Here I go!

I'm starting my photography class tonight! I'm afraid I'm going to walk in there and be one big ball of energy! I'm so excited! I know I dabble in just about everything artistic out there but photography has to be the most inspiring thing I've come across in my 27 years on this planet! And I'm excited to up my skills and maybe, possibly becoming as good as some of the people I love! I have butterflies I'm so excited/ nervous! So wish me luck! I'm charging my camera battery as we speak.... er... as I type, and now its just a count down till tonight! I think I'm way over thinking everything! I have no idea what kinda of people are going to be in this class or how many people. The thought of, "Well what if they're way better than me?" or "What if this isn't going to teach me what I'm wanting to learn?" All will be answered tonight! I'll catch you up in the morning!!

Favorite Hyperbole post

 This is Why I'll Never be an Adult

I have repeatedly discovered that it is important for me not to surpass my capacity for responsibility.  Over the years, this capacity has grown, but the results of exceeding it have not changed.

Normally, my capacity is exceeded gradually, through the accumulation of simple, daily tasks.

But a few times a year, I spontaneously decide that I'm ready to be a real adult.  I don't know why I decide this; it always ends terribly for me.  But I do it anyway.  I sit myself down and tell myself how I'm going to start cleaning the house every day and paying my bills on time and replying to emails before my inbox reaches quadruple digits.  Schedules are drafted.  Day-planners are purchased.  I stock up on fancy food because I'm also planning on morphing into a master chef and actually cooking instead of just eating nachos for dinner every night.   I prepare for  my new life as an adult like some people prepare for the apocalypse.

The first day or two of my plans usually goes okay.

For a little while, I actually feel grown-up and responsible.  I strut around with my head held high, looking the other responsible people in the eye with that knowing glance that says "I understand.  I'm responsible now too.  Just look at my groceries."

At some point, I start feeling self-congratulatory.

This is a mistake.  

I begin to feel like I've accomplished my goals.  It's like I think that adulthood is something that can be earned like a trophy in one monumental burst of effort and then admired and coveted for the rest of one's life.  

What usually ends up happening is that I completely wear myself out. Thinking that I've earned it, I give myself permission to slack off for a while and recover. Since I've exceeded my capacity for responsibility in such a dramatic fashion, I end up needing to take more recovery time than usual. This is when the guilt-spiral starts.  

The longer I procrastinate on returning phone calls and emails, the more guilty I feel about it.  The guilt I feel causes me to avoid the issue further, which only leads to more guilt and more procrastination.  It gets to the point where I don't email someone for fear of reminding them that they emailed me and thus giving them a reason to be disappointed in me.  

Then the guilt from my ignored responsibilities grows so large that merely carrying it around with me feels like a huge responsibility.  It takes up a sizable portion of my capacity, leaving me almost completely useless for anything other than consuming nachos and surfing the internet like an attention-deficient squirrel on PCP. 

At some point in this endlessly spiraling disaster, I am forced to throw all of my energy into trying to be an adult again, just to dig myself out of the pit I've fallen into. The problem is that I enter this round of attempted adulthood already burnt out from the last round. I can't not fail.  

It always ends the same way.  Slumped and haggard, I contemplate the seemingly endless tasks ahead of me. 

And then I rebel.  

Bag Lunch Vs School Lunch

With school starting next week, my husband and I sat down to discuss the situation of “lunches”. Will I be making our daughter's lunch, or will we prepay ahead of time for her to just eat school lunches? Its funny how I look back and it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was standing in that line with my plastic tray, sliding it down the counter, picking out what I was going to eat for lunch. But that was ten years ago. I know my children are going to be in and out of school before we know it and I've made up my mind that I'm going to use this opportunity to make lunch time at school, a quick and easy way to make her feel speical.

           There's many pros and cons to each side. On the pro side. I like knowing exactly what she'll be eating (albeit the unknown trading for something better, wink wink). All the fruits and veggies we buy are organic, and that's important to our family. I also like that I can write her a small encouraging note and slip it in her lunch box for her to read later on when I'm not there.

