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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

November 22.

With just two days left until Thanksgiving, I think I'll get down to the good stuff.  The things that truly mean the world to me, and are what I am most thankful for. Today, I am thankful for my family; Every last one of them, because without one, we are not whole.  Growing up, I never would have thought that my mom actually knew what she was talking about when she told me that friends come and go, but family is always there. As usual though, she was right.

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.

-- George Moore

Truer words have never been spoken.  To me a close knit family is such a blessing.  My mom recently told me that she blames my need to be near my family on my zodiac sign; I'm a cancer.  Anyway, I have come to love my unique and incredible family for everything that they are, and everything that they are not. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, and if you think about it, it's a time to be with family as well.  They go hand in hand. Today, I am so thankful and blessed for my family, I love you all and can't wait to see you on Thursday.






Monday, November 21, 2011

Eeek! 18, 19, 20 & 21

Uh oh...looks like I lost some serious ground on my countdown of thankfulness.  Let's see...Friday I was thankful for Electric Lizards; my go to drink at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  Bubba and I swung into the restaurant on our way home from work for a quick bite to eat and a delicious refreshment.  The Electric Lizard is my all time favorite!

Saturday I was thankful for my Uncle John.  He asked my sister, Marci, and I to play co-ed softball with him this fall and at times it was trying because we certainly weren't the best team in the league, but it ended up being a lot of fun.  Well, Saturday we had our "league banquet" which wasn't like your typical ball banquet, but it was still nice- a free meal is never bad, right?  Well, I am thankful for my Uncle John because he is always so much fun to be around and really made the evening enjoyable.

Swedish Engineering is what I was thankful for on Sunday.  Ok, maybe I should be a little more specific, Ikea is actually what I'm thankful for.  My mom and dad accompanied Bubba and I to Ikea on Saturday to help us pick out, and haul back down the road a new sofa.  And what an easy to put together and LOVELY sofa it is. We decided to go with the 2x2 sectional in a svanby gray.  It finally gives the living room a reflection of who Bubba and I are.  Style and comfort? Yes, please :)




Please excuse the insanely dark cell phone pictures of the couches...higher quality coming soon...


Finally, today I am thankful for my iPod.  I made myself run tonight since this 5K I just HAD to sign up for is right around the corner and I realized that I don't think I could do it without my iPod.  For some reason I develop a horrible case of ADD when I run and I get so bored.  The only thing I can focus on is how slow I'm moving...Well, with that said, my iPod allows me to sing along (in my head of course or I'd REALLY be struggling) and keep up a good pace as long as a slow song doesn't creep up on me.

Shew...that's a lot of thankfulness in one post!  Thanksgiving is just a few days away, so my heartfelt thanks will be coming up soon, I'm sure. Until then...

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Seventeen

We are a week away from Thanksgiving, can you believe it?  I sure can't.  These past couple of weeks have flown by and I'm sure the next few will too.  With family gatherings, work holiday parties, the hot chocolate 5K and a couple of doctors appointments and shopping trips here and there I have no doubt that it will be January before I know it.

One thing that I am very thankful for and excited about today is the fact that my cousin, Myles, made the Great Mills Freshman Basketball team.  Way to go, buddy!  Myles is such a hard worker and sweet kid, I just love him to pieces.  Now that he is a freshman in high school I'm sure that isn't how he'd like to be described or what he'd like to hear, but that's ok.  I'm proud of him for everything he has accomplished and everything he is.  Great kid, no questions asked.


PS- Anyone want to see a sneak-peek of my latest Etsy project?  It's not quite finished yet, but it's going to be totally "sweet"...



Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Sweet 16.

Today I am thankful for nice, hot showers.  After a dreary jog in the rain when I got home this afternoon and digging around in my flower beds for a couple of minutes before the sun went down, I hopped in the shower and then felt totally refreshed. Sometimes that is all I need to turn my mood around.

Since this is a short post, I'll leave you with a picture I snapped on my phone yesterday while standing outside at work.  As beautiful as the leaves are while they are turning in the trees, something about so many of them piled along the sidewalk is just as pretty.  It reminds me of an aisle of rose petals at a wedding or special event, but with a touch of fall.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

15. There's Still Time for You.

Today I am thankful for my husbands sense of humor and acceptance. After an incredibly long, hard day at work we met up with my parents and sister for a quick meal at the local Mexican Restaurant, Salsas.  (Salsas is something else I'm super thankful for, but I thought I'd look like a totally fatty if I dedicated a thankful post to just that...) Once we finally made it home, the fried ice cream must have gone to our heads.  And when I say "our" heads, I mean mine.  Play fighting is most definitely a learned behavior I got from my Dad.  For some reason, while we were growing up, we'd always pretend to box each other in the kitchen with light taps of course, but it drove my mother absolutely insane.  I'm not sure what came over me, but for some reason I put my dukes up and egged Bubba on.  It was either the sugar high or an extreme state of tired, I'm not sure which, but I turned into a straight goof.  I'll spare myself the embarrassing details, but I pretty much killed a half hour of our evening play fighting, laughing, and chasing him around the house.

