River Rats

A friend recently joked that my husband and I should just move to North Carolina, since we've been spending so much time there. You see, Mr. T, my husband person, has taken up white water kayaking. Like many of us do when we develop a new interest, he has a tendency to obsess.

We've always enjoyed camping, but it used to be an occasional thing. Now that he's attempting to kill himself learning to safely navigate white water, we go all the time. We've been so often, and survived, that I've gotten over my fear of careening over rapids. Well, I've gotten over my fear of careening over some rapids, and I get on the water every chance I get.

This weekend I'm going rafting with some friends, while Todd kayaks beside us. I may possibly take a duckie (an inflatable kayak that's a lot harder to flip that an actual kayak) down one of the calmer rivers, or try surviving on a Shredder with a trusted friend. We'll see what happens. If I live, I'll blog about it.*

Every trip, we stop at the Ocoee River, in Tennessee, on our way home.

We scramble down the side of the sun-warmed highway to the cool riverside rocks.

We crawl alongside the river to find a cozy, shady spot to watch passing rafts and kayaks.

Smushing together on a comfy-ish rock, and dangling my feet in the cold water, is my favorite.

If I had long arms, I'd take better pictures. Look at the distance he gets!

I'm not sure if we'll be moving there anytime soon, but it's definitely one of our favorite places to be. If we do decide to relocate, I'll have to take a few people with me.

You know who you are, and I'll let you know, so you can pack.

*See that healthy amount of fear?

Take The Cake

The always sincere Melanie gave me a Happy Award a while back, and I truly appreciate it. Seriously, Mel. *mwah*

I'm tellin' ya, I'm just amazed at how many awesome people I've met through blogging, some actually and some figuratively. Communication and relationships have always enthralled me, but you guys take the cake.

Okay, the deal is, if you don't already know, anyone given this particular award has to list ten things that make them happy. Then they get to pass it along to up to ten other bloggers. Here goes some of my happies...

1. Certain smells and sounds bring me a lot of joy. My absolute favorites? Puppy breath, wiggles and grunts.

2. Campfires thrill my soul from start to finish. They have a life of their own, and mesmerize me.

3. Driving along country roads with no apparent destination, windows down, playing in the wind.

4. Silkie chicken hineys. They're just so darn fluffy.

5. Answered prayers, and just knowing God is there, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

6. Night swimming makes me feel really, really alive.

7. Lightning bugs are magic, and make me feel like a little girl with no worries. I heart bioluminescence.

8. Pinwheels have always brought me joy. I mean, what kid doesn't love a shiny, blowy pinwheel? As an adult (of sorts), I love how they show evidence of something unseen.

9. Family resemblances have probably been mentioned here on Mimsy before, but they're worth mentioning again. My family may not be the closest, and I may not know my father very well, but I look like him. When I look in the mirror, I feel like I belong.

10. Otters holding hands. 'Nough said.

Now, for passing this thing on...I'm not going to choose ten bloggers, though I can definitely think of ten of you that make me happy. Today, I'm sticking with several lovely ladies that I've just realized have quite a few things in common.

Shannon - Shannon & her HB may not live next door, and I may have only met them once, but I simply adore them. We share a love for life that pretty much links you instantly. Thank you, Shannon, for being YOU, and for making my blog so incredibly ME. I love it, and you. Can't wait to see you guys again.

Ari - I don't even know where to start with this one. For anyone who doesn't know, we met when we were fourteen, at a mutual friend's birthday bash. We lost touch for a few years, met again in college, and have been pretty much inseparable ever since. She's my creative partner in crime, and we're seriously thick as thieves. We share so much of our lives, and I don't know (or want to know) what I would do without her. Love you, my little prickly pear!

HisDaughter - This little lady amazes me in lots of ways, especially with her mad mommy skillz. I've only met her a couple times now, but I know she's making a difference in people's lives everyday. She's refreshing and alive, and I just smile thinking of her. We have to hang out soon, lovely lady!

Madam Rasberry - I've talked about the soul mateness before here, in case anyone gets confused. She's my soul mate, and my oldest friend. We are part of each other, and just the thought of her makes me...all kinds of emotions, and happy is definitely in there. I love you, friend.