       Many parents will argue, "Why spend that extra time in the morning when the school will do it for you?" I see it as this, if I spend ten minutes each morning making her lunch, that's fifty minutes a week I've spent personally taking the time to show her I love her. It falls in the same category as washing and putting away her clothes, changing her bed sheets, and making her dinner.

      The biggest con to making her lunch is, I am not a morning person! And making a ham sandwich in the morning is about as hard as breaking into Fort Knox. I over think it and usually end up covered in mayo, mustard in my hair, making it much more complicated than it needs to be.

      When it comes to this topic, there is no wrong answer. As long as your child is getting the healthy foods that their bodies need to keep them chugging along, then it doesn't matter who made it.

There are parents that feel school lunches are the choice that they're going to go with and that's good too! The kids are offered something from every food group and even have the option of white or chocolate milk. Its all personal choices. Today's busy life styles do not always afford the extra time in the morning to “pack a lunch”. While the busy “working mom” may opt for the school lunches because they are more cost and time effective, the “stay at home mom” may be leaning more towards spending the extra time in the mornings to prep the lunches. So really take the time this school year. Sit down, plan it out, and decide what works best for your family!

 Here's a few quick tips for lunches.

If your child is brown bagging:
- Always know if your mornings are rushed, you can make the big ticket items, like sandwhiches and cut fruit, at night before you go to bed.
- Be committed to providing a variety of food  for your child. Even if you believe the same lunch you make is considered healthy, don’t make that same lunch every day. Sit down with your child and plan a menu with options that they can get excited about. 

- Include a fruit and veggie in your child’s lunch every day. And for vegetables, branch out from carrots! Make a side salad, veggie kabob or even make fun faces out of veggies and provide a nice dip so its not so drab.

-Take the oppertunity to use whole grain breads and Baked chips when packing a lunch to make them lighter and healthier for your child.

- Make sure portions are right for your child. Some healthy bagged lunches do not provide enough calories to get your child through the day. On the other hand, too many “healthy” sweets might push your child over the calorie limit recommended for a child’s lunch.
- Include a low-fat dairy everyday – either a low-fat yogurt, milk or cheese. For those with milk allergy, consider soy products as a good alternative.

If your child is buying a school lunch:
- Review the school menus with your child. Encourage them to make healthy choices on their own. That includes, for example, making the choice not to have ice cream every day. 

 - Encourage your child to eat the healthier meal items first to maximize their nutritional intake. Remind them that there is a limited amount of time to eat, and that their lunch will help them power out the rest of their day.
- Become involved in your child’s school lunch menu. Contact their school nutrition department and discuss any concerns you have with them directly.

My Milk & Cookies Bar

Who needs Alcohol... OK some days a nice Mimosa Really hits the spot,! But usually when the kids have worn me down to my last nerving and are gnawing away on it, I pour myself a nice glass of milk, sneak into the pantry and quietly as I can Peel back the top of the Oreo package and make a mad dash to the side of my bed. And I soak my cookies till they're just about to fall apart and I eat them. Which got me thinking, if I had it my way I would open a Milk & Cookies Bar. Serve everything from coconut milk, banana milk, fat free, 2%,  whole, strawberry and of course Chocolate!! And that variety would extend to my cookies too! Grasshopper cookies, chocolate chip cookies, etc. And there would be set hours that no kids are allowed! Just good ol' Mommy gossip time! ♥

Evolution of the Ice Cream Man.

 Do you remember playing outside with your friends on hot summer days and hearing that ice cream truck jingle? Making a mad dash inside to get a dollar from your parents and back outside before the little cart disappeared forever?! I do! I always bought which ever ice cream bar had the most gumballs attached to it. Oh the good ol' days, right?

I was reminded of those days while I was playing with my two children yesterday. It was the first time they had ever heard that old faithful jingle. It caught their interest right away! Its like that noise is embedded in our brains, passed down to our children so that even if they've never heard, "oh where, oh where has my little dog gone." played in a music box melody, they automatically know its something their going to want! I was actually excited when I hear the ice cream truck, I was guessing it was on the block behind us. Judging by the muffled music I had about 7 minutes to gather up some money and wait. And wait is what we did! "Don't worry." I'd tell my kids. "It's almost here!!! Allmoooooossttt........Heeerrrreee." Forty minutes later a gold utility van pulls up in front of our house. At first this is what I saw.

