Tiny Theater Thursday

This little girl is just too adorable!!

Harry Potter!

I know, I know, I’m such a dork but I think we’ve already established that fact so I’ll move on. One of the dorkiest things about me is that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I always see the movies the day they come out and I always read the book the day it was released (except of course for the 1st one – which, by the way, my aunt gave to me to read shortly after it became so popular because she wanted me to agree with her that it was dark and dangerous and should be burned. Oh, man, did that plan backfire on her!!). I also buy the DVD the day it comes out too and watch it at least 100 times – I told you I am a HUGE fan!

Well…the trailer for the new movie is so great that I just have to share it with you. Anyone else want to go wait in line with me on opening day? I know CarGuy is totally sick of doing it. Now, since he doesn’t read my blog I feel safe to tell you that my evil little brain has been devising exceptionally snotty ways of messing with him in connection with HP. One of my early ideas is to make him think I am planning this big elaborate trip to London in May 2011 for the premier of the last ½ of the last movie. I think this will be better than the time I made him think I got my belly button pierced! Good times, good times!

I tried to embed the trailer but it wouldn't work so just click on this link:

HP Half-Blood Prince Trailer

Don't Shake a Sealed Container

I’m nothing if not educational here on this blog so I have another lesson for you today. If you’re not sure you can agree with my educational statement just check out my posting, Don’t Shake a Wobbly Chair. Yesterday I created another learning opportunity for you…I’ll wait while you fawn over me for my wonderful generosity toward you…all done? Ok. So…back to the learning moment…

Each morning when I get in the office I first groan over the state of my desk (you know those little elves that came and made all the shoes for that guy in the fairy tale? I pray every night that they will visit me and do all my work for me! But, alas, I’m on my own!), lose my mind over the amount of e-mails that procreated over night, and then go fill up my big Tupperware color changing cup with some sort of refreshing beverage. Yesterday I decided to have Crystal Light Raspberry Ice – yummm! So off I trot to our fabulous lunch room (it really is fabulous, I’m not being sarcastic here – just thought I better straighten that out because I’m normally extensively sarcastic) to prepare my yummy drink. I use the powdered stuff and I have found that if I start out with hot water it mixes much better. We have this awesome instant hot water spigot (man, that’s a weird word!) at work – I so need one of these at home! I filled my cup about an inch or so with hot water and dumped in the powder. I sealed the lid tightly (Tupperware burp…it’s the best!) and proceeded to shake the container to get everything all nice and mixed up before adding the ice and the rest of the water. Wow...this stuff smells great!!

Ok…so here comes the lesson! Listen carefully because this may save you from life altering embarrassment in the future…DO NOT shake a container of hot liquid unless you are absolutely certain the lid cannot pop off!! Tupperware lids can, and most assuredly will, pop off under this kind of pressure!!!

So here’s my public apology to all those fine folks that I work with for the beautiful hot pink sticky spray all over the kitchen. I tried to clean it all up but I’m sure I missed something – like the 10 ft. ceiling. Luckily for me I had a black dress on yesterday because I was wearing a large majority of the spray. I think I was attracting every mosquito in town with the smell!

Ok…class dismissed!

New Recipe Blog

Hi all! Recently I've been frequenting Kay's Blog and she has inspired me to create my own blog featuring some of my favorite recipes. Check it out and let me know what you think...k?

Another Garden Update!!

Wow...things are hopping in the garden!! We even were able to consume some of our produce this week!! We had fried zucchini and it was yummy! (I'm trying to ignore how many WW points I consumed that evening!!) I'm working on a separate recipe blog and will certainly post that recipe for you shortly. In the meantime here are some pics to get you completed updated:

Here are some zukes that will soon be some yummy dish but I'm not quite sure what to make...any suggestions?

And look at one of their many cousins soon to be gracing my table!!
The cukes are doing great too -- I planted the kind made for pickling so I'm sure I'll post all about the pickling process soon.
I don't have any peppers yet but I've got lots of blossoms -- won't those peppers hurry up!?!The tomatoes are doing great too -- I can't wait to pick some of these!!

Look....corn tassles!!!!
And you know what comes next!!!
The boys are waiting for this part of the garden more than anything else. And speaking of boys, look what CarGuy has been nursing along....
Yep....those are little sprouts off the jalapeno that Peanut destroyed!! I told him that he might have some peppers for Secret Squirrel come Christmas time!!

Thanks for coming along with us -- I hope watching my plants grow isn't horribly boring! BTW...I love watching plants grow so if you have some garden updates of your own, post a link in the comments section and I'll come check it out!

