Jinx!

Do Comebacks work?

2009-10-12T11:48:00.003-05:00

I have not written in my blog for a very long time. Even when I was a faithful author I struggled with posting regularly. Lately however I have come to feel that my sanity has come to depend on me having a place to vent. I can't keep a journal. I am of a generation that is forgoing the art of the written hand. Keyboards are the keys to the thoughts locked in our heads (pun unintended). Blogs give us an anonymous outlet that journals used to fill.

I have only written one poorly planned and hastily typed entry and I already feel better.

Busy days

2007-10-23T16:21:00.001-05:00

Why is it always on the busiest days that your life chooses to fall apart? Today has been a hectic day at work. I've been here since 6 am and it has been a long busy day. The kind of busy where you don't really feel you've accomplished anything but you have been too busy to think 9 out of every 10 minutes. Things calmed down around 3pm and that's when the bottom fell out of things.

My fiance and I have been having a rough time of things. We have been together 3 years this time (we were previously high school sweethearts before splitting up and marrying other people only to end up divorced and back together) and we have been having problems for over a year now. My brother's death put more emotional strain on me, and therefore the relationship. We grew more distant, but I was too devastated dealing with my brother's death to deal with our relationship. So in it's way, it helped the relationship continue where it might have broken down otherwise.

Lately a lot of the problems we were having before have started to resurface. Today a lot of them came to a head. Over the phone. While I'm at work. Of course.

I hate that he calls me at work with personal crap. I don't have the time or energy for it. Plus it's rude. I don't call him at work with my issues.

We will probably work through things for the holidays. It will give us time to get all our ducks in a row and get things sorted as to who's taking what and get any mutual outstanding balances paid off. Plus no one wants to be alone for the holidays. And there is a chance we could remain friends if we can keep our cool and work through things as adults.

But it just feels as though it has run it's course. I care deeply for him as a dear friend but I'm not happy and neither is he. Maybe we need a break. All I know is something has to change.

I'm just always scared to make permanent decisions like these, and this whole mess has been laid in my lap. Whatever I decide will be what we do. I need a fortune-telling 8-ball right about now.

I swear I'm going to post it

2007-10-23T06:54:00.000-05:00

Okay I got to see the second episode of PR Canada yesterday and I really do have a bit to say about it. Hopefully I will be able to take a time-out during work today long enough to get my opinions written in a post!!

As it is, it's only 8 am and I've already attended 1 meeting and I have no idea how many more I will have to sit in today.

We have a new system coming out at work and they need lots of opinions and hand-holding. I'm much better at the former than the latter.

But If I can sit down for 5 peaceful minutes I might manage to compose a post.

PR Canada!

2007-10-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

I am so desperate for some Project Runway. Luckily Project Rungay has the Project Runway Canada hookup. The first episode of the first season is online and I watched it yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it only made me pine for my favorite show all the more.

Iman was wonderful. She had an entrance few could imagine. She had the designers practically soiling themselves and that's always a joy to watch. She gave out her opinions on judges' panel decisively and confidently. The judges are okay. Brian Bailey needs to hang out with the Gunn for a while.

The designers are talented. I don't see any real Vincent's in the group thank goodness. But that Transylvanian guy could turn out to be a Lupe if he can't reign it in. Thank God he can at least articulate himself better than Lupe.

That chick from China needs to learn how to sew. What is she doing on the show? Has she been under a rock for the last few years? Did she not know that if she went on this show she would be responsible for her own execution? DUH!!! Even if she is used to having others do it for her, she should have been taking some lessons or practicing or something before she went on tv and embarrassed herself like Stacey and Vanessa before her. But on the bright side maybe she'll get totally trashed on the reunion episode like Vanessa and have a total meltdown. We can at least live in hope.

As for the first elimination challenge, was that an homage to Mario's shower curtain dress or what??

The first guy that got booted was so out of his league. The talent really showed up for this show and to make it the designers are going to have to be on their A-game pretty much 24/7.

The guy that got booted on the second challenge deserved it. Not because he was trying to be nice. But because out of all the things he could have done with that material, he probably picked the WORST thing to do with it. I know he is used to using fresh bolts of crisp straight fabric, but excuse me if asking for some creativity out of a designer is a stretch. My bad.

The girl that designed the dress that won deserved to win. The silhouette was very Jeffrey, but something about it was so not Jeffrey. Actually, I think that if Jeffrey and Angela ever had a child, she would be it. She has an arts-and-crafts'y kind of flair to her but her structure is all Jeffrey. During the elimination challenge I thought I saw some Uli there, but Jeffrey has used similar silhouettes before as well, so I stick with my Jeffrey/Angela lovechild theory.

Elizabeth

2007-10-15T06:12:00.000-05:00

If I had to pick a woman in history that I have always admired and looked up to, Elizabeth would be the one that has impacted me the most. She was a beacon of femininity and independence in a time that had seen few examples of such defiance.

She was a lover of fashion and theater, and advanced the arts in so many ways through her patronage and suport. For that alone she won my heart.

So when the sequel to the movie Elizabeth released Friday afternoon, I was the first person in Columbus GA seated and ready to see the movie. I rarely go see movies on opening day. For some reason I was jammed in a town with the most ignorant and rude movie-seeing public that could be conjured. I hate trying to listen to dialogue while someone is trying to open their very loud candy wrapper, or is having an in-depth conversation of their own. It drives me nuts that people cannot sit still and shut up for the length of the movie. Talk when the movie is over. Open your candy before the movie starts. Is it too much to ask?? But I digress...

The movie is breathtaking. The costumes were divine. The scene at the battlefield was straight out of a dream. The whole production was lush and the cinematography was pitch-perfect.

The historical accurracy was laughable. At the time of Sir Walter Raleigh and the invasion of the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth was in her mid fifties. There was never any indication of any love affair between her and Raleigh either.

But it ws still a good movie. I think it warrants another watch in fact. The truth is, you are so overwhelmed by the costumes and visuals the first time you watch it, you really won't be able to focus as much on the plot and characters as you might wish to. But on first impression alone I feel it will withstand a closer look. We shall see.

A Scary Halloween for Dogs

2007-10-10T08:13:00.001-05:00

Poor things. Dog outfits can be cute, but my heart goes out to the poor puppies around Halloween time.

What the HELL?!?

2007-10-01T14:41:00.001-05:00

A family friend of mine has suffered a horrendous tragedy in the loss of her husband last week. As if losing a loved one was not enough, the manner of his death was one that pissed me off in a way I cannot express in words.

He was having chest pains one evening, so his wife drove him to the emergency room. When they got there of course it was busy and they were told to wait. After a couple of hours the chest pains got more severe, and he started having trouble breathing.

So his wife went to the window and alerted the nurse that her husband was in cardiac arrest and that they needed to see a doctor ASAP. The nurse got rude with her and told her that they didn't have anywhere to put her husband and she needed to sit back down. Te nurse actually told this woman "he's not dying."

At this point the wife lost it. She started screaming for help and the nurse threatened to have her removed. Knowing she was not going to get anywhere she rushed back over to her husband where she repeatedly cried out begging for help in the emergency room waiting area.

Her husband died in her arms there on the floor.

WHAT THE HELL!?!?!

I have been to this emergency room. Katie fell and busted her head open. I had to hold a bloody towel to the back of my child's head and try to keep her awake (it was late at night so that was not easy) in a freezing cold waiting room for over 5 hours. By the time we were seen the doctor told me there was no point in stitching it up because she had sat there so long the body had already started to heal itself. They put some butterfly bandages on it and she has a scar on the back of her head to this day. I received the same "wonderful" level of customer service on my visit.

So it has been established that this is not the place to go if you want to get seen in this century, no matter the severity of your injury. But I never imagined they would actually just let someone DIE.

Everyone says what a great lawsuit she has on her hands, but I can promise you she would trade the lawsuit for her husband any day. He was a wonderfully generous and jovial man. The world was a better place for having had him in it.

So if you are ever in Columbus Ga and you are in need of medical assistance, stay away from the Columbus Medical Center. They let you die there.

Ironically, I was born in that hospital and have had several surgeries which made the continuation of my life possible there.

I'll go to Alabama for medical treatment in the future. Isn't that a comforting thought??

Bad Blogger

2007-09-19T07:33:00.000-05:00

Upon silent reflection I have come to the realization that I have become a bad blogger. And it's no one's fault but my own. I have been keeping up with everyone else's blogs though.

Things have been going really well lately though. The Avon business I started basically just to get myself some facial creams at a discount is officially making me more money than my day job. And no one is more shocked than I am. I win all kinds of free stuff like costume jewelry at the sales meetings and I wear it, and people will literally buy it off my body if I will let them. I'm going to be an entry in the Avon Fashion Show for my district next month, and I will be hosting my own little Holiday Soiree in November.

I'm also really looking forward to the release of the new Christian Lacroix fragrance through Avon. It smells divine, and of course I'll be getting mine for free.

I have been really impressed with how Avon has been getting some heavy-hitter designers working with them. It makes the products so much easier to sell. The Cynthia Rowley collection of makeup and accessories has sold like hotcakes. the Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry always sells good and I'm sure this new fragrance is going to do very well.

So basically just by happenstance and a little sweat equity, I have doubled my income in the last 3 months. And as my income level has risen, my posting numbers on my blog have plummeted. Partially due to limited time, partially because it seems like all I have to talk about lately is work, my daughter's school and Avon. How interesting, huh?

I even tried starting my little segments like Tuesday's Twins and drink of the week. But I never seem to find time to put together my posts. I thought having a set subject matter and deadline would make posting a sure thing but no dice.

Another aspect of the problem is the fact that while Bravo's programming of late has been fun to watch, none have inspired me to put pen to paper like Project Runway. I miss my show, and I could just cry that we have to wait so long between seasons. At least I have the previous seasons on DVD to keep me company.

First time I've ever been accused of this...

2007-09-11T07:47:00.001-05:00

You Are a Normal Girl

You are 40% Good and 60% Bad
Sure you've pulled some bad girl stunts in your past.
But these days, you're (mostly) a good girl.

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Drink of the Week

2007-08-27T13:07:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have a day every so often that about halfway through you realize "GOD, I need a drink!" ??

I feel your pain and I'm here to help. Every Monday, I will share my bartending knowledge with you. Why Monday? Cause that's the most likely day it will be needed.

So for this week...

Lijit Cocktail

1 1/2 oz . Silver Tequila
1/2 oz. Midori
1/4 oz. SOHO Lychee Liqueuer
1/2 oz. Pinappple Juice
Splash Lime Juice

Combine ingredients in a shaker or mixing glass filled with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

Garnish with lime wheel.

Halle - Bravo - lujah

2007-08-27T12:54:00.000-05:00

Okay. I am officially hooked up. I have Bravo again. Yay!!! I'll probably spend a month watching nothing but re-runs of all the shows I have missed. THANK GOD for Bravo's re-run habit. And, for the record, I HATE Bravo's website. I can say that now that they are not my main source for Bravo programming.

Also, I started selling Avon this month, and I have sold $500 in a week! I started selling because I LOVE their ANEW Clinical products but there are no AVON ladies where I live so I was ordering it online and having it shipped. I figured that with me only working a real job 3 days a week that selling it would be fairly easy money. I didn't know how right I was. I really haven't had to do much, people find me. And since there are maybe 2 other avon ladies in my district, it's a fairly receptive market.

If any of you out in Blogland want to try their products you can order them on my website. The ANEW Clinical products really are amazing. My mom got me hooked and now my porcelain skin is now more porcelain than it has been in a long while. And all those pesky forehead lines are fading fast. Anything that gives you those kinds of results without surgery and face-peeling chemicals has my vote!

Plus, if you guys buy it through my site, I get money. And if I get enough money I can quit my Mon-Wed job and perhaps have enough time to blog as much as I would like to. Maybe. But inthe short-term all my Avon money is going to my vacation fund. I believe Tokyo will be the first stop :)

Konnichiwa!!

Blonde moment of the week

2007-08-21T05:48:00.000-05:00

I will never be able to scoff at ridiculous warning labels again. This morning I was the butt of one. I got deodorant in my eye. I know, I know... it begs the question of HOW I got deodorant in my eye. Just don't ask. I doubt I could explain it if I tried and I'm certain I would not come off looking smarter if I did try.

If you have ever known true discomfort this is it. At first I thought it was mascara. My eye was throbbing in pain and felt SO DRY. I never imagined the trace amount of deodorant residue on my finger would elicit such a reaction. So today I am walking around with one red swollen eye. And of course everyone is asking what happened to my eye.

And it comes down to either fingering my fiance as a brutal abuser or admitting my antipersperal faux pas. Naming the one I love as a monster or admitting to be the biggest flake in town...

He better buy me diamonds for Christmas that's all I have to say.

Tuesday's Twins Design Star Special Pt. 1

2007-08-14T09:23:00.001-05:00

I am going to be doing a 3-part series on the lookalikes of the contestants of Design Star. Now, before I get reamed for my choices, let me just say that this is going by the faces of the contestants only, and are mostly based on the picture I have. I have not been watching the show religiously, and I'm sure many contestants look differently from their official photo, but oh well. I work with what I've got, and if you think you can do better, by all means try. I'll even link to you.

First of all, Let me thank Linda Merrill over at ::Surroundings:: for having these pics of the Design Star contestants on her website.

For our first lookalikes:

Todd

Gary Busey

Christina

Heidi Klum

Josh F

Matthew Perry

What a way to go...

2007-08-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

Imagine you are in a restaurant and nature calls. Pretty urgently. You rush to the lavatory only to find...

Would you be able to pee in these??

I'm sure if you had to go bad enough, you could force yourself.

I mean, you're only peeing into an instrument, right?

But who on earth would want to pee in a mouth right after eating?

And could you force yourself to eat at an establishment whose sense of humor extends to peeing in mouths??

And after all of this, imagine going to wash your hands to be greeted by this...

It's nice when people don't take themselves too seriously, but it is possible to take it a bit far.

