Half an Acre

2012-01-09T10:41:00.000-06:00

Well.... For my 40 days of SOAP I have given up TV.

For those of you who don't know, SOAP is this thing we started January 1st at my church. It stands for Scripture .Observation. Application. Prayer.

Now in my opinion it doesn't help to just give up something mainly because I can very easily fill that void with something else that does not benefit myself spiritually. So I am also going to try to use this 40 days to blog more on daily reflection. I have tried to do it in a journal, and I stink at keeping up with it, what can I say I love my laptop! Plus I spent all this time making my blog pretty!

Tell me did you make New Years Resolutions and if so... how is it going?!

whats in a reflection

2011-03-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

I have been reading Water for Elephants with much pressure from friends and family. I usually love historical fiction but this is one is not captivating me as well as i would like. I feel like it should already I am half-way through the book.

The whole premise of the book is the elderly man looking back on his life with the circus. So far I have just found it really depressing.

It makes you really feel what these people feel like as elderly. There is this one part of the book where he is just so upset to even look in the mirror because it doesn't even look like himself anymore. His face is covered with liver spots, his nose and ears have largely outgrown his face, even his hands look like strangers.

That was all I could think about yesterday during Tim's sermon when he began to talk about James 1: 22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. "

How often do we just not even look at our spirituality and when are finally faced with that reflection we turn away so that it won't seem so real. We really haven't become that person looking back at us. Those words didn't just come out of my mouth.

the guardian and feelings of terribleness

2011-03-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

i am fairly certain that all hesitations and lack of motivation is directly linked to my lacking self-esteem when it comes to using my gifts.

no matter how much praise i get for anything.... regardless.... i still think in the back of my mind it is crap.

maybe that is why i feel like i have to be private so that I wont feel like something is terrible, because no one would know anyway.

i really hate this about myself. just when I think i have gotten over it. It rears its ugly head straight into my backside.

and i don't really know where it stems from! I have always gotten support from parents and teachers.

it has begun to effect life changing situations, and i just sit and watch it in slow-motion because I can not make it stop!

i just want to guard these things that I love because I have this fear of them being rejected.

it is really disgusting....

i wish i didn't care so much

more tomorrow, hopefully on another subject

Feeling Small and Secrets

2011-03-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

So. The thing I love most about going to church is how small it makes me feel. I get so consumed in my everyday life. The monotony of each of my days feels like chinese water tourture in slow-motion. When I am with people who share my beliefs it helps me feel reconnected with a part of myself that gets lost day to day.

I have accepted that this is how I am. Doing the same thing repeatedly makes my skin crawl, the thing I try to be better at is not letting it interfere with my marriage. Theron already knows when I start getting uneasy because it is when I start planning bigger projects for our house. Last year I even bought an Atlas of the U.S. to plan a pretend dream vacation, I guess I was taking it in my head... who knows.

That is why I have decided I am going to start doing something secret just for myself. I am not talking about something strange, unhealthy, or sinful. Just something that feels like it is all mine. I don't even want to be able to talk about it with others because I want it to be unassociable from everything else in anyone's daily lives, even though it is something very common. I already have it in mind, and have begun on it. I am hoping this will fill that void that I have a hard time describing. It isn't even something I am neccesarily good at, just something I want to do.

Do you ever feel pressure to do hobbies just because you are good at them? Not even because you like to do them? I hate that more than doing things that hate. I fear that it is the same problem.

I love taking personality tests. Usually because they reiterate my feelings that I am an unusual person. We took personality tests in a Wednesday Night Bible Class and I found my results rather unhelpful. Now the main reason we took these is to help you find what your natural talents are and then you will know how to serve in the church better. It was one test but gave you two different answer sheets. One was a Personality Profile, the other was Your Spiritual Gift.

First of all when I took the Personality Profile it told me I had "personality masking" meaning I had to really high scores in two areas where it isn't normal to have both. They were called "Choleric-Powerful"(scored 13) and "Phlegmatic-Peaceful" (scored 11). It said that if you had these unnatural combinations you either didn't understand the questions(nope took the test twice) OR had personality masking; which could be the result of one or more of the following:
-a domineering parent
-an alcoholic parent
-strong rejection feelings
-any form of emotional or physical abuse
-Single parent home
- birth order
-legalistic religious home
-a domineering and controlling spouse
-adult abuse or rejection
OR IM JUST CRAZY.... like seriously.... this made me feel like a freak!

Then, I got the results of what my spiritual gift is, keep in mind this is a sheet with 10 gifts and you pick which ones you scored the highest on. Mine were as follows:
-Helping: 11
-Encouraging:13
-Giving: 13
-Teaching:9
-Pastoring:11
-Mercy:7
-Hospitality:9
-Leading:4
-Evangelism:13
-Faith:15

Ha this made me laugh.
So my highest score was Faith then under that was encouraging and evangelism. That still feels really vague to me! Honestly thats what frustrates me about being a woman in the church. It feels like if I am not teaching young children, then I should be cooking all day and bringing it to people. And it isn't that my spiritual life feels unfulfilled all the time it's just I want to use God's gifts to their full potential.

I guess I am happy as long as I don't have to do the same thing over and over again

....and a happy new year!

2010-12-31T21:35:00.001-06:00

I can not believe it is 2011. It is hard to believe that I made my life altering deciscion of becoming a cake decorator last February! This is the first time in probably 7 years that I have not been in Georgia during New Years Eve. Usually I am sitting in Brittany's basement watching some amazing 80's flick or at the Chick-fil-A bowl game where her dad gets amazing tickets. This year however Me and Theron are sitting in our house watching the bowl game while I occasionally do laundry. I know big night... I was asleep from 4 to about 6. I know I am such an old lady.

Anyways, I am going to take this time to make my New Year's Resolution list. I feel pretty good about going into this New Year. I already have a jumpstart on my weight loss, I have knocked off a couple of items off last years list. This year I am making a list to have things become more habitual where I wont have to keep thinking about doing them.

here is goes...

-loose the last 10-15 lbs to bring me to my goal weight :oD!!! that will be 35-40 lbs all together!
- Read one book every month
- read my bible during my break at work (I already do this sometimes but I need to be better about it)
- Keep prayer request list updated
-find a class on Sunday and wednesday nights :oS
- finish one painting every 3 months (that seems like a long time but I get side-tracked a lot & i am trying to be realistic)
- fold laundry as soon as it gets out of the dryer
-do dishes before bed every night
-Invite at least one couple over for dinner and games.... this sounds silly but I feel like I need to learn to be a better hostess
-household items i want crossed off list by next year.... if financially possible
     -paint sun porch/ turn into dining room
     - island for kitchen
    - stain trim and doors
    - ***laminate wood flooring through house*** goal time (fall of 2011)

wish me luck!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Updates

2010-12-30T18:45:00.000-06:00

Well hey guys!

It has been over a month since my last post! However I don't think I will do a ton of catching you guys up on things.... I can't remember everything, it's boring and you will probably skim past most.

Ill hit a couple of main points

- Etsy is awesome for gifts. They are more personal and you can just ship them long distance

- I finished Cheryl's painting by December 21st. I don't even know if I had talked about her comminsioning me to do a painting. She wanted it of Little Rock Central High School. It is not a pretty building but it has a lot of sentimental value. Here is how it turned out.

She loved it which is what matters most.

- I have FINALLY crossed off multiple to-dos on my list of house updates that I have had since we moved in two years ago.

TO-DO

- ~~New Faucets in Bathrooms~~

~~-New Kitchen Sink Faucet~~

~~- Paint back bathroom & laundry~~

~~- print off and frame photos/ artwork~~

~~-decorate above kitchen cabinets~~

~~-Herb box in kitchen~~

It felt SO good to get these crossed off. Because I am very realistic about my house. We don't have a lot of money to spend, nor do I have a lot of time to spend working on things. Yes I would love for my house to look like those interior decorating blogs I love so much. I do feel like I set my internal clock 2 years ago for these few things. I didn't want all updates to be done but I did want a face-lift for each of the rooms. Here is everything I have done over the last month.

-Living Room: I finally got rid of my ceiling tiles that I used to put up all my favorite prints. It was a good quick cheap fix for awhile, but I am glad its gone. I got all those frames from Goodwill, Half of them I had to paint black and add borders but it is still WAY cheaper than buying brand new frames!oh and I got that large frame with the print of bridge from good will for 8$! Look my sculpture is finally hanging in my house!

Sorry I couldnt get a good picture of my wall collage, the glare was in the way.

Kitchen: I finally got decorations for above my cabinets when everything was 50% off at hobby lobby, its just twisty things and berry stems with some twinkle lights. Plus our faucet broke so we had to get a new one : oD a nice suprise. thats my herb planter on the window seal... Ive always wanted them.

Our bedroom: we used to have NOTHING on the walls. I like this because it is simple and clean lines. I found that mantle at the goodwill in Georgia I think it was 5$ its solid wood and has grooves to hold frames.
I had most of these pictures i framed I just had to wait till I had the time and money to frame them. I love the rock candles from TJ Maxx

Back Bathroom: Got new paint and patches sealed from when Tosca was a pup. I had to stick my Bob Dylan poster somewhere... :o)

we got new knobs for the vanity I got that mirror at Fayetteville Trading Post for 8$ oringinally 50$ from Hobby Lobby. Those faucets are the same in both bathrooms. I got them at Habitat for Humanity for 40$ each. Which is awesome for a nice Faucet

just new framed art and soap in the front bathroom!

I still have lots to do though.

Trying

2010-11-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to be better at being an encourager. It is something I lost through college, maybe because I felt like I had to take care of myself so I couldn't rely on anyone else.

Just small steps... Commenting on people's blogs more often.... even strangers....

Offering help when I feel like someone is to their breaking point.... just trying to read people better and how I can serve them.