Want to win some books?

I know I do! One of the blogs that I read turned me on to this book giveaway. I'm a big reader so I'm always looking for ways to get books in my hands! Check it out:

http://bookroomreviews.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/win-a-set-of-fourteen-books/#comment-1133

They are giving away a collection of 14 books of all different genres. I'm suprised that I haven't read any of these books yet. I've read books by some of the authors though so it looks like a collection of good reads.

Another Contest Over at SITS

I think maybe I need to start directing you guys to the wrong URL or something because I keep telling you about these contests and then I never win them! But...I'm just too nice to do that so....check out the latest contest over at SITS:

Apple 4G iPod Nano in Silver!

Plays up to 1,000 songs, 4 hours of video or 3,500 pictures!

I soooooo need this!! I have an RCA Opal that just doesn't cut it.

Tiny Theater Thursday

What old people do for fun! I so want to be this kind of old lady!! Oh, wait, I already am!!!

Help a mother of 6 get a stroller

Hi all my bloggy friends! You guys are so awesome that I know you can help this girl out. I work with her dad and this poor thing has 4 kids already (including a set of identical twins) and is pregnant with another set of identical twins now. She has entered a contest to win a double stroller. Here is her message:

There is a contest giving away a free double stroller. I entered because it'd be nice to have a double to take the babies out if I ever have a chance to go out without the other 4 kids. I'm actually close to winning! If you have a chance, click on the link and you can vote for me on the left hand side of the page. I'm the third name on the list.
Heather
Doula & Mom of 4 + 2 more on the way

Here's the link so you can vote for her and help her win that stroller.
http://amazingtrips.blogspot.com/
Look on the left hand side and click Heather's radio button.

To learn more about Heather and her amazing brood you can check out her website too:
http://www.abirthtoremember.com/

Thanks everyone!!

It's National Ice Cream Day!!!

Well...a day finally made for me!!! The only thing better would be National Pizza Day!! I will have some ice cream today to celebrate. However due to my goal of getting some weight off before our cruise in January it will be a Skinny Cow - don't know about those yet...you gotta try them!! My favorites are the fudge bars and the vanilla sandwiches.

Did you know that what flavor ice cream you like most tells volumes about your personality?!? Me neither!! Go check it out and let me know what flavor you are! Here's mine:

Butter Pecan: If your favorite flavor is Butter Pecan, you might be characterized as the perfect worker. You are devoted, conscientious, respectful and fiscally conservative. You hold high standards for right and wrong and show integrity in all of your actions. This includes an extreme sensitivity for others’ feelings. You aren’t one to wear your heart on your sleeve; it takes a little encouragement from close friends and family to share your deepest thoughts. Romantic Compatibility: You are most romantically compatible with those who prefer Mint Chocolate Chip.

Well...that's pretty close except for the part about not wearing your heart on your sleeve. I'm so a sleeve hearter!! CarGuy likes mint chocolate chip but I think if he had a choice he'd just be a regular chocolate chipper. Gosh...I'm not "most romantically compatible"...what shall I do now?

God and Dandelions

One of the best ways for me to get together with God is through music. I know many people get closer to God when they spend time in nature or watch their children or read the bible. I find God in those times too but for me music is the Grand Door into my heart. I listen to music quite a bit and being a singer, sometimes I'm listening to see if it's something that I can either perform exactly as written or something I can rearrange to fit my style and vocal range. I also spend a lot of time trying to find harmonies to the melodies to add some additional depth to Sunday morning worship.

But there are some songs that just speak to my heart exactly as they are and do not beg me to analyze them or figure out how to put my signature on them. Mercy Me's God with Us is one such song. It inspires my heart and I end up praising God with all I have. I agree like the song says that my praise is "such a tiny offering compared to Calvary" but I am so glad that God doesn't see it that way. It reminds me of when your young child brings you a dandelion they picked. In your eyes that is the most beautiful flower you have ever seen and you are so filled with emotion that maybe, like me, you've cried at the sight of that little flower that normally makes you want to pull your hair out and spend your last cent buying poison to rid your yard of them.

I see our praises as showering God in those childhood dandelions. Something that some in this world view as a scrouge upon the land become droplets of gold to God. So join me in praising God today -- let this song touch your heart and send up your dandelions to God with me!

Tiny Theater Thursday

Star Wars according to a cute little 3 year old…way too funny!!! I love her advice about Darth Vader -- I will definitely follow that advice!