Now, take this public restroom in Houston. It looks like a stylish reflective structure from the outside. But surprise, surprise...

It has a great view, too. It's a public bathroom built out of 2-way mirrors. Now call me little miss prissy pants if you must, but I don't think I could force myself to go once I got in there.

Could you??

Just say no: Redux

2007-08-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

Ms. Place posted a wonderfully witty post about the things we should just say no to. I have merely added to the original list which can be found here.

Ass cleavage

Eating your boogers

Starvation (self-inflicted included)

Wal Mart

Ignoring Dental Care

Road Rage

Feeding the Animals

Happy Birthday

2007-08-13T05:05:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday, and this just happens to be my 100th post. I had a pretty good birthday this year. Of course that translates to I got a huge haul of FABULOUS presents! :)

I got probably around 9 new outfits - all fabulous, of course.

A new handbag.

A paraffin bath.

New perfume.

Money.

Mike gave me a GORGEOUS birthstone ring. My birthstone is a peridot so I'm pretty picky when it comes to wearing it. I don't like the faded ones. But here are 2 pictures of the ring. Fabulous is a good word.

I know, I'm spoiled. But it's a condition I'm learning to live with. :)

First day of school

2007-08-08T06:02:00.000-05:00

Today is Katie's first day of Kindergarten. I'm so glad this day got here. Everyone kept saying I would get wistful and cry, but those people obviously don't know me and Katie. Katie likes going to school and I like sending her. We had already been doing the daycare Pre-K thing, so we have the routine pretty down.

The good thing is my mother is a teacher's assistant at the school Katie is going to, and will actually be in the room next door to Katie. So if Katie starts taking over the class she will have to deal with my mother, which really offers little consolation since my mother has probably told that child no like 3 times in her entire life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad I have a strong-willed daughter. I don't have much patience for overly sensitive females. It's just that when you have a strong-willed child you have to worry anytime they are given a new authority figure. But I have known her teacher for a while. She survived a pretty nasty divorce last year and I'm hoping that experience prepared her for dealing with my angel.

Another good thing is that because of a class rotating system, this will be her teacher for 2 years. So we won't have to go through this breaking-in period every year.

But best of all, now I can REALLY enjoy my 3-day work week. Tomorrow, on my first day off, I can get up and take Katie to school, and then, I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT. I probably won't know how to act. I will have 2 days every week (Thurs & Fri) that from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm (she is also enrolled in the afterschool program) I am officially a free woman.

I think tomorrow I will treat myself to a day at a spa and have cocktails while a mousy little woman applies a facial mask and a hunky massage therapist works out all the kinks.

Just because you can dress yourself, doesn't mean that you should...

2007-08-08T05:45:00.000-05:00

Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess. ~Edna Woolman Chase

Wouldn't you agree my dear?

You don't owe me, but you don't own me either

2007-08-07T05:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, there have been a couple of posts about this New York Magazine article which supposedly uncovers the truth about the lack of reality show winners' success. Everyone has an opinion on this and you can bet your bloomers you're about to get mine.

There are two separate issues here. And I'm gonna deal with them separately.

#1. The reality show contestants are never promised a career in fashion. They are promised a car, some money, and basically an internship. They are not promised their own label. They are only promised money that can help them START their own label. They are not promised a head design gig at a major fashion house. So in essence, the designers really got everything they were promised.

As far as Jay goes, he does have a right to be pissed (for a reason I will cover in point number 2) but not for the reasons he seems to be. It seems to me Jay is most pissed because he never got someone to hold his hand and explain what he needed to do, step-by-step. And I'm sorry to be the one to point it out, but even if they had, who's to say Jay would have taken their advice to begin with? I watched Jay both on PR and on PJ. He never struck me as someone who was willing to tow the line if it meant doing or saying something he didn't like.

Jay is a brilliant designer. But even he admitted that he wasn't so hot in the business line of things. And fashion is a business. Honestly, Jay needs to try and find someone he respects and can work for (and is willing to work with him) and learn the ropes from the bottom up. Jay was never formally trained at a design school and so he has a lot to learn. Yes, he is naturally gifted in design but there is a LOT more thank just design going on in the world of fashion.

#2. I do think that it is unreasonable to ask someone to "sign themselves over" to a company "body and soul" to be able to compete in a reality show competition. I enter cake contests all the time and the people that run the cake contest don't expect me to give them a portion of whatever I make on cake sales if I win. Why should this be any different?

Weinstein makes plenty of money off these contestants while they are on the show. That's all they have a right to reasonably expect. They don't really invest anything in these designers individually, so why should they expect a return on no investment?

Weinstein also does not have the right to dictate to contestants what career path they choose after the contestants have fulfilled their contracts. If Laura Bennett wants to do a tv series then she should have the right to. She was never promised a job with the Weinstein company so she should have the right to look elsewhere. Weinstein shouldn't even get first refusal in my opinion.

So, in closing I just want to jump on the "quit your bitching" bandwagon because whether these contestants received what they felt they deserved or not, they did receive what was promised to them, and for the final 4 contestants, so much more in my opinion. The opportunity to show at Bryant Park is no small deal, and many designers would never complain about anything else in their lives ever again were they given that one chance.

Tuesday's Twins

2007-08-07T05:44:00.001-05:00

Daniel Vosovic

The lead singer from the Plain White T's
Hey there Daniel what's it like in New York City? I'm a thousand miles away but girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do. Times Square can't shine as bright as you. I swear it's true.

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

No More Negatives

2007-08-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

This post is for all the people who have a child that looks up to them in their lives.

I have seen a lot of media focus on how widespread negative body image is these days. How did this happen? Where did this come from? Is it all due to the media? I'm sorry to say I think not.

As parents and mentors I feel that the adults of our society have a lot to do with how our children are starting to view their bodies. Studies have consistently shown that behaviors such as physical abuse, alcoholism, and drug abuse are behaviors that are passed down generations. Why would negative body image be any different?

We talk negatively about our bodies in front of our children. When our children hear us complain, they project those feelings on to their own bodies.

We fad diet. Instead of focusing on eating healthier, we deprive ourselves to lose weight, showing our kids that to be healthy we must sacrifice, instead of finding enjoyment in healthy foods.

We don't exercise with our kids. Our kids are watching us. If they see that we hate exercising, how can we expect them to choose to when they are given the option not to?

We discuss weight with our kids. Kids come in all shapes and sizes. They change as they grow, and just because a child is one shape or size right now does not necessarily mean that will be the case in the future. Under no circumstances should you ever point out a child's weight problems. Children are not equipped to handle responsibility for their health until they are older. If you have a child in your life that has a weight problem, instead of pointing out what's wrong, push the solution. Provide the child with lots of healthy food choices and make sure they see you enjoying them. Make sure they see you exercising and let them know you want them to join in the fun. Don't tell them they have to exercise and eat right so they won't be fat anymore, just encourage them to eat healthy foods because they are good and make you feel good. Encourage them to exercise because it is lots of fun. If you make their weight a responsibility you may be making a recipe for disaster when they hit their teens and the time to rebel comes along.

Now, I'm not putting all the blame on us parents. Media does have a thing or two to do with how our kids see the world. But it's not enough for us to just say "oh that's horrible" and then obsess over that piece of bread we ate 2 hours ago and how it will hit our hips like a ton of bricks. Because you can be sure our kids are listening, and chances are the things we say stick, whether we know it or not.

Quixotic

2007-08-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

I was looking up the word of the day on dictionary.com because when I grow up one day I want to be like Tim Gunn and use lots of wonderful words in my everyday speech.

Anyhow, today's word is :
quixotic \kwik-SOT-ik\, adjective:1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals.
2. Capricious; impulsive; unpredictable.

What a wonderful word to have in one's vocabulary. The word actually refers to the eccentrically generous spirit of a well known literary character known as none other than Don Quixote. How cool is that?!?

Imagine having a presence so strong that the mere idea of your character requires a new word being created to describe it. In my opinion, the fact that this is a fictional character to which we are referring only makes it all the more impressive.

So let's play a game. Name a character or historical person that a word was fashioned after. I'd be interested to see how many we can come up with.

Hope for Darfur??

2007-08-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

Here is a hopeful article of Darfur Peace Talks from Reuters Africa. http://africa.reuters.com/world/news/usnL0691333.html

Over 200,000 have been killed in hostilities, and to avoid any more casualites, I am sure you all join me in the hope that talks will be enough to see peace for these people.

The show I have NOT been watching

2007-08-06T05:01:00.000-05:00

I have a very good reason why I have not commented on the first blog entry about Top Chef. The reason? I haven't been watching it. Not the first episode.

Oh don't worry, I'm not so scarred from the debaucle that was season 2 that I am forever deterred from watching the series ever again (although that season was pretty traumatic for me) but my absence is merely due to the fact that Bravo is unavailable to me at this time. Since I have moved, I have had no access to BravoTV.

Now, before Marius faints at the mere thought of living without Bravo for the last 3 months, and before Ms. Place starts wailing at the thought of my missing the upcoming Project Runway Season 4, let me allay your fears.

I will be getting a new dish service that will include Bravo next week. Oh happy day. If I was forced to endure another twee made-for-tv movie courtesy of the Lifetime Movie Network (thanks mom) I believe I would have lost the will to live.

My spirit is one that needs bitchiness and snark to flourish. I have been around the block a time or two and all those mushy love-always-works-out movies make my stomach turn. The rare exception being any movies based on Jane Austen novels (because of their high levels of wit). But apart from those gleaming rare exceptions, I need cynicism and wit and above all, bitchiness supreme.

So lets all count down the days until my new dish service is installed. We have 10 days to go.

My poor neglected blog

2007-08-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I got tagged. Thanks Marius. I know I have been very silent lately. I got very ill at the end of June and rather than do nothing but whine about it for a month on my blog, I just took a little unannounced hiatus. I guess I'll come on back now. I've been feeling a lot better lately.

Okay, here goes...
Four jobs I have had or currently have in my life:
1. Poll Manager for my voting district (a title I hold to this day)
2. Short Order Cook (high school)
3. Accountant's assistant (might as well have been the accountant because he didn't do anything)
4. Accounting Specialist/ Payroll Account Reconciliations for Aflac (current profession)

Four countries I have been to:
1. Netherlands
2. Ireland
3. Luxembourg
4. Greece

Four places I’d rather be right now:
1. Tokyo
2. London
3. Paris
4. On a boat anywhere, I'm not picky

Four foods I like to eat:
1. Pizza
2. Tiramisu
3, Hibachi Shrimp
4. SUSHI

Four people that I would like to tag:
Instead, I'm going to apologize to my four most faithful readers for abandoning you with no notice. (I'm really sorry)
1. Ms. Place
2. Marius
3. Ms. Merrill
4. All you lurkers out there :)

As promised...

2007-06-20T06:27:00.001-05:00

Click on the pictures to see the full size images...
Katie's Hello Kitty Birthday Cake

A bridal Shower Cake

A baby shower cake

Another Bridal Shower Cake

Another Baby Shower cake... for twins

Just a cake for my grandma

Another baby shower cake...

I've been busy this summer.

The biggest D

2007-06-20T05:40:00.000-05:00

Is it any wonder that the biggest word to describe a mishap (disaster) begins with the letter D? Possibly the two hardest things in life I have found to deal with also began with the letter D... I'm talking about Divorce and Death.

My mother has always said that as a person, I am at my funniest when I am in crisis. I have this sarcastic sense of humor that just seems to come out when bad stuff happens and helps me get through all of it with a smile on my face. I have to laugh or I will cry.

Divorce was no cakewalk. People that are normally rational adults capable of getting along find themselves tearing each other apart. Why do we do this? I refer to when Kathy Griffin pointed out in a poignant scene "Divorce sucks. It makes you feel like such a failure." Right on sister. And when you fail, it has to be someone's fault. So it's the other person's fault.

That is not the case in my marriage. I ruined my ex-husband's life, and I admit it. I didn't cheat on him, and I didn't lie to him. But I got married before I was sure I wanted to. And I found out the hard way that marriage isn't something that's for me yet. It may never be, I don't know. I'm working on finding the answer to that every day. In the meantime, I took his daughter with me back to the States and left him in Europe with no family. He has picked up the pieces, but there are definitely scars.

Divorce was a humbling experience that took a daily toll on my sanity. But you survive through it. The death of someone you love, however, is something that changes you in the most unexpected ways.

At 18 years old I had to bury my first child. The weak heart that is passed down on my father's side caught up with us and took my baby boy. He was 6 weeks old and had already had 2 operations. Now, 7 and a half years later it can still be hard to accept.

That event changed the entire course of my life. I dropped out of college, quit my job, and moved abroad. I met someone and got married and had another baby as soon as I could manage to. I had a desperate need to fill the void.

I had my child. She turned 5 last week. But the void is still there, and I have finally accepted that it always will be.

Then, in February of this year, my brother committed suicide. I have never felt so lost in my life. My brother and I were close like any two people who have been through tough situations together were. We looked out for each other, and while we fought, we were always there to defend the other from any outsider no matter what.

I still feel lost without him. But his death has also changed me in ways I can already see. I think I am finally starting to grow up. I look at myself a year ago and realize how self-centered a person I was and it amazes me. In a way, I had to take care of my child and my parents when all of this happened. Seeing your parents humbled the way the death of my brother humbled them completely changes the way you see them. I think in a way it made me realize that I no longer have to be taken care of by my family, but that I have to take care of my family.

I'm sorry, I know this post was a bit of a downer, and I don't mean it to be. This post does describe a lot of sad things that have happened in my life in the last 7 years, but all of the things that happened in the last 7 years are what it has taken for me to grow up.

I have a sense of independence and control over my life that I didn't have a year ago. However, at the same time I have become so aware of how little control we all have over what happens and it makes me appreciate what I have so much more.