Sometimes I know it can get discouraging when others don't come through for you when you need it most. But I am going to try not to dwell on that.... I think thats why I gave up on the notion before.

I don't want to think like that anymore.
Thats all I really want to talk about right now... I have things on my mind but I am not ready to write about them yet.

Holidays

2010-11-03T22:17:00.000-05:00

I have to say I am already excited for the Holidays. This year we will definitely not be able to go back to Georgia at any time. Which makes me sad, but I am also looking forward some good hard work and large paychecks. As long as I am getting to be creative work doesn't bother me, and usually I will find a way to do that anyways.

What will you do with these paychecks?... you may ask. We have been saving up for some home improvement projects for our house that I have been aching to check off my mental list. Don't get me wrong I love our little house. It was a great investment, and I am so proud that we made ourselves homeowners at 22 years old. But we also bought a house that I saw a lot of potential in and when I have a vision it is really difficult for me to hold back. If I could I would use a week vacation just to get everything perfect.

I try to understand why I do this. It is incredibly difficult for me to just not change things around me. Sometimes this can be a good thing, like with our marriage, or my spiritual life. i am not a planner but I like to mentally prepare myself for some things if that makes sense. Lets say if I know I will be around someone difficult for an entire weekend it is best for me to know two days in advance. I feel like I am jabbering but it is only because Theron is taking a class all this week, and I feel strange blabbing to my dogs.

But then Our Minister said something in one of his sermons that made me feel better about not wanting to feel content. He said "We are all either falling away from God or drawing nearer to him. There is no standing still."

A year ago I would not have agreed with that statement. I felt okay that I prayed occasionally, because I knew what I believed. But then It hit me that God also knows who I am and the true intentions of my heart, and that was the first time that that notion scared me. There has to be some kind of movement otherwise we aren't alive.

Maybe I wasn't for awhile there...

A Change of Heart

2010-11-01T15:19:00.000-05:00

I am working on this blog being a very direct reflection of me and my walk through life. Sometimes crazy/funny things happen but in the end I feel like many people just don't want to feel alone in their thoughts. So here it goes....

About four weeks ago I made a decision to just stop.

I was overwhelming myself in things that I thought I was supposed to want out of life.

-A career that would pay me what my college education was "worth"

-Financial stability

-Closeness with friends and family

-Freedom to pursue creativity

And this sounds silly but I would get really REALLY bummed when one of these things didn't pan out the way it was supposed to. I have always had high expectations out of life. Not in an optimistic way but in a idealistic way even though I consider myself a realist. I blame it on reading too many fairy tales and believing in them.

In our life group we started a lesson on Paul and Romans and around the same time Tim started preaching about the Holy Spirit. And it was around this time I decided I just needed to purify my intentions and expectations of life. Growing up in a hard-working upper middle class family didn't always train me for how to deal with life's unexpected turns. We all usually have a plan B anyway. But then it hit me after praying and reading Romans

I don't deserve anything

God is the one who deserves everything

And it was that solitary acknowledgement that has led to me just waking up and thanking him for being alive. I used to hate hearing people say that... honestly. I think because I never understood how minuscule I was. Growing into the grown-up version of myself is making it so much more difficult to understand and rely on God, because the world looks so much bigger now.

Now I am just working on how to apply this to my life. Mission Emphasis Sunday is next week and I am praying for God to help me understand how he needs me to be a part. I have never gone on an overseas mission, usually I say because there is so much to be done here.... but honestly I never do community work either.

One thing I do know... I am comfortable being very honest about my spiritual walk with others so this feels like something I can continue.

Romans 5: 2-5 " And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

persistence and patience

2010-10-27T12:35:00.000-05:00

I would like to draw attention to my ticker at the top left of my blog. That's right 20 lbs down and 15 more to go! Ever since my eating has become more habits and knowing that I just can't eat whatever I feel like anymore it has gotten easier for me to stick to a healthy diet. It was all in my head. I didn't loose a single pound for about 2 1/2 weeks then dropped 3 and then another 2, and it feels awesome. I am a cake decorator that doesn't eat cake. Not saying that I will never eat it but I am MUCH more conscious of how much I have eaten it over a long span of time.

On another note. God has blessed me with an answered prayer. That I will continue to pray about. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have a church family that I can count on. I don't think I have ever had that before in my life. We are truly blessed, and Bentonville Church of Christ is the only place I can see us being for a very long time. Thank you to everyone for your prayers!

A Defining Sense of Self Accomplishment

2010-10-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

After enduring these past two weeks I am convinced I can handle almost anything.... cake wise. Last weekend and this weekend I had 4 wedding cakes due each weekend. Which wouldn't be a huge deal except that Everyone else in Bella Vista decided to have birthdays those days as well. By the end of Thursday I had run out of sheet cake. Luckily I had ordered a large amount of cake to come in friday morning. Sorry ahead of time if none of this makes sense my body is just now realizing how exhausted it is.

One thing is for sure.
I love the physicality of my job. My favorite sculptor Louise Nevelson wrote in her book about how much she needed physical labor in her process and how she was built for it. It was always a statement that reasonated with me. One of the things that I was so unhappy with teaching wise was it felt so stagnate for me. Almost as if my brain doesn't function in full capacity if my body isn't moving with it. I love that if I have to or not I could stand pretty much a full day and not be aching the next.

I finally feel really happy where I am in my job, friendships, spirituality, and marriage. I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, and it was pretty much because I strongly evaluated what I wanted out of life. And with a lot of prayers I have decided that if I would just TRY to be content where I am then God would use me the way I needed to be used. No I don't make even half the money I would be making as a teacher or in a Museum. But I also probably wouldn't feel as big of a sense of accomplishment either. It sounds strange I know because I am only a cake decorator but it just feels like it fits right now and I shouldn't be forcing myself to try on more shoes just because people will notice them, they cost more, or have more value. These shoes are just my size and style and i love them just the way they are.

I was going to write more but my eyes are involuntarily closing... bye!

I was not exaggerating

2010-09-21T20:56:00.000-05:00

When I started this post it was Monday at 3 pm and I was sitting on the couch with three pillows under my knee, watching Bridget Jones' Diary, which usually I would love but I hate the fact that I dont feel like I can move around. I woke up at 8 am this morning which is early for my off day. I had a bunch of things on my list of things to do.

1. Do dishes
2. take shower (yes I had to make a point to do that)
3. fix leak in basement
4. clean-out basement
5. go to walmart get more staples for staple gun
6. Clean-out guest bedroom closet
7. de clutter kitchen and random drawers
8. fold laundry

while I was finishing up #4 I broke a large vase I used to have in my old bathroom back when I lived in Fayetteville. I begrudgingly picked up the pieces and put them in a garbage bag. Yes I know.... not a great place, but I said to myself "Abby make sure and be careful when you move those because the glass could still get you!" So one more broken pot and a couple of more boxes later I started moving everything to the street so the garbage men could earn a living. It was literally the last thing I moved so I was soooooo tired and aggrivated at how overgrown our side path was.

Next thing I feel is something scratch my leg only I look down and blood is pouring down my leg.

"Oh shit" (pardon my french but I was really freaked out)

"Here I am all alone.... Theron is at a golf thing in Missouri and I might need stitches!!"

I hobble inside looking for the closest clean rag to stop the bleeding and tell myself to stay calm.

Whats next Abby....?

A belt... I need a belt to keep the rag from falling off the wound
So I get my belt and fashion it some odd way... so I can make some phone calls....

I call Theron... (i hear wind blowing) "Hey Babe, whats up?"

Me: (crying) "I cut myself really bad and I don't know if I need stitches"

Theron: "Well How deep is it?"

Me: "I don't know... it was bleeding bad and I can't really tell... I mean its the worst cut I have ever gotten. (still crying) It's not deeper than a half inch? Somewhere between a cut and a gash???"

Theron: "Keep something on it to stop the bleeding and I will call you back in 30 minutes to check on you"

Me: "Okay bye" (sniffle)

I could loose my leg by then i must call someone else.... BRITTANY, my best friend who is going to nursing school!!! she hardly EVER picks up the phone the first try but Miraculously she does!!

By this time I just need someone to calm me down.... I do not deal well with things affecting my body.

Brittany: "Well Hello"

Me: "Im having a crisis!!"

B: "whats wrong!!"

Me: "I need you to tell me if I need stitches"

Long story short....
Brittany had to counsel me through buying butterfly bandages, cleaning my wound, keeping it elevated, ect.

The only problem was that once I hung up the phone I started having cold chills. Usually blood doesn't affect me that much but since my flesh had seperated and I started thinking I was going to puke or faint. Only I couldn't catch my breath... It seemed as though I was having a full out panic attack!

I stumbled to the sofa and As I am going to sit I start having tunnel vision where everything starts going black.

After a couple of seconds I pull it together because I am not done cleaning this mother! AND I still need to go get those butterfly bandages

I would like to say that that was the only time I avoided fainting from changing my bandages but It happens two more times.

So when I tell you that I am not good with blood, gashes, medical stories, or anything involving upsetting things to the human body I am not exaggerating...... no matter how much it seems like I am exaggerating this story

AND THERON TOLD ME IT WASNT EVEN THAT BAD.... ugghhhhh well see when I get my scar!!

Seeing Results!

2010-09-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

I have lost 8 lbs!!

I have been saying that I am going to diet for awhile but after I got back from Georgia I was highly motivated. My little sister, Joanna, and I text each other our weight every morning and she has helped me soooooo much these first two weeks. She is going to Georgia State's School for Nutrition but she has really just kept me motivated. I lost the first 5 lbs really quickly and actually fluctuated up 2 lbs when I had been hardcore dieting for a couple of days so I got kind of discouraged.

