No Title Necessary

New Years Resolutions, version 2012

2012-01-02T08:45:00.000-05:00

BOOOOOO! Here we go again. What is it about New Years that has me excited, motivated, depressed and grinchy, all at the same time??
I LOVE New Years. I love the thought of the old year, and all its failures, dying in the night. And in its place, a new, shiny, unblemished year with lots of potential.
So why do I get kind of depressed with a new year lurking? I think it is because I am forced to go back through the year and see where I missed the mark and need to improve.(lets face it, I see LOTS of room for improvement). and what do people hate to hear more than anything?? Their failings. Boy, did I ever fail this year in some areas.
But in some areas I actually kicked butt, and have reason to be proud.

So without further ado, my list of what I need to work on in 2012....

1. potty mouth. sigh. STILL. This is a fight that will never go away I am afraid. It is my lifelong struggle.

2. Exercise more. This is one I did decently with last year. I was a little more active than normal, and lost weight. This year I am planning on working a little harder at it, and am planning on joining the gym with girls from work.

3. (or more like 2.1)...Watch what I eat, drink etc and lose more weight. And by watch what I eat I dont mean "watch myself eat *!#% all the time (oops, see #1). Drinking as much water as possible, cutting down on soda consumption (which I actually was really good at in 2011) and eat healthier. Also COOK AT HOME. No more going out to eat all the time.

4. saving money. I realized that if I were to save half of my cash tips, instead of shopping, or going out to eat or frittering it away on useless things, in one year I could have completely new furniture, a king sized sleep number bed, and go on a cruise. Just by saving HALF of my cash tips. What do I have to show for it this year?? hmmmm, not a whole heck of a lot. I also want to work on paying all bills on time. beign really regimented and having zero late payments. There is no excuse, except laziness.

5. More family time. My kids have asked that we spend more time with them. Finn said "Instead of you playing on the computer all the time, maybe we could go for walks or bike rides or play a game". Ouch. ouch. ouch. So less time on the internet/media and more time building memories.

6. Food Storage. This has been on my mind quite a bit recently, and one thing I am working on is building a food storage, in case something happens. I found a program where you buy just a few extra things a week and by the end of the year you have a nice food storage start. So I will be working on building that up and using it properly.

7. Scripture Study and Prayer. This is a biggie. I made myself a goal last year to read the entire Book of Mormon and really think hard and pray about it. I finished it a few days ago. I found that when I read scriptures and pray with my family, our days go smoother and I feel happier. So this year, the goal is the New Testament. Family and personal prayer and scripture study.

8. Work Goals: I love my job, and I love my clients. My goal this year is to have the biggest retail amounts of everyone. I also have a goal of 2 upgrades a month. I did really well with upgrades and retail this past year, but I know that if I push myself I can do better. I also want to be a bigger team player and help anywhere that is needed. I want to be able to make a positive impact on my clients, even the ones that give me a stomachache when I see them on my schedule. I want to be able to understand the difficult ones and have more empathy. I want to take my career to the next level.

9. Personal beauty. I want to make sure that I always present my best face forward. Always have my hair, makeup and clothes on point and professional. I want to make sure that I always look good, no matter my destination. I dont ever want to be embarassed when people ask what I do for a living and I tell them I am a hairdresser, and at that exact moment my hair is a hot mess and looks like I brushed it with a weed whacker. How can I possibly tell people how to improve their image if mine looks like a ratty hobo under a bridge??

10. Tell my family I love them every day. Show more affection. This is hard, I am not a huggy, kissy, lovey dovey public display of affection person. I am going to work harder to outwardly display my love and affection for my husband, kids and family. I dont want my boiys growing up thinking their mom is distant and cold. I LOVE my family, but need to work harder on letting them know on a daily basis.

so 2012, i think I am ready. I feel motivated, and not as depressed as i did last year. I feel like I am finally heading in the right direction with my life and it is easier to stick to goals when you are happy.

Food Storage.

2011-12-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

In this economy it is good to be prepared. Layoffs, illness, disability, pay cuts etc.
At church they have been doing this year long program to get our Food Storage in order. Extra food, supplies etc from those times of crisis, famine, penny pinching etc. It is broken down week by week, generally based on historic sale items,etc.
By the end of the year you will have a tidy little food storage built up. Here is the program summary:

Each week tear off the coupon and add it to your regular grocery list (no cupons here, I will just type them out).
Get a Marker for marking the date on items to aid in rotation (regularly use items from your food storage, taking care to replace them when using so they dont go bad)

Buy the largest amnount you can SENSIBLY afford. It is better to buy a little and get started with your food storage program than to go into debt or put off any progress until you can afford to buy the whole years supply at one time.

Replace these items as you raid them. Remember, these coupons(items) are for items IN ADDITION to your regular grocery list.
Watch for sales and other specials. Grocery stores dont always have the best buys. (bulk stores dont always have the best buys either).
If you miss a week, skip to the next week. Dont get behind.
Share your hot buys and bargains with others who are saving as well.

Now I have found that when produce is on sale in the summer or there are hot deals at the farmers market, it is a good time to pull out the canner. Dont can?? Find someone who does and have them help you. Google it...there are plenty of instructions and blogs on how to do it properly. It is quite easy.
Every week I will list the Food Storage items of the week, and maybe we can build our food storage together.
No matter your faith, economic situation etc, it is a good idea to have it...JUST IN CASE.

Happy Saving!

This is Disgusting

2011-12-11T05:58:00.000-05:00

I will admit, I love McDonalds. I grew up with it. My dad worked for McDonalds Corp for years. We lived in Illinois when he worked for the headquarters. McDonalds has been very good to our family.
You will NEVER hear me say anything bad against McDonalds. EVER.
Well, until today.

Last night was my Work Christmas party. On the way home we had to stop and find a bathroom, so we pulled off the exit and into the McDonalds by the Mall.
we saw THIS:

I am appalled, disgusted and really really pissed off about this.

Really McDonalds? 24 hours? I can understand a small bit of time, but open ON CHRISTMAS 24 HOURS??

That is ridiculous. I hope none of those employees show up for their shift that day. I hope the owner who made that stupid decision is forced to work, and maybe they will change their minds about next year.

Shame on you McDonalds. SHAME.

I am truly disappointed. I thought you were better than that.

Oh Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...how lovely are thy branches

2011-12-07T07:48:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to Lowes and purchased our Christmas Tree. It is a lovely 7 footer, full and lush and green. 29.95 plus tax, baby! It smells so good. I love it.
We put it up in water and let it sit for a day and a half before decorating it, to let the branches drop.
I went to Target and purchased a few boxes of m ini lights, they were the red/green/white multi string. They are lovely. I havent had new lights in 15 years. We've been using the same white strands that dont work half the time, unless you give 'em a good shake every now and again.
So it was nice to put new, WORKING, pretty lights on our wonderful tree...did I mention just how good it smells??

So we had a decorating party Monday for Family night. We pulled out all the boxes (by we, I mean I made Charles go under the house where all the spiders are and pull out the storage bins.) and went to town.
I made my special world famous brownies, we had hot chocolate and listened to Christmas music on Sirius XM. It was a Holly Jolly time. I put up all my nutcrackers, pulled out the stockings and hung them on the fireplace, arranged my gazillion snowmen and let the spirit and magic of Christmas fill the house.
I just cant seem to capture the Christmas Tree properly. I dont have the right camera or something. They always come out blurry. I tried slowing down the flash, I tried adjustiung the f-stop thingy, I tried no flash, I tried motion blur correction...so any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Here are some of our favorite, traditional ornaments:

The Pickle. It is a german tradition. On Christmas Eve, parents hide the pickle ornament. When it comes time to open presents, the child who finds the pickle ornament gets a little extra something for being observant. Well in our house, whoever finds the pickle gets to open the first gift. My grandparents always had a pickle on their tree. I always thought it was so funny, but now it is one of the first that gets hung up every year.

this ornament was made in 1981 by me. I remember when we made it. We had to go up to the teachers desk and dip our thumb into an ink pad and stamp out the snowman. My mom gave me this ornament a few years back when she decided her tree was too fancy to warrant such kitschy, homemade ornaments. She is all matchy matchy now. So I inherited all the old stuff from when I was a kid. I remember all these ornaments were in an old Knitts Berry Farm jelly sampler box. It was always the first box I pulled out to hang. Those were the best ornaments.

A few years back at Costco they had a pack of German Glass blown ornaments for 24.99. Ity was all the classic kids christmas movie characters. These are just a few of them. It has rudolph and sam the snowman, the bumble, frosty, the grinch, santa clause is coming to town etc. They are awesome. My fave ornaments. The packaging is a pain in the butt, but well worth it. LOVE my TV ornaments.

What would Christmas in the south be without a little NASCAR? This is Peters Jeff Gordon hood ornament. Yep, we have a NASCAR hood on our Christmas Tree.

This is Peters Donate Life Heart ornament we picked up in 2009 in Louisiana when we went down for the Coroners convention and spoke to them with the Leger family about organ donation. It has a special place of honor on our tree

This is Charles YODA ornament. (dont judge me, I am an enabler). Got it for him a few years back for Christmas. Finn always asks to hang it up, and sometimes Charles is gracious enough to let him do it. I can almost hear Yoda saying "dork, you are"

And last but not least, the sweetest ornament on the tree. Bought this in 1998 after the birth of our darling baby girl, Jillian. This is always a bittersweet ornament to hang up. We unwrap it and remember the little baby that blessed our home for only a few short weeks. But her bootie is always at the top of the tree, next to Peters donate Life heart.

I love Christmas. I am so grateful that I have a savior who loves me and who knows me. I am grateful for all my many many blessings. Health, a home, family and friends. I am grateful for all that God has chosen to give me, and I know that he blesses me with what I need and more.
May this season keep you all safe, happy and healthy.
Merry CHRISTmas to you, and a wonderful new year.

shameless promotion. VISIT MY ETSY STORE and make your kissers happy!

2011-12-06T06:53:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year again. Time to break out the lip balm fixin's and get to work. So visit my store HERE for your order...or leave a comment on my blog to order. They are 3 for 7$.
All Natural, cosmetic grade butters and oils and flavor oils. No preservatives, other than all natural vitamin E. No petroleum by products like regular sticks for chapped lips.
These are made with beeswax, so they are NOT suitable for Vegans.
If you are a vegan, or know someone who is, I do make a vegan formula as well with carnauba and candelila wax as a beeswax alternative. Just leave a note, or in the Note to buyer on my etsy site let me know.

Revamped labels, a HUGE Flavor selection. All balms are MADE TO ORDER! These arent premade and sitting around on a shelf somewhere. These are whipped up as they are ordered. fresh, decadent and total awesomeness. These arent your moms lip balms. These are gourmet, supah dupah lip balms. They are like cashmere for your mouth. (so on a fashion metaphor: why would you wear cheap acrylic when you could wear luxurious, soft, smooth cashmere??)

So take care of those money makers ladies!

All ingredients are natural and WONDERFUL for the lips and skin.
Beeswax, jojoba, shea, cocoa butter, aloe butter, meadowfoam oil, evening primrose oil, rice bran oil.

satiny Smooth, silky and STAYS PUT ON YOUR LIPS!!! No more winter chap for you! Keep those smackers kissable and pucker-able.

Remember visit my etsy site

www.thebalmshoppe.etsy.com

APPLE- Sweet juicy and tart apple
APPLE PIE- Apple with cinnamon and nutmeg and a dash of vanilla
BANANA- Monkeys and kids love it...
BLACK CHERRY- sweet juicy classic cherry
**CANDY CORN- Perfect for Halloween! Definitely a treat.
CAPPUCCINO- Java with a hint of cinnamon
CARAMEL APPLE- Apple with ooey gooey caramel
CARAMEL CHEWS- Sweet creamy ooey caramel chews
CHAI TEA- Classic blend of herbs, cinnamon, cloves, cassia
CHEESECAKE- Cheesecake minus the dairy(and calories)
CHERRY ALMOND- Classic best seller
CHERRY VANILLA- Classic best seller
COCONUT- Tropical coconut
COCONUT LIME- You put the lime in the coconut and drink it on down...
COFFEE- Natural coffee syrup. This balm is tan in color.
CUCUMBER MELON- fresh melon and crisp green cucumber
DREAMSICLE- sweet orange with a splash of vanilla
GINGERBREAD- Holiday treat
GINGER PEACH- Sweet Georgia peach with a touch of spicy ginger
GRAPE- Purple grape. Kids love it.
GRAPEFRUIT- Sweet Ruby Red grapefruit
GRAPEFRUIT MINT- A really great blend. Gives the grapefruit a little extra kick
GUMMI BEAR- Like the packqage of sweets
HERBAL BLEND- Blend of mint and other herbal oils.
HERBAL TEA- Lavender, Mint and honey. Like a soothing cup of herbal tea.
HONEY- Flavor oil that smells JUST like the real thing.
HONEY ALMOND- Classic Best Seller
HONEYSUCKLE NECTARINE- . Fruity and floral at the same time. Best Seller
**HUCKLEBERRY- fruity and sweet, Huckleberry without the bears.
ISLAND DELIGHT- Tropical fruit punch with kiwi undertone
LAVENDER- Essential Oil that is soothing and floral
LAVENDER LEMON- Lavender and Lemon
LEMON DROP- Sweet and puckery lemon.
LIME- tart and sweet, grab a bottle of tequila and some salt
MANGO- Sweet juicy mango
MANGO STRAWBERRY- a great combination
MARGARITA- Lemon Lime. Like friday night for you lips. No salt!
ORANGE- Sweet navel Orange.
**PASSIONFRUIT- tropical passionfruit in a sweet fuity scent
PEACH- Sweet and ripe georgia peach.
**PEARBERRY- juicy pear with raspberry and blackberry
PEPPERMINT- essential oil. Great lip plumper too.
PINK BUBBLE GUM- Got a nickel for a Bazooka?
PLAIN JANE- No flavor added. Just balm.
PLUM APRICOT- These two fruits go together so well
PUMPKIN PIE- Great holiday flavor
RASPBERRY CREAM PIE- rasperries and vanilla
RASPBERRY LEMONADE- Bestseller
ROOT BEER- Just like the real thing minus carbonation
ROOT BEER FLOAT- Root Beer with a splash of vanilla
**ROSE- Upscale and timeless. Just like Chanel.
SKITTLES- Bestseller. Just like a bag of your fave candies!
SPEARMINT- essential oil. Great plumper, sweeter than peppermint.
STRAWBERRY- fresh strawberries
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE- Decadent
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE- Refreshing, tart yet sweet
STRAWBERRY LIME- This is a great combination
SWEET ALMOND- Classic Almond is a bestseller
SWEET JANE- no flavor, just sugar oil added to give balm a natural sweetness.
TANGERINE- This is similar to orange, but a little less sweet and more potent. More of a Clementine and Less of a navel
TANGIE-VAN- Tangerine with a hint of Vanilla
TEA TREE- Essential oil Medicinal, healing,antiseptic
VANILLA ALMOND- Classic Bestseller
VANILLA MILKSHAKE- just like a classic shake from your blender
WATERMELON- Just like Jolly Rancher watermelon candy

isnt that sunburn AWESOME!!!

2011-10-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

Thats Clinique blush and some bare minerals...

we got more compliments on his fake sunburn and how awesome it looked at the trunk or treat on Saturday night.

My friend Dana and her husband were there and her hubby dressed in his army gear.

Well we ran out of candy so we sent the boys to the harris teeter to pick up some more.

So in walk the army GI Joe with my hubby (who was sporting a fake sunburn, black socks and sandals, shorts and an aloha shirt. It was awesome by the way)

I am sure the people at the HT were scratching their heads at that one.

here are the boys:

Finn was Death(?), grim reaper(?), Crypt keeper(?)...anyhoo, he was something with a long black hooded costume, an axe and a ace kind of like a skeleton.

Peter was Bumblebee Transformer and he brought his friend from school who was a pirate...or a ninja pirate, not sure why she had the belt around her eyes.

They had fun though. LOTS of fun.

I won FIRST PLACE in the Spicy category for my chili. And it was super spicy too. I used a whole pound of chorizo, rotel with chilis, another can of green chilis, white beans, shoepeg corn and tons of garlic. It was awesome.

We carved some pumpkins too:

Darth Maul was my pumpkin, The traditional pumpkin was Finns and The Autobot was Peters. I dont have a picture of charles' pumpkin. he did Scar from The Lion King. It looked really good.

as for my costume...well, hmmm. It was alright. I didnt feel like paying money for anything, so I did a quickie redneck version of Wheres Waldo. I knitted a cap, painted some quick red stripes on a White t shirt and got some plastic glasses from one of the halloween stores. I am the cheap knock off version of Waldos cousin...Wildo (pronounced will-dough...not will-dew). Mamma didnt have $ to copyright...
It was good enough that people kept yelling "Hey, Waldo! I found you!!". I didnt even have to wear a nametag...

fun halloween times. I always enjoy the trunk or treat.

There's no basement in the alamo!!