Tomorrow night, one of my brother's best friend's band ( my brother played the drums for them a few years ago) is playing a tribute concert for him and I'm taking my mother to go see it. He called me the other day and told me he had written a song for Steven and he wanted to play it at the concert. I know I'm going to cry when I go, but I think it will be good for my mother to see just how many people cared about my brother and how his death has affected so many people.

The longest 4 days of my LIFE

2007-06-18T06:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, gentle readers, grab some snacks and get settled in because if this post is as long as my weekend was, you'll need sustenance to get through it.

Wednesday my daughter turned 5. And I think the DIVA gene kicks fully in on this day because my precocious little darling went full swing into DIVA mode at this point. We gave her the choice of where she wanted to eat her birthday dinner, and of course she picks the swankiest restaurant in town (but keep in mind this is Columbus, GA, we are not talking the MGM Grand here) where kids are seen but not heard, and that is definitely NOT my child.

Anyhow, I rushed away from work to make it to dinner and my ex and my family had already been seated by the time I got there. My fiance was not yet there but on his way. As I approached the table, it turned out we were sitting at the table next to my ex boyfriend (the one in between my ex and my current fiance) and his current girlfriend and Katie was just all over him (she had not seen him in a good while.) So I got to have a good awkward dinner with all 3 of the men from all 3 of my serious relationships ever. And I had to drive home so I had to endure it sober.

Thursday I had to go shopping for "The Party" with my mother. I swear to God her doctor removed her ovaries and didn't tell her. That's the only explanation for how my mother has been behaving. Oh. My. God... I had no fingernails left by the end of the day and I was so frustrated I had started plucking the little baby hairs that grow around my hairline. And I only did it with my right hand so I look like I have a lopsided hairline.

I think part of her problem is that she has Adult ADD so she doesn't like to stand still. I did not inherit this from her. Anyhow, she has adult ADD and has been ordered to do nothing more strenuous than walking for 3 weeks. So she has been wanting to do all this stuff and can't. So since she can't, I'm expected to. And when I can't keep up, she gets downright mean and all but tells me I'm a lazy screwup that can't do anything right. So it takes every ounce of self-control for me not to push her out of a moving vehicle, or just pull over on the interstate and tell her to WALK HOME since I can't drive right, can't plan out my route so I don't cross my own path, etc...

Also, even though there has been like 8 or 9 people at our house at any given moment, whenever she wants something done, my name is the only one that comes out of her mouth. And GOD FORBID I suggest that anyone else help her, because that means there is something wrong with me.

And it's only Thursday...

Friday I had promised to watch the children of a friend of mine who just managed to get a job after being unemployed for a while because she had a rough pregnancy, followed by a baby with digestive problems, etc... So of course when I'm headed out the door, mom throws the mother of all hissy fits because I'm leaving and "The Party" is the next day and we just have so much to do. As if it won't be me doing everything at the last minute either way. What a joke.

So I watch the kids, run to my old apartment to bake the cakes since my cake supplies are still there, and I wrap presents while I'm waiting for the cakes to bake. Mom calls. I die a little inside. She wants pizza and she wants it now!! Get the cakes out of the oven and bring me food now!! So the cakes actually look like they could come out of the oven, but forget them getting time to cool off, I pack them in a box, still in their hot pans and throw them in the car. I grab the pizza and almost get pulled over for speeding twice trying to get them to her.

I get to the house and realize that I have to go back to my apartment because I was in such a hurry that I forgot my cake decorating supplies. Mom freaks and I have a meltdown. I screamed and cried and yelled and stormed out of the house. I called my fiance and totally took it out on him which made me feel better. I got what I needed and I headed back to the house.

When I got there mom ad dad had gone. THANK GOD!! My ex came to the door and tried to console me and hug me. I punched him in the chest and told him not to be nice to me, that was the last thing I needed. He was a dick when I married him, could he please not try and turn over a new leaf in the middle of my mental split?!?

Mom came back and ACTED LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. She asked me what was wrong. I was seriously speechless. It was at that moment I realized that she had been possessed by Satan. Either that or God was fucking with me and knew just what buttons to push. I spent the rest of the night screaming at everyone and crying if anyone so much as looked at me cross-eyed. I was up until 3:30 am getting ready for "The Party."

At 6am, after her long night of sleep mom woke me up after my 2 1/2 hours. It was the day of "The Party" and I had cooking and decorating to do. Because I'm living with Satan's helper and sharing a house with 3 of the most useless, lazy men placed on this earth, it all came down to me.

Fortunately, my interfering cousin showed up in the nick of time to take things over. I let her. Usually I would never let a stranger into my kitchen and let them tell me what to do, but my spirit had been pretty much crushed. I made my first (but certainly not my last) cocktail of the day and let her have at it. Of course then she got all of the credit for all the hard work that went into "The Party" but at this point I quit caring about everything but sleep and liquor.

My mother got a drink and someone tried to chastise her for drinking so soon after her operation. I tiold them to shut up or I would maul them with a broken bottle. Let the battleaxe get drunk. If we are lucky she wll pass out until Monday after I have left for work.

My future in-laws showed up. I got another drink.

My ex felt compelled to start forcing his opinions on how "we" are raising "our" daughter on me
(despite the fact that "we" is "me" for 51 weeks of the year.) I got another drink.

My Nanny (father's mother) showed up and complained about the hot weather and cold food. I got another drink.

My mother's mother and father showed up. I got another drink.

By the end of the day I was miserable. The only good thing that came out of the day was that Katie had a blast and had a really good birthday. My ex was gone before the party was over, and we didn't run out of booze.

Sunday I slept. All day. I took my mom to one of her friend's house to get her out of my hair and I went home and slept. Katie crawled on top of me from time to time, but bless her little heart she let me sleep.

Next year mom can throw the party. I am on birthday party strike until further notice.

I just HAD to share this!!

2007-06-11T12:27:00.000-05:00

My mom just called me in tears. They were laughing tears. Apparently Katie had an accident trying to make it to the toilet today. She called her daddy for help to clean it up. She then ran out of the room to get a towel.

Her daddy walked into my bathroom which has marble floors. Apparently marble floors, a puddle of pee and an unsuspecting ex husband make for a pretty good Monday. You guessed it, he slipped on that puddle of pee, went airborne, and crashed on the marble floors in the puddle of pee.

I love my child.

Jinxy: The Patron Saint of Ex-Husbands

2007-06-11T05:44:00.000-05:00

Well this weekend sure was interesting, and it will remain so for the next few days. Why, you aks?? Well, my ex-husband is in town, and he is staying with me this week. (Don't worry, I bought a lot of liquor to keep on hand the day he arrived)

Before I elaborate on that, let me get into my weekend in chronological order. Wednesday my mother had an operation. It was major-but-not really-major if you know what I mean. She was supposed to be in the hospital until Sunday. Well, She had the surgery on Wednesday and everything went well. She called me Wednesday evening at work and made me giggle because she had enough Percoset in her system that she had NO CLUE what she was talking about. I love dad for leaving the cell phone with her while she was high.

Wednesday I also got a call from my ex that he was coming in on Saturday but that he had not found a hotel as of yet. I had known he was coming into town for a while. He lives in France and usually visits for Katie's birthday (which is on this coming up Wednesday) I told him not to worry, we would work it out. I also mentioned this little tidbit to my father.

Thursday is when it all went haywire. My mother called me and informed me that her half brother and his wife would be coming to stay with us Friday night as they were passing through on a road trip (they live in Indiana) and they wanted to come see her in the hospital. Great... my half-aunt and I positively cannot stand each other, and the only reason we have not had it out up to this point is because my mother was always on hand to beg me not to say anything. Mom was going to be in the hospital, and I was going to have to play hostess... Not my favorite piece of news, but oh well.

Then, my dad calls. It seems my ex could not reach me, so he called my dad, who promptly offered to let him stay at our house with all of us... Sigh.

The day did get a little better when I found out my mom was being released Friday morning rather than Sunday. This meant the half-aunt would be occupied with my mother and I would be able to better ignore her.

So Friday mom comes home. She's looking good. The relative arrive, and we have a little mini family reunion. My mom's other brother comes over and he is looking good. It is the first time I had seen him since his heart attack just under 2 weeks ago. He looked surprisingly good. His wife isn't looking so hot. If you looked at the pair of them and had to guess which one of them had recently had angioplasty I bet you would get it wrong. Anywho... (Can you see the pattern in my disdain for the wives of my uncles? They sure do know how to pick 'em in my family)

So Saturday the relatives leave to go back to the corn fields and we prepare to greet my ex. I had to get my fiance to swear on a stack of Bibles that no matter what my ex did or said this weekend that we had to let him live because I need him to continue paying child support, and besides, Katie kinda likes him and we don't want to ruin her birthday. The ex shows up, no fireworks, everything goes smooth, even if it is a very awkward situation.

Sunday I stayed out of everyone's way and in my room all day painting doors and trim. I replaced all the hardware on all the doors in my room, and I must say they are looking better than new now. My room is almost complete except for the flooring which I can't buy until I stop being broke.

So... I spent all weekend playing hostess except Sunday when I turned in to a DIY segment on HGTV. I'm currently living in a house with my parents, fiance, child and ex husband (for the next week)

God I need a drink.

Tuesday's Twins Vol. 2

2007-06-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, so Daisy cut her hair, huh? Well thanks to Ms. Place's screencap of her at the reunion special, I can now show you how she went from Bette to Barb...

Fires

2007-06-04T09:05:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, a lot of Southeast Georgia was affected by wildfires. Ever since Thursday I have been down in Waycross assisting with animal rescue and helping feed families displaced by the fires. My parent's church received a call for help from a couple of the local churches in Waycross so Thursday a friend of mine and I loaded up in my car and headed east.

I am by no means a vet, but I got to roll up my sleeves and help care for animals rescued from affected areas. We fed and watered the animals so that the caretakers with experience could assist animals with injuries.

Luckily no one was fatally affected that we know of, but so many families have been displaced by these fires. A lot of the local churches in Waycross teamed up to help feed these families and collect clothes and other essentials to see them through this hard time for them.

Now I'm back, hard at work. Tired. I am moving myself this week. I feel like I may smell like smoke forever, and even if I don't, my car will. But I can't tell you how rewarding the last 4 days were. It was exactly what I needed.

Tuesday's Twins Vol.1

2007-05-22T06:54:00.000-05:00

I will post another set of twins later as promised. But for now, tell me you all didn't see that one coming!!

A New Perspective

2007-05-22T06:42:00.000-05:00

Someone at work sent me a quote today, and given what I was feeling yesterday, its relevance to me really hit home. Let me share:

Frederick Douglass:
Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.

I have been letting my stress overpower my life. I have been letting the struggles of daily life get me down, and maybe I need to take a new perspective on it. Maybe, just maybe, all of this daily struggle I've been experiencing lately is leading to some great thing in my life. It may not, but the hope that it may be is enough to help me chill out and relax a bit.

My grandmother has always said that the best things in life are often the hardest to obtain. I think I need to view this daily struggle I've been going through as a struggle to obtain peace of mind. Then I can be more proactive and positive in my thinking. Maybe if my attitude changes it will get easier to handle.

It's worth a shot...

Meltdown Ahoy!

2007-05-21T12:56:00.001-05:00

This year has been pretty rough so far. A lot of drama has completely taken over my life and I'm so mad about it I cannot find the words. The last 2 weeks everyone has been on eggshells around me because I have been so touchy. I know I'm headed for the mother of all meltdowns and at this point I'd hazard that just about anything could set it off.

I have tried all the normal avenues of stress relief but it's just not working. The wierdest thing is that work has been the one place that I can relax a little bit. I feel my calmest at work because I feel that I have less demanded of me at work I suppose.

I have left the house with no makeup on and my hair thrown up in a quick ponytail more days than I have looking decent. I do care, but when it comes down to it, no matter how early I get up, everything that can come up does until I have little to no time to take care of myself. That is one thing that is really getting to me.

If I have touched something in the last two weeks, chances are it is lost now. I think I have spent about half of my time over the last few weeks looking for something I just laid down a second ago. I am forgetting where I put everything lately. I am one of those people who obsess over a lost object, no matter how insignificant it is to me, I just need to know where I put it because I won't be able to relax until I do. It's like I'm losing my mind.

I can't sleep lately. No matter what I do, no matter what I try I just cannot fall asleep and stay asleep. My mind will not shut down at night and in the mornings I toss and turn waiting for the alarm to go off.

Finally, no one can say the words "marriage" or "baby" to me without me getting super-defensive. I don't want either right now and it seems to be what everyone thinks I need. It really doesn't help that ALL of my family all live within a short drive of each other. We all see each other all the time, and we are all as opinionated as each other.

I have been trying to just clear my head of all the BS but lately it has just been near about impossible.

So, I'm appealing for suggestions. I'm going to end up having a very un-fabulous meltdown soon if I can't find an effective way to decompress, and we just can't have that. What works for you? I'm willing to try anything.

Double twins tomorrow

2007-05-21T09:59:00.001-05:00

I know I dropped the ball last week but tomorrow you will have 2 sets of twins to brighten up your Tuesday, I promise!

Who saw that coming?

2007-05-21T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well last week's Shear Genius had me totally floored. I know, everyone says that. But what floored me was not so much that Tabatha got booted, but how well Bravo was able to make her out to be the bad guy before booting her.

Let's face it, Bravo will take a character that no one has previously had any problems with or a character we like, and prior to booting them, they have to show us some footage that somehow makes it seem like they were in some way villanous. I guess they think we will think the person had it coming all of a sudden, and Bravo can point to the villanous footage as justification. It is an openly manipulative strategy that is surprisingly effective.

That is not to say that Bravo fabricates flaws in people. They don't. The footage you see is real, even if it is edited to within an inch of its life. But I have rarely seen the tables turned on a character like they were on my dear Tabs.

She went from the tough-love talent to a Shrieking Harridan in one episode. Ugh.

This is not to pull the blame off Tabs' shoulders. Mere weeks ago she was pontificating to Evangelin on professionalism, and 2 weeks later she is unloading petty BS drama to what is supposed to be a bride on her wedding day. GIRL!!! I have to commend that bride for not asking Tabs to shut the hell up and just fix my hair.