For those of you who have never had to diet you would have no idea of the emotional exhaustion this plays in your mind. After I lost those 5 lbs it felt like I was stuck.... like I could do it forever and it would never do a bit of good. So when I weighed myself this morning I was ECSTATIC about loosing 3 more lbs. And now I am super motivated!!! Haven't had a piece of scrap cake in 2 weeks!!

For those curious, I am counting calories. only eating between 1,100 and 1,300 a day. I keep a journal, so it makes me think before I eat anything, which is good for a stress eater like me.

You can never go back.... but you can look back :o)

2010-08-29T15:49:00.001-05:00

O M G

If you didn't know me in Highschool.... This is as close as you will get.

http://veada-the-odieous.xanga.com/

So embarassing....
This is a pretty good entry that summed me up

Monday, March 29, 2004
ha so today i was incredibly dizzy and feeling like i am going to puke chute, but i didnt. in fact i was so out of it that i went to Library Aide during 5th period when i was supposed to be in Sculpture, i skipped 5th b/c i thought i was supposed to go to 6th period, i realized i had skipped a class when i was walking to Bible during 6th period and realized that i didnt have english at the end of the day, so something was wrong, i had to stop Aaron McLaughlan and ask him what period we were supposed to be going to... hopefully Coach Baker will understand
then when i got home i didnt get to sleep b/c i had to go back and pick joanna up at 4:30 from spartan spec practice (WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO UNTIL 4:30) that leaves me no time to do anything!!! but anyways i am on my way to pick her up and i notice 316 is blocked so i figure there is a wreck on 316 so i go further up sugarloaf to go 85 south, little did i know the "wreck" was stoppin gup that traffic also, but it was too late to turn back, I SPEND 1 HOUR JUST ON THE RAMP TRY ING TO GET ONTO 85!!!! and you know what, when i passed the "wreck" there was no "wreck" to be found, police had blocked 1 LANE OF TRAFFIC, 1 LANE!!! and this stopped up all what 6 lanes of traffic, and you want ot know why, b/c every lane had to stop and look to see what was happening, and ill tell you what was happening NOTHING!!!!!! i spent hours 4 to 6 in the car
oh yea ps, i had to urinate extremely bad when i was stuck on the ramp which made it all the worse
all in all ... not a very good day

VACA!!!

2010-08-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

Me and Theron are finally getting to go to Georgia to see my family and some of my best gal pals!!! I will be gone a week with no more posting of cakes on Facebook (I know you are so depressed) but in case you get bored.....

This is the most amazing website ever... It will keep you laughing for hours. Make sure you search around it.... Happy Faulker Satherhood is a personal fav as well as the vast spelling errors that occur

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!! I'll see you when I get back!!

from Blah to AHHHH (insert angels singing)

2010-08-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

I got this lamp with my mom from goodwill. I passed by it twice I think and finally actually took a look at it. It Looked like something out of a bad 1970's science fiction film. It had a bunch of wierd moss and hairy dead leaves in it. so I gave it a good cleaning and filled it with these bulbs I got from the Goodwill for 25 cents a piece. I think most of them are Christmas bulbs. The lamp was 5.00$ but the shade was 25$. Sadly I was hoping to find one I liked for cheaper but alas I could not.

Stranger than Fiction

2010-07-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

I bumping this movie up to #1 in my favorites. I just decided to watch it out of the blue while Theron was grilling and I forgot how much I loved it. I can't decide what I love the most, how Emma Thompson so vividly portrays the creative process, the amazing cast, or outstanding storyline. This is not your average Will Farrell movie... it is so much better. Be warned though its not roll on the floor funny. It is smart, warm, and heartfelt. Here is my favorite ending commentary from Emma Thompson.

"As Harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true. And, so it was, a wristwatch saved Harold Crick. "

Go watch and tell me what you thought.... I hope you enjoy!

I carry your heart with me

2010-07-30T19:35:00.000-05:00

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

E E Cummings

After my mom's visit my homesickness went from bad to worse. I only got to spend one day with her. And my heart literally aches from not seeing my family and friends in Georgia. To all who read I miss you dearly but carry you in my heart

Those aren't real Lemons

2010-07-24T21:03:00.000-05:00

I promise home make-over pictures awhile ago. Although these are seemingly small changes to me they make all the difference!

We will start with the kitchen it is what has changed the most since we moved in two years ago. This is pretty much how it looked when we first moved in we just painted the walls a light green because we didn't feel like messing with the cabinets and we didn't have the proper funding.

It seemed weird but I didn't want all white because it gets really dirty on the bottom and it is just too white for me. So I decided to go with a Walnut stain on the bottom. And I finally got my big table legs and stained them to match. I love this table, it even has two more sections to add when we expand to a larger house. We are going to be putting laminate flooring in all over the house and I think we are going to do a walnut stain. The laminate in the kitchen is not the best.

My mom got me these antique milkglass salt and pepper shakers from Kudzuu in Avondale GA, one of the greatest thrift stores EVER! I love them

I got this kitchen towel at a thrift store and I am obsessed with it. It is just so cute!!

On to the Bathroom!!

We started with this light blue color but it just never grew on me. When I painted the guest bedroom I decided to try the color in the bathroom and loved it. I am hoping we get a new sink counter soon.

Theron calls this our 40 dollar hamper. Cute storage is expensive!!

The Living Room. It actually has not changed too much but we got a better TV

Insert new tv in above picture here. Everything else looks the same. We love our window

the only thing we have done to our room is organize the closet but boy did it need it!!!

We weren't utilizing our space very well. I found these Baskets at TJ Maxx and got rid of the once were cute carboard ones from IKEA they don't hold up well... good to know!

ahhh much better!!!

Well that is all for now I have some new projects underway in my head! Hope you enjoyed and were inspired!

I feel like sharing...

2010-07-20T21:10:00.001-05:00

I haven't shared these on here before. These are the only ones that I can find that I documented since I switched computers three times. I am starting two new pieces so I am getting pumped up for them. Hope you enjoy. I threw in some of my sculptures as well. Just be glad I didn't put it all my trillion figure sculptures.
If you click they enlarge pretty big....

All so very Abby eh??

I didn't have the strength to try to put them in any type of order sorry. If maybe if you guys were a possible future employer it would be different :oD

Summer Fever

2010-07-19T18:23:00.001-05:00

I have semi been going a little crazy with summer cabin fever. To be honest I don't like to go anywhere July-August because it is so terribly hot everywhere. But I also have not been wanting to stay at home. So to take my mind off of the fact that I will probably not be getting any vacation time for at least another month I have been thrifting, cooking, and watching a lot of Leverage with the hubs. In the summer my food cravings get out of wack, because I don't like to eat a lot of heavy things, and I can't eat soup when it is 90 degrees out.

I am crazy about two new recipes

I made these Chicken Avacado Napoleon's after seeing Giada's show and they are Delicious!

That is kind of a bad picture that I got from Food Networks website

Last night we were in the mood for something tropical so we made up a recipe for
Hawiian Chicken and Mango Pizza, this was our first attempt at making our own pizza and we were very scared for the outcome

this is now one of my favorite pizzas and I a pizza type of girl. Theron was even shocked at how good it was

on another note I went to Fayetteville with my friend Nellie today and she introduced me to the wonderful world of Orange Mango yogurt on Dickson street. (I didn't take these pictures I found them online)

You go in and pick up your bowl and are greeted with a wall of frozen yogurt choices

Half of them are sweet like cake batter, coffee, vanilla, cheesecake, chocolate, and the other half are tart like pineapple, mango, pomegrante, ect. I chose chocolate and pomegrante

Next you get to choose from a large variety toppings

After you weigh and pay you get to eat in their trendy table nooks overlooking dickson

well and dickson street mural that is....

I am already dreaming of my next visit....

The best part is they are all non-fat or low-fat! Now we need to get one in Bentonville

YAY! New Format!

2010-07-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

I loved my old background but I hate writing in that small space everything always looks so smushed.

But I have added super new buttons, Backgrounds, and headers, for your viewing pleasure!

I changed it a lot before I was happy with it so hopefully it will stay like this awhile.

I changed the song, even though it is still Hem. I am searching for better tunes that are not obnoxious, either way you can always mute it. I however lub this song

Until next time...

Oh yea I still can't figure out how to change my posting fonts.... der

Desires

2010-07-13T22:07:00.001-05:00

It was Harry Potter weekend on ABC family, so I was hooked.

And while I was watching The Sorcer's Stone I started to really think about The Mirror of Erised, and how much I wished I had a mirror to show me my heart's desires.

Or even a compass to point me in the right direction.....

Wouldn't it be so much easier, except for the fact that half the time what I would desire most would be something super chocolately.

Still I think it would show that I wish I had a little more of this....in me

But that what I love to do most is this....

I do hope that it would show me as having certain characteristics as an older lady such as

saying things like "see ya later kid"

Not loosing my affinity for expressing everything through my face and sighs

I hope to stay forever young at heart

Whimsical by nature

and completely uncertain of almost everything except for my love of my family and friends

and Hopfully if I can keep my heart in the right spot I can learn to live on this account...

Colossians 2:2-5
"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."

I may need to get this tatooed on my wrist so I never forget...

You Drive Me Crazy... but I can't live without you

2010-07-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

First of all Blogger is being SO annoying. I FINALLY have all these great comments and it isn't posting them, But no worries I have gotten them in e-mails.

Today Theron has been driving me CRAZY!

I don't know if it is because we finally had two days off together, but we are no longer used to it, or if it is because he has a headache but I have literally almost slapped him five times.

Yes I am a hitter.... If you hurt my feelings or are being so absolutely ridiculous that the only way I can show you just how angry I am is through physical contact I WILL deck you!

