Life's Little Lessons

My Absence

2012-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone- First of all, you've all been missed. Second, I am no longer making promises I can't keep... I keep telling you all that I will be better about blogging and, the fact is, I simply can't. I will blog when I can, but until life throws me a break, I won't be able to follow my schedule or blog every single day like I hoped. Blogging should be fun, not a chore, so I'm not going to put undue pressure on myself by trying to force it.

So what's been going on??

* We did, in fact, end up adopting that little puppy from my previous post. His name is Bandit and he is 50% Chihuahua, 50% Pomeranian and 100% TROUBLE! We've been working on potty-training and socializing him, getting him his shots, and stopping him from chewing on everything. No easy feat when Scott and I are on opposite schedules! But he's sweet and funny and cute and I'm glad to have another little boy in the family.

* I took yet another stage managing position. I told myself after the last time that I was DONE with that, but here I am again! Scott recently got cast in Clue: The Musical and, in an attempt to spend more time with him, I signed up for the stage managing position. If you remember from last time, that is beyond time-consuming, especially with rehearsals every night.

* School is kicking my butt- I am way behind in homework, have awful gaps in my schedule, and keep either losing every assignment or forgetting about it completely. I am so entirely overwhelmed, I truly do not usually have even a spare ten minutes in my day to blog!

* We went home this past weekend and I threw Scott a surprise graduation party. All of my best friends (with the exception of a couple) showed up, our families came, and we ambushed him with a celebration of his awesome accomplishment. Italian food, karaoke, and presents... I think he liked it.

* Lastly, we had something so awful happen this past weekend that really made it difficult for me to manage all my other stresses in life. This past weekend, my classmate and her two roommates, along with another friend, were driving home from Minnesota, back to Fargo for school. Somewhere near Alexandria, MN, they lost control of the car and it spun out, crossing over the median and was hit by an SUV. We lost all four girls.

In class today, my teacher was sharing the horrific news with those who didn't already know why Megan's seat was empty. She broke down in tears. We all made collages a few weeks ago and the teacher brought Megan's to class. It was so incredibly tragic to see something that she had made with the rest of us just a couple weeks ago, showcasing all the things she loved most in life, in one project. A week ago, she was sitting in class, taking notes with me and probably went back to her dorm right after. Now that dorm is empty, all four girls gone. They were driving back to NDSU on Monday afternoon. Scott, my brother, and I passed by the exact same spot where they died, just a few hours later on our way back to Fargo. The weather was bad when they drove and was even worse when we passed through. I thank God that we were able to get back safely, even if it did take us much longer than usual.

All four girls were beautiful, smart, funny, and loved by their friends. They said goodbye to their families that day, and I'm sure nobody thought anything of it... they were just going back to school after the weekend, like lots of us. Fact is, we don't know when our time will come to leave this earth, and now, more than ever, I am determined to make the most of the life I'm given and accomplish as much as I can and let everyone know that they are loved. God bless Megan, Jordan, Lauren, and Danielle... and God bless all of you.

Hope to be back soon with a more positive update. Until then, I wish only good things for each and every one of you.

Happy Friday!

2012-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

Today's post will be short and sweet: I want a puppy. Scott took me on a date last night and after dinner we passed by a pet store and I found a puppy who melts my heart and would be the perfect companion for Gizmo. But speaking of Gizmo, his adoption fee is about three times as much as Gizmo's was. *SIGH* Still... worth considering?? Check him out!!

Also, in other (much less happy) news, my sweetheart blogger friend, Stephanie, is going on a blogging hiatus... perhaps permanently #bummin . If you know her and follow her amazing blog, Stephanie and Such, please pop on over to her page and wish her all the best. She's been a consistently amazing gal and I wish her all the best as she experiences life outside of blog world. Love ya, lady!!

Here's to a wonderful weekend,

Food-Filled Wednesdays: For All You Taco Lovers

2012-01-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

So as you may or may not know, I am no cook. Not at all. But I do know how to heat up a can of soup...

With that in mind, my mother gave me the Campbell's Cookbook for Christmas, which is essentially just a 3-5 step recipes made with different Campbell's soups and a few other ingredients. Easy enough! I gave this one a shot and suprisingly did not fail. If you're anything like me, and would rather use your oven and kitchen cabinets for shoe storage, you'll be surprised at how easy it can be to seem domestic with this Beef Taco Skillet. Give it a shot tonight! Compliments of Campbell's Kitchen. Suggestions in (bold italics) are my own personal little tweaks and not part of the original recipe.

1 pound ground beef (I used 1 pound and a half- I love me some meat!)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or Healthy Request®)

1/2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1/2 cup water

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 1 cup, cooking half into the mix and sprinkling the top with the other half when finished... trust me on this one- it's worth it!)

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup, picante sauce, water and tortillas (and half the cheese) in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir the beef mixture.

Top with the (remaining) cheese.

Scott HATES leftovers. Never eats them. But he had two big plates of this and then enjoyed the leftovers the next day! That's when you know it's a success.

Happy cooking!

P.S. Today is one of my bloggy bestie's birthday! Happy Birthday, Courtney!! Hop on over to her page and send her some much-deserved love! :)

Fun Day Monday: MY HUBBY DID IT!!

2012-01-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone and welcome to a new week! This weekend was a great one, filled with homework (that's not the great part) and celebrating (that's the great part). This past weekend, my husband did something he's been waiting ten years to do...

He graduated college!!

Scott didn't have the easiest time getting to where he is now- he went on his mission for church, as he expected, but when all was said and done, he didn't get to hop right back into the college scene like he had hoped. It took him quite a bit of time to figure out where he wanted to be. When he would finally choose a school, he would struggle with the decision of what he wanted to do.

Scott loves and respects his father and always felt an enormous amount of pressure to try and please him. Scott's heart was in music, but his father was pushing for architecture, business, or military service. For several years and through several schools, Scott dabbled in all three and just couldn't throw his whole heart into any of them.

When I met him, he was planning on trying out yet another school in their business program. I remember him and I used to talk about a music degree a lot and I kept pushing him to go for it. On the day of his orientation, Scott went and sat with the business majors to prepare for a long day of registering for finance classes, management classes, the works... and then he did something so brave, I still to this day admire the daylights out of him for.

He went up to the head of the music department, who was about to lead the music majors on a tour, and he said, "I think I'm in the wrong major." The man was surprised and pleased, and gratiously allowed Scott to take the tour with everyone else. By the end of the day, Scott was enrolled in his first full semester as an official music student, just like he'd always wanted.

This is the face of success... and cuteness. ;)

It's never easy to feel like you're letting someone down, and I know Scott worried a lot about feeling that way with his father throughout the process, but if I can take a guess, I'm sure his dad is just as proud of his college graduate son with a music degree today, as he ever would have been with any other field of study. There is a good chance Scott never would have graduated if he had listened to anybody else, who told him music wouldn't get him anywhere. But it's where his heart is and he persevered and made it through.

I am so proud of my husband today. Congratulations, Scott. All your hard work has finally paid off.

Free Day Friday: My Most Embarrassing Moment

2012-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

Today is Free Day Friday here at Life's Little Lessons and because of my fantastic mood (it's the freakin weekend!), I thought it might be fun to spread the joy and put a smile on your faces by sharing a funny (and humiliating) moment from my life. It's Friday, so let's laugh together!

I grew up in a very conservative lifestyle... no swearing, no smoking, drinking, and especially no revealing outfits!! Not a surprise- lots of you were raised that way- religion is something to be respected. But we all have our times when we are dying to rebel... even if it's just for a day.

It was 7th grade. The time when we're all incredibly awkward and self-conscious about our rapidly-changing bodies. Some girls looked to be about 25 while others looked 12. Yeah, THAT time. Anyway, we were required to take gym class and it was the swimming unit at this particular time. Girls were NOT to wear two-piece swimsuits and if they did, they would have to cover up with a T-shirt provided by the school. Tankinis (the two-piece suits with the tops that ALMOST reach the bottoms, revealing only an inch of skin at most) were allowed without the T-shirts.

I wore my one piece every day. I didn't own two-piece suits, with the exception of my one and only tankini. The girls used to laugh at me because I was one of the only people who actually obeyed the rules and didn't need to borrow a T-shirt to cover up my non-existent curves with. One day I finally had it. I was going to wear my tankini and show everyone that I wasn't such a goody two-shoes.

I was always one of those girls who refused to change in the locker rooms, so I would have to go wait in the bathroom for one of the stalls to open up so I could change in there. On my day of rebellion, people were taking FOREVER in the bathroom and by the time I got in the stall to change, the instructor called in, "Last call to make it to the pool!" If you were tardy, you not only got that marked on your record, you might not be allowed to participate in class that day and get zeros on the activities.

This was my first time in a two-piece suit and I was confused as all get-up on how to wiggle into one so quickly, but I did my best, and RAN through the locker room, stopping only for a moment to stand under the shower so my hair could get wet and stepped out to the pool edge. I was relieved that I had made it "on time".

Everyone was in the pool by the time I got there: boys, girls, teachers and all and I found it weird that as I was entering the water by the pool stairs, everyone was STARING at me, hard-core. "Man, this tankini must really make me look grown up and hot," I thought. "They must be shocked to see me pushing the rules like this. Mission accomplished." And while I stood there on the stairs with people looking, my confidence sky-rocketed and I took my sweet time going down into the water.

A few minutes later, people were STILL staring, especially the boys, and I was beginning to wonder how good I must look to have them whispering about me instead of paying attention to the teacher. It was then that I realized how darn uncomfortable two-piece suits were, especially in the bottoms. Too big on one half and too small on the other?? That didn't seem right. And then I figured it out:

I had put my swimsuit bottoms on sideways so that the crotch portion was on my hip and the hip side was... well, let's just say it was in the wrong place and showing waaaaaaay more than I intended.

I suddenly longed for my ugly, goody two-shoes one-piece suit... and a school-issued T-shirt... and my dignity. I was mortified. What was worse is that it was SNORKEL DAY, where everybody went under the water with eyes wide open, safely behind their goggles... and they could stay under the water and stare for as long as they wanted.