Also, bad model choice. It is far harder to create a look of continuity when your models all have different hair color. Drastically different hair color. I think that's what actually saved Boogie and Ben. They may have had drastically different styles going on, but it was all the same color hair and that made it look marginally more continuous.

Anyhow, now that Tabs is gone, the title is Daisy's for the taking. If our cute little Cuban can just hold it together through the end and not fall apart, she has this thing. But I know better than to count my chickies before they have hatched. I'm eagerly anticipating the next twist in this wonderful little competition.

No Vegas but Still Fabulous!

2007-05-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't win any prizes or trips, but I didn't have to get up on stage and make a complete ass out of myself in front of half of the town, so its okay, my heart will mend :)

Lucky Ducky

2007-05-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

This week is Employee Appreciation Week at work. They have been giving us incentive items (this year it was a nice jacket with the company logo and an insulated lunch bag along with a thermos) and holding daily drawings for an array of prizes from Spectrum gas cards to shares of stock in the company.

Tomorrow I will be attending out EAW celebration. The company holds a yearly event where we gather and to thank us for our hard work they give out loads of money and prizes. They also draw names to attend this Aflac convention (this year it will be in Vegas) and who would say no to an all expense paid vacation on the company... you don't even have to use any of your own vacation time to go...

The drawings are held for employees who have been here for 5-year increments. Usually if you have been here 30+ years, you get to go de facto.

They also hand out prizes for the best idea that has saved the company money. I have submitted a few ideas this year so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 1st prize is $3,000 and a front-row parking spot.

So tomorrow I will not be able to keep up with the blog conversations, but I might bring home a prize or two. I'll let you guys know how it went bright and early Monday morning!!

Hats off to you!

2007-05-09T09:02:00.000-05:00

Irish Milliner Philip Treacy creates some wild haute couture hat fashions. I have been to 2 of his Dublin shows, and these hats are more like sculptures attached to models' heads. What do you think??

Tuesday's Twins

2007-05-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

Today is the day for the Ladies in Red. Katherine Heigl and Kate Bosworth are sister-worthy today if you ask me. There are pictures out there that show off their similarities more prominently, but I'm in a red mood today.

Your Supermodel Name

2007-05-07T10:55:00.000-05:00

The PRGayBoys blogged about my favorite movie Funny Face this morning. In the comments Bill gave us an interesting bit of trivia, as per usual.

The most fabulous Dovima (who was featured in this wonderful movie) was originally named Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba. Do you see where they got Do-Vi-Ma from?

So, I'm going to take my name and create a supermodel name out of it.

My supermodel name is : Rolywi

Create your supermodel name and post it. Go ahead, it'll be fun :)

Shear Genius V. Top Design

2007-05-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight is a new Episode of Shear Genius and I won't be missing it. I used to never watch Top Design until a rerun of it fit into my schedule. Why are these shows so dofferent? I have a few theories...

1) The judges respect edginess and risk-taking, but it has to look good above anything else.

In the first challenge on the quick cut challenge, many competitors came up with some really wacky designs, no doubt thinking that like Project Runway and Top Design, you would get an automatic "in" for being so wildly creative. And what happened? One of the best competitors ended up on the bottom because she took edginess a step too far. It has to look good on this show to make it. The judges do see potential in creativeness, but you have to pull it off or they will send you packing, and this is what judging should be on all the shows.

I think on Top Design (and even Project Runway) creativity can be held in too high esteem when it turns out some fugly results. People that should be sent home don't get sent home because they have a "strong point of view," even if it is a strong UGLY point of view. It is so refreshing to see the people with the crappiest designs go home first.

2) The judges aren't afraid to chastise or be mean.

Criticism can be tough to take, but it is the only thing that will help a designer grow. I found it hard to take watching Jonathan Adler be so saccharine sweet during judging. Margaret Russell was a bit better but they should have let her loose. Even Kelly Wearstler was a little bit tougher, but not by much. Bitchiness makes for good tv. We love Nina G and Michael K because they are so bitchy. We love it even more when one of the designers gets their feelings hurt and decides to lash out at the judges. DEEEEEELISH!!

3) We have a Mentor

While Rene Fris' English may not be the most desirable, I don't think anyone will argue that his ass sure is!! He may not possess the same rapier wit as Tim Gunn, but he sure is fun to look at. And he doesn't sound like he is reading a bedtime story to us (even though I wouldn't mind him tucking me in anytime it has to be said.) He is sometimes harsh on the hairdressers and we love this!!

4) We actually get to see some of the process

We are watching this show to see what the contestants can do. While the judging adds a level of tension, it is by no means the whole show. I watch this show in contrast to other kinds of reality TV shows because I like seeing someone do something they have a talent for. I also love to see the contestants interacting with each other more. It gives me a better feel for theit personalities and it creates its own kind of drama. The fun kind.

So in conclusion...

I am looking forward to the next episode. I can't wait to see what crazy thing Evangelin will do or say. I can't wait to see who Tabatha's next victim will be, and I really can't wait until someone sends Tyson crashing back down to planet Earth.

You see, Bravo made me care about the people on the show. Imagine that!!

My dream bed

2007-05-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

I love the lines of art deco furniture. To me it just brings together arts and crafts style attention to detail and use of rich woods and modern lines.

I cannot get this bed as it has been sold, but they may have another in a darker wood come available soon. I really love it...

Off to the beach

2007-05-01T11:08:00.000-05:00

Or, to a boat to be more precise. Every year my uncle organizes a deep-sea fishing trip for his employees. He pays for the boat, gas, and hotel. This year, he is taking all his employees and as a bonus for the crappy year we have had, he is also taking me, my daughter, my mom and dad. My boyfriend works for him so he gets to go automatically.

A couple of my aunts will be going as well. They will almost certainly want to hit the beach, but mot me. I'm slathering on 2+ coats of SPF 70 and putting on my floppy straw hat and my linen clothes, and I'm going deep sea fishing.

As much as I hate freshwater fishing, I LOVE deep sea fishing. Mainly because I never have to worry about catching anything and I can just spend my time enjoying being on a boat out in the ocean.

In the unlikely even that I get a bite, I usually hand the rod over to my dad who is always more than happy to reel it in for me and handle the fish, as I am petrified of them.

When I say that I am afraid of fish I mean it. A boat is hopefully the closest I will ever come to interaction with marine life. And aquariums. I like looking at fish as long as I have the reassurance they can't get to me. My dad wanted me to learn deep sea diving with him, my mother and my brother. I did fine in the tank, but on my first excursion into open water I hyperventilated as soon as I saw a little fish.

I went on vacation to Chattanooga as well and they had an underwater excursion show at the IMAX 3D theater. I wanted to watch Harry Potter but I got outvoted and we went to the ocean show. This was a bad idea. I can't tell you all how many times I jumped and yelped through that show.

I used to practically LIVE in the water when I was younger. No one, not even I can understand why I have developed this phobia. There is no traumatic event to point back to. The only thing I can blame is possibly a picture I saw once, with a HUGE whale and this teeny tiny boat next to it... only the boat was a 35ft boat. Hardly teeny tiny.

I think it sunk into me at that point just how big some creatures in the ocean are. It didn't help that soon after that there were a string of shark attacks around the FL/GA/AL coasts. No thanks.

Smartie Pants

2007-05-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

I made a wonderful discovery 2 weeks ago. I have a 4 year old that can add. We were just going down the road and we passed a 55MPH sign. Out of nowhere my four-year-old tells me with conviction "Mommy 5 and 5 are 10." I was a little surprised. I asked her how she learned to add, and she just huffed in that cute little way that she does and said (with total disdain to my ignorance.) "Mommy, it's really simple. All you do is hold up 5 fingers on both hands and count all the fingers. DUH."

Well, color me surprised. (I'm pretty used to her sass... she learned it from me)

But my little girl can add. As long as the numbers she needs to add are less than the number of fingers she has on her hands. I asked her how many 7 plus 7 was, and she stared at me and said "I can't add 7 and 7 mommy because I only have 5 fingers." Oh. Stupid me.

But she is getting there. This week I started teaching her the concept of subtraction. She is catching on really quickly. Her strengths are definitely math and art. Just like me, only better at them than I was at her age.

Tuesday's Twins

2007-05-01T07:53:00.000-05:00

Britney Spears and Lacey from Bravo's Shear Genius.

I know I'm probably not the first to make the correlation, but it is undeniable. I saw it the first time I watched the show.

Pictures of my garden

2007-04-27T12:56:00.000-05:00

These pictures are poor quality because they were taken with my cell phone, and at a bad time of day, but you get the picture. Also, they are over 2 weeks old. I'll get newer ones I promise.

This is the front flower bed. I have some yellow daylillies in the front and purple-leaf lorapetilium starting against the wall. They will grow up similar to boxwoods but with a nice deep red/purple colored leaf.

I don't know how much you can see (again I apologize for poor pic quality, but here is the garden you first see when you drive up. There is a small goldfish pond and I planted pink gardenias as well as pink gerber daisies. This is a slightly better picture of the garden with the fish pond. This is a 2-tier raised bed. The top bed has wild daylilies, and the bottom 4 beds have Marigolds and Lettice growing in them.

A worthy challenge

2007-04-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

I have been watching Shear Genuis on Bravo and I love this show!! I have also envisioned a wonderful challenge that would test the best of hairdressers.

Get together a few small girls around 3-4 years old who have butchered their hair themselves, and tell the contestants that they have to fix the hair, and make it look intentional.

I can personally attest to how hard that is. My little girl butchered her hair a few months ago and you can still see some of the places she hacked at today. After 2 repair hair cuts.

Children's hair is usually more difficult to cut anyway, because it is so fine and because kids are more prone to cowlicks, and hair wanting to go in different directions. If their hair wants to lay to the left, 65mph winds and all the Aqua Net you could muster could not get it to lay to the right.

I say put the hairdressers in the hot seat with the kids and watch them squirm! Plus, I really really really want to see Tabatha interact with a small child. I'll even volunteer my child for the job, tee hee hee.

Modern Dollhouse

2007-04-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Here is an awesome dollhouse that is very modern.

I know this would not appeal in any way to my daughter. She is just too prissy. But I thought this was a very neat idea that appealed to the other end of the spectrum on little girls looking for a dollhouse. They were designed by Christoph Bitzer and Wolfgang Sirch. It has plexiglass sliding doors, beech furnishings, a kitchen island and shower.

Things that irritate me the most

2007-04-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Payroll Administrators who cannot add
Payroll Administrators who cannot subtract
Payroll Administrators who insist on configuring sums in their head and will not use a calculator
Payroll Administrators who think all mistakes must lead to someone else

Seriously people, I deal with Payroll Administrators on a daily basis, and at times it makes me worry. Do you know that roughly half (in my experience) of Payroll Administrators do not know the difference between a 28-day deductions cycle, and a monthly deductions cycle? Let me let you in on the gravity of this situation...

Half of the people in this country are having their paychecks deducted from by people who do not know what they are doing... Do you work for a government body or a school? Your likelihood of having one of these clueless people handling YOUR wages just shot up to over 75%.

And the bad thing is, when they make a mistake, they didn't make a mistake. Oh no. You screwed up, or the agent screwed up, or the EMPLOYEE screwed up, or the mother of all scapegoats... the computer screwed up. Computers are only as smart as the people typing numbers into them are.

So here's a suggestion... do some research. Drop by the payroll or Human Resources Department and check out the local talent. I know who makes out my paychecks. She is a very smart woman who has been doing what she does for 30 years and still takes training courses everytime something new is introduced. She knows her stuff.

Do you know the person making out your checks? Have you ever spoken with them? If you care about what happens with your money it might be a smart idea. If you have a question about something being withheld from your check, check it out. Trust me, these people are not above error as they might like to believe. It will most likely save you a huge headache and hassle, and I promise it doesn't hurt to ask.

Funky House Stuff

2007-04-26T08:11:00.000-05:00

I have been on the prowl for fun ideas to put in my new home. I stumbled across this absolutely fun website, Modern Poverty. There were tons of whimsical, fun ideas. Like these drain stoppers: They look like fun to me, but they might not help with my daughter's fear of the bath tub drain. When she gets in trouble I only have to threaten to throw her into "the deep end of the tub" and she is back on the straight and narrow, pronto! (JK :))

They also had these fun cookie cutters that give the illusion that someone has already been snacking on the treats: These just look like so much fun to me. I love the little dismembered gingerbread men. I know, it doesn't take much to amuse me.

But these ice cubes are the epitome of fabulosity in a glass. They look like my favorite things in the world.... jewels. Ah...

They also make these wonderful vases out of recycled beer and wine bottles: I think they are absolutely gorgeous, and it makes me ambitious to see if I could duplicate the effect.

The website also sells many of the whimsical "Mr. P" products, including this "fun-at-the-office" wire holder-thingy: Of course I work with a bunch of accountants so the joke is hopelessly lost :)

And finally, for more office fun, the coolest rubber bands and I want some!

The next big thing

2007-04-25T11:48:00.000-05:00

There is a really cool blog out there showcasing new fashion designers. Graduate Fashion Week has started a blog where you can see work being turned out by fashion design students. It also has a lot of in-depth information on what it takes to get into the fashion world.

Previous winners of the Graduate Fashion Week competitions have included Stella McCartney as well as Alexander McQueen.

I think it is so interested to see what new designers are coming up with. Of course there are some wild entries, but one thing this blog does not lack is flavor!

The Princess Bride

2007-04-25T08:45:00.000-05:00

Disney certainly has been busy expanding the princess empire. Recently they paired up with designer Kirstie Kelly to design wedding gown collections based on the Disney Princesses.

You can check them out at Disney Bridal's website and see if what they have to offer is for you.

I will admit that when I first read the story I groaned. I fugured the dresses would be directly based on the princess' dresses, and how twee would that be? But I was pleasantly surprised. The dresses are adult and tasteful, with a hint of whimsy and romance.