2011-10-31T11:26:00.000-04:00

Today I leave for San antonio, TX for a whole work week.
I am leaving behind the comfort of my own home, hubby, my kids, cats, car, clients etc and heading over to Alamo country to work at the HCM there for a week.

This is why I LOVE my job. I am able(on occasion) to go to various centers around the country and help out when they are in need. I am still working, still getting paid ...but it is like a mini vacation!!
I am super excited for this assignment though. I LOVE the thought of being in San Antonio for a whole week. I am only a few miles away from the riverfront(see pic above), the Alamo(excuse me, when do we see the basement?? The basement?? There's no basement in the Alamo...tee hee hee hee)

So today I had to go to Social security office for Peters Disability payments, then I had to go to Home Economist and buy more 9 grain hot cereal grain (and maybe a few other things...like choco covered soynuts), then I had to come home to make a large lasagna.
As I was cooking the noodles, I pulled out a box of noodles, and realized they were old. When I opened them up I found that the millers and moths had been in them at one time and left lots of little silks and other presents...so the lasagna quickly turned into baked ziti.
AND I had to pack.

Busy morning.
But, I am going to San Antonio!!
(the hotel has an indoor pool...and a Free, totally awesome breakfast buffet!! (and a REALLY good one too...with waffles and everything!!) )

I am going to try and get down to the riverfront, we shall see how busy they keep me.
what I REALLY want to do is go here:

I know. Im wierd. I had a client who told me " I can see you there. You are kind of wacky , and I can understand how you would want to do something like that".
uhhh, thanks dude.

I am sure I will get pictures(if I can get out and do anything fun) and will upload them.

an E book

2011-10-28T06:02:00.001-04:00

SO I am thinking about writing an E-book. (come again??)
An E-book. A book I can put on the internet and people can download for a price.
I have the basic idea percolating in my head, bouncing it around, rolling it off the tongue, so to speak.
Not sure where I am going with it though. I know where I WANT to go with it. I think I could do it.

I have a series of ideas for various ebooks. Dont know if I want to write one big one, or write a few small ones for various ideas. Or I could write a big one with a bunch of chapters, or a bunch of small ones, like Charles Dickens did with pickwick papers ... a monthly newsletter series. Or...or...or...

ITS TOO MUCH!

INFORMATION OVERLOAD.

DANGER! DANGER!

This is what happens when I wake up at 4am with my mind racing. I think its a good idea to blog.

then you get posts like " I think Crocodiles should wear pink lipstick" or some crazy %!#@ like that.
see, I even start typing in melodramatic profanities.

<<-------- Yep, thats a crocodile with pink lipstick. Ive got mad photoshop skillz. (skills with a z. stand back)

WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY WRITE ABOUT?

They say write what you know. Write what you are passionate about.

Since I cant write an e-book on my love affair with Magnum Ice Cream Bars, I guess I could do the next best thing. (mmm, magnum bars. I'll be back. I think I need to make an unscheduled visit to Walmart)

But in all 430am seriousness, I am thinking about an e-book for Hair Care, Hair Loss, Hair thinning etc. Various recipes for all natural hair care treatments, shampoos and conditioners. Maybe a section on hair thinning, baldness , FAQ's and reasons, the nuts and bolts of hair loss. And maybe various resources for those experiencing it. I had a client yesterday and we were discussing the internet etc and he kind of brought up a Bald forum. Where men and women can go to discuss hair loss and various ideas and treatment options etc. Not have it be an obvious advertisement for a national hair loss company etc. There isnt a whole lot out there as far as support and forums that arent part of a hair restoration company. Just a forum that people can go and talk to each other about their hair experiences. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the company that I work for, but what I do isnt a realistic option for some people.

Then I had an idea for bath and body products. Recipes, supplies, vendors, ideas etc.

Then I had another idea...then another...then another.

I THINK I can do it. (Im the little engine that could, yo)

BUT I think that with the past 10 years of research and trial and error I could write an/some awesome ebook(s).

obvious schmoozing alert: Maybe get my bestie to draw some funny pictures for it... When I got married she got me a bunch of kitchen gadgets and made these HILARIOUS gift tags about various ways to use said items. For the potato masher she said "a muzzle to shut Charles up when he talks back(or something along those lines)" and it showed a cartoon of his head with a potato masher in his mouth. I still pull that out and giggle every now and then...and I still have that potato masher. wow, sidetracked much? But seriously Lindsey, I'll be calling.

yes?? no?? good idea? Bad idea? obvious middle of the night insomniac idea? Akin to drunken ramblings?
this is why I dont blog at what is now 5am.

I know I am going to look back at this at about 830 and go "whaaaaa????"

my new banner

2011-10-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

So I am thinking about starting a new shop on etsy called HairySairy.
It will be all hair products.
I have the shop set up, just no products in it yet. hemming and hawing...nothing new here.

Here is the banner for it thusfar.

Not exactly sure I am loving it though. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I am thinking about various hair accessories(clips, bows, headbands, pins, extension clips etc).

Then my main product would be different intense deep conditioners, custom blended for various hair problems (coarse hair, dry hair, brittle hair, fine hair, limp hair, over-processed hair, chemically treated hair and what not)

Each conditioning treatment would come in a container and would be enough for 4 months (applications are done 3 to 4 weeks apart). It would come with an application brush and processing caps and instructions for use.

I am a huge advocate for healthy hair. Maybe move into all natural hair colors,oils and products. I just havent quite decided yet where i want to go with all of this.

I dont even know if I will get it up and running. It is all just up in the air right now.

just dont know. I ...just...dont...know.

I KNOW what I want to do and where I want to go with it. I just dont know HOW.

Is starting on etsy worth it?? would it get me started enough? would people even see it with the glut of other crafters on there? how can I make it stand out?

An Old Memory (Little Red Bikini...redux)

2011-10-02T07:37:00.000-04:00

this is a repost from 3 years ago. But now it is new and improved with a photo for reference!!
Original post as follows:
(Ok not quite original, mostly original, I tweaked a few things for continuity and flow)

Every year we went to Nags Head for our Summer Vacation. We would rent a house right on the beach with another family and spend 10 days or so in the sand and sun and glory that is The Outer Banks of NC.
The year this event takes place I was 6 or 7 years old. I had a red one piece bathing suit that had a little cluster of yellow petals near the leg, kind of like a "Speedo" mark, but it was flowers. Anyway there other little girls on the beach who had bikinis. The green eyed monster in me took control. I wanted a two piece, and I wanted one BAD. My mother wouldn't let me get one. So I tried my dad. He said no as well.(I even tried the whole "mom said to ask you"/"dad said to ask you" trick to no avail.) I pulled out all the stops trying to get what I wanted.
I didn't have enough in dimes, Nickles and pennies in my blue Naugahyde purse to purchase one for myself either. So I was stuck for 2 weeks, miserable without a two piece bathing suit like the other little girls on the beach
As fate would have it, a few days later, my parents left me to the charge of my older brothers(ages ages 13 to 16/17) while they went for a walk down to the pier, or go grocery shopping, or something.
They said they would be back in a half hour or so.
I seized my opportunity. My brothers were just outside on the beach, in eye view, and left me to my own devices and said "we're out here if you need us... you better not need us". My brothers had a system: One would keep watch while the other two flirted with Edith, the pretty girl whose family was renting the house next to ours. When the lookout would see mom and dad coming , the oldest would race back closer to the house like he had been there the entire time keeping an eye on me.. I didn't mind their absence, in fact I found the solitude perfect for my undertaking. (I guarantee had my brothers actually done their job of watching me this never would have happened) I found a pair of scissors and I CUT my red bathing suit in half. By gosh if they weren't going to buy me a bikini, I would make my own. I would sure show them. In my 6 year old brain it really was a good idea. Now looking back almost 30 years later, I see the flaws in my plan.
The deed was done, my new red bikini pretty as can be. My brother came in and flopped on the couch, turning on the TV, as if he were engrossed in Days of our Lives. He was completely oblivious to the newly repurposed swimsuit , unaware of what had transpired only moments before. I knew it would be only minutes before mom and dad came walking in. I started to get nervous. "what if they didnt like it?" pah, how could they NOT, it was AWESOME!!!
They came back to find my creation lying on the kitchen table. My mother got the tight lipped "I'm trying to control my temper" look. My dad shook his head and tried not to laugh. What happened next changed my career path forever. (who knows, had they just yelled at me and grounded me I may have been a contestant on Project Runway) . Instead, they came up with a BRILLIANT plan. Instead of getting mad, my dad said "Come on, lets get your new bikini on and head out to the beach!"
I had gotten away with it. I was giddy. I had actually vandalized my clothing and gotten away with it!!
So I put on my newly designed Red Bikini with the little yellow flowers on the thigh and grabbed the raft and walked out to the beach with my dad. I was so proud of my ingenuity and skills as a fashion designer.
I took my raft and ran out into the ocean only to be bombarded with a huge wave that knocked me to my knees...and pulled the bottoms OFF my bottom. SO I pulled them back up and they immediately fell down again. I tried rolling the waistband, which helped a little, but with every wave the bottoms would fall off. Eventually even rolling the waistband wasn't enough and my bikini bottom was sagging around my rear and I was showing all of my tush to the entire beach.
I ran back to the house and told my mom I needed to go buy a new bathing suit. She said No. That was a brand new bathing suit she had bought from JC Penny's and I ruined it on purpose. So I was stuck with it. i had to wear that homemade bikini the rest of the vacation.
Eventually I got some safety pins and was able to secure the waistband tight enough around my bottom and waist to keep it up...although I looked quite silly with a bathing suit full of rusted out metal. The salt water and sea breeze had caused the pins to corrode, leaving my little red bikini with brown stains where it was pinned.
Having a two piece wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I learned my lesson and I learned it well.
So thank you mom and dad for making me wear my Sarah Original bikini and not buying me a new one. It was a unique punishment and I never tried to customize my clothing again after that day...I moved from clothing to hair instead.

moral of the story: don't cut your bathing suits in half, your parent will only get mad, make you wear it, and all you will end up doing is showing your butt to a bunch of strangers on a beach.

Spokane Slide Show

2011-08-28T06:43:00.001-04:00

So back in July I went to Spokane Washington for a few days to spend time with my friend Lindsey. I flew out for my birthday for a week of fun, sun, hiking, river rafting and whatever other trouble we could get ourselves into. With Lindsey and I, it isnt difficult to get into trouble...we just seem to bump into it (running full force. ) It follows us. It toys with us. But this time, I swore it would be different. We are grown ups now after all. And it was mostly tame.

well here is a slideshow of The hiking, the sightseeing, etc. This does not include the nightclubs until 2am, the 5 star restaurant Pig Roast where every course was served with a corresponding tequila, as we watched all the tables around us descend into drunken chaos as each course progressed, the trivia contest where a group named "Turd Ferguson" won (I wont go into details, but am quite positive they were somehow cheating), karioke night (where again we watched the surrounding people get so drunk it was like watching a bad stereotype comedy sketch about drunk people). You know, despite the 3 hour time difference, this old broad still has it in her! One night we were out until 2am...then the next morning we had to get up early and go rafting. (ok, so that wasnt fun, throbbing head, ears ringing from the loud music the night before, no voice from laughing and singing so boistrously)

We did a lot of hiking at Lake Pend Oreille and Farragut State Park, went to the riverfront with her kids and went on lots of rides that had my insides bubbling (how is it I can ride the world scariest roller coasters, yet get vomitous on something called the Strawberry go round? Or the Octopus?), had a spa day, went floating down the Coeur D'Alene river, karioke, pig roast, amazing food (especially the breakfasts at Old European...that scandanavian cake plate was to die for). All in all a great time.

I wish she didnt live so far away. I am trying to get her to come out here one September so we can go white water rafting on the Gauley River up in W Va.

I LOVED Spokane. I loved spending time with Lindsey. We get together and laugh and .augh and laugh.

At one point we were eating dinner at Beverleys (super swanky 5 star) and a couple was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary at the table next to us. She was telling me a funny story about a friend of hers gtting a terrible haircut, imitating his Boston accent with such accuracy, at one point we were laughing so hard we were crying. I had my napkin on my face, slobbering and mascara all over it. Plugging my nose to make a silent "ha ha" rather than my normal boisterous har de har har.

Poor anniversary couple If they had known who they were sitting next to, perhaps they would have chosen the quiet table in the corner rather than the spectacular view over the lake listening to a braying hyena with a table linen over her head.

A successful trip. A great vacation. I needed it.

found photos from a year ago

2011-08-08T17:30:00.000-04:00

about a year ago I went to Dallas, TX for work. I was there for two weeks and one day I had my friend Holli come and pick me up and show me around the city. I took lots of pics, and promptly lost the SD card when I got home. Alas! Victory. A few weeks ago I went to Spokane WA to visit Lindsey, and found the SD card. I popped it into my camera and FOUND my long lost Dallas Pics. Here are some of the Best.
These are from the Shawnee Cattle Trail.

These are from Dealy Plaza, The Grassy Knoll, The Book Depository, and X marks the spot where JFK was shot.(is that weird?? They spray paint the two spots on the street, and people have their pic taken on it)

Glad I found these, even if they are a year old.

Retro College Years embarassment photo...

2011-05-23T13:00:00.000-04:00

This was a Girls Choice Formal Dance.

My date was Opera Man (his real name was Josh but he sang Opera...hence Opera Man)

Zeke could do the most hilarious animal impressions. I didnt know Alan a whole Lot and Michael was addicted the the game Quake(??)...something like that. So addicted in fact he likened ones personal religious beliefs and standards to the game. It was wierd. I digress.

Krista and Elisa and I went skiing together for the first time about a week or so before this dance. We went to Alta Ski Resort.

It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day, clear blue skies, and absolutely excellent skiing conditions.

After 6 or so hours on the slopes we headed back to Elisas car...and discovered that our faces hurt so bad we could barely talk.

WE DIDNT PUT ON ANY SUNSCREEN!! That sun refleced off that snow and burned us so badly we looked like Giant tomatoes and Carrots. We had to go to the health center and get antibiotic cream, we were so burned and blistered.

I could feel the heat POUNDING in my face everytime I walked outside in the cold mountain air. My skin was so hot it could melt ice cubes. It was ridiculous.

We had to work at Vegas Night fundraiser with Lobster faces, had to go to the Dance the color of Neon Glow in an Ice Cream Shop window.

On the plus side, about 2 to 3 weeks down the road the burns peeled off into a great healthy tan...just not in time for this great picture.

First, I'd like to thank my mom and dad...and my fans...and the producers...

2011-05-17T08:19:00.000-04:00

Yep, I got a blog award(That was my acceptance speech in the title...) uhh anyways.

Jehan over at Jehan is not supermom gave it to me. It is the Versitile Blogger Award.
The rules of this are very easy:

1. Thank the person who awarded you.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 15 discovered bloggers

So Thank you Jehan!!
Now onto 7 things about myself. I dont want to give away the farm, spill all my secrets. Then what would I have to write about? so without further ado:

1. I am secretly addicted to Murder shows. i Love Snapped, Cold Case Files and Wicked Attraction.

2. I love rubbing bald heads. I work as a hair restoration technologist and I get to work with them everyday. Its probably a reason they all say I give the best shampoo.(uhh ok maybe that was a tad wierd. Perhaps I should keep this on a more normal level)

3. I have to have an animal or pet at all times. If I dont I go crazy.

4. I have recently discovered the joy of sushi. I used to hate it,the texture would make me gag. The seaweed was chewy and fishy tasting, I just couldnt do it. Then I found this restaurant near my house that makes the worlds BEST SUSHI! I would eat there every day if I had the money. My favorites are California rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls and Alaska Rolls.

5.I love the smell of a new box of crayons. I love it when we do back to school shopping for the boys and they have to get the new supplies. I open them up and sniff them like they are going out of style.

6. I am a bottled water snob. I wont drink water from the tap. It either has to be from a water cooler or a bottled water. If it is bottled water it needs to be Fiji. I will drink other brands of bottled water if i have to, but I wont be happy about it. and it needs to be very cold. The colder the water the better it tastes in my opinion.

7. I am notorious UFO-er.(unfinished objects-er). I buy all these kits and supplies and yarns and fabrics. I get started or halfway through and then put it away and promptly forget about it. I have a zillion unfinished objects in my storage room. Cross stitch, knitting, crochet, scrapbooking, etc etc etc. Its a sickness.

so thats about all i can think of.
Now onto the recipients of the VBA:

1. Zab over at my back door
2. Devany at Devanys Designs
3.Holli at 3 wishes
4.Tricia at Library Queue
5. Denice from Until I Drop
6. Jon from Great Northern Adventures of Yukon Jon
7. The Mad Baker
8. Jen at Cheaper than therapy
9. Lego Guy at lego a day
10 Matsby at My Religious Blog, Substandard works of a Utah Mormon
11. Miss courtni at she Said
12. The Path Traveled

thanks to all for reading. I know I dont get to write as often as I like, but I do truly appreciate all the comments and love and visits!

For my mom! Happy Mothers Day!

2011-05-08T08:03:00.000-04:00

In honor of Mothers Day I am posting one of my favorite pictures of me and my mom.