I spent the whole lesson, pressed up against the pool wall, holding on for dear life, and telling the teacher I wasn't comfortable with the unsanitary idea of sharing snorkels (it wasn't a complete lie!) so I would be forfeitting my grade for the day. Turns out, failing the swimming unit wasn't the worst part of gym classs... imagine that!

Happy Friday,

Settling In and Blog Changes!!

2012-01-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, oh, wow!! What a whirlwind this past couple of weeks has been!! We have been in our new place for about 2 weeks now and we are just starting to get our lives back in order. Between Scott working full-time and me schooling it up full-time (with his days off NOT matching up with mine, once again), we barely had time to put our place in order and unpack. But now, ladies, the pictures are hung, the furniture is arranged, and the broken things have been disposed of! Our internet is up and running and my school schedule is finally starting to sink in. For the first time in over a month, I feel like I can just... breathe.

Being back in Fargo feels great. A lot of things seem like I never left and other things seem like a vanished memory. Luckily, I remembered my way around campus, how to use the computer labs, and where to go to change my name here at school (yes, even a year and a half after the wedding, I'm STILL working on getting my name changes done!). It feels great... overwhelming, but great.

I know I've been a let-down for some of you active readers, and have lost a follower or two out of it... I've been bad about checking my emails to reply to your comments, awful about reading your blogs, and despicable in regards to writing new posts. But I am back and ready to blog with full force now!!

In fact, new changes are happening here at Life's Little Lessons and, in an attempt to get more organized, I will be trying out a blog schedule, so I have writing prompts and main topics to focus on. "What things do I love most??" I had to ask myself when developing this schedule, and to figure out what I mainly wanted to focus on in this blog and here are my soul-searching results: fun, fashion, food, and friends... check it out!

Fun-Filled Mondays

This will focus on my adventures over the weekend, as well as recap the going-ons in my life from the week before. It also may simply be a story of a past fun-filled experience I've had.

Fashionable Tuesdays

While I am an Apparel major, this will not be limited to just clothes. These days will discuss hair, makeup, clothing, home decor, entertainment that I am loving on at the moment. Pop culture will definitely put in its appearance as well. Pop in on these days for my recommendations on all things fabulous!

Food-Filled Wednesdays

Once again, this topic is not as literal as it sounds. Yes, if I find an awesome recipe on Pinterest or manage to actually cook for my hubby, I will put it up on Wednesdays, but this will also cover body issues, eating habits, exercise topics, etc. It's more of a health-related day. Let's give it a shot.

Friendship Thursdays

More like Relationship Thursdays, but I was on a roll with the "F" thing. Here I'll discuss marriage-related things, friendship stories, social awkwardness and the sort. I will also feature some of my bloggy besties in guest posts on these days!

Free Day Fridays

You've got it: anything goes!! Anything that I feel like posting on that doesn't pertain to something earlier in the week (or that I'm really feeling passionate about and want to continue on from before) goes here! Pinterest discoveries, jokes, photos, stories... I want to start the weekend off right!

So there you have it, loyal followers! Paula is back and ready to approach the new year with a new outlook. Keep up with my adventures on the regular and I'll be sure to do the same. Thanks for sticking by me in my time of absence, friends- you've surely been missed!!

Ta for now!

Today's the Day

2012-01-07T05:29:00.000-08:00

Hey dolls! Back at last... did you miss me?! Well, if so, you're going to have to miss me a little more because today is the big day; our move at long last to Fargo. We got home from our flight late on Wednesday and had the awesome opportunity to have a little going away get-together with my best friends, which was super nice. Then Thursday consisted of unpacking from vacation and packing up everything we had at the house, getting ready, and I got to see my big sis, Danielle. Yesterday we picked up our rental truck and spent hours loading it up with everything that was in our storage unit, then going home and loading the rest of the stuff that we packed up the day before. A few things put in the truck by sunrise and we're off to the new apartment!

Going to school is so very important to me, but I won't lie, this time is different than the first time I moved to Fargo for college. Back then, my life was so much easier (NOTE: EASIER, not necessarily better). I was a 19-year-old single girl with nothing more than a box full of clothes, a box full of shoes, and a backpack with school supplies, eager to take on the real college experience, complete with dorm room living, late night Taco Bell runs, and frequent trips to the mall with friends. I now return with a husband, a puppy, a grownup apartment, a renewed sense of responsibility, and no friends to go back to. This, my friends, will be the start to a lot of changes. Wish me all the best, if you don't mind.

Now back to our vacation, I could go on and on about what we did, what we saw, where we went, etc., but instead, I will let a few pictures sum it up, as I know I have a tendency to get lengthy with my posts (yes, I AM aware, thank you very much). Enjoy the slight documentation of our trip to Miami in a nutshell!

We met our nephew, Noah

I shopped at DASH Miami

We hit up South Beach for New Year's Eve

Got a mani/pedi for only $20

We drove all over the city

We played in the ocean

I worked up a little tan

We did lovey-dovey things

I rode on a plane

And we enjoyed each other's company

Forgive my absence while we unload the truck and unpack the boxes, but when I come back, I'll have lots more to share. Again, thoughts and prayers are always appreciated!! Holla to my friends from home reading this... I will certainly miss you all- keep up with me and my new adventures on the regular here at Life's Little Lessons.

Until I unpack my laptop again,

Virtual Postcard

2012-01-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Miami!!
A very happy new year to you all!! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and a fabulous New Year's!! I'll be back on Thursday, just in time to move to Fargo by the weekend *whew!* Please keep me in your thoughts at this crazy time... can't wait to catch up on you when I return!!

Much love,

Countdown to Christmas: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4...

2011-12-21T08:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas is now only FOUR days away and still, for the first Christmas I can ever remember, it may not be a white one. There is no snow on the ground and not much in the forecast. While I am thrilled about how warm it has been, it's unusual to not see snow outside my window... makes it a little tough to feel like it's really Christmastime at all, but I'm going to keep trying over here at Life's Little Lessons with some more holiday favorites...

Day 8: Favorite Christmas TV Episode

If you are not familiar with Mr. Bean, please ladies, do yourself a favor and change that. Unless you don't get British humor (or as they would say, "humour"), in which case you should probably change that too before you can appreciate the finess of Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean. The episode I have posted, Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean, is beyond hilarious, with my favorite part cracking me up as this full-grown man plays with a Nativity set in the department store and ends up air-lifting Baby Jesus to safety... slightly blasphemous? Perhaps. Hilarious, regardless? Always. Click here for the full episode... you're welcome. :)

Day 7: Favorite Christmas Recipe

via

I had a book growing up that I loved called A Christmas Celebration by Joan Walsh-Anglund. The book was a scratch-n-sniff collection of holiday traditions that also featured recipes. In that book, I found a recipe that I just had to try and my mom and I made it that Christmas and it was a HIT. Alas, the book has since been misplaced, but here is the closest recipe I could find for delicious Peppermint-y Pie.

Day 6: Favorite Christmas Craft

Isn't Pinterest wonderful?? I had a hard time choosing a favorite, but finally decided that the craft I would most like to attempt is this adorable framed Christmas tree made of buttons... love the Scrabble letters and the vintage look. You can find the source of this here from Courtney at Red Heads Craft More Fun.

Day 5: Favorite Christmas Tradition

Every year, my great aunt and uncle hold a festive Christmas party at their incredible home the weekend before Christmas. Sometimes we would take turns playing songs on the piano and singing, games were played, food was devoured, stories were told, and there was always a visit from Santa Claus himself. It was the one time each year I got to see my entire family on my dad's side, including my great aunts and uncles. Sadly, my friends, this year marked the end of an era. After decades of Christmas parties together, the party is much more difficult for my family to host each year and has just gotten to be too much. It will be missed by all, but not ever forgotten. Time to start a new Christmas tradition... :)

Day 4: Favorite Christmas Tree

I met Scott in August and by November, things were very serious between us. I was living in North Dakota and he was living in Wisconsin, but we visited each other nearly every weekend. On one particular weekend, Scott came up with a truck full of Christmas decorations my mother had sent with him. The biggest box housed my very own fake Christmas tree to use in my apartment, along with all of my childhood ornaments. For hours, we decorated my apartment, drank cider, and listened to Christmas music. Finally, we set up the tree and I knew this was the first of many Christmas trees we would be decorating together. It was a beautiful memory and a cute tree, too.

Only a few more days!! Hang in there, friends!!

Countdown to Christmas: 11, 10, 9...

2011-12-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

So I guess I was a day early on my first Countdown to Christmas post... so I thought I'd give it a day off to catch up, but you know how that goes... a day turns into two... and, well, here we are, at Day 9 already! Anyway, on to more Christmas favorites, including the ones I missed the past couple days.

Day 11: Favorite Christmas Commercial

There are always so many funny commercials this time of year, advertising for specials and holiday deals, but once again, I find myself with two answers: my favorite this year is Game Stop (which is actually a replay from last year that I didn't see until now) and one of my all-time favorites is the M&M's... when that ad came out in 1996, that was a HUGE deal, and it is still run today- now THAT is a classic.

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Photo

Christmas 2006

In a way, this is a bitter-sweet photo. I love it because I think it's a cute picture and because of the happy memories that came along with it, but it makes me sad in a way, too, because it shows a past that I don't have connections to anymore. I sadly lost touch with Katelyn (on the right) when we separated for college, but she came up with this fantastic, fun-filled idea to get together and dress up like lady Santas and take some hoiday photos together as friends. We had so much fun dressing up for the photos, striking silly poses, and figuring out ways to take the pictures using only the timer. We laughed until we cried that night and it was such an amazing time that produced some amazing photos. I don't have too many girlfriends now, but I would love to reproduce this photo at some point before I get too old for it to seem ridiculous. ;)

Day 9: Favorite Christmas Memory

I have loved every single Christmas, from start to finish, so I really cannot pin-point a specific Christmas that was excessively better. I do, however, have a Christmastime memory that seems insignificant, but that represents a very happy time in my life. Back in 7th grade, as I've mentioned before, I went into junior high without many (if any) friends. I was in choir then and discovered a brand new love of singing I never knew I had before. The choir teacher had a tendency to pick favorites, though, and she gave me a solo in every single concert, often times in more than one song. That, combined with the fact that I was a Class A geek, made me a major target for bullying, but I managed to meet ONE friend. One girl like me who was bullied and loved to sing; she became my best and only friend.