When moments like this happen I always think to myself, "Thank God I found Bubba, because I'm not sure any other normal human being out there could tolerate me right now." He plays along, participates, and laughs.  He actually laughs and doesn't think I'm some major freak or geek. So thank you, Bubba, for accepting me and having such a great sense of humor. For this, I love you...and a couple other reasons.


Monday, November 14, 2011

14. Short and Sweet

I'm keeping it short tonight because I am exhausted!  Not only was it a long Monday at the office, but I signed up for a 5K on December 3rd so I've been pushing myself almost every evening to run.  I have to admit, trying to beat the sunset is a pretty good motivator to keep my rear-end moving!
On this 14th day of November, I am thankful that I made it through another day.  Sometimes you just have to be thankful that you are happy, healthy, employed, and have a roof over your head.  Life is good.  Now for some How I Met Your Mother reruns and Monday Night Football...

Sunday, November 13, 2011

And what does 13 bring?

The thirteenth day of November was the end of a weekend filled with unnecessary stress. I hate hate HATE drama, especially when it's over ridiculous stuff.  So made the executive decision to cut any and all drama out of my life from this point on.  It's not worth the anger, high blood pressure, sweating and arguing.  That said, I also hate when people tease you with a generic statements or status updates that leave every wondering eye thinking, "oh my gosh, I wonder what happened." So I will tell you it was not a big deal at all and it's over, no worries, things are good. :)

I decided to clear my head today and take a walk through the woods at my parents house while my grandfather and Bubba put up my brother's deer stand.  He is away at college and soaking up the Florida sun, so they went ahead and set it up for him that way he can hunt during the few days he is home for Thanksgiving.  It had been a while since I went for a walk in the peace and quiet of the woods on Milestown Oak Lane and it definitely did the trick of relieving some stress.

Today, I am thankful that my parents and grandparents live only 10 minutes away and that Bubba and my grandfather, Pa, have such a great relationship! Here are a few shots from the woods before my contact fell out and I had to stumble back to the house...







Saturday, November 12, 2011

My Twelfth Day of Thanks

That old husband of mine planned a manly, long weekend of hunting for he and his two brothers-in-law, freeing up my time.  Naturally, I did what I do on many Saturday mornings; Head to my mom's house around 6:30am, grab a cup of coffee and hit the local yard sales.  The saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," hold true, you really can find some great things at yard sales.  And it's economically friendly!  Reuse, baby. All you need is a creative eye, and you can take a worn-out piece of furniture and give it a totally new life.  My mom and I like to call this making it "ReFabulous".

It's November and the temperatures are finally starting to drop to where they should be, so I was more than happy to find our way inside of the Hollywood Fire Department.  This weekend they are hosting the, "Unique Boutique" which is a vendor show for local artists.  There were so many different and talented people selling their products there it's hard to pick just one favorite.  So I'm going to pick three...The first was, without a doubt, Miss Gerry Wood.  Her specialty was watercolor paintings of structures and landscapes.  One in particular that caught my eye was the Tobacco Barn with Daisy's. The next artisan I couldn't pull myself away from was a duo from Classic Glass Studios, Sherry Sonntag-Whorl and Steve Whorl.  They specialize in customized stained glass of all types.  All I could do was stare at the dangling sun-catchers and horizontal panels and think about how beautiful they'd look in my house.  Finally, the last artist that I just couldn't stop coming back to was Ellen Robinson and her crab pottery.  The never ending sea of turquoise, gold, brown and blue plates, bowls, dishes, ornaments (you name it, she had it) that were all dishwasher, oven and microwave safe had me in awe.  I definitely think I know what I'll be getting our favorite, water loving neighbors this Christmas!

I am thankful for local artists and all artists, really.  Today encouraged my to pick up my passion for photography again and do it because I love it. It's something that challenges me and satisfies me at the same time.  Oddly enough, I hadn't even been to the Unique Boutique yet when I snapped the photo below this morning. I was actually en route to a yard sale and thought it was pretty.  Looks like a sunny little piece of heaven on a blustery fall day, doesn't it? 


Friday, November 11, 2011

11.11.11

Have you ever heard someone say, "It's 11:11, make a wish!" Supposedly it's good luck, so today on 11.11.11 I'm going to make a wish and hope that it comes true. 