I may love them for different reasons, but they're all A-dorable, loving, sincere, bright, creative (Yes, Jodi, you are creative.), fun, and madly in love with their canine counterparts (Again, Jodi, Dixie counts for you.). Didn't know you had so much in common, did you? Hmmm...I think I may have inadvertently discovered the secret to making me adore someone...

The Wonderful World of June

I'm just going to go ahead and count May's NaBloPoMo a success. So I didn't post every single day, and I sort of forgot about the theme. Phooey! It got me back into writing pretty regularly, and that's what it's all about, right? I'm going to keep telling myself that I'm not a procrastinating failure, and move right along.

Right along to the wonderful world of June! This month is going to be chock-full of good times, and I can hardly wait. Let me break it down for you.

Birthdays! 
My Soul Mate's dad is turning fifty this month, and he's a pretty important fella. Since I met Jodi on the school bus, when we were eleven, her parents have been a very important part of my life. I've mentioned that my dad's a good guy, he's just never been very present in my life. Well, Jodi's dad has been there...always.

Jodi's also got two younger siblings, which I refer to as my Pseudo Little Sisters. Leah is the oldest, and Kayla's the baby. Well, the baby is turning fifteen this month. Feel incredibly old much?! I was at the hospital the day she was born, bloggers. The day she was BORN.

Since we're feeling old* here, might as well go ahead and get this out of the way. I'm turning twenty-eight on the twenty-seventh. Yes, that's right, I've now surpassed the twenty-seven on the twenty-seventh mark, and may possibly go into a deep dark depression. I doubt it, but it could happen. I'm keeping my options open.

What does all this birthdayness mean?! It means that my Soul Mate, complete with wonderful husband man, will be coming home for birthday celebrations! Yaaaaaaay! I'm thrilled to the core about this. I haven't seen them in over five months, and I'm going through withdrawals.

Projects!

I'm going to begin working on a couple of really exciting things this month, too.

First, there's my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project. It came in today, and I can not wait to get started! I really can't express how much joy it brings me to know that some of my work, however rough and unfinished, will be exhibited in museums throughout the U.S. I'll probably be subjecting you to sketchbook entry posts, so brace yourselves for doodles.

I'm still in shock over this second project. I've already ranted to some of you about it, but I've got to give more details. Last week, a man came to facilitate a training at my place o' business. On his first day with us, he saw some of my artwork, talked with me a little bit and then...asked me to illustrate a children's book for him!!!

He recited the story he'd written from memory, and I'm in love with it. It's right up my alley, and totally something I can stand behind. I've already started working up some characters, but it's really in the early stages. I'm currently waiting to receive my edited copy of the book, so I can dig in.  I'm seriously waiting for someone to pinch me, and hoping and praying I don't wake up. I want to write and illustrate children's books so badly, and I think this is a wonderful start for me. Squee!

*Let me clarify, before someone thinks I'm calling them old. I'm merely in awe/thankful that I've been on this planet for twenty-eight years. I tend to go with the "you're as young as you feel" idea. I mean, look at the men I'm drawn to, for goodness' sake. I'm attracted to guys in the 34-50 range, which I most certainly do not consider "old". I just wanted to make that clear. And Todd? I guess you lucked out, young man. :P

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat

I'm planning a tea party! It will be a Mad Tea Party, of course, and it will be in celebration of Mr. T's and my 7th wedding anniversary. I think I've mentioned how mental I was at my wedding, so this is my chance to be a calmer version of me, and actually enjoy myself.

It's next year, and I've already been searching far and wide for inspiration photos, and this one is right up my alley. Colorful, but simple. I'm not going for the exact same thing, but pretty similar.

I googled "tea party", and found this image. Can't remember where, and didn't save the link! Not mine!

There will be all kinds of wonderful things, people! I'm going to make Alice In Wonderland themed invites, and "Eat Me" cupcakes. There will be "Drink Me" bottles of something...not sure what yet. It'll be nonalcoholic, of course, so my drinking friends can thank me for that later. I love you, guys! There's just so much, I can't think of it all. Must. Make. Lists.

Which leads me to the guest list. *Insert creepy, intense, impending doom movie music* I'm afraid I won't be able to invite as many folks as I'd like. There were over 100 people at our wedding, and I just can't plan/afford a party that size. After all, I am leaning towards starving artist here.

