Friday, December 16, 2011

Channeling my inner Miss Congeniality

Senior picture!

Lately I have been feeling like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. I think I'm hilarious, others not so much. My mother gets it, but not always everyone else. All I keep thinking is at least she thinks I'm funny. Sandra says this while cramming a bagel into her mouth.  I however I think this as the room goes silent and im the only one laughing, as i have cracked myself up and now im snorting. Its not really as bad as I make it out to be, but really I do get those awkward moments where people give me the look of what in the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is she talking about?. Problem is I change subjects with out telling people.  I just expect them to follow along with my maddness. Example, I was at work this week and i was helping a women named Pam. It took me every fiber of my being not to start doing the whole step brothers skit where they have the whole Pamd Pan situation. To me that would be freaking hilarious, to her probably not so much, and probably would have cost me my job. Luckily the proffesional side of my brain decided to be a part of the work day and kept my big mouth shut. But if you guys have ever seen that movie its a great scene and if you havent seen it, you need to. You will then truly understand how great that moment would have been.


Happy Friday!!!!!
9 days till Christmas!

xoxo

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Truth be told...



I have always had this friend who would help me out when I needed him.  He has saved me multiple times and for that I am grateful. I would say these events are the moments in time that changed my life and molded me into the person I am today.  Without him I dont know where I'd be. When I was a little girl there are three times he saved me in the biggest way possible.  I am five of six i cant remember exactly, but it was in between that time period. My brother and I are at our cousin Ricky's house, with my stepmother. We're all playing in the backyard when Ricky wants to go get his friend from the diner behind the house. Now I'm from Delaware, so business and houses are really close together.  The diner is only like 5 minutes walking distance. Anyway, we all walk up to the diner together and pick up my cousins friend. On our way back to the  house the boys take off running without me, and I began walking back alone when a man approaches me. All he says was, "hey little girl let me give you a ride". (He might have phrased it a little different, but that's how i remember it being said.) Now my six year old mind knows this man wants to take me away from my family and hurt me so i take off running and he begins to chase me. I am terrified and wish my brother never left me.  As I think he is about to grab me, my cousin Ricky rounds the corner.  I have never been so relieved in my life. He grabs my hand and helps me run faster. I dont dare turn around to see the man.  By the time we get back to the back yard I look behind me and see he is no longer there. I dont remember how the rest of the day went, but I know I was grateful to be safe. Fast forward three years.  I'm now nine and am at my dads shop with my brothers and we are playing hide and go seek with another mechanic's kids.  Back then we were just brought to work with my dad and stepmom to play all day alone and were watched seldom. We're playing hide and seek and I find this really great hiding spot.  I climb under a barrel and sit there waiting. Its really dark in the barrel and I cant hear very well, time passes and I feel like its been a really long time. I think maybe they have found everyone and they just cant find me, so I decide to come out and see who is it next. Well, im stuck.  I cant get my fingers back under the barrel to get it off me. I become panicked and start screaming at the top of my lungs and now im having a hard time breathing. The barrel is becoming hot and im sobbing, no one is coming. I start thinking im going to suffocate and no one will ever find my body, because thats how the shop is, its no place for kids to play, very dangerous. As clear as day im told to lift my hands up, I do and push the barrel over my head. The cool air fills my lungs and I can breath.  This is the second time he saved me. Let me take you ahead two more years now im eleven, Im a very out doorsie girl and climbing a tree with a neighborhood friend. We're climbing very high and I get this great idea to climb to the very top, which is about the height of a two story building. I get to the top and just as I peek my head out the top, the branch breaks and I fall all the way to the bottom. Thing is, nothing was broken not a scratch on me. No bruises, nothing. It was like I floated to the bottom.
This man I call my friend did something so big for me.  He climbed up on a cross and died so that I could be saved.  This is my relationship with Jesus Christ.  The only way I can explain it when im asked why I believe. I believe because I should not be here today.  The woman who writes this blog should not be here before you pouring out her soul. She should be dead, paralysed, or worse a face on a milk carton. But im not because I have God and he surrounds me with his protection and love.

This is my story, I hope you can take a part of it with you.

xoxo

Monday, December 12, 2011

Holiday Cheer Part One...

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loudly for all to here. -Buddy the Elf


Friday, a group of friends and I channeled our inner Buddys and took to the neighborhood knocking on doors and Caroling our hearts out. We were freezing, but our joy kept us going. With our song sheets in hand we sang off key and if i may be so bold a little pitchie (mainly me) luckily we had Brian with us.  He was the only one to keep us on key.



Over all, the night was a great success, As we rounded up the evening with hot coco and hot apple cyder I was filled with giddiness. Until next year my caroling friends.  I will practice my vocals in the mean time.

Happy holiday season!!
13 days till santas here!
xoxo


Sunday, November 27, 2011

Holiday Traditions


Each year my mom and I wake up early on Thanksgiving and sneak off to the kitchen to make our family's famous apple pie. (really have no clue where the recipe came from, just go with it.) Still in our PJ's and before breakfast, my mom pulls out this old age stained piece of paper that crinkles when you touch it. Its like a bit of magic, then come out the ingredients and we get to work. Spreading out the dough and cutting the apples. This year however there was a little twist, as in the midst of preparations my mother turns to me and asks "where are the pie pans?". Yup our pie pans were m.i.a., so i hopped in my car and headed up the street to the super market to get us new ones. Well they were out, everywhere I looked, no pie pans. So i hunt down a clerk and he starts looking for pie pans, any pie pan and low and behold he finds the last one for me on the bottom, in the back of a dusty old shelf. I could have kissed him i was so elated (i didnt) Back at the house my mom is working away and with our pie pan we finish the famous apple pie.



