A Few Good Blogs

School's almost back in session and I'm looking for fun projects to fill up some quiet afternoons, are you?!!! Well, here are a few great blogs that will help inspire.

I found this super fun and informative website through Lori's blog and absolutely love it! It's called, "One Charming Blog" and for all you party planners and creative folks out there, this is right up your alley! She's also featuring a Martha Stewart's "Cupcakes" book giveaway, so check it out!!!

http://onecharmingblog.squarespace.com/com/uarespace.com/

Another great blog I found is "The Bumblebee Blog" http://www.bumblebeeblog.com/ and it's not only a wonderful resource for all you gardeners, but has the most beautiful photos of her property and gardens. She also has chickens and other animals. Very soothing to read and/or fun to look at.

And finally, I can't remember where I first linked to "Callico" http://cally-cruze.blogspot.com/2009/07/golden-snitch-shirt.htmlcruze.blogspot.com/2009/07/golden-snitch-shirt.html and apologize to whatever friend featured her on their site, but it is full of fun sewing projects! This girl is tremendously talented, not only with her machine, her photos are beautiful as well.

Thankful Thursday in Pictures

I am thankful for.... little girls who write letters like this:

Brave husbands who know when I'm at my wit's end and step right in with their trusty stain roller (oooh, poor guy, you know that's gotta hurt)...

The United

States of America and it's birthday which gives me an opportunity to make a killer jello cake...

Fairies and Fairy Camp...

Footballers and incredible football weather.....

Finished summer projects like....

this, this....

and this....Wisteria, peonies, hibiscus, etc.... check, check, check... oh, AND a completely stained deck..... (This took me many times longer than I expected, and I do not recommend it as an "easy" summer project!)

Mastering my serger so I could help out a friend, or vice versa....

Having the time to shop in Amish country with my family and finding this beautiful footstool, along with jams, veggies, bread and candy! I am so very thankful for this lovely time in my life!

R.I.P. Friends

OK, I hear you. Every one's sick and tired of listening to anything and everything to do with a certain pop star's death/funeral etc.... Ditto! -And because of all the hype, a few other celebrity deaths have been overshadowed and that's a shame. My hilarious friend Erika pointed out on her blog how much more Steve Irwin, aka "The Crocodile Hunter", meant to her and I'd like to follow suite and give a shout out to a few dead celebrities of my own:

Ed McMahon- Why aren't people more bummed about this man's passing? He was first class. I especially loved "Star Search" because it was the only show my dad would let us watch on Sundays.... oh wait, that and "America's Funniest Home Videos", which my sister and I dubbed AFHV, although we always screwed it up and forgot the "H". Funny stuff.

Ricardo Montalban- Fantasy Island was AMAZING! He played the very suave host, Mr Roarke who, with the help of the island and his trusty sidekick Tattoo, brought to life people's fantasies. For me the show was bitter/sweet because inevitably, I would get nightmares later but it was sure worth it. "The Plane The Plane!!!!"


Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty- I know Estelle Getty died over a year ago, but she SOOOO deserves an honorable mention. For those of you who don't know, I have a deep and abiding love for the ever hilarious Golden Girls, and now sadly two of them are gone. Dorothy Zbornak, the cracking wise, sarcastic head strong roommate and her mother Sophia Petrillo, the even more sarcastic, blunt matriarch from Cicily. Oh the fun times I've shared with these witty broads, we're so jipped there won't be any reunion episodes to look forward to. "Thank you for being a friend, ladies", and ou revoir.



Golden Girls' Quotes:

Miles Webber: Rose, I’ve never met anyone quite like you.
Sophia: Check the corn field on Hee-Haw.

Dorothy: You see what this holiday has become? You see? Everybody thinks the best way to show someone you care is by going into debt. I mean, where is the love? Where’s the sharing? Where is the – the true spirit of Christmas?
Sophia: Neiman-Marcus, Ladies Apparel, third floor.

Sophia: I found my lucky handkerchief
Rose: Where was it?
Sophia: It was in my bra
Rose: What was it doing in your bra?
Sophia: I was blowing my breasts, Rose!

etc, etc......