Another problem with the guest list is that some of my friends don't like each other. They're all awkward. Now, while I respect people's feelings, I want our closest friends to celebrate with us, and if that means they have to put up with people they don't like (SOBER), then that's what they'll do, because they love us. Right? Will that fly? I mean, I'm not heartless. I won't make them cuddle, or invite exes. I just want my very different friends to be cordial. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Moving right along! I now need to sell my house, buy a new one with a gorgeous fenced in back yard (This part is something we've been wanting anyhow, so why not expedite that little task?), and purchase LOTS of funky tea cups, twinkle lights, Chinese lanterns and multicolored tulle. Oh, and put my friends to work.

What a hodge podge of awesome it will be!

Follow Me, Please.

I've posted at Shannon's today, folks! It's Foto Friday over there, and you should definitely go pick a favorite photo! For me?

Now, for those of you that aren't familiar with the amazing lady that is Shannon, or her gorgeous photography, you should be thanking me for that link up there. She and her HB (Honey Bunches) are two of the best people you'll ever have the pleasure of knowing. They're bright, caring and just all around awesome.

What are you doing reading here still? I'm not blogging here. I'm not. This is not a post. Were it an actual post, I would keep typing...

Future's So Bright...

Here we have photo documentation of the joyous occasion that was meeting Shannon and Megan. Strolling around the very charming streets of downtown Asheville, NC we snapped a shot or two, talked about all manner of things and my husband (Mr. T for Todd) and I decided we needed to take them home with us. Alas, they have lives and bright futures of their own, so we can't steal them. Le sigh.

How many of us twenty-somethings posted about community in our swappy little guest posts (however briefly due to sleep deprivation) this past week? We're all talking about community in the blogosphere all the time, aren't we? I guest posted about that very thing, but I wasn't really feeling it.

You see, it's really easy for me to feel like I'm only here for others. I get so wrapped up in keeping up with everyone else, commenting, and being supportive and caring, that I just let blogging become a one-sided thing. I become drained, disconnected and discouraged, and totally forget what communication is all about.

I've been desperately in need of a refresher, and this wonderful little trip of ours has done just that. Meeting the two aforementioned lovely ladies has reminded me what blogging is all about. It's about people taking time to peek into one another's lives, you know, in that invited/non-creepy way. It's about communication and being human, and it's awesome.

Ganked

The lovely Shannon from Tattoos & Cupcakes ganked this from Tia, and I just couldn't help myself. I know I said I'd be blathering about medical things soon, but I'm a bit of an escapist, and even though things are fine, I'm not ready to talk about them yet. Therefor I am so happy to come across this little meme.

Outside my window... there is a sky full of stars, and a backyard full of sleepy chickens.

I am thinking... that I should've kept up with how many times I sneezed today. I probably broke a record or something.

I am thankful for... trials. No, really. I am. They really teach me to be thankful. Without trials and scares, I would take a lot of things for granted, things I always want to appreciate, like my health and the people I love.

I am wearing... a really old night gown, like, from 13 years ago. It's baby blue with doggies on it, and is now far too short to wear when we have company.

I am remembering... John 14:27- Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I am creating... character sketches for the children's story I plan to complete this year, waterdoodles for my etsy shop, a portrait of a friend's munchkin and a great deal of stress for myself, as usual.

I am going... to sleep. I've got to start getting more sleep, and being on time for things.

I am reading... The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. A dear friend of mine really wants me to, so we can discuss it, but I'm having a hard time getting into it.

I am hoping... that I feel better soon. This respiratory/sinus infection is making me feel like a snotty beast. :(

On my mind... I've been worrying about my mom and dad's health a lot lately.

From the kitchen... feathers are always flying, no matter how much I sweep. I pull up a chair for Kimchi Kitty to belong, whilst Mr. T and I prepare a healthtastic meal.

One of my favorite things... is to create things that make people happy. I love it. It makes me feel useful, important.

Noticing that... I am more confident in myself than I've ever been before. I haven't been as hard on myself, and I'm beginning to really be happy with me. (I stole this one from Shannon, and I'm so glad we can both say/type this.)