This was taken around 1979 or 1980.

I really love it because I look at it and I can see my kids in my face, I can see me in my moms face and I feel the whole circle is complete.

When everyone tells me the kids look just like Charles, I can pull out these pictures and see that they are a little bit me, too. I wasnt just an oven.

Even though my mom went to college full time, she still made time for us. She still kept the house clean, the laundry done, the lunches packed, the dinners cooked and everything else on top of it.

This picture to me sums up her love for me and my brothers. She would always take the time to let us know how much she loved us and appreciated us.

After college she worked as a nurse full time. She has the best time management of anyone I know. She always seemed to have it together. I always feel I am floundering and wonder how on earth she was able to get everything done! I have a new and great respect for her as a mom and working mother and wife.

fast forward 30+ years...

I love my mom, she is still a beautiful lady. (and whoever does her hair does a FANTASTIC job...)

Would you believe she is 65??

Happy Mothers Day to my mom.

a wonderful Mothers day

2011-05-08T07:58:00.000-04:00

So today I woke up without an alarm. The birds were chirping, the sky is blue(ish) and my kids are getting along. My cats Rusty and Skittles must know it's my special day, as they have been circling my legs, meowing and wanting attention all morning (Oh, wait they havent been fed. Thats what they want).

I have a bounteous supply of gifts from my hubby and kids to share.

Last night we went to Carrabbas Italian Grill. One of my fave restaurants. Considering we got there at 6pm and it was Mothers Day Weekend AND Prom, we were lucky we got a seat fairly quickly. Only a 15 minute wait. Thankfully we got there when we did, as it quickly escalated to a 2 hour wait by the time we had left.

I had the Trout Nicciola. It was a hazelnut crusted Trout, wood grilled with tomatoes, basil and lemon butter sauce. It was delicious. We had started off with one of my favorite appetizers, Calamari. They also bring the hot fresh italian bread and olive oil with the herbs and spices for dipping. LOVE IT.

Then my Hubba Bubba, who knows me so well, got me THE BEST GIFT EVER!!

If anyone really knows me, they know I LOVE Dr. Horribles Sing Along Blog. I will watch it at least once or twice a month, and I LOVE the music. In my head, I am Penny. Watch out Joss Whedon, you may have another internet sensation on your hands, starring ME!

HE GOT ME THE DR HORRIBLE SING ALONG BLOG BOOK!!!!! It has pictures, notes, full script, commentaries, behind the scened, drafts, sketches and best of all THE MUSIC SCORE!! The OFFICIAL music score.

I then got to open the gifts from my children. Peters class had made all the mothers a Recipe book. each child had to bring in a favorite recipe. They typed them up and compiled them. It has 25 great recipes in it, which I am excited to try out!

Finn Hid his present to me in my closet, and I had to try and find it.

It is a small hand painted flower pot with chocolates and candies in it. The thumbprint flowers, caterpillers and ladybuge. Super cute. Then the "coupon bouquet" card. The coupons include Write something nice, draw something ncie, a hug, dirty clothes and wash windows.

Inside the card he had written a poem:

Mother

Loving, Kind, Helpful

WHo likes to do hair and play

Wii with the family

Who uses the computer to play Zuma

Who wants to go to Disney World

Who needs a clean house

Who gives me and my brother money

for doing our chores

who says "do your homework"

who loves Chocolate.

Mom.

Love, Finn.

Now hubba bubba is going to try and make me French Toast....but thats a completely different blog!

Happy Mothers day to all past, present and future mothers out there!

oompah loompah doompah dee do...

2011-04-26T07:13:00.000-04:00

So yesterday I went to Cosmoprof(professional beauty supply store) to get something to tame my wild curls. Whilst there I decided that I was tired of being pasty white and needed a little color on my skin to give me a healthy glow. There on the shelf was a can of professional spray tan. I even bought some exfoliant to prescrub and get my skin even and polished, as per directions on the can.

So last night I showered and exfoliated, got all smooth and silky then went to town on the spray tan.
The directions said to spray in nice even strokes, arcing the can to keep from creating dark uneven spots.
It also said on the can you would see instant results and that it dries in under 5 minutes.
So I sprayed and didnt see a whole heck of a lot of difference. So I sprayed some more. And to be on the safe side, just a tad more. It seemed I had a nice healthy glow.

So I went into the bedroom and dried off for about 10 minutes or so, and went to bed.

This morning I woke up and I am WAAAAAYYYY darker than what I need to be. My arms are a little dark, but it is my legs that are very oompah loompah-ish. The back of my left leg was a little hard to get evenly, and so it is kind of wonky. And the wrinkles of skin from flexing my foot created white creases along the back part of the ankle.
At one point i think I used my hands to kind of rub it in the top part of my thighs.
I THOUGHT I washed my hands thoroughly...
The palms of my hands are a little "tan" we will call them. Oh and the sink, walls and floor of my bathroom now have a nice healthy glow about them as well.
MORAL OF THE STORY KIDS: If you are going to get a spray tan, just go to the Tanning Beds and pay the money for one. They know what they are doing, get it nice and even and keep it from getting streaky, patchy, wonky and all other forms of screwed up. That way y9ou wont have to wat 5-7 days for it to start to fade, like me.
This has been a public service announcement.

And in honor of this momentous occasion I have penned a new lyric to Oompah Loompah (sung to the tune of Oompah loompah doompah dee do from Willie Wonka and the chocolate factory)

oompah loompah doompah dee doo, I have a perfect puzzle for you
Oompah Loompah doompah dee dee, If you are wise you'll listen to me.
Spray tannings fine it its done by a pro
It makes you look good and can give you a glow
BUT you should go to the Spray Tanning Stores
Or you will end up like Bride Wars!
just like Anne from Bride Wars...

Band Geek

2011-04-25T09:38:00.000-04:00

Now dont be hating...but this is the hunka hunka burnin' love I got myself hitched to.
Good thing I found this photo AFTER we got married.

He's kind of cute, in that Marching Band Casanova sort of way.

Guess Where I am going????

2011-04-18T07:11:00.000-04:00

I get to go to Austin Texas today.
The Hair CLub there needed some extra help this week, so I volunteered to work there for a few days.
so This afternoon I hop on a plane, work Tuesday and Wednesday and fly home Wednesday night. Then back to work at my own Hair Club Thursday morning!

I am actually really excited. If I can travel around to the different HC centers and work, it will really get my name out there. (which, lets face it, is my goal).
I have never been to Austin, only the airport there once. I think I will have a good time!(Of course everywhere I go I have a good time)

Now if only they had a hair club in Hawaii.....

ALL ABOUT EVE #28

2011-04-13T09:50:00.000-04:00

AFV's Top 100 Films of the past 100 years, edition 2007 listed ALL ABOUT EVE as #28.

I sat and watched this classic from 1950 on Netflix streaming.

It stars Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Thelma Ritter and Celeste Holm. There is even a small part played by Marilyn Monroe.

All About Eve was nominated for 14 academy awards, a feat unmatched until 1997's Titanic. It is still the only film in Oscar History to receive 4 actress nominations.(Baxter and Davis for Best Actress and Ritter and Holm for supporting actress)

It won Best Picture 1950, best supporting actor, best black and white film costume design, best screenplay and writing, best director and best sound recording.

Davis plays Margo Channing, a successful, but aging theater star, currently starring in a successful play.

One night the playwrites wife, Karen(Holm), meets Eve (Baxter), a young girl claiming to be Margo's biggest fan. Karen brings Eve backstage to meet Margo, where Eve tells a sad tale and endears herself to the group.

Eve suddenly makes herself indespensible to Margo and becomes her assistant. During her time with Margo, she plots to become Margos understudy and steal her lover Bill.

Gradually Margo and her friends realize that Eve is really a conniving upstart, who wants to take over Margo's place in the world of theater and will do anything to get what she wants.

This movie gives us the great line "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night".

I really enjoyed this movie, it is witty and smart and full of drama, intrigue and double dirty dealings.

Eve is a two faced wannabe, and you root for her just desserts and comeuppance.

You know she will eventually get what she deserves, and thats what makes it satisfying.
Here is how they used to do Trailers at the Movies:

Available on Netflix instant streaming, and usually can be found on TCM or AMC cable channels.

AFI 100 films of the past 100 years...yes I will do every single one.

2011-04-11T09:07:00.001-04:00

So I have decided that I am going to watch every movie on AFI's top 100 movies of the past 100 years.
I like movies. I have netflix through Wii and a DVD player. I have strong opinions, a blog and free time in the evenings.
I am going to start at 100 and work my way backwards, blog about it and see where it leads. Perhaps I will find some new movies I I like. I will watch(or in the case of about 30 of the films, rewatch) and judge.

How were these movies selected?? (FROM WIKIPEDIA)
AFI asks jurors to consider the following criteria in their selection process:

Feature length: Narrative format typically over 60 minutes long
American film: English language, with significant creative and/or financial production from the United States
Critical Recognition: Formal commendation in print, television, and digital media
Major Award Winner: Recognition from competitive events including awards from peer groups, critics, guilds, and major film festivals
Popularity Over Time: Includes success at the box office, television and cable airings, and DVD/VHS sales and rentals
Historical Significance: A film's mark on the history of the moving image through visionary narrative devices, technical innovation or other groundbreaking achievements
Cultural Impact: A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance
________________________________________________________________

I am using the AFI list from 2007(the 10 year anniversary of the original best 100 films list)

Here is the list as determined by AFI. (** means I have already seen it).

1. Citizen Kane, 1941.
2. The Godfather, 1972.
3. Casablanca, 1942.**
4. Raging Bull, 1980.
5. Singin' in the Rain, 1952.**
6. Gone With the Wind, 1939**.
7. Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.
8. Schindler's List, 1993.**
9. Vertigo, 1958.
10. The Wizard of Oz, 1939**
11. City Lights, 1931.
12. The Searchers, 1956.
13. Star Wars, 1977.**
14. Psycho, 1960.
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968.
16. Sunset Blvd., 1950.
17. The Graduate, 1967.**
18. The General, 1927.
19. On the Waterfront, 1954.
20. It's a Wonderful Life, 1946**
21. Chinatown, 1974.
22. Some Like It Hot, 1959.
23. The Grapes of Wrath, 1940.
24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982**
25. To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962.
26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939.**
27. High Noon, 1952.
28. All About Eve, 1950.
29. Double Indemnity, 1944.
30. Apocalypse Now, 1979.
31. The Maltese Falcon, 1941.
32. The Godfather Part II, 1974.
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975.**
34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937.**
35. Annie Hall, 1977.
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957.
37. The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946.
38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948.
39. Dr. Strangelove, 1964.
40. The Sound of Music, 1965**
41. King Kong, 1933.
42. Bonnie and Clyde, 1967.
43. Midnight Cowboy, 1969.
44. The Philadelphia Story, 1940.**
45. Shane, 1953.
46. It Happened One Night, 1934.**
47. A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951.
48. Rear Window, 1954.
49. Intolerance, 1916.
50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001.**
51. West Side Story, 1961.**
52. Taxi Driver, 1976.
53. The Deer Hunter, 1978
54. M-A-S-H, 1970.
55. North by Northwest, 1959.
56. Jaws, 1975.**
57. Rocky, 1976.**
58. The Gold Rush, 1925.
59. Nashville, 1975.
60. Duck Soup, 1933.
61. Sullivan's Travels, 1941.
62. American Graffiti, 1973.
63. Cabaret, 1972.
64. Network, 1976.
65. The African Queen, 1951.
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981.**
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966.
68. Unforgiven, 1992.
69. Tootsie, 1982.
70. A Clockwork Orange, 1971.
71. Saving Private Ryan, 1998.**
72. The Shawshank Redemption, 1994.**
73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969.
74. The Silence of the Lambs, 1991.**
75. In the Heat of the Night, 1967.
76. Forrest Gump, 1994.**
77. All the President's Men, 1976.
78. Modern Times, 1936.
79. The Wild Bunch, 1969.
80. The Apartment, 1960.
81. Spartacus, 1960.
82. Sunrise, 1927.
83. Titanic, 1997**
84. Easy Rider, 1969.
85. A Night at the Opera, 1935.
86. Platoon, 1986.
87. 12 Angry Men, 1957.
88. Bringing Up Baby, 1938.
89. The Sixth Sense, 1999**.
90. Swing Time, 1936.
91. Sophie's Choice, 1982.
92. Goodfellas, 1990.
93. The French Connection, 1971.
94. Pulp Fiction, 1994**.
95. The Last Picture Show, 1971.
96. Do the Right Thing, 1989.
97. Blade Runner, 1982**.
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942**.
99. Toy Story, 1995**.
100. Ben-Hur, 1959.

Of course, I will start with Ben Hur...its about a zillion hours long.
Now off to netflix and see what I can find!!

A "WHOA HOLD YOUR HORSES" UPDATE: Lots of these movies are not available on instant streaming. So I will not be doing these in order. I will be watching and rating them by accessability.
But I WILL do them.

WIsh I was there...

2011-04-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

So today was the mile run for the 4th graders at school. It was 10am this morning, and parents were invited and encouraged to attend to cheer their children on.
I found out yesterday.
I couldnt be there.

BUT on the plus side, my friend Dana R was there with her camera, taking WONDERFUL photos of her son Taylor, and took some of Peter as well and sent them to me.
so without further ado, Peter "running" the mile... ( I use the term running very loosely. Peter does not run..he moseys. They ambles. then jogs. then takes a rest. then moseys again. then looks at bugs...)

This first picture he is in "Battle Force 5 mode". Channeling the power of Stanford and the Reverb, he is in gear...

His sweet, sweet teacher, motivating him and running with him and trying to keep him going. He looks like he is just in la la land, off in some other world, walking to the beat of his own drummer.

Ok, trying a little harder now...

Checking on his best friend and classmate who he kept time for.

Taking his time, moseying along.

Still running...

Working hard to keep up with his classmate(who he has a little crush on. He likes the blondes)

I am very proud of him and he did such a great job. It isnt easy for him, but he tried really hard.
Thank you Dana for the wonderful pictures, I appreciate it!
Thank you, Dad, for taking time out of your day to go by and cheer him on, I know it meant a lot to him.

I wish I could have been there.

I said BEWARE!!

2011-04-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I posted on Facebook that If I know you now, or have ever known you and I have a picture of you, then it will most likely end up on my blog. Many people responded they werent scared. "Do Your Worst" so to speak.

you have been warned....

This was me in 1982. I desperately wanted a cabbage patch Doll for Christmas.DESPERATELY!!(underlined 3 times for emphasis)
Trying as hard as they could, my parents were not able to secure one for me that year. These things flew off the shelves as soon as they were stocked. Tramplings, fights, brou ha- ha's and more, all because of these stupid dolls with a signature on their butts.
My parents, in their infinite wisdom, decided they would get me something much better. A turkey.
Yes, a turkey.. A large, stuffed turkey with a velvet head, corduroy waddle and plushy feet,and tail.
It was love at first sight. Never mind that I didnt have a cabbage Patch kid with Xavier Roberts John Hancock on the tush and birth certificate with some crazy name like Harmony Melody (which incidentally was the name of my very first CPD a few months later after the mania of the holiday season wore off).
I had Tom. Tom the Turkey that my parents had picked up at some country store in the middle of nowhere Ohio.
Tom went with me everywhere. He was my favorite stuffed animal ever. This turkey was the confidant of all my childhood secrets and girltalk sessions.(Lindsey, keep your mouth shut!!) This turkey went with me to college. He attended the birth of our first child. He has been the main star of countless giggling sessions with the kids .30 years later Tom STILL occupies a place on my bed, with his now ratty matted turkey fur.
I will have Tom until the day I die. In fact, in my will I am going to request that I be buried with Tom the Turkey. He will probably be in tatters and disintegrating, but he will always be My Tom.

In the end I ended up with 7 cabbage patch kids. Harmony, Georgia, Jennifer, collette, Luke, Sally and Sasha. And in the end I kept zero of them. They were a passing fad of the 80's. But in the long run I wound up with something much more meaningful...Tom.

today is the first day of the rest of forever...

2011-04-04T08:14:00.000-04:00

So I am striving to be a better person.
I want to be healthier, happier, more spiritually minded.

I feel like over the past few months I have really started losing focus on what is truly important.
I work all day, come home at night and go to bed. The next morning I start all over again.
I feel like I have extra time in my day that i COULD take to do important things. But I dont,.
I admit, I am selfish and lazy when it comes to things like that.

i COULD get up an extra 15 minutes early and read my scriptures. Sure, I could instead of laying in bed looking at the ceiling and alarm clock. Im usually up 15-20 minutes before the alarm goes off anyways, so why do I have such a hard time getting out of bed and reading something edifying and fulfilling? Why do I feel the need to stay in bed when I am not asleep?? Why CANT I get up and do it. I know I need to.

I COULD work harder with my kids on reading the scriptures and developing their love of God and Christ. I could take some extra time and help them develop that stronger bond. I could take the time and work harder at doing family Home Evening more often. I could take the time and just read with them and snuggle with them and play with them. But I dont. Im horrible. They want to go to the park, and I want to lay on the couch after a long day at work. They want to go outside and ride their bikes and I dont want to be bothered being out there watching them and keeping an eye on them. they want me to jump on the trampoline with them and I make up excuses as to why I cant.