Wordless Wednesday with a Twist and an Online Name

Well...today is DS's 18th birthday so I told him I was giving him a nice new online name for his birthday!! I was totally excited about it but he didn't really care. His response was, "Ok...well I don't even read your blog." Actually I'm kinda glad he doesn't read my blog - that would definitely put a cramp in my style. I know you all will understand (and share in) my excitement so from this point forward DS will officially be known as SwimBoy. I know, I know, I can't understand his lack of excitement either!! Now, I know that DH will totally be devastated if he doesn't get a new name too so....DH will be known from today and forever more as CarGuy. Actually I've called him CarGuy for years so it's only natural I'd continue with that tradition.

Ok..well..today I have 2 subjects on my mind -- you've already read the first and here's the 2nd....I love finding new blogs! I recently found a new one that I just adore - The Adventures of an American Mum. Rachel is a great writer and she has this really fun Wednesday activity.


I've seen lots of Wordless Wednesday posts around the blogosphere but I'm a word person and they always left me wanting to know the story behind the picture - besides I have a rather sucky (yep that's a technical term - use it well) camera so my pics are definitely not enough to carry a whole post. Rachel's "twist" first gives us a topic to post our pics about (really helpful since I need someone to focus me somewhere!) and she lets us tell that story, which for a word person like me (DH would call it being a yacky girl....hmmmm...I wonder if he has a secret blog out there and is calling me yacky girl -- my bloggy friends would tell me if they ran across it...right?) is perfect! The topic this week is "Summertime Days/July". There's so much that brings to mind that topic! I just grabbed my camera and starting taking pics.

July means lots of things in our house. So I started with our house. I like to put up a season specific decoration at our front door. The front of our house faces West which means afternoons are brutal on our front door. This also means I can't use anything that melts (this kills all use of plastic and anything that is hot glued together)! This particular piece is one of my favorites because it fulfills the unmeltable rule along with fitting the space perfectly.

Another July event at our house is walking to the lake to watch fireworks. This year CarGuy (wow...that sure takes longer to type than DH) and I took Peanut with us. All that darn dog wanted to do was watch the people walk by. He watched like 2 fireworks and he was all done. This is the dog that will sit on the couch with you and watch TV for hours. Oh, well, here's a pic of the fireworks that I took with my phone. I was actually quite surprised it turned out so well.

Of course, this being SwimBoy's birthday he is a big focus of our July events. Tonight we are going to go eat at the restaurant that I make the uniforms for (oh, man, I think I still have some to make so I better make the rest of this post snappy!). I was tempted to take a pic of him sleeping since that's exactly what he's doing now but I think he would kill me...but wait, he said he doesn't read my blog so here ya go! Peanut followed me in the room and jumped up and tried to kiss him!

Another thing I love about July is that CarGuy and I spend a lot of our free time sitting on the back porch. During the winter we don't have this time together without some type of technology interrupting us (TV, Computers, etc.). This is a time when we can sit and talk and catch up with each other. Normally this is our entertainment:

During July my garden really seems to take off. It's fun watching the sprouting happen in June but in July is when the big growth is witnessed. This is another view CarGuy and I have from our back porch.
Now lest you think all of July is one big happy party....feast your eyes on what CarGuy does to the front living room window during the scorching heat of July - did I ever mention we don't have A/C in our house?!?!

I hope you enjoyed my WWWAT - if you want to see more or join in the fun just check out Rachel's site.

Garden Watch

Good afternoon all! Well it's time for another Garden Watch!! I know it's just so exciting but keep your knickers on and here we go.....


The corn is getting really high! I haven't noticed any ears starting yet but I'm keeping a close eye out for some!
We've got some cuke blossoms!! Woohoo!!
I know it's hard to see on the picture but there are dozens of pepper buds on this plant. I have know idea how this relatively small plant is going to hold up those peppers.
The peas are getting bigger but they still don't look too healthy. I've been watering them more so we'll have to wait and see what happens.

The tomato has completely outgrown it's cage -- this is how much of the plant is above the top ring.

The yellow squash is not looking too good since being transplanted in the garden. I think it's homesick for all the other clearance plants at the store. I'll have to keep an eye on the pepper next to it to make sure it's not bullying this poor little guy.
I am going to have more zukes than I know what to do with if each and every one of these blossoms turns into a veggie!! They're awful pretty though!
Here's one of the first zukes -- isn't he cute?!?
Here's the newest member of the garden family -- meet acorn squash! I picked him up today for only $3.00!! I hope he stays as healthy as he looks now. I love acorn squash and I have a great recipe I want to share with you all for making a yummy baked acorn squash dish. Stay tuned and as soon as we are ready to harvest one of these we'll have a cooking lesson! I don't have adorable cooking assistants like Kay or Mama Kat but hopefully the recipe will be so yummy you won't mind my lack of adorable cooking assistants!