Her name was Lauren, and I remember one day Lauren asked me to come over to her house after school... that was the most exciting invitation I'd had in years. I remember meeting at my locker after school and getting ready for the walk to her house together (which was also super cool in my mind). Right before the final bell rang, the snow had begun to fall gently, and I remember walking side-by-side with my only friend in the world, in a beautiful snow, to her beautiful house. When we got there, our noses were pink, the house was warm, their tree was beautiful, and her mom had hot cocoa waiting in teacups for us. We sat and ate cookies and had cocoa and I got a tour of what was the most beautiful home I had ever seen.

Then we went downstairs to the basement, where Lauren showed me the coolest thing I had ever seen: a karaoke machine! We spent the entire afternoon until my mom came to pick me up, singing our hearts out in the basement. When Mom came to get me, I didn't want to leave, but I remember leaving there feeling happy for the first time in years, feeling loved and appreciated, and feeling inspired to become a better singer. That Christmas, my parents bought me a karaoke machine. We didn't normally do big gifts in my house, so that was a major deal. I practiced on that thing daily, and a few months later, I got enrolled in voice lessons. Lauren showed me the true meaning of happiness that Christmas and showcased the importance of friendship and family in helping you achieve your dreams... it was a Christmas miracle to me!

Happy Holidays, friends!! Remember what makes Christmas special to you!!

Countdown to Christmas: 12 Days of Christmas Kick-Off

2011-12-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Only 12 more days until Christmas, ladies, so from now until then, I will be featuring The Twelve Days of Christmas, P! Style, telling you about some of my favorites of Christmas. Today's topic is...

Favorite Christmas Movie

This one is a toughie for me, because there are so many fantastic feel-good Christmas movies out there and if you tune in with Lifetime or ABC Family pretty much any evening this month, they grace you with showings of such fabulous pieces of entertainment. My answer is kind of cheating since I technically have two answers, but I would have to say...

A Christmas Carol

Both A Muppet Christmas Carol AND the musical. It's a TIE!!

Growing up, every year at Christmas, my family got together, drank hot chocolate and cider and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. I love everything about that show: the Muppets, the music, the costumes, the story, the impeccable acting of the remarkable Michael Caine... I can't help but sing along whenever The Ghost of Christmas Present starts singing "It Feels Like Christmas" and how can you not laugh your head off at every little bit with Rizzo the Rat, especially when he jumps from the top of a very high gate, only to realize he forgot his jelly beans on the other side. That movie tells the story in a light that can be appreciated by people of all ages and, for me, symbolizes the coming together of my family. It was one of the only things we were all willing to get together for growing up and I will forever Cherish that.

THEN, in 2005, NBC came out with a new version of this classic tale, in musical form. Featuring amazing talents like Kelsey Grammer, Jason Alexander, Jane Krakowski, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, I was star-struck, just by the commercials. I remember setting the VCR on my TV (old school) to record it while I was at play practice. When I watched it later that night at home, I was in love. I rewound the tape and stayed up until 1:00 in the morning watching it again. I watched that musical nearly every single day that Christmas season, until the little tape I watched it on was warped and squeaky. I was a HUGE Jennifer Love Hewitt fan and I learned her song, "A Place Called Home" and dreamed of playing her part of Emily some day.

The following winter, the theatre group I was a part of announced that they would be holding auditions for a brand new show... A Christmas Carol: The Musical. I was BEYOND excited!! But this theatre company did auditions a little differently: you didn't audition for a specific role or tell them what you wanted, you just sang a song in front of everybody and they told you the following week if you were cast in a role and who. I was so disappointed... I wanted SO bad to be Emily, but I knew that, with it being a love interest role, and I was not the oldest girl in the group, that I stood no chance of getting it. But I went up and sang my little heart out at auditions and hoped for the best.

The next week, they announced the cast... I was placed as Scrooge's love interest, Emily!! I had done it!! For the first time in a long time, I had landed the role that I dreamed of! I had so much fun working on that show and couldn't believe that I finally had a song of my very own to sing in a prominent role onstage. It was also my first kiss. I remember being so nervous at rehearsals, because I knew we were eventually probably going to be instructed to kiss and I didn't know the guy I was cast opposite and I'd never kissed anyone before. Obviously, it worked out fine and I made it through, but it was nerve-wracking! That role was so important to me, because not only did I love it, but many years earlier, my mom had been cast in that same role in the regular stage version. I got to wear her old dress for the part and it was just so special for both of us.

So those equal in specialness to me. Other honorable mentions: The Grinch (original version), The Santa Clause, Jingle All the Way, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I'm leaving you with my favorite parts from each movie... enjoy and spread the holiday cheer!!

Tune back tomorrow for more of my holiday favorites. :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-12-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

The title says it all, ladies! Here are the little blessings that I'm grateful for this week:

Tomorrow is my last day of school!!

After clamoring like crazy to get everything done by the end of the semester (today is no exception), after tomorrow I will be back to my regular routine and able to blog, craft, and relax a WHOLE lot more!! Fingers crossed that my final project goes well tomorrow. :)

My nephew, Noah.

He's such a cute little nugget and, rumor has it, he's growing SUPER quickly already... I sense a chubbers in the making! YAY! I can't wait to go meet him at the end of the month.

Lauren Conrad Style

Have you read this yet? If not, get on it. I mean, who doesn't love LC's style?? This book is inspiring a major closet makeover for me!!

Michael Buble's new Christmas CD

Love everything about Michael, and he's outdone himself once again on his newest album, Christmas. Please at the very least go preview the songs on iTunes. My personal favorite?? His version of "Santa Baby"- haha!

Our new apartment

Three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with an awesome outdoor space, new appliances, free tanning, free gym, our own laundry room, and Gizmo gets to live there, rent-free! I can't wait to finish moving everything in!

My current sense of body image

I've packed on a few extra LBS ('tis the season, right?), gained a little cellulite, worn flat shoes a lot more, exposing my height deficiency, I'm growing my hair back to its natural color (meaning three-inch roots) and my skin is paler than ever, but over the past couple months I've really come to terms with my body and I'm not knocking it down constantly or comparing myself to anyone else. It feels AWESOME! :)

I'm all smiles, even if I could pass as Casper's sister. ;)

The countdown to Christmas!!

Need I say more?? Only two and half weeks and it's GO TIME!! I'm so excited to spend the holidays with my loving hubby. :)

What are YOU loving today?? XOXO,

My Surprise Honeymoon

2011-12-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks my second to last day of class for this semester and I am beyond excited! All this school work and moving has really been cramping my style!! I will be busy memorizing, rehearsing, writing, directing, and coordinating this week, so expect yet another bland and absent week from your good friend, P! Sorry, dolls. :( Anyway! We got some progress done on the new apartment while we were away, but it is far from finished. Once we are done, though, there will be lots of pictures to share. :)

I know I'm late in announcing this (as if you didn't already know), but it is finally December and the countdown to Christmas has begun! Forgive me if the site is a mess for a day or two here while I get Life's Little Lessons all decked out for the holiday season. This one is bound to be fabulous! I've been looking forward to December all year, not only because of Christmas, but because we get to hit up Miami for the second year in a row!! My sister-in-law and her hubby (the ones that just had that ADORABLE baby) live in Miami and I had never been until our honeymoon last year. Now I want to make it a tradition!! And speaking of our honeymoon, I've never shared with you guys about it, so I'll do a brief overview, mainly in photos, of what went down!!

Scott and I planned on getting married on New Year's Eve. In Minnesota. What were we thinking?! His family lives all over the country, but nowhere quite so cold as my Minne-Wonderland. When we first announced the date, we were met with a bunch of no's from a lot of people. Long story short, we ended up having the wedding in the summer instead. With that in mind, we had originally planned on taking our honeymoon right after the New Year's wedding. Circumstances changed, money got tight, schedules got crammed, and we talked it over: No honeymoon. Maybe in a year or two when we could afford it and had more time.

So I went about my normal, pale kid life and truly didn't mind not getting a honeymoon. I picked up my January schedule and was excited to see I had extra hours at the salon- yay, money! Fast forward to Christmas: my final gift was in a bag and everyone was watching me open it (which always makes me uncomfortable, by the way)... inside were some gloves that I loved and a note that read something along the lines of "But you won't need these where we're going..." Under more tissue paper was an adorable swimsuit and pictures of Palm Beach, Florida!

Scott had gone into my work and talked to the owners and my manager and they all worked together to surprise me with a week-long trip in the sun... we were getting our honeymoon after all and I had no idea!! My parents bought our plane tickets and Scott's parents gave us their timeshare condo in Palm Beach, so all expenses aside from food were paid for. It was amazing. Enjoy the photos!

Morning beach stroll... private beach, baby!!

It's important to practice safe sun, ladies!!

WARNING: Tough guy on the beach!!

My nod to Kanye. Chyeah!

On our way to my new favorite place- Miami, South Beach!!

At a Trailer Park Bar... Classy!!!

Did I mention I ADORE the Kardashians?! Here, at the very store!!

Partying on the roof of a club, VIP!!

The infamous bikini shot... HA HA HA!! Had to include this little gem- lol.

That cake was beyond incredible!! And HUGE!!

I'm not small or anything...

Managed to put my hand in bird poop... wonderful.

They had a dance outdoors for the guests- we danced the HOT night away with the old folks!! :)

Last night of our trip... :/

Fun restaurants... not always great food, though.