They are of course appropriately over-priced for what you get bearing the Disney name tag, but not completely priced out of the general wedding gown market. All in all, it is a nice collection, and gave me a few ideas.

Does this mean I have given in and set a date? Hardly. I was just looking.

Tuesday's Twins

2007-04-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives and Edie Falco from The Sopranos.

New Schedule

2007-04-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

Some of you know I work at Aflac's Worldwide headquarters. Anyway, they are starting a new initiative where they put in new shifts to better serve their customers (and keep their employees even happier) allowing us to work different shifts. I applied for one of these coveted positions, and lo and behold, I was given the shift of Mon-Wed 6am-7pm with an hour for lunch. I really couldn't be more thrilled.
The prospect of having Thurs-Sun off work is making me a happy bunny indeed. They are even going to give me a shift differential so my pay doesn't dip, despite me working 4 hours less every week. I'm not complaining.
A few of my co-workers have questioned whether I will be able to handle 12 hours of accounting per day, 3 days a week. Well, I already work 12-hour days during tax season when our payroll accounts are getting their accounts with us settled up and correcting mistakes discovered through end-of-the-year audits. And I have to do it 5 times a week then. So yes, I can handle it.
I'm looking forward to spending more time with my ever-growing daughter, and of course, remodeling my new house which happens to be getting more and more fabulous on a daily basis...

As to why I have not been blogging daily as a good girl should, I have been playing auntie to my best friend's baby which was recently born. She is a doll!!!

My bathroom plans revealed.

2007-03-30T09:35:00.000-05:00

Well I finally have some decisions made on my bathroom plans!! I will be doing the walls in a purple color. I already have the shower curtain I'm going to use, and I'm going with a square pedestal sink with satin nickel hardware. Here are a few examples of some of the things I've chosen. I promise pics as soon as it's finished, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

The bees are going down!!

2007-03-30T09:23:00.000-05:00

My uncle owns and runs an exterminating business. We have 3 generations of exterminators in my family. So why is it that the house my parents have owned for 15 years is OVERRUN with carpenter bees?

If you look up Carpenter Bees in Wikipedia, the website will tell you they are solitary bees, usually living on their own. LIES! We have a metropolitan colony living in the eaves of my parents' roof. They do not sting you, but they are big and loud. And they aren't shy.

Dad used to sit out on the porch playing "bee-minton" swatting them with badminton rackets. I have to admit he was a pretty good shot, but the problem is, dear father, that the bees don't care. They will still move in.

So tomorrow my uncle had donated a truck and some chemical to my cause. We are going to spray the eaves of the house with something that will GET RID OF the bees. What a novel concept, huh? It will also keep the wasps from nesting in the roof. 2 birds with 1 stone, my kind of solution.

The downside is that female carpenter bees will actually attack you if they feel their nest is being threatened, and we have a good few nests to erradicate. So, how to get rid of the bees without getting stung? Well, my friends, I have the perfect solution. I am going to withold that last little tidbit of info from my fiance and let HIM spray the eaves while I am safely enclosed in the house behind screens, windows and doors. Let no one say I have no sense of self-preservation.

Hopefully by Monday Carpenter Bees will be a thing of the past for my future home. Looks like dad will have to find a new hobby. He really has no problem with finding new hobbies, trust me.

Something Bugging me

2007-03-29T09:47:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we all know Bravo edits its reality shows to within an inch of their very existence, so why, oh why, can they not edit out all the fat girl jokes we have been hearing on Top Design this season? Call me sensitive if you will, but there have only been a couple of episodes where someone has not made a thinly veiled fat girl joke aimed at Carisa. It makes me feel bad for her, and she isn't really a person I would probably get along with (if the Bravo TV edited version of her personality is anything to go by.)

But seriously? Is their next reality tv show going to be about who can lose the most weight via anorexia or bulemia? Because through their editing they are really letting out a lot of snipery towards the big girls in this world.

Being a big girl myself, I am proud of my body and I don't let fat girl jokes get to me in a personal way. However, I just wonder why everyone wonders why public figures are starving themselves within an inch of their life, but then laughs along with the fat girl jokes made later.

You can't laugh at fat girl jokes and turn around and slap anorexic girls on the wrist and tell them to eat something. It's hypocritical. I agree that there is a healthy medium, but instead of being judgemental of too-fat and too-thin girls, how about we praise healthy looking-women? I'm one to tell you that a fat girl joke never made me put down a donut. I'm pretty sure harsh criticism never made an anorexic girl want to eat. How about we all stop being so damn judgemental and start trying to help each other feel better about ourselves???

So Margaret Russell, the next time you read an article about a too-thin celebrity, please remember your "big banquette" remark about Carisa and hang your head in shame.

And as for you Michael, just pray to whatever higher power you believe in that all the fat currently stored in your head doesn't migrate south, lest you be the object of all those fat girl jokes you love so much to tell behind Carisa's back.

I'm just sayin'...

Yard work and Paint colors

2007-03-26T04:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a weekend. We really got started with the house this weekend. One of the challenges we are facing is a packrat of monumental proportions in my dad. He has 20-some-odd years worth of junk all in that house and yard. When my mom gets on to him to get rid of something, he just turns it into what he calls "yard art" i.e. just plant some shit in that piece of junk and he won't have to haul it to the dump. So now I'm having to do it. Ugh. It's bad when the dump man looks for your visits and knows you by first name on sight.

As far as the house goes, don't get me started. He's always been a packrat, but when I moved out he went wild. He has a kiln in one of the old bedrooms. I'm not even joking but wish I was. He has all the stuff for woodworking, scuba diving, stonecutting, a lathe, tools for every known purpose to man, old computers, a welding station, a huge rock tumbler, you name it, we got it. Crammed into a 1700 sq ft house. Oy.

So this weekend I started piling up the junk by the road and we started hauling it off. I also started hacking through the wilderness that used to be a front and back yard. We made some serious headway with it Friday evening-Saturday.

Yesterday I got the flower bed in front of the house totally re-planted and we got my daughter's room started. We got the carpets torn out and her ceiling painted, and the old ceiling fan taken down. This week I have to buy paint for her room ad what will be the guest bathroom. We are totally remodeling it ASAP.

I worked so hard this weekend. I think I might finally shift all those pounds I gained back when they had me on all those steroids for my allergies. And, by the way, my allergies have not been getting to me despite the fact that grass pollen has been out so bad that my car is now yellow...

Speaking of colors... I have to pick out most of mine this week. What a job!!! I know my daughter wants her room pink, and the bathroom will probably be a pale plumb, but I want to reserve judgement for the living room color until we get the new laminate floors in... There's only about a million shades of green out there. No pressure or anything...

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

Check-in

2007-03-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you for those of you who have been concerned. Those of you who don't know me in an un-internet sense are no doubt nonplussed by my disappearance, but unfortunately I have a reason.

About a month ago (around the time I stopped posting) my brother committed suicide. I really haven't been able to write or talk much about it. His 22nd birthday was Friday, March 16th. This weekend I went to his friends' house and had a very therapeutic time talking about my brother and reliving our happier moments. It has made it easier to sit down and talk/write about it.

He was always a very happy person quick to a mischevious grin and I will miss him terribly. He had recently been having trouble with his life decisions not being accepted by our family and his friends, but I don't think any of us realized quite the toll it was taking on him. The shock is only starting to wear off for me, but as a family we have been coping, and for some of us, learning some lessons about acceptance. As soon as I get some pictures scanned it I will post some happy memories.

But, other things have been happening as well. My parents now feel they cannot live in the house they are currently in any longer, and wish to build a new, smaller house. They are going to give me the house they are currently in. I am very excited about this. This is the house my brother and I grew up in, and we have lived on that property since I was 2 years old. The house needs a lot of work, but I'm up to the task.

I'm probably going to start posting pictures of the work we are doing on the house as we go. I'll also post some pics of the new house being built as we get it done.

The Neverending Fashion Victim

2007-02-26T10:56:00.000-05:00

Did anyone besides me think that just maybe Mrs. Wearstler watched The Neverending Story II one too many times??

Let me explain...

What is your Drag Queen name?

2007-02-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

Your Drag Queen Name Is:

Connie Lingus

Drag Queen Name Generator

Tacky man or Tacky woman?

2007-02-16T10:02:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken at the Grammy's. That should explain it a little at least. Maybe this photo will help...
But seriously, it is Steven Cojocaru. He is a flamboyantly gay fashion critic. He wrote the Red Carpet Diaries. So what in the hell was he doing wearing that hideous jacket at the Grammys??

Also, that haircut does not suit his face. It makes him look like a soccer mom.

A Worthy Patron Saint

2007-02-16T07:54:00.000-05:00

I must direct anyone reading this blog with a sense of humor to a wonderful blog full of witty material... Pink Navy

You just have to admire a site that names a woman as fabulous as Diana Vreeland as their patron saint.

This woman is a force not to be reckoned with. Her fabulousness is undeniable. Kay Thompson's character in Funny Face has nothing on this woman. She is glamour, she is fashion, she is a true DIVA.

Here is a very good synopsis on her life and career written by Blair Schulman on Divas-The Site.

"Balenciaga did the most delicious evening clothes. Clothes aren’t delicious any more."

If the Society Diva of yore had a Little Buddy, it might be Jacques Cartier of Cartier, the jeweler to High Society. If these same Divas had a Number One Dinner Invite, they would definitely nominate Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor as the guest who can out-dress the rest. But if there were one person to whom they could all turn to as the last word in style, it would certainly be Diana Vreeland. Mrs. Vreeland was the beginning and the end in all things chic. Her persona and dictums were not to be overlooked or ignored.

Rather than a mere silver spoon, some Divas were born with an entire set of platinum cutlery in their mouths, thereby failing to grasp the meaning of overkill. Outsized, gilt-edged and studded with enough bibelots to blind the Sun King, some of these women have taken their diamond-encrusted, mink-trimmed coals to Newcastle and created a big, sooty mess. Women of lesser means and lesser taste often took their cue from the very, very rich to believe that more is more. It is why someone like Diana Vreeland was able to exist. She bridged the gap between tacky and hideous to create that splendiferous hallowed ground called chic. Whether or not one could learn it, or had to be born with it, is still heavily debated. No matter, there emerged a symbol for looking good in this world and how could you not respect a woman who summed up style with the mere words, "Elegance is refusal?" Any pretense attributed to her stylish imprimatur is purely coincidental.

"The best thing about London is Paris."

Never one for humble aspirations, DV, as she was often referred to, hit the ground running. Born in Paris to British parents she never even spoke English until her family moved to New York at the start of World War I. Diana studied ballet and likely got a feel for fluidity in movement, a hallmark of style. In 1924, she married banker Thomas Reed Vreeland and eventually had two children. The Reed Vreelands were not rich at all, but were socially connected, called "good goods" and welcomed in the best homes. For a time they lived in Albany, New York, then moved to Paris in 1935. A bright, educated couple, the two were avid readers and grasped an understanding of the world at large. "… and Reed and I would read things together out loud, which was marvelous. That was the charm of it - when you've heard the word, it means so much more than if you've only seen it."

Upon her return to the United States in 1937 she began work as a fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar. At the time, the fashion industry was a gathering storm of greatness. Schiaparelli, Chanel, Mainbocher and Charles James, to name a few, were all leaving their mark in the world of haute couture. Employment at the magazines was acceptable for ladies of gentle birth who wanted to have careers before heading into brilliant marriages. Babe Paley, Doris Duke and Slim Keith all worked at Harper’s Bazaar at one time or another, offering their style and perspective to the magazine. Not to mention their unique ability to be among the rare few who could actually afford the designs of these magnificent couturiers.

"Pink is the navy blue of India."

Better than everyone, DV understood change and how we now lived in a visual age. As with life itself, one must recreate a certain dis-unity, angular poses, hands and feet being what they are – movement, a surprise at the ready and isn’t that what life is but a menagerie of surprise?

She inspired everyone from debutantes to drag queens with her mark on fashion. Or perhaps it was the other way around. With her heavily rouged cheekbones, mile-long lashes and red lacquer everywhere - trademarks that identified her for decades - one could imagine they were in the presence of a modern Watteau, reality presented to the viewer with a gentle caress. In terms of her personal style, Diana loved simple elegant clothing with splashy accessories. Exotic jewelry, hats and wonderful shoes were among her favorite fashion items.

Not all descriptions of her looks were generous, however, someone once described her having the face of a wooden drug-store Indian. But her clothing was the essence of chic – a simple dress, properly accessorized, one outstanding object that explained everything, not twenty expensive baubles that meant nothing.

"She makes the smallest detail important." Andy Warhol

At Harper’s Diana soon began changing the way fashion was reported to the public. Instead of simply reporting the styles and trends of fashion, Diana began to create, to motivate and popularize, certain objects, attitudes and ideas. She did this with her legendary observations, comments, wit and humor, keeping the American public - always wanting more. Readers began to learn of DV’s stratospheric thinking with her column, "Why Don’t You?" Such suggestions as "Cut up your old ermine wrap into a bathrobe!" and ‘Why don’t you wash your child’s hair in champagne?" were typical offerings. While not always the most practical advice, she made for good copy and struck a chord with the American woman who saw that the rules of good taste were bendable, as long as you did it with style.

She became fashion director two years later and stayed at the magazine until 1963, when she moved to Vogue. On one occasion during a fashion layout, Diana was informed that a phrase, "windbreaker" was already copyrighted. She rushed into the copy room and demanded, "Quick, what's another word for breaking wind?" On another occasion she created a two-page layout of a nude female lying face down in the sand, her derriere covered in a large black straw hat. The caption read, "Spend the summer under a big black sailor."

"Never fear being vulgar, just boring"

Her ability to spot talent brought us some of fashions’ best-known faces. She discovered Lauren Hutton in the 1960’s who went on to become one of the most photographed models, ever. She appeared on the cover of Vogue 25 times. And there is Iman's recollection of her first meeting with Mrs. Vreeland. "She put a bony hand under my chin, realigned my head to a profile position and pronounced: "Now, that's a neck!"