The entire pitfall of the hideousness that was this evening stemmed from our trip to Sam's Club on Sunday. On Sunday we were getting along there great. Theron likes to go with me to make sure I stay on budget and I like to go with him to make sure we eat...
Well I apparently hadn't been keeping a close enough eye on him because the only meat he bought us was a 2 lb bag of frozen COOKED shrimp!
Tonight as I was going to thaw out the Tilapia I thought he had purchased and realized we didn't have any, I thought "its ok we will just eat shrimp" then as i gaze into the freezer and see precooked frozen shrimp I lose it! but silently. I cover my face with my hands to hide the look of utter annoyance from piercing theron out of my eyeballs. I guess it would help to know that he had just yelled at me for eating a snack.

So we get in the car to go get some fish but for some reason Theron is still wanting to call the shots, even though he has a bad headache. So he decides he wants us to go to Allen's which is like the worst place to get fish... but I am just being quiet and soon he admits that this was a bad decision.... and I am just smiling

Once he finally relinquishes power to me I start being more understanding of his condition and actually really start to worry because he had a little bump on the back of his head and had said that was where his head hurt. So being the hypochondriac that I am, I start to think of crazy things that it could be and eventually I am worrying about being a widow, taking care of myself when I am sick and having to wash and dry dishes.

Point of the story. There are times where I have to walk away from him because he makes me so frustrated, but Thinking of him ill or worse makes me sick to my stomach. He is probably the only person who I have let down the entirety of my walls for, or he has broken through them, that is usually a must when getting close to me. So I shall cherish our fights and his crazy comments as he walks into the room at this moment.

comments and songs

2010-07-06T11:55:00.001-05:00

You have no Idea how HAPPY your comments made me!!! I feel like such a comment whore... I would do anything for them.

Amanda: I hate it because I don't have an Anthropologie up here and they haven't sent my Catalouge to my new address!!!

Toria: I love that song, it is one of the reasons I named my blog Half an Acre. They are a really great band there is another song on that playlist by them. They remind me of a less annoying, more mellow version of the Cranberries (sometimes her voice would get on my nerves).

Nellie: Thanks for giving me your opinion! I am glad you figured out how to comment!!

I added some new songs that I would add to the soundtrack of my life... please enjoy and comment while I try to figure out another fun blog post

I Must Confess

2010-07-05T18:47:00.000-05:00

I have had it in my head to make this post for awhile now to better introduce myself. Note taken: Everyone that reads my blog knows me quite well, but just in case you didn't know here are some questions answered... I will warn you some may be conpletely random but it should be fun!

I love my name: Abigail Kathleen, like many artists I have changed my signature over the years. At one point I signed art ABI, Now I prefer Abigail Kathleen.... totally wierd.
I had a cat that lived for 18 years. It died when I was 19.
I wish I had a soundtrack for my life that I could always hear in my head
I am fascinated by people with multiple personalities
Me and Theron's first date was to Waffle House
My favorite thing to buy from TJ Maxx is their pretty smelling bar soaps
My celebrity crushes are Jim Sturgess and John Kransinki, I have a thing for gangly goofy guys

My vote for favorite Actors is a tie between Leo Dicaprio and Johnny Depp

My ultimate Favorite movie is Mommie Dearest

My vote for best actress is a tie between Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, and Ill have to add Meryl Streep in that one.
I can't watch medical shows or documentaries because I am a hypocondriac
I am not a phone talker.
I get homesick every 6 months
My favorite smell is burning leaves
The only animal I could shoot for a million dollars is maybe a squirrel or a bird, unless of course it is attacking me
If I could have a superpower it wold be Bella's ability to protect herself and her loved ones.
If I could have one famous painting in my house I would have to choose between Whistler's "Nocturne" and Milton Avery's "Autumn"

If I could, I would devote an entire room to a Louise Nevelson Installation

Sargent's "Lady Agnew of Lochnaw" is my favorite portrait... I think ....

I adore these cupcakes

I wish I could buy every home decor item from Anthropologie
If I could pick one time in my life to re live (not to redo) it would be my summer after senior year through my freshman year of college
If I could pick one time in my life to redo it would be our wedding..... it would have been much smaller and not as big of a deal

I can't think of anymore right now... hope you enjoyed, comment if you are curious about anything else!

fonts and frenzy

2010-07-01T18:48:00.000-05:00

I have not been in a bloggy mood lately. After reading one of my best gal pal, Amanda's post. She has inspired me to try to revamp my blogging identity by narrowing down my topics and I would also LOVE to fingure out how to use this type kit website to change my fonts up but I am a little too computer illiterate and it may take some time...but I will prevail eventually.

Now for the question

What do you enjoy reading on my blog?! In the past I have written about incredibly random things but some to narrow down might be

Art
Cakes (those I might combine and throw in some interior design stuff I am persuing)

My deep sorrowful troubles of humanity

strange things that happen in my daily life

I think I know which I would rather do but would like some feedback. Even those of you who can't follow because you aren't signed up but are still avid readers, Ahem Jo, Megan, Nellie and Arielle please send me a facebook message

a new scanner for some old photos

2010-06-27T23:12:00.001-05:00

Everyone turn your speakers up I have a new feature, a playlist, not many songs right now but feel free to browse them!

Earlier Long photo... my mom on the right

A Long Family portrait... thats my mom in the back

Thats my mommy in the diapers in the front

This is my grandma Jackie, She died when my mom was about 18 so I never got to meet her, she is quite petite

My Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Jesse

I think these are my mom's cousin's... It is a neat picture though

My mom and grandma. My mom looks so much like my older sister in this photo. This photo eerily was a good representation of their relationship, from what I have put together.

My Grandpa Tuck (my dad's dad) He played football for Alabama, very big man... I miss him

My grandparent's wedding announcement

My great-grandma Opal on my mom's side, She was the sweetest lady, I hope to be like her in my old age

This is my favorite picture of my mom, even though she hates it. It is funny because everyone always thinks it is me with a big hat on. We only look alike in profile.

I hope this hasn't bored you too much. I just got a new/used scanner off someone and have been wanting to upload these. I guess I am a little more homesick for my mom than I thought... I hope everyone's summers are going well!

A Morning Suprise

2010-06-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

I worked overtime at least one hour a day this week, wednesday 2 hours over, and Friday 2 1/2. Needless to say I am beat. I went in 2 hours early on Saturday morning and was not looking forward to the day until I pulled out of my drive way and was exstatic to see two red fox cubs playing in my neighbors yard. When I pulled up towards them they ran and across the road and trotted with me a little ways as I talked to them.

This morning we woke up early and I looked out the window one was right in front of our bedroom window and 4 more were up the driveway and in the cul de sac playing!!!!! One of the great things about living in Bella Visa!

I really want one as a pet!! SO PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

I want

2010-06-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

I am so going to have an indoor tent party... these are so spectacular... thanks to sfgrilbybay

To all the Teachers

2010-06-09T17:10:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that dispite the fact that I got a degree in Art Education and am no longer using it. I have a HUGE amount of respect for all the teachers out there!! Especially those who are just beginning and are making it work!! I think one of the reasons I always thought about teaching was because I respected them so much.

So teachers... Enjoy your summer... YOU DESERVE IT!!!!

New Mondays

2010-06-07T19:09:00.001-05:00

I have decided that Mondays are going to be my new thrifting days. I follow this amazing website that gives me all kinds of great ideas, so I am going to start collecting small tidbits every week. These are some of her photos i am striving for my future home furnishings.

In Another Place

2010-06-06T13:20:00.003-05:00

I have been in another place for the past 4 days.

I had to go in to work today to finish a cake and when I looked back at another one I decided I had to redo it because it honestly looked like I was on crack when I did it. I literally told those I work with if I ever make a cake that looked that bad to take me aside and tell me it looks like absolute shit. because it honestly did... and I am glad I got a chance to fix it. Because Some one else returned a cake, a very small cake, but still i hated that I was so out of it that I did not ever realize how awful it was. Even if they wanted me to write too much on a small cake and didnt give me any other specifications besides put car keys on it, that does not excuse the fact that that cake was ugly.

But I guess it had to happen sometime. and it is nice to know that everyone was suprised that I had made it because it looked so terrible.

I am but only human... and will have bad days :0(

Just like Old Times

2010-06-01T20:49:00.001-05:00

After hanging out this weekend with all of our friends from college, it really made me miss all of our old times together. Especially in the summers when we would grill out almost every night. We jokingly call ourselves the family but they really felt like mine for 4 short years, and probably will continue to for all the years to come

Here is to Family!!! I am so glad Melissa brought her camera!

What is Romance?

2010-05-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after my cake from hell delivery was over me and the hubs went to Fayetteville for a date night. I had really been wanting to see Letters to Juliet, I knew it wouldn't be Oscar worthy but I was just in a sentimental mood. It was extremely sentimental with terribly cheesy parts were we had to share an "OH PLEASE" with each other. And it was during those times that I was reminded how perfect we are for each other. Even though I love romantic movies and used to believe my life would unfold like one of them I have come to the time in my life where I love having someone who shares my twisted sense of humor. Don't get me wrong our relationship started with butterflies and long stares into each others eyes, but now I enjoy having someone who always laughs at my jokes and knows that after a long day I need a bath and the dishes washed instead of a poem.

The one thing I loved about this movie was that it showed that even though the old lady did go to her "true love" when she was 15 she still found successful love in another person. I have always believed that there could be more than one match for someone. Even though someone could be the best fit, there are others who could make a good match in other ways. God's plan is just much too powerful for anyone to just give up hope.

Before me and Theron were married I had a friend go through a really bad break-up and we were talking about destiny and the only thing I could tell him was that. As much as I believe/want me and Theron to be together forever if something ever happened between us I would have to trust that my life was still in God's control.

I don't really know where I am going with this.... What are your thoughts? Is there just one person out there for all of us?