If you've never been to Miami, South Beach, book your tickets, ladies!! Shopping late, late into the night, clubs, food, neon lights, sand... I cannot wait to go back. We're leaving shortly after Christmas. So that was my honeymoon- hope you enjoyed a peek at it. What all did YOU do for your honeymoon??

Be back soon (I hope),

We Found It!!

2011-11-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, quick hello before I leave for school today! Sorry I've been absent so much- it's the busiest time of year, with next week being the last week of school, holidays, and, of course, moving! We finally found our new apartment and it's awesome! I am so excited to share more with all of you. Today, immediately after class, Scott and I will be hopping in the car and driving to Fargo- tomorrow we sign our new lease together! I cannot believe this is all really happening. A few months ago, I was sooo distraught, missing my old school and thinking I would never go back, but after all this prayer and support from my hubby, we managed to find a way to make it all happen and make me so very happy. I cannot wait to move back to my old town and go to my old school. I cannot wait to have a college degree. I cannot wait to have more time with Scott. I also can't wait to decorate the place- that's my favorite part of new apartments. :)

Remember this project?? Home makeovers are the best!!

Anyway, thank you to all of you, as well, for your prayers and words of encouragement. I can't wait to blog more about these new changes and exciting adventures that are about to ensue. I'll be sure to take lots of photos over the next couple days while I'm away and you can see the building of my dream in progress. Much love and I know I keep saying it, but I WILL be back soon!!

XOXO,

P.S. If you haven't done so yet, PLEASE go to http://oeuvreawards.com/ and vote for Cory Regnier for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Thank you!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Lovelies!

2011-11-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Well, the title says it all. I wanted to wish each and every one of you a very happy Thanksgiving. I've always loved this holiday, because I think it is based on something that is morally worth celebrating: being grateful. I saw a pin on Pinterest recently that, while funny, actually was kind of sad... because it's true.

Thanksgiving is rapidly becoming an almost obsolete holiday. We don't get physical gifts on Thanksgiving and it's not about partying like crazy, and therefore, it's lost popularity. What it is about is recognizing how lucky we are to have family and friends, health, money, jobs, pets, homes, etc. Isn't that enough to celebrate? Truthfully, we should probably have Thanksgiving once a month so we quit overlooking our blessings during the rest of the year, but if once a year is all we get, why wouldn't we want to take that day and cherish it for all it's worth?

Reminder to self: these two are a blessing!

Thanksgiving never used to be a commercial holiday. Yes, there were traditions to it (girlfriend loves her some turkey and stuffing!), but outside of one's own personal home, not much was mumbled about this fantastic day. Since then, greeting card companies have developed thousands of cards for it... fair enough- why not spread the sentiment of being thankful?? But THEN, the retailers out there, outside of grocery stores, of course, started wanting to make money off of this untapped resource of a holiday. I mean, come on, why not take a holiday that's focused on the immaterial goods in our life and try and make it material, right? Wrong. Black Friday began and became pure mayhem- injuries, deaths, insults... all in the pursuit of getting more STUFF.

Now I'm not saying you shouldn't go out on Black Friday- that's your call. Do as you wish- I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is these stores that are now open at 9:00 or midnight on Thanksgiving/Black Friday, forcing employees to spend their Thanksgiving away from their family, or ~~dreading~~ resting up for their upcoming shift, just hours after they finish their dinner. Making money off of Thanksgiving and using it as a kick-off to Christmas shopping makes me feel pretty lousy about it. I didn't actually realize how much the principle of it all upset me until I sat down to write this.

Great deals can be found... but at what cost?

Anyway, long story short: please try and find something to be thankful this Thanksgiving. Be with your family if you can. Tell someone you love them and, above all, if you go out on Black Friday, please... please, please do NOT trample your fellow man for a laptop. Believe me, it isn't worth it. ;) Happy Thanksgiving, dolls- I, for one, am thankful for all of you and the friendship you've extended to me... I'm one lucky girl.

God bless,

P.S. If you haven't done so yet, PLEASE go to http://oeuvreawards.com/ and vote for Cory Regnier for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Thank you!!

Bloggy Bestie Guest Post- READ!!

2011-11-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited about today's guest post. It is featuring a bloggy bestie, my sweetheart friend, Courtney over at Eric and Courtney. As far back as I can remember with my blogging, Courtney has been following me and I noticed right away a pattern: she visited often and she always had the best things to say. She's one of those people who always knows just what to say to make you laugh, or feel comforted, or inspired. If you haven't had the pleasure of following her and getting to know this sweet girl, DO NOT pass up this opportunity. I like to think I have great taste, and she's got my vote every time. Enjoy!

Can I just tell you all how happy and excited I am to be taking over P's blog today? I just love this girl! She is something special, don't you agree? I hope to be very dear, real life friends someday :)
Anyway, P asked me to share my thoughts on: If you could have been told one thing that you weren't told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard? I've thought long and hard about this question and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I was told everything I needed to hear as a teenager. (Except for the fact that you can totally have acne in your 20's. And that is just the saddest thing in the world, haha.) But did I believe everything I'd been told? Nope! So I want to share some advice I was given, but didn't believe until after high school.

+ My dad always told me to find a career I love.
As a teenager I thought NO WAY does anyone get lucky enough to love their work.
Now it is safe to say that I LOVE my job as a hairstylist. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like work :)
+ My mom always told me that chivalry is NOT dead, and I should date boys who opened doors for me and respected me.
As a teenager I was SO embarrassed when a boy came to pick me up and they would honk for me to come out. My mom would make me wait inside until they came and knocked on the door. I thought boys only opened doors for you on prom dates :)
Now my husband ALWAYS opens the door for me. And I expect nothing less. Let me tell you something, he has proved to me that chivalry is indeed, NOT dead ;)
+ Freedom does not come free.
I was a teenager when 9/11 happened. I thought it was an accident, and there would not be a war. (I like to think of myself as naive, and always looking for the best in everyone.)
Now, I have the utmost respect for the brave men and women that fight for our freedom. We need our soldiers.
+ My parents taught me the importance of building your savings account.
As a teenager I spent my money when I wanted, and how I wanted. And I didn't have much to show for it.
Now my hubs and I are trying SO hard to build our savings account. After experiencing job lay offs, and bills I've learned that a savings account will totally help keep me calm and sane :)

I was told/given such great advice growing up, I only wish I would've listened/believed it better. But I definitely plan on teaching my kids everything they need to hear (and wish they didn't hear..especially coming from their parents, haha.) as they grow up!

If you'd like to get to know me more, come visit my blog where I write about me and the hubs :) I love to make new friends!

A big THANK YOU to you, Courtney, for this awesome post! I can absolutely relate to it all and who doesn't love the bit about chivalry... this goes for single and married ladies!! Stop back in next week so I can fill you in on my Fargo endeavors- In the mean time, I'm off to unpack!

Have a great weekend,

P.S. Vote for my big brother!! He's nominated for a Best Actor award and it's a big deal! Please go to http://oeuvreawards.com/ and vote for Cory Regnier for Best Actor in a Musical. Thanks, dolls!!

Excuses, Excuses... I Know, I Know

2011-11-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning, my friends!! As you may or may not have noticed, I finally caught up on all of my blog reading last weekend. It was so good to finally hear about what's going on with all of you. I know I said that after the play ended, I hoped to have more time to get caught up and become a better bloggy friend, but obviously life gets in the way sometimes.

First, we FINALLY bought Scott a vehicle this weekend. And I managed to talk him out of the sports car and into an SUV. Yes, that's right, we still hadn't found one since my original post way back when. Which means, every Tuesday and Thursday (Scott's days off), from 4:00 on, Scott and I would go car hunting. We drove all over the Twin Cities and waaaay far beyond. When Scott would get home from work at 9:30 at night, he would hop on his computer and start another car search on there, with no luck. After over 20 dealers, and probably close to 50 vehicles, and close to a month and a half, we finally just got down to it and picked one. It's not my favorite, but the price was right and we were able to pay for it in cash... no extra car payments! Yay!

Chrysler Pacifica... not beautiful, but highly functional. Oh, and NOT a sports car. :)

On the moving front, some of you can probably relate, trying to find a new place to live from 250 miles away isn't really that easy. I've been sifting through hundreds of ads, looking into subleasers, trying to find a place that will allow Gizmo to be with us... and it has not been fun. Do you know how many buildings in Fargo, North Dakota are NOT pet friendly?? The answer is A LOT. And shall we talk about the scammers that are out there?? So many "people" are willing to take advantage of the fact that you're looking for a home from far away, trying to trick you into sending a deposit to them, failing to provide legitimate information, or claiming that they live overseas so they can't actually meet you in person. I know people that have been swindled out of their money like this before, so everyone BEWARE.

My first apartment in Fargo was MUCH easier to find!

And in regards to school, I was finally able to register. I am officially signed up for classes at my old school, and I couldn't be more excited... or wait, yeah I could... if a few things were changed. First, I am currently enrolled for 6 classes, which equals 18 credits, and from there, I have 1 more theatre practicum I have to take, which will make it 19 credits and involve me being cast in a show up there... YIKES, no pressure. I find myself with one major problem, though, that will require some advice on your parts.

Pre-requisites suck. Ya know... the class you have to take before you can take another. Well, at NDSU, almost all of the apparel design and construction classes require a course called ADHM 155. So naturally, I went to enroll for it, only to find out it is only offered in the fall. "No big deal," I thought. But it turns out it is a big deal. In order to take ADHM 155, you must first take ADHM 101. Well, it turns out, my friends, that ADHM 101 is also only offered in the fall... what's up with that?!

Well, after careful research (and I'll need my advisor to confirm if I'm correct), I determined that I can probably graduate by NEXT summer!! That's only a year and a half. I was originally thinking we would be there for over 2 years, so this is a MAJOR improvement. However, my question for your is this:

If I take a different direction in my Apparel Studies major and focus more on the history and logic of the apparel industry, I can get done in a year and a half. If I choose to focus more on apparel design and construction, it will add another year (most likely) and still only get me the same degree. If I were only looking out for myself, I think I would just stay and complete the degree with the courses and information I want, but I have a husband, who will be 29 by the time I graduate and who is waiting to begin his career and his life back home in Minnesota. What would YOU do?