Even the décor of her apartment on Park Avenue had the air of invention. Armed with the thought "Garden in Hell," she and famed decorator Billy Baldwin created a hideaway completely decorated in lacquer reds with scarlet colored floral wall coverings, memorabilia and books. In the center of her living room was a bright red sofa piled high with an impressive collection of cushions, gilded mirrors and picture frames and delicate wall moldings.

With all that magic emanating from this one woman, one might think it could go on forever. Sadly though, without any fanfare at all, the chief of Conde Nast Publications, Si Newhouse, fired her in 1971. There was never a reasonable explanation of her termination. Either way, it was a heartbreaking mistake and a cruel response to a woman who devoted her life to style. Apparently the company had a history of letting people go without actually firing them directly – passive-aggressive business to the nth degree.

An evenhanded moment came when Mr. Newhouse found himself across a desk with Diana Vreeland staring at him. Though Newhouse had one of his flunkies let Vreeland know her services were no longer required, Vreeland apparently wished to hear the news from Si himself. After a long silence, Newhouse apparently found the courage and the words to let Vreeland go -- but was spooked by nightmares for some time afterward. It was a fierce moment in Ms. Vreelands professional life – a final chance to retain a shred of dignity which had been so callously ripped away.

One man’s discard is another man’s treasure and soon Diana was named a special consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum. As special consultant from 1973 to 1989, she organized with the staff of the Costume Institute a series of highly popular exhibitions, including "The World of Balenciaga" (1973), "Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design" (1974), "The Glory of Russian Costume" (1976), and "Vanity Fair: A Treasure Trove of the Costume Institute" (1977). Her cache and knowledge can now be experienced by a broader audience. This world-renown appreciation is best shown as the Costume Institute Ball has become the hottest social ticket in town.

"Without emotion there is no beauty."

It is terrible to end with her death as someone like Diana Vreeland doesn’t merely die, but in 1989 she did leave this world for another - doing fabulous things with fluffy clouds and harps, no doubt.

Queens of the Parade

2007-02-16T06:49:00.000-05:00

Scarlett Johansson led a parade of students including young men dressed in drag to receive Harvard University's irreverent Hasty Pudding Theatricals award yesterday.

As if she needed to ender herself to me any more, she got to lead a parade of fabulous drag queens! Lucky heiffer.

Project Runway Season 2, Episode 1

2007-02-14T09:10:00.000-05:00

My Take:

Living up the the talent in season 1 was never going to be easy. However, our contestants actually had an idea what to expect so it should be a little easier for them, right? Well, you certainly wouldn't think so from the results we saw. These designers had 8 days, as well as a very defined task before them. The results underwhelmed me.

I think some designers have a hard time expressing in one look their aesthetic, and doing it well. I will grant you that Muslin is not the absolute best fabric to work with. Most designers use it solely to establish fit for garments. It is a cheap fabric and it can be hard to make Muslin look good. But is it too much to ask that a top designer be able to pull it off?

Well, here is my take on the matter:

Who should have won:

Nick

Who should have gone home:

Lupe

Marla

Most of the outfits were very basic, which was to be expected given the materials for the exercise, but there was some good work. But it has to be said it's a good thing these designers picked up their game because if we had remained at this level of talent the whole season, I would have been pissed.

Heart Disease Month and Valentine's Day Cakes

2007-02-13T06:55:00.000-05:00

February is full of hearts! Not only do we celebrate Valentine's Day in February, but also Heart Disease month. This issue is one very close to me, as I have lost my Grandfather and son to Heart Disease. I myself have a form of heart disease affecting the valves of my heart.

In response, I have always found this cause to be a great one. Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women in this country. Over 350,000 women are taken from us each year.

This year to help raise money, all proceeds from my cakes this month are going to be donated to the American Heart Association. I always make a donation on February 26, which happens to be the birthday of both my Grandfather and my son who were taken because of this.

Here is an example of some of the cakes I have been selling. So far, as of today I have raised over $500. I usually sell a plate of petit fours like this for around $35.

Valentine's Day is a great generator of orders, and the "heart" theme allows me to get my message across along with my cakes. This cake above is an ice cream cake made with homemade ice cream and dark chocolate hearts and decorations.

The cake above is made with chocolate ganache and "Whoppers" for decorations. I have sold probably 5 of these cakes alone.

The cake above is the cake I made for my daughter's Valentine's Day party at school.

The cake above has been my best seller so far, selling 15 cakes. The chocolates on top are homemade as well as the cake itself.

I made many variations on this cake this year, in different colors and different themes upon request. I think in total I have sold probably 40 cakes and 32 petit fours. I would like to thank all of my friends and relatives who lent a hand and a kitchen when needed.

I still have Mardi Gras to go!!

In the meantime, for those of you reading this blog (no I don't ship cakes) there is something I would like to ask of all of you. Go to http://www.heartforwomen.org and send a letter to your Congress representative asking them to cosponsor the HEART for Women Act.

Also, for those of you that can, please go to http://donate.americanheart.org and give a donation to the American Heart Association. You can make your donation a Memorial or a Tribute, as well as give a general donation.

Again this is a very personal plea and I would like to thank you all in advance for any assistance you can offer in advance.

My Valentines Present

2007-02-12T14:12:00.000-05:00

I just had to show it off...

Feminazis go away!

2007-02-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

I got in trouble this weekend. No big surprise huh? I was cashing out at a bar that is a favorite hangout of mine on the weekends Friday night. It was taking a while. I am friends with the staff. I got a little impatient, and in my drunken state, I yelled (just as it got quiet, incidentally) "Who has to get a blow job so I can pay my tab and get the hell out of here??" and a lady shot me a nasty look and sniffed that it was sluts like me that gave women a bad name.

Well excuse the hell out of me. Now normally I would have just laughed at her and found my ride and left. But not this time. She could have called me a slut 2 years ago and I would have brushed it off. But I am in a monogamous relationship, I have NEVER cheated on a boyfriend, fiance or husband in my life, and if anyone in my house is getting any at the moment, I sure as hell don't know about it and I'm sure to be pissed when I find out.

So I asked this woman what her problem is and why she had to be such a bitch etc... She said that "people like me" offended her. I assume she meant women who had gotten some since the new millenium rang in.

So being the curious imp I am, I asked her if she could enlighten me as to what kind of person I am, since she has known me all of half a second. And here is what she said....

She said that I am the type of woman who has no respect for myself and through my actions and words command no respect for myself. Furthermore, that my actions and words set the women around me back, making us all look like sluts depending on men to get them through life.

I basically said it sounded like bitter lemons and that I hoped she got laid before that chip on her shoulder got ay bigger.

At that point my girlfriends caught on to what was going on and I let them all rip her a few new holes. I was busy paying my tab and looking for my ride.

But Saturday while I was conversing with my girlfriends about that crazy bitch in the bar, it got to me a little more than it should. I am so sick of people that are dissatisfied with their lives taking it out on everyone else. It especially makes me sick when women do it and wrap it in the cloak of Feminism.

I think Feminism in its purest form is a good thing. Women and Men should have equal rights and social responsibilities. Good theory and I couldn't agree more. But to say that women (like me in the bar) should have a higer social responsibility (like not saying "blow job" in public I guess) just because it might make the other women look bad is bullshit. Even if I was the biggest whore in the world, how does what I do affect the Nancy Reagan wannabe next to me?

Grouping women into one massive group is stupid. It is stereotyping and completely invalid.

Why can't we all celebrate all of our differences, strengths, and even weaknesses?

I need a Hero

2007-02-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

Okay... now, this man of the week is a good one.

Gerry (Gerard) Butler has an undeniable sex appeal that any can see. But oh, how many layers there are to this man. He has a voice that can bring you to tears if you ever get the wonderful chance to hear him sing in person. He is a great and modest guy, and probably most notably, he is a real life hero.

While shooting Mrs. Brown, he saved a little boy from drowning. He was given an award for it and everything. He was on a break visiting his mother (who lived close to the set they were shooting on that day) and he rescued a boy from the river nearby who was drowning.

He is from Scotland, went to University to be a lawyer and is close with his mother. Which translates into, he has a sexy accent, he is educated, and he has respect for women.
Swoon...

He has acted in several stage plays, including Trainspotting. He has been seen in the films Mrs. Brown, Tomorrow Never Dies, Tomb Raider, Beowulf, The Phantom of the Opera, and was rumored to have been a close contender for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale.

Pass me a Diet Coke

2007-02-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

Remember those infamous Diet Coke commercials with the women working in the high rise drooling over a really hot construction worker? Well, my place of work is currently being expanded, and the paltry choice of construction workers on site has me wishing for Lucky Vanous, the man who was THE hot construction worker in that commercial.

But he has more to his name than the Diet Coke commercials... He had a cameo in Will and Grace as an EMT, He did a stint on All my Children, and he has his own workout video... which he directed himself.

Am I trying to justify ogling this man by listing his accomplishments? Maybe. I do like my men a little smarter than bricks. But he's just so... PURTY... Let's just look at him for a while, shall we?

*sigh*

Cake Highlight

2007-02-01T12:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a cake that I did for a friend of mine having a 40th birthday party. It is devils food cake with white icing, covered in marshmallow fondant, painted with icing colors. The bow is made out of fondant died black. I used black frosting for the border of the cake and for the border of the bow to cover the fact I rolled my fondant too thick.

Rain. Eew.

2007-02-01T11:13:00.000-05:00

Today is a fine example of why I could not live in Ireland any longer than I did. Rain. I really do not like having to go to work, run errands, etc... in rain. It wreaks havoc on my hair, makeup and wardrobe. And it generally darkens my spirit. I'm not as quick to laugh or make a joke. I just get into the doldrums whenever it rains.

Don't get me wrong, rain isn't always bad. I love nothing more than to curl up on my plush sofa with a magazine or book, or girlie movie and let it pour. A fire would be a nice addition if I had a fireplace. But a cup of hot cocoa will suffice in a pinch.

I have a hard time understanding women that don't mind getting out in the rain. I rarely feel like this when trudging through 3-inch deep puddles walking from my car to work:

But more often feel like this by the time I get home...
Maybe the sun will come back tomorrow...

2007-01-29T06:15:00.000-05:00

Buh Bye Netflix

I have been a loving Netflix customer for well over 2 years now. The moment I saw that first tv ad claiming I would never have to drag my 4-year old into a movie rental store again captivated me, and seduced me. I did my 2 week free trial, and I was hooked. I even upgraded to the 4-movies at a time plan so I could ensure I always had something to watch.

Then something happened. I don't know what it was to this day. About 6 months ago I noticed that it was taking my movies FOREVER to get back and get processed in their system. I tried switching up to a different post box to see if it would help. I even started dropping them off at the City's main Post Office (it's on my way to work so no big deal) but it was still taking forever!! The wierd thing is, it wasn't taking any longer for me to get my movies than usual, just for me to return them. I started actually writing down on my little desk calendar what days I was posting them back, and figured out it was taking well over 6 business days for my movies to get processed.

I emailed Netflix to ask what was the deal. I was even anal about making sure the little barcode showed through the little window on the return envelope if that made a difference (which they never said either way) And they only emailed me back a form email ststing thanks for my customer feedback and that my input was important to them, yada yada... Whatever.

I talked to a friend of mine who I knew was a Netflix junkie like me, and she said she was having a similar priblem, but not to the same degree... hers were taking 4 business days, which is still too long if you ask me. 2-3 business days should be sufficient. When I started Netflix it always took 2 business days, like clockwork. Basically, the whole system was slowing up, and I was being left without my movie fix.

Two months ago I cancelled my Netflix subscription. I figured for what I was paying, I could get more movies just going to the video store and never have to worry about not having something to watch. So I started going back to the movie rental place. After being forced to rent works of art like My Little Pony's Princess Promenade, (which of course got played ad nauseum until it was returned) by a screaming little brat I could not believe was my child. I was losing it. I love my daughter, but get any child under the age of 10 in a video store and I'll bet good money someone will want to slap the spit out of them within 10 minutes.

So what to do? I had seen Blockbuster's ad for their Total Access service, but after my Netflix I was a little gunshy. However, after having to scoop my screaming child off the floor of the video store one Sunday afternoon and having to refrain from SCREAMING at her until I got her to the car at least, I became desperate. So I put a good helping of duck tape around Katie's wrists and ankles, and over her mouth and went to my neighborhood Blockbuster Store. Just kidding... I left her with Mike.

Anyhow, I went to Blockbuster's and got the skinny on this new service. Basically, you pick your plan. They send you your DVD's in the mail. You can either mail them back, or take them to your local Blockbuster Store and trade them for free movie rentals. The best part... once you have taken them into the store... the next business day they go ahead and ship your noxt movie. You don't have to wait until your movie makes it back to them!!

Well, as you all know, I will never go into a movie store again. But, when I had Netflix, I had to keep some movies for Mike in the queue or he would whine. Now, I keep all my movies in the queue, and after I have watched them, he can take them back to the store and get a movie he wants to watch. Or, because he has infinitely more patience with Katie in public places, he can take her to get a movie for her! And it gets her out of the house for a good half-hour of quiet time for me!!

Anyhow, my trial is up with Blockbuster, but the jury is back in and we likes. This weekend I had 6 movies in my house to choose from. I felt so spoiled. I even cancelled my movie channel subscriptions with my cable company, because since I have had Blockbuster's service, I have really not watched it at all. So it is actually saving me money at my house.

So if you get sick of having to wait for a movie, I heartily reccommend this service. It's definitely worth it.