I COULD eat healthy and cook dinner and do the things that I need to. But honestly it is easier to go out to eat . I COULD keep the house clean, but I'd rather watch netflix instead of folding laundry, or mopping the floor on my day of. I'd rather bum off the chores to someone else because I am too tired, or too busy.
I COULD exercise and take my kids to the YMCA with me in the evenings. They have been bugging me to do it. They want to go. They want to go to swim lessons, and play soccer in a league. and guess who has been too "busy" to sign them up or do it? Me.

This morning I had an epiphany. I realized that My kids are almost 11 and 8. I feel like they were just babies not that long ago. I woke up with a horrible realization that I am MISSING my kids. I am MISSING their milestones and progress. I am mising the times that they want to be with me. In a few years I am going to be an embarassment, and not someone they want to do things with. They wont want to go to the park, or for a walk, or ride their bikes. I will have missed it and it is my own fault.
The only thing holding them back IS ME! I am the failure and at fault. I have really decided to take the time and make the time for them. I dont want them to grow up and look back and say "My mom was cool and all, but she was always tired and never did anything with us". I want them to say "wow. My mom worked full time, but we always had dinner and healthy snacks, we always went to the Y, she made sure we had swimming lessons and soccer and other things like that. She spent time with us and helped us with everything. She was awesome".

So today I woke up with a renewed spirit. A vigor and determination I have not felt in quite a long time.
My mom and dad worked full time, but we always had meals on the table, family time, vacations, fun days, they came to my track meets, basketball games and music recitals. They were always there because they had prioritized and made it important. I can too, and I will.
so today starts the first day of forever.

Im suing Justin Beiber...

2011-03-22T16:37:00.000-04:00

Found this picture in my stash. Had to make fun of it, because thats the kind of sweet and loving woman I am.

Hey Justin, next time you steal my hubbys haircut, look at the print date on the back of the photo first!

see honey, you were way ahead of your time!!

Hello...is it me you're looking for??

2011-03-21T08:11:00.000-04:00

Hello Blogger my old friend...Ive come to blog on you again while a vision softly creeping...(Simon and garfunkle)

. So much has gone on since my last blog.

Here in my Car, I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors, it's the only way to live in Cars...(Gary Numan)

I got a new car. I love it. Little kia spectra 5 speed. zippy, cute and gets good gas mileage.

"Tomorrow we can drive around this town, let the cops chase us around...hey jealousy, jealousy. Oh jealousy, jealousy" (Gin Blossoms)
CHARLES GOT A NEWER, BETTER CAR!!
His is a RED Kia OPTIMA!! Its bigger. Its shiny.(Its only an automatic though). IT HAS SATELLITE RADIO!!! I am positively green.
I am trying to finagle a way to get it. "ROXANNE, you dont have to put on the red light..."(The Police)
(Google it if you dont know what the song is about)

I Love my job. I love my clients. I am happy to go to work every day. As Ren and Stimpy would say Happy Happy Joy Joy. I have been making really good money, I am genuinely happy to see my coworkers and clients and I stay busy. Hair Restoration is so rewarding, you wont be able to ever get me back into a regular salon again.

In July I am going to to Washington State to visit my friend Lindsey. I will be going for my birthday. "Oh girls just wanna have fun, woah girls just wanna have fun ...they just wanna, they just wanna....(Cyndi Lauper)

"Hey there, Hi there, Ho there You're as welcome as can be..M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E." (disney) We already have our dinner reservations made. We are going to 'Ohana, Biergarten,chef Mickeys character breakfast, BOMA and Le cellier steakhouse. I am so exited. 175 more days! Not that I am counting down...or have a chain...or already started filling my disney box with things we need like ponchos, bandaids, blister remedy, maps, books etc. that would be... crazy...(Ok so onto another topic)

ehh thats all Ive got. I had this great idea to blog in song form, a parody type thing. And honestly it sounded better in my head than on paper...."All the things she said all the things she said running through my head running through my head running through my head" (Tatu)

I need to do a better job at staying up to date on my blog.

ooga, and perhaps a little booga

2011-03-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

So I swore I wouldnt do it. But I did.

When I was in High School I was very self conscious about my forehead. I have a wide, high forehead that I felt was just a blaring beacon of expanse on my face. It didnt help that I had an ex boyfriend that called it "box like". It was devastating. So for the past 20 years I have had bangs because of this.

A few years ago I decided to grow out the Stacked bob that my beauty School classmates had convinced me to get. I grew out my bangs and hadnt really thought about my large "box like" forehead in quite a few years.
Last week I had a client who wanted me to make his hairline a tad lower because in his words" I have a high wide forehead like yours and I want to kind of disguise that".

All day after this comment I looked at myself in the mirror. All I could see was a huge "Awooooogah" siren blazing out over my eyebrows. So I did what I swore I wouldnt do again. I pulled out the scissors and cut myself some bangs.

Yeah, here's the problem. I have curly hair. curly hair that follows no law of man or God or nature. So in Theory the bangs were a good idea if I put product in them and flat iron them on a daily basis. And not just a quick pass with an iron, I actually have to take my time and work with them to get them straight and smooth.
I KNEW this when i cut them. I KNEW the committment I was getting myself into.

I let my hair air dry after a shower. Usually at night, go to bed and wake up with a mass of curly afro. I was able to pull it back into a cute barette or something. Now I have these $%#@ bangs. Imagine Inego Montoya(you killed my father prepare to die) and Napoleon Dynamite(GOSH) had a baby. Thats my hair.

THATS MY HAIR!!!

I could wake up, put on some green facial masque, tiptoe into my kids bedroom, get up close and OOGA BOOGA them into peeing their pants.

Stupid Hair.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland...

2011-01-11T12:51:00.000-05:00

well, trudging at least.

Here in the south we rarely get snow. And when we do it is usually only an inch or so.
Monday Morning about 3am it started to snow..and snow...and snow.
It snowed all day.

Here are my cats handling the snow in their own way, the best way that cats know how to do anything. They slept through the entire thing.

Then after the snow stopped, the freezing rain and sleet started. I mean it hammered us ALL NIGHT LONG. When I awoke this morning I found these hanging on the eaves over our door. Gigantic icicles of death, waiting to fall, pining the helpless victim to the porch. Everytime we open the door I feel like Ralphies Mother from "The Christmas Story" saying "Careful, those icicles have been known to kill people..." I am not exaggerating when I say that giant one is about a foot long. It is ridiculous. Like something out of Mammoth Caves.

All in all we got about 6 inches of snow here at our house and a nice sheeting of ice covering everything. My yard is shiny. The ground is shiny (the ground is also very hard and my butt is very sore), the cars are frozen shut, and the temps are remaining below freezing, the sun is hiding and the wind is blowing.

So the kids have been off of school the past two days. Charles office shut down at 830 last night, and THEY NEVER CLOSE. EVER. Period. and I am off of work today because of treacherous conditions.
I love Winter in the south.

HOW LONG???

2011-01-09T19:05:00.000-05:00

only 244 days until we go to Disney World!

I dont know who is more excited. Im going to take a wild guess

and say ME!! IT'S ME!! PICK ME! PICK ME!

Yes, it is true. When I think of Disney World I turn into an 8 year old pile of goopy excitement.
eeeeee!!!

This picture was from our 2008 trip. Yes, I am wearing a lariat. Yes, I collect and trade pins. and yes, I wear disney shirts while I am at DIsney World...it's a sickness, really.
I wont mention that I even have a pair of disney ears wearing the sorcerors apprentice hat...

We are going to try some new restaurants, like Boma and Biergarten and perhaps Garden Grille. But of course we are going back to some of our favorites, like O'hana and Yachtsman Steakhouse(home of the 44 dollar porterhouse) Thank goodness for the Disney Dining Plan!

First order of business?? Ride the Tower of Terror so many times I make myself sick.

Man, I love Disney World.

No really...I mean it.

2011-01-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

I wrote an entire post on my new diet regiment.
I deleted it. I am so sick of reading it.
I know what I need to do.
I know how I need to do it.
JUST DO IT ALREADY!(GOSH!)

As Elvis said "A little less conversation, a little more action please. All this aggrivation aint satisfactioning me...So come on baby, Im tired of talkin'!"

Thats a really great question...

2011-01-03T19:20:00.000-05:00

My 7 year old comes up with some of the most intersting questions.
The other day he came up with the mother lode.

While in the Dollar Store, he turns to my husband, and in all seriousness asks
"Hey Dad?? Why dont Geese have boobs??"

New Years Resolutions...version 2011

2010-12-30T18:14:00.001-05:00

BOOOOO Resolutions. You mock me.
same old same old. start off strong...then usually every single one is broken by March.
No I am serious this time...blah blah blah.

Lets see, what can I put on the list...
This is the year I am going to lose all the weight I want(just like in versions 2004,2005,2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
I am going to do a better job of reading scriptures(see versions 2000 through 2010)
I am going to drink less pop and drink more water(also see version 2000-2010)
I am going to cook more and go out to eat less(see versions 1997 through 2010)
I am going to watch my mouth and use less "colorful language (versions 1987-2010)
I am going to spend less time watching television and more time reading (versions 2009 and 2010)
I am going to do a better job of keeping up with the housework(v. 1997 through 2010)

Seriously though, I have good intentions. I WANT to do better. I really do start off strong and then generally taper off and completely quit by April fools Day. Guess who's the fool now? ME, thats who.

So I have given up on making strong resolutions. No more I WILLS. I am the "I will try and see how far we get" kind of gal this year. No promises, no letdowns or feeling bad about myself because of my lack of willpower. The problem with hard resolutions and I WILLS is if I break it one day, I feel the need to no longer continue. I mean whats the point,?? I already broke my resolutions, might as well scratch that one off the list and beat myself up for being a resolution LOSER.
So this is the year of New Years (Tentative) resolutions and try-outs.
I will try to lose more weight. I will try to cut out pop and drink more water, I will try to cook more and eat out less. I will try to curb my tongue, I will try to make it to the library and read more books and cut out some of the television in my life. I will try and do a better job of the housework and not rely on my poor husband so much. I will TRY and if I fail, there is always tomorrow to try again.

So here is to 2011. The year of "Lets see what happens" and "Maybe this time it'll stick!"
now excuse me while I go get some Chinese food and Coke...^#&@(*&@!!!

Sarah

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-21T08:31:00.001-05:00

I admit it. I am lazy. I had every intention of sending out Christmas Cards.
In fact, I even had our Family Portraits taken this summer, with the thought of making photo cards to send out to friends and family. I imagined their faces as they opened the envelope, and out slid the uber cute McBride family. hmmmm. Instead you get this:

Its the best I could come up with in a days time.

You know some of those uber sickly sweet form letters you get??Usually from the Overachieversons. They want everyone to know how PERFECT their family is. Out of 10 christmas letters, usually there is that ONE that is over the top... Oh Muffy made the deans list for the 14th straight year in a row?? or Susan and Bob went on a tour around the world because they won the lottery. Or Little Joey is just an absolute delight. ALl his friends and teachers say he is their favorite. Such a popular little guy.

Well, here at the McBride household, there is no such nonsense.
So here is my letter:

This year Charles and Sarah hardly saw each other at all. With Charles working nights, and Sarah Working days it is amazing they are still married.
Charles works for Sprint, yet dreams of going back to college AGAIN. He hates his job, but works to pay the bills and provide us with practically free cell phone service, insurance and other benefits.
Sarah went back to work Full time at Hair CLub for Men and Women. She can honestly say she loves her job. Unfortunately her housework has been sorely neglected, and the kids are lucky if their socks match in the mornings. At least they are both the same color. No one will know.
Sarah would LIKE to say she lost a bunch of weight this year, sadly 20 pounds was all she managed...but hey 20 is better than nothing.
Peter is doing well. His heart is amazing, and he has been feeling well and doing well. He loves Battle Force 5, and Transformers. In fact he loves them so much he wants to legally change his name to Sherman or Stanford so he can be just like the BF5 team. He is in 4th grade this year and is bringing home math homework that is NOT taught the same was as when mom and dad were in school. He likes to watch movies, race Mario Karts and help cook. he is an expert smoothie maker. Being 10 he is getting to the point where everything is "mom, dont embarass me".We would like to say he helps out around the house without complaining, but since we cant, then we wont mention it.
Finn is in 2nd grade and full of energy(read: waaayyyy too bubbly). He is a joy and has such a zest for life. He loves to write stories in his notebook (amazing ants, Hanukkah Goblins and more), play the wii, jump on the trampoline and eat eat eat. he is growing so fast we can hardly keep clothes on him that fit. He does very well in school and is in the highest reading group. He also gets notes home from his teacher that are eerily reminiscent of the notes his mom used to get home from school (Finn is a social butterfly. Finn needs to work more and talk less. Finn needs to worry more about his own work and less about what other people are doing...). Finn is a love bug. Finn works hard around the house...if financial recompensation is in the works. he is saving for a Nintendo DS and REALLY wants to save his allowance to buy it himself.

Skittles and Rusty are the two new additions to the family. They were two little orange tabby cats that were found in a nearby neighborhood. We brought them home and they are an absolute joy. They are so sweet and loving and CUTE as can be! Of course they are like CHILDREN and are into EVERYTHING. I feel like I am constantly hearing Baging and skittering. Wonder if they will be as cute and sweet and loving when we take them to get "tutored".(snip snip boys!!).

This year we did lots of fun things: we went to Virginia Beach and saw and did lots of fun things. We went to Colonial Williamsburg (mom we're bored. This isnt cool. This is boring. We hate history....), air and space museum, Battleship Wisconsin and the Beach. We went to the fireworks show here in Charlotte at the Baseball game and saw the largest 4th of July fireworks display in the Southeast. It was amazing, as always.
We had to say goodbye to an old friend (my 1995 Mitsubishi Galant) and got 2 new ones(Hello VW Jetta and Kia Spectra).
We also got to Go up to Michigan and visit my aunt and uncle and Grandma. That was fun. We discovered the GIANT marshmellows make fantastic smores, that Vernors Gingerale is still as good as we remember and that 2 boys and 12 hours of driving do not mix well.
Thanksgiving was fun. All the Koch Children under one roof again for the first time in several years. Great food, fun times, and two nephews that are so grown up I feel like the crypt keeper I am getting so old...

All in all 2010 was a great year. Looking forward to 2011 and all that it brings for us.
Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Sarah, Charles, Peter and Finn McBride

5 year anniversary

2010-09-26T08:21:00.001-04:00

Today marks the 5 year anniversary of Peters heart transplant. I cant believe how time has just flown by.
I was thinking back this morning to the long strange journey that has connected two very different families from two very different places.

So in honor of today, here is the entire Peter-Devan story. The entire transplant story. I have never written it out before.

June 2000, Peter McBride was born. He was a healthy 8 1/2 pounds and 21 inches long. Pink, Pretty and a severely deformed heart. Hypoplastic Left Heart is what it is called. The left side of his heart never formed properly and did not function. 6 days after birth he had his first open heart surgery. he struggled. he almost died several times. He had a small stroke. At one point his heart stopped completely and the doctors and nurses opened him up in the recovery unit to manually massage his heart. According to his surgeon "Someone up above is looking out for your little guy". Charles answered "You have no idea" (The whole church and family had been fasting and praying for Peter). Dr W answered "Actually, I do. 99% of Babies with this do not survive cardiac arrest. They dont. Peter did...twice". After a month he finally came home.

December 2000: Peter goes in for surgery #2. This is the easiest of the set of surgeries. He is home in a week. Life was bliss between this time and his final surgery.    Yes he would get tired easily and when he got sick he would stay sick for awhile, but all in all it was a good period of time for us with his condition.

March 2004: Surgery #3. One of the most difficult of the trio. Peter couldnt recover. He was in the hospital almost 10 weeks trying to recover. his liver and kidneys werent working properly, his tubes wouldnt stop draining. They had to go back through and tweak some things. It was a nightmare. afterwards when he was finally able to come home he struggled. He was sick all the time. He was so tired and grouchy. He hurt. he just didnt feel good.

March 2005: Doctors visit. We asked how long he could go on like this. They told us that with all the tests they just did that his heart was actually functioning good, and they didnt really know how long it would last until a transplant may be necessary. a few years, at least. But to be on the safe side we needed to contact our insurance and find out all the details of our coverage. We even made an appointment with the doctor up in raleigh for a visit to get his opinion. Because of our insurance, we knew staying in charlotte for the transplant was not possible.