Laughing in the Workplace

2010-05-12T17:22:00.000-05:00

Today a woman came in a said that she had gotten a bad cake back around the holidays. It tasted like " Crisco, lard, and powdered sugar". LOL I suppose she was hoping we would give her a new one. But Kudos to the crazy lady, because that is exactly what that icing is made of!! At least I didn't make the cake, I started in February. All Angela told her was that if she had notified us back then we could have given her her money back. Shelia said she was probably needing one today! hahah

I love when Chad starts stories, " So, when I used to shave my body...." and it turns into a bad tanning lotion story.

I don't know how good of friends I can be with Chad he insults my eyebrows and hair too much. I think I need more self-esteem to have a gay friend. He is very fun to be around though.

Even on the worst days I still try to find humor in the terrible, stupid, and insane things that happen

cake on the brain

2010-05-11T20:15:00.002-05:00

This was for the assisted living in Bella Vista. I hope the older ladies liked it :0)

mmmm chocolate

Earth Day cupcakes

My first wedding cake

there we go for now

WeddingChannel

2010-05-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

WeddingChannel

Hello Stranger!

2010-05-06T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well Hello Strangers.... It's been awhile.
Apart from having a terrible cake week last week, There really hasn't been anything on my mind to blog about until today.

As I was leaving work today I decided to pick up some groceries before leaving, and as I am hobbling around the store one of the bakery workers hesitantly asks me if I have already clocked out and if it would be too much trouble for me to write on a cake. Not too begrudgingly I said no and shuffled back into my little room to get out a color. I write Happy Birthday Melanie as asked in red and go to check out my groceries, when the guy who got the cake got in line behind me. He had a little 1/8th sheet cake, a potted plant, and a card. For some reason this warmed my heart beyond belief. He was pretty rough looking but had very kind eyes and thanked me when I moved my groceries up so he could set his things down. It made me remember a similar time when an older man came in with his son. You could tell they didn't have much money, the dad only had a few teeth left, and both wore overalls, but he had the sweetest look on his face when I handed him a cake with his wife's name on it. I think the sentimentality is what I love most about cakes. A small thoughtful, pretty, and inexpensive cake can mean more to someone than one that costs 100$. I try to always make myself stop and think about that before talking to a costumer or getting myself in a hurry over something because thinking about those two men who are doing something so simple for someone they love is so sweet it makes me want to cry.

A Few More Cakes

2010-04-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring Cupcakes!!

Such a cute cake, they brough me an invitation to go from

Sheet cakes CAN be cute!!

And Finally.... my first fondant cake!! With a very funny/annoying story to go with it. This woman wanted it for her daughter's first birthday... I'll write about it later it feels like it is a really long story.

An Off Day

2010-04-13T16:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went and got a pedicure with Leah, my new friend who was also the young gal who trained me. It was so great! Leah got her nails done because she has that crazy phobia about people touching her feet. I on the other hand do not have that phobia. it felt sooo good after a month of being on my feet all day. I am getting used to it and I have even been running about 3 nights a week, usually on the days when my feet are not killing me.
After I got back from my nail date I finally sorted the mountain of laundry and de-winterized our closet and house. and decided I needed further storage bins to keep it organized and talked to Theron about getting some inexpensive organizers.

I have a ton of clothes from when my weight has fluctuated over the years. and I havent really gotten rid of many because I am afraid I will need them once I loose weight. For those of you who have only known chubby recent Abby... all through highschool I weighed about 135-145. My freshman year of college I actually lost weight because I refused to eat in the cafeterias, and got down to 125, that is SMALL for 5'9". well it only lasted that one year because I gradually gained it back over the next 4 years of college when I moved into a house with two roomates. When I went on the pill right before Theron and I got married I weighed about 150. a Little more than I would like but here we are like 30 pounds later. So I finally got off the pill because it was giving me crazy mood swings, hot flashes, and lets not forget the weight gain. Now I am not totally blaming the pill for all my weight issues. But it can't be a small coincidence that I gained all that weight when I started taking birth control and stopped taking Adderall. Which I am convinced has completely screwed up my metabolism. So now that I am no longer taking any medications I am trying to get the weight off. I am really hoping I am not going to need Ally or trimspa or something!!

So with all my recent excercising and cooking I hadn't spent much time cleaning. So yesterday I went into full clean-up tornado Abby on my house. (And Saturday on my cake room). It feels SO good (except my golden retriever just jumped on my clean bed with muddy lake paws). Perhaps it was my lack of mental rest that accompanied enormous amounts of forgetfulness and screw-ups today. I was having a very bad off day today. So much in fact that my manager allowed me to go home early before I screwed up anymore cakes. Hopefully I can get it together tonight. Maybe a nice jog will clear my head.

Thanks for listening! wish me luck!!

The C in OCD

2010-03-28T17:05:00.001-05:00

SO today in Bible class preacher Tim asked us to raise our hands if we had to choose which best described us as either organized or spontaneous. I think I was the only woman who raised my hand for spontaneous, and he further said that it was interesting how most of the couples were split down the middle, but Theron isn't orangized either. We are an enigma I guess. No wonder we have to pick up the house every night because both of us are like a tornado going through the house.

If you look hard enough every one has Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies. Mine just stray more towards the Compulsive aspect. This is probably because I will deal with something until a certain time and then just snap, go nuts and have to fix it right then. I can understand how this can be difficult to get used to, but most of my friends have grown to see it as an endearing quality and not that I am lacking in organizational skills. They get to laugh at me because I left a flat of red velvet cakes in the back of the store beside the freezer because I got side tracked telling my manager we needed to order more german chocolate cake. I get things done but in my own way, you just have to have faith in me, and there is nothing I hate more than when people lack faith in me because I feel like I rarely let people down. It is usually because I am not doing something in the normal organized fashion.
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I love getting to tell people I am a cake decorator because it always turns into a discussion of Ace of Cakes. Yes I love that show, and I would love the luxury of working on one cake for hours but that is not really how my job works. I am the only cake decorator at the Harp's store in Bella Vista, where every retired person out of a population of 20,000 people get their cakes and groceries. I average about 5 cake orders a day, less tuesday- thursday and more fridays and saturdays. On top of those cakes I have to make any promotional cakes for the store, currently easter cakes and cupcakes, case cakes which include but are not limited to carrot, italian creme, red velvet, and german chocolat. I am very happy the cakes are so popular and everyone seemed to love my easter cupcakes, since I get to do more tuesday! I also feel very proud when people say they have gotten orders to go to Harp's to get a cake since their cake tastes the best.
I will say that this job is perfect for my personality. I love that everyone loves cake. it reflects such pure emotion in people. They want to feel enchanted by it, which is something I always strove for in my art but art is so unreciprocated. i love that I have a list of things that have to get done and I can do it my own way as long as they all get done.
***************************************************************
Before church Theron told me i still went over budget this month for groceries.....uggghhh I was so mad at him because he didn't even tell me how good I did about cooking EVERY night these past two weeks. Let me break it down for you
- Monday: Poppy seed chicken and green bean bundles
-Tuesday: Meatloaf, fried okra, and mashed potatos
-wednesday: frozen pizza night
-thursday: sloppy joes and baked potatos
-friday: hamburgers and homemade potato chips
-Saturday: bertolli pasta ( Theron forgot to thaw out the meat)
I mean I think I did pretty good!! Sorry about all the changing of subjects I have been storing up thoughts all week :o)

grocery shopping.... boooo

2010-03-22T17:11:00.002-05:00

So suprisingly enough I have a hard time staying on a budget. I know right.. you would never think that of me! It is not that I go and buy really expensive shoes or purses or anything. I don't really know what I buy, make-up here or there, stains for furniture, candles. I am a bit flighty with money, and Theorn has been very patient with me but has now made me buckle down and really try to only spend a certain amount of money on food a month. That is really the only thing I have full control over. To be honest I don't like a whole lot of responsibility, so I usually am totally fine with leaving the Hard decisions up to Theron.

But as I was buying groceries today I was remembering a little episode of 7th Heaven. I hope someone else remembers this besides me so I don't feel like an idiot BUT. Lucy had some wierd home ec assignment or something where she wanted to go with her mother to the grocery store to watch her shop and do the budget. haha and I just remember it being so funny because Mrs. Camden was SO UPSET that Lucy wanted to tag along, that grocery shopping was her time to reflect on her families needs and yada yada yada. hahah I wish I felt this way about grocery shopping, I mainly feel like it is a huge pain in the butt and it makes me feel enormous when I think about how much stuff we eat in a week. Oh well I guess I will learn. Mrs. Camden probably didn't shop at the Wal-Mart in Bella Vista where crabby old people cut you off then walk -5 mph.

I will say though that since I am not as bored with too much time on my hands I am not as easily whimed to spending money. I have also vowed not to buy clothes until I am at my target weight goal which I will be officially straining to achieve now that we have bought the treadmill!!

I had to buy some nurse clogs for work because my feet KILL me at the end of the day. Like picture me hobbling from my car to my house, and I have been wearing sneakers! I guess thats what happens when you stand flat footed ALL DAY, maybe they will eventually get me one of those gel-pro pads. hopefully

anyways hooray for long posts !

Cakes!!

2010-03-21T17:06:00.004-05:00

This was my very first display cake for my store. It turned out pretty good I would have done some things differently but you can never really tell during the process. It turned out well though! My manager said she wanted something spring/girlie... I think it fits!

I loved this cake it was SO cute. They had given me one of their napkins they wanted it to kind of go with. So fun and not so hard!

My first cut-out shape cake. The guitar got a little short, but they got more cake for their money! It took me forever because that is black icing on the board... bleh.

This was a girls birthday cake. She was a tomboy and wanted it to look like the Mossy Osk camo. This is a bad picture because it looked more camo-y in real-life. Her mother was upset that I hadn't put the 1 and 6 candles on top for her. I thought I was just supposed to give them to her. Whatever... miscommunication

My first Baby Shower cake. She wanted it to look like a quilt. and she had drawn me a little picture. cute

I like this cake for some reason. Mainly because all they asked me to do was to make it a cat theme but not to use a kit. I get a lot of those kinds of orders because my customers are a lot older.

