Dishes & Wishes

Theirs/Mine: Wall Gallery

2012-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

This happened back in November... I just never got around to showing you all.

I have been on Pinterest for almost a year now.

When I first got on I saw this lovely picture and couldn't get over how cool and nonchalant the TV looked.

Theirs:

I had a TON of black picture frames and knew that this was something I could pull off.

I bought a few more frames from garage sales and thrift stores and spray painted them black.

Here is the result.

Mine:

It's a mixture of families.

This side is mostly us with a little of the G's pictures thrown in.

This side is mostly the G's family with a touch of us thrown in.

You can't see it because of the glare, but under the "R and G" frame is a picture of KG and me.

(The R and G frame isn't staying... It was just a 5 minute thing that we played with because KG has a Cricut machine...)

It isn't perfect, due to not measuring everything out...

We just held up a picture, marked it, and nailed it on.

I don't think the beer had anything to do with it.

I've learned my lesson...

And it doesn't look awful.

What do you think?
Check out my Facebook page!

Anyone do a Pinterest craft this week?

Healthier Living

2012-03-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

When I was younger I could eat whatever I wanted.

I thought it was my metabolism that had to do with my bodily upkeep.
It probably played a part.

But from age 7-22 I danced my tuckus off every Tuesday night.

Since I quit dancing you can say that I've noticed that I my body has changed.
It's not bad. It's not good. It just is.
In reality I think that growing up and becoming an adult has been the key factor in this change.
I can't just eat whatever I want anymore and not do something.
I have this bad habit. It's called boredom snacking.
I'm doing it right now.
Sitting here, after breakfast, eating a Reese's Easter egg.

It has got to stop.
(My husband working out and running every day while he is deployed and getting a totally rockin' body has nothing to do with it. I am in no way, shape, or form competitive in the fact that he can't be healthier than me. I was a Sports and Leisure Studies major. I took nutrition classes. I took fitness classes... It has nothing to do with the fact that until he is a doctor, I feel like I know more about fitness than he does........)
(AAH! Oh my goodness, I'm terrible.)

Am I wrong in stating that marriage adds pounds?
(Am I the only one?!!!)
I mean it makes sense.
You are happy!
Your diet changes to what both people enjoy.
Initially, you eat out a lot more.
(Heck, just the change from Ramen noodles, cereal and pot pies on the go, to an actual complete meal, sometimes was a shock for me)
Spending time together takes priority over everything else.
Healthy eating takes a back burner.
Pizza rolls and corn dogs suddenly appear in your freezer.
Working out takes a break.
You keep saying that you'll go workout together... When in reality, you never do.

If you are one of the people where that didn't happen after you got married, I applaud you. You are far stronger than me.

That is what the past 2 years, minus the 6 months Jake has been gone, has been for me.
I'm ashamed to say that the corn dogs didn't disappear from the freezer until last month.
I'm not even going to bring Ramen into the conversation.

It's been on my mind to make the healthy lifestyle my lifestyle for a while.
6 months to be exact.
Since Jake left I had noticed that my inactivity hit an all time low.
I was spending the evenings on the couch, stuffing my face while watching whatever reality show I could.
I wasn't overly sad... Just completely unmotivated to do anything.
It's a form of depression.
I knew it, I just didn't bring it up to anyone.
One day, talking to KG in passing, I decided that I needed help.
I knew that if I went to a doctor they would tell me to try things like healthier eating and working out to see if it helped before prescribing meds.
If I was going to make the effort to go to a doctor about my mild depression, I needed to exhaust all of my options so that I didn't waste anyone's time, including my own.

I'm still not great about working out... Or cooking healthy food.
But I'm getting better about it.
And I'm going to keep trying.

Damon and Phase 2

2012-03-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

Big Bro is the only son, of an only son, of an only son.

Therefore the one carrying on the family name.

My parents like to call my brother and his little growing family 'Phase 2'.

It's funny.

Anyway, here are some pictures of Phase 2 from Damon's not so newborn shoot.

JJ reading to his little brother.

Little D

D with Mommy and Daddy!

Kama, did an awesome job.

(check out her blog and facebook page!)

I adore her, and love having a photographer that our family knows and trusts.

Plus, her husband had a dream that Big Sis and I were his sisters!

Haha!

So at least we know the feeling is mutual.

What This Blog Will Become

2012-03-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

It is my hope that as my life progresses I will continue to blog.

I know I'm not the best at writing... But in all reality, this is something that I like doing more for myself.

I enjoy documenting my life.

I enjoy talking about red carpet events.

I enjoy hunting down deals and putting together outfits on Polyvour.

I enjoy talking about books that I've read.

Once my new job starts I won't have the disposable time during my work day that I have had for the past 6 years.

Let's just say that I'm working ahead a little bit.

In the time after Jake gets home, I will start talking about our track to Med school.

I've been trying to find blogs that talk about the experience, and while there are some, I wouldn't mind telling our story.

I'm excited.

It's a new path in life.

I'll still be same old me.

Clothing posts.

Celeb posts.

Book posts.

Random crap posts.

But we'll just add some informative med school wife type posts.

and maybe a Pinterest post here and there...

(Blog mission statement to come once I figure out what it is.)

What do you think?

Good idea?

Bad idea?

Care?

Colorful for Spring

2012-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Colorful for Spring by erinpatrice featuring a shell jacket

Shell jacket, $39

Dorothy Perkins chiffon skirt, $49

Black heels, $40

White House Black Market striped handbag, $30

Worthington stretch jewelry, $12

Dorothy Perkins teal belt, $9

Wet Seal wayfarer shades, $7.50

Embarassing Moments

2012-03-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

I have this little problem.

I'd like to call it being highly empathetic.

Everyone else calls it weird.

You see, I have this thing where in embarrassing situations for myself I tend to play the ditsy girl. It's survival. The more purposefully stupid I seem, the less embarrassing the situation, right? That's what my automatic reaction is. I can't help it.

I also have this ting where I physically can't function when some thing embarrassing is happening to someone else. I have a mini panic attack for said person.

I can't make eye contact.

I can't breathe.

I blush.

I start sweating.

I can't think.

If it's extreme I start laughing, almost uncontrollably.

The best way to avoid this little thing that I do, I leave.

If I can't leave, I try to play it off by making little jokes or comments.

This happens a lot during movies or concerts.

Example:
Seeing Breaking Dawn in the theatre -
I could not stop giggling at all the bad acting. Don'e even get me started with the telepathy scene. I literally had to make fun of the entire movie in order to keep from having to walk out.. Ask SIL.

Attending the Pussycat Dolls/Christina Aguilera concert -
Nichole Scherzinger (who went to Wright State) asked if 'the rumors of our state pride were true.'
She then proceeded to yell 'H-O'.......
A few people in the crowd responded with a confused ' i-o?'
'H-O'...
'I-O'... (Can she spell Ohio?)
'H-O'.
Someone behind me yelled 'Yes you are!'
I couldn't even function.

PDA-
Forget it.
It just doesn't happen for us.
I was one of those people who made fun of my peers in the hallway at school.
(Hey my prude eyes didn't need to be seeing 2 people trying to taste what the other had for lunch while I'm just trying to make it across the building in 3 minutes)

Does anyone else have moments like this?
Share one if you dare.

31 Status Inspiration

2012-02-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

Loving this today!

Book for March and April

2012-02-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

This one is a doozie.

800ish pages.

That's why we're taking 2 months to read it.

Overview via BN.com

ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963, THREE SHOTS RANG OUT IN DALLAS, PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED, AND THE WORLD CHANGED. WHAT IF YOU COULD CHANGE IT BACK?

In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King—who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer—takes readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away—a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life—like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963—turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

Want it for Kindle?

How About Nook?

If you want it on paper, check out your local book store!

2012 Oscars

2012-02-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that this batch of dresses have been the best of the whole award season... There aren't really any that I hated...

The Not As Great, But Still Really Good:

It looked really amazing.

Once again. She looked stunning.

Love this! So classy with sass!

I know it's not really amazing... But it's original and really is pretty.

Seen it before. But I still like it.

Other than the weird skin colored pleated arm fabric, I really liked this dress.

I love that she had a cape! when she presented it was really beautiful.

The Great:

LOVE the men's wear with the FAB gown. So awesome!

Stunning! Absolutely stunning.

Not a traditional dress, but for some reason I really really like it... It's really interesting and feminine.

UGH. This almost made my winner list. I adore this dress.

Maybe it is a little reminiscent of Nichole Kidman's bow dress from 2007. I loved that dress and I love this one.

The Winner(s):

The color! The drama! The neckline! So classic. So fresh. So timeless!!!

February Book Club: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

2012-02-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

In January, with only 4 of our regular book club members showing for the meeting we took the liberty of choosing the book without everyone else...

You snooze, you loose.

So at first we chose The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides.

It was chosen when we didn't have internet access or a full list of suggested books.

SIL, who is our admin/group leader, went home to read an excerpt and reviews. After she did she quickly emailed us and let us know that the book wasn't getting the best reviews. It was described as slow, pointless and dark.

We changed our pick.

Overview from Barnes and Noble

Henrietta Lacks, a poor Southern tobacco farmer, was buried in an unmarked grave sixty years ago. Yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medical research. Known to science as HeLa, the first "immortal" human cells grown in culture are still alive today, and have been bought and sold by the millions. Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey from the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to East Baltimore today, where Henrietta's family struggles with her legacy.

My Opinion

This was a really great book! I mean the topic is tragic and the social and ethical issues are truly insane... But to learn so much about a woman who unknowingly changed our entire world is just really great. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an informed, and intelligent read.

Things to be prepared for:

The chapters jump from present to past, lab to home very frequently. It's a little tedious in the beginning, but it wouldn't have made sense any other way.

You will become invested in the story. You will feel personally connected to the Lacks family.

You will start to question and think about the morals of the medical and science fields.

You will want to start reading all of those papers that your handed to sign in doctor's offices.

Read it.

I don't care if you absolutely hates science in school (like me)

I don't care what your gender is or your socioeconomical background is...

Read this book.

You won't be sorry.

J-O-B

2012-02-24T14:24:00.002-05:00

Well lovies, a months ago I applied for a job and was asked to interview for it. I was told that it would be 2 weeks and they would let me know if I got the position or not.

2 weeks came and went. I got a call from the interviewer. He asked me to apply for a different position that was posted that very day. I told him that I would and he told me that he would talk to me soon.

I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but I saw it as a good sign.

I waited almost a month and yesterday my boss was called for references.

He told me that I owed him lunch.

(Sometimes I love my boss.)

Today, as I was meeting Big Sis for lunch and as I was walking down the hallway, texting Jake, I was stopped by the guy who interviewed me.

Him: Hi Erin, I was just on my way to see you!

Me: Oh, really? Cool. I was just walking to lunch.

Him: It's OK, I'll walk with you.

He then told me that he was excited to tell me that I had gotten the position.

$1.50 pay raise, benefits, 8-5pm.

I told him that I was texting with my husband, who was actually still awake, and that we would talk it over.

I met up with Big Sis and had a celebratory large fry instead of a medium.

It's a good day here.

Now for a weekend of business clothes shopping!

No more jeans at work...

Even though I really liked wearing my cowgirl boots today.

Have a happy, excellent, awesome weekend!!!

Stripes, Stripes and More Stripes

2012-02-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

From my Clothing Galore Board on Pinterest

{via}

Find it under $50 below!

Stripes, Stripes and More Stripes by erinpatrice featuring a striped cardigan

Dorothy Perkins blue dress, $27

Vintage style dress, $50

Boat neck top, $24

Striped cardigan, $38

Striped cardigan, $35

Victoria's Secret super skinny jeans, $45

Wedge heels, $15

Deux Lux cross body handbag, $46

Cross body handbag, $40

Carolee pearl stud earrings, $28

Madewell leather belt, $30

Sunbijou scarve, $30

Polo Ralph Lauren Reversible Lambswool Blend Scarf Dark Olive/ Tudor..., $27

My Parent's Family Room

2012-02-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

Anyone else think of their parent's house as 'Home Base'?