June 2005: Family reunion in Chattanooga, TN. My in-laws were there with us and we were staying with them in their motor home. We did lots of walking and sight seeing. Peter seemed to be doing well. 3 days before the reunion Peter fell off the bed and into the wall. The hook that holds the door in place while driving was sticking out and he fell on it. It gashed his butt cheek and he never said a word. He said his butt hurt and that was all. The next day I was helping him get changed and I noticed blood. I asked what happened and he said "Oh it's from when I fell out of bed and into the hook" It was a huge, deep gash. Into the fatty tissue.  I took him to the hospital, but because it had happened 12 hours prior they couldnt stitch it up. They cleaned it out and packed it up really well. But Not before giving me the 3rd degree about how it happened, when it happened and what it happened on etc.
1 day before the reunion we awoke. Peter said he didnt feel well. He said his stomach hurt. he thought it was because he was hungry. So he ate half a banana. Then he climbed up into bed with us and said he really didnt feel well. He just kept crying that he didnt feel good and that he was just too weak to walk. Charles and I told him to close his eyes and go back to sleep and maybe he would feel better. A little while later I heard Peter really crying and thrashing around. I went in to tell him to quit being such a drama queen. He was breathing so hard and so fast. His little pulse was going so fast I had never seen anything like it. He was sweating profusely. his eyes were rolling up into the back of his head. he was crying. "Mommy! Mommy! Help me mommy! help me!" He put his hands on my face and said "Mommy, where are you. Help me mommy!". He was blue. Not a little blue. All blue. His veins were showing through his skin like cobwebs.
I picked him up, stole the keys to my in laws car and dragged Charles with me. We rushed him to the emergency room of Childrens Hospital in Chattanooga. Not our city. Not our state. Not our hospital. Not our doctors. They took one look at him and announced a code blue all available cardiac members. Peter was surrounded by nurses and doctors trying to get him stabilized. his oxygen level was so low. It was at like 55 percent. His heart rate was 235 beats per minute.
We were treated like child abusers and asked the same questions over and over and over again. Trying to get us to slip up. Trying to get us to make a mistake so they could look at us and say "a ha! we knew you did this to him". They finally got him stabilized. Charles and I were placed in the Ronald McDonald home there in chattanooga. When we came back to visit him, we got asked the same rounds of questions as before, trying to get us to admit we had done something wrong. What medications was he on. When did he take them? What were his dosings? Are we sure we gave him his medicine? You were just in here 2 days ago for a suspicious fall, why dont you tell us what's really going on? It was crazy.
After a week the doctors came to us and said " He has an abnormal rhythm. All the blood work suggests he contracted Epstein-Barr virus somewhere and it just threw everything out of whack and ruined his heart for good. He has to have a heart transplant. We do not have the facilities here to take care of him. he needs to be transferred to a better hospital. A hospital that specializes in this. With your insurance you can go to Alabama, UNC, Cleveland, Pittsburgh or Michigan".   We chose UNC. Within a day Peter and I were on a medical flight back to North carolina. Charles drove back with Finn. There I was in that plane, up and down and up and down. I got air sick and as soon as we landed at the base I stumbled out of the plane and barfed. A marine standing nearby said "Uh, ma'am, you okay?". I looked up at him, green faced, puke stringing down from my mouth. I nodded weakly and the nurse on the plane handed me a bottle of water.
We got Peter transported to UNC and he was immediately placed on the Transplant list. Priority 1A.
We could not go home. We had to stay until a suitable heart was found. Hie heart was in such poor shape that he had to have a special IV straight into his heart pumping medication. He was on all sorts of things. He couldnt get out of bed for long periods of time. He would throw up at the drop of a hat.
He started Kindergarten at UNC. I wold take him up to the 7th floor in a little wagon to see Ms Judy. He could only do about 30 minutes before being completely wiped out. His playroom was limited as well.
for 91 days we waited in the hospital. I lived at the ronald mcdonald house and the hospital. I only saw Charles and finn for 2 days on the weekends. towards the end my father in law found a place for his RV and he and Nana Dee kept Finn with them so I was able to see him every day. It was a sad, dark time for our family.
At the end I told them I couldnt do it anymore. was there any way that Peter could come home and finish waiting?? We would get a home health care nurse, we would get somebody to come in every day and do the bloodwork and medications and all that. We just couldnt do it anymore. The head Nurse said it wold be possible and she and I worked together to get everything all set up. I packed up Peters room. BAGS AND BAGS of gifts, toys and junk, all from admirers (nurses who fell in love with him).
The plan was to leave monday.
Sunday afternoon my parents had come up to help me pack up and get everything ready. I went back to the ronald McDonald house to take a nap and spend time with Finn and Charles. I told my mom and dad I would be back at 4pm.

358PM I am driving up to the parking garage at UNC. My cell phone rings. It is my mom. I pick it up and say "Im in the parking deck, i'll be there in 2 minutes". My mom was really quiet and said "They have a heart".
I was stunned. after months and months of waiting it finally happened. I was just so shocked.
I said " Are you sure?"
"yes they came in and said on paper it was a perfect match. They wont know for sure until they go look at it. But they are doing all the blood work now. They wont let him have anything to eat or drink."
I immediately called Charles who was a few minutes behind me and told him.
We went up to the floor and all the nurses were standing around crying and hugging each other and then hugging us. Nurses who had the day off came in specifically to see him and to hug him and to wish him luck.
The pediatric surgeon was on vacation in the caribbean, so a different doctor, the adult surgeon would be doing the surgery.
330AM We get the call. The heart is good. They are bringing it home.
530AM: Peter gets wheeled in for surgery. I hug and kiss him goodbye, tell him to be strong and do well.
10AM: Peters heart was sewn in, and being "turned on".
12NOON: Peter was done, they were taking him to the recovery unit.
130PM; We wlked in to see Peter. the first thing I said was "oh! He is so pink!!". He was gorgeous. His cheeks were rosy. His fingernails and toenails were pink. He looked so beautiful laying there.

2 days later he was sitting up.
3 days later he was demanding pancakes.
5 days later he was walking around with no pain medication
10 days later we were home.
5 years later he has had almost no problems heart related. he is on a once a year schedule for the cardiologist now.

Since that day he has hardly been sick at all. When he does get sick it is over with quickly.
He has energy and stamina and endurance. he is pink and pretty. He can do things the other kids can do. he can walk and run and play sports. He is a roller coaster enthusiast. he loves to hike. He loves healthy food to keep his heart healthy.

6 months post transplant I talked on the phone with our donors mother for the first time.
1 year post transplant we were in New Orleans at the Donate Life convention, meeting them.
THEIR STORY:
They were evacuating from Hurricane Rita. Their car was struck by another vehicle. 3 1/2 year old Devan never recovered. The Doctors said there was nothing they could do to save him.
christie told me that as she was sitting there with Devan she was looking at the heart monitor and noticed just how strong that heart was beating and she just KNEW they had to donate it. she knew there was a mother out there who was praying and needed it. Her husband, roger, agreed. They contacted the hospital about organ donation and they told her it would be almost impossible. They were recovering from Katrina. There was no way to get helicoptors or planes in and out. They were running on generators. No land lines. no fax lines, no cell phone reception.
christie and Roger were unmoved. They insisted. LOPA (Louisiana Organ Procurement) came in and they made it happen. They transported Devan all the way to Baton rouge to make this donation possible. One of the nurses hand pumped air into devans lungs the entire way as the ambulance was not equipped with a ventilator.
Through their determination and insistence, they had saved my childs life. They didnt know us. They didnt know Peter. They knew that their son could save another persons life and they needed to make it happen. They ignored their personal circumstances and made it happen. They KNEW we needed it, though they didnt know us.
And now Devan lives on through Peter. We thank God every day for the Legers and the Degeyters and for their decision that saved our family. Not a day goes by that I dont pray for them and thank God for all our blessings.

So Thank you to the Leger and Degeyeter family for your sacrifice and decision, despite your own personal tragedy. You are our heros. God Bless You.

Going back to work

2010-09-25T07:48:00.001-04:00

I start back to work full time on Tuesday. Full Full time.
I wanted to take a job at a salon.A real salon. I had one in mind, but things kept going wrong
whenever I went to accept. My car died. My other car had a meltdown and cost us 700 dollars to repair.
I WANTED to take the salon job. But seriously, everytime I picked up the phone I was spending inordinate amounts of money on things that broke. My bank account couldnt handle it anymore. I guess that was Gods way of saying "DON'T!!". So I listened, and things calmed down.

Then one day while perusing the web I stumbled quite by accident onto a local salon postings website. I saw an add for a company and was intrigued. It said 2 years experience required, which I dont have. But I felt compelled to read on.
Salary PLUS commission PLUS Tips. It also Included Paid training, continuing education, health, vision, dental, 401k, paid vacations and more.
So despite the fact I didnt have 2 years salon experience I still really felt good about applying. I kind of balked like "they will never look at my resume", But for some reason could not stop myself from applying.
Within 2 days I had a call from corporate saying they liked my resume and could they schedule a pre-screening interview.
Here is the process as it went down last month.

WEDNESDAY Filled out application and sent in resume.
FRIDAY: Had e-mail asking to call to set up interview. Called immediately and set it up for Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY(pre screening interview): had interview. Felt it went really well. Lady said she had several more interviews and would let me know by the end of the week.
LATER THAT DAY: She calls and says she is sending my resume to our branch and would know by the end of the week if they are interested in meeting with me.
LATER LATER THAT DAY: She calls back and said they were so interested and could I come in Tomorrow or the next day for a face to face.

FRIDAY: Face to Face interview with Center Director. Went VERY well. We really clicked and she liked the fact that I havent always done hair. i have sales and retail and management background. They are considering that as experience as well as my salon experience. She told me she had quite a few other interviews and would call me the following week if they wanted me to come in for a skills assessment with their technical supervisor.
LATER THAT DAY: Manager calls me back and says "we love you. Can you come in for a technical skills assessment with the supervisor. Afterwards you may get a call from the regional technical skills manager as a final screening interview." Heck yeah!

TUESDAY: Went in and completed my technical skills assessment. I had to do a mens clipper cut and style. A womens cut and style, relaxer, and cornrows. I answered questions about technical skills and techniques. Again I felt it went well, considering I was using mannequins and it felt like State Board all over again.
LATER THAT DAY: manager calls and said they wanted me to complete the final phase and the final phone interview with the regional supervisor.

THURSDAY: Had final interview call with regional supervisor. She said she would let the manager know she had interviewed me and wished me luck.

FRIDAY: Got an e-mail saying they really thought I would make a great addition to the team and that they would get in touch within a few weeks after she got back from vacation and training etc.

Fast Forward 3 weeks: I got the call saying they wanted me as part of the team and offered me the position!
I start this tuesday. I will be working at a Well Known Hair restoration company as a stylist.

WHAT I LOVE: 40 hours a week. I have sundays and Mondays off. I know exactly when I will be working, It is a typical 9-5 job. No nights. I have a private consultation suite and private room.
They do all the bookings. I dont have to recruit clients. I dont have to market myself to bring in new clients. It is all done for me as it is the program members that we service. I go in everyday, get my print out of customers for the day and get to work.
Room for Advancement. This is a great company to work for. With hard work and dedication and education I can really move up.
I had always seen myself as a stylist in an upscale salon cutting and coloring and foiling all day.
But now I saw a different direction i can take in the hair industry. it isnt always about cutting and coloring and foiling and fantasy hair and editorial and runway work. It is about helping people who have lost their hair and helping them look and feel their best and helping them restore their confidence.
I am just so excited I cant wait!

So here is to going back to work full time again and working for a GREAT company and doing something I LOVE.

BACK TO SCHOOL!!

2010-08-31T16:28:00.000-04:00

Hallelujah, Glory Hallelujah.

MY KIDS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL!!!
No more
"mom, Im bored"
"mom can I play the wii?"
"mom can you take us to the pool?"
"mom, I dont want to do my chores"
"Mom I dont want to read a book"
"mom, Im Hungry"(ugh if I heard that again I was going to lose my s***)
mom...mom...mom...mom...mom.

I actually danced a little jig...

Little Finny Foo Foo

2010-08-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

August 2003. My baby was born after 23 hours of HARD, NON MEDICATED labor. Yeah, thats how I roll.
When he was born at 8 1/2 pounds and 20 inches long I looked at him and said "He looks just like Peter". And he did. Exactly.
we have baby pictures that I wouldnt be able to tell apart without dates on them.
whereas Peter was long and skinny, Finny Foo Foo was my plump, roly poly Michelin Man. He was just such a LOVER!

Finn is my little ray of sunshine. He is always So happy and sweet and loving. He loves having his back scratched and his tummy tickled. He finds joy in everything and just makes me so happy.
I LOVE YOU FINN!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Finny over the past few years. Birthdays, Vacations, Fun Pictures, First Day of School etc.

RIP my dear friend (1995-2010)

2010-08-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

Sigh. A Sad day indeed.
A few weeks back we lost a good friend. My 1995 Mitsubishi Galant.
She was old. she had LOTS of miles. She broke the front CV joint and it would have cost WAY too much money to repair. (sniff)
I bought this car in college. I took it with me all the way out to Utah. Back and forth from Logan to Chicago. Then to cincinnati. Then across the river to Ft Mitchell KY...then onto Charlotte where my friend called home for 11 more years.
You were a good car and I loved you.
Lots of great times and fond memories in that car.

1. The day I got it my two friends and I went to downtown Chicago to the restaurant Ed Debevic's. on the way back we took a wrong turn. When we realized where we had ended up my friend in the front seat said "Oh no, we're in Cabrini Green! Get down!! Get Down!!". I prayed my hardest as I gripped the steering wheel of my baby. We made it out unscathed and alive.

2. When I went out to College, a large group of us decided to go up to Bear Lake, Idaho and have a picnic and fun day at the beach. It was so much fun! Cold and windy, slightly drizzly, we still had a great time.

3. Driving down to las vegas for Spring Break. Losing money. Having a blast.

4. Make Out sessions with boyfriends. Marrying one of the boyfriends and going on my honeymoon in this car.

5. Driving back and forth between Chicago and Cincinnati to visit friends.

6. Driving down to Charlotte to make a new life for ourselves.

7. That car has had 3 children ride in its seats.

8. That car has been to disney world and back and seen lots of good times.

I will miss my car. But whats been the hardest is being down to 1 car. So trying to find a new job and have a job AND charles have a job at the same time is next to impossible right now. So hopefully something will come along that we can afford.

So Rest in Peace my Mitsubishi Galant. I shall miss thee.

Another Birthday, another grey hair, another almost wrinkle

2010-07-20T08:44:00.000-04:00

Today is July 20th. Today is my birthday. (can I get a woot woot).

I am reflecting on my life the past year and am pretty pleased with how things are looking. in fact this year was SO MUCH BETTER than my previous year!

In the past year between July 20, 2009 and Today I have really had some adventures!

1. I finally graduated from cosmetology School! That was SERIOUSLY the longest year of my life. It really, truly was. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done !

2. I conquered State Board. Both written and the Practical. I am an officially licensed Cosmetologist.

3. I got a job in a salon. It is the perfect little salon for me. It fits with my schedule, no sundays and the owner is super cool and flexible. It gives me the experience I need on my resume, and has taught me a lot about opening my own salon one day.

4. I helped plan a cruise for 26 people for my in laws 50th wedding anniversary. Then I went on said cruise. I went to Grand cayman where I got to swim with sting rays. They are like Giant Puppy Dogs and love to be held and petted and fed,. Boy do they LOVE to be fed. The SWEETEST giant rays ever! I want one.

I also got to climb on ancient Mayan Ruins in Belize

fulfilling another lifelong dream of mine. We went to the City of Lamanai in Belize, which is near the border of Guatemala. We were able to explore this city and were able to climb this pyramid. Yes...that is ONE ROPE to hold onto while you climb to the top. That it, just one rope. No railings, no elevators, no WARNING YOU CAN FALL AND DIE signs. Just a rope. Why isnt America more like this?? in Belize they say "Ok this is a tall pyramid with steep steps. Here is a rope. this is obviously dangerous, use your judgement I am not going to hold your hand or get sued because you are stupid".

I was able to do some amazing snorkeling in Grand Cayman, Honduras and Mexico. The water was SO BLUE, and the weather was just delightful, I could easily see myself living in the Caribbean and being perfectly happy with that.

5. We were able to go to Louisiana again and see our donor family. We were at the Lafayette General Memorial Hospital with them to present the Hospital with their National Medals of Honor for their commitment to Organ Donation. We were on the news and in the papers. It was a good day for Organ Donation. We also were able to spend time with their family and let them enjoy Peter. Not to mention we enjoyed some wonderful cajun Food!!

6. Peter was asked to be on the cover of the National Newsletter for Donate Life America. This annual report card went to every organ agency across the country. My friend, rebecca taylor (a fantastic photographer ) took pictures for the cover. Peter and Devans Story was also featured in the newsletter. It was really a great thing

7. I fulfilled another item on my Bucket List. I went to Colonial Williamsburg! When I was about 5 years old my dad bought me a set of World Book Encyclopedias. With this set came the Childcraft books and one of those books was "Places To Know". The book was basically "this is a palce you should try and visit because it is really cool". They had all the ancient wonders and natural wonders, cool museums, buildings etc. One of them was Colonial Williamsburg. So Here I am, recreating the picture from my Childcraft book, locked in the stocks!