This one shows off my mad airbrushing skills. It was my second time airbrushing so I was pretty proud.

My first case cake to come up with my own thing. Its ok... I didnt leave enough room to write happy birthday... whoops!

Hope you enjoyed!!!

A New Chapter

2010-03-14T15:42:00.006-05:00

I finally feel like I have opened a new chapter in my life since my last chapter of moving to Arkansas to go to college. Where I met a boy my first day of classes, in the 3rd floor hallways of Old Main, waiting for our freshmen English class to start.

I loved the idea of new beginnings. Even though I loved my friends and family, I was so excited to see what else was out there. The funny thing was that Theron and his roommate had signed up to help other people move into their dorms since they had moved in earlier in the week, along with several other sophmores, juniors, and seniors. Only he got to the dorm a lot earlier than the rest of them, due to poor planning on behalf of the Razorbacks for Christ. So we didn't meet until that first day of classes in the hallway, but later that night I walked into the RFC house and was happily suprised to see a familiar face. He very quickly became my best friend. We hung almost every day, playing tennis or hanging out at other peoples houses. We just never got sick of each other.

Neither of us really wanted to start off college in a serious relationship it just happend that God had a different plan for us. And here is a montage of pictures to take you through this closing chapter and to bring us happily into a new one!!

Sometimes the greatest love story is your own!!

Jerry Is Baaaack!!!

2010-03-08T18:44:00.005-06:00

So for those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE Jerry Seinfeld fan. Yes I know the show is really old, but I can't help myself. If I could meet one person dead, alive, past, or present it would be Jerry Seinfeld. Because I feel as though we would be very good friends. I just got to watch last week's episode of the Marriage Ref and I am super excited that he is back in primetime television.

I also think that if there was one character that I relate with more than anyone it would be Elain Benes' character on Seinfeld. I love her reactions to things because it is just how I feel like reacting a lot of times.

But I am happy to say that I have finally found a new show that has come in a close second to Seinfeld!

If you have never watched Psych you seriously need to. Shawn and Gus are hysterical!!

This was a random post but oh well. I havent known what to blog about lately

Stray Dogs and Starting Work

2010-03-01T15:57:00.002-06:00

So my first day of training begins tomorrow. I am hoping they will allow me to take pictures of my first icing of my cakes. I am really excited. The only bad thing that I am willing to sacrifice for day-to-day happiness is that I will have to work on Saturdays.

On another note.

I picked up another stray dog today. Well I guess it was just lost not really stray. I seem to attract them a lot. That is the about the 4th or 5th one since we moved in to this house 2 years ago. It was just right behind it's house but it was in the middle of this curvy busy road and I was afraid someone just wouldn't see it. One dog followed me home when I was jogging. 2 dogs have wandered into our yard from out of the woods. The woman was suprised when the dog had come right up to me, I guess it usually runs away from her, she was an older woman who couldnt chase after her. I don't really have much to blog about and I just thought it was funny. So that is all for today. I will try to think of some better topics. I am fixing to have some home renovation pics to share, not major stuff just minor. OK well take care and watch out for your dogs and any others you see out there

The Best Birthday Gift!!!

2010-02-24T13:32:00.000-06:00

I know a lot of you have probably been getting tired of these serious life-changing posts, so I will not trouble you any longer!!

Last week or maybe the week before I put in an application to Harp's bakery that called for an Experienced Cake Decorator, No I am not experienced, but hoping that the job would give me some training I put in my application anyway.

Today I got a call from them. They asked me if I actually had experience and I said "no, but I was hoping they might do some training." She responded that it would if the person was a creative type, in which I could respond, "Well, I DO have a degree in Fine Arts!" So she faxed my app to the manager of the store IN Bella Vista!!! I mean this store is probably 3 minutes from my house!! The lady called me after probably 30 minutes and asked when I could come in for an interview. So after I finished walking my dogs I took some photographs of my work down to show her and talk to her about it.

And she gave me the job just like that!! She said that she actually was wanting someone with no experience so she could do the training, and that she was looking for someone with the art background!! I am going back tomorrow morning to watch some videos for orientation and then she is sending me to get trained for like 2 weeks at the Harps in Springdale!! I am going to get to work with weddings and all kinds of stuff!!!

I am just floored that all this happened on my birthday, the place is right down the road, they got right back to me, and its a full-time position. I mean how much easier could God have made this for me!!!

Just trust him you guys he knows what he is doing...

Grab Her!! She's Floating Away

2010-02-18T13:30:00.000-06:00

First off, Thank you for all the good vibes and prayers everyone has been sending my way.

After I got the call yesterday I was more confused than I have ever been, probably in my entire life. They asked me to come in for an interview today, to bring with me some of my works, and ideas for how I would teach 700 elementary school kids.

Later that night I went to Wal-Mart to print off some documentation of my work, and on the way I called my mom for some guidance. I sat in the Wal-Mart parking lot for 30 minutes talking it over with her. She told me that it isn't always about waiting for what God wants you to do, sometimes you just have to go for a plan and trust he will be with you.

She asked me if I saw myself doing it in 10 years........... no, I didn't even see me doing it next year

I turned around and went home without my photos, crying the whole way.

When I got home I told Theron I just couldn't do it, the bad was out weighing the good. He was supportive but I could tell he wanted me really think it through, because at this point I was just going to cancel the interview. During every commercial (I can't miss American Idol or Psych) he asked me are you sure? What is your backup? I mean I know you said you want to work at a bakery or a florist but what if they are not hiring because of the economy? Because if you cancel that interview you can forget about ever teaching here.

hmmmmm....

This is way I married him, he is so grounded compared to me a person who always has their head in the clouds. I need someone like that to keep me from floating away.

I wasn't upset with him for second guessing me (because usually I am, I am very stubborn), it just made me realize how much my emotions had control on me, and it was scary, I am usually much more logical and laid back when it comes to decisions. I am thankful for a husband who supports me but doesn't indulge me in my irrational behavior, because that is what I was being. COMPLETELY irrational. I mean we are just talking about an interview, they hadn't even offered me the job!!

So I went.

I got up really early to get my stuff together and get there by 10. And I am really glad I did. Mainly because I am almost positive they are not going to pick me. They are interviewing 7 candidates, the man who was there before me looked much more experienced and had a bigger portfolio.

When they were talking to me they said they wanted someone who could take over her class and continue it with the same integrity as she had. They continued to show me around telling me that her lesson plans are normally around 6 six pages compared to my 1 1/2 page lessons.

All I could say is, "Well, I can see how she would be difficult to replace." (hahaha oh me!)

I didn't get good vibes from it and it made me realize
I might just not love it enough....

Signs

2010-02-17T15:05:00.000-06:00

Lord, what are you trying to tell me?

I truly believe in the power of prayer and looking for the signs that God is pointing you in the right directions.

Why is a long-term sub job (for art!) opening up right as I am on the brink of completely changing my goals in life?!

Is this why I didn't get the other position I applied for?

I will take it if they offer it to me, and I will try my best to get it. Maybe he wants me to be absolutely sure that it is not for me because he knows I might regret is later.

uggghh....

I am so confused!!!

please pray for me

Quarter Life-Crisis

2010-02-16T15:31:00.001-06:00

So some of you may be worried about me since my last post. That was a rough day. After my breakdown I tried to think about what it was that was really bothering me. Yes I had a bad day and couldn't relax because the house was so dirty, but I feel like it went deeper than that.

My 24th birthday is coming up and I have very few things that are at the top of my wish list.

table legs for a kitchen table

paint for the house

I want it to be Spring

Most of all I want to get up every morning excited for what the day will bring.

Ever since I started my student teaching I have been trying to enjoy teaching art. See Art I love, it is the teaching thing I am not so sure about. I like teaching people but I am not one of those people who can deal with screaming kids all day, come home and relax. The funny thing is that teaching seemed like the easy thing for me at first. I figured it ran in my blood. My mom is an amazing Special Ed teacher. My grandfather started a k-12 private school in Georgia, and my great-grandfather founded a christian university in Montgomery, Alabama. Most of the women in my family are teachers. So I was just kind of a long for the ride and until now I haven't seen how vital my profession would be. I didn't think I would just marry someone rich, I just didnt think about it.

The truth is that I have always thought I had something great inside me to offer but I have never known what it is. Maybe I have one great story inside me like Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".

Right now All I really want to do is to learn how to do this...

I want to take a risk on something, put all my faith in succeeding, and pray that it works out.

I know it seems eccentric and idiotic, but people do crazy things when going through their quarter-life crisis

Breakdown

2010-02-11T19:16:00.000-06:00

Today I had a complete mental breakdown

maybe not complete, but as close as I have ever come.

I awoke at 6:32am to the sound of my phone ringing to that tune you give specifically to people who never call. It was AESOP... Reject

Not having had a sub job in awhile I grab my computer and log on to see what the job is (I don't answer the phone when AESOP calls because if you answer "no" even though you pick up, it is worse than just not answering, its some weird list thing)

Art- a certain teacher I know very well- Full Day start time 7:30
man... I have to do it... and I don't have time to take a shower

Now I woke up very abruptly throwing myself into the frigid 55 degree weather in our house. I HAD actually taken a shower the night before and washed my hair because I had gotten paint on me. So it was not my normal morning disaster. By the time I was driving onto the road at 7:15 I thought, "This is good, God knew I would have a good morning, he presented me with the job because he knew I could wake my lazy butt up and get to it on time.It's going to be a good day."