2007-01-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

LEE RD

If you look up an online road map of Lee County Alabama, you will notice something strange, depending on which map you look. In the case of most of the roads in this county, either the roads are all not labeled at all, or all they have are numbers on them. Why is this, you ask? It's because ALMOST ALL THE ROADS IN LEE COUNTY ARE NAMED LEE RD. I'm not exaggerating. They are all named Lee Rd, and a number after them (e.g. Lee Rd 251 and Lee Rd 75) And if that is not confusing enough, they are in no particular order. Lee Rd. 2 is nowhere Lee Rd. 3. A few of the smaller roads and cul-de-sacs have evaded this fate but for the most part just about every road in that corner of Alabama is named Lee Rd.

Driving around this place if you don't know your way is a nightmare. Most people that live in Lee County either call the road by a made-up name based on a Landmark located on the road (think the Piggly-Wiggly road, and such) or they just tell you to get off on Lee Rd. Talk about frustration. But in their defense, they don't do this on purpose. I have found life-long residents of Lee County that cannot tell you how to get places based on the road numbers/names. People live by landmarks in this place.

The bad thing about this is that they don't always use PERMANENT landmarks. They will tell you to turn after a tree, or a red shed, and I've even been told to turn just after you see a mattress laying on the left-hand side of the road. God forbid someone cuts down the tree, decides to paint the shed, or if the mattress is hauled off. This whole system is madness.

I constantly get slammed because I don't give the people of Alabama a whole lot of intellectual credit. But come on, doesn't this just make my point?

2007-01-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

Ace of Cakes

I have discovered my new addiction. You all know that I am in love with decorating cakes. Well, Food Network has a show on called Ace of Cakes. I'm only pissed I haven't dicovered it sooner. It comes on every Thursday night at 10:30.

The concept of the show is based around a Bakery called Charm City Cakes. They make the most spectacular sculpted cakes, and this show takes you through the processes and the drama of getting these cakes made. I feel the show would benefit by being an hour long, rather than the 30 minutes it currently airs, but all in all I am now in LOVE with this show.

I already got a few good ideas, and the best part is you get to see their process. I have to say, that the 30 minutes of this show I watched last night captivated me more than the last 4 or 5 episodes of Top Chef Season 2 have combined.

So if you're a cake worshipper as I am, tune in to the Food Network Thursday nights at 10:30!

2007-01-25T13:14:00.000-05:00

Another good movie

I know, I have been watching a lot of movies lately. But up until this point I have really not had time, and this past week I have been a trifle ill, so I have been spending my time napping and watching movie rentals. YAY.

Anyhow: I know I may be one of the last people in the world to see this movie, but I was busy when it came out, so bear with me:

The Devil Wears Prada

This movie really reminded me of the feel of the book Sushi for Beginners.
Meryl Streep was of course divine, and Anne Hathaway wasn't bad.

Please tell me though that I'm not the only one disappointed with the ending. Well, I suppose it makes a good enough movie ending, but was the girl crazy? I hate it for whoever, but given an opportunity like that I believe I would have been all over it.

The moral of the movie:
The Fashion Industry is cutthroat... REALLY!?! Tres Naiivetee if you ask me...
(I know it had another moral about learning something about who you are or some crap, but this is MY review, so I really don't care to touch that)

But the movie was fun to watch and when you have a fever you can't ask for more than that.

Now I'm off to watch The Sentinel right after I spray my keyboard down with Clorox.

2007-01-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

A Good Woman

I watched this movie this past weekend and enjoyed it immensely. The cast is an utter dream. I'm not usually a Helen Hunt fan, but with all the other talent involved I knew this film could not miss, and to be frank, Ms. Hunt very pleasantly surprised me in this role.

The stars of the movie, however, had to be Scarlett Johansson, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Mark Umbers. Three beautiful and talented people.

The screenplay is based on Oscar Wilde's play Lady Windemere's Fan, which I also heartily encourage you to see acted out in live theater, if the opportunity ever presents itself.

The costumes and setting for this movie are sublime. Get ready to be transported to Italy at it's finest.

I heartily reccommend this movie. Four brilliant stars!!

2007-01-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

Author Highlight

Helen Fielding

Author of the Bridget Jones books, as well as the column that inspired the books published in the Independent.

Many people claim that she has knocked the 30-something single woman back into a place where she is teased and made fun of. My opinion? If you think that then you didn't read the whole story.

In my opinion the book was a very intelligent and witty remix of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. The movie did not follow the book to the letter, but the essence of the book is definitely captured. In my opinion this author and all her works are definitely a stop to be made by all girls needing a giggle.

2007-01-23T11:33:00.000-05:00

Congrats Harold!!

According to Wikipedia, Wedding bells are in Harold's near future!

"In January, 2007, NBC's The Insider, reported that Dieterle was newly engaged to Meredith Davies, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia. The two met at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic in June, 2006, in which Dieterle's participation was part of his Top Chef prize package."

2007-01-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

From Mrs. Barker to Mrs. Barbie

I don't know how many widely known this is (I freely admit I may be the only person who did NOT know this until recently) but Bob Mackie designed the costumes for the TV show Mama's Family, and won an Emmy for it. I knew of his work on the Carol Burnett show (who could forget the curtain dress?) but I had no clue he was responsible for Ma Barker's rectangular dresses. Just goes to show how far you can go, eh?

I just found it kinda funny the transformation that occured over the years...

2007-01-11T07:27:00.000-05:00

My Christmas

I know it is over, but here are my pics from Christmas...

This was my Christmas tree. I think I redecorated it a few times. Next year I'm going with clear lights. Katie wanted the colored lights so I tried them, but I just don't like them myself.

On Christmas day we had presents from Ireland, Luxembourg, France and Germany coming in for Katie. The pile in front of the tree is for her. The ones in front of the tv are for the rest of us. We are aware that she is spoiled.

But isn't she just so cute about it?

2007-01-11T07:24:00.001-05:00

My Painting

This isn't the best picture in the world because I have very low lighting in my living room, but this is the painting I recently finished. The greens are a richer kiwi-color than this shows, and the background goes from a very pale yellow to almost orange. Hope you guys like it! I'll post pics of the painting I'm doing for my mom when I get it finished.

2007-01-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

I've been unusually busy lately, and my life has been unusually dramatic lately. I can handle drama (though I don't have a flair for it that even comes close to comparing to Austin Scarlett, but who does?) but I'm ready for stuff to settle back down.

First of all: I got the results of my biopsy. It was cancer, but it had not spread and they got it all off during the biopsy. I'll go back in for further tests, but we are all quietly confident that I dodged that particular bullet.

Secondly: My mother and I have fallen out AGAIN... no big news there. My mother and I are probably the worst matched mother-daughter pair ever. She doesn't value anything about me that I value in myself, and I admit I don't value the things in her that she values about herself. Consequently, we spend a lot of time offending each other and refusing to take each other's calls. My daughter worships the very ground she walks on however (and to be fair the feeling is mutual), and for her sake I'm sure we will reconcile for a minute or two.

Thirdly: My best friend (who is more like the sister I never had) is getting divorced. The kicker: she is 6 months pregnant. She is married to probably the most ignorant and arrogant man in the South, and let me tell you that takes talent. Amazingly enough, she is one of the most fabulous people I have ever met. I have no idea how they stayed married for 3 years other than she just saw something no one else did (I certainly didn't see it). Of course because I'm divorced and we happen to be best friends, it's all my fault, says he.

Fourthly: I finished the painting for my living room, and I'm going to go ahead and finish the painting I started for my mom back in September. I'll post pics when I get home.

Fifthly: I finally got all of the cake crumbs and icing dollops out of my kitchen from the INSANE number of cakes I made over the holidays. The bad thing is, Valentine's Day is just round the bend... again, more pics when I get home.

Sixthly: I have been sewing up a storm. My daughter demanded a pair of gauchos to wear because it is not cold here and she claims she gets hot in long pants. The thing is, all the stores are selling arctic gear. But it's in the 60's outside in the shade. So I had to pick up a pattern and I made her first pair yesterday. Took me only 3 hours. I may even be getting fast enough to be a Project Runway contestant. Now all I need are some fashion design skills to pair with my sewing skills. I'm also working on a quilt made out of her dresses from last year. I don't have enough closet space for old clothes so I just cut them up and quilt them into blankets or accessories.

Anyhow, I am starting to think I'm going to have to drop a hobby. I just have too many irons in the fire. But I can't help it. I'm a creative soul, and if I could make a living off my art and my cakes, I'd never work a job with set hours again. I have tried a lot of different avenues to try and profit from my hobbies, but I don't have enough focus on any one outlet to really hone it into a marketable skill.

I am a compulsive hobby freak. In the past 5 years I have been involved with

Dancing
Horseback Riding
Cross-Stitching
Knitting
Crocheting
Painting
Drawing
Sewing
Quilting
Cake Baking & Decorating
Jewelry making
Beading
Bicycling
Web page design
Computer graphics
Pottery
Printmaking

To be fair, my dad is exactly like me. We roam from hobby to hobby, and do it until a new hobby catches our attention and ends up monopolizing our time. My dad is probably even worse than me. His have included learning to fly an airplane and getting his pilot's license, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, stained glass, painted enamel glass, woodworking, rebuilding classic cars, computer programming, gemstone cutting, you name it.

I think we are allergic to boredom.

2007-01-05T06:38:00.000-05:00

HOW TO BE A "FANCY NANCY"

My daughter has this book, and I simply cannot gush enough about it. It is an adorable children's book about a little girl that is "fancy", and wants everyone around her to be "fancy" too. She uses the French term for just about everything because that's the fancy way to say it. She wholeheartedly believes lacy socks improve her soccer game, and that writing with a pen that has a fuschia (thats "fancy" for purple) plume on it helps her write better. Now this is my kind of chick!

I simply love the message of individuality this book conveys, and I had an idea. This is my Fancy Nancy Kit. Yours would probably be different, but that's the point.

Of course, you can't be fancy without a boa.

It can be pink (probably my choice) or purple, or green or whatever. You just need a boa.

The second Essential to being fancy is an appropriately gaudy hat. This is a must. The more ribbons and feathers, the better!

The third thing you simply must have is ribbons, and lots of them. Tie them to everything you can. More is always better when you're rying to be fancy.

The fourth absolute essential to being fancy is a tiara. Of course. Need I elaborate?

Now, to write, you of course need a pen with the most wonderful plume possible. Writing with a regular Bic pen just isn't fancy, and who doesn't want to be fancy?

And finally to eat... what else but parfaits (that's fancy for sundaes)

Now you have seen what I think it takes to be fancy. What do you think it takes to be FANCY?!?

2007-01-04T07:01:00.000-05:00

Now for the rest of the state

Here are some stupid laws I looked up for GA.

Members of the state assembly cannot be ticketed for speeding while the state assembly is in session. (but some of the assemblymen obviously forgot that drunk driving isn't the same as speeding oops)

Donkeys may not be kept in bathtubs.
(This is a stupid law, who is the donkey hurting? I assume donkeys need baths too)

Signs are required to be written in English.
(Given how tolerant Georgians are of other languages, this law kinda came from nowhere, didn't it? cough)

You have the right to commit simple battery if provoked by "fighting" words.
(Like not having the right ever stopped Southern men from fighting at the drop of a hat)

No one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday.
(Okay, WTF?? Are they smoking crack up there in the Capitol?)

It is illegal to use profanity in front of a dead body which lies in a funeral home or in a coroners office. (This one is actually enforced)

Acworth
All citizens must own a rake.
(Given how much pot gets grown out in those parts, they might want to rethink this particular law)

Atlanta
Against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
(I hate to break it to them, but this isn't going to stop the traffic epidemic. Good try, though.)

One man may not be on another man's back.
(Exhibit A that homophobia makes you look like an idiot)

Columbus (My hometown)
Can't cut off a chicken's head on Sunday.
(are they worried about Satanic rituals occuring on Sunday or something?)

It is illegal to carry a chicken by it's feet down Broadway on Sunday.
(Oh honey, I go clubbing on Broadway, and there is far more they need to be worried about than chickens being carried upside-down)

Gainesville
Chicken must be eaten with the hands.
(I thought this was just understood all over the South)

Jonesboro
It is illegal to say "Oh, Boy"
(yeah, cause that's just the worst thing coming out of people's mouths these days, isn't it?)

Kennesaw
Every head of household must possess a firearm of some kind.
(The right to bear arms becomes the responsibility to bear arms!)

Marietta
Though it is illegal to spit from a car or bus, citizens may spit from a truck.(Eew)

St. Mary's
No spitting on the sidewalk is permitted after dark.
(I actually like, love and agree with this law... and feel it should be expanded to all stages of the day)

Quitman
Cars are not to drive on sidewalks.
(Unless the driver is drunk, upon which case another law claims jurisdiction)

It is illegal for a chicken to cross the road.
(Okay, why did the chicken cross the road? Because he was a felon!)

2007-01-04T06:44:00.000-05:00

Living in GA (Atlanta Specifically)

No, I don't live in Atlanta. However, I have spent a lot of time there. Ever since my childhood it has been the most exciting place but still so much like home. However, for those of you that have never been, or have only been through the airport, here is my own little facts guide about ATL...

Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina.

All directions start with, "Go down Peachtree" and include the phrase, "When you see the Waffle House." Except that in Cobb County, all directions begin with, "Go to the Big Chicken."

Peachtree Street has no beginning and no end. It is not to be confused with:

Peachtree Circle
Peachtree Place
Peachtree Lane
Peachtree Road
Peachtree Parkway
Peachtree Run
Peachtree Terrace
Peachtree Avenue
Peachtree Commons
Peachtree Battle
Peachtree Corners
New Peachtree
Old Peachtree
West Peachtree
Peachtree-Dunwoody
Peachtree-Chamblee
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard

Atlantans only know their way to work and their way home. If you ask anyone for directions they will always send you down Peachtree.

Something like 55 streets in Atlanta have the word "Peachtree" in their names. How did this mania begin? The first Peachtree was a Creek Indian village on the Chattahoochee River called Standing Peachtree. An army outpost built nearby took the name Fort Peachtree. The road that linked it to Fort Daniel in Gwinnett County was the first Peachtree Road. (The Old Peachtree Road Exit on the Northeast Expressway has confused many a traveler heading into Atlanta, since it's more than 30 minutes outside town.) From this has come a forest of Peachtrees.