8. I am planning on going to Las Vegas next September with some girlfriends!! so there is something fun I am looking forward to and planning! I am also planning a disney cruise for our family for the following spring break! So working and saving up money for all that! It makes me excited knowing I have something to plan and something to look forward to.

So Bring it on! This Old Lady still has a lot left in her!!

a little less conversation, a little more motivation

2010-07-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

So as many of you know I have been trying DESPERATELY to lose weight. Finn is now 7 and I can no longer use the "I had a baby" excuse. 7 years, I mean...come on.
My husband gained sympathy weight through all of my pregnancies, lost a lot and then gained back with a vengeance.
we werent always heavy,. In fact when we got married I was smoking hot and he was super adorable and well proportioned. we were SO CUTE.

Well flash forward 13 years, 3 babies, stress, eating...more stress and more eating...laziness, no exercise and more eating and here we are.
I have tried everything to get us to lose weight. I cant count how many of my blog posts start with "Ok Im starting fresh, no more messing around". I am SUCH a loser!! geez.

I was thinking about what got us motivated to lose all the weight the first time around. Back in 2001/2002. I lost 60 pounds. He lost like 40. he looked really good. I looked pretty good too.
I know what it was. I had something to lose weight for. HAWAII.

My dads 60th birthday was in 2002 and he told us a few years earlier that for his 60th he was taking all 4 of his kids and their spouses to Kauai, Hawaii for a celebration. WOO HOO!
At the begining of 2001 I got serious and buckled down.
By the time our trip rolled around I felt pretty good. I didnt feel self conscious about having my picture taken. Yes I could have lost another 25 pounds, but I felt really good about myself and my progress.

Charles felt like Hawaii was a good reason to lose weight. Didnt want people to mistake him for a beached whale or something. We never went out to eat. I cooked every day. Controlled portions, vitamins and lots of water. Oh yeah, and exercise.
Damn.

I have decided that if we can each lose the weight we need to get back to our first Hawaii Trip, then I will take us to Hawaii again.

I think thats pretty good motivation. Plus next year we are going on a Disney Cruise and I will NOT have another family vacation ruined by terrible pictures of my double chin and huge fat neck. bleck.
as Stupid Tyra Banks says "Dreckitude".
NO MORE DRECK.

Hawaii, here I come.

Another New Blog

2010-07-14T08:46:00.000-04:00

FOLLOW MY NEW BLOG!!

Here

sign up! Participate! Submit! COOK!!

Summer vacation- Viriginia Air and space Museum

2010-07-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

This is the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton VA. Thanks to our Dicsovery Place Family Membership, we were able to get in here for free!! (a savings of over 40$!!)

This is the Apollo 12 Capsule. Not quie as Illustrious as his Younger Brother Apollo 13. Still he is totally cool on his own. He doesnt need Tom Hanks to Make a movie about him!!Various planes Hanging from the ceiling.Charles and Finn being Astronauts.

NowChales and Peter are Astronauts.Here is Charles trying to outdo the art on the planePeter and Finn with their cousin.A totally gross Bug Display. The fly was my fave. He said the word "poop" a lot. Plus his eyes were really beady and beautiful. He had a Paisano Guido accent like "Hey mamma Mia!" type thing. really funny, and believe it or not, informative.Peter proving how Cool Apollo 12 is.Peter and Finn in the Plane cockpit.The Tuskegee Airmen DisplaySome other display with old guys. WWII??

We then went across the street to ride the carousel.

that was our day at the Virginia Air and Space Museum.

oh and here is one for all you twilight Lovers out there.

I am TEAM EDWARD!

VOTE FOR GIVE KIDS THE WORLD!!

2010-06-27T11:50:00.000-04:00

Vote! Vote!! Vote!!

THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT!!

Give Kids the World is a WONDERFUL organization down in Orlando that works with Make a Wish and other wish organization to provide a full service place to stay for families on their make a wish trips.

They are trying to win 250,000 from Pepsi for the Pepsi health initiative contest to update their villas and kingdom.

This place is FREE for people staying with wish foundations. It is full of villas for families to stay in, complete with laundry facilities, kitchens, handicap accessible bedrooms etc. They have an Ice cream Parlor that you can eat at any time, any day and it is free. You can go to the Gingerbread house for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is free. free arcade, minigolf, little trains, pools, air hockey etc. GKTW is run almost entirely by volunteers, special groups etc. They work with disney to bring in the Special characters for Meet and Greet.

They have a movie theater where the kids can see free movies. They have a carousel, a magic castle with a wishing well, books and movies to borrow.

They have a technology closet that you can borrow video cameras to document and record your trip. They will then take all photos and videos and put them on a special disk for you to take home.

They supply each family with 3 day park hopper passes to Disney World. 2 Day passes to Universal Studios and a 1 day pass to Sea World.

Every day we would come home to special gifts and prizes left for us from various organizations and volunteers. Books, movies, games, stuffed animals, pictures etc. These were for us to take home. We ended up with a giant duffel bag FULL of memories, given to us by people who didnt even know us.

We had such an AMAZING time there, and I would LOVE to see them win the 250k to update, refurbish and keep it running smoothly.

Voting ends soon, and you are able to vote once per day. Right now they are in 10th place, I would LOVE to see them take it to first and win the money.

vote here. You may have to sign up, or sign in through facebook, or follow the link on the Give Kids The World website.

Finn, the author

2010-06-01T07:53:00.001-04:00

The end of the school year is winding down. The boys have been bringing home the contents of their desk daily.
This weekend Finn(age 6) brought home about a years worth of writing assignments and samples and stories that he has done in class.

Here are a bunch of my favorites: I have included original spelling, and italicized the translation where needed

These are a series of papers that he did throughout the year, and they are not in order. The ones that have a LOT of spelling mistakes were from the begining of the school year.
What I LOVE about these are his little conversations he has in the middle of his compositions.
Oh anc in case you dont sense a theme, he REALLY wants to be a firefighter.

The best of Finns first Grade compositions...

PHINNEAS AND FERB.
Ha ferb I now what wer going to do today (Hey Ferb, I know what we're going to to today)
Wer going to billd something, but wat? (we're going to build something, but what?)
I now, we will billed gravody (I know, we will build gravity)
Finyis!(phinneas) What are you doing?
We are going to billd gravody (We are going to build gravity)
Im telling mom you are so bustid(busted) and how can you billd gravody?(build gravity)
I donte now (I dont know)
ha, so you cant billd gravody (you cant build gravity)
we cod if we hav the rite blue printce to mace the mosheen. (we could if we had the right blue-prints to make the machine)
No so im still telling mom and wen she is houm you are bustid (when she is home you are busted)

THE TOOTH FAIRY
mom
what
I lost my tooth
put it undr yor piloe(put it under your pillow)
ho ca (okay)
the tooth faree I did it!

ODE TO A FIREFIGHTER #1
Wen I groe up I wont to be a firfidr (when i grow up I want to be a firefighter)
I wont to jump in firs (I want to jump in fires) and save peeple(and save people)
and put out firs (put out fires)
and duriv the chruc (and drive the truck)
and be the bos(boss)
becus I ned to sav peepl wen thy ned it. (because I need to save people when they need it)

FIREFIGHTER #2
How oed do you haf to be a firefigdr?(how old do you have to be a firefighter)
I dont no.
Peter what do you wont(want) to do when you groe(grow) up?
I want to be when I groe up is a ambeelints drivre (ambulance driver)
ho(oh) I thot(thought) you wontid(wanted) to be a firfighdr (firefighter)

FIREFIGHTER #3
I can be a fire fighdr. I am 50 years old.
No yore not
I thot(thought) she wil fol for it.(fall for it)
I still not fol for it
ho ca(okay) mom.

FIREFIGHTER #4 (eerily similar to #3)
I can be a firefighdr, I am 30 years old.
no you are not.
I thot she will fol for it.
I would not fol for it, do not sae that (I would not fall for it do not say that)
ho cae(okay)

FIREFIGHTER #5
Being a firefighdr is varee danjrise (very dangerous)
But I want to be a firefighdr.
But i want to be a firefighdr if you want to.
Ho ca (okay)
Mom
what.
how old do i haf to be a firefighdr
I do not noooooooooooo. (i do not knooooooowwwww)

FIREFIGHTER #6 (see #5)
Being a firefighdr is varee dandris sed dad. (being a firefighter is very dangerous said dad)
I dont care.
O Kae sed dad (okay said dad)
Im still doing it.
O Kae but Im telling you it is varee dandris (Ok but Im telling you it is very dangerous.)
I rilee wont to be a firefighdr (I really want to be a firefighter)
You can be a firefighdr is you wontto (you can be a firefighter if you want to)

FIREFIGHTER #7
what I want to be when I grow up is a fire fightr.
here is what I whent to do
jump in fires
put out fires
save people
drive troock(truck)
thats wut I wont to do (what I want to do)

BOOK REVIEW #1
My favrit part was everything
I like Dr Seuss.
What did you say?
Nothing
Ho cae (okay)

BOOK REVIEW #2
I licde (liked) everything.
I love grumpy bird.
what did you say?
Nothing
Ho Cae.(Okay)

BOOK REVIEW #3
I likde everything on the covr (liked everything on the cover)
I saw his underware.
You saw his underware?
Yes Peter. I saw his underware.
was it funny?
Yes Peter.

IF I HAD A CAT
wow I did not know my cats can do that.
Mabe (maybe) our cats can be in a srcis(circus)
No? Ho cae(okay)
If our cats be in the srcis(circus) we will miss them.
good point.

LEPRECHAUN
I see a leprechaun.
You do?
Yes.
But I cannot see it.
You do not?
no.
Leprechauns are not reel
yes thae are.

SPONGEBOB
Im beeting you spunjbob (Im beating you spongebob)
oh no you are not.
oh yes I am
AAAAAAAAAAAAahahahaha.
that wusint nis. (that wasnt nice)

SPONGEBOB #2
Squidwrd
what
what are you doing
non of yor bisnis hoca (none of your business okay)
Do you want to play
no patrick
do you wont to go jeleefishing(do you want to go jellyfishing)
no
are you shur(sure)
yes.

this one time at band camp...just kidding. This is a ghost post.

2010-05-25T18:48:00.013-04:00

I remember the first time I ever saw a ghost. I dont know that I had ever encountered one before that, maybe I had, and just didnt realize what I was seeing. I will never forget this day. ever. It was not a dream or a fleeting memory. It is seared into my mind, I can still, 27 years later, remember every detail, every emotion. I can, without a doubt, say I saw a ghost.

They say Children are a lot more prone to seeing spirits. I am probably one of those who has always attracted them. My mom has always told me of wierd experiences. Her son, my older brother, has always had wierd experiences. I guess I grew up just knowing that there was life after death. I have always believed that the Spirit World is all around us, and sometimes we are able to catch a glimpse into it. Maybe there is a veil that separates us. Maybe sometimes that veil is thin and we are able to have experiences. i dont necessarily see them. i HAVE seen them, just few and far between. I feel them. I hear them. I experience odd things. I see those I know who have passed on regularly in my dreams. They come to comfort me. They come to give me advice. They come to chat. Maybe I am lucky to have one of those special gifts. Ghosts dont scare me. They have never scared me. in fact I can remember being a young child, just learning how to read and going into my brothers room and borrowing his "scary ghost Stories" books. To me they were fascinating, not spooky or scary. I have always known that Ghosts were just a part of my life. Love me, love my ghosts. It is just a fact . charles says I am crazy and there is no such things as ghosts. Well I think he is crazy. If he saw or experienced just a portion of what I have he would change his mind and apologize all day for having ever doubted me. But that is one of those agree to disagree things we have.
Anyway, I digress.

I was about 7 years old. We lived in Columbus Ohio. There was nothing terribly unusual about the house we lived in, I cant recall any wierd goings on, or encounters at that particular location.
I was in my room. It was early morning, probably around 530 or 6am. It wasnt quite the dawn, it was the point of almost there, to where the room was just light enough to see everything in detail and some color.
I woke up because I had to use the bathroom. i remember laying in my bed, debating whether or not I REALLY had to go and whether or not I REALLY wanted to get up. As I was laying there, I was looking at the end of my bed, at my closet door, which was closed. Right before my very eyes a figure appeared.
It was a Native American Man, probably in his 40s or 50s. He had long dark hair. He was in full native clothing, including a large feathered headdress. I would estimate he was about 5'7 or 5'8.

He looked similar to this image, though not as old and his actual clothing wasnt as ornate.
His clothing was dark, probably a dark blue. His headdress was black and white, or greyand white, possibly blue and white.
He wasnt dressed in the stereotypical native garb you see in the old movies, or that my young mind was used to seeing when we would go see Blue Jacket or Tecumseh at the outdoor theaters in chillecothe.
He stood there, still, ramrod straight ,tall and proud. I remember the feathers on his headdress made a slight whirring, rustling sound though there was no breeze. the air practically crackled and I felt every hair on my arms and legs stand straight up. My neck tingled, my stomach got the flight or fight butterflies. My mouth felt sour and my ears were almost buzzing.
I lay in bed, covers up to my nose, not knowing what to do.
He looked at me. Assessing me. Looking through me. I dont think he knew I was there. It was as if he was just there, in my dimension, not really seeing what was around. His hand lifted as if to say Hi, but he wasnt looking at me. He was looking past me, to the left of me.
Nothing was said. What seemed an eternity passed, though I know it was probably 5-10 seconds.
Finally my young bladder could take no more, I sat up and called for my mom. As her footsteps got closer the Ghost disappeared. Just faded away, a vision that had gone dark and faded to nothingness.
My mom opened the door and said "what do you need?".
I told her I had to go to the bathroom and there was an Indian Ghost that was in my room.
She took me to the toilet and asked what was wrong with me. I was 7 years old and I could go to the bathroom on my own. why did I feel the need to call her.?
I told her what I had seen and she asked me if I was sure. She said it was probably a dream and I told her I was awake the whole time. I was so positive of what I had seen, she no longer questioned me.
It was the last we ever talked about that particular ghost. She never tried to tell me it was my imagination. She never doubted me.
since that day, I have not seen him again.
I would try and wake up early just to catch another glimpse. I talked out loud to him, trying to convince him to show himself to me again. Nothing.
Maybe it was a lucky fluke that he showed up. Maybe he showed up regularly when I was asleep, kind of a residual energy. Who knows.
All I know is that I saw him.
To this day I still research Indians of Central Ohio. trying to catch a photograph, maybe figure out who my ghost was, or what tribe.
The picture is of Bill Moose Crowfoot, who was one of the last surviving Wyandot Indians.
This is as close as I have found to the Ghost I saw in my room that night.

We lived in Columbus Ohio off of Refugee rd, near eastland mall and easthaven Elementary.
any ideas??

All this free time....

2010-05-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

I am a TV junkie. ugh, am I ever!
Jeopardy, Simpsons, Family Guy, American dad, Chuck, Dancing with the stars, Glee, House, Bones, Ghost Hunters, Modern family, Mythbusters, American Idol, Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Marriage Ref, Ghost Whisperer, The soup, Tosh.0, Americas Next Top Model(both current and rerun marathons), snapped, Cold Case Files, and any movies or documentaries that happen to come on and look interesting.
King Tut, Cleopatra, Praying Mantises, History of Gay filmmaking, Shark week, Bug week...Not to mention a computer full of True Blood and Sex in the City.
Somthing unbelieveable happened this week....my shows are all done. All of them have the season finale and wont be back until the fall. WHAAAAAA????? I have watched everything on my DVR. I have watched all my True Blood. I have watched all my downloaded movies I wanted to see.
What am I going to do??
so you think you can dance doesnt start until Thursday. Then Wipeout starts end of June. thats only 2 shows??
My husband works the late afternoon/night shift right now at work. When i put the kids to bed I relax on the couch and watch a few hours to television to unwind. how what??
I saved the Princesson Mario Brothers Wii and unlocked the secret 9th world. I have gold medals in all the mario kart races for all the bikes AND the mirror cup.

I suppose I could clean my house. Catch up on the laundry that has been b****-smacking me in the face every time I go downstairs into the laundry room. Mostly towels and sheets. Good think I have a linen closet FULL of extras.
I could walk the dog.
I could exercise.
I could make a menu for the week and write out a shopping list.
I could balance the budget and catch up on our excel spreadsheet.

Nah.

So I went to the Library and checked out 6 books. That should last me a week.
I had to check them out on Charles card. I went to give them mine...I have 37 dollars in outstanding fines on my card. 37 DOLLARS!! How is this possible?? Mostly they were books for my kids. Junie b Jones, Thomas, Frances etc. 3 years worth of fines.
I picked out a bunch of girlie books, you know chick lit. I checked out one of my favorite Jane Austen books, Sense and Sensibility.
I chose my books based purely on gulty pleasure, cover art and colors and titles.
I also picked two that were on my goodreads list.
Next week I will pay my library fine and be able to have my own card back. I know Charles was embarassed as heck to have some of these titles on his card. as we were walking out I said "Nice girlie books you have there, man."

My choices:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
P.S. I love you by cecelia Ahern
The Kept Man by Jami Attenber
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by tiffany Baker
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigani
Cover girl confidential by Beverly Bartlett.