That's how my family has labeled my parent's house.

For my mom's birthday my dad and I sneakily fixed up the back room.

Forgive the walls. My dad wanted to go for a 'barn look' a few years ago...

He thought it looked rustic.

I don't hate it....

(I hate it)
No I don't. It kinda looks like the inside of a boat.

It's just.... Interesting.....

Just like my entire family.

*Focus, Erin*

For Mom's birthday we decided to fix up the fireplace shelves and rearrange the family room!!!

Before:

It's like my parent's life and my sister's life squashed together.
(the 2 couches and buckets of toys everywhere can attest to that.)

What we did:

Scrubbed bricks
Removed everything from shelves

Wiped everything down
Installed TV wall mount (yay masonry work!)
Moved TV
Moved media cabinet
Cleaned all toys
Moved furniture

How I cleaned the bricks:
Dawn dish soap and warm water.

Another option

foaming bathroom cleaner.

Really cool stuff I found:
(it's like an I Spy book.)

Real snow shoes
Sweet oil lamps

Geos, shells, starfish, coral and sand dollars by the bucket full.

A toy sewing machine
Books from the 1800's
Antique toy cannon
A mold of my grandma's baby shoes (the gold ones)
My parent's and grandparents yearbooks
More board games than I ever knew we had.

After:

It's still a work in progress with the stuff by the entry...
What do you think?
Better?
Noticeable change?
It's hard to change a house that we've been in for 21 years without spending more than $100...
I'm just glad that my mom likes and appreciated it.

Applications and the Real World

2012-02-22T08:32:00.000-05:00

I love my Big Sis and SIL.

It ends up that I have my most revealing conversations with them.

They save my sanity.

Last Thursday, after a cancelled bible study, SIL and I went out to eat.

She needed time away fro little Noah, who had croup and was hanging out with Math, and I needed food.

It was perfect.

We got to talking and she asked me about my job search.

Whenever I think about getting a job I feel quite a bit of pressure.

Jake is getting to the point that we are anywhere from 1-2 years out from Med School.

Our insurance runs out when his Army contract is up March of 2013.

With the assumption that Med School insurance is either extreamly expensive or really poor coverage I feel like it is my job to carry the insurance while Jake is in Med School.

From this conversation about life in general, as well as many more I have noticed that I'm limiting myself.
I've only been applying to positions on campus.
Benefits are awesome from the University... But now it's getting down to the wire and I have to start looking out in the real world.

The real world?!
Yikes.

Hello, adulthood.

I'm going to continue to apply to positions on campus.
I'm also going to look into local gyms, churches, and other places.

With my work experience being restaurants, retail, and secretarial work and a degree focusing on sports or leisure activities (camping, country clubs, fitness.... Anything that people would participate in after their work day.) would anyone have any ideas?

Irish VS Scottish Dance

2012-02-21T10:55:00.001-05:00

I've not talked about my years of dance on this blog yet.

Considering it consumed my life from age 7-22, I found myself surprised that I hadn't though of sharing it before.

For 16 years I was a Highland Dancer.

Yep.
Scottish Highland Dance.

Let me give you the spiel that I gave the high schoolers at the workshop in January.

Have you ever seen Riverdance?
Lord of the Dance?
Feet of Flames?
Celtic Tiger?
Well, that's Irish Dance (and Michael Flatley).
Not Highland.

Think of it this way.
Irish dance kinda resembles mainstream Tap.
Hard shoes.
Clicking heels.

Highland dance, in the same way, resembles mainstream Ballet.
Positions.
Arms.
Movement.

Let me give you a demonstration.
Bear with me, the videos are scarce and a little long.
Each video is of 2011's champions.
One Highland champ.
Two Irish champs.

Scottish Highland Dance:
2011 (6th consecutive) Adult World Champion
David Wilton, from Scotland.

Irish Dance:
2011 Senior Men's Champion
Morgan Comer, from Ireland.
(Red shirt, 17th to dance if you want to watch it that far.)

2011 Senior Women's Champion
Emily Penner, from Ontario.
(Black top and orange skirt, last girl to dance.)

Get the difference?

I don't know much about Irish dance.

Highland Dance is very regimented and precise.
The basic dances are military based.
Fling, Sword.
The Seann Triubhas (seen trews) is based off the 1745 repeal the kilt ban and 'shedding the trousers' England forced them to wear... David is dancing the Seann Triubhas in the video.

The rest? Courting and character dances
Flirtation late medieval highland style.

The Celtic world is a pretty intense one, no matter which dance form you prefer.

Did you learn anything today?

Book Movement

2012-02-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

When SIL suggested a book club, the internet searches for reading material started.

It's now an almost weekly thing.

While I was searching I found this website called BookMovement.com

I think it's a pretty stellar site. You can browse book titles and read other site member's reviews. You can have your own queue of books to read. You can list all the books you've read and review and rate them.

Best of all...

You can register your book club on the site and suggest books for your club, hold or continue discussions from your meeting, add events, email club members.

They also have a list of top choices for clubs and readers.

It's pretty awesome.

If you like to keep track of your reading or if you area part of a book club I highly suggest you check it out.

The Army Frustrates Me

2012-02-17T11:35:00.001-05:00

Well this morning Jake messaged me on Facebook and told me that a guy in his unit was promoted to sergeant.

This is an interesting development because back in October we found out that Jake's promotional points were missing...

Not a few points.

All of them.

I'm talking years worth of promotional points were missing.

Jake was angry, rightfully so, and complained and tried to get the paperwork straightened out.

As of today things were still messed up.

He had many, many more points than who was promoted.

The guy who got promoted isn't even deployed... He's in Ohio.

It's hard.

The other part of this mini rant is that Jake has been given more responsibility than his rank calls for.

He is an E4 (specialist) at the moment.

It's hard because he is the only Rad tech who is deployed with the unit now. Yet he is not NCOIC (non-commissioned officer in charge, anything above specialist) over radiology for the deployment...

How is the NCOIC of radiology for the unit going to oversee Jake and his job from Ohio?

All this aside.

Jake is a specialist who is responsible and reliable.

When his NCO left with the drawback that happened in December, Jake was given his additional side jobs.

He was placed in charge of the PT testing.

That means he is who runs the PT test prep for the entire unit, even his higher-ups.

He was also made fire marshal for the unit last week.

1st SGT and CPT encouraged all the soldiers deploying to take classes while they were overseas.

Now chance would have it that Jake is the only person in the entire deployed unit who is still a full time student on this deployment.

Others were, but dropped their classes.

With the addition of the fire marshal duties, Jake has had to drop one of his classes, which takes away his full time status.

Funny that the unit was so adamant about schooling during deployment, yet the one soldier who is trying to do just that can't complete his classwork because he is being assigned more and more duties.

Without any promotion in sight.

We're in need of some prayers.

Patients, grace, contentment.... Any prayers you can think of we'll take.

And I'm in need of some wine.

Blazer and Flare

2012-02-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

Blazer and Flare by erinpatrice featuring a striped tank

Forever 21 striped tank, $11

Charlotte Russe green blazer, $40

Flare jeans, $22

ALDO high heels, $35

Oxford heels, $21

Resin jewelry, $28

Heart necklace, $5.99

Lori's Shoes Thick Woven Chain Bracelet, $15

Grammy Awards 2012

2012-02-16T09:54:00.001-05:00

The evening's trends were black, skin, black, white, bizarre, and more black.

The Cray-Cray:

Fergie afterward said that this was the tame choice......

The dress is really pretty... The Gun arm piece.... WHAT?

The Skins:

Really?

The "Oh, I'm at an award show?':

The Runners up:

Beautiful!

I actually really like this blue dress. Not the hair. The dress

Classic with an awesome neck piece!

Very classy.

Best Dressed:

Love it!

Congrats Adele!!!!! You deserve every award and MORE!

Blog Love

2012-02-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

Blogs of people that I have never spoken to... But I love reading!

Delighted Momma

Lindsay is an esthetician and a mother who is awesome enough to share wholestic skin tips, DIY's and recipes on her blog.

Parlour

Nichole is an interior designer who graces my reader with daily doses of everything home fabulous.

The Vintage Apple

Michelle is a teacher and she does Pinterest Wednesdays! Love it!

Primitive and Proper

Cassie provides eye candy for shabby chic DIY's.

Long Distance Loving
Allison's blog is all about long distance relationships. She also hosts Friday's Fancies linky parties.

Mabel's House
Liz. She's funny. Plus I love her pixie cut.

Project: Baby
Kristen is a fashionable mom... you know the kind (example 6). Not to mention she took her baby and husband to live in France for a while. *le sigh*

Go check them out.
You'll like them too.
Promise.

Shenanigans

2012-02-15T12:21:00.000-05:00

Well, give me just a second to share some uninteresting tidbits into my life recently.

The Army pays their soldiers on the 1st and 15th every month.

February 1st - No paycheck.

Someone made a mistake on which brother came home.

As of today (the 15th) - No Feb 1st paycheck, no Feb. 15th paycheck.

I've had to transfer money from our savings account twice since the beginning of the month because of bills and such.

It's not a really big deal. We're not in any trouble.

It's just not a good feeling.

The savings account isn't something I can really be messing with just in case I'm completely undesirable in the hiring department of life... I mean, my temp position at work is ending in March.

It's a little unsettling.

Another development.

Evidently, there is a possibility that 10 more soldiers from the unit will be sent home.

I'd like to be positive and say that Jake might be one of them... But considering he is the only person holding his job in his unit, it's unlikely.

(Prayers couldn't hurt though.)

The possibility.

Due to his job, RG might be one of those 10.

He'd come home and, naturally, KG would no longer be my roommate.

(They need to start their life as a married couple in the same country, no doubt.)

I'm trying to not worry about it.

I may need a few prayers if you could spare a moment or two.

God's in control.

I'm thankful that I know that much.

Remakes

2012-02-13T08:39:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else getting tired of Hollywood using old scripts over and over again. I never did understand why anyone would want to go and see the remake of a movie, especially when the original was hands down amazing.

I mean how many times will we have to deal with iconic movies being taken, rewritten so that it's not exactly the same, and thrown back at us...

It's like the Hollywood exects think we'll just forget about the original and expect the new version to be just as good.

Footloose anyone?!

Karate Kid

RollerBall.
Around the World in 80 Days
Bewitched
Pink Panther
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Swept Away
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Conan the Barbarian
The Women
Psycho
(not that I've seen either, but taking one film and remaking it frame by frame is pretty sad)

How about the Dirty Dancing remake that is in development?

Anyone hear that Leonardo Dicaprio has been sniffing around The NeverEnding Story?

Want to see Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 3D?

I guess Overboard is in the writing stages with Jennifer Lopez attached to it.

Tomb Raider will be redone with Olivia Wilde.

Spider Man

Dare Devil

Red Dawn

Top Gun

Annie (again)

Mad Max: Fury Road

My Fair Lady (Do NOT mess with Audrey!)

Robo Cop

The Birds

A Star is Born

Drop Dead Fred

Creature From the Black Lagoon
The Crow

I mean does anyone else feel like some of these movies just came out?

I mean, really, is Hollywood that desperate for our money that they are remaking everything in sight?

Movies that are over 40 years old, I can understand...

But with most of them it's just plain crazy.

Please.

Stop the remakes!

I hate that Holywood is trying to capitalize on the nistalgia of some of these films.
Top Gun, The Birds, Dirty Dancing, The NeverEnding Story
I mean come on!
You can't improve perfection.

