Sweet Little Tutu

So, I know that I don't have any kids, let alone a sweet little girl, but saw this tutorial over at Grosgrain Fabulous, and just wanted to share with anyone who might be interested- it looks pretty simple, as in maybe I could even make something like this, if anyone wanted me to. ;) Go here to see the sweetest little photos!

A Few Good Reads

I want to share a few blogs that I've been reading and enjoying lately:

Cakies

FlowerDust

Living Proof Ministries

The Grey Albatross

Shutter Sisters

I read a lot more than this, but these are a few of the sites most recently added to my google reader. For a list of more blogs that I read, go here.

What are you reading lately? I'd love for you to leave a comment with a few links to some good reading material!


*ETA*

I'll compile a list of good reads with the links to all sites(in good taste) listed in the comments section next week so we can all enjoy them!

Random Bullet List About Me Right Now

*I have discovered avocados in the last month, and cannot get enough of them!
*I know it's dumb, but I laugh when I hear the song Don't Trust Me by 3 oh! 3.
*I am so relieved that all my shows are over. I am committing to not over-committing myself in the fall!
*My feet need a pedicure badly.
*I am addicted to fruit.
*I am also addicted to Orbit Bubblemint gum, and chewed 9 pieces while at work today. I know- I'm crazy.
*Before this week, I don't think I had pumped gas in about 2 months. I've pumped 2 times in 3 days this week. ;)
*I can't wait to go to another Isotope's game.
*I am considering buying a Flickr Pro account. Do you have one? Are you glad you do?
*I really need to dye my hair, but have been too lazy.
*I am SO glad that tomorrow is Friday, and that it is payday!
*Monday was the first time I flew back from Michigan and didn't cry. Ever.+
*I think that I have a problem with buying liquid hand soaps almost every time I go to the store.
*I will turn 27 in 48 days. It's time to start my wish list, even though it will change about 49 times between now and then. :)
*I like my goofy big sunglasses even though I seem to be in the minority.


+I was sad to leave, and I almost cried a few times, but I somehow held it together. If you know me at all, you know that it's pretty much a miracle if I don't cry during a happy movie. I'm just that sensitive. I like to think that perhaps I'm growing up, you know, now that I'm closer to 30 than I am to 22. :)

A Few Photos From Our Trip...

Me with a few of my favorite girls


Princess Tori


The movie star couple (Em and Phil)


Me and Grandpa


Jack and Jill (yes, my parents named them Jackson and Jillian :))


Jamie and Troy


Vicky and Gabe


Emmy


Jamie and I


Mom and Gabe


Em and Jill

A Quote and A Prayer

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
- Steven Wright


Lord, help me to make the time for myself and others, and to look around and enjoy the process rather than look toward the goal.






















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Be Back Soon

We just got in about an hour ago, and am so tired, need to go grocery shopping, work, upload pictures, and rest, so I may not be back tomorrow, but should be by Wednesday. Here's a picture of our family after Jackson's graduation. Hope you've had a fantastic holiday weekend!

three

Lovely

I found the loveliest online shop and blog this weekend through Lola B's Boutique called Ruche. There's a sweet pair of shoes that G told me I could get as long as there's nothing else that I need to buy right now. ;) I told him the only thing I need are these shoes! :) Really? Aren't they the coolest, funkiest shoes ever? They're funky and delicate, which is exactly why I love them. I told him that I'd wait 24 hours before actually making the purchase, though, just in case I think of anything else that I need. :) I also love their collection of sweet earrings. I am such an accessories girl. Oh well, they usually last longer than clothes do, right?

Hope you're having a great weekend! I am!

First Celebrity Dies From Swine Flu!

And we know where he got it, too!


*I got this as an email from a co-worker, and just had to share!

The Coolest

My husband is seriously the coolest.

Our 3rd wedding anniversary is coming up in a few days, and so we've been talking lately about where we'd like to go, and had narrowed it down to a couple of places. Well, when I got to work this morning, he had already emailed to let me know that it was decided. He received a coupon for $15 off of dinner at one of the places we were thinking of going to, and that nailed it in.

I realize that a lot of wives might be disappointed if their husband used a coupon for their anniversary husband, but to me, that is a gift in itself. You see, I am a shopper, but not just any shopper. I am a coupon user, sale shopper. I like to save money. The fact that he thought about grabbing the coupon before anyone else did, to me, is the coolest thing ever.

Happy Birthday Trent!

My friend Melissa posted these pictures from her son's 1 year photo shoot. I asked her if I could share them here because they are just SO dang cute! Here you go, enjoy!!!







*Photos taken at Tyler Studios in Muskegon, MI.

Color Fun

Here are the mosaics so far from our Color Fun group on flickr. Be sure to play along- it's SO fun! This week we're trying something new- black and white together.

Sweet Giveaway

I wish I could say that this was mine, and that I had sewn this awesome dress, but I can't! Go over to Grosgrain and check this sweet prize out- a custom made dress for the winner! Yay!

Good.

You have to be careful who you let define your good.
Lois McMaster Bujold


Who defines your good? Is good even good enough? Do you prefer excellence?

Mother's Day Photos and More...

Picnic Photos

We went to a graduation party yesterday afternoon, and I took a few pictures while we were there because it was a gorgeous day, and the park was SO pretty(not that I took any photos of the park). The first picture is of the bag I told you about in this post. The next is Kinley, then Gabe with his brother, Michael, and then Gabe and I. It's been a gorgeous weekend here, about 85 degrees with a slight breeze.