Okay, taking a minute on that last one. Seriously? This is huge deal, bloggers. Being able to say I'm more confident is one thing, but being able to post this cheesy picture of myself with bed head, lip stain and smudged eyeliner is another entirely. I'm not going to pick it apart and tear myself down. I don't have to thwart anything unpleasant someone might have to say about me. I'm just me, and gosh darn it, I like myself. (Please get that reference.)

Pondering these words... "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Bamboozled

There are a lot of things I can stand for, but taking advantage of people is not one of them. Especially when it's someone I happen to think is pretty freakin' awesome, like Shannon. The interwebs can be a beautiful thing, people supporting people they've never even met, individuals coming together to raise awareness and mucho dinero for worthy causes, but it can also be a nasty reminder that people really suck sometimes and you've gotta watch your back. If someone as intelligent as Shannon can get bamboozled, you might be next. *shudders* That's why the following post is being passed along. Read the story and be cautious.

I'm involved in this awareness day, because I was one of the unlucky bloggers. One of the unlucky that was scammed by Jess, the previous owner of Delicious Design Studio. {This in no way involves the current owners of DDS}

I loved her style. I loved her blog. I loved her portfolio. I wanted her to bring all of my ideas to life, and I wanted to pay her good money to do so because I knew she could. At the end of 2008, I decided I wanted a blog design done for my birthday in May, 2009. She had all of my ideas and my $112 down payment. At first, everything was great. I watched as names were scratched off of the schedule list, and the time for my design was getting closer. Then, I got an email saying she was going through personal problems with her family (health) and that she promised she would get around to it by a certain date. The end date was creeping up, and I hadn't heard from her. I would send emails asking how things were going, only to get automated "out of office" replies. Then, the final day came where I was supposed to have everything installed and published. I still hadn't heard from her. So, I decided to write her another email.

Hey Jess,

I feel like I bother you all of the time, so sorry! I'm just checking in because today is the final day and I haven't heard from you yet. I'm just anxious to see it! Can't wait to hear from you!

Working on the mock ups to send to you tonight. Just got into the office for the day/evening :)

I got super excited to see that she actually wrote me back herself, and that she was working on mine. Then she wrote me again! She sent me a link to look through her stock images and choose some final touch ups. I was overwhelmed with happiness that she was contacting me so much, and that my design was going to be on my screen for my approval shortly. Then I got this automated email.

Thank you for your e-mail! I appreciate your inquiry and will respond as quickly as possible. :)

::project status//details//notes::
sent mock ups, working on final edits & installations:
kathy, marci, shari, april marie, tammy.

current projects for July 6th - 11th:

(finalizing mock ups for review)
andrea, asmah, karmeka, shannon, summer, michelle, stephanie, katie,

steph, abi, leoni & tonia.
Friendly Reminder: I will be away from my desk Sunday, July 12th - Wednesday, July 15th and not have access to my e-mail.

So now she's out of the office and not going to send me the mock up she had just promised? Since it was July 10th, and I saw she was going to be out of town, I decided the next day to write her this email.
The main goal of this awareness day, is so that it doesn't happen to others. Please tweet about this, repost it, whatever you can to help spread the word. We've been told she's still doing blog designs, but under a different name. Be cautious of who you give your money to! We learned the hard way.

Hello lovely lady :) wondering how the process is coming along. I know you will be out of the office starting tomorrow so I wasn't sure if you'd be finished with my mock up by then or not. I hope everything is going well, I know you are very busy...just checking in :) thanks for your time and always being so sweet!

Love,
Shannon

July 30th rolls around (more than 2 weeks since she had been back from "out of town")...yes I let it go that long.

I don't mean to sound rude, but I was under the impression my mock up was supposed to be sent to me by the 11th this month, and I haven't heard from you at all. Bills keep popping up and it's getting kind of difficult to watch the money sit there. Should we reschedule the date or will it be ready soon? Just let me know. I hope you and your family are well!

Love,
Shannon

Hey Shannon -

I appreciate your patience. I got so wrapped up in my last design that I got sidetracked. Don't worry about the final payment. I will not expect it since this has taken a little longer than expected.. I will finish this up at no charge. :)

Jess,
That would be SO helpful. Thank you!