If they ever touch The Labrynth or The Princess Bride I'll boycott.

I'm 100% serious.

Lacy Top with Skinnies

2012-02-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

Lacy Top with Skinnies by erinpatrice featuring gray boots

Betsy blouse, $50

Mango cap sleeve top, £28 (my bad.)

Dorothy Perkins denim skinny jeans, $29

Dorothy Perkins gray boots, $44

Not Rated knee high heel boots, $50

Blowfish bootie boots, $30

Our Culture

2012-02-09T13:40:00.000-05:00

The bible study group that I have been a part of started an awesome study by Beth Moore.
Beth Moore is our go-to bible study teacher. All of her studies are really great.
The one we're doing right now is titled Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy.

I've done the study once before, almost 7 years ago.

It's a 2 part study, the first focusing on Daniel and Babylon. The second part focuses on Daniel's prophecy and the book of revelations.

It's heavy stuff.
It's amazing.

Right now my group is in the first section of the study. It's the classic story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Babylon. You know the one where they're thrown into the pit for being Jewish.
Talk about standing up for what you believe in.
Anyway, the real story is about the determination these four men had in keeping their devotion and focus on God while being surrounded by the selfishness and complete excess found in Babylon's culture.

Time and time again this theme has been weighing on my heart.
And to clarify things, Babylon is a mentality, not just a historical place. It's the every person for themselves, take no prisoners, I'm the most important person in my world. Complete selfishness.
It's a state of mind.

A lot of what I've been wrestling with is our cultures support for the keeping up with the Jones'... Or in this day and age, the Kardashian's.

To quote Beth, 'As addictive as cocaine, one little snort of luxury and we decide we were born for it.'

So the real question is, how? How do we stay focused on the right things when culture is so ferociously seducing us with selfishness?

Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you;  be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

The real challenge is to be relevant in the world, but not of the world.

Inside my head

2012-02-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

I just want to give you a little insight into what I think in specific situations.
Let me know if any of these beauties hit a chord.

Example 1:

You sing.
All the time.
Real songs.
Made up songs.
Sometimes you fake opera sing because it 'doesn't sound that bad'.
A lot of the time you sing to your pets.
Most of your made up jingles start with, 'I don't like' or 'Please.'
'I don't like this TV show'
'I don't think that's very nice.'
'I don't want to go potty in a public restroom.'
'Please stop barking at me.'
'Please clean up your mess.'
'Please don't tickle me.'
'Please make me a sandwich.'

Example 2:
You look at a celebrity online and like the outfit their wearing.
You make a blog post about that outfit.
You try to recreate said outfit.
You get sad when no one comments on your creatively (celebrity) styled outfit.
Rinse and repeat.

Example 3:
You see yourself as a complete nerd.
Your immediate family know's your nerd status.
When you're around other people, including in-laws, you try to play it cool... Which just ends up with you not talking as much as normal.
Actually you don't do much as a whole.
It doesn't always work because sometimes you say something you think is totally normal, and all of a sudden everyone is looking at you with this 'was she serious?' face.
It's a not quite amused type of serious face like you would hope for.

Example 4:
When the door bell rings, in complete seriousness, you try doing a split leap as you make your way to the door.
This also happens at work, when no one is looking.
As well as over puddles outside... You don't even care if someone is looking.

Example 5:
You sometimes cry during really ridiculous movies.
And commercials.
And YouTube videos.
Like this one of Kristen Bell on the Ellen Show.
(It's so sweet that she's so excited!)

Example 6:

You are in a book store. You see a woman who seems to have her life put together.

Her hair is beautiful.

Her heels are fabulous.

Her purse is adorable.

Her stroller matches her ensemble.

You think to yourself, "I hope I'm that put together once I have kids'.

Voila.

You suddenly find yourself looking at the same book she just picked up and took to the register.
The same goes for clothing stores, coffee shops and gyms.

It's like you think you can get 'what she has' via osmosis.

Example 7:
You steal small aspects of the people around you who are closest to you and in some way, shape or form.
Style choices.
Book choices.
Technology choices.
Hair style choices.
Phrase choices.
Writing style.
Music preference.
Movie preference.
Activity choices.
Then you cram all of you're little pickings and choosings together and pray that it makes a complete 'You'.

Example 8:
When you're by yourself you randomly say what you're thinking out loud to make sure that you don't sound crazy.
You say it in about 5 different ways before you realize that you sound crazy mainly because you're talking to yourself.

Example 9:
You sing songs from musicals all the time... And pretend like you're in the musical.
In the car.
In your house.
In the shower.
It's similar to the idea of pretending you're in your own music video...
Which you also do.

Example 10:
You, quite often, have half a conversation in your head and bring your company into it only when a response is necessary.
Or you go back to a topic, exactly where you left off, 4 topics later.

To me, things like this happen all the time.

Apartment Projects

2012-02-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone has been in my place at one point in time.

I'm renting an apartment from a lovely couple whose last tenants were their daughter and her husband.

I"m feeling a little bored with what is going on.

My zen isn't flowing.

(why did that sound dirty?)

I'm feeling cluttered and claustrophobic. I'm in need of a complete overhaul. And when I say 'I', I mean my apartment.

But I can't do all that much.

And who wants to sink money into something that isn't theirs?

That question, alone, should be my mantra until Jake and I purchase a house.

Soon, after I give you a picture tour of my place, I will be starting little projects to help me feel a little less restless and a little more creative and crafty.

Hopefully I'll save a little money in the process.

Or spend some.................

About My Major

2012-02-06T08:36:00.000-05:00

Many of you may be wondering what, exactly, a major in Sports and Leisure entails.

Here is a little insight.

A few of my text books included:

A Sporting Time: New York City and the Rise of Modern Athletics, 1820-70
Reading Football: How the Popular Press Created an American Spectacle
Physical Culture and the Body Beautiful
American Sports: From the Age of Folk Games to the Age of Televised Sports
Playing with God: Religion and Modern Sport
Motivating People to Be Physically Active
Human Motor Development: A Lifespan Approach
The Erotic in Sports
Taking the Field: Women, Men, and Sports
Leadership in Recreation
Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism
Law for Recreation and Sport Manager
Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies
GET THE POINT! A FENCER'S HANDBOOK
Ethics in Sport
Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport
Papa Jack; Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hopes
I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson
Beer and Circus: How Big-Time College Sports Is Crippling Undergraduate Education
Recreation, Event, and Tourism Business With Web Resources: Start-Up and Sustainable Operations
Dunks, Doubles, Doping: How Steroids are Killing American Athletics

Some of the books were really interesting.
A few of my favorites were Beer and Circus, Taking the Field, and I Never Had it Made.

Needless to say, I know a ton about sports history.
Give me a chance to get back into that frame of mind and I can rattle off quite a bit.
I had the bad habit of tuning out once my professors and classmates started talking about recent events.
Sure I'd pay attention when it came to sociological issues like gender roles in sports... But the second people started talking about who won what game or who is playing who... I was in lala land, usually with wedding planning or something of the sort.

I liked my major.
I liked 98% of my program specific classes.
I liked being one of the few students not involved or rooting for any of the 'Big-time' sports.
I was the opposing opinion.
It was thrilling to look at my peers and challenge them to look at the sporting world from a non-participant point of view.
To open their mind and see the sporting world objectively.

I'm not anti-sports.
I'm really not.
I just believe that in any aspect of our world, significant societal focus generally equals corruption of the activity or of the people involved.
I mean in all actuality, corruption is possible in any situation...
It's the turning a blind eye to moral and ethical injustices that I don't support, especially in modern sport, and I was very vocal about it in class.
Maybe I wasn't always right, but I didn't mind giving my peers a little perspective.

Anyway. I'm getting a little caught up.

I also enjoyed taking random classes like Fencing, Volleyball, and Racquetball.

That's a little insight into what my college experience was like.

Woman in Black

2012-02-03T08:27:00.000-05:00

Woman in Black by erinpatrice featuring wayfarer shades

Polyester shirt, $30

Dorothy Perkins black jeans, $27

Michael Antonio black bootie, $50

Red handbag, $35

Linea Pelle Collection purple tote, $24

Wet Seal wayfarer shades, $7.50

Bueno Dark Teal Shoulder Bag : Target, $25

Book for February

2012-02-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

Overview from BN.com

Want it on a Nook?

How about a Kindle?

What about Plain old paper?

It's a best seller so check out your local book store.

Now on Facebook!

2012-02-01T12:59:00.001-05:00

I've decided to put this blog on Facebook.

Pretty daring isn't it?

Here is the link.

We'll see how this little experiment goes.

Naming a Book Club

2012-02-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

Our book club recently named itself.

The suggestions were pretty good.

I suggested:

'Who Chose This Book?' Club

Babes with Books

Fiction Addiction

Another club member's (Aka Miss J-Bird at Losing It and Kay Dubs) suggestion:

Babes in Bookland

She totally got the most votes.

I mean honestly... I even wanted her name choice.

So there you go. Our book club is named and has a page on Bookmovement

We're so official.

I really liked doing the book review for January on the book we chose... So I think I'm going to do that for every book we chose.

I'll post the book choice early in the month then post the review on the day of our meeting.

That way, if you wanted to read along with us you could.

Exciting?

I think so.

SAG Awards 2012

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

There were a TON of dresses at the SAG awards.

Yikes

tiny floral and cutouts... No thank you.

I just really don't like this one.

... No.

It's summer already? No? January? My bad.

This reminds me of a dress from the 80's... In a bad way.

Robes are red carpet worthy now?

WHAT?!

Not Great, But Not Bad

This is OK. Not her best, not her worst.

Age appropriate. I'd wear it.

Not too sure about the spiked collar.

This looks like a bridesmaid dress... A Jim Hjelm to be exact.

Seen it.

Love the color. Hate the bow/crazy thing.

I don't really like all of the gathering.

Classic.

Now That is What I call 'A Dress'

So adorable. I love it!

Pretty Pretty! I love the color and the simpleness.

I really like this dress.

LOVE IT! so classy and still sexy with the lace sleeves!

Very nice!

Love the color. Love the daring neckline. It's different and I like it!

We all know how much I love vintage.

She looks Amazing!

My Favorite of the night. The modest neckline and sexy silhouette.

Plus, Jayma is so freaking adorable!

I Was Tagged

2012-01-30T08:31:00.000-05:00

My lovely blogfriend Darby tagged me in this little questionairre.

I'm posting it.

I'm tagging people.

Deal!

(I love you!)

The rules:

1. post the rules

2. post 11 fun facts about yourself

3. answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions for the people you tag

4. tag 11 people and link them in your post

5. let them know you’ve “tagged” them

11 fun or random facts about Erin

1. One time, before we were dating, I pretended to be asleep on the band bus so that I could rest my head on Jake's shoulder... Thinking I was asleep, he kissed the top of my head. I think that's the moment that I fell in love with him.
2. I am a beauty product junkie. Skin care, hair care, makeup... I love it all.
3. I still watch Glee every week... Even though the show just isn't as good as it was.
4. I crack my knuckles all the time... I can't help it.
5. I am a respectful age of 25 and I take gummy vitamins.
6. When my husband, then boyfriend, was at AIT in Huston and D.C. we played World of Warcraft together. (I can't believe I just admitted that!!!)
7. I can't stand plain chocolate. I can devour any other sweet... Except plain chocolate.
8. I hate sweating... Working out isn't worth the sweat. Eww. (I need to get over that. Sheesh)
9. Football equals nap time... But my Degree is in Sports and Leisure Studies... Ah the irony.
10. I didn't get my license until I was 18 because I had to pay for the classes myself and I didn't think they were worth it.
11. My sister is 6 years older than me. When I was born I was 'her baby'. She, literally, did everything for me except breast feed (obviously). Mom thought it was cute.