I wish our service men and women didn't have to put their lives on the line so often.

Today is Veteran's day, and obviously that is what I'm going to be thankful for in my countdown. We should be thankful for our Veterans every day of the year, not just today, but if that's what it takes for them to get their due recognition, so be it.  It takes incredible bravery and pride to enter any branch of the United States Military.  You are knowingly putting your life on the line for our country.  That isn't something many people can say they do.

Many Americans sit back and complain about every aspect of our government.  They criticize the executive leadership, pass judgement on the actions that were taken and offer their two cents on EVERY political decision that has been made.  And that is fine, as a democracy we have the right to voice our opinions.  However, when these "Americans" start bashing or complaining about our troops and military personnel, that is where I have a problem. 

Take a minute and think about what our country would be like without our military. These are the men and women who allow you and your family to sleep at night without an ounce of fear or worry.  They live a a unique and trying lifestyle all their own - Their job, their time, their sacrifices are all for you, the American people.  You don't have to agree with the decisions made at the top of the ladder, but show some respect when it comes to the men and women serving OUR country and ensuring YOUR safety.

Thank a veteran today, because they are doing something the majority of us won't.


A special thanks and shout out to the Veterans close to my heart: Pa, John, Blaine, Rob, Matt, & April

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Day 10.

"You are what you read."



The company I work for, Spalding Consulting, Inc. sent my co-worker and I to a PRISM (Public Relations Individuals of Southern Maryland) workshop today.  And this short, but incredibly true quote is just one of the things I learned about public relations and marketing.  Granted, I did receive my bachelors degree from Towson University in Mass Communications, specifically tracking in Public Relations and Advertising so I'd heard the majority of the content before, but it never hurts to have a refresher.  Especially in such a technologically advanced world.  It was brought to my attention that during my freshman year of college, 2004-2005, I didn't have a facebook account yet because it was set up to where only certain Colleges and  Universities had networks.  When I transferred to Towson in 2005 was the first time I learned about facebook and even registered my account.  Back then it was mainly used for interacting with other students in my class or groups.  Now, about six years later, everyone and their mother (literally) has a facebook account and used by these folks on a daily basis.  Social networking has EXPLODED and I'm still on the fence about whether or not that is a good thing...

Anyway, I heard this quote, "You are what you read," today during the workshop and it hit home for me.  Reading is critical to the development of children and adults a like.  The more you read and educate yourself about the world you live in, the more doors will open for you.  Today I am thankful that I had a mother that encouraged reading my entire life, and still does.  Without her promoting books, magazines, articles, newspapers, or anything else that we could get our hands on, I probably wouldn't be the writer and reader that I am today.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Day 9.

Today I am thankful for people who have the courage to stand up for what they believe in and not be swayed by popular opinion.  I just watched video my brother posted of a woman who was at the "Occupy" protests in Atlanta and all I could do was shake my head.  She rambles on for about 2 minutes about why she is protesting and what it is that she is protesting...She obviously doesn't have a clue why she is there.  I'm guessing she is only there because somebody told her it was the right thing to do or that it was the only way to be heard. Hmm...maybe she should have thought about what it is exactly that she wants from our government before she blasted off on camera. Here she is...

 

Thank you to the Americans out there who actually do their research, are aware of what's going on in their own country, and know what they are standing up for...I'm beginning to think you truly are few and far between.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Day 8. Was Great

Not a very creative title, but it works.  Today wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just another Tuesday.  Last night I was literally in bed at 6:30pm.  I hadn't slept much the night before and I was exhausted after a long Monday at work, so I grabbed two new magazines and hopped in bed to relax for a while.  It didn't take long for me to realize that it was incredibly ridiculous to be in bed so early and that I had to fight the urge to get in bed even if the sun had already been down for an hour.  Anyway, I slid out of bed and decided to upload a couple new items to our Etsy shop, Point Breeze Cottage.  The first item I decided to post was an adorable little chair I'd painted, trimmed with gold glitter paint, and created a gold and cream stripped cushion for.  About 15 minutes later I had a "convo" in my inbox from an enthusiastic lady in Arkansas who wanted to buy it. 15 minutes?! I couldn't believe it, it was definitely a new record for our shop!

Today, I am thankful for the Etsy website and corporation and how they enable people like me me to buy and sell different, creative items day in and day out.  By the way, here is the sweet little "throne" that sold so quickly:


Monday, November 7, 2011

Day 7.

Today I am thankful for this guy...



...this guy...


...and this guy:



Nothing helps pass the final working hour of a Monday like a few hilarious e-mails from these three.  Thanks for being in my gang guys, and for keeping me in stitches this afternoon.  