Update(s)

1. For all of you who supported my efforts, I thank you, but I did not win the cool Madsen bike. Some girl named Meegan did. Meegan, Meegan, Meegan!!!! I'll tell you one thing, Meegan won't love it the way I would've! I had all these fun mental images of biking around getting groceries, flowers, doing a little yard sale-ing and of course every one's favorite, me with Scott packed away, smiling in the back! Very Martha like.

2. I still haven't found shoes, but I'm looking at my calendar tonight and have two very fashionable friends in mind who might enjoy a couple hours of shopping. I'll keep in mind, red, strappy and fun, or natural, possibly a pair of cute espadrilles, unless I find something in blue. Got it.

3. I apologized to my neighbor and you all were right, I feel better. Obviously, I was in the wrong voicing my frustrations in that way and really appreciate all of your gentle advice. My neighbor was, as always, very gracious and hopefully, doesn't think I'm a jerk. I hate not being perfect.

Just Curious

I'm sitting here well after my bedtime with so many random thoughts, I can't choose just one to post about. So, I'll choose not to choose and probably make no sense at all!

First of all, thank you to all my friends who have provided me with invaluable fashion advice. I still have yet to make a decision, but only because I've been so busy, there hasn't been much time to shoe shop.... but when I do, you better believe I'll be well informed and confident! Then I will post a picture and invite everyone to critique.

Here's a random thought... I read an article the other day about teenagers and the hazards of texting and then read tonight, on my good friend Erika's blog http://mother25-8.blogspot.com/2009/07/texting-teen-that-fell-in-manhole.html , about this very same thing. Now, I have been known to express my opinion when it wasn't necessary or even asked for, so I won't jump on my soap box just yet, but I'm curious. What do you think about kids and cell phones in general?

OK, completely off the subject, I have had a couple of cruddy days where it seems like I just keep making poor decisions. Not life changing, but certainly poor enough to make one feel a little loser-ish. For example, I totally freaked out tonight because I got an infraction letter from our homeowners association citing us for not getting an OK from the architectural committee to build our play gym. Now, I'm a rule person, and read our association agreement thoroughly before buying into this neighborhood and did not see any such rule, but whatever. What I feel bad about is this, and please don't judge.... when I was over at my neighbor's house, getting their signature on the "neighbor's don't hate the play gym" page, I used some colorful words to describe my frustration and by colorful I mean words that just might get a mouth full of soap back in the day.... WHAT?!!! I know, I know! I don't know what came over me. It wasn't at all directed toward them, they are lovely neighbors and friends, I was just venting. STILL NOT GOOD, right? So now I'm riddled with guilt. What should I do? Should I apologize to them for my naughty outburst or is that weird? My sister says I'm always being weird, so maybe I should try the "George Costanza" and do the opposite of what I would normally or naturally do, huh?

And only so I don't end on that embarrassing note, has anyone read how the city of LA might be picking up an excess of one million dollars to pay for MJ's funeral? That's so insane, right?!

Groove is Definitely NOT in the Heart

Has anyone been shoe shopping lately?

Well I have, and ladies, I'm not feeling it! What is with all the wedge/platform/espadrille combination footwear and who is sporting these abominations?.... well, STOP IT because no one needs to be walking around, looking like "Deee-Lite's" Lady Miss Kier, I don't care how old you are!!!! There can't be that many raves going on. Clearly something is terribly wrong in my universe, so please help me.

I bought this lovely white linen dress on clearance last year from JCrew and have been searching for a cute pair of heels wear with it since. Now, I love the idea of adding some color through shoes and jewelry, but what??? or should I stick with plain white? I don't know.

Do you have any ideas?

ps. I know this is frivolous and petty, but seriously, help me out.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

The girls were soooo excited when I asked them to help me stain our deck earlier today. We went and got the stain and two, top of the line $1.70 paint brushes at Lowes. They couldn't wait to get home! Look at those happy faces!!! They just can't get enough of it.


So how does this turn into....


















..... this so quickly?!!!

I think her exact words were, "I hate this, I hate this. Painting is boring!"