Questions from Darby for me to Answer:

1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging for wedding planning reasons. To keep track of ideas and fit in with the girls who were on The Knot boards.

2. Do you have a bucket list? If so what are two things on it?

I want to see wild elephants... So to go on a safari in Africa. I also want to kiss the blarney stone... So I'll just say a general tour of Europe. :)

3. What is one thing you can’t live without?

Music.

4. What was the last book you read? Did you like it?

I just finished The Hangman's Daughter for my book club. It was a German novel translated to English... It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

As long as I have my family, I can live anywhere.

6. What dish or recipe have you always wanted to make, but have been too scared to?

I don't cook... So let's just say anything involving using the oven and the stove at the same time.

7. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I'm kind of both, it depends. I can get up early if there is a reason, otherwise let me sleep... But I can stay up late if I get caught up in something.

8. What is your pet peeve?

Talking during a movie or TV show that I'm really interested in. I've gone so far as to harshly kick people out of rooms.

9. What is your idea of a perfect vacation?

Family and sunshine.

10. If you were given a million dollars, how would you spend it?

You have no idea... This is a for real conversation that is had on a regular basis.

10% to church

pay of all of my family member's debt.

Buy my parents a ranch house and flip their old one.

Buy a modest size house with a barn and 2 horses (the barn will have a small apartment upstairs where a student will work while attending college. We'll partner up with the 4H program or something.)

Buy 2 reliable cars.

Take the entire family on vacation to Europe. (main stops being Scotland, Ireland, France, Greece, Italy and Germany)

Split what is left between charities and savings/CID/invest or whatever Jake wants.

11. What is your guilty pleasure?

I love reading. Give me a good book and warm blankets and I'm good to go.

Questions For D&W Taggers:

1. What is your favorite Movie and why?

2. Who would play you in a movie about your life?

3. What is your favorite book?

4. How old were you when you knew there wasn't a Santa Clause?

5. Pen or Pencil?

6. What was your all time favorite class that you took in high school or college?

7. If your house was burning down and you could save one thing, what would it be? (All pets and family members know the fire safety plan and are safe.)

8. What is one bad habit you want to change?

9. Do you like brussel sprouts?

10. If you were in Vegas for one day would you shop, visit the casinos or go see a live show?
11. If you could only have one job for the rest of your life (and paychecks didn't matter), what would you do and why?

The 11 People I’m Tagging:

Mrs. G at The Studious Wife

Shaina (SIL) at White Picket Fences

J-Bird at Kay-Dubs

Crystal (Big Sis) at The Story of Us

Shannon at Life After I 'Dew'
Nikki at If I Could Only Find The Words
cbs11
Cortney at Warm Fuzzies
Happy Hopefuls
Chrissy at What's Happening With Us?
Mrs. EyeCanSee at The Juice is Worth the Squeeze

January Book Club: The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch

2012-01-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

In December, as we all drooled over our cookie swap spoils, we chose the January book by gathering a few of the suggested books from polls taken from our random book poll off our facebook page and reading the synopses.

The murder mystery, The Hangman's Daughter, won the vote.

We all liked the idea of a which thriller.

Overview From Barnes and Noble

Magdalena, the clever and headstrong daughter of Bavarian hangman Jakob Kuisl, lives with her father outside the village walls and is destined to be married off to another hangman’s son—except that the town physician’s son is hopelessly in love with her. And her father’s wisdom and empathy are as unusual as his despised profession. It is 1659, the Thirty Years’ War has finally ended, and there hasn’t been a witchcraft mania in decades. But now, a drowning and gruesomely injured boy, tattooed with the mark of a witch, is pulled from a river and the villagers suspect the local midwife, Martha Stechlin.

Jakob Kuisl is charged with extracting a confession from her and torturing her until he gets one. Convinced she is innocent, he, Magdalena, and her would-be suitor to race against the clock to find the true killer. Approaching Walpurgisnacht, when witches are believed to dance in the forest and mate with the devil, another tattooed orphan is found dead and the town becomes frenzied. More than one person has spotted what looks like the devil—a man with a hand made only of bones. The hangman, his daughter, and the doctor’s son face a terrifying and very real enemy.

Taking us back in history to a place where autopsies were blasphemous, coffee was an exotic drink, dried toads were the recommended remedy for the plague, and the devil was as real as anything, The Hangman’s Daughter brings to cinematic life the sights, sounds, and smells of seventeenth-century Bavaria, telling the engrossing story of a compassionate hangman who will live on in readers’ imaginations long after they've put down the novel.

My Take:

This book was a top pick for 2011. It was a fast paced and very intriguing book.

There were a lot of characters and I am very thankful for the character list in the front of the book. I hate when first and last names are used over and over again. It makes it hard to create a real emotional tie to the characters.

I wish the title of the book had been different. It is very misleading... The Hangman's daughter, Magdalena wasn't as significant int he story as the title of the book suggests... Don't get me wrong, she was an important part of it. Just not the focal point.

Even though I had my guesses about the murderer, I wasn't 100% sure until they reveled him... After it was revealed I was a little disappointed due to the lack of reason involved. It's hard to explain without spoiling it.

I wanted more focus on Martha, the midwife accused of which craft. Maybe a little less on the little romance going on.

I enjoyed seeing the realistic situation regarding the medicine of the time.

I skipped over a lot when it came to the town's politics and meetings.

I also skimmed over little fights. Like the ones between the physician and his father as well as between the villains... They were totally not necessary.

I'm not even going to go into how all the smaller 'bad guys' blended together... They weren't very well characterized and there was not really any binding hatred for them that I could stir up enough to care about their part in the plot.

Really, all that I wanted to hear about was the kids, the hangman and the midwife.

I loved the idea of a town hangman whose morals, beliefs and need for truth rules over the cruelty of his trade.

It was good.

I'm giving it a 7 out of 10 because I appreciate and adore historical fiction...

And it was really interesting.

I would recommend it as a casual read.

My Celebrity Icon

2012-01-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

Everyone has that one person or celebrity that they look up to and secretly (or not so secretly) obsess over in their lives.

For me, It's the ever so lovely Audrey Hepburn.

I've always seen Ms. Audrey as an inspiration.

She came from such a hard childhood, living through WWII in Europe.

Dancing through hard times.

Becoming a celebrity over night while still trying to keep her eye on the importance of family.

Searching for true love while being surrounded by the fiction of Hollywood.

Wanting to be a mother and wife above all things.

Staying true to her passion and love for helping those in need.

And being classically stylish on top of it all.

She caught my eye in My Fair Lady.

(I can't help it, I'm musical obsessed.)

She was beautiful with the poise of a princess and the way that she spoke.

So animated and arresting.

A genuine person in the 'over actors' of her time.

I was probably 8 or 9 when I first saw it.

From there I was introduced to Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Classic.

Stylish.

Chic.

It became an instant favorite.

I've taken the time to see the rest of the movies that she has stared in...

Roman Holiday

Charade

Funny Face

Sabrina

The Children's Hour

How to Steal A Million

Wait Until Dark

Just to name a few.

And I've collect quite a few books.

She is a style icon and a humanitarian.

I adore her and her life's work.

It's hard to find a celebrity like her in today's world.

It's just a completely different place...

And in my opinion, it's just getting worse.

Rest and Recuperation

2012-01-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

It is an interesting thing, having my husband come home after being gone for almost 4 months.

While he was gone I looked at life and the changes that I've made and decision that I've made and I doubted.

I doubted everything.

All because I was afraid that feelings change.

Sure, some people may not really admit to that fear...But it's there none the less.

You clean the house from top to bottom, hoping that he doesn't remember how messy things can get.

You organize your calendar, hoping that he doesn't remember how scatterbrained you are.

You triple check your finances, hoping that he'll be proud of the decisions that you've made.

The thing is, the second I saw the love of my life standing there, rucksack in hand, smiling... I forget ever worry I ever had.

Over the past 15 days I've wondered why I was so worried.

Jake is still the awesome loving man who left here a few months ago.

He still loves to play video games and tinker around with electronics.

He still loves his meat and potatoes.

He still values family and God above all things.

He still loves his dog.

He still loves me.

War hasn't changed anything about the intrinsic nature of either of us.

I'm just cleaner and he has more medical experience.

And he reads books.

Anyway. The past 15 days have been awesome. We spent the majority of our time with family and playing with babies. It was awesome.

He's left again today.

This time I'm not doubtful of the outcome of this experience.

We're both growing as individuals, which will make us stronger as a pair.

I know that he trusts and believes in me more than I do myself.

I know that he is going to trust God and His plan for this deployment and our lives.

And there is nothing more comforting than that!

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

—Psalm 37:3-6

I'm In A Book Club!

2012-01-25T09:04:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, or have been reading for a while, you know that I am a book drain.

I can, literally, read a 300-400 page book in about 4.5 hours.

Both of my parents are the same way.

My dad is somewhat of a speed reader.

My mom can read for hours at a time.

I'm their child... I like to do both.

To give you an idea of what i'm talking about...

I read the the first three Twilight books (the last one wasn't out yet) in under 3 days.

3 days in which I had to work 6+ hours and go to 3-4 college classes.

It's a gift.

Anyway.

Back in November, SIL approached me with the idea of starting a book club for a few of the women we knew in town.

I about freaked out.

1. Why had I not thought of this sooner?

2. Why had I not thought of this sooner?!

So the word went out on facebook and within 3 days we had 10 people excited and ready to go and quite a few more that were interested in joining at some point.

That was enough excitement for SIL and I to start things off by asking for book recommendations in our new schnazzy facebook group.

Our first book was Hunger Games.

As you can imagine, club went crazy with this book and many people couldn't stop and read the entire series.

It was awesome because it was an easy book to get into and involved in.

It was interesting because it was a completely random group of people who showed up to Panara Bread that Saturday morning. Many of us didn't know everyone and had never been a part of a book club... No one really knew what to expect.

SIL saved the day and came prepared with discussion questions.

It was an awesome first meeting!

For December we went with a Christmas themed book and chose The Autobiography of Santa Clause.

It was a different type of book and while we had more people show up to the meeting (I'm gonna give credit to the Christmas cookie swap) not everyone got through the book.... And there were no real discussion questions handy.

Instead we just enjoyed each other's company and swapped cookies!

We're continuing to grow and figure things out as a new book club.

It's exciting.

I wanted to share.

Are any of you part of a book club?

Any tips or suggestions for us newbies?

Book recommendations?

Meeting ideas?

Mommy, Dearest

2012-01-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

I may have never talked about this, but my mom is a RN who works in the postnatal department. She is one of the nurses who takes care of the mom's and babies after delivery. She is in the patient rooms, the nursery, the NICU.

She can stand there and recite the check out process until she is blue in the face.

She loves her job.

She is a mom who never kept the facts from us. I knew about the human body looooong before my friends. I just so happened to be a curious and book based child. I (my mom) had an old Grey's Anatomy medical text book that I use to carry around and call my 'study guide' when I was little. She loved it. I would look at the drawings and ask all kinds of questions and she never saw the point in making things up just because I was young.

Facts were facts.

I will always appreciate her straight forward approach to my questions.

Her clinical experience is also how she kept me in line.

Nothing is more terrifying than having my mom talk about her day at dinner and hearing, 'Erin I had a girl your age come in today who just gave birth to her 2nd child. Her 15th birthday is next week.'

Terror.

I am not quite sure if it was her intention... But it sure as heck worked.

I was graciousally given a healthy fear of authority and a tendency to do what was expected as a child in a Christian household.

When I was a teenager I would sake off any mention that I was like my mother. She was educated, sure. But I saw her viewpoint of living for her children as living through them. In a selfish way I thought she I was the main focus of that.

Did I mention that I was a brat when I was younger?
A big selfish, spoiled brat with a bratty attitude who thought she knew everything?