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Day 6.

Thank God for Sundays, otherwise I'm not so sure my house would ever be clean.  Today, as a team, we tackled our weekly chores to the best of our abilities.  We power-washed the house (and our neighbors patio), cut the grass, hung some shelves in the bedroom, vacuumed, cleaned the hardwood floors, tackled a few loads of laundry, and then made our way to my parents house to help them with a few renovations they've been working on.  Today I am thankful for Sundays.

While I was moving the furniture off the porch so Bubba could get to the porch with the power-washer a rather large bird caught my eye at the end of our pier.  I'm used to have the hundreds of seagulls gawking at me in the mornings, but something seemed a little different about this bird.  So I grabbed my zoom lens and went to investigate.  Now I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure what we had on our hands was a brown pelican. Please excuse the blown-out quality of the photos, but the angle of the sun made it hard to get a decent shot.  Oh, and did I mentioned there were two?  One larger bird at the end of our pier, and a smaller more reserved pelican that wasn't in the mood to move in any way, shape or form to the left of our pier.



Saturday, November 5, 2011

Day FiveK.

Today, I am thankful that this is my treadmill:


Obviously not the water part, just the road.  I'm very thankful that I have such a peaceful neighborhood to run in.  For some ungodly reason my sister and I decided to run a 5K in December so I've been making myself run almost everyday in order to prepare for it.  Running typically pisses me off since I'm slow and just not one of those "running type people", but being surrounded by the serenity of Colton's Point always encourages me to keep going.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Day Four Relaxing

Today was truly a day of relaxation no worries.  I went to get my hair done in the morning, strolled over to the nail salon for a pedicure, met my mother for lunch, and then grabbed a drink or two with my gang.  Yes, that's right I'm in a gang. We don't have a name yet, but I'm sure we will soon enough.  In fact we dubbed one member Dragon-Nuts this evening, and he loves it.  I digress.

So, what am I thankful for today on this laid back day?  Definitely nail salon technicians.  Anyone who can scrub the dead skin off peoples feet, trim their nails and then paint a perfect coat of nail polish deserves every penny they make as well as my thanks.  Just typing that last sentence made me cringe.  I don't know how they do it, day in and day out.  So thank you, nail salon technicians, for doing what you do so well, it's not a job most people could do.


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Day Three - Three Day

Three day weekend that is...today I am thankful for my three day weekend.  It's been a grueling week at work and home so this weekend is just what I need.  I am going to see my fabulous hair dresser tomorrow for a little maintenance, and then I'm relaxing all weekend.  Ok, I'll probably through a couple etsy projects and house cleaning in there too, but at least I don't have any events, parties, or other commitments to attend.  So thank you, Spalding Consulting, Inc. for allowing me to have a compressed work schedule and in turn giving me this glorious three day weekend!

A quick google image search later and I found this appropriate little gem

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Day Two, Thank You

Today I am thankful for someone that I have loved for many, many years.  She was by my side from middle school all the way through college.  Who am I kidding, she's hanging out in my kitchen right now. Yep, it's this little lady:

Photo stolen from the lovely ladies of HelloGiggles.

Hello Kitty!  I fell in love with her the moment I discovered the Sanrio store at the mall in Waldorf many years ago.  I even carried a Hello Kitty lunch box all through high school back when cutesy, character bags, purses, and lunch boxes weren't trendy.  And I just couldn't say goodbye when I got to college; there wasn't a semester that went by that Miss Kitty didn't grace the cover of one of my folders or notebooks.  Fairly consistently my sister buys me some kind of Hello Kitty paraphernalia for Christmas, and goodness knows I can't walk by a display of Hello Kitty goodies in a store without caving for at least something.

Thank you Sanrio and Hello Kitty for your adorable merchandise, I love you <3

Gather and Give Thanks

I am taking a cue from my Silly Girl sister, Marci, and counting down the days to Thanksgiving with a post-a-day listing out the things that I am thankful for.  I ran out of hours yesterday and wasn't able to get a post up in time, so here is what I was thankful for yesterday, November 1, 2011:

I am thankful for my vision.  This is ironic because I actually have horrible vision and haven't been able to see 5 feet in front of me since 8th grade.  Despite the amount of money I have to spend on contacts and glasses, my vision is something I truly do cherish. 



As we enter November, mother nature really starts putting on a show.  The changing leaves on the trees alone are enough to warm my heart and make me realize how lucky I am to be able to see such beautiful displays of color. Unfortunately the picture below is from last Fall, as I haven't had time to get out and take any pictures just yet, but it's still pretty...