I used to read voraciously. I dont know what happened. I could read 4, 5, 6 books a week and not bat and eye. Now it takes me a week to read just one book. I wonder if speed reading is like knowing a foreign language. the less you speak, the more fluency you lose.
I hope not. I miss my books. I am ready to get back into it, and a bag full of beach reads is just the thing to do it!

Hello my old friends...

My Son Has Special Needs... why is this so hard??

2010-05-21T11:01:00.001-04:00

almost 10 years ago my oldest son,Peter, joined our family. A super easy delivery, an absolutely beautiful baby in my arms.
He was a gorgeous 8 1/2 pound baby boy full of vim and vigor.
His Apgar scores were almost perfect. He was pink. He was pretty.
He had a very serious Heart Defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
Shortly after his birth he had a stroke, a common side effect of HLHS and was diagnosed with Mild Cerebral Palsy.
He was 3 years old before he could walk. He didnt talk until he was almost that same age. he has a weakened left arm and left leg from his stroke.
He has been in Physical and occupational Therapy since he was 1 year old. He was in speech therapy for 2 years.
Fast forward through 3 open heart surgeries to help his body compensate for only having half a heart.
Fast Forward through illness, fatigue, chronic colds, coughs and irritability.
Fast forward to heart failure at the age of 5, in Chattanooga TN while we were on vacation 350 miles from home.
Fast forward through airlift to NC and 90 days waiting in the hospital for a suitable organ, hooked to an IV keeping his deteriorating heart going.
He started Kindergarten in UNC Childrens Hospital, a room on the 7th floor with a teacher named Ms Judy. Tethered constantly to an IV Pole, taken up in a wagon, only able to do 30 minutes a day because he would get so tired.
For a year following his transplant, we were prisoners in our home. He couldnt go to school , with his new heart there was no way he could be around sickness and germs that school would most certainly throw his way. We couldnt go to church very often because of all the germs, colds, strep, chicken pox etc that goes through the primary like wildfire.
During this time a traveling teacher came to our house once a week to drop off homework papers, and kind of work with peter.
We decided to have him go to school the following year and retake Kindergarten instead of going to first grade. this would give him a chance to socialize, make friends, learn the rules and figure the whole school thing out.
He was a year older than most of his classmates. But it was the perfect decision.

During this time I did not falter. i was fine with everything. I gave Peter everything he needed to recouperate, build his body and mind. Dr visits every 1-2 months, strict medicine schedule, working with him on everything he needed to be doing physically. i basked in the glow of "oh my goodness, you are so strong, I just dont know how you do it". I would respond with my know it all war-zone mom voice "oh you do it because you have to." I was so brave...so courageous...so strong. I was amazing. I was supermom.

Once he got to 1st and through the first half of 2nd grade he started Special Education. It was 30 minutes a week, just to give Peter a place to catch up on any school work from the week, or see if he needed any extra help. Plus without some form of special education classes he could not be on the educational plan and receive physical and occupational therapy at school as well. Plus it was 30 minutes a week to make sure he was keeping up. No biggie.
then in mid- 2nd grade and the begining of this 3rd grade year his teacher and special education teacher and school psychologist said Peter needed more help. he had learning disabilities and was behind his peers in class. They recommended an hour of special education a day. he would still be in a regular classroom with his friends, but just go see his special ed teacher for an hour during the day. They said things like "Peter learns differently" and "Peter retains information differently" and "Once he gets it he gets it..he is just a little slower in fully grasping the concept". They told me this special education was really to help Peter learn to organize a little better, to really in depth review and help him learn in a way that was more condusive to his mental capabilities.
Want to know what I heard?? YOU...BROKE...YOUR...SON. Sounds silly, huh? I was supermom. My back was numb from me patting it so many times. Surely Supermom can fix this. Surely MY son didnt need special ed. I was in denial. But numbers, testing and schoolwork dont lie. I was heartbroken. I blamed myself.
Was it the aspirin I took during my 2nd trimester?? Was it the Ny-quil I drugged myself with for a week straight before i found out I was even pregnant? Was it the bottle of coke I used to drink once a week to help settle the morning sickenss stomach during those first few months?? Somehow this was Super moms fault and supermom could fix this. But even this is not something that I can fix. It is something he needs.
Being in Special Ed has helped him. Even I can see that. But why cant I accept it?? Why is it so hard for me?
Why is it easier for me to revolve my entire world and schedule around him for medical visits, biopsies, hospital stays, therapy etc...but saying he is in special ed is like swallowing a mouthful of coals??
When people tell me "Oh you are so strong" I WANT to say "yeah?/ Want to know that I sob into my pillow every day after they go to school?? Want to know that I feel like an Utter failure because I CANT HELP MY CHILD BE LIKE OTHER KIDS??!!"

He comes out of school with his classmates who are a year younger than he is. he is the smallest one.
He wears leg braces and a hand brace. He is much slower when it comes to walking and running. He works extra with the PE teacher to work on stamina and endurance and distance. He is the size of a 6 year old. i have a hard time remembering he will be 10 in just a few short weeks. In fact his 6 year old brother is now bigger than he is.
None of this bothers me. he has good friends who love him, help him and are his champions. They defend him and dont let people give him a hard time. I know I dont have to worry about that.
Why do I feel like a failure? Why am I sad, and depressed and ANGRY?? Why is being stretched to the limit with his physical needs so much easier for me than admitting he needs help mentally?/ Why is admitting he has learning disabilities this gut wrenching, harrowing trial for me??
Why is it so unfair? Why did Peter, my sweet sweet Peter have to be afflicted with this? Has he not gone through enough?

But then I look at him. And he is happy. He has friends. He has teachers and administrators in that school who ADORE him and hug him every time they see him. he makes people smile. his teacher told me that Peter makes her smile every single day. He is the sweetest boy and just warms her heart.
That is his gift. He can make everyone around him love him.
So is this really HIS trial??
No. He could care less if he went to Special Ed or to a room full of crocodiles. By the end of the day those crocodiles would be buying him toys just because they love him. dont ask me how he does it.
This is MY trial. This is something I have to get over. This is something I will have to struggle with. No matter what Peter does and where he goes, he will be loved and helped and will find a way to get it done.
I will be the one bristling and fighting and not wanting to relinquish the control. Slowly I have gotten more used to the idea.
i can see that being in Special ed has been a blessing. It has taught me that I can give up control. I can just accept the fact that there are things I cannot change. There are things I have ZERO CONTROL over.
I can cry, and so, and pray and bargain. The fact is I am the one who needs to get over it.
I have a difficult journey ahead, but all I ask is patience, time and understanding.

My name is Sarah and i have a very special son who has special needs...

***Photo was taken by Rebecca Taylor. These were pictures from a shoot she did for me for peters cover photo on The donate Life america national newsletter
peter and devans story is page 10..

photoshop galore

2010-04-21T08:34:00.001-04:00

So I adore photoshop. I found a bunch of actions on deviantart and have really enjoyed this spring.
I love photographing flowers and trees , ivy, grasses etc.Here is what i have done with some of my favorite photoshop actions.

Spring Break Photos...about time.

2010-04-21T08:18:00.001-04:00

yes. I know I know I know. Geez.
Spring break was like 2 weeks ago and i am finally getting pictures up.
I kept my kids SUPER BUSY!

First we saw How to Train Your dragon...TWICE. they LOVED it. I thought it was pretty great myself.

And yes, I did tear up a little bit. Dont judge me. Im hormonal.

We also went to the Nature Museum:

So we also bought a Discovery Place Membership (nature museum admittance fee was rolled into the cost!)

Peter and Finn on the static Ball. Peters hair worked really well. Finns was a little too short.

Peter and Finn in their 3-D glasses for a dinosaur movie

the Boys enjoying themselves at the various exhibits and hands on displays at the museum

Broccoli Salad

2010-04-04T11:28:00.000-04:00

This recipe is my "world famous" broccoli salad.
I have more requests for this side dish than any other in my entire arsenal.
It is fairly simple and straightforward, the worst part is browning the bacon.

6 stalks of broccoli. Washed, and heads cut and divided into bite sized pieces
1 L bacon, browned and drained. Crumbled into small pieces.
1 bunch green onions, chopped(mostly the white and light green parts)
raisins(about a cup or so. i just eyeball it until it "looks right")

mix all together and set aside.

In smaller dish combine:
1 cup mayonnaise (.NOT SOY. NOT LIGHT. NOT MIRACLE WHIP)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar.

Mix until blended well.
Pour over broccoli salad and toss well to coat evenly.
Refrigerate until ready to eat.

My New Blog

2010-03-23T16:27:00.000-04:00

I started a new blog. A separate blog for beauty, fashion, hair, cosmetology etc etc etc.
HERE

Check it out and follow me on my journey!!

Holy Crap...

2010-03-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

Why am I such a slug?? arugh.
I make a commitment to blog on a more regular basis, then life rears up and smacks me in the face and says "hah, thats what YOU think".

I know I need to make a more serious effort to blog and journal. I try, I really do. Then as I start to type my mind goes blank and the things i thought I would blog about suddenly seem mundane and silly and un-worthwhile.
Not that I should be writing this for the entertainment of my readers, but I am kind of like Maximus "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED????"

So whats going on in my life.

1. I graduated from Beauty School in December. It was the hardest year of my life just about. I never thought it would be so difficult to get through. The drama and politics and more drama. ugh. I am so done with that whole thing. I took my written test and passed and then took my state boards up in Raleigh and passed. I am now officially licensed and working in a salon. I love it. I love going to work. I love what I do. I do, however, feel a sense of remorse at not being able to be at home as much with my kids. But I am doing what is best for our family and at least it is a job that I truly enjoy and feel at home with.

2. I went to the EISS hair show in charlotte past weekend. I was able to see some of the greatest in the industry work their magic. I went to a keratin smoothing seminar and was able to get certified.
I attended a Scruples presentation by David Steiner. I went to a Keune color Corrective presentation by the FANTASTIC Roy Peters. I then had the once in a lifetime opportunity to see Masaki Inoue work his magic with his flying shears!!! It was truly inspiring. Those platform artists are rock stars. I know what to work towards. I want to be a hair rock star too.

3. It is just about time to get the garden started. This year I am doing (once again) various tomatoes, jalapenos, green beans, basil and probably zucchini. But time to get out and start composting and mixing and turning the soil and adding the nutrients etc. The weather here has been soo kooky it is driving me nuts. I get the urge to go out and get started and then it gets cold and rainy. The good weekends we have had for it I have been working. So I am going to work at leaving early on wednesday or thursday and working on the garden. It is time to get moving!!

4. Got a new Car. Well it isnt NEW. But it is new to me. It is a 1998 Jetta GLX. Cute 4 door silver 5 speed with black leather interior and CD player, moonroof, XM radio (not set up).
I love it.

5. I am growing my hair back out. After almost a year of having it shorter and sassy, I am letting it grow out to appease my husband. He will probably want me walking around in my push up bra with long hair...oh and he wants it red again. garter belts and high heels too ??

6. NCAA mens basketball tournament...not going so well. It is only to the sweet 16 and I have THREE TEAMS in. Thats all. Three teams total out of 16. I was so cocky after the first round. Then I got my ass handed to me on a silver platter. My final 4 were Kansas, Syracuse, New mexico and Villanova. I had Kansas taking the entire thing. Now my only teams remaining are Syracuse, Ohio State and Duke...I had Ohio State and Duke ending in the final 8. I wasnt even close this year. Oh well, there is always next year.

So thats kind of my life right now.

OH YEAH: Starting in APRIL we will be doing color and highlighting specials: includes deep conditioning and haircut. starting at 65 dollars. so call or email me today for your appointment.

I NEED APPOINTMENTS

2010-01-22T05:58:00.000-05:00

Ok I HAVE to get people through the door of the salon to try it out.
I have been handing out flyers to surrounding businesses, homes, apartment complexes etc. I have left business cards EVERYWHERE. I have posted multiple times on Facebook and Blogger. I dont know what else to do. I even posted on Fricking Craigslist.
Nothing seems to be working right now, so you are forcing me to pull out the Big Guns.
FORTY PERCENT OFF!!

Book between now and Sunday night (Jan 24th) and receive 40% off your initial visit.
seriously. You can book an appointment for Jan or Feb.
Any Tuesday-Saturday 10am to 6pm.

i PROMISE you wont be disappointed.

Call me at 704 542 0626 ask for Sarah.

SHAMELESS PROMOTION!!!

2010-01-18T07:16:00.000-05:00

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS: 2010 Edition

2010-01-17T15:35:00.000-05:00

BLAH BLAH BLAH. NYR's suck like a monkey.
But ever year I sit down and I make a list of things I would like to work on.
Within two months I have broken every single one of them and curse the list as I pass by it, mocking me from its perch on the Fridge.
This year WILL be different (just like I said it would be last year). I think my goals were too lofty last year. I had WAAAAAAAYYYY too many specifics and really set myself up for a fall.

This year is the year of ME. I am not going to take too much on. If I cant handle it, I will say NO. I will not over extend myself or spread myself to thin by committing to way too much. That is a HUGE part of my goals this year.
I will be the REAL me. No more fake me, doing and saying what I think people want me to. No more of that BS, at all.

So without Further ado, here are a few more of my goals:

1. Curb the potty mouth. I write this down every single year. And every year my kids do something to piss me off so badly that before I can stop myself I erupt and spew forth a seething torrent of ugliness and profanity. My bad language really irritates my husband, and I know that half the time I do it just to tick him off. So I will work on controlling my temper and bad language. It will make me a better person and make my kids better people as well. I dont want them growing up spouting off all sorts of imaginative profanities.(Which I have caught them doing once or twice)

2. Be Healthier. No more POP. AT ALL!! So far I have gone 17 days and have no urge for it anymore. I know that if I were to drink some I would be afflicted with the worst case of diarrhea in history. So I have ni desire to even SIP any.
Eat more vegetables. Cut down on my sweets. eat healthier and smarter. Dont go out to eat so often. EXERCISE. I just want to be healthier and happier.

3. Do a better job with my kids in reading the scriptures and learning bible stories. Help them gain a personal testimony of Jesus Christ. But not pressure them, and let them know how important it is to be a GOOD person. Just because you go to church and read scriptures and can recite them from memory does NOT mean you are necessarily a good person. I want them to be kind, considerate and loving. I want them to want to do good.

4. Build a booming business at the salon. I want to have a full book by the end of the year. I want to be earning beaucoup bucks. I want to be able to bring home the bacon so my husband can go BACK to school (AGAIN). So come see me at The Beauty Bungalow in Charlotte, NC.

so this is the year for me. Wish me luck and resolve and strength!!

Dear Blogger...

2010-01-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hello, friend. are you happy to see me? Have you missed me? Have you thought about our times together?
Are you wishing things could go back the way they were?
Yeah, me too.
Oh Blogger, how I have missed THIS.

So B, I have to say what an exciting and super crazy year I have had.
I graduated from Empire(woo hoo, Now I can do hair LEGALLY and not feel like a criminal), I went on a cruise to the Caribbean with the love of my life and his entire family, I made and broke New Year Resolutions, I found a job in a salon, I reconnected with old friends, I was a bridesmaid at my dear friends wedding, my van engine went ka-put forever, and I neither gained weight(nor lost the 40 pounds I wanted to).

School was really hard. Drama. Drama. Drama. I was so tired and ready to be done with it. I needed 1530 hours to graduate. Once I hit 1200, I felt like I had hit this WALL. I was unmotivated and tired and grouchy and ugly. I didnt want to deal with clients, I didnt want to do ANYTHING. I felt like I was STUCK for weeks. But I finally did it. And now I have a diploma, have taken and passed my written, have my practical scheduled and am currently working in a salon with my temp license.

The Cruise was Amazing. Charles parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and they went on a cruise with all 10 of their kids and their spouses and a grand-daughter and a few close friends. We went to Grand Cayman, Honduras, Belize and Mexico. I got to swim with giant Sting Rays, snorkel to my hearts content, climb on ancient Mayan ruins, and get called "Hey Pretty Lady" by every vendor in Cozumel.
I got sunburnt, lost too much money in the casino, and thought I brought home a special 9 month souvienir.(Thank Goodness it was just a false alarm)

I made several GREAT New Year Resolutions and promptly broke them all within a matter of 2 months.

I went to a wedding in chicago, where I was a Bridesmaid and the Brides hair Dresser. I had such a great time being there and seeing old friends and making new ones. I loved going back and having fun and partying with the gang. This Old Bird has still got it.

so all in all 2009 was wonderful. But I suspect 2010 will be AMAZING

Make your house smell great for the winter

2010-01-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

I was just messing around today. Cleaning my kitchen, cleaning out the spice cabinets etc. I also cleaned out my microwave. I take a large pyrex measuring cup and fill it with water. I slice up half an orange and place the slices in the pyrex. I put the entire thing in the microwave and zap it for 10 minutes. I then let it sit for another 10 minutes to steam. When you take it out, the dirt, gunk, food etc has loosened up from the steam and orange oils. Wipe out and voila, a clean microwave. Well I was left with this pyrex container of leftover water logged slices and water. I set it aside, knowing I could find something to do with it.