A Few Summer Goings On

My dad drove Oliver to his FIRST Youth Conference last weekend! Here they are right before leaving.
(ps. I bought him that shirt and guess what.... he actually liked it!)

This is our unfinished playgym. "Will it ever stop, yo, I hope so?" Ugh.

Sophia has started jumping into the pool by herself. What a brave little cookie!

Hmmm, this reminds me of a classic DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince song, "Summer, summer, summertime... summertime... sum sum summertime! Time to sit back and unwind!" I love The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

2 Recommendations for "sitting on your butt" Summertime Fun

I love that some bloggers are periodically doing book reviews lately! I'm always in search of a good book and usually 1 out of 4 I pick up at the library end up being enjoyable. Here's one I read about a month ago, and still have yet to beat it.

"In the Castle of the Flynns",
by Michael Raleigh.

"In the Castle of the Flynns is about a young boy growing up Irish in a vibrant 1950s Chicago neighborhood. Now grown and looking back on those years, Daniel recalls his bouts with grief and fear of abandonment as he learns to adjust to his new surroundings amidst his oddball family. It is a time of wakes and weddings, conflicts and romance. Above all, it is a time when Daniel comes to understand both his own loss and the dark places in the lives of his loved ones."

I also love a good movie! Here's one that is hilarious and a little weird, "Be Kind, Rewind".

"Jack Black stars in Be Kind Rewind, a one-of-a-kind comedy from the mind of writer/director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Black stars as a lovable loser stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. Be Kind Rewind features a cast that includes Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow." http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809761737/video/3631941/standardformat/

Happy Father's Day

Things that make you go Hmmmm....

Has anyone heard of or seen this movie, "Food Inc."? I saw the trailer today on Martha's blog and I can't wait to see it.I've been moaning a lot lately about the cost of healthy, organic foods.

For those of you who don't know, I'm a member of a top secret co op, where we have to drive to the middle of no where, to get chemical and hormone free milk and egg products. On top of that, trying to find freezer space for 1/2 a grass fed cow, is trying. Why do we do it? Well, because it's half the price of the organic products in the grocery..... and I don't want my girls starting their periods at age 9!

While I certainly don't claim to be granola OR a t-totaller, (hello, frozen burritos) I would like to have a better selection of affordable healthy foods at my local grocery. I love what the guy says in this trailer. "When we run a product across the scanner in the supermarket, we're voting." This is how we, as consumers, can change things, rather than trying to lobby for more federal government intervention. I DON'T NEED MORE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLING MY LIFE!!!! I also don't believe any particular political party or farmer are to blame, and having

not seen the movie, I don't know what their angle is.... but still, knowing what we're putting into our bodies is important- and as members of the LDS church, we're probably even more concerned than the average Joe, or we should be! You know, our bodies are temples and all that, right? .... Hmmm... as I write that, I think to myself, "Self, do you live that way?" and I'm reminded of the absolutely delicious ham, cheese, and egg Burger King "Croissan Wich" I had last week..... Geez Louise, it was good!!!... Especially when you pair it with those crunchy tater tots that are really greasy!

OK, no more of that!!! Moderation in all things, moderation in all things!!!

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Thankful Thursday

What am I thankful for?

1. I am thankful my talented son made the high school drum line his first year. So happy for him!

2. I am thankful for good health and the ability to dig up the hard, inhospitable Tennessee clay. I have been quite a Debbie Downer lately (see previous post), but only because I'm physically exhausted and maybe a little psychotic from the heat. Taking two days off from the rigors of gardening will be a good thing!

3. I am thankful for pantyliners. WHAT?! ....Hey, when a child gets a nasty cut and you don't have gauze or band aids within reach, these babies do the trick! Very "sanitary", no pun intended, and very absorbent.

4. I am thankful for frozen burritos, pizza, egg rolls, etc. Gross, I know, but it's been a busy summer.

and 5. I am thankful for big time retail sales. I'm off to get my son clothes for Youth Conference (dress code: collard shirts and long pants without holes... we have neither right now) and I'm on a budget!