And like a sucker, I believed it. I got happy again, and was so excited to know that I wouldn't have to pay the 2nd half. As it turns out, I never got my design, or even a design worth at least the money I paid. I never got my money back, and I never heard from her again. I truly thought with so many bloggers I read that had her designs, that I wouldn't get treated like this. And furthermore, how does she choose who she rips off? After all the frustration and disappointment, I was too drained to even try and get my money back. I have recently found out that it wasn't just a couple of people that were scammed by Jess. It's much more than that. In fact, there's reviews written about it here, here, and here. Even a blog site dedicated to it here. That's not including all of the comments left on those reviews by people in the same boat! I understand I should have done this research before hand, so it's my loss. But that doesn't make what she did right.

I hate having something so negative on my blog, and bad mouthing is just drama in my book that I want no part of. However, this is different. This is a crime. $5, fine keep it. $10, $20 even. But money that could have been used to pay a bill if I would have known I was going to get nothing in return? That's just wrong.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm all for getting a mob together to hunt this so called "Jess" down. Wrong-doing hussy! Feel free to pass this along. Awareness is totally the key.

Beee-Yoooo-Tee-Ful

The glorious and wonderful Ari, over at The Happy Cactus, gave me a beautiful blogger award! Thank you, my little prickly pear. She and I have been pretty much attached at the hip for about...eight years now? Ari, am I lying? We met when we were fourteen, but reunited in college. It was awesome. I think it's been about eight years. *oldness encroaching*

Long story short, she has to say I'm beautiful. I know where she lives. ^_^

The Rules (You'd better pay attention. You could be next. *ba ba ba bum*)

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the award and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Tell us seven interesting things about yo'self.
5. Nominate seven beee-yoooo-tee-ful bloggers.
6. Post links to your seven nominees.
7. Be bothered by the fact that there isn't another rule to go along with the whole seven theme.

Seven possibly interesting/quirky things about me that I may or may not have already blogged about:

1. My favorite smell is puppy breath. I don't care how much it smells like bologna and soured milk, or how many people say it's gross. It. Is. Love.

2. I'm a nonalcoholic lush. A black hole for liquids, if you will. It's awesome.

3. If I could be any animal it'd be an otter. This is just one reason why. Other reasons? They're monogamous. Huge fan of that. They play for a living, are really smart, successfully bully alligators and hold hands while sleeping. Otters FTW!

4. My dream is to write and illustrate children's books, and this year I will complete and submit one for publishing. Editing first? I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm doing it. It's never stopped me before.

5. I'm a pet name snob. The soul mate informed me of this a while back. I do kind of feel sorry for critters with uninteresting names. I'm not talking critters with people names either. Those can be awesome, if used wisely.

6. Something about John Mayer makes me want to hurt his feelings. I feel guilty about this.

7. Shawshank Redemption is my favorite movie, and I watch it lot. Like a whole heck of a lot. Like I'm not going to tell you how much a lot is because you'll call someone to come lock me up.

I don't know if these things make me beautiful or not, but they make me me.

And the beee-yoooo-tee-ful nominees are...
1. Chelsea Talks Smack
2. Curious Illusion
3. Whimsy Love
4. The Paraplegic Chef
5. Girl Anachronism
6. The Odd Duckling
7. Peter DeWolf

What? Boys can be beautiful, too. I think these boys are prettier than other boys. They have these neat things called feelings, and they're still masculine. Don't believe me? Go check 'em out.

Now, if blog awards aren't your cup of tea, or you've already been given this, or one of a gazillion other awards, I will not be offended if you don't pass it on. You're just beautiful, inside and out. That is all.

I apologize for my misuse of commas. It's an issue. Really.

Communication Is A Many Splendored Thing

My reader is bustin' at the seams, and I'm going through blog withdrawals! I'm not to the twitchy phase...yet. If I don't get caught up soon, it's not going to be pretty.

My husband finds my obligation to read and comment on blogs amusing. He also adores mocking me for having "internet friends". It's like you're all make believe people, and I have an imaginary friend disorder. T_T

Didn't the man have a pen pal growing up? What the heck?! Communication is a many splendored thing. So what if I've not met you in person?! You still matter. Sheesh!

Anyhow, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I squeeze in a few posts here or there, but with friends visiting for the holidays I just haven't the time. Catching up on reading is in my very near future.