I can see thing so much clearer now that I've stepped back and grown out of that obnoxious phase of my life.

I love my mom.

She may not be perfect... But who is?

Opinionated.

Honest and loyal - almost to a fault.

Quick to help those who need her support or her knowledge.

Silly.

Completely technologically challenged (or so she tries to pretend to be)

Lover of books, Celtic music, Jesus and her family (no matter how distant the connection).

Quick to make a decision or judgement, but also quick to admit she was wrong and show love.

Completely confident in her knowledge and work.

Loves quickly, fiercely and completely.

Hates conflict.

Logical but emotional.

I use to be annoyed by the idea of being the most like her, out of all my siblings.

Now, I don't mind the comparison in the least.

She is a truly amazing woman.

What Happened to Quality?

2012-01-23T10:39:00.000-05:00

Growing up I knew that my parents spend big money on things that would last them a lifetime.

When did the market stop offering them?

My vacuum is only 2 years old.

It was used about once every week or once every other week.
I'm a whole house vacuumer...
So in our old place it was 3 rooms and one stairway each time.
With the new place it is 4 rooms and 2 stairways.
That's 45 minutes, tops, per use.

It's only been used between 104-140 times.
That is 78-105 hours of usage.
3.25-4.375 days of being used in the past 2 years and 2 months.
(Yes, I actually did the math for that. If it's wrong, blame the public school system.)

We have fur babies.

We don't have kids

I added more to compensate for the upped vacuumage of my roommate since she moved in.

The vacuum has been completely cleaned and overhauled about 3-4 times.

It doesn't work anymore.

It doesn't pick up anything... Not a single thing.

Unless I use the hose attachments... But even then it's still minimal.

What's up with that?!

My parents still have a vacuum from the 70's that they bust out every once in a while.

I'm sad.

I'm even more sad because the 'leading brand' of vacuum is over $400... And in no way can I justify spending that much on a vacuum right now.

Don't even get me started on luxury brand names vs reality.
That's a whole different conversation.

D's day of Details

2012-01-21T10:20:00.000-05:00

Damon is perfect.
He's so cute and has been on his best behavior.
WJ is doing really well and is happy to not be pregnant any more.

Damon entered life quite dramatically on the 19th.

A little back story:
JJ was 10 days late.
WJ got her epidural very early with JJ and by the time she hit transition the drugs were long gone.
She was very young and pretty much alone in life.
When I asked her about the difference between this pregnancy and her last she told me that she was very uneducated about birth and thinks that having Big Sis asking her questions she didn't really have answers to, as well as seeing Big Sis jump so enthusiastically into research made her start to do the same.
She also praised the fact that the support, love and excitement that she has received throughout the process has been overwhelming and a God send.
It makes my heart hurt for the scared girl from 6 years ago.

Anyway

WJ started having real contractions on the 17th. at that point she was 6 full days over due and more than ready for little D to be here. WJ and Big Bro dropped JJ off on the 18th so he could camp out in sleeping bags with Dad on the living room floor for his first ever sleep over since moving out of the "Home Base" almost 3 years ago. Evidently, JJ was a little over excited and didn't get to sleep until past 1am.

WJ and Big Bro checked in and hoped for things to progress quickly. She said that she was dealing with her contraction like a pro up until mid way through transition the next morning. That's when thing got rough for her. Her body wanted to push before she was fully dilated and things had to be stalled for a little. Once it was time for her to push, her contractions were so long that she would get 4 good pushes in... But the time in between contractions was so long that it would set her back.
D's cord being around his neck didn't help.

Then Damon's heart rate dropped.

They called for a C Section, had WJ in the OR and D outta there in just about 8 minutes.

Gotta love people who know how to do their job.
Praise the Lord.

So the kid who gets to carry on the family name is here, happy and healthy hanging out with mom and dad. And he gets to see his new big brother as often as Grandpa can get him there.

Another one of God's miracles has come into my life, filling me with a crazy amount of love and happiness.

As if I didn't need another adorable dose of baby envy in my life.

I'll take it with arms wide open and kisses galore!

Grey and Black

2012-01-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

Grey and Black by erinpatrice featuring black skinny jeans

Grey sweater, $26

V neck shirt, $23

Dorothy Perkins black skinny jeans, $39

Dorothy Perkins black high heels, $49

Rampage black knee high boots, $45

Travel tote bag, $40

Forever21 aviator sunglasses, $5.80

Welcome Baby D!

2012-01-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

Damon has finally made his appearance!

His original due date was supposed to be on my birthday, January 11th.

Baby D had other plans and chose to stay where the weather wasn't crazy.

WJ was officially 8 days over due.

This only kind of came as a suprise.

You see, JJ was 10 days over due.

It probably has something to do with my family and their habitual tardiness.

So here you go.

Damon Blair

7lbs 12oz
21 inches

What a sweetly handsome little guy!

Things from My Childhood

2012-01-19T10:12:00.000-05:00

Randomly I remember things from my childhood.

I forget about them and they sneak up on me.

Like how my parents got into a car accident in the early 90's that almost bankrupt them. I remember mom being in bed for days with bruises all over her body. It was scary for a 7-8 year old to grasp.

That one accident is the reason why I never realized how 'dirty' people saw second hand clothes until I got into high school. It was our way of life for quite some time. I'm still not bothered in the least by thrift stores. In truth, everything can be washed or bleached... I have my limits, but for the most part, what's the problem? People donate perfectly good clothes because they're not the right size or they just don't wear them anymore.

I remember living in a duplex and sitting in our bay window, watching my siblings get on a school bus while my mom made me melted cheese sandwiches on paper plates in the microwave.

Yep. That's right.

I peeled off the paper first...

What did I care? It was what I asked for.

All the time.

I remember our house in Michigan with a big crack in the driveway that we would put the bikes in to spray water everywhere after it rained. Training wheels holding my siblings in place while we soaked anything within range.

(I was two when we moved to Ohio)

I remember the weeping willow on our farm.

It's still my favorite tree.

And it's why I love Disney's Pocahontas so much.

I remember when my dad got his pace maker. I never was scared, even going into see him at the hospital. I can thank my mom's job for that. He was wiped out, but still strong as ever.

I remember meeting my best friend through grade school through my back fence while our parents talked.

We were 4.

That fence has been through a lot.

It also taught me how to respect my legs when jumping off high things... Like not jumping.

We loved racing from one porch to another, vaulting over that fence like it was nothing.

I remember my first dance class.

It was in my first teacher's house... On her weird brown carpet.

I thought I was so cool.

I remember Big Sis giving me cat food to eat.

Big Bro and I totally ate a piece...

Big Sis didn't though.

She knew better.

I remember thinking my first dog was sleeping and just too tired to get up when I was in 2nd grade. And the look on my parent's faces when I told them she wouldn't get up to go into the garage with me.

I remember pretending I was a gymnast in my grade school best friends's basement. doing 'floor routines' to Achey Breaky Heart, Shania Twain, and Backstreet Boys. We've never taken gymnastics.

I remember Polly Pockets

Glow Worms

Skip-its

Littlest Pet Shop

Wanting but never getting a Easy Bake Oven

Pretty Pretty Princes

Electronic Dream Phone (oh Steve from woodland park... It was never you.)

Mall Madness

Perfect Wedding Board Game

I remember going to horse back riding camp and LOVING it... But my parents weren't able to afford it after 2 summers.

I remember being the only girl at Big Bro's boy scout meetings because Dad was the leader and mom had to work night shift sometimes.

I read a lot... Or practiced my cartwheels and round-off's.

I remember 'getting out of cleaning' and sneaking up to my room to read my American Girl books.

I remember getting blisters in the middle of my hand from Nintendo 64... I think it was from the Mario Party game. No wonder why I love the Wii version so much.

I remember my friends trying to force me to watch scary stuff like Tremmors, or Are You Afraid of the Dark?

I was scared for life.

I remember gymnastics days in elementary school. The group rotations and hating the rope climbing station.

I remember Secret Santa, book fairs and the school supplies sales during lunch.

I remember trying to take fruit roll ups and rolling them up and sticking them to the roof of my mouth.

I remember riding my bike to the nearest gas station, or the golf course (they had vending machines and my parents didn't buy snack food) or walking to the Anthony Thomas Factory store that was across the street and down a little ways from my neighborhood.

I remember walking to the back of my neighborhood and playing in the creek.

I remember knowing that my mom worked night shift and asking her if I could stay home from school just because. And as long as it wasn't a test or project day, I could... As long as I hid so Dad could leave for work and he wouldn't know. He always found out after work and just shook his head... But I got to spend all day with Mom. (she usually made me promise to clean a little to 'pay for my day')

I remember walking barefoot everywhere.

I remember our deck being old and splintered and one time I dropped a chess set on it and when I was picking up all the scattered pieces getting a 2 inch splinter in my foot. My dad got the tweezers and nail clippers and 'performed surgery' while I sat clenching my teeth and pounding on the floor when things got really painful.

I remember my one sleepover/birthday party with 4 of my friends. I think I was turning 7 or 8... It wasn't really fun for me, someone went home. I didn't want to be a bad hostess, so my friends picked the movie and I didn't like it. People complained about sleeping in sleeping bags on our family room floor.

So my birthdays were only family dinners after that.

I remember the Zainey Brainey toy store... And Media Play's kid section.

I remember dressing up and doing the Dance Workout With Barbie and Sweatin' to The Oldies.

I miss it, but I can't wait to see what it's going to be like for my kid's generation.

Golden Globes 2012

2012-01-18T12:45:00.000-05:00

Um, Not Quite

Not quite getting this one...

The top is really great...

But the bottom is not quite there.

Poor Natalie.

These proportions are way off.

This dress makes me want to cry.

I love you Zooey!

Close, But No Cigar

I can't make up my mind with this dress...

Maybe I do like it.

So close to being awesome.

This is Jake's celeb crush...

This dress looks like sheets held on her with a belt.

Love her... She looks great!

But if the dress was shortened it would be an outfit I'd wear to work.

I love everything except the velvet.

This looks like a dress from last season...

No?

Love it...

But I feel like I've seen it before.

Interesting... But not great.

I like the interesting neckline...

But then again, I don't.

I love this dress... Except the bow thing.

Yes, Yes, Y.E.S.

For some reason I LOVE this raven dress.

It's daring and a little magical!

This is so futuristic and flattering! I love how it looks.

Yay pastilles! Such a romantic look.

I'm not a fan of the peek-a-boo see-throughness... But the glamour and drama

This look is really great and new.

This dress gives the impression of referencing antiquity art and architecture.

The history lover in me just loves it!

Crazy color with a classic and flattering shape.

And she looks good.

Favorite

This dress is AMAZING!

Color.

Shape.

Fit.

Detail.

Just perfect!

To Complete The Adjustment

2012-01-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I posted about some of my issues.

In order to stay truthful to myself I'm changing code names to reflect this decision of mine.

The old list

Mom and Dad - My parents

MIL and SFIL - Jake's parents.

FIL - Jake's dad.

Big Sis and B-Rad- My big sister & her husband.

SIL and Math - Jake's big sister & her husband.

Big Bro and BW - My big brother & his wife.

Twin and TOB - Jake's twin brother & his wife (The Other Bride).

JJ- Big Bro & BW's young man, my step-nephew.

Paisley - Big Sis & B-Rad's little girl.

Noah - SIL & Math's little boy.

Gabe - Twin & TOB's little boy.

DBM- Big Bro & BW's little baby (due in Jan).

KG - My roommate & a friend from high school.

RG - KG's husband & one of Jake's good friends from school.

KM/Bestest - My best friend from high school.

I'm changing TOB's name on my blog.

I'm doing this because I've had multiple people ask if it stood for the other B****.

It doesn't.

It never did.

I'm sad that I didn't think about that before.

So.

I'm changing her code name to......