I always get some sound and logic advice from my blog friends and I'm hoping this time is no exception. Tomorrow, we will be traveling to Fargo for a couple days to look at apartments and I can meet with my advisor. I'm really hoping for some answers to all my questions! Anyway, that's why I've been gone so much, and probably will continue to be gone for a few more days. Keep me in your thoughts!!

Love always,

Guest Post from a Non-Blogger

2011-11-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone- Boy, do I have a special treat for you today! You're definitely going to want to read this guest post from my friend, Ricky. Ricky is a smart, funny, talented (and let's not forget cute, right, ladies?) young man that I had the pleasure of going to high school with. Just over a year ago, Ricky and his family went through a horrible ordeal; out of that, he developed a positive insight and grateful outlook on life and wrote this incredible story last Christmas season. Grab your tissues, folks, because you're in for a roller coaster of emotions. Enjoy and remember these fantastic lessons:

This year’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday season have never meant so much. After what has been the scariest, most chaotic, and most unbelievable period of time in my family's life, I can say, with immense certainty, that I have never been so overwhelmingly grateful for my family, friends, and everything else in this life.

After all that has happened, I am certain of five things:

1) Life is uncertain, but...

2) Miracles do happen,

3) Angels do exist,

4) Everything happens for a reason,

and even when life seems to be "too much", realize that:

5) Life is certainly wonderful. :)

Okay, storytime.

On Friday, October 29th of this year, my parents flew out to Houston, TX. The company that my Mom and I work for had asked my Dad to make/deliver/and install a bunch of cabinetry/fixtures for the new surgical center being constructed in The Woodlands, TX (a suburb of Houston). The cabinetry was all set, and was being driven down in a truck to be delivered on that coming Sunday. My folks were down there to unload and install the cabinets.

Now, the day they left, I was in Saint Paul…sleeping. My parents had to drop by our apartment early that morning so my brother could give them a ride to the airport. My mom actually came inside, woke me up, and said goodbye (hugs and all that good stuff). Dad didn’t, and at the time, I didn’t care because I was so freaking tired.

Needless to say, I wish I would have.

At the time, I was certain he would be alright…he always is.

But then again…life is uncertain.

Fast forward to Monday morning… Parents were still in Texas. I was getting ready for my 9:55 a.m. class. On the way to my car, I started thinking about my folks. I thought about how I hadn’t really spoken to them over the weekend at all. I thought about how I had not actually spoken to my dad since the previous Thursday. When I got in my car, the cd I had in the drive began playing. It was the song “Proud” by good friends of mine, The Icarus Account. It’s one of very few songs that remind me of my dad.

As I was driving, I started to think about another thing. When I was in 4th or 5th grade (1998?), my grandfather (my dad’s dad) had passed away in Texas, somewhere around Dallas. He went into cardiac arrest at a Home Depot while shopping for rugs for he and his wife’s new home in Dallas. It was incredibly hard for my family, and to this day, I can barely tell my stories of him. A picture hangs in my room, right next my desk, of my grandpa, my brother, and I, sitting in a little fishing boat at his old cabin in Hayward, WI. It’s probably my favorite picture. It was also one of the last times we saw him, so, I love it. Haha.

Now, upon thinking about this, I thought to myself, “I wonder if it’s weird for my dad to go to Texas? I wonder if he’s okay? What if something happened?” and so on. So, I decided to call him. The phone went straight to voicemail. Strange.

So, I called my mom. She answered almost instantly…

“Ricky,” my mom said.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Where are you?”

“Heading to school, why?”

“Are you on campus or in your car?”

“Car.”

“Ricky, I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“It’s your dad. He had a heart attack last night”

I turned the car around, and headed home.

Backtrack to late Sunday night… It was Halloween night, and the delivery truck had just arrived at the surgical center. My mom and dad arrived, and began unloading the truck. They weren’t alone, thankfully; the driver of the truck and a woman who happened to be working late that night were there to help.

At around 11 p.m., while still in the process of unloading some cabinetry, my mom noticed something was wrong. My dad was sweating. Heavily. He had been complaining that he was extremely hot, and actually removed his shirt to try and alleviate some of the heat. It didn’t help. So, being the tough guy my dad is, he decided to go on a little walking cool-off session down one of the building’s hallways by himself. My mom, being the protector that she is, noticed he had left the area, so she gave him a call.

“Rick, where are you?”

My dad responded somewhere along the lines of, “Honey…I think I’m in a bit of trouble here.”

My mom hung up, sprinted inside, and found my dad standing in the hallway, fairly unresponsive. She rushed him outside, and they placed my dad in the backseat of a car to cool him off. 911 was called, and paramedics were on the scene within 2 minutes. Crazy fast, thank god.

The last thing my dad remembers is answering a few basic questions for the paramedics.

Suddenly, without warning, he took a gasp of air, eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell backwards. He had gone into cardiac arrest. The paramedics picked him up and threw him onto the stretcher in the ambulance. The truck driver and the woman pulled my mom away from the ambulance to a nearby curb. They prayed and prayed and prayed as the paramedics attempted to bring my dad back to life in the back of an ambulance.

The details of the story, though important, are a bit graphic, so I won’t get into them. Simply put, throughout the course of the next couple of hours, my dad flatlined five separate times. My dad died and came back FIVE SEPARATE TIMES. He was defibrillated five separate times as well, and at least once in front of my mom. He had a 100% blockage in the artery where a previous stent was placed about five years earlier. An angioplasty was performed that night, another stent was placed, and the artery was again opened up. By some strange fortune, one of the best heart surgeons in the Houston area was on call that night, working on my father. Thank goodness. He was out of surgery in just over an hour.

It was an absolute miracle. Had this happened anywhere else, had this happened at home, had the ambulance not arrived in two minutes (the type of heart attack he suffered gives a five minute response window of survival), he would’ve been gone. Had my mom not traveled with him to Houston (she didn’t have to), he would have been gone. Had the people who were there late that night not been there, he would have been gone. Had the right paramedics, nurses, cardiologists, and surgeons not been there, he would have been gone.

He recovered quickly, and they flew back to Minnesota on Wednesday night. Normally, this type of situation requires a longer recovery period, but he’s a tough dude. So my dad, my mom, and grandma (she flew down upon hearing the news) headed home.

That night, Rob and I were on our way to pick them up from the airport. It was then that everything hit me. Hard. Rob and I almost lost our dad. I almost didn’t get to say goodbye. Our grandma almost lost her son. Our mom almost lost her best friend. Life, as we know it, was almost flipped completely upside down. But here, out of fate and fortune, was a second chance for our entire family.

As we pulled up to the brightly lit terminal, we saw him standing there with our mom, our grandma, and our aunt (his sister, there to pick up grandma). As soon as we were stopped, I opened the door, and headed straight for him.

I swear to each and every one of you, I have never cried so hard in my life. I have never hugged somebody so hard in my life. Never, in my entire life, had I felt such a rush of emotion as I did that night. Such relief, such happiness, such joy in being able to hold onto someone who was almost ripped away from this world, five states from home, five states from his family. I can’t even begin to explain the feeling. It was sad. It was happy. It was absolutely beautiful.

“Good to see ya, kid,” he said, crying.

“You too, dad.”

Everyone hugged everyone, and there was this giant family hug. Just tons pf happiness and relief all over the place. We were a family, reunited in near tragedy. It felt good.

“Your dad’s always had a knack for getting us together in the strangest ways,” my grandma said. Everyone laughed. Just so happy.

We said our goodbyes to our grandma and aunt, and hopped in the truck.

As we pulled away onto the airport roundabout, the radio was turned up quietly. We sat silently, and I listened. A certain, special song came on, and I was absolutely certain it was meant to be. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie faded in softly, just beginning as we rolled down the highway. I was the only one who noticed. For those of you who aren’t aware of the song, it speaks about death and having optimism in losing someone you love. It’s about a comfort that one day, the people you love are going to die. But, in knowing this, there is comfort, because we will all be reunited again. The opening verse says...

"Love of mine, someday you will die. But I'll be close behind, and follow you into the dark. No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white. Just our hands clasped so tight. Waiting for the hint of a spark."

I love this song, and when it came on at that moment, I couldn’t help but tear up. It was perfect. I reached up to the front seat, holding my dad’s hand for the first time since I was a little kid. I never wanted to let it go.

I sit here at my desk, in the after hours of Friday’s workday, stuck waiting for the plows to clear the roads on a snowy December night, writing this story. There are tears on my hands. There are tears on my keyboard. This is my favorite story. This will always be my favorite story. I will tell this to everyone I know and love until the day I die. As they say, where there is darkness, there is light. I have never understood and appreciated this sentiment in a deeper fashion. Real happiness.

Now, back to how this story started. Those five points. Here are the lessons everyone can hopefully take away from this.

1) Life is uncertain: those you love can be ripped away at any moment. Appreciate, talk to, hug, kiss, high five, hold, touch, give, laugh, cry, and tell them you love them at any moment you get. You never know how many more of those moments you will get :)

2) Miracles do happen: What happened in Texas. Absolute miracle. Believe in them, because they do happen.

3) Angels do exist: My mom. She’s my dad’s angel. She flew to Texas to protect him, she was ready to act when she was called upon, and she saved him. She saved our family. I am forever grateful to her. Our family is forever grateful to her. That truck driver, that woman, those paramedics, the doctors, nurses, surgeons…everyone who was involved. You are all angels as well, and we are forever in debt to you for saving my father’s life. Thank you.

4) Everything happens for a reason: I’m not sure if I was ever a complete believer in fate; that everything that happens is for a collective purpose. I am now. They were in Texas for a reason, my mom was there for a reason, those doctors were there for a reason. Everything leading up to it... It all happened for a reason. Believe. Believe. Believe. Regardless of faith, believe that there is something out there making everything tick; making the world spin and do its thing.