As she starts preparations for the rest of our Thanksgiving feast, I get changed into some work-out clothes to head off to that other tradition of mine Turkey cup.




My friends and I get together and play a pick up game every year before we have dinner with our families. Its something I hope we still do when we're old and have our own children, something we pass down.



Back at the house as family friends show up, the wine is cracked open. Mom bustles away in the kitchen. Pictures are taken, laughter is had, memories are made. Hope your holiday was as wonderful as mine was.



Happy Monday!!!
xoxo
P.S. I am boycotting decorating my house for Christmas until December 1st, I feel that companies are always pushing out thanksgiving and this year im making a stand. That and i still am in a bit of a turkey coma.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Dripping in sparkles...


Found these little beauties and HAD to have them. I have been wanting sparkly shoes now for a year.  I dont know if you have ever been on the hunt for something, but it seems like its just not going to come around. Like its saying how bad do you want me? Well I found them and im in love. So who out lasted who sparkly shoe making elfs? Because we all know shoes aren't made by shoe makers, but secret little elfs who come out at night. Yea I got their number, thanks to the movie Elf I know how it really goes down.










This also happens to be the place where J and I had our senior prom. We couldnt resist having a picture taken in the same spot we had our prom one taken. We call it prom 2.0



Well my sparklies and I met just in time for the wedding I was attending Friday. It was a few hours before and I still had no clue what shoes i was wearing with my dress. So I hopped in the car went to the shoe store and the rest is history. Made my self pretty and got to the wedding just in time. You might say I'm one that lives life as it come at me, not always thinking ahead. But never the less we had a blast. Joe and Monika (bride and groom) looked fantastic and their wedding ceremony was one of the most beautiful ones I have seen. It was so personal to them and all of us felt its warmth, and someone may have become a little teary eyed. One problem with the new shoes, NO traction! Yea practiced in the store and every thing was fine even did some of my dance moves, but that didnt prepare me for cobble stones. I looked a little like a toddler playing dress up in her mothers heals, but i was determined to make it through. So I lasted til dinner, hey I couldnt be biffing it on the dance floor while I shook my grove thing.





I give Props to Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) I dont know how that lady does it. Four hours and my calfs are still hurting. Oh and dont even get me started on Barbie, that girls been rocking heals for years and her posture is impeccable. Over all had an amazing night even when the zipper malfunctioned on my dress, didnt stop me, just made me dance harder and faster so no one would notice it. Hard to see a silly little zipper when the person its attached to is a dancing machine. All anyone can think is "how is she having a seizure and dancing at the same time?". Hope you guys had as good of a weekend as I did.

xoxo

Sunday, November 20, 2011

This Crazy Family....

Well this weekend was family pictures and here are some of the out takes. Yea I know riduculous. With my family they never know what they're gonna get out of me. 


Yes I did put cotton up my nose.



Look at my poor sweet momma stuck in the middle of two goofs.
Can you say Christmas card... Well if I got my way it would be.








We end on a good note. But you know what they say a family who acts like goofs together stays together. Or maybe thats just me.

xoxo

Friday, November 18, 2011

Book club....

At work i have a customer that comes in once a week, and over the years we have talked books books and more books. We have similar interests and if he reads one that is really good, as soon as he comes threw the door he tells me all about it. I do the same for him. We're like our own little book club. Well that's what I'm calling it anyway. This week we were talking our most recent obsession, The Hunger Games. We are both really looking forward to the movie, and i found the trailer just for you. If you guys have not read this series yet, you need to. It will rock your world. The characters are so powerful and the lead is my kind of lady, none of that damsel in distress crap. If you have read it, what did you think?


Happy Friday!!!
xoxo

Monday, November 14, 2011

What's black, tan, and red all over?


Me Silly,...... or at least what I wore to dinner Saturday.




As some of my good friends blew back into town for the weekend from various colleges, a plan was devised for us all to go out for dinner. We landed on this great restaurant, Bucca di Beppo where everything is served family style. So basically you order three entries and it is enough to feed ten people and have room for leftovers for the next day (sweet!!!).




one year woooohooo!
It also happened to be my best friend J and his gal Cassie's one year anniversary, but will get to that later. Our waitress was so much fun! There was a little girl at one of the tables near ours who was writing love letters to Colbys 11 year old brother, it was so sweet. We were all really getting into it, poor kid was all kinds of embarrassed. It took me back to when I was ten and I wrote a little boy in my class a love letter, the basis of my letter was "do you like me check yes or no" corny I know right but come on guys I was ten.



 Well Brancen was writing things that were not so nice because he was really embarrassed to have all his older brothers friends being witness to this, but being the girl I am, I would not let him send the letters back till they were Laurel approved. I told him you dont have to ask her out, you dont have to say things you dont mean. You just need to be kind and loving, like a gentleman. 


As the night progressed we grew louder and laughed more, yup were those people the ones that are having way too much fun. Thats what happens when you only see your favorite people once in awhile.  I struck a deal with our waitress to bring out a slice of cake for our anniversary couple. They were so surprised and I got up and sung a song by yours truly and did a little jig. (I kind of wish someone got it on film cause it was pretty ridiculous.) Needless to say I had everybody laughing, including the tables around us. I told you I have no shame, life is way to short.

The final note arrives and Brancen reads it to me, Its said "nice talking to you have a great night with your family." Now that just made me take a step back, I looked at all the people around me and yes we are a family, as dysfunctional as they come, but a family none the less. And for a moment I was so proud of the loved ones that I was surrounded by. People say you cant choose your family and I think that they just didnt want to try, because the people in my life I have chosen and I love them just like family. We all come from different places in life, but when we get together it just works. 

So from my family to yours, have a great week!

xoxo