How about......

WK.

It's the only thing I can think of.

OK. So from now on TOB will now be WK.

I'm also changing BW to WJ.

And DBM to Damon

And SMIL will stand for step-mother-in-law.

Conair Curling Wand

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Since moving in with KG I have been introduced to the Conair Curling Wand. I wanted to show you how awesome this product was.

I'm not even kidding you. It's the one curling iron I can actually use.

Yes, there is a little bit of a learning curve.

Yes, I've burnt my finger.

Yes, I may not have tried very hard with an actual curling iron.

But let me just tell you.

I got the hang of it after one use.

Who hasn't burnt their fingers using a curling iron?!

I hate how regular curling irons flatten the piece of hair being clamped.

This wand makes your hair look so much more natural!

Just make sure that you spritz a heat defense spray before using.

(Like you would with anything else... Heat = damage people)

Here are some pictures.

(I apologize in advance for not having any makeup on.)

Before

This is my freshly washed hair.
No product, no 'flop curling'.
Just my hair and a comb.

(I never blow dry my hair.)

The process

Dividing into sections to curl
(more hair = looser curl)

wrap away from your face.

Wrap to the very ends.
Don't worry if your layers spike out at the ends.

The result

Before doing a little root shake out.

After shaking out the my roots.

After flipping my hair and shaking out some of the grouping.

my sassy face.

LOVE IT!

I highly recommend a curling wand.
I think it makes your curls look more natural.
I always have the temp at 400*.
If you don't want your curls starting as lose to the root, just lower your starting point when you wrap your hair.
I like my curls to be higher, so I start at as close to the root as possible. KG starts hers lower and does bigger chunks to get really soft low waves.
The whole process takes me about 20 minutes.

Let me know what you think!

People's Choice Awards 2012

2012-01-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

Not Quite

Miley, What in the world?

I am not a fan of the mullet dress.

I don't quite know what to say about this one...

............ And that's enough.

Almost

Spider woman? Very mature... But just a little too much for me.

So close, Lea.... So close.

Done Right!

Sexy with the leather and lace...
But modest with the length and neckline. Nice!

I wish it was a little longer...
But it's totally age appropriate!

I love the black and gold.

Classy.

I LOVE this '60's vibe!

Cute, cute, cute!

All-in-all, I love the modest necklines from this red carpet!!!!

Yay anti-hussy actresses!

I Know How Things Have been

2012-01-16T08:15:00.000-05:00

This has been on my heart for a little while.

A discussion with SIL made it feel even more prevalent and present with my conscious.

I'll explain the conversation, fully, some other time.

I know that I've been a complainer.

It's, unfortunately, where I've been for the past few months.

And recently, in general...

And by recently, I mean the past 7 years about one thing in particular.

If you've read my blog for any amount of time you've been exposed to my critical view of Twin and TOB.

It was a choice I made... The bitterness and the jealousy.

Everything seemed given to them with minimal work necessary.

All of their issues seemed to work out just fine for them.

They got everything they wanted, seemingly, for free.

They seemed to not care about what other people thought.

I was jealous of that.

I chose to be jealous of that.

In the same breath I fed the bitterness with gossip.

Gossip and attitude.

I'm stopping.

I'm readjusting my view on my family as well as Jake's.

SIL and I went out to dinner and gave each other our full attention.

It was nice.

We talked about family.

And about stopping the stupidness of personal vendettas.

Because it is stupid.

Really stupid.

It's not what we want for the next generation.

We're family.

I want to delete all of the things that I've said on here... But I don't think I will.

Sure, I'm afraid that TOB will find them. It will be an uncomfortable situation if she does...

But it's going to serve me as a reminder that no matter what, I still love my family.

No matter how I feel or how lame things get... I am not going to throw people under the bus because of something I'm holding to myself.

I can't be an emotional hoarder anymore.

It's only hurting me.

So, how about that 2012?

Award Season is BACK!

2012-01-14T08:02:00.000-05:00

That means my red carpet opinions are coming back.

I have to figure out how to make things more appealing.

Peoples Choice is first up to bat.

I'll post it soon.

Anyone excited, other than me?

Sweater and Boots

2012-01-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

Pinterest Board

Mine

Sweater and Boots by erinpatrice featuring a sheer dress

Oasis black dress, $45

Sheer dress, $42

Anna Sui nylon stocking, $18

Yochi chain necklace, $36

ASOS bangle bracelet, $11

Lori's Shoes Filigree Pendant Necklace With Rhinestones, $17

Being an Army Wife

2012-01-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

In all honesty, it isn't all that bad.

Now, granted, Jake is in the Army National Guard.

The things that I don't mind:

Traveling. I love traveling.
The friends. Jake always ends up with lots of friends from Army things. I like hearing about all the things they say or do at drill or throughout the deployment.

Things that annoy:

The system. You always have to go through things a very specific way... If you don't, you either get in trouble or your paperwork get thrown away or 'lost'.
The endless Army gear that can't ever be put away... Cause the second you get it stored, he needs it again.
The acronyms.
Medical insurance... You never know which plan your on. there are different plans for everything. Going from non-active to active duty was confusing... I can only hope that I actually have insurance when I need it.

Things I hate:

Deployment
When the Army screws up Jake's schooling. He should have graduated by now, but with basic, AIT, AT, and the deployment Jake still has 2 quarters to go... The National Guard always encourages their soldiers to do schooling, but never gives the soldiers the atmosphere to do school successfully. Jake was given the go-ahead to sign up for winter classes online, only to be moved to a base that has terrible internet connection.
The unit expects Jake to perform tasks and be in charge of things above his rank/pay grade with out promotion or raise.

Things I'm bad at:

Socializing with other Army families. I'm trying to be better with this. It's hard to make friends from the other families because of everyone being spread all over the state. Since the unit only meets one weekend a month and there haven't been any real family events until the deployment... It's a little awkward. Plus Jake's family is very supportive, so at all the events is it a family thing. I'm never at an event by myself.

Things I'm good at:

Being calm and not getting upset over anything that happens due to the Army or Deployment. I'm a pretty cool cucumber. I have my emotional moments right off the bat when things go down. But I 'get over it' pretty quickly and I never show that side of me to Jake. He gets upset enough at situations and I don't need to make it worse. Plus, I always remember that Jake signed up for this and that we made the commitment together to give the Army 6 years of our lives.
Being independent. My lifestyle hardly changed when Jake left. I am still able to function just as well as when Jake was here. The only thing that is hard is making big money decisions with out him.... Because I'll have direct blame if something goes wrong or I choose badly.

Birthday Present Time

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm 25.

And I got the best present EVER in the whole wide world.

Jake came home last night for R&R.

I get 15 days with the hubs.
(unfortunately I'm still working a couple full days and quite a few 1/2 days while he is here .)

Scheduled posts to follow!

Dukin' It Out

2012-01-09T13:17:00.000-05:00

My closet and I are having a fight right now.

You see, in our old apartment Jake and I had 2 closets in our master bedroom.

It has been devastating to go from a full closet to sharing one.

And I'm not even really sharing it, because Jake is gone and I shoved all of his polos and tee shirts in under bed bins to deal with after he got home from the deployment.

And all of his shows (he has the most shoes EVER) are in a big, I mean BIG, bin in the garage.

Did I mention that my wedding dress and 6 bridesmaids dresses are in the basement in one of those cloth wardrobes that you get from Target for $25?

So I'm only sharing the closet with his dress clothes.

And tie collection.

And I can't help but complain about that.

I was spoiled in our first apartment.

Now onto the real issue.

Twice since we have moved in to the new place the tall shelf has fallen, pulling out the drywall anchors and spilling my dresses and Jake's section of clothing onto the floor.

The first time I thought it was because everything was too heavy, which is when I bought the wardrobe and sent my wedding dress to the laundry room.

The first weekend of January the shelf fell a second time.

I called my dad and we checked it out.

Jake didn't anchor the thing to a stud.

Not a big issue, so we fixed it...

And I sent Jake's 4 suits and full multiple dress pant hanger to the basement to keep my wedding dress company.

Now, afraid that the thing is going to come crashing to the ground yet again, I'm trying to find a different way to organize my closet.

I'm thinking of moving my shoes someplace else and investing in canvas storage bins.

I would love to know how any of you reorganized your closet, without buying a new closet system, cheaply.

You don't even want to hear about my dresser woes.

Love you all!

Quarter of a Century

2012-01-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

In a few days I'll be 25.

A friend of mine warned me on facebook that sometimes greeting the ripe old age of 25 brings on a panic that can only be attributed to a Quarter-of-a-Century Life Crisis.

This friend was none other than the wonderful Mrs. G.

When she shared about her QC Crisis a few months ago, I giggled and owned it up to her dramatic flair and love of drama (the good theatrical kind, not the emotional kind) until I reached that exact same point.

Yep. I'm right there. Looking at my life and expecting something to stand out.

Expecting something to signify that I'm an adult, hear me roar.

It's so common for my generation to expect our lives to start out fully formed, fully equipped and fully submerged in the 'real world'.

At 25, we should have it all together.

Matching throw pillows and all.

I'm hesitant to admit that my 'together' is a little shaky.

I'm trying to find my way there, honest... But I'm definitely not there yet.

Thing I can say that are (sometimes begrudgingly) awesome and gratifying steps I've taken:

Falling in love and marrying my best friend.

Serving as a military wife.

Having one job for over 6 years.
Getting a puppy and raising it to be well adjusted and not crazy.

However...

I am in no way, shape or form where I thought I'd be. And annoyingly enough I have this stupid habit to want and wish for more. It's not something I'm proud of... But it is something I have talked about with family. I'm not alone, I know that... But it's something that I have to continually tell myself to stop doing.

To just live in the moment.

To be thankful for the things that I do have.

The main urging I have is in my career.

The main thing I want is to live my life without the restraints of a clock.

Jane Austen puts it best:

Do not attack me with your watch.

A watch is always too fast or too slow.

I cannot be dictated by a watch.

I also want to work with art... I'm drawn to the artistic things in life.

Music, photography, theatre, dance.

Finding my way into this aspect of the world is a little hard for me to do. I find it hard to break away from the security my 9-5 job gives me. But my soul yearn to be a part of something that will change a person's life and ignite a passion for similar things.

I'm scared, to put it bluntly.

Scared to branch out.

Scared of failure.

Scared that I'm not good enough.

Plus, I'm without a mentor or guide.

Not that I want to have the way paved for me... I just want someone to go with me. I don't want to search for my purpose alone. I want the camaraderie of a pal to partner with. Someone who can look at me critically and be honest with me, and vice versa.

Someone to dream silly things with.

My husband is one of those people. A very important and vital person in my life.

But his medical leaning is very different from my artistic one.

He understands me the way no one else does...

But he has his own dream to fulfill, and I want that for him... Just as he wants me to feel fulfilled and complete in my 'life's work'.

Anyone else find themselves drifting in their ambitions and ideas?

What did you do that was helpful?

What got you on track?

Anything I try, at this point, will need a little elbow grease.

Any suggestion on how to jump start things?

Stripes

2012-01-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

Picture via my Pinterest style board.

Recreate it!

Stripes by erinpatrice featuring a flower brooch

V neck cardigan, $35

Sleeveless shirt, $45

Charlotte Russe striped skirt, $13

Michael Antonio stiletto high heels, $50

Flower brooch, $25

NAKAMOL wide belt, $19

OPI Nail Varnish - Road House Blues 15ml Health & Beauty | HQHair.com, £11

Amazon.com: OPI Suzi Sells Sushi By The Seashore: Beauty, $7.33

My First Big Girl Interview

2012-01-05T09:21:00.001-05:00

I have an interview today.

I'm happy but skeptical at the same time.

I got called for a position that came open in my building in a different department.