And even when life seems to be a bit “too much”, realize that:

5) Life is certainly wonderful: It is. It really is. It’s not always fun, it’s not always happy, it’s not always completely bearable. But, remember this. In sadness, there is happiness. In bad, there is good. Appreciate each second you breathe. When bad things happen, be thankful that you are even alive and able to feel those horrible feelings. Everything, in the end, is beautiful. Life continues to move along even when its members stop short. Take comfort in being able to enjoy the time you have on this earth, and the time you have with the ones you love. The fact that we all have one chance makes it fun. You live once. Live fully. Give generously. Laugh frequently. Speak kindly. It’s easy :)

Amazing, right?! Thank you so much, Ricky for granting me the permission to share this with everyone. It's the perfect thing to read this time of year, because it makes us all that much more grateful for what we have. As I mentioned, Ricky is an incredibly talented guy and he makes amazing music. Please check out their page (and score some free downloads) at purevolume.com- you will not be disappointed. Happy Friday, everyone!

Birthdays Mean Cake!

2011-11-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful week for a birthday!! My sister-in-law did, in fact, give birth yesterday, right after I finished my post. I am now an auntie to my new nephew, Noah Javier Sanchez. He's an adorable little nugget and I can't wait to actually meet him in person this winter... Miami, here we come!! Also, in birthday news, my fabulous big "sister", Danielle, is celebrating her birthday today- She is expecting her first baby in February, so I can't imagine a better way to celebrate your birthday (and indulge in cake) than with a bump on your belly!! And, if two birthdays weren't enough, a few days ago was my sister-in-law's birthday, too (Sorry for the delay, Emily! Your card will be there shortly!). So many wonderful people being born in November. :)

And what's one of my favorite parts of birthdays?? Why, the CAKE, of course!! And in honor of these birthdays, my friend Becky and I did a little celebrating of our own yesterday and went ALL OUT in the kitchen. I'd give you the recipes we used, but that post would be forever long, so I'll just give you a partial tutorial on what we did to make Hamburger Cupcakes.

We started with making white cupcakes (click for recipe)... the secret in our recipe was sour cream. Sounds gross and I was so skeptical, but it ended up making the cupcakes SUPER moist!

Mix, mix, mix!!

Bake, bake, bake!!

We then reached for chocolate cake mix (We used Duncan Hines Devil Food and just followed the box recipe) and baked mini cupcakes. In reality, it'd be easier to use regular-sized muffin tins, but we didn't have enough tins, so to speed things up, we used minis.

We began by trimming off the extra muffin overhang with a paring knife, so they'd look more like buns. We then sliced the white cupcakes in half lengthwise to create the tops and bottoms of the "buns". To make the "hamburger patties", we cut the chocolate cupcakes in half lengthwise then crosswise and arranged them neatly in between the top and bottom parts of the white cupcakes. If you make regular sized chocolate cupcakes, you can just slice part from the bottom of each to make the "patty"... much easier!

Then things got messy! We needed ketchup and lettuce for the cupcakes, so we set to making our own frosting. We used two separate bowls: one for the "ketchup" (red frosting) and one for the "lettuce" (green frosting). Could you just as easily buy some from the store? Absolutely, but we're not those girls. ;)

For the frosting, we mixed one cup of powdered sugar, one tablespoon of milk, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. We added food coloring to each and were good to go!!

We spread the green frosting on the upper side of the bottom "bun" and used it to hold the "patty" in place. Then we slathered the red frosting on the under side of the top "bun", which also helped secure the "patty".

I later added a few chocolate sprinkles to the top of each "burger" to make sesame seeds for the buns and VOILA! Super easy, cute, and delicious! I've been sinking my teeth into these every since!

Happy Birthday to my loved ones (and anyone else with a birthday this month)!

Today's the Day!!

2011-11-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Well, friends, I know I've been gone a lot with this busy time of year, BUT I return with great news: Today I become an auntie!! My sister-in-law (Scott's sister) text me at 3:00 this morning saying she was on her way to the hospital; that it was finally time to have her baby. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much after that so I apologize if this post seems scattered. As of yet, I have not received news of my nephew's birth, but it will be any minute now and I couldn't be more excited! I had to post now just to capture the moment of how intense this really is; how AWESOME! I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow with the details and pics, so stay tuned! :)

"So when are you two starting a family??" Ah, that beautiful question that SO many of us newlyweds are familiar with. The question the mother-in-laws are notorious for. Don't you just love it?? But whatever happened to the honeymoon phase? Whatever happened to simply enjoying the company of your husband and getting to know him on a new level? You're living with this man alone for the first time and you're just starting to pick up on his weird habits, his odd decorating choices, and which chores he will and won't do. To me, I'm overwhelmed enough by all that newness that I wouldn't be able to handle more change right away!

I can barely keep up with THIS guy!

"When I was your age..." I love when people say that by now I could have one child and another on the way, because that's what THEY did. But what people don't always seem to remember is that babies take so much more time, consideration, and discussion than simply "I want one". Babies are a huge responsibility and require a great deal of stability and maturity. I'll be perfectly frank here: I am WAY too selfish to focus my attention on a baby at this point in my life. I'm also way too immature. Having a baby does not ruin your life or cause you to become anti-social, but it does require changes that affect everyone, family and friends, and I am not ready to make those changes. I love the freedom of going wherever, whenever, and not having to think about anything more than my dog... I mean, you can't put a baby in a cage with some water and go. Well... I suppose you could, but I think Child Protective Services would have something to say about that (do NOT try this at home). :p

-VS-

"Wait... you don't??" The main reason I do not plan on having kids any time in the near future is because at this point in my life, I still don't want a family. I want things to stay as me, my husband, and my dog (or two) for many years to come. It's not a defect; it's a choice. I simply have no desire to have a child. That obviously could very well change as I grow up a whole lot more, but it's never been one of those dreams I've had. I don't feel I need a baby to complete my happiness- I love my life as it is. Babies are not novelty items and I'm not about to have one simply to fit in or to quiet down my mother-in-law. ;)

Doting on the bestie's baby is enough for now... love this nugget. :)

"If it happens, it happens." This is true. If God decides to send us a child before we feel we're ready, He does. If He does, clearly He believes we're ready. I will accept any curve ball He may throw at me. I fully intend to milk pregnancy for all it's worth, should it come to that, and hopefully will be able to get my life together enough to support the child well by then. I'd be terrified, but I feel confident that with my husband by my side, I could do a pretty darn good job.

Kudos to all you amazing moms and mommies-to-be out there. I admire the dickens out of what you do and how you have so much love in your heart and brains in your head to look after another human life. I think all your children are beautiful blessings on your families. Like I said, perhaps SOME day I will feel mature enough to handle such a responsibility, but age is just a number in this regard- some of you have been mature enough since you were teenagers. My hat is off to you!!

So what about you? How did you know you were ready to have a baby -OR- why are you waiting, like me?

Costumes and Pumpkins and Food... Oh My!

2011-11-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, it's November. Another Halloween is behind us and another Christmas is rapidly approaching... where does the time go?! In fact, this past weekend was one that is already slipping out of my memory, which means it is time to document it before it's gone completely...

Saturday rolled around and I was all upset, because I still had no plans to celebrate Halloween that night, and no costume to celebrate in, even if I did. So I did what any sensible gal might do in my position and started doing detective work! I managed to find a Halloween Bash going on at a restaurant that night that had a costume contest, pumpkin bowling, limbo, bobbing for apples, and Halloween trivia. I'm all for all of that!! I managed to scrounge us up some cute costumes (Old West bartender for him, saloon girl for me) and we were on our way as soon as Scott got off work. We definitely struggled with the trivia, but made up lost ground on the bobbing for apples. Scott had never done it before in his life, but I managed to convince him to do it. So glad he did, because he pulled out twice as many apples as the guy in second place. He won a gift card for it, which meant our meal was on the house!

Sunday, once again, we had to wait for Scott to get off work to go celebrate, but once he was free, we went to our favorite pumpkin patch. It was too dark to go picking, but we were able to shop in the better-lit areas outside and the barn. Two pumpkins to go, thank you! We went home and made dinner (and my fabulous pumpkin dip) and watched movies for the night. We were just too tired to go out...

And last night when Scott got home, we finally got to carve our pumpkins! It's a funny thing, but I have a tendency to make pumpkins with animals, so this year was no exception. I made a cat... not my best work, but it turned out pretty adorable. :) Scott, on the other hand, broke his streak this year. The first time we carved pumpkins, he made an awesome haunted house with a wolf howling at the moon. Last year, he was so excited to show me his pumpkin and when he turned it around, he had made the EXACT same scene on his pumpkin as the year before! I said, "Oh, you did it again? Looks great- maybe even better than last year!" He didn't know what I was talking about. When I showed him the photos from the year before, he could not believe he had done that- he thought he was being so creative. It was too too funny. But this year, he made a carving of our favorite pup, Gizmo! We always call him "Stinkz", so he added the nickname to the pumpkin too. I laughed so hard when I saw it.

And did I mention that yesterday was Gizmo's birthday? Because it was. He is two years old now. Wow!

So that was our low-key, not-too-spooky Halloween. Can't wait to see what next year brings when we're in Fargo! And speaking of spooky, I'd have to say the scariest news of all is that Kim Kardashian is calling off her marriage only two months in. It hasn't even been a whole month since I cried over her wedding on E! (I mean... that didn't happen.). Sad day, Kimberly! Guess that just means more crazy, single fun to watch for the rest of us. :) Kris Humphries, you bring shame to Minnesota.

via

Well, happy Tuesday, everybody! Keep me in your thoughts as I have to perform in my acting class today.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, Halloween is finally here and I'm very excited about it! I will post tomorrow on our events of the weekend, but today I just want to talk about today! Halloween was not always at the top of my list growing up. I was super shy and was terrified to knock on people's doors and ask them for candy- luckily my brothers looked out for me and shouted "TRICK-OR-TREAT!" so loud that it didn't matter if I did or not. I didn't like being cold and my feet would hurt running from door to door, not to mention that I would always give myself the worst stomach ache from eating my candy too quickly. But looking back now, those were the things that made Halloween... well, Halloween! I would do it over and over again if I could. Here are some former Halloween shots that were accompanied by awesome memories:

Just a toddler in a pumpkin patch... rockin' a sassy hat -AND- Baby Annie Oakley.