(you see after a month or two of waking up early; as in 5 am early, just to SEE if I would get a sub job has left me bitter and completely unmotivated to wake up for something I have no control over and is completely unpredictable)

I love going to this school, I know a lot of teachers there and I know how the art teacher operates, so I am very confident I will be able to fill her shoes for one day.

first two classes GREAT! third period... group work... I am bracing myself for it but I have done it before, the main thing to worry about is someone crying because they hate their group. It goes pretty good, the kids get really excited and thus get very loud.

Much needed lunch break so that my nerves can settle. however its only 30 minutes, I mean REALLY, the biggest thing that sucks about teaching is that you have NO lunch break.

I rush back just waiting.....

for the kindergartners. I have been instructed to help them make Valentines. No big deal right?!?!?

WRONG!!

I slowly go over how to fold the large piece of paper in half to make the card then proceed to show them ho to fold a smaller piece in half and draw half the heart on the fold and then cut "OH YEA WE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT!!!" so they say.....

I call each table over to get their papers, one big, one small, of red, pink, or white.

by the time everyone gets their paper five kids are tugging on me asking me to help them make a heart

when I go to help, oh lets say the third student, my instructions come to a halt

"WHOSE HAIR IS THIS?!?" (nurse aide comes over to help me)

"It looks red, so and so, did you cut your hair??? Why did you do that?!"
she starts to cry

I am like whatever.... I don't know what she looked like before but you cant tell and none of these kids can cut out a heart of fold a huge piece of paper.

by the end of the 1 hour class which I have stopped 10 minutes early to play Simon says. I have cleaned hair, an enormous amount of paper that has been butchered, and a glue spill.

But I say to myself.... "It's okay first grade is next... they should know how to do this. All I will have to do is give them directions and pass out paper."

WRONG!! how many times can I be wrong in one day!

It was literally 10 to 15 minutes in before I had already turned the lights off TWICE telling them they were too loud. So warned if I had to do it again they wouldn't be able to finish and we would sit with our heads down.

5 minutes. lights off. put up supplies. kid crying because he wants to finish. I put in a video but I just can NOT handle it anymore.... but it didn't even stop there!

I finally get home and let out the dogs. Get in the bathtub. curl into a ball in bed.

Mom calls me back.. talk to her awhile about how I no longer think I will be able to teach.... seriously I AM DONE

Theron gets home, knows Ive had a bad day, being really sweet, went to cut wood outside.

I get out of bed to go sit on the sofa and THEN

i have my breakdown

The house was a MESS!!! yesterday I painted two rooms and it was late when I finished and thought I wouldn't sub today so I would just clean it up then. I mean stuff from closets was out.... clothes, clean dishes out drying(no dishwasher).... dirty paw prints EVERYWHERE because of freaking snow melting and creating the biggest mess in my lawn ever.

I mean i am shaking, throwing things the guest bedroom to get thing out of sight, crying, I call Theron in and ask for help.

If I could compare it to anything it would be the breakdown Joan Crawford Has in "Mommie Dearest" when her daughter didn't clean the floor well enough and she is shaking Comet everywhere.

Only instead of the rage, I am like sobbing, shaking and can't catch my breathe.

So when I say I'm done.... I mean I am done

it is time to find a different profession

Blogs

2010-02-10T22:43:00.000-06:00

Ok so I am going to ask...because I am sort of new to this blogging thing

Is it wierd to follow people's blog's that you have no idea who they are? I mean isn't that what blogging is kind of about. I found some really cool/funny blogs but I follow them anonymously, I mean can i Put it on my blog under blogs I follow or is it wierd? I need some feedback

Catharsis

2010-02-10T16:37:00.001-06:00

A very strange thing happened to me today.

I decided to paint the guest bedroom. While I tuned out the music playing in the distance I started to kind of narrate my thoughts and actions.

This may seem extremely strange to some more than others but a lot of times when I have had a lot of thoughts on my mind I do this. It's kind of my way of feeling in control of my life... I think.

So when I took a break from painting I decided to write it all down in a very stream of consciousness type of way. It was a very cathartic experience and makes me feel like myself again.

Who knows maybe I'll end up writing a book...

Videos from our Snow Days

2010-02-06T23:07:00.000-06:00

FINISHED!!!!

2010-02-04T15:13:00.000-06:00

SO the last time you saw my painting was awhile ago and it looked like this....

A mere underlay of the painting, good bones, not great yet... Later it became a little better

(Sorry about the glares on the paintings but its really hard to photograph works indoors)

It was a little too... bleh, the colors aren't working together all that great it looks very unfinished, there is not really any movement. I actually went in after this stage and put in some clouds but HATED what it looked like so I painted over them later. It stayed at this stage awhile. I was so stuck and in a little bit of a funk because winter time does not inspire me to paint, I just want to hibernate. And to be honest I was relying too much on the photograph. My teacher always told me when its finished the only thing people will know to go by is your painting so if its not working just change it. So I decided after looking at her work that I needed more movement and to really push the colors further. And I think I finally accomplished what I wanted to. At least I hope... Paintings never seem finished to me which is what I love about sculpture but I am giving away like this soooooo I better be happy with it now!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2010-02-03T23:34:00.001-06:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

SOOO one person has actually told me I remind them of her. I however thought they were crazy... I think the features and proportions are there but she handles them way better than I do

New Blog

2010-01-31T10:47:00.000-06:00

Since we have purchased our new TV, DVD, and DVR, I Have become obsessed with sending myself e-mail reminders from www.TCM.com so I can DVR all the old movies I have always wanted to see!

So I decided to create a New Blog to share my thoughts on these movies, and perhaps inspire others to rekindle a love for Old movies and the GREAT old movie stars.

No worries I am still going to write in this blog

www.themovieshowcase.blogspot.com

Channeling

2010-01-16T22:56:00.000-06:00

I finally know what my painting needs!!!

I have been STUCK for about a week trying to figure out how to proceed. It is terrible, I always hit that spot where it's ALMOST finished but it is still a complete mess. Meaning it has no direction, no focus, no sense of completeness. All my elements are there but they are not working together correctly. The frustrating thing is that it can be the most minuscule line or shade that changes the entire painting.

I have had my easel in my kitchen looking at it every day trying to figure out what I needed to do to it. So today I looked at my old professor's work, and tried to channel her insight. It's the difference between a good painting and a great one, and at this juncture in my life I refuse to let anything go without it being great. I hope she won't mind me putting her website in my blog.

http://kristinmusgnug.com/home.html

Looking at her stuff really helped me. She is so in tune with color and movement it makes me want to cry. I am not just saying this because she was my teacher. I love her work. It is everything you want to see in nature but more because it is tame, safe, and fantastical.

Now hopefully I can finish this painting!!!

PB Cravings

2010-01-15T10:45:00.000-06:00

For those of you who cant resist those peanut butter cravings, or need a snack that is filling and good for you Naturally More is SUPER delicious. I have been buying it instead of regular peanut butter for 2 or 3 years now. It has a little bit different consistency, and since its all natural the oil in it seperates but it tastes more nutty rather than just sweet, which I love. It also has these little flax seeds in it that give it a crunch. Try it if you havent you will love it! They carry it at wal-mart!

Honestly Contemplating

2010-01-10T21:34:00.000-06:00

I am Honestly Contemplating leaving this county after hanging up on the Cisco Linksys "technical support" guy. I actually reverted to using the automated phone service to help me fix my internet issues!! Is it too much trouble to ask for someone who speaks fluent English? Outrageous...

P.S. I am so over Winter already

New Year Resolutions

2010-01-08T09:49:00.000-06:00

It is time...
Now that the holidays are over and we will be able to get a treadmill soon I can begin my new years resolution.

I would like to loose 30 lbs and I am making it a resolution to grow out my hair. This sounds silly but my hair always gets to this akward stage right below my shoulders where if I could just get past that it would look cute again.

Since I am 5'9" I can weigh within 137-167. So I am still within my target weight range and still not considered overwieght but at the higher end and would like to be closer to 140. So...

Let the count down begin!

Painting Phases!

2009-12-23T13:18:00.000-06:00

I thought I would give updates on how the painting is coming along. I didnt get it done in time for Christmas but it will still be a good Thank you present!

It has come a looong ways since this was only probably two days worth of work but it still has a long way to go!! I had to let it dry to get the details better. I forgot how much I love oil paint!

Catching Up!

2009-12-16T15:58:00.000-06:00

Since I have not been substituting lately it has given me a chance to get back into studio mode... which with Christmas coming will only get me out of the swing of things again. I am supposed to be painting Theron's boss/mentor a painting for Christmas. He and his wife really love Paris so I wanted to paint them a cityscape. Well we only got the canvas built by Sunday night. Monday I stretched the canvas and put the first coat of gesso on. For those of you that dont know gesso is the white stuff that already comes on ready to go canvases. If you are building one from scratch it is WAY cheaper but a pain in the ass, especially if you dont have good tools. But, we built a 2 1/2 x 3 foot canvas, I stretched and stapled the canvas. Anyway the first coat of gesso pretty much takes a full day to dry because the canvas soaks up soo much of the gesso. Then just to be you have full coverage you need at least another 2 coats of Gesso. We used to have to come in on weekends for studio classes just to have our canvases prepared for the next week. So today I FINALLY got to start painting, and I am now blogging because I am waiting for my imprematura (spelling?) to dry before I start anything new.

Bigger news Theron got me a crazy cool Easel for Christmas!! I am really excited because even though I dont really have a room to paint in I at least have something!

yes It is in my kitchen I thought the paint fumes would go nicely with heat from the oven. I was going to paint on the sunporch but I dont have a tall table out there.