I hope that the fact that I'm already in the system, I've updated my HIPPA training, I'm current on every shot and immunization that is required had anything to do with the decision.

I hope that I really was chosen for an interview because on paper I'm a good candidate.

We'll see.

Knowing everyone in the building isn't a bad thing. It provides a level of comfort that I have to be aware of. I can't be too informal, this is a position that is way more formal than my current position after all.

I just hope that if I am offered the position, that it is a good fit and will last me through Jake's schooling.

At least I look good.

My 'work appropriate' clothes have been dying to get the chance to be worn.

You should see my outfit for today.

I went with the conservative, yet stylish vibe.

I'll post pictures later.

Prayers for my interview would be really awesome!

Wish me luck and think kind thoughts.

You are all so awesome.

35 in 365 for 2012

2012-01-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

Because I was beginning to have too many resolution for this new year I have decided to join Big Sis and make a list of 35 goals for the next 365 days.

The list is supposed to be about self improvement - Not a to-do or chore list.

I wanted to give you my list and plans for each goal... Since this will hold me more accountable.

Spend more time with family, splitting between Jake family and mine more equally.

Whenever things come up we just have a habit of doing what Jake's family is doing rather than what mine is. This is due to Jake's family actually planning ahead of time. My goal is to plan the time with my family better so that it happens more often and they are given equal amounts of time.

Work out at least once a week.

I like working out... There is no reason why I can't make it to our free club house to run on the treadmill or use the elliptical once a week.

Go to church every week.

I have a habit of making excuses about once a month to not go.

Read my bible once a day.

This is more about time to focus on the word and become better acquainted with it.

Pay off my credit card.

I will make payments every paycheck and only use it in an emergency. Once the balance is paid off the card will be used once a month in order to not be fined and to keep my credit score up.

Pay down my student loan by 50%.

I will make above minimum payments once a paycheck.

I will uplift my husband in private and public.

I will make sure that I am aware of what I say about Jake at all times, no matter who I am talking to. Family or not.

Journal at least twice a week.

I have abandoned journaling for myself. I will carry my journal in my purse more often in case I find myself bored.

Blog at least twice a week.

To stop gossiping about people close to me.

I will an example to others around me and refuse to talk badly about someone behind their back. If I don't have anything nice, or constructive to say, I can't say anything.

Be more strict about my cash system.

I am really seeing a difference in my money habits. Now I just have to be more strict with myself.

Know which Presidential candidate I'm going to be voting for and why.

Elections are this year. I will be an informative voter. I will listen to political opinions made by family members and look into topics in my spare time. I will try to read unbiased opinion news and make my own decision. This means that I need to look into each individual political topic and choose my opinion.

Learn how to use the external hard drive and back up everything important.

We have an external hard drive, but Jake is who set it up. I will tinker around with it and learn how to back up pictures and other important things.

Pack my lunch everyday.

I will plan ahead and have things on hand for lunch. If I do not store lunch food at work, I will make my lunch and bring it in my nifty lunch bag.

No more pop.

When tempted I will drink/order water.

Cook dinner once a week.

I will plan ahead and purchase meal ingredients before hand.

Do a rinse for my hair twice a month.

Apple cider vinegar rinse to strip all the nastiness and buildup from my hair.

Do a mask for my hair twice a month.

Look up recipes for organic/natural masks and have ingredients on hand.

Get my hair trimmed once a month.

Get an DSLR camera.

I will research cameras, save at least $50 a paycheck.

Learn how to use DSLR camera and Photoshop.

I will get Photoshop and a DSLR camera and learn how to use it.

Drink at least one bottle of water a day while at work.

I will resort to drinking some water before snacking. I will also drink water with lunch.

Only check Facebook 4 times a day.

When I get into work, once at lunch, once at home and One time as a free pass for whenever.

Complete 1 DIY a month from Pinterest.

I have instructions on my boards. I just have to plan ahead and purchase the supplies. I will plan my task at the beginning of the month and document it in pictures and post it on my blog once it's completed.

Take my multi-vitamin every day.

Play more board games.

Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.

I will go to bed earlier on week nights. I will not waste time in front of the TV for no reason.

Buy and eat more fresh/organic food.

Leave early in order to be early.

Improve my posture.

Use floss and mouthwash every day.

Watch less crap on TV.

The only reality shows I will watch includes; SYTYCD, The Voice, Project Runway. Everything else will be scripted (Once Upon a time, Glee, PanAm, New Girl) and documentaries.

Take the stairs.

Stretch before bed.

Take of mascara before washing my face

Now I just have to make sure that this is all possible.

I will be making reminders on my calendar and making more precise grocery lists.

Yay for a better me in 2012!

Helping a Friend

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend I'm participating in a workshop for a friend of mine.

I'm really excited.

I'm going to be teaching high school theatre kids about the importance of different dance styles in Theatre. I'm going to focus on Scottish Dance, since that's where my 15 years of focus happens to be.

So what if the kids are only going to use the information gained by their time with me in about one theatrical situation... Being for the musical Brigadoon.

The real reason why I'm excited is because as a high schooler (from the exact same school district as most of these kids) I never got the chance to attend this workshop. And it's been going on for a lonooong time.

I'm going to live through the kids by teaching them...

Make sense.

My senior class, theatrically, rode on the coat tails of some very talented people who made my class fell like workshops and such were unnecessary.

I bummed about it quite a bit.

Anyway!

So, think of me this weekend as I deal with more than my fair share of kids who are going to remind me why I didn't want to become a teacher.

Impressive List of VIP's Who Served

2012-01-02T15:38:00.000-05:00

This is a list that I've been compiling of VIP's who have or are currently serving in our country's military. The list is not including the vast number of politicians who have served. (I have to limit myself here)

I hope you learn a little something.

This list is by no means complete... But it's surprising!
(* = earned cool awards)

U.S. Navy

Gene Kelly - Lieutenant Junior GradeNaval Air Service
Humphrey Bogart - Sailor
Morgan Freeman - Mechanic
Paul Newman - Radioman/Gunner
Bill Cosby - Hospital Corpsman
Henry Fonda: Quartermaster*
MC Hammer - Petty Officer Third Class Aviation Store Keeper
David Robinson (basketabll)- Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Eddie Albert - Lieutenant, Naval Reserve*
Kirk Douglas: Lieutenant
Tony Curtis
Rock Hudson - Aircraft Mechanic
Ernest Borgnine - Gunner's Mate 1st Class*

U.S. Army

Clark Gable - Major, Army Air Corps

Mel Brooks - Combat Engineer

Clint Eastwood - Swim Instructor
Elvis - Private
James Earl Jones - First Lieutenant
Ronald Reagan - Captain
Jimmy Stewart - Major General
Mickey Rooney - Private First Class*
Alan Alda - Gunner, U.S. Army Reserve
Tony Bennett - Private
Dennis Franz - 82nd Airborne
Charles Durning - Private First Class
J.R. Martinez - 11B Airborne
Oliver Stone - Infantry*
Audie Murphy - Major* (most decorated soldier from WWII)
Rod Sterling - Private*
Pat Tillman - Ranger*
Dave Thomas - Staff Sergeant
William Sanderson
Robert Duvall - Private First Class
Ice-T
Don Knotts
Robert Loggia
Tom Selleck - National Guard
Laurdence Tureaud (Mr. T) - Military Police Corps
Gene Wilder - Medical Corps
Jimi Hendrix - Airborne
Malcolm Forbes - Staff Sergeant*
Lenoard Nimoy - Sergeant
Andy Rooney - *

U.S. Air Force

Chuck Norris - Air Police
Russell Johnson - 1st Lieutenant*
Sunny Anderson - Sr. Airman
Johnny Cash - Staff Sergeant
George Carlin
Sinbad
Roald Dahl - Wing Commander

U.S. Marine Corps

Gene Hackman - Corporal

Drew Carey

Harvey Kietel

Montel Williams - Lieutenant*
Dale Dye - Captian*

Lee Marvin - Private First Class, Scout Sniper*

Ted Williams (baseball)- Fighter-bomber
Rob Riggle - Lt. Colonel

'Shaggy' aka Orville Richard Burrell

Ed McMahon - Colonel*

George C. Scott - Guard/Instructor
Steve McQueen - Private First Class

R. Lee Emrey - Gunnery Sergeant
Bea Arthur - Women's Reserve
John Glenn - Colonel*
Johnny Pesky (baseball)

Other

Julia Child - Office of Strategic Services

Actors who served for other countries:

Audrey Hepburn - Child Courier for the Resistance Fighters in Holland (WWII)

Sean Connery - Royal Navy

James Blunt - 2nd Lieutenant, British Army
James Doohan - Canadian Armed Forces

Honorable Mentions:

Bruce Willis - tried enlisting after 9/11 but was turned down due to his age.
John Wayne - USO (volunteered for the Army 3 times and was denied due to health/injuries)

Anyone have anything to add?
I find this list amazing and heart warming.
Why don't more actors take a stand?

A Little Tip From Me to You

2012-01-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

You can make your shampoo and conditioner last longer...

Just add a little water once things get low.

Adding water doesn't compromise the quality of your product...

It just makes the conditioner a little thinner... The shampoo a little runnier.

Just make sure you shake it to mix it up...

And you should probably add the water after you use it instead of before... It will give your product a chance to really mix.

This is a life saver for those of us who adore expensive hair care, but don't have the budget to buy it all the time.

Just make sure that you don't add too much water...

When I get to the half way mark on my product, I only fill the bottle up to the 3/4ths mark by adding water.

And I only do this once per bottle.

You don't want to get to the point where there is more water than product.

Anyone else have any $ saving beauty tips?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

May this year bring you more happiness than pain.

More joy than sorrow.

And more D&W blog updates.

I hope your all being safe and having a smashing time!

Bittersweet

2011-12-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

Well today is the day of mixed emotions.

Twin is coming home.

The whole family is going to meet him.

I've been excited for everyone, but secretly dreading today since Thanksgiving.

I may know how I'll act...

But I sure as hell don't know what I'm going to be feeling the moment I see the mirror image of my husband hugging family.

I imagine I'll swallow the bitterness and fight with my emotions from this day until the end of this deployment.

I'm already fighting.

I'm not mad or upset about Twin coming home.

I'm actually really happy for him and for his family.

Excited even.

He's needed here in a different way than Jake is.

His little boy needs him.

It's not more or less...

Just different.

And I'm OK with that.

I just don't like that on the outside, it'll look like him.

Hugging them, kissing her, holding them.

So similar, but so very different.

To be put in such a position is scary.

It makes me wonder how God thinks I'm so strong.

Time will tell.

The only thing I can look forward to is that Jake will be here in a matter of days, helping ease the sting a little.

I just hate that he has to get back on a plane after all is said and done.

Be on the look out for a mental breakdown.

And I'm only half kidding.

Classy in Leopard

2011-12-30T08:55:00.000-05:00

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Suede Boots - Forever 21, $27.80

Satin Blazer - Forever 21, $37.80

Mauve Chiffon top - Forever 21, $22.80

Leopard Scarf - Charlotte Russe, $9.50

Jeans - American Eagle, $44.99

Sunglasses - Forever 21, $5.80

Purse - Target, $24.99

Dressing like a Woman, Spending like a Junior.

2011-12-29T09:03:00.000-05:00

Admit it.

It's hard going from the junior's section at a store to the misses.

It's a struggle I'm facing currently. I feel like my fashion choices put me in a limbo. I want the fun, flirty style found in the junior section... Not to mention the lower prices.

However, I much prefer the coverage that the misses section carries.

Let's face it.

I don't care how hot your legs are, no self respecting woman wears mini skirts that barely cover their butt cheeks unless they're a stripper....

But then that takes away the whole self-respect aspect of this example.

Thank you Forever 21, for creating a line of clothing that gives the great prices you store offers, with the hemlines of a professional, stylish, adult.