No explanation needed. I owned that bunny suit. -AND- Mermaid in 1st grade- my hair is supposed to be seaweed.

2007: In college, I was Tinkerbell. We went to First Ave in Minneapolis and rocked the night away! Yes, I was platinum blonde at this time... yikes.

2008: Little Red Riding Hood... not that you can tell from this photo, but I foolishly forgot to charge my camera this night.

2009: I was Marilyn Monroe and Scott was a vampire.

2010: I'm an Eskimo girl and Scott and Gizmo are my sled dogs. :)

2011: Scott was an Old West bartender and I was his saloon girl!

So those are just some of my favorite looks over the years. We don't usually do a whole lot for Halloween, but this year I managed to get some festive foods going. Today, I want to share with you a new recipe I found on Pinterest that I tried out and is simply delicious and SUPER easy! Try it tonight!

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

from www.allrecipes.com

What you need:

One 16-ounce container of whipped cream, thawed
One 5-ounce package of instant vanilla pudding mix
One 15-ounce can of pumpkin pie
One teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
*Optional: 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon*

1) In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, pudding mix (just the mix, you don't make it into pudding), and the pumpkin pie spice.

2) Add the whipped cream and blend thoroughly. I left just a little bit out to put on top when serving.

3) *Optional: Add the ground cinnamon and mix in*

4) Let chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 hours

5) Add the remaining whipped cream on top and serve with ginger snaps, cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or apple slices... anything goes!

via

It is so delicious and I can't wait to bring it to our family Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not a cook by any means, but this is something any of you can manage. ENJOY!

Happy Halloween, friends!

Little P!

2011-10-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm posting late today, I know, I know. Believe me, I'm just as annoyed. ;) But today we went on the car hunt again looking for a vehicle for my hubby. That's right, he ended up selling his Escape. Autumn always makes me super sentimental and I honestly got really sad looking at it in the rear view mirror as we drove away from it today. Funny how even a vehicle can get you emotional. That was the truck Scott was driving on our first date, the truck he helped move me into (and out of) my apartment with, and the vehicle that safely picked me up and dropped me off back at my home when we were dating. He drove that truck to take us to our beautiful hotel room for our mini honeymoon and he took me to some of the greatest events that I've been to in that truck. I will surely miss it. ANYWAY, onto something more enjoyable!

While I was feeling super sentimental today and longing for a good cry, I pulled out the ol' photo albums. For over an hour, I just sat there and flipped through the pages and allowed for the gut-wrenching longing for the old days to wash over me. And as I was tearing up over missed friendships, old homes, and awful fashion judgment, I finally arrived at an album that made me smile: pictures of me from my toddler- elementary days.

Turns out, Baby Paula was a MAJOR attention seeker. When I got to school, I quieted down quite a bit and became an avid reader who was content to sit alone in the reading corner with a good book, but before that?? Wow, I forgot how much I hammed it up for people! Little Paula CLEARLY wanted to be a model. Here are some of my favorite shots that I found:

Wow- check out that rad haircut. Thanks, Mom... I guess...

"I'm the baby- gotta love me!"

"What? Model? Me? Well... if you insist..."

That's the face of trouble. Still got that look down perfect.

Anyone else remember these life-size dolls? I just happened to match my cousin's perfectly!

Why, yes, that IS a giant pink bow on top of my head. This angel had STYLE!

'Cuz, ya know, most girls just sit under a tree with an antique doll, wearing a vintage dress... ?! Hahaha!

First day of first grade: workin' it, obviously.

This is the epitome of me, growing up with three brothers: TOMBOY. Soccer ball, bike helmet, stained pink dress. Perfect.

This one is probably one of my favorites, because my mother did NOT tell me to strike that pose- HAHA!

So what about all of you? Do you get nostalgic at certain times of year? Do you get emotional over old photos? Thought this would be funny to share how much has changed in a few decades... but some things, like the head tilt for the camera, never die... :)

Happy Friday, friends,

100 One-Hundred 100

2011-10-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends- we've made it, once more, to the middle of the week, which is incredibly exciting stuff!! The show ended this past weekend, by the way, and it went pretty well for a final performance. As I have been for the past few weeks, I apologize again for my absence due to the play, but I will be getting caught up as much as I can and as soon as I can... if I ever get the chance!! I've missed my blog friends. And speaking of you wonderful blog friends, I want to say thank you for all of your support here at Life's Little Lessons. Today is my 100th post, and I am in shock that, in that few of posts, I have managed to reach 100 followers! That means so incredibly much to me that you care to read about what I have to say. I am so grateful to those who refer others to me and put my button on their page and send me just the sweetest messages.

100 Rocks!

Blogging has been an incredible change in my life, as corny as that sounds. I have always loved writing, but until I started this blog, I really didn't like sharing more than maybe a Facebook status' worth of information with people. It started with a single post introducing myself and my sweetheart friend, Jessie, sending people over to my page. Once I received a few emails just of people welcoming me and telling me how they were excited to read more, I was flattered and relieved... it felt GREAT to write about the milestones in my life and receive support from people (despite the fact that those people lived clear across the country and across the world). There is nothing better than finding a new comment on your page and people giving you incredible pieces of advice, encouragement, and love. I can't explain enough how much I appreciate all of you! In just 100 posts, I have made 100 new friends- how cool is that?!

I also want to give HUGE thank you's to those who have liked me enough to give me blog awards. Since my last post, I have received five blog awards and that just melts my heart! A major shout-out to all you lovelies:

1) Candice at Candy Land

2) Ashley at The Christian Wife Life

3) Amanda at New Adventures

4) Taylor at The Presutti's

5) Stacey at Simply Me

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Most of these awards called for me to share 7 things about myself, but since I've done that before, this time I wanted to list 7 quirks about me that I don't typically like to admit to... but we're all friends here, right??

1) I absolutely cannot stand to cook with flour. If a recipe calls for flour, I either have to leave it out or find something else to cook. It sends horrible chills up my spine! :/

2) For some reason, whenever a cop drives by me, I start singing extremely loud and animated in my car. I think I feel that then if I get pulled over, I can blame my mistake on being distracted by a fabulous song.

I can ALWAYS be caught mid-song, but especially when the po-po's are around!

3) I have an almost eidetic social memory. If I meet somebody even one time, no matter how long ago it was, I can tell you their name (first and last if I know it), how I know them, usually at least three facts about them, and often times what I was doing the last time I saw them and sometimes even what I was wearing or what they were wearing. It's both a blessing and a curse, but it made me a freaking AWESOME salon receptionist!

4) When I watched the movie 127 Hours, I had absolutely no problem whatsoever watching James Franco's character slowly saw his own arm off, but the moment he took out his contacts, I nearly threw up. Blood and gore (surgery is fascinating) has never been a problem for me, but eyes?? That's another story!

Yes, even my own eyes freak me out. No contacts for me!

5) I like getting shots. And I am not talking about alcohol. We're talking needles! I like donating plasma because it's cool to be hooked up to a machine solely by a needle in your arm. And when they give you medicinal shots, I just think it's so cool to feel the medicine going into your system! Weird, I know...

6) I hate green foods!! I may have mentioned this before, but for some reason, I hate all foods green, with the exception of pickles. It's not that I hate them because they're green necessarily, I think it's just a coincidence that everything I hate happens to be green. Red and yellow apples I like, not green. Red and black grapes I love, not green. Any color Skittle is delicious, except green. You get the picture. I don't go there. No salads!

7) I am absolutely fine spending hundreds of dollars on clothes, but only order water when I'm in restaurants to keep my bill cheaper... what's up with that?! Like a $2.00 glass of soda pop is going to break the bank...?? Oh well- water's healthiest anyway. :)

"The drinks cost HOW MUCH here?!"

So again, thank you, bloggy friends, for being so kind, supportive and encouraging since I started my blog this past spring. I love doing this and I hope to keep bringing you material you like to read!

All my love,

Love Should Be Multiplied, Not Divided

2011-10-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

Okay... so most of you have probably heard of TLC's television series, Sister Wives, which centers around the life of polygamist, Kody Brown and his four wives, Meri, Jenelle, Christine, and Robyn... as well as their sixteen (soon to be seventeen) children. Until this show aired, I had a few misconceptions about polygamy; the first being that I thought nobody engaged in it anymore. Clearly I was wrong. And secondly, I thought that it was simply a lifestyle choice, but it turns out that it is a religion of its own; a faith and a belief in its truth and morality. That was news to me!

The Brown family, shown here.

On the show, many things are talked about: struggles with polygamy's legality, day-to-day struggles with raising nearly twenty children, jealousies that arise, and the desire to keep the faith strong in such a large family. The one thing that isn't talked about nearly as much, oddly, is the idea of polygamists being of their own religion, and until this past week's episode, the distinction was not made clear enough. FINALLY, they centered an episode around it. Kody took his whole family of twenty-one back to his hometown for a festival of sorts. It was here that we learned of Kody's former best friend, who struggled with their relationship after Kody converted from being LDS, like the rest of his friends.

That's right, folks: CONVERTED. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) aka 'Mormons; ARE NOT the same as polygamists, who practice FUNDAMENTALIST Mormonism, essentially; which is absolutely a separate thing. The problem with the show up until this past week was that confusions arose when Kody kept referring back to his days growing up LDS and going on his mission from church. The fact that his parents converted and he followed along with them as a young adult was not made apparent enough. Therefore, some people, who weren't paying close enough attention to the show, may have been lead to believe that Kody was, in fact, still LDS. He is not. His friend told him on this past week's episode that his separation from the LDS church was not made a great enough distinction to break the stereotype that's been going on for years: that Mormons must still practice polygamy. They do not.