One of my favorite souvenirs from Germany. I use it to paint in.
I am a very tidy artist... cant you tell ;-)

That is all... until next time

Inspiration

2009-12-02T15:31:00.000-06:00

Lately I have searching for some inspiration to start working again. I don't really enjoy keeping a sketchbook but I have started taking notes on some of the great artist of the 21st century. I am thinking about doing a piece for my house, I have something in mind but I dont like to share until I get the ball rolling. But here is the artist who has inspired me. Her work is very important to me she reminds me of a modern day Louise Nevelson. Her name is Ursula Von Rydingsvard. She does large scale cedar sculptures. She really embodies what I was searching to accomplish my senior year with the works I started producing but she does it so much better :-)

You should check out her video on ART 21

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/vonrydingsvard/

Her website:

http://www.ursulavonrydingsvard.net/

Wedding Pictures!

2009-11-30T13:00:00.000-06:00

Our wedding photos are back online!! Family or bridesmaids if you want to order some do it NOW!!

Or if you just want to go take a look help yourself!

http://www.selectshots.com/photocart/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=1825

password: scout

New Moon

2009-11-28T23:01:00.001-06:00

New Moon was definately better than the first twilight movie... All I can say is

WOW... Taylor Lautner, definately lived up to my expectations for Jacob, and I will leave it at that

Comments

2009-11-22T11:55:00.000-06:00

I got my first comment on my blog today... Thank you Christina! You have made me a very very happy lady. *clears throat*LEAVE COMMENTS I LOVE THEM!!

Does anyone else ever worry if they got the backwash of the communion cups?

"Tis the Season to be Merry"..." Well that's my name"...

2009-11-20T12:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry I had to use that as my title too many good quotes from that movie to last all the way through Christmas, if only Brittany, my sisters and my dad were here to sppreciate them with me! Sadly my BF Brittany had to go see New Moon last night by herself because my sister Joanna won a free ticket from Nordstrom but has not yet jumped on the band wagon; therefore joanna's lose = Brittany's success. These are the times I miss Georgia the most, having movie buddies and people that can finish my thoughts no matter how random they may be. Let me first make a side note about Twilight BEFORE I start posting pictures of my Christmas decorations because yes I found my camera in the BACK/neverused pocket of my computer case.

This is for anyone unsure if they would like to read these books or is just convinced that they are stupid without even giving them a try. THEY ARE GOOD!! And waaaay to grown-up for the 5th graders I see reading them! I was a super skeptic as well before I was reeled into reading them. So believe me when I say, Any normal gal who has the slightest affinity for romance would like them. They are not REALLY about vampires, its a love story, nay a love triangle once you get to Eclipse! YES they are INCREDIBLY cheesy and Edward and Bella are completely irrational but if we can't enjoy stories like these to escape the menotony of real life I don't know what I would do with myself!! I think that is all I have to say about that11
Needless to say I am very excited about going to see New Moon, Me and the mother-in-law will be seeing it next weekend, hopefully some of the crowd will have died down by then.

So this week I have been putting up my Christmas decorations. I acquired almost all of our decorations last year at the hobby lobby 50% off sale and after Christmas so this is the first year we have had ALOT of decorations to put up. It is mostly garland and lights on things and as always my christmas village I have been collecting since I was maybe inthe 5th grade.

Our tree! Our living room and kitchen are called Bell Grove Moss Green, it is a pretty light and cool toned green so I went with a sugar plum, pearl white, and gold theme for Christmas And I didn't regret it! I ALWAYS think about whether a color would look jsut as nice during the holidays, mainly because I love those christmas movies where the whole house looks christmasie withtout having hordes of decorations

I started collecting these ornaments from Hobby Lobby. They have alot of different categories and I collect the storybook themed ones. Above I have mothergoose, along with captain hook, his ship, the nutcracker, and cinderella's carriage. Whenever I see a fish I think is pretty I buy it for Theron, so far we have two bass fish and a red fox (because I love them) This particular ornament came with a bait so I thought it was super cute! So to go into detail but I just love them! They are so beautiful! I was going to post all of them but I thought it would get repetitive.

I do however feel the need to post this one. This is an ornament me anf theron purchased on our honeymoon! it is made of shells but the glitter makes it even more amazing!

Last but not least my North Pole Series Christmas Village. I lub it. I have been collecting since I was in grade school, some years people give them to me other years they don't but I will always put it out. It is one of those few things I hope my kids will enjoy some day so I can leave it to them. There is just something very whimsical about it. Very cheesy I know!

I will spare you and not put up all the photos I took. I did it all when Theron was out of town. I think I did last year too. I like to though. I was always the one who put up the decorations at my mom's house so I guess it is kind of nostalgic for me to do it by myself :-) Hope everyone is having as much fun as me looking forward to the holidays!

Camera!

2009-11-18T22:23:00.000-06:00

I have lost my camera! Where could it be?! By the way, sorry I have been changing my background so much if it has been annoying anyone... I have to try on things alot before I decide if I like them... also applies with my blog name, I am still not happy about it... but I think I have found a couple of months out of this background... at least! ;-)

Cai Guo-Qiang

2009-11-17T22:17:00.000-06:00

If you guys haven't seen this artist you are in for a treat, he uses fireworks and gunpowder!

his website: www.caiquoqiang.com

PBS's Art 21 videos covered him and this link should take you to his video: press watch now
www.pbs.org/art21/artists/cai/index.html

He is the artist who did the fireworks for the 2008 Olympics... very cool

2009-11-16T18:26:00.000-06:00

Well Me & Theron successfully hosted our first Lifegroup. Everything went smoothly, although our house feels alot bigger when it is just us in it. Having about 20 people there was very an event! I don't think we have had over 6 -8 people total in our house at one time. I am glad we decided just to make pancakes I would have been a hot mess if I had tried to do anything else.

AND I am officially back to being excited about putting up Christmas decorations now that the weather is cold again, maybe even snow... right in time. I will officially watch any movie Christmas themed if it has decorations in it. I love how in every frame of Christmas movies there is red and green, just puts me in the Christmas spirit! Current cheesy Christmas movie I am watching on ABC family is some ELOISE movie, at least Julie Andrew is in it, so I don't feel as lame. My only sadness is that both of our DVD players are broken, so I can't watch Elf, Love Actually, or Home Alone until they come on TV 8-( coming on next A Dennis the Menace Christmas. Sounds promising...

To Better Understand

2009-11-13T23:52:00.000-06:00

If you are a teacher or plan on teaching, or may have a child with learning disabilities

Please try to find a PBS video called: "How Difficult Can This Be?" (A F.A.T. City Workshop)

As a person who grew up with a learning disability and still struggle with it today and probably will forever. Nothing could explain how it feels to be in a classroom situation better than this video. I guarantee that it will be a truly humbling experience that almost everyone needs to experience. Could also help you better understand a co-worker. It not only explains what makes a learning disability so frustrating but it puts you in the shoes of a student with a learning disablity for one hour. For teachers if you haven't seen it... it is a must...

Regrets

2009-11-11T22:26:00.000-06:00

I think if I had to think of at least one regret from my past it would have to be that I didn't stay in choir after the 6th grade. It seems silly, but I had such horrible stage frieght that it scared me when my teacher would ask me if I wanted to do a solo. That was the main reason I quit but the other was for a much better reason. I already had my elective taken up by art. Which is something I would never give back so I obviously made the right decision, seeing as I got my degree in it. But I really wish I could have done both.

I am one of those people who doesn't regret things because it has made me who I am today but don't something you just look back on and think "OH MAN! I wish I hadn't have been so stupid or shy or stubborn!" (those are my three that always come back to haunt me. Especially the stubborness.

Like they say your gifts are also usually your curses

What are your regrets?

Hair in my oatmeal

2009-11-11T08:32:00.000-06:00

I really hope that was my extremely long hair in my oatmeal this morning.... I definitely ate all of the oatmeal
I mean how could a hair that long (about 6 inches) get into one of those little oatmeal packages?

On another note similar to the same...
Since this recent influx of babies being born I have run into yet another small thing to distress over. Our church signs-up to make meals for the families so they won't have to worry about making dinner amongst all their others new worries. This is such a great idea, I love feeling like I can reduce stress for someone else. However I am having problems with the whole cooking thing. You see I don't really like to cook, I love to bake and would volunteer to make a dessert for every function I ever went to but NOT cooking. Usually when I try a new baking recipe it comes our SUPERBLY, but not cooking, I can't boil chicken... I don't know what it is I am paranoid it won't get done in the center and so I cook it to long... so then its tough and it is like chewing on sponges. Well I fixed my problem for that anytime I have to make a casserole I just buy a rotisserie chicken to cut up and put inside (Even though they would probably rather eat it as a rotisserie chicken). This however, does not make up for my distress over whether or not hairs have fallen into my dish (not to say m kitchen is dirty it's not but I do have two dogs so the odds are against me). And then when I see the couple whenever the next time is that I see them. I am wondering the whole time if they are thinking: "I wonder if I should tell her I found a hair in her poppy seed chicken" or "I wonder if she knows her eggs curdled in her pie?" Now I am pretty sure that those people would never say things like that because they are way too polite, but truthfully I would really like to know, just so I could laugh about it and at least make myself stop worrying and just know it did happen. So if I really think about it I am not sacrificing my time to make them dinner what I am really doing is saying your stress over making dinner is more important than mine so I endure months wondering and distress over my dish so that you can have dinner tonight 8-) And that is really a larger sacrifice than you even know!!

Salutations!

2009-11-10T15:10:00.000-06:00

Greetings All!

I am very excited to embark on my new blog. What a crazy/weird name for a blog you may say; however, it was the closest phrase I could think of to explain my inner most thoughts. And if I might add two of my favorite words.

My husband gets frustrated at me a lot because he thinks I am purposefully ignoring him, but what he and probably many people who have talked to me and noticed me drifting away is that I don't do it on purpose I am probably just taking a mental day trip somewhere else. Hopefully this will be a fun blog to read, I try to find humor in most of the aggravating things that happen to me.