Now I have a sad story to tell you...remember my little jalapeno? Well yesterday when I took all the pics for today's update this is how it looked... When we got home from church today this is how it looked...

Now I'm sure you are asking yourself how could this horrible catastrophe happen?!?! Well...let me show you who I think is responsible....

Yep...that would be Peanut!! The CSI testing has not come back from the lab but I'm pretty sure the pawprints in the dirt and DNA traces on the decimated jalapeno leaves will prove he was definitely a naughty dog today!!! Those jalapenos were for a friend ours, Secret Squirrel, who loves all things hot. Peanut better hope Secret Squirrel likes him more than the jalapenos he was expecting to be brought to him!!

Huh?!?!?

I wish I would have thought ahead and taken a picture of this toy! We were at K-Mart the other day because someone told me they had Barbies on clearance for $2. Now normally I don't set foot in K-Mart because it's usually dirty, poorly stocked, and it just makes me feel sorry for all the people who work there -- I'm really not sure how they even stay in business. However, all digression aside, I try to put Barbies in the Operation Christmas Child boxes each year for the girls and $2 is a great price! Unfortunately all the $2 Barbies were gone but I did spy something that just made me go "HUH?!?!?!" -- hence the title of this post. Sitting among all the other silly toys, like the Spiderman who danced and sang "If you're happy and you know it" (now really, is that what he meant when he said "with great power comes great responsibility"? Which DH just couldn't help but push the play button a million times just to annoy the crap out of me!), and the big pile of everything High School Musical (exactly who would outfit their entire bathroom with HSM products? I guess not many which explains the clearance sale status of these gems.), sat this box with a mermaid doll in it. I thought it was kinda cute so I picked it up and lo and behold what did it say on the box.....

"Moves just like a real mermaid"

Wha..?!?! Since when are there real mermaids?!?! Did something monumental happen in the natural world and were mermaids found to live among us? Wow...it took this toy company most assuredly in some poverty stricken little village in China to bring me up to speed on world events. I feel so foolish. I almost bought the thing just to send it in to Jay Leno so he could come up with much more hilarious thoughts than I have the capability of inventing. I'm sure he'd have a ball with this one!!

Friday's Feast

Time for another:


Appetizer
When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?
I just had a haircut on Friday! Before that it was probably a good 6 months – long hair is good that way.

Soup
Name one thing you miss about being a child.
No responsibilities!!! When I was a kid I couldn’t wait to grow up and now all I want to do is go back to the days when all I had to worry about was whether I was going to ride my bike or not that day!!

Salad
Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.
Depends on what I’m using it on but I tend to stay away from margarine if I can – it seems too fakey-fakey to me. I will use that yogurt spread though.

Main Course
If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?
Spanish definitely! We do mission work with an orphanage in Mexico and nearly all the kids speak only Spanish. The last time I was down there the language barrier really was a problem. I’m trying to learn but it’s really slow going.

Dessert
Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…
At my goal weight, debt-free (except for my house), and doing more traveling for fun.

If you'd like to join us...click here and post your own feast for all to enjoy! Let me know if you have a Friday's Feast posting in the comments below so I can learn all about you in order to become a better online stalker...er, I mean, friend.

Tiny Theater Thursday

This guy is awesome!!

Why can't people be happy for others?

As you can see from my sidebar and the little banner at the bottom of the page I am going to be an aunt again and I'm extremely excited. My middle sister, BeeGee which is short for The Band Geek (she knows I mean it in the most loving way and I'm sure she'd nickname me the Snobby Cheerleader), is expecting and it is such a blessing. She and her husband, Pepper (he'll know exactly why I call him that!), have been married for 8 years and getting preggers has been a challenge. Well...she told family this last weekend about the happy event and one certain person was not happy but rather wanted to know if she was the first to know (which she wasn't) and then proceeded to make a statement about not being the first to know. While others showed their happiness this one comment has hurt BeeGee immensely. Something she wanted to be a really happy event for all sort of turned sour on her. My heart just breaks and I wish she wasn't 1200 miles away or I'd take her out for some pampering at the spa to make her feel better. Guess I'll just have to send her a silly card instead -- you know, that's just as good -- NOT!!

