Random pieces of my past

I have always been obsessed with TV and pop culture, but only by my own choice. here are a few of the heartaches that propelled me through my youthful years and kept me striving for the high life.

I owned this lunchbox and loved the show just as much....
I remember pretending I was the Bionic Woman as I cleaned, jumped down the porch steps, and babysat. I would swish my hair behind one ear (even if it wasn't long enough) in a mannerism just like Lindsey Wagner's.
I even taped my top lip in a fold for a few nights hoping to get a little flaw like her scar. It didn't work.









Marie Osmond was also a dear obsession of mine. I remember her lips always being glossy shiny, and I just loved the way she laughed at Donny. So carefree and beautiful, her face always glowing and her smile so big. I tried to stretch my mouth and practice smiling, which of course never looked like Marie's. To this day I have issues with my small teeth and little mouth. I blame it on my young obsession with Marie. The fact that she was a Mormon just made me that much more like her. When we moved to Utah I prayed someone from the show would 'discover' me on the streets of Provo and ask me to be an ice skater (it didn't matter that I don't know how to ice skate) I just knew it COULD happen.....




I can never say enough about Ricky. Oh Ricky...sigh...heart beat...sigh. I loved him more than any tween has ever loved an idol of any sort. I dreamed about him. I sang to him, I wrote shows which included me as his love interest/guest star. I sketched his cute little face and freckles secretly. When he called himself "The Rickster" I melted. I loved him so. I will go as far as admitting my first dream about making out involved Ricky Shroeder. He unlocked the passions of my sad little pre-teen life..... when I heard he married a Mormon girl I was shocked to think "But the WRONG girl!!" My heart still skips a beat when I see him on TV, although I have never followed his acting career as an adult.

Somethings are better left as memories.

Ahhhhh. These memories make me smile.

It's a Win-Win (Win)

The lucky ducky winner of my necklace made with love is CB2 of the Egocentric Mediocrity blog. I was thinking he had a good chance, as he out numbered any one elses entries by about 8 to 1, and I was right, it paid off. So please e-mail me or send me a little message on Facebook with your mailing address so I can get the necklace to you. Yay! Winner!

Now I am a winner because I made it through actually 6 days of being in bed (that is a long time to be sick as a grown up) and recovered in time for this:

Why, yes! That is me on the edge of a random high cool cliff in Moab. Spring Break took us there and to Mesa Verde, for miles of hiking and exploring- with hours of recovery in the hot tub, of course. It was the kind of trip that reminds me the great wonders in life are free.





That is where the final WIN comes in. Like Pam on The Office reminds Michael, I am reminding you ...there are Win/Win/Win situations all around us.

Now go find a sunny spot and soak up a little bit of life's simple pleasure. Sunshine.
(Who knows when the next snow storm will hit.)

Oh my lucky Blog!

You see giveaways come and go on the lovely blogs you stalk. Occasionally you may actually win a little something. Just check out my loot of recent blog giveaways....


Yummy chocolate carefully packed home from FRANCE by Erin at If You Give a Mom Moment (great blog title, right?). Super artistic handmade vintage rose and snow dipped glove ornament from Lee at Weber's World art and life blog (frankly, her blog opened my mind to the possibility of letting blogs inspire me artistically) and the beautiful and yes, so cool, wooden necklace is from Jillene at Jillene's Journal. If you have looked around on my pictures you have noticed this lovely thing gracing my neck here and there with style.

Thanks to all the bloggy contests! I have entered many, and these few wins are enough to make a girl want to share the love. So, here is a little picture of a necklace hand beaded and designed by ME. Now, before you go thinking I am crafty please note I made this in a workshop type of setting where I spent more time trying to make the women at my table laugh at me then actually finish my jewelry. One teenager thought I was hilarious...the others, well, not so much.

BUT I am giving this away. (Not the rose, just the necklace in it's cool Golden Ration kind of way). Even if you think it is hideous let me remind you, Mother's Day is fastly approaching and your mom might love it! All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me something happy or nice. It can be about your day, it can be about your life, it can even be about me and my blog. (Shocking! I am fishing for niceness? I would never do that!) You have one week to leave your niceties, and you can leave as many seperate comments as you like. I will draw a name next Monday and post the winner.

By the way..... my spring shopping splurge ended up being a new dusty blue Down East T-shirt to layer under my brown shirt. Bleh. What is wrong with me?

I need to get out of bed

How do I know when I am really, truly, pitifully sick? When I don't even have the energy, or focus, to hold a book and read. When I actually feel better when I am crying. When nothing sounds good to eat (except for the blessed enchilada my sister brought me for lunch today, bless her soul!) and when even TV takes effort to manipulate.

I have laid in bed for 3 whole days now, and simply can not do it for one more. Ibuprofen and caffeine finally got me up late today, enough to get the kids dinner (first time all week) and start the dishwasher. I hate being sick.

Now tell me- which of the following is a valid reason to buy a great outfit for Easter Sunday?

A- I have been deathly ill all week
B- I have to speak in Sacrament Meeting on Easter
C- I have to do Sharing Time for the Primary on Easter
D- Every outfit I have is strangely Black or Brown (not very springy or festive)
E- Who needs a reason? Just go buy something...aka All of the above!

Thank you for all of your moral support. Now let's just hope I can find a minute to sneak away and miraculously find something cute within my budget. Shoes....a bonus!
Oh yeah....I also need to put together my talk.
And Sharing Time.
And kids Easter baskets.
And eggs for the family hunts.

Hmmmm. Maybe this wasn't the best week to get sick.

Flash Back Friday

Take 30 seconds and remember the hotness.....




Oh yeah.....you're welcome.

A few more pics.....