Speaking of holidays, how about a few pics of recent get togethers/shenanigans, and maybe a critter or two?

My Handsome Kitty (Kimchi)

Chica Boo (my onliest niece)
Me (w/attempted straight hair), Husband Person & Twin Nephews

They try very hard to be completely different, but if they don't it's hard to tell them apart.

Pseudo Little Sister (Kayla) & I
Love. This. Kid.
The lighting makes us look like we have a self tanning problem.

Soul Mate & I
Can't tell that's her little sister up above, can you?
So...how was your Christmas? Filled with friends and family, I hope.

I Think Beyonce Should Have Gotten This Award

The always lovely, Ari gave me a happy little award today, which is just sweet as pie. It's also helpful, as I am too sleepy to think of anything earth shattering to blog about, or even an interesting interpretation of my day.Alright, here's the deal.
- List ten of your happy things.
- Make at least one of them happen today.

- Tag 10 bloggers that brighten you day.
- Link back to the person that tagged you.

Happies I've Indulged In Today

1. Hugging my oh so cuddly kitty, Kimchi

2. Decorating baked goods

3. Unashamedly rocking out to good music

4. Getting my Paste magazine in the mail

5. Cranking up the heat in my Jeep, so I can ride with the windows down in cold weather

6. Making plans that keep everyone happy

7. Sipping raspberry lemonade

8. Hanging out with friends that qualify as family

9. Being blessed with so much, when I've done nothing to deserve it

10. Cozying up next to my husband and kitty in our nice, warm bed

10 Day Brightening Bloggers

Ari

Jodi

Ari

Ben

Kendall

Matt (doesn't do awards, but he still makes me smile)

Jaime

Lilu

Shannon

Jay

Happy Almost Thanksgiving, folks!

Not My Gumdrop Buttons!

I know a sexy librarian. We went to high school together, and are now pretty much inseparable. Anyhow, the public library my sexy librarian friend works for performs puppet shows for munchkins. This Christmas they need a ginger bread man puppet, and I'm the lucky gal that gets to make it!

Okay, so I'm abnormally excited about getting to do this. They want to pay me, but I'm not about to let them. I just think it's awesome to be able to help out a nonprofit that serves youth and families. I mean, that's exactly the type of agency I work for.

I'm off work tomorrow, and will be spending my morning/afternoon visiting friends and making a ginger bread man (complete with gumdrop buttons) and cupcakes. Tomorrow evening will be spent visiting that attractive bibliophile, and decorating cupcakes. It's going to be a good day, bloggers.

Warm Fuzzies

I'm sitting on my futon with a warm, fuzzy kitty on my left, and my warm, fuzzy husband on my right. We're being serenaded by a lovely British man wearing mismatched socks. His lovely wife, who just so happens to be my best friend and soul mate, pointed that out.

They're visiting from Michigan for Thanksgiving, and they're staying the night with us tonight. Yay!

Everything is warm and cozy, and smells like my hazelnut cream candle. It's sabbath, and I'm going to sleep SO WELL tonight.

Thanks to New Moon, I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night. I was afraid it wouldn't be (worth it), because I didn't really like the first movie so much. It was a lot corny. Thankfully, I was worried for nothing. This movie was waaaaaaay better. New director = can't wait for the next two movies.

Sweet dreams, jelly beans!

Thick As Thieves

Just a short post, bloggers! I'm waiting on a hot date, and my gorgeous escort, Debra, will be here to pick me up any minute. (Yes, I'm happily married, and no I'm not homosexual, but she's still a hot date.)

Anyhow, I met Debra when I was fourteen years old. My family (of gypsies) had just moved (again). I didn't know a soul in Mountain Heights Estate, and the only kids I saw were like 5. Quite certain my life was doomed, I spent a lot of time riding my bike round and round the block, hoping one of the kindergartners would magically sprout into puberty or something.

Then I saw them. Debra and her sister, struttin' down the road as if it were a runway.

And we've been friends ever since. Debra's sister (Dana) and I aren't so close, but she's a sweetie. Debra and I just clicked. No matter how much time we spend apart, the moment we're back together, we're thick as thieves again.

So, I'm off on a hot date with my dear friend of 13 YEARS! *gag* Having a friend for that long is definitely something I'm grateful for, but it makes me a little nauseous. OLDNESS!