The 8am rush hour is from 6:30 to 10:30 AM.
The 5pm rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:30 PM.
Friday's rush hour starts Thursday afternoon and lasts through 2am Saturday.
I-285, the loop that encircles Atlanta that has a posted speed limit of 55 mph (but you have to maintain 80 mph just to keep from getting run over), is known to truckers as "The Watermelon 500."

Don't believe the directional markers on highways. I-285 is marked "East" and "West" but you may be going "North" or "South". The locals identify the direction by referring to the "Inner Loop" and the "Outer Loop". If you travel on Hwy 92 North, you will actually be going southeast.

A native can only pronounce Ponce De Leon Avenue, so do not attempt the Spanish pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. The Atlanta pronunciation is "pawns duh LEE-on".

The falling of one raindrop causes all drivers to immediately forget all traffic rules. If a single snowflake falls, the city is paralyzed for three days and it's on all the channels as a news flash every 15 minutes for a week. All grocery stores will be sold out of milk, bread, bottled water, toilet paper, and beer.

Never buy a ladder or mattress in Atlanta. Just go to one of the interstates and you will soon find one in the middle of the road.

Gate One at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport is 32 miles away from the Main Concourse, so wear sneakers and pack a lunch.

Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola. That's all we drink here, so don't ask for any other soft drink unless it's made by Coca-Cola.

2007-01-02T06:47:00.001-05:00

You Have a Choleric Temperament

You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.
Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.
You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.

You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon.
Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall.
You're an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others.

At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults.
Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion.
A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior.

What Temperment Are You?

2007-01-02T06:45:00.001-05:00

You Will Keep Your New Year's Resolution

You planning on making a resolution that's smart, attainable, and perfect for where your life is.

Will You Keep Your New Year's Resolution?

2006-12-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

First post in a while

I'm one of those people that when I go eerily quiet, something is wrong. Well, for those of you actually reading, no doubt you have noticed how quiet it has been on this page lately...

There is a reason. Apart from all of the Christmas mayhem, I have had some pretty bad news. I have skin cancer. I discovered a melanoma on my left thigh. I don't know the full story yet, but it has been pretty tense around here.

So please bear with me. I still have to get around this news and get my sense of humor back in order, and then the posts will return, cross my heart.

2006-12-07T09:49:00.001-05:00

Danish Butter Cookies

Oh how i love these little delicacies. I love how during the holidays I can snuggle in with a tin of these and a big mug of hot chocolate and heaven is not far behind.

The only downside is, they are sneaky little boogers. By the time you realize it, you have eaten half the tin of cookies. They are not long for this world once they hit my house.

What is your favorite holiday guilty pleasure?

2006-12-06T10:24:00.001-05:00

My first foray into fashion design

Of course I designed a dress for my daughter. I don't have the attention span to sew a dress big enough for an adult. Also, please keep in mind that I knew I was not designing for an adult. I would probably have chosen a different fabric for the main part of the dress on an adult. But seeing as how it was a Holiday dress for a little girl, isn't velvet quintessential?

Please tell me what you think. This was designed last year, and I have made one or two more pieces. I'll have to scan pics and post them later, but I would love your feedback on this dress in particular.

2006-12-06T06:46:00.000-05:00

Hepburn's Golightly dress
goes for a heavy $918,000 at auction
And If I had the money I would have bought it myself...

THE iconic black cocktail dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's fetched $918,000 at auction yesterday. It went for just over six times its $137,500 estimate at Christie's auction house in London. Hepburn wore the dress for her role as Holly Golightly in the classic 1961 film. The bid, made over the telephone, is believed to be a record amount for a dress used in a film.

The dress itself was most likely not expensive, but the person that bought this dress most likely saw it as I do, an iconic piece that influenced modern fashion greatly.

We all know that Hepburn is a heavenly fashionable creature, but it is arguable that wearing this dress in this movie was her crowning moment. To this day, I run into people that don't know who Hepburn by name (yes there are some of those that exist) but recognize the picture of her in this dress.

On the other side, how many little black cocktail dresses are there in the world? But none has ever, or ever will, I imagine, achieve the level of notariety this particular dress achieved.

2006-12-05T14:06:00.000-05:00

What's your accent??

Oh I thank God for my time away from the South. It's not that a Southern accent makes you stupid, but a thick Southern accent can sure make you sound like you might be.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
The Inland North
The West
The Northeast
Philadelphia
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Did you see the part where it said I had a good voice for TV or radio?? Priceless.

2006-12-05T08:35:00.001-05:00

My gift list

Mom- Phone- because she wears the mouthpiece on hers out every three months. I die a little inside when I see her name pop up on caller ID. Don’t get me wrong, I love my mom. I just have better things to do with a couple hours of my evening EVERY DAY than to listen to her talk about nothing in particular.

Dad- Earplugs- HA! No, seriously, my dad’s birthday is 2 days after Christmas, so we went all out and got him a radio and speakers for his jeep he is restoring. My fiancé installs car stereos and alarms, so he will install it for him (did I remember to mention that to him?). My dad has had this jeep since I was probably 10 years old. It has never had a radio in it. I always hated that Jeep, but finally it will have some sound to it. About damn time 15 years too late…

My fiancé- a Sony Playstation- Something for me to threaten to throw out the window if he doesn’t do my bidding. Threatening to deny sex stopped working a while back because he finally figured out I was usually bluffing.

My daughter- Just look at ToysRus.com and if it is pink, she probably got it. Seriously, this child is totally spoiled. The UPS man knows me by first name by now. My ex’s family is from Ireland and they have been mailing packages daily. I’m sick of wrapping. I know I have wrapped a good 50+ presents for her. And I have no clue what my grandparents have gotten her (they were the ones that Santa Claus “really” visited when we were kids)

My brother- A coffee mug that flips you a bird when you get to the bottom.

Fiance’s mother – “Cats” the Broadway Musical on DVD. She is the scary cat lady. You know, the one who has to replace her carpeting every few years because she has so many cats and they are constantly having to mark their territory in various corners in the house.

Fiance’s father- Electronic Sudoku game. I know, totally unimaginative. But other than loving Sudoku, he is a preacher. Considering I am living in sin with his only son, I didn’t think a Bible was appropriate.

Fiance’s sister- fleece pullover that is guaranteed to put static in her hair. We aren’t exactly close.

Fiance’s brother in law – a Georgia state tee shirt. He’s an Auburn fan.

Everyone else- Whatever was on sale and came in a nice, easy to wrap, square box.

2006-12-04T09:10:00.000-05:00

Christmas in Luxembourg

My daughter Katie was born in Luxembourg. We lived there the first two years of her life. I have always said that I would teach her the traditions of Luxembourg, which is not hard for me because a lot of their traditions come from the Dutch, and I am predominantly Dutch in heritage.

Around the end of November / beginning of December, the "Klees'chen" (known as Sinterklaas by the Dutch) can be seen on many occasions as he comes to all the shops, and receives the children for photosessions. According to Luxembourg legend, "Klees'chen" brought back to life 3 children who were savagely killed by a butcher, ready to be turned into sausages. Being a good-natured children-loving sort of a guy, he promptly resurrected the kids with God's allmighty help ...

"Klees'chen", in fact, is none else but St. Nicholas. Now, St. Nicholas lives in Spain, not the North Pole. I can see how St. Nicholas has it a little better than Santa. Let's see... Sunny Spain, or Arctic Wasteland North Pole. Ole, baby.

During the night of the 5th to the 6th December (his day) he and his counterpart "Hoùseker" (=Black Peter) enter the houses and bring the children presents in the guise of (originally oranges and nuts and the occasional pair of socks) toys which can range from simple Lego to complex computers. The children put out plates on which the legendary figures bestow their gifts. But already days beforehand they put their shoes on the windowsill or in front of their bedroom door, so that "Klees'chen" -who goes his rounds to check on children to see whether they deserve any presents- can drop chocolates and other sweets into them. Hoùseker is dressed in coarse black clothes and he carries sticks with which he is said to chastise naughty children. You can also hear frustrated mothers in the shops close to the end of November threatening their kids that if they don't behave, Black Peter will come and kidnap them and take them away. A little too dark for me, but I actually saw a guy dressed up as Black Peter, and he had some fake legs sticking out of his bag (I sure hope they were fake) and it made the whole thing a little funnier.

As for Christmas itself, you can see that with "Klees'chen" around, the title of Father Christmas has a lot of rivalry. In Luxembourg, being predominantly devout Catholic, the baby Christ actually brings the christmas gifts overnight instead of Santa, although the custom differs from family to family. In the early evening on Christmas Eve the whole family gathers around the Christmas tree for snacks and talks (A Christmas tree is almost a Must in Luxembourg). At midnight many a family goes to Midnight Mass, always a welcome excuse for children to stay up long. The presents which lie under the tree are opened either before or after church.

Since they have their own language in Luxembourg (Lëtzebuergesch), they say "Schéi Chrëschtdeeg" for "Merry Christmas", which transliterates into 'have nice christmas-days'.

Traditional foods over the Christmas period are "Stollen", a kind of fruit loaf with rum as cake and "Bûche de Noël" as icecream (both are in the shape of a log). On Christmas Day the traditional dinner often features Black pudding or civet of hare, or venison, or something equally nasty, but it may also consist of turkey like in the States (The main thing seems to be that there must be millions of calories).

After the meal the whole family likes to go for a walk which is particularly nice if there is snow(there is always snow for Christmas in Luxembourg). Boxing Day (or St. Stephen's Day) is spent in a similar fashion, e.g. eating vast quantities of food, which is done -more often than not- whilst visiting friends and relatives.

During the weeks before Christmas, markets flourish all over the country selling dried flower arrangements, Christmas trees, candles, etc. Usually the Christmas Market in Luxembourg City is held from December 7 to 24 on the "Place d'Armes" in the pedestrian centre of the city. From wooden huts that are set up on the tree-lined square, all sorts of christmassy goods are on sale: locally produced Arts and Crafts (candles, Christmas tree decorations, cribs, etc), and of course plenty of Food and Drink to warm you from the inside. The latter include the obligatory mulled wines, as well as the stronger stuff (e.g. schnaps, known as "Drëpp"). Foods on sale include various soups (with or without Mettwurscht [a local sausage speciality]), pancakes, Thüringer, ... , plus the unpronouncable: "Gromperekichelcher". The bandstand in the centre of the square is also in use: A whole host of local bands, fanfares, choirs, etc, are performing, bringing to life the true Christmas atmosphere.

Luxembourg has snow just about every Christmas, and this year has seen the first snows already, so bets are on that it will once again be a "White Christmas".

I am very adamant that my daughter will have these traditions taught to her because they are part of her heritage and I want her to be proud of where she came from. It is also nice for me to be able to observe traditions that are part of my own Dutch heritage.

2006-12-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

You don't use the mouth

Oh my goodness... I just heard the most HILARIOUS clip online. It is around 10 minutes long and it takes a minute or two to get to the funny stuff, but it is so worth it. If you are at work, use headphones.

This woman SO busted her husband. Oh boy but she sure had an opinion on his objection! Tee Hee!

http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/PHOENIX-AZ/KZZP-FM/snake-dontusethemouth.mp3

I seriously almost peed my pants.

(Fav. line from this clip: But you are 100% on the STUPID)

2006-11-30T07:58:00.000-05:00

Sweet November

I have posted some pictures of some of the cakes I did this year for Thanksgiving. I think I did around 12 cakes total for this Thanksgiving.

I did this cake for a celebration we had at my maternal grandmother's house. My aunt was in town from Austin TX, and my cousin had just had a birthday. It is a 2-layer angel food cake with assorted fresh fruits between the layers along with a whipped cream cheese filling. Fresh fruits on top.

Everyone in attendace was on a diet so I did the very best I could. I happen to like incorporating fresh fruits into my cakes, but you have to get them eaten faster in that case. Again, I'm not really seeing a down side at all.

I intend on using this turkey cake in some advertising for my cakes. My daughter wanted a turkey cake, and this was what came out. I think it's kinda cute, and it was fun to make. Like playing with play doh.

It was a german chocolate cake with a chocolate frosting/ coconut/ pecan filling. We ended up taking this cake down to the fire station for the fireman's dinner. I usually donate most of my "practice cakes" to them. The people at work are all on diets.

My daughter was not too thrilled at losing the first turkey cake I made, even if it was for a good cause. So I made this cake for her school party. The cake is butter cake with tinted vanilla frosting and a marshmallow fondant overlay. The body of the turkey is made of rice krispie treat, covered with marshmallow fondant. Kids love marshmallows.

She was happy with the substitution. I just couldn't send a cake with coconut and nuts in it to her school because of allergies. I never thought of that before I started the cake... I'm pretty flaky at times. I also made some turkey cupcakes for the kids that weren't allergic to chocolate, but I don't have a picture of them, the teacher hasn't emailed me any pictures (and I forgot to take any.)

This cake was made for the celebration we had at my paternal grandmother's Thanksgiving celebration, which was basically a huge picnic. It was pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese filling. I made a chocolate clay out of chocolate and corn syrup and rolled out a thin sheet of it, and that's what is covering the cake. I made the bow out of a white chocolate version of the candy clay, and painted it gold with edible gold luster dust. The pumpkins were store-bought decorations. I also used the gold luster dust to stamp some leaf designs on the candy clay shell of the cake.

This was my version of a Tiramisu. It's more cake-like than real Tiramisu. You can also decorate it like a cake. I usually soak the liqueur into the center of the cake and use a heavy italian creme between the layers. Then I saran wrap it overnight and let everything soak through and settle. The next day I use a mixture of buttercream frosting and Italian creme to cover the cake. Then I decorate it as I would any other cake. If you aren't careful it will come apart, but with a little prayer (and flowers to cover the mistakes) it usually turns out okay.