The Constant Gardener

Tennessee is a beautiful state full of picturesque rolling hills and southern hospitality. I really do love it here, but right now, I have two complaints: 1. I'd rather eat my weight in cheese than try to level/plant anything else in this horribly hard, infertile clay soil... and 2. The mutant, ever present tropical bugs that seem to find pleasure in torturing half Asian girls named Renee. You would think the garlic kimche breath would turn them off, but no, they like it.

Nearly every work day for the past 4 plus weeks, I've been out in the yard doing some kind of crazy landscaping project. The funny thing is, it doesn't look that different! What the heck?!!!

I'll post pictures soon, in hopes of receiving lots of encouraging and flattering comments, that will motivate me to get over the fact my hands now look very similar to Frodo Baggins' feet, and once again find my inner Martha.

But for now, I'm off to get my hostas planted and dig up another garden bed since I can't afford 110 lbs of cheese.

Help me.

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it's Thursday already and I can't believe I remembered in time to post. Could I be getting my groove back?

I am thankful to be 1 house away from the pool AND for a new pool service that actually keeps it clean!

I am thankful for the talents and gifts my kids have been blessed with and enjoy. My kids won numerous awards at the end of the school year and 3 out of 4 hit some major milestones. Sophie graduated from preschool, Oliver graduated from middle and Spencer graduated from grade school. Next year should be interesting!

I am thankful for gimpy peach trees and bushes. After searching for a month, we finally found two peach trees and a couple of raspberry and blueberry bushes. They are definitely the "runts" of the litter, but we'll do our darnedest to keep them alive!

I am thankful for the little spiritual gifts our Savior leaves for us here and there. Messages, meant for only us, and testify of his love and concern. Knowing that he lives and loves us, I'm thankful for this especially.

One Step Away from a Nervous Breakdown

What is this, week 2 of summer break? Holy cow, only 17,000 weeks to go! If you're like me, still trying to get your "groove back" after the shock of another school year ending, you may need a pick me up. Here's something I got from a good friend via email. It's a funny story that may or may not be true.... I hope it is though.

My little guy, Cade (3 years), is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. You never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There have been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:

''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity. Cade continued:

''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ...... Mommy! I'm trying to see In dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!''

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''

''No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies.... Oh! Mommy!''

He started to gag at this point.

''Uh - oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''

As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!''

He grunted as he tried to pull me off Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door. ''Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?''

More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.

''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.'' He started pounding on the door. ''Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!''

I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud.

My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy? But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three She lives with her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan , where she no longer uses public restrooms)

Friends Helping Friends

This super cool bike could be yours/mine, if you enter now at (click the bike picture on my sidebar homey).

I found this contest on Lori's blog and want this bike really, really bad. So if you link to the Madsen site from my blog, you increase my chances of winning and can enter to win yourselves.... and that's what true friends do. They help each other, right?

A couple of weeks ago, I was called to be the Laurel advisor (teacher for the 16-17 year old girls at church). While I was sad to not be teaching in RS anymore and giving up my Nursery singing time job, I was and am super excited to be working with these awesome girls!

So, it's been a while since I've been in the Young Women's organization, 15 years to be exact, and I'm really anxious (imagine that) plus somewhat intimidated by this responsibility. Seeking some insight and guidance, I asked my good friend Kristen D. in Kentucky, who is an expert YW president, for some advice. She very graciously sent me a thoughtful email and I appreciate/will put to good use everything she had to say!!

Today was my second week teaching and I am amazed by these incredible girls. They have so much adversity in their lives, and yet are all, individually and collectively, an example for others... including me. Their input in the just two lessons I've given, just floors me and reminds me of how valiant they are. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve them and will hopefully be a positive influence and example as well.

I wish I would have been more like them at that age.

Way Too Close for Comfort

Today I am thankful for closure and maybe even validation, although I think I'm using that word wrong.

A few months ago, Scott and I were sitting on the couch talking about vague childhood memories that give us the "weird feeling" (the good/bad, somewhat nostalgic feeling one gets when one remembers something one hasn't thought of in a lot of years... usually from the 70's or early 80's, strange times for the eyes and the ears).