I want to give this person a piece of my mind but I know it's best if I keep my mouth shut. I know this type of behavior is indicative of someone who is not fulfilled and doesn't really feel like she's anything special. I know she just wanted to be the first to know so she could get that special feeling. I can understand the feeling because as DS (who wants to know why he doesn't get a cool nickname on here -- hmmm I'll have to give that some thought) gets older I am lower on the totem pole of information. I remember when he was a little boy I was the first to know everything and I knew everything going on in his life. It's just not that way anymore but as time goes by it gets easier to deal with. He has his own life and it seems the more I let go the more he keeps me involved -- another topic for another day to be sure! I don't think she has been able to get to this point and I'm not holding out much hope that she will.

Anyway...I wish I could just let this person know, in a kind way, that her reactions to things have a lasting impact on people. I wish I could get her to a point where she finds fulfillment in her own accomplishments rather than living vicariously through others. That vicarious living will only leave you flat when those you depend on don't do exactly what you want them to. I wish there was some way I could instill in her the confidence she lacks. There is so much I wish for her but as time goes by I only see her sinking deeper into the pit she's in. Where is that darn magic wand I ordered eons ago?!?! UPS is really getting on my list now!!! Grrrrr....

A New Addiction!!

Ok...so my friend Debbie over at Finding Normal has given me a new addiction! Just what I needed...NOT!!! Something else to keep me from doing my laundry, washing the dishes, running the vacuum (gosh that's a weird word - no wonder I hate doing it!), and generally just neglecting my home and family! So...Debbie...when friends and family come over and the house is a disaster and there's nothing for them to eat I'm gonna blame you...ok? Anyway...the addiction that Debbie turned me on to is called Scrapblogging or digiscrapping or electronic scrapbooking -- check out this site http://www.scrapblog.com/ , make something awesome, and then come back and let me know so I can go scraplift your ideas, ur, I mean ooh and ahh over your creations.

So here's my show and tell....I was up way too late last night working on my new header above and these 2 pages too:

The pic in this post isn't too clear but I just love it! Wasn't I just too cute -- I already had my Hollywood movie star picture filter going on!! I always insist the paparazzi put that filter on before taking my picture! I used one of the premade templates for this layout.

And here's another one...

This is my DH and DS fishing at my dad's pond in PA 4 years ago - btw...the pic in my header is the road out in front of his house too -- gosh I love that farm!! I got brave on this one and did everything from scratch for this page. They didn't really have a set layout that worked for me so I improvised. This site makes it really easy to do that! I've seen those digiscrapping software packages and thought I wouldn't really like them because I'm very hands on. I think I just might have been wrong! Now...I wonder how much a 12x12 printer is going to cost because I just have to print these out and put them in a book!! Ok...off I go to do some online shopping!! Gosh...I sure love the Internet!!!

ps...I found the easiest way to get these on my blog was to use the export to jpeg function on the scrapblog site -- look under the "file" pull down. Now...go scrap away and don't forget to come back and tell me so I can check it out!

Garden Update -- 4th of July edition

Take a good look at this spinach...today is it's last day to live in the dirt. I've realized that we don't eat spinach all that much. But don't worry...the garden won't be bare...I've found the following wayward little veggie on the clearance rack!!
I introduce you to the wonderful little straight-neck yellow squash. I know he looks a little puny now but I'm sure he'll perk right up once he's placed in the garden with some wonderful friends!!
The green pepper is doing much better -- see all those little buds?!?
The tomato is doing well too. I know it's a little blurry but those are some blossoms that will grow into wonderfully juicy tomatoes before too long! The wire you see is the top of the tomato cage so this plant is definitely growing like crazy! I've heard you should prune off the bottom branches to give the fruit a bigger supply of the nutrients. Anyone else heard this?
The jalapeno is doing much better since I moved it to a sunnier location. It now has some blossoms so there's hope for an actual pepper or two!

The corn is getting huge. It has grown over the top of the fencing now -- I can almost taste those juicy sweet ears now!!
The cukes are growing but much slower than I expected. Maybe that means they will be the best cukes ever and will make the most delicious pickles you ever tasted!!
The zukes on the other hand are huge!!! I've noticed some buds and maybe next week I'll have some blossoms to show you!
The peas look absolutely pitiful! I noticed today that they didn't seem to be getting much water. I think the zukes are stopping the water from spraying over there. This week I'm going to concentrate on watering them separately and we'll see how they do.

Tiny Theater Thursday

My good friend Kat sent me this video earlier this week. It's amazing!!! This was taped during a Texas Tech University Basketball game on February 9th. These girls are between the ages of 6 and 8. I'm a professional singer and I run screaming when someone wants me to sing this song -- it's one of the hardest out there. These girls gave me some serious goose bumps!!