but it's the friggin SUPER BOWL get a professional and get the kinks worked out! Sheesh) and it wasn't that inventive or interesting.

10. How do you feel about Steve Carell leaving The Office?
Sorry, I don't watch The Office.  I have seen a few episodes here and there and think it's funny but never had the compulsion to record it and watch it.  

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?
There are so many! But some of my fondest are the family reunion/vacations I went on every summer with my mom's side of the family.  More often than not we went to Estes Park, Colorado (we are from Colorado).  I just loved being with my grandparents, aunts & uncles, & my cousins.  We still get together and I look forward to it all year. This is a picture from the one two years ago in Denver.

2. What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I'm a hard worker and I will do anything I can for my family & friends.

3. What is your favorite thing that your child does?
I love that my son Noa can totally change the subject when he wants to get out of something.  And man he does it well!! Sometimes he does it and 20 mins. later I realize hey he's supposed to be cleaning his room but he got me off subject and we are looking up a fact on the Internet.

I love that Marley sings and hums all the time.  She sings with me and to me and it's soooooo cute! One of our favorite books is Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton and there are parts that I sing to her and she now sings with me when I read it to her.

4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
If I'm at home,  I like to just hang with James and watch a good movie or TV show.  I also fold my origami flowers which helps me to focus and quite my brain (which is hard sometimes).
If I have been overwhelmed with kids and everyday stress getting out with my girlfriends is great.

5. What is your favorite restaurant? And what is your favorite thing on the menu?
Are you kidding one favorite restaurant?  One of my favorite nicer restaurants is PF Changs.  I love their chicken lettuce wraps and shrimp fried rice.  My two favorite casual local places are Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn and Chris' Cosmic Kitchen.  I love, love. LOVE Flaming Amy's fresh salsa!!  I crave it.  And Chris' has the best omelets! I personally love their Lump Crab Omelet. OK now I'm hungry....

6. What is your favorite piece of jewelry (besides your wedding ring)?
Besides my wedding and engagement rings I wear two other pieces jewelry all the time.  One is a ring my mom gave me for my 18th birthday (I think) and it's a silver ring with gold accents. It's very different looking but so me!  The other piece is a silver necklace I got a few years ago.  It's got two small silver circles that have Noa stamped on one and Marley stamped on the other and small pearl that hangs next to them.

7. What is your favorite night of the week M-TH? And why?
Either Monday or Wednesday right now.  James usually works 2 nights a week most semesters and this semester it happens to be Tuesday and Thursday.  So I like Monday and Wednesday because he is home and we hang out for one and then usually I go to the movies with my friend Ivy for the other night.

8. What is your favorite dessert?
I have a sweet tooth so I am not that picky I love all things sweet (except white chocolate).  But if I had my choice it would be cherry cobbler or my friend Jennifer's coconut cupcakes.

9. What is your favorite item in your make-up bag?
Mary Kay waterproof mascara in black/brown.  Good for everyday wear!!

10. What is your favorite smell?
Vanilla, babies, garden roses.