It really threw me for a loop. I'm an adult woman, and unless there were other people around, I don't think Id ever approach such van by my self. let alone allow my child to without an adult present!

                                    

This is about what the van looked like, Only instead of the driver handing out the ice cream it was a sweat shop of 6 year olds running the back.How did the Ice Cream man fall so far? How did they go from everybody's best friend to looking like creepy child nappers? It really makes me so sad because I want my children to have that memory of waiting and being excited to pick out the ice cream bar, the kind that you cant buy in any store!

I know that somewhere in Simple Town USA there is still someones grandpa who goes around the neighborhood sell ice cream in a clean friendly manner! But until that grandpa decides to move here, my husband and I have agreed that we will recreate that memory with our children by taking them to Dairy Queen and buying them Dilly bars! So today we mourn the loss of our childhood hero, Ice Cream Man you will be greatly missed! And parents, Please, PLEASE go out with  your kids when a stranger is trying to sell them things. Even if it is just ice cream. Better to be safe, than sorry.♥ 

               Ok just a quick note. I know not all ice cream trucks/vans are creepy. Some can be very cute! So I place a call to all the cute little ice cream trucks out there! There are lots of children in our neighborhood that are looking for a hero! I'd like to see a duel between the creepy van and the cute little truck! Good always conquers evil!♥

Family Holiday Etiqutte

                 


  So Uncle Dave drinks too much at family gatherings, your sister Rebecca goes way too deep into details about her love life, and then there's Grandma Pendle's back handed compliments about your tasty green bean casserole, and how it MUST be a box mix! And it ALMOST taste as good as your sister Katie's.That's right! It's holiday time! This year resist the urge to to lock yourself in the bathroom for thirty minutes at a time! Instead keep a cool head on your shoulders and tell yourself, "It's just for a few day, It's just for a few... more.... days!" There... feel better? Thought so. Now to prepare yourself further you got to get your head in the game. It's going to be a battle field out there are you're going to be jumping around from one situation to another. Stay positive and don't allow yourself to be sucked into other peoples negativity! It will only make further get togethers harder on you! Fake a smile if you have to, but always try to avoid pushing buttons and bringing up hot topics. It will only get everybody rallied up and once they get started it hardly ever ends quickly! So rule number one is mentally prepare yourself for everything that comes with your families personalities!
              
                 Next when there is family visiting always try to have activities plans, don't let them sit around and expect the TV to entertain them. When relatives get bored, it's hardly ever good. If you are going to others house, offer to bring activities such as board game, sports equipment. Or if your in my family and are into 4-wheelers bring one to give the kiddies rides!
             
                Rule number three always have schedule time of arrival and departure. Sure sometimes the departure is one that is you kind of see how things play out. But if you're having Thanksgiving at your house, be up front and tell guest to arrive between a certain time. Say,"If you can make it between one and two that will give us perfect time for setting up and getting ready!" Don't leave entry and exit dates or times up to chance with people who tend to overstay their welcome. You'll be sorry!
      
                 If it seems like all the talked about topics are getting stale, bring in some fresh air and as counter intuitive as this may seem, think about inviting more people to your holiday. Such as close friends. With more new people over new topics are created and conversations are much more enjoyable for all. So rule number four keep things fresh and give the chance to create new relationships!

              As nice as it would be if family etiquette came with set rule such as dining etiquette does, it doesn't and initially its up to you to play your part in keeping things neutral and heading in a positive direction. Holidays can be a stressful time if you let it, so just keep saying," It's only a few days." and smile.

♥Quick Heel Trick!♥

Now when it comes to shoes, I'm a flats kinda girl. Cause I'm 5'10 when I do wear heels I tend to tower over people! But on the rare occasion I do wear my pumps I ALWAYS get a blister!! Whether its on my heel or inside by my toe its pretty much a guarantee that I will get one. So one trick I'd like to pass on that most girls and woman don't think about is this. Skip the ugly Band-Aids and go with Band-Aid brand Blister covers. Even if you don't have a blister. They are clear and cushions so you don't have anything rubbing a raw spot on your foot! Its so nice and for the price cheaper than anything you can buy from, oh say Dr.Scholls!