The Prestige

Alright folks. How the heck are ya?! I dropped off the planet (out of the state rather) for a while, but now I've returned and think it's time for a comeback.

Had a great time in Michigan and Indiana. We spent some much needed time away from work, with friends, family and at the beach. Any of you blessed enough to have already seen the documentation of such on Facebook, I hereby apologize for any photos of me in swimwear. I can assure you all pictures were taken against my will, and I am seeking retribution.

Where were we? Oh yes. I left you last with a shuffle of obviously unpopular music. :P You're all very sweet for commenting, even if you didn't know the music. I tend to listen to a pretty wide range of musical goodness. So, can't say's I blame you for not recognizing too much.

So, without further adieu, here are the song titles and artists that you all need to be familiarizing yourselves with.

1. You Know My Name by The Beatles

2. Who'll Stop The Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival

3. Her Majesty by The Beatles

4. Change by Muse

5. The Places We Lived by Backyard Tire Fire

6. The Blues by Switchfoot

7. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

8. Colonial Boy by Devin Townsend

9. Joseph Campbell by Warm In The Wake

10. Jack & The Water Buffalo by Head of Femur

11. Say "Hey" ( I love you) by Michael Frantee and Spearhead

12. My Dear Country by Norah Jones

13. What's This by Danny Elfman

14. Miracle Sun by Anthony Green

15. The Smell of Pajamas by Animal Collective

16. You're A Wolf by Sea Wolf

17. Polly by Nirvana

18. We Are Real by Silver Jews

19. By The Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers

20. Five Fleas by Rasputina

Bonus: Young Pilgrims by The Shins

Oh! None other than the lovely Ari will be receiving a bit of handmade goodness for getting the most right answers.

I like this giving away prizes thing. I'll have to come up with ways to do it more often. Maybe once I get more on MadShiny (my Etsy shop) I can give things away monthly!

Summer Vacation

It's time, my friends. Everyone's talking about it. North Carolina. Italy. Gulf Shores. Florida. Left and right people are taking summer vacations. Some of them are trekking into the forests and mountains for various purposes. Others have gone in search of large bodies of water in which to immerse themselves. Whoever. Wherever. They're escaping and loving life, and I'm happy for them. I really am.

I just hope I can make it until the end of July. Todd and I will be stuffing the Jeep full, and heading to Michigan to visit two of our very best friends(I fought the urge to type BFF's). Now, this may not be the forest/mountain range/beach that one thinks of for "vacation", but it's as good a place as any.

It'll be a nice, familiar(for me) road trip with a pleasant, jobless, friend-filled destination. Todd's never been North of Kentucky! So, I get the pleasure of watching him enjoy the sites. My home state-good old Indiana! Rolling hills and sky forever. Then Berrien Springs, Michigan. And believe me you, at some point, I and my attractive new bathing suit WILL be in Lake Michigan. Maybe. I hope. We'll see. Not so big on large bodies of water that aren't the ocean.

Upon our return we'll have a stowaway. My soul mate's youngest sister (who just turned 14 today! Happy Birthday Kayla!) will have been visiting the great state of Michigan for a whole month, when we make our trip. So, she'll be taking the ride back with us, which makes it even more fun! I love that kid. She's just about the most awesome little individual I know.

So, mini vacation the end of July. Yay! Until then, I'd appreciate if you could all keep the spectacular holiday/forest/mountain range/beach talk to a minimum.

Thank you. ^_^

Painting Shenanigans

I have been working on this painting for so long now that I'm not sure if I can ever let it go. It's become a permanent fixture to my home and vehicle! I carry it around with me...always thinking, "I'll finish it tonight/in the morning/during lunch", or "All I need is one more 2-3 hour session".

While watercolor is one of my favorite mediums, there are moments when I just know I'm going to lose it. Like massive coronary lose it. If I have to do ONE MORE COAT of that dark purply* brown, that I'm not quite sure which blue I used to concoct, it won't be good!!

Well, this was in the beginning. I refer to this stage as Matthyclops.