All pics are form the photo shoot we had with Carrie at DC Photo Booth and I wanted to just note a few more favorites...and why.

Carrie has a thing for feet and shoes, which is great because it gives me a reason to put on my favorite peep-toe pumps besides church. I love that my boys have these big old bulky shoes, and I am all alone in the feminine genre. I also love that you can see my youngest's little fists in his pockets, because seeing those little curled hands also tells me what his little face was doing at the time....smug, no doubt.

This pic is one that made the cut to her website, much to my son's excitement, but honestly, this kid has grown so fast...crap, I am getting all teary eyed just writing this...it seems like he was just a little toddler trying to manipulate me! Even if this had been the ONLY picture from the shoot I would have been satisfied. That is how much I love it.


Now, really, being honest, I was very disappointed in myself because I kind of look sleepy in all my pictures, but I have had to just get over it and deal. I had to include a family picture, we got a few very great ones, but the wall here was gorgeous and I love our little relaxed state of being. She definitely captured a snapshot of our lives. Looking at these pictures still brings me mucho happy feelings and contentment.

The best money I have spent in a long time.

Kitty Litter anyone?

Go ahead and dig in!










I don't get hugely into April Fools Day jokes (surprising, I know), but I do like making a silly treat every once in a while. Here are my younger two being good sports and enjoying it.....















Funny thing, though, my oldest son just didn't think it looked that appetizing! What do you think?

March 31st~ Red Envelope Day

If you go to the orginal website for the Red Envelope Project you can learn more about this little grass roots protest. The project sends the envelopes empty, but I couldn't help but tuck inside my three little guys. The red envelope represents the blood of an unborn infant killed in abortion.


Armpit shot with my youngest boys at the Golden Gate Bridge on our little vacay.
I love my children, and I believe all babies have a right to life.

Life is Good.

What works for you?

Aside from the fact that I need to 'catch up' from my little sabbatical from my home life, I am well aware of the spring cleaning bug that has worked it's way into my system.

There is so much dusting, de-junking, and spiffing up that needs to be done (and I want to do what I can while I have the desire)that I am just hardly even sure where to start.

Things are slightly out of control right now. Windows and laundry and beds and wall marks and handprints and crammed cupboards and closets (My heart is racing just writing this!)
Sure, we fake it enough to get by, but how long can I keep up this facade?

I am looking for any tips, pointers, or any type of inspiration that helps you turn off the TV (or computer) and get up and get a few EXTRA things done. What are your spring jobs that make you feel like you have been productive? (I need that feeling!) Any books or ideas? (I get Flylady e-mails already, but I get so many I kind of skip them all. Huh.)


And of course, if you boycott this sort of thing, well those comments are always welcome, too. They always make me feel better.

Should be.....

I should be home. I could be working, catching up on Primary stuff. Doing some scrapbooking. Doing some....well, lots..... of laundry. Helping my kids with their homework. Running a lot more. Doing spring cleaning. Counting my calories. Thinking about Easter...

ugh so much to do...

Instead I am taking advantage of a little work trip with my husband. I am eating way too much Ghiradelli Chocolate and Jelly Belly's (toured the Jelly Belly factory and went to Ghiradelli Square), sitting in a hot tub, trying to sleep in until the last chance for free breakfast, downloading stuff to my Kindle (loving it) and even (DON'T TELL) drinking a few Diet Cokes.

In other words, I am being a total unrighteous slacker.
It feels nice.

Is This a Total Sign, or what?

Who opens there Vanilla Ice Cream lid to find this secret message on the inside;



I am officially taking this as a sign that happiness is mine for the taking.

All because one person left a post

It started the day I sent my photo in to Glenn Beck. The "We Surround Them" energy took over...

I left a post on Facebook on his page, which went unanswered for a few days...and then...messages, and friendships, and notes, and posts made me realize this was something big.

What was going to be a gathering of 10 families or so, is now a sponsered event at Noah's tonight, with 1000 (yes....a THOUSAND) people expected to come, including a congressman and radio DJ to take over announcements.

I can not even post right now. My emotions are high, it has been a long week, and I will have to get back to you all later.

let it be known, however.....I do believe that just a few people can make a difference. I know it.

I want this silly gadget

I want, I want , I want....

just like a toddler I am stomping my feet and whining for the Kindle 2 from Amazon.

As you may (or may not)know, we live on a budget. A semi-intense, kind of gazelle, Dave Ramsey budget. Our current success, (I have to put this in so you understand where I am coming from) for living on a budget the last 2 years, has been over $52,000 paid off in debt. We just throw any extra cash towards it, and have quit buying on impulse and credit. NO more car payments, no RC Willey, no credit cards of any kind, just lights and shelter are left as bills.

NOW...that means 2 years ago I would have just bought this little book gadget when I felt like it, but nowadays I don't work that way. I am currently saving my tips from my clients, toward my Kindle, and it is accumulating nicely- however I want it now!!!

I was putting my cash in it's 'KINDLE' envelope and I said to my 10 year old..."Man! This is taking a while! I want this so bad!!!"

He stared at me (the victim of my 'save your money if you want that' lectures) in disbelief.
"See mom!" He said, very firmly,"it's not as easy as you think!!!" He of course, is mad I don't dish out the cash for his purchases. He is probably very satisfied seeing me suffer. But we have a policy;

No lending in our family. PERIOD.

Anyway...I just had to let you know I am itching for this thing, and at the rate I am going I should be able to order it in 2 weeks or so. But dang it, it sure takes discipline to not just get on there and get it now. I have also resisted the urge to order my Snuggie (living by proxy in Kristina's, however) and stopped buying books since the saving has begun.

Instant gratification is very tempting.....

I must be a true blooded American!