These Fergie Brand pumps recked Havoc on my feet!



Love for Liquid Eye Liner♥

  I swear by Liquid eye liner. My mom never used it when I grew up and I never had an older sister to teach me these things but once I got brave enough to just try it, I fell in love with it! It's a simple and dramatic way to draw attention to your peepers! Mascara does alot just by wearing it and eye liner is like the finishing touch! it makes everything look polished and finished! So steady your hand make sure theres not too much liquid on the tip of the brush, lower your lid and start in the middle. It's that easy. How thick or thin you go is your choice. I usually do it on the thinner side with a little cat eye on the end!

1.  Prime your eyelids. Use either a professional primer or cream eyeshadow to form a base for the liquid eyeliner to stick to. Dust translucent powder on top.

2Apply eyeshadow if you will be wearing any. Don't worry about getting liquid eyeliner on the eyeshadow, it will easily come off.

3Steady your hand on a table. Tilt your head back slightly, and draw your eyelid taut with your non-dominant hand.

4Draw small dashes or dots of liquid eyeliner as close to your eyelashes as possible. It does not matter if these are even and steady or not, you will be going over them later.

5Go over the dashes in one continuous line. Try to apply it lightly along the inner corner, and gradually applying pressure for a thicker line as you work your way to the outer corner.

6Fix any mistakes. Use a cotton swab/bud barely dipped in eye makeup remover and gently press and twist the cotton swab/bud on spots. Wait a few moments for it to dry, and gently blend your eyeshadow back into place.

7Apply mascara. Two coats at least!

For more tips and tricks check out Maybelline.com/Makeup-Lessons

Hey Ya'll, Whatcha be watchin?!!

LMAO, I'm sorry, couldn't help it! Two shows I've been banned from watching in our house are that Big Rich Texas and Toddlers and Tiaras. Why you may ask would you want to watch it anyways? Well truth be told it's not the storyline or plot that gets me, it's the fact that after watching it I end up walking around the house talkin like Brittney Spears! I tell my kids, " Ya'll really need to git in your rooms and clean it!" or "What the dickins do ya'll think your doin?" I personally love it cause I can'y help it and it really throws my husband off! He'll look at me all head tilted and say," Amie why are you Twangin? What did you watch today?" Hahaha just one of my many quarks!

GK1♥

Recently I've discovered the shop in downtown Albany called GK 1. I've driven by it a few times, but it wasn't until I stumbled upon their facebook page and discovered all the stuff they had in their store, that I actually made my self go down there and face the parallel parking! When I walked in it was smaller than I thought it was going to be. And there were soooo many jeans to choose from and high end jeans available! 7 for all, True Religion, Miss Me, Big Star and so much more! They even carry NikiBiki! The best Cami's cause they're so long and you never have any problem with crack showing when you're wearing one! Anywhos I wish they had a little more in the acessories department but so far they are the place to get jeans here in Albany. And did I mention the have lay away?! And if you like they're facebook page you get to see their deals that are posted almost daily! Great discounts and jeans all the time! So check them out! They ship outta state too!♥

Bought these and I love them cause I'm tall (5'10) and they still leave
some length by the heel!

My crafty Window project Finished!♥



The inspiration♥



In the Begining♥



Our family photos turned out perfect for the window!♥

 





Tattoo Cupcakes 2!♥

I feel that some tattoos ooze art! Some, not so much, But Faith has the most beautiful tattoos so I was honored to make these for her birthday!♥

 

Carnival Cupcakes

Imade each piece from gumpaste and fondant, I had to really think about what reminds me of a carnival. Cotton candy, peanuts, ticket stubs, bumper cars! Too many to list

These definitely are in my top five favorites that I've ever made!♥

Safari Birthday Cupcakes

 

Just found these I made last year for a little boy named Cohan, I took inspiration from the decor and invites and created these!