And this is now. More of a Cerberus/dog of the underworld type look, right? Yeah. That'll go away when I finish filling in that right side, and darken that eye there. He's definitely not a puppy with much of a dark side. ^_^

So...it may not look like I've done a whole heck of a lot, but believe me you, I have! Bit by bit, he is coming along. I've given myself a solid deadline now, and Ari will have her painting when she gets back from vacation.

I'll keep you posted!

*I know "purply" isn't really a word, but you know what I mean.

Deep Breath. Chin Up.

It is far too late to be posting, but I've got too much to blather about to sleep, or hold it in anymore.

I've got a new job. Great right? Riiiight.

New is good. More money is good. Change? Change is bad. Well, maybe not bad, but certainly not my friend. At least not at the moment.

I am a creature of habit. I know this. The thought of leaving my current coworkers kills me. It feels like there's a great big old hippopotamus sitting on my chest. My heart is heavy, and I can hardly breath.

I just wasn't prepared. I mean, I went to an interview, got turned down. 'Nough said. As soon as the answer was no, I went right on my merry way, back into my routine, thankful that I wouldn't have to change. Then, out of the blue I get a call.

An opportunity has presented itself?! One week's notice?! Umm...well...uh...can I call you back?! Ugh.

So, new job starts on Tuesday. It'll take some getting used to I'm sure, but I think I'll like it. The husband person and I can carpool. I'll not be worried about my little nonprofit closing down on me. Well, I'll worry about them, but not whether I'll be without a paycheck or not anymore.

I'm still going to volunteer to teach art at the shelter, and to transport runaway and homeless youth. So, I'll be helping people. I just worry it won't be enough.

I feel so bad for leaving them. I'll miss them SO much. My heart aches, but I feel as if this job is an answer to prayer. I mean, I ask for The Man with The Plan to help my doddering little self along. I don't know what tomorrow will bring. So, I figure I'll follow someone who does.

Sometimes He surprises me is all.

Deep breath. Chin up.

Funny Business

Well, it's happened again. The dreaded bloggy hiatus. When you least expect it...WHAMMO! You have a gazillion things to do in no time flat. I don't even know what happened most of last week, and I'm too tired to think. I've still got a pretty good grasp of the past few days, though.

Let's see. There was the Flight of the Conchords' concert in Atlanta Saturday night. Totally worth the three hour exodus that Ari and I made. They were hilarious and adorable, as usual. We may or may not have screamed like silly little girls. May or may not have. All I'm saying is we waited for silence to make our audible request, and it was honored.

Easter Sunday was totally out of commission. A lovely day with family, but chalked full of disregard for all things weighing on my neurotic little mind. I did squeeze in some knitting and sewing, though. I made my nephew an ipod cozy! I really do have a creative compulsion.

Then there was Monday. Oh dear sweet Monday. Normally redeemed only by Shannon's Memory Mondays, but this Monday also had the help of the mesmerizing Jason Webley. The man can play the piano/guitar/accordion/pretty much anything like a fiend. Not to mention his uncannily gorgeous barbaric yawp, as shown above. It just kills me. Just beautifully stirring. It was a total surprise to find out he was going to be in the area.

Other than that? A lot of unfinished projects have cluttered my poor little brain pan. Bouncing around in there like jacked up ping pong balls. I finished a couple of things that I'm far too burnt out on to even muster photographing them. I refuse. Refuse you hear?!

Oh, and I've officially obtained the crud. Sigh.

That's all the funny business for now. Goodnight good bloggers.

Flight of The Sushi?

These two men make me extremely happy. As happy as a really happy thing. Not as happy as Jesus' second coming, but moderately happy. Yeah. So, now that you comprehend the level of happiness, I must express how giddy I was to hear of their first American tour!

If you haven't already been informed over at The Happy Cactus, well it's time you were informed here. It has become a definite possibility that Ari and I get to go see The Flight of The Conchords in concert! Again, happy as a really happy thing! We might have to drive to Ohio, Georgia or Texas, but we're going to do everything within our power to make it happen. I can't wipe the grin off of my face.

Oh! And what, you ask, did I have for dinner this fine evening? SUSHI! Yum. I had a cucumber and a veggie roll. Ohm nom nom. It was very good, and I want more. As it turns out, I am a sushi monster.

Flight of The Conchords! Sushi! Flight of The Sushi! I think that should be my band name. ^_^