Hope you have a fantastic Mother's Day!

Love you Mom!!!

Inspiration/Action

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
- Frank Tibolt

What inspires you? What do you want to inspire in others? What are you waiting for?

Without Wax

Happy Friday! I hope that you're all planning an enjoyable and productive weekend. I just wanted to point out a blog that I started reading a few weeks ago, Without Wax, by Pete Wilson. Pete was one of the Compassion Bloggers that I wrote about in this post. Well anyway, I just wanted to point out that I added his blog to your right in my list of favorite places. Check it out- He's very inspirational, and I think you'd enjoy his site.

Hope you all have a happy weekend! I was talked into going to see the new Star Trek movie tonight. I am not a Trekkie, and I feel a little slighted, because Gabe tells me last night, after almost 3 years of marriage, that he, indeed, is a Trekkie. I think that should have been in the vows or something, don't you? ;)

Greener

Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Does it have to be? Why can't we just be happy with where we are, what we have right now, and live in the present instead of 3 years down the road?

Or am I the only one who does that?

MMMMmmmmm....

So, I discovered the art of pancake making last week. I had NEVER made them before, and just decided to. I used Bisquick, so naturally, Gabe informed me that I didn't actually make pancakes. Whatever, dude. When I add ingredients and my dishes get dirty, I made them. For the record, he 'makes' brownies with a boxed mix- ha! Anyway, my most favorite food ever(cranberry oatcakes) is from the best restaurant, Morning Star, in Grand Haven, MI. Unfortunately for my tum tum, I live a LONG way from MI. So, after being successful the first time, I decided to step it up and make some oatcakes. I found this recipe, and then stepped it up again, and added blackberries. Seriously they were so good! Thick, fluffy, and pretty blue/purple circles.


I have never been so proud of myself when I made these little babies tonight!


What's your favorite food? Link me up to the recipe!

Swagbucks

Have you heard of Swagbucks? I joined with this site in January, I believe, and since then, have been hearing a lot about it. It's basically a search engine powered by google and ask.com that awards you points, or 'swagbucks' randomly when you search for things that you would regularly search for, which in turn, you can redeem for all sorts of prizes. My favorite prize so far is the Amazon e-giftcard. I have earned 3 $5 cards, plus have 'won' several mp3 downloads from itunes. In addition to being randomly rewarded for using the search engine, you can also earn points through making purchases online that you would alreayd be making, but by just clicking through the swagbucks site to get to your online retail destination. One more way that you can earn points is by recycling electronics, such as an old iPod or cellular phone. The best part about all of this? It's all completely free! I haven't had to buy anything, give out a credit card number, or even commit to anything, and i have $15 sitting in my amazon account, just begging to be spent! If you're interested in signing up, there's a little badge to the left of this page that you can click on, and it will lead you to the registration page. Why am I telling you about this? Well, first of all, I love a great deal, and better yet, a free deal, and I'm sure you do, too. Second, if you sign up through me, then I get points when you earn them, too! You can tell your friends about this great site, have them sign up through you, and then you can earn extra, too! Anyway, I hope I didn't bore you with this post. I just wanted to let you in on the greatness of swag. :)


You can try this link, too.

This Is So True...

Anger is the feeling that makes your mouth work faster than your mind.
- Evan Esar

So Cool

You should go check this out!

Swanki Hats GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Swanki Hats GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! This is seriously SO cute! Check them out!!!

Really?

Remember waaaaay back a few moths ago when my car died? And then, once again, while I was borrowing my in-law's car and it died, too? Well, we decided that gabe should drive the in-law's car to work since it gets better gas mileage and he works a little further away, so I have been driving his car for 1 week. Just one week. About 40 minutes ago, I was getting ready to head home, change, and then go pick up our box from the organic co-op, when, much to my own angst, Gabe's car wouldn't start! Really? Seriously? Am I cursed (I know I'm not)? If not, though, then why in the world does this keep happening to me? When I called G to tell him, he laughed. I don't think it's funny. I think it's awful and frustrating. Oh my.

Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to let you know what's going on in case I'm in too bad of a mood to post for a while!

Cute Shoes

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Originally uploaded by mandiegirl

Here's a not-so-good picture of the cute shoes I had on in this post! I finally remembered to take a photo.

Happy Weekend

The arugula I spoke of in this post. I didn't like it.





The So-ugly-they're-cute sunglasses that I seem to be the only one that thinks they're cute.


My aqua toenails. I took this photo for our Color Fun group on Flickr. I haven't posted about it before, but Kim started this group almost 2 months ago. Each week, we have an assigned color, and some people take a photo everyday with that color, some people take several photos a day, and some people (me) take a few and then forget that they're supposed to be taking any. :) After the week is over, Kim makes a very cool mosaic with several of our photos. It's really neat to see the finished results. Anyway, check it out here, and we'd love to have you join in the fun!


Hope you're having a great weekend!

More From Stephen Covey

“You can’t talk your way out of what you’ve behaved yourself into.”

I can't say that I really like this, because I don't always like the way I behave in life. However, I really appreciate this and find it to be true.

Here's to behaving graciously (my recent challenge for myself), and letting my actions (once again, graciously) speak for themselves...


What have you challenged yourself to lately?

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Seriously.

You need to go here and here for some beautiful giveaways!!! I don't have pictures to give you, but if you just click on the links, there are some gorgeous goods being given away!