With you store, Love 21, I can now shop for myself without the fear of purchasing anything that will give me LiLo or Britany infamy.

I can feel like a fully clothed adult.

And a stylish one at that.

(now if only you would lower the hem lines of your regular apparel so I'm not afraid to raise a girl in this society...)

Another shout out goes to H&M.

Admittedly, it is a little hard to walk into a store with a new outlook on adult fashion and not be scared right back out again by the variety of styles to choose from. However, I adore seeing what is 'next' for the retail world.

I may only buy one piece at a time. (one that I can be assured will fit in with my current wardrobe and be worn on a regular basis) But oh how I love that one thing.

Kohls.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

By stocking lines from fashionable young women (Lauren Conrad) in your misses section, I have gained a whole new respect for the other designers that lay scattered among the racks. I now only glimpse over at the junior's section wishing for the class and style that can come from an amazing top by Vera Wang.

Thankfully my bank account doesn't love you as much or else I would be broke.

Anyone have a store shout out they'd like to share? One that has helped them ease from the junior's section, fashionably, with your (and wallet) head held high?

Shuffling Soldiers

2011-12-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

Does that bring to mind a picturesque dance number of uniformed hunks with a leading man singing a rowdy drinking song?

No?

Just me?

(Damn musical focused mind.)

This holiday season has been one of complete insanity.

It started off with thanksgiving-

The night before, Jake tells me that he is moving from his fairly comfortable base at Camp Phoenix to the base where his brother was... Only his brother would be coming home. It was a big bummer for me and hard to work through emotionally in order to truly come to peace with the circumstances of all this stupidity called the Army.

The end of November, up until about Monday last week brought more complaining and worries. Everyone was beginning to shift from base to base.

Twin had left and was stuck in an airport stateside, unable to get home for Christmas due to having to go through demob.

RG was given R&R for Christmas and had started traveling... Having to hear about his lack of communication during travel was a little frustrating. (There is only so much a soldier can do about contact when all that is going on)

Jake all of a sudden dropped off the face of the earth for a whole week as he traveled from one base to another (and another).

I'm happy to say that Twin in going to be home before the New Year.

RG is home and taking up valuable bathroom counter space.

And Jake made it safely to his new base.

Now the countdown for Jake's R&R (and my birthday!!!!) can begin.

That's right my loves! Jake is coming how for R&R for my 25th birthday!!!!

I'm beyond excited!

Upgrade

2011-12-14T10:26:00.004-05:00

A few nights ago I was heading home from my MIL's house and my phone didn't want to connect to call Big Sis. I hit the end button and waited for my phone to turn off. Once it did I held the power button to turn it back on so I could ask some crazy important question that I, by that time, had forgotten.

My phone stayed on the boot up screen for the next hour.

As I pulled up to the house, I grumbled while secretly trying to calculate how long until my phone upgrade.

I got out of the car, messed with my keys while holding the power button on my phone, and walked up to open the screen door.

It didn't open.

It was locked.

I didn't even know that it had a lock.

I jiggled the handle and started at it like my awesome mind powers would persuade it to tumble open like a magical thing.

There was no key for the door...

There wasn't even a lock for which a key would work to open the dang thing.

I looked at my broken, useless, stupid phone and realized that I had been sucked back in time.

Back to a time where if you were locked out of your freaking house, you had to resort to force... Or you walked to a neighbor's house.

As I explained previously, I don't know my neighbors, and any key that I would have given them would be useless because it was the unlockable screen door that was keeping me out in the cold.

Needless to say, I peeked into my garage and saw that KG's car was there.

She was home.

Salvation was close.

Now to just get her attention.

I knocked on the door.

I pounded on the door.

I was rough with the stupid screen door, vowing that it was coming off once I got inside.

I had the tools to do it.

Phone.

I needed a freaking phone!

IPAD!

I had an iPad.

And even though I was outside and the signal was insanely weak, I had Wifi!

I had an iPad and Wifi!

I have Skype.

Skype is like a phone.

KG has Skype.

So I stood there, on my own porch, and Skyped my roommate, who was inside, from my own wifi.

She picked up, Praise the Lord, and let me inside.

She had locked the screen door when she was baking and the fire alarm went off, and having had the door open, she was scared of creepers.

After I was inside and I could feel my fingers again I fought with my phone for a good half hour trying to get the battery case open and resetting my phone.

Of course this was only after I texted my dad from via email and asked him when his Verizon contract was up so I could start a countdown until my new phone.

My birthday.

I'm getting an upgrade for my birthday, which is in 1 month.

It's on like Donkey Kong!

Now I just have to decide between a Droid (Razrot Thunderbolt) or an iPhone.

Neighborly

2011-12-13T10:23:00.001-05:00

So my experience with neighbors has been limited. One girl played the OSU night games on the side of her condo...

I was stupid and didn't go out and socialize because of Jake having just left when the season started...

I didn't watch a single game this season.

She does have a cute pug that Asher tries to sniff out every time we pass their porch.

My other neighbor has only seen me in the worst shape.

This was due to me parking in his assigned spot that he NEVER uses because I couldn't leave the house to park it on the street due to having food poisoning.

Yeah. I opened the door and immediately regretted it...

I think he did too.

My childhood consisted of one other family who we shared holidays with in the neighborhood.

To this day, we randomly hear their children, grown up and independent, coming into the house to grab a DVD or Wii game to borrow.

Or they just barge in on our family dinner night to crash the party and have a beer.

Did I mention that all three of the kids were boys.

Their mother often comes over for 'girl time' with my mom.

I digress...

So anyway, does anyone give neighbor gifts for the holiday season?

Living With an OCD Roommate

2011-12-08T07:55:00.001-05:00

These past few months have been interesting in the apartment, to say the least.

I feel that I've learned a lot about myself.

And how to deal with a little crazy.

KG is OCD.

Like mad OCD.

Like she cleans up behind me a little bit if I don't put things 'in their proper place' the first time.

And she And she has a little mind freak when a DVD case is sitting on the TV stand while we're watching said DVD.

IT's definitely interesting.

I understand why she is the way that she is. If I was raised thinking that a house should be cleaner than a hotel... That when things are left out in plain sight a big lecture/screaming fight was on it's way... I'd be the same way.

But because my mom cared more about us than the state of her house (not necessarily the best thing either. You need it to be about even...) I'm very much not up to par with KG and her cleanliness.

I'm not awful and disgusting...

I just don't care as much.

Although it's interesting because while I may not be surface clean, I'm organized.

Once something of mine finds a home, that becomes it's permanent home and is placed there, neatly, every time.

KG just wants things out of sight.

She doesn't care about how things look behind cabinet or closet doors.

It's the one thing that really bugs me.

And that she sometimes puts things away in the 'wrong place' or before I'm even done using it.

It's almost comical.

All annoyances aside, living with an OCD clean freak, her words. Not mine.

OK, mine too.

Has made me start appreciating the every day cleaning rather than the weekly/bi-weekly overhaul that I'm use to.

It's good.

Plus I now rinse everything and put it in the dishwasher.

Due to KG not having ever lived with anyone else, I hope that I'm teaching her how to relax a little bit... Because Lord knows men aren't the cleanest creatures, and she has one who she is going to have to live with every day for the rest of her life once this deployment is over...

Ha!

What I wouldn't pay to be a fly on that wall.

Pinteresting Wednesday Inspiration

2011-12-07T09:36:00.001-05:00

Because I need to see and read these as much as some of you might.

Some News

2011-12-06T13:46:00.001-05:00

No, I'm not pregnant.

HA! Nice try.

The boys have told us that due to the military drawbacks the unit, 'as of right now', is being cut in half and some people are being sent home.

Political crap.

Guess who isn't on that list.

Now take a wild guess as to who is.

If you guessed that Jake and RG are staying you win.

If you guessed that Twin was coming home before Christmas...

Congrats. You can read my sarcasm via blog!

Be proud!

It's an interesting test from God, I know it is.

The day after Jake told me was Thanksgiving and from my point of view, needless to say, I didn't handle it well.

I basically confined myself to hanging out with Asher as much as I could. Which isn't as hard as you'd think considering we were at SIL's house and he was being a 'Velcro dog', per usual. (barking and such)

I tried to not let it effect me very much because it is a happy thing for TOB and Gabe, who were there.

And even though for a split second I contemplated unleashing the beast that is my uncensored mouth on my little-sister-in-law and going home... I didn't.

Instead I did what I do best.

I cried for a split second, sucked it up, shut my mouth and pretended like nothing was wrong.

In the days since I'm afraid to say that the acidic anger that I felt hasn't gone away.

It's simmered some, but has decided to find small, stupid, annoying things about TOB to cause mini seizures of flat out aggression.

Normally these outbursts are held in until I'm someplace where I can literally attack things without fear of someone judging me...

Well, except the people who see me driving while yelling to myself and flailing about.

For them, I'm sure it's quite a show.

I don't talk to TOB about how I feel or the situation because there isn't any point.

She can't control the situation.

Twin didn't do it on purpose.

In fact, it's Twin that should come home and be with his little boy.

It's just a little hard to see the lesson God is teaching Jake and I.

And it hurts.

And I don't quite know what to do about it.

I have no idea how I'm going to be once Twin is actually home.

I'm already fighting that desertion impulse that I tend to have when I am too hurt or don't approve of a situation.

Prayers of strength, understanding and peace of heart would be great.

The only good that has come out of this is that there is another possible draw back in March.

Who knows, we'll see what it brings.

Why Didn't He Say So?

2011-11-30T08:34:00.001-05:00

I guess the title of this post should be "Why Didn't I Listen When He Said So?"

Have you ever been felt like your husband wasn't on the same wavelength as you?

You tell him something and he skirts around the subject.

He avoids it.

He 'makes excuses'.

That was how I thought Jake was with the "Baby' topic.

I thought he was just trying to put me off the idea until we could really talk about it.

I saw 'after I get into med school' as the delaying tactic that it was.

I accepted it in a way that most people do when they think they know better than another.

I nodded in agreement while drooling over onesies, daydreaming about light eyes and little hands...

It took SIL telling me about a conversation that took place before he left to really hear what my husband was saying. It took my emotions and my lack of hearing out of the equation.

He told her that he wanted time without a deadline, without the impending deployment, to be ourselves.

To just be US.

And a puppy.

And a cat (why do we always forget about him?)

And to travel.

She was telling me about all of this and my brain and ears didn't quite align until she said the word 'travel'.

And he was talking T.R.A.V.E.L.

Over oceans.

Something that is, not impossible, but difficult with a baby.

The sad thing:

I don't even know or remember if he has ever said that very same thing to me...

I have a fear that he has and that I just thought over him.

Wanting what I wanted.

Not stopping to listen to him.

And now my mind if full of flights and touristy things.

Romantic sights.

Historical places.

Jake's base had an incident last month that resulted in people dying.

A suicide bomber off base.

He is, and was, fine in a way that you say when you know someone's life has been altered by outside events.

He told me that he had daydreams about babies after that incident.

It made me cry.

I was sad to know that the carefree and immortal mentality of my husband was shriveling up.

It happens to every soldier who stares war in the face.

It's funny to get what you wanted at a price you weren't expecting to pay.

I tell him that he was right, that traveling while it's just us is an excellent idea.

He tells me that since he wants to travel with family, and that they all have babies, that there is no sense delaying something that we both want 'just because it seems inconvenient'...

I told him that we had to give he plan to God.

Give our timeline to Him and see what excitement he can come up with.

Since You've Been Gone

2011-11-28T14:23:00.001-05:00

The only part of my legs that have seen a razor since Seattle?

My ankles.

KG and I are having a competition.

A 'My husband is gone and my legs are hairy' competition.

And just because I love you so much,

I will not be posting pictures.