Do you all remember the show "Too Close for Comfort"? It was an 80's sitcom starring Ted Knight? Also starring in that show, was Jim J. Bullock who played the lovable "Monroe". He was the quirky neighbor who antagonized Ted Knight's character... very flamboyant.

Flash forward: On the couch, a few months ago, I suddenly remembered an episode that disturbed me then and haunts me now. It is known as the "Too Close for Comfort Monroe male rape episode" and for a while I doubted it's existence. Maybe I was hoping it didn't happen, knowing it really did, because watching an "family" sitcom that suddenly wants to raise awareness about male rape is profoundly disturbing and awkward for both children and adults!!! Not to mention the unfortunate assault occurred in the back of a van parked at a shopping mall lot and the female offenders were morbidly obese! So weird.

Anyway, Scott initially doubted as well, so we did a quick google search and came across a blog celebrating all things retro and wacky. In this blog, was a post devoted to the "TCFC Monroe male rape episode" and I was freaking out! This blogger testified to it's existence, and it's mysterious disappearance. Apparently I wasn't the only one disturbed. It was so controversial, that it was even left out of the "TCFC" dvd pack and if you remember it, you know why.

So, this morning, while checking out this hilarious blog, which I'm admittedly addicted to now, I saw a "TCFC Monroe male rape episode" update. Another fan and witness made a short film about the stress and anxiety that has come from witnessing and suppressing such an abomination, and wouldn't you know, Jim J. Bullock himself, aka Monroe, aka star of the "TCFC Monroe male rape episode" saw the video and loved it! He wrote the most hilarious letter thanking the writer/director for the homage and included some of his memories of this most infamous episode. OK, case closed.

So I ask you, 1. Have you seen this episode?.... 2. Is this even physiologically possible? (on second thought, don't answer that).... and 3.Why do I always get mixed up in the weirdest things?

Blogtastic Giveaway

I very rarely do giveaways, but I couldn't resist this one! Suzanne of "Just One More Hang Up" fame, is giving away this gorgeous bag she made. To enter and see her other lovely creations, go to:

http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/

Happy Mother's Day, Oma!!!

My mother is my friend and I love her very much. Here are just a few reasons why...

1. My mother threw the all time, very best birthday parties for us! Along with the usual cake, friends and presents, she hooked us up with a buffet of yummy Korean food, Martha-like decorations and my personal favorite... Disco Dancing competitions.

2. When I was really little, my mother used to set up our kiddie swimming pool INSIDE our house when it was raining outside. Yes, inside.... jealous much?

3. My mother is the best cook ever! Her egg rolls are hands down, the yummiest, even among other Asian ladies, she's known for her mad culinary skills.

4. My mother is the scrappiest person I know. Give her some duck tape, string, and a small stool and the possibilities are endless. Very McGuyver like. She's also an excellent second hand shopper. Check out the sweet DOUBLE PLAY KITCHEN in the background of this picture. I still love her "waste not want not" attitude, because she continues to hook me up with numerous treasures today!

5. My mother is funny. She once made a friend pee her pants at dinner. Seriously.

6. My mother has a beautiful garden. She can grow anything, and I'm looking forward to putting in my raised beds because she's going to give me some seedlings. YES!

7. My mother is artistic. She can sing and dance well, AND she's a crafty girl. When we were little my mom used to make us clothes with beautiful embellishments. She also made things for the house. In this photo, behind us creepy kids, is a lovely macrame planter she made when it was the height of home fashion.

8. My mother is a tough cookie. Never mess with her.

9. My mother is the hardest worker I know. Example: When my dad was stationed in Korea the second time, we had to live way up north, right next to the DMZ. While our lifestyle was cushy compared to the Korean people, it was far from luxurious. For three years she had to hand wash all of our clothes. My dad very rarely got to come home because of alerts, so she took us to school every day.... this wouldn't be a big deal, except school was a two hour bus ride, both ways!!! Can you imagine?

10. My mother loves me and no matter what, I know she's proud of me. That's a wonderful feeling. My mother is my friend and I'm so happy Heavenly Father chose her to be my mom.

"Saranghae, Oma..... pap, mogo."