I came across a bag of Mulling Spices from Cider Mate. These are the special spices you add to apple juice or cider to make a nice warm spiced apple drink or wassail. It had to be 2 years old, never opened. I purchased it at the local health food store in bulk, thinking I would use it. (yet another thing I did not get around to).

I have been in a cleaning mood recently, and although I cant deny I love the smell of bleach and pinesol, I didnt want something in my house that would make it smell like chemicals. Bleach and pine-sol are great, but sometimes you just want a warm, spicy, holiday smelling home. Kind of like a live christmas tree instead of the fakers.

So I pulled out a little saucepan and poured my orange water into the pan and sliced the rest of my orange into the pan with the water. I added a fistful of these mulling spices and set it to simmer. I then pulled out my stash of dried herbs and added a Tablespoon of dried Chamomile.. I stirred the entire thing and let it go on my stove.

My house is now a heavenly fall harvest and spicy wonderland. Super easy and delicious.

The spices in my Cider Mate were: Nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, Star Anise, and dried orange and lemon peels.

Try it. Your whole house will smell wonderful and spicy and homey and comfy.

Day 8 Holiday Baking: Mormon Chocolate Chip Cookies (MONSTERS)

2009-12-19T07:52:00.000-05:00

These cookies are MONSTERS. And they are delicious. My dad got this recipe years ago from a woman he worked with and she called them Mormon Chocolate Chip Monster Cookies. She was a Mormon as well, and said she made them for every Youth conference and Stake Activity. My dad tried one at a work function and said he was walking away from the potluck table with like 6 cookies in his pocket.

CREAM TOGETHER:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks pre softened butter
1 TBSP Vanilla
2 eggs

In a separate bowl, combine the following:
3 cups flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

Add this dry mixture to the creamed butter little by little.
Dough will be HEAVY.

Add :

3 cups Chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Drop Large scoops onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until done.

these need a large, COLD glass of Milk. And when I say they need milk, I mean like 2%. Skim milk wont cut through these babies!!
Santa will really appreciate a nice hearty chocolate chip cookie like this one!!

Day 7 Holiday Recipes: CAKE MIX COOKIES

2009-12-18T07:10:00.000-05:00

3 ingredients. Thats it. You choose your flavor, you choose your toppings. These are so easy, yet delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of cake mix. (You choose flavor. White, Yellow, chocolate, they all work)
4oz Cool Whip
1 egg.

Mix everything together until it forms a ball of sticky dough.
Using powdered sugar on your hands, roll dough into balls and then roll them in the topping of your choice.(powdered sugar, chopped nuts, coconut, cinnamon sugar, sprinkles etc). Or you dont even need to roll them, they are good plain as well.
Bake at 350 on a greased baking sheet. 10 to 12 minutes.
Cookies will look soft, they will continue baking off the sheet. Cookies are chewy.

Great combinations: Chocolate cake mix rolled in chopped pecans
                                 yellow cake mix rolled in powdered sugar
                                 strawberry cake mix in powdered sugar
                                 chocolate cake mix rolled in coconut and pecans
                                 White cake mix rolled in Andes peppermint crunch baking pieces
                                 carrot cake mix rolled in white sugar

Day 6 Holiday Recipes: BEST EVER BROWNIES

2009-12-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

This recipe is courtesy of my sophomore year at USU. We were looking for some brownies and kind of followed a recipe on the back of a generic chocolate chip package. It was good, but after a little tweaking, this is what we came up with. YUM!

Semi Sweet chips work best, but you certainly can substitute the milk chocolate if you choose.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 cup chocolate chips, whole.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In mixing bowl beat together softened butter, and sugars. Mix until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, beating well.
Add melted chocolate and mix. Gradually add flour mixture. When all flour is incorporated add the whole chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until edges have set and knife test comes out clean.

Dust with powdered sugar.

HOLIDAY VARIATION: A great Holiday variation is to stir in 1/2 cup whole chocolate chips and 1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips. It gives it a nice minty zing to it. Or you can do 3/4 cup of the Andes pepperming baking chips only.

Day 5 Holiday Recipes: Peanut Butter blossoms with hershy Kisses

2009-12-16T08:15:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that everyone knows and loves. These are the Thumbprint Peanut Blossoms with Hershey Kisses. These are my brothers favorites. My mom makes them just for him every year and gives him the Lions share of them.

These are pretty simple, the unwrapping of the kisses is the hardest part of the whole process.
Actually the hardest part is keeping my kids form eating the unwrapped kisses before I even get started baking.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

You will also need a small dish set aside with a few TBSP of granulated sugar in it AND a bag of Hershey Kisses, unwrapped and ready to go.

Beat together shortening and peanut butter until well mixed and smooth. Add the sugars, beat until likght and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla, beating well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt, gradually add to the Peanut Butter mixture. When all the flour is incorporated, roll the dough into 1" balls, and roll in the white sugar you had set aside.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. you want the edges to be golden brown. Immediately upon removal from the oven, press an unwrapped Hersheys Kiss into the center of the cookie. The edges will swell up around the kiss slightly and crack.

Cool Completely.

ENJOY!

day 4 Holiday recipes: PB and Butterscotch deluxe krispie treats

2009-12-15T06:25:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe my grandmother made EVERY CHRISTMAS. These were the treats that got devoured first. they are so delicious and addicting.. Not your traditional Krispie treats, as there is no butter or marshmellows. Trust me when I say there will be no leftovers and people will be licking the pan trying to get the last few crumbs.

CHOCOLATE/PEANUT BUTTER and BUTTERSCOTCH KRISPIE TREATS

1 cup corn Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup creamy peanut Butter

6 cups rice Krispies

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Heat until boiling, , let boil for 2 minutes only, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and pour over the rice krispie cereal. Mix well until all the cereal has been coated evenly.
Press into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

On top of this sprinkle chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, place in oven set at about 250 or so.
When these chips melt enough to spread, remove from oven and spread the chocolate/butterscotch over the top It will all swirl together, creating a most delicious topping.
Cool completely and then cut into squares.
prepare to not be able to resist these.

Day 3- Holiday recipe: Sweet Potato Bread

2009-12-14T07:48:00.002-05:00

This delicious recipe is a variation of Pumpkin Bread that I found in the Lion House Cookbook. I used their bread as a base and "tweaked".
Thanks to excess rain, courtesy of Mother Nature, there was actually a pumpkin shortage this year. No biggie, just substitute sweet potatoesor squash for the pumpkin.
Cut sweet potatoes in syrup make a nice hearty bread, and it isnt the vegetable you use, it is the spice you use to season it. the sweet potatoes are a little sweeter than pumpkin, so you dont need as much sugar as regular pumpkin bread. Your can will say Cut Yams, but they are sweet potatoes.
.
This bread is so moist, and stays moist thanks to a secret ingredient. The crust kind of carmelizes a tiny bit, making it even better. It goes exceedingly well with walnuts (nuts are optional. Some like them, some people dont or are allergic. It is up to you)
This makes 2 loaves.

SWEET POTATO BREAD

1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 eggs
15oz can of cut yams/sweet potato (drained and mashed. If you want, you can even rinse the potatoes)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/4tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large box Vanilla instant pudding (about 6 ounces or so)
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Mix together oil, eggs and sweet potatoes. add flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and baking soda. Mix well. Mix in the vanilla and vanilla pudding. If adding nuts, do so at this time as well.

Put into 2 greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Dont let it get too dark. If the knife comes out clean, take it out. Let it sit in the oven too long and the crust gets really dark and chewy. So just watch your loaf. All ovens are different and I start checking mine at about 45 minutes.
Let bread sit for a few minutes before dumping out of pan.
It is VERY moist, so be careful about cutting it to quickly after removing it from the oven.
after cooled, wrap in Plastic or foil to store.

ENJOY!
If you arent adventurous enough to try the sweet potatoes, remember you can use pumpkin and increase the white sugar by 1/4 cup.

Day 2 Holiday Baking- 7 Layer cookies

2009-12-12T17:55:00.000-05:00

Day 2 Holiday recipe-

These are a hit ANY time, not just the holidays.

7 Layer Cookies

Crush a 1 block package of Graham crackers to make crumbs (about 8 or so)

melt 1 stick of butter and mix with cracker crumbs.

Press this mixture into a 9x13 pan, making a bottom crust.

On this crust evenly distribute the following, in the order as listed:

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

Take 1 can eagle Brand condensed Milk and pour over entire pan, making sure everything gets covered evenly.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 30-45 minutes until the milk has become a golden caramely brown.

these will be bubbly and sticky when you first take them out, so let them cool!

Cut into squared and enjoy!!

2 weeks of recipes. DAY 1 SNICKERDOODLES

2009-12-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

It is the Holiday Season and so this is the time of year I do a lot of baking. I like to make a large variety of treats and put together goodie plates and take them around to friends and family.
This recipe, I believe I posted it last year, is always a super duper hit. These are the most delicious snickerdoodles. They are just the right amount of sweetness, without being overly so. They are puffy and crackle the right way on the top. They are moist and buttery and the cinnamon and sugar is just perfect.

Try them for yourself.

So for the next 2 weeks I will be posting various Holiday goodie recipes, please check back for more and let me know if you make anything and how they turn out!!

SNICKERDOODLES

1 cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Put flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla.
gradually stir in flour mixture. Your dough will be stiff, yet slightly sticky.

On a plate combine 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 TBSP ground cinnamon.
Flour your hands and take heaping tsp of dough. Roll into balls and roll in the sugar mixture.

Place on baking sheet 2" apart. (I usually spray my pan with Pam first)
Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges have set and bottoms are a golden brown..

To keep these soft I place them in a gallon size ziplock with a slice of white bread.

Lafayette, LA Day 2

2009-12-06T08:01:00.000-05:00

So Saturday morning we met at a place called T-Coons for breakfast. It is called "zydeco cooking".
We had Beignets. Then i had a sweet Potato Pancake with pecans and a local syrup, which was a brown sugar and molasses concoction (called Steens). It was delicious.
We then went to the conference and with the Legers told our story, and thanked the coroners who "said yes".
I was crying, the Legers were crying, the coroners were crying. It was really a great experience. Hopefully this will be something they will remember when they are faced with organ donation possibilities.

We went to a place called Incredible Pizza for dinner. It was kind of like a Cici's Pizza buffet mixed with a dave and busters/chuck e cheese. They had bowling and mini golf and bumper cars and go carts and a zillion games. It was fun.

This morning we are meeting the Legers at Meches Donut King for some donuts and they are sending us home with a King Cake. We are heading home this morning.
I am sad to leave. I always wish we could stay longer when we see them.

Lafayette, LA Day One.

2009-12-04T22:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.katc.com/player/?video_id=1395&zone=4&categories=4

Long Story Short: We are in Lafayette, Louisiana right now at an Organ Donation Collaborative.
Today we went to Lafayette General hospital and awarded them with a National Medal of Honor.
We did a little interview with several news stations, and this was the first story to air.

ugh stupid double chin. And Finn INSISTED on having that d*** balloon with him the whole time. I feel like I spent half the interview pushing it out of the way. he is lucky I didnt pop it...but I didnt want a meltdown of epic proportions on camera for the world to see.

After the meeting at the hospital we went out to Lunch at Prejeans we had fried Crawfish(yum), Frog Legs (it DOES taste like chicken) and Alligator. It was delicious. A very cajun meal, complete with Boudin balls, etouffe, and gumbo.

We finished off the night going Bowling. It was so much fun and the boys LOVED it. We stopped off at Whattaburger on the way back to the hotel.

right now it is snowing and sleeting outside. Tomorrow morning we are meeting everyone for breakfast and heading over to the collaborative.

a busy, emotional day today but I am so glad we are here doing this.

HEY!!!! I NEED YOUR HELP...CALLING ALL BLOGGERS!!!

2009-12-01T07:27:00.000-05:00

so perhaps I'm an enabler, but I cannot stand watching the withdrawl anymore. The shakes. The irritability, the whining and crying. The constant trips to the store., the hunting high and low...
My husband is ADDICTED to the Dollar Tree Wintergreen mints. We have only been able to find them at Dollar Tree.
They are called Icy Breeze wintergreen breath mints. They look like tic Tacs.
We can no longer find them anywhere around here. They are very hit or miss. They come in a 4 pack and are in a white and green packaging. We can find the orange flavor and sometimes the peppermint, but the elusive wintergreen is making me crazy. If I have to stop by the DT one more time "just to check" I will kill myself.
I was hoping to find some for christmas to give to him. They dont sell them online, trust me I have googled everything. I have gone to various websites, ebay, candy companies, even to dollar tree online. They are not to be found. Of course the employees at DT dont know when they will get them in either.

So if anyone happens by a dollar tree and sees them, please pick up 5-10 packs(depending on what is available) and I will reimburse you for everything plus shipping and send you some lip balm as thanks as well.
Shoot, if there is only 1 or 2 packs available I will take what I can get.
I need all the help I can get. I want to get him like a year supply.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

WARNING! addiction to soon follow

2009-11-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend I was working on some recipes for my yearly Christmas goodie platters/food gifts.
One of my very favorite snacks in the whole world is Harry and David Moose Munch. AHHHH It is to Die for.
So I decided to make my own Generic Sarah Version of it. I searched for a great caramel Corn Recipe, which I found> This stuff is amazing just on its own. I made mine with Cashews, you can also use almonds, peanuts, pecans etc.

CARAMEL CORN:

1 cup popcorn Kernels, popped and set aside in very large bowl. (or two large bowls if you dont have one big enough for it all) You can mix in a few cups of nut of your choice. The salty nuts really do go so well with the sweetness of the popcorn. I like nuts, so I added about 2 1/2 cups of cashews.

In a sauce pan, combine:
1 cup BUTTER (yes, butter. Margarine is the devil)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt.

stir just enough to blend. Once it starts boiling, cook for exactly 5 minutes over med-hi heat. STIR CONSTANTLY.
Once it has boiled for 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla.
It will foam and bubble, it is supposed to. It is supposed to look like a fluffy shaving cream type consistence.

Drizzle this over your popcorn and toss well to coat. Each piece does not have to be completely coated.
Spread out over greased cookie sheets or jelly roll pans etc.
Bake at 250 degrees for about an hour, turning every 15 minutes or so.

After an hour, remove from oven and spread on wax paper to cool. Once cool, break into clusters and store in tupperware or ziplock baggies.

This is the best caramel corn I have ever had. It is so delicious. You do have to bake it. If you dont the caramel will get super sticky and hard.

You can eat it plain like this, or you can use some of it to make an extra special treat...
Now to make the Sarah's Moose Munch.

Go to Michaels or other craft store to their candy section. Get a package of the melt and pour chocolate caps and a package of the white chocolate caps. Melt these in your microwave, according to the directions.
Drizzle each kind over the popcorn, as heavy or as light as you want.
THEN take HEATH CHIPS (you can find them in your baking section of the grocery store) and sprinkle over as well. It will stick to the melted chocolates.

Let it dry and enjoy.

Just a warning. This is addictive. The caramel corn is just soooo good. Add a little chocolate and heath chips and voila.

ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Recipe- Corn Souffle

2009-11-26T12:41:00.000-05:00

This is a FABULOUS and easy recipe. Prep time is 5 minutes. Honestly.
It is so delicious and will be a family favorite. It isnt just for Thanksgiving, you can make it any time. This is one of MY family favorites, and I hope everyone else can enjoy it as well.

5 ingredients. 1 stick of butter and a round casserole dish. That is all it takes. But when you taste it, you will be amazed at how EASY it is. Yet people will think you slaved all day.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 box Jiffy corn muffin Mix
1 egg
8 oz Sour Cream
1 can creamed corn
2 TBSP sugar

You will also need a medium sized ROUND casserole baking dish.
.melt 1 stick of butter in the casserole dish.(And yes, it really works better with butter than with margerine. )

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, corn and egg. Add the jiffy mix and sugar. Mix well.
Pour this batter INTO the melted butter, but DO NOT STIR. yes, it is supposed to look that messy.

Bake at 350 for 35-50 minutes, it will be done when it has puffed up, the edges are golden and a knife comes out clean.
ENJOY!!
If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment!!

EXTRA NOTES: **This doesnt work very well doubled. If you are feeding a large group, make two separate batches instead of putting it into One giant casserole.
**If you use a corn muffin mix other than jiffy, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.

I love her

2009-11-19T07:22:00.000-05:00

I Love her...I truly do.

when I grow up(HAH) I want to be just like her. she is amazing.
she has brains, tenacity(read:balls), business acumen, no nonsense attitude, and SERIOUS mad skills. Yet underneath it all she is a kind and caring person who wants to help people.

Tabatha Coffey, you are my Hero in the beauty Industry. I have learned so much about salons and hair dressing, just from watching salon takeover. I feel I am a better student and stylist because of you. You inspire me to work as hard and as smart as I can, because someday when i own my own salon, I dont want you coming through my door(unless it is to interview me for a job...)

YOU ARE THE WOMAN!