When the show first aired, I had concerns that this might be an issue: the confusion that could reinforce the stereotype. I feel as though now that has been broken (a bit) by the show and am now an even bigger fan of what the show entails. Religious stereotypes are just as bad as racial stereotypes, friends, so please remember that those jokes can have a sting to them too. When Scott and I first got engaged, rather than some ignorant people congratulating us, they would crack jokes about how many wives would be in the picture. That was incredibly rude and frustrating to me. Now, obviously, after I explained things to them, they felt foolish, so it's not an issue anymore, but it was an obstacle I had not run into before I decided to get married. Very few of us can pretend to know the full extent of a religion we don't belong to, so don't let any one stereotype lead you to believe you get it and have room to judge. Nobody does.

It's just the two of us... and we wouldn't want it any other way.

Anyway! That being said, if you've never seen Sister Wives, it's definitely worth watching. I, personally, could never be a polygamist, because of the jealousies that would arise. True, the Browns almost make it look easy and enjoyable, but that's television editing for you. Sure, it would be awesome to always have someone there to talk to and look after your children and to relate to and to be surrounded by children all the time (if you love kids), but the ugly green monster cannot be ignored! I understand why some people have moral objections to polygamy, but the fact is, it's a choice, just like anything else, and if this is the path that they truthfully believe in and that makes them happy, I say more power to them! Love is love.

"Love should be multiplied, not divided" Kody says on the show's intro. Whether you agree with the Browns or not, there are some beautiful life lessons they apply to their everyday life, this being one that we can twist to adapt to our own situations. Love should be multiplied, yes, but that doesn't have to pertain to marriage alone: you can multiply love by having children; you can multiply love by helping out those in need; you can multiply love by caring for pets; and you can multiply love by extending kindness to everyone you meet. Find a way to multiply love every day and you will find that love almost always finds its way back to you in a magnitude that you could never expect. In other words, spread the love!!

Thanks for letting me go where I haven't gone before,

P.S. We're approaching 100 followers, so spread the news that we're onto a celebration here at Life's Little Lessons!

Guest Post- Full of Lessons

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends! Today I have a special treat for you: a guest post from my friend, Taylor, over at The Presutti's. She is so sweet and talented and a beautiful writer with some heartfelt lessons for all of you today, so welcome her aboard and enjoy!!

Hey Y'all

I'm Taylor and I blog over at The Presutti's

I was so honored when Paula asked me to be her first guest blogger, blush*

Since her blog is life's little lessons, I'm going to blog my favorite quotes and apply them to life.

So here are several of my favorite quotes!

This is so true. If you start every day with an open and grateful heart you will appreciate way more. You will be in a better mood. Your day will be so much better!

Even if you think your day was horrible, if you look back, there is always something good in it. It may be small, but you can find something. This makes me so happy

No matter your weight, size, attire, your smile is the prettiest thing on you. Happy girls are the greatest. I whole-heartily believe this.

Oh boy have I learned. It is the smallest things. A small gift, a sweet text, a surprise phone call, a nice comment. Things like this make your day.

This is so true. God blesses us through so many ways

I work with kids, so this quote really speaks to me. But it can speak to any one. God is so patient with us. Think about all the times he has been with you.

I think it is an awesome idea to pursue every opportunity given to you. You will regret it later if you don't

This is to my husband. I will be forever faithful to him. I meant that the day I said my vows

It is so important to do things for people. No matter how small. Texting, calling, baking. Making them dinner after a baby, a big move, a death in the family. People will appreciate these things more than you ever know.

I hope these impact you as much as they do me. Every day I think of these. You should too.

Thanks P for having me,

Come visit me at The Presutti's

Hope you enjoyed

love,

Taylor

Aren't these fantastic?! Please remember these encouraging words on this beautiful fall day... and every day, for that matter. Thank you, Taylor!!

Have a lovely day,

Kickin' It Old School

2011-10-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Hey all and happy Monday! This weekend was really busy, but the play went pretty well. I'm excited for next weekend, when Scott will come see it and the run will end so I can get back to having free time! Today, I thought I would kick it old school, like Myspace old school, and get my survey on. Some of you know me pretty well; others, not so much, so here's a chance to score a little bit more on me:

What's your nickname name?
P!

Where do you live?
Minnesoooota- oh yah sure, you betcha!

What's your favorite thing to do?
Shop... I'm not going to lie, no matter how juvenile it sounds. :p

How tall are you?
5'1 (and a half!)

Shorty, ahoy!

What's your favorite food?
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese... always has been, always will be!

"God bless Kraft Mac and Cheese."

What color are your eyes?
Who knows? They change every day... they're a bluish, greenish- gray.

Are you single or taken?
Taken, most definitely. :)

Who do you love?
My family and friends!

What's your mom's favorite show?
She loves Design on a Dime! <3

What are your parents names?
Chris and Mary Lynn

How many siblings do you have?
I have 3 brothers- two older, one younger. Only girl, baby!

What kind of pets do you have?
I have one dog- a Pomeranian named Gizmo.

What's your favorite animal?
Dogs- I've converted from a cat-lover. :p

Did you do well in school?
I used to. Now, I'm not so sure... haha!

What did you dream about last night?
Not sure about last night, but my dreams are usually SUPER weird.

What's your biggest fear?
Snakes. Enough said.

What do you want to do right now?
Spend the day with my hubby at a pumpkin patch.

Where do you see yourself at in 10 years?
Not a clue. I take life one day at a time right now.

Are your parents married/separated/ or/ divorced?
Married (and adorable)

Do you like chocolate?
It's one of my favorite things on Earth, I kid you not.

Are you easily amused?
Scott seems to think so...

What's your favorite song?
Collide by Howie Day- the song I walked down the aisle to. :)

What's your favorite T.V. show?
Too many to list- anything Kardashian-related is good, though. They're so entertaining, no matter what you think of them. Oh, and they're beautiful. Beautiful people are fun to watch. :D

In front of the same store I watched on TV

What's your favorite movie?
Baby Mama- HAHAHA!

Who's your hero?
My mom- I hope to be just like her some day!

When's your birthday?
May 16

Were you a difficult child?
Not at all. :)

What's your best childhood memory?
Days I got to spend with just my mom- no boys around!

What/Who makes you happy?
Days off with the hubby make me super happy.

Do you cry a lot?
I never used to, but now I do. Ugh...

Explain yourself in one word.
Fabulous!

What do you think about the most?
Responsibilities... I worry ALL the time.

Where is your dream vacation?

HAWAII

Are you bilingual?
Nope- I wish.

Last Question : Do you have patience?
Not in the least bit!

Have a lovely day,

Minnesota Must-Sees: Mall of America

2011-10-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends- we've made it, once more, to Friday, which is incredibly exciting stuff!! The show opened last night, by the way, and it went pretty okay for a first performance; hoping it goes smoother tonight, though. As I have been for the past few weeks, I apologize again for my absence due to the play, but I will be getting caught up as much as I can and as soon as I can... if I ever get the chance. I miss you guys! :/

So it's no secret to any of you that I love to shop. Whether it's window shopping or hard-core spending sprees, I'm your gal. I joke about it, but sometimes I wonder if I may have a slight problem... but that's my own fish to fry. Anyway, I can shop anywhere: thrift stores, antique stores, boutiques, gas stations, hunting stores... I can find something I want to buy pretty much anywhere. And I do. That being said, I hate driving. I don't like hopping in the car just to go spend money, and I don't like getting back in my car when I'm done at one store and then have to drive to another. So... where else can you find pretty much every single one of your favorite stores in one climate-controlled, well-lit, free parking, bathroom-equipped, food court-packing, fashion-loving, tax-free, versatile, indoor, place?? Why, The Mall of America, of course! That's right, friends, I'm talking about THE Mall of America (MOA), the country's largest mall and definitely most fabulous. Congrats, MOA, you've just become my latest Minnesota Must-See!

If you are not familiar with the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, I don't know where to begin. Featuring an indoor amusement park, underground aquarium, movie theatres, a HUGE Lego Land, and over 12,000 employees, the Mall of America is just too big for words alone, but I'll just list off a few facts from their website to give you an idea of its magnitude:

7 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the Mall/ 258 Statues of Liberty could lie inside the Mall
65 semi trucks were needed to transport trees to the theme park to create the outdoor feel of an indoor park
86 hours is the length of time it would take to complete your visit to the Mall if you were to spend just 10 minutes in each store
12,550 on-site parking spaces at Mall of America in two ramps
1.2 million-gallon aquarium at Underwater Adventures Aquarium
4.2 million square feet of gross building area

... So yeah. It's HUGE.

See?!

People plan whole vacations to Minnesota, just to spend a couple of days shopping at the mall here. Tours are given regularly and many schools host field trips here to learn about retailing, marketing, security, and architecture. It's hard to pin-point just a few great things about this mall, but I'll try and limit myself to just a few:

Celebrity Meet-and-Greets

Ashley Tisdale in concert at MOA, seen here.

Celebrities come here for book-signings, concerts, speeches, and shopping for themselves! You could run into fame with an armful of new clothes... isn't that like a dream come true??

Food

One of the food courts here- not too shabby for a mall!

Not only are there multiple food courts, but many unique and delicious stands along the way with delicious things to snack on. My personal recommendation if you ever make it out here is the Rainforest Cafe.

Underwater Adventures

The built-in, underground aquarium is beautiful and captivating... plus, what other mall has an aquarium like this under it??

Lego Land

Thousands upon thousands of Legos made into amazing displays, some that are several stories high! Fun for kids and parents alike!

Nickelodeon Universe

As if Lego Land weren't enough! To add to the fun (if shopping, aquariums, eating, and Legos aren't your thing), there is an indoor amusement park called Nickelodeon Universe, seen here, with many rides and games to choose from. I, personally, liked it better when it was Camp Snoopy, many years ago.

Shopping!!!

This is an understatement. :)

This goes without saying, but come on, I have to reiterate, four levels of over 500 stores, lined up, stacked up, and ready for your business! Did I mention that Minnesota does not charge sales tax on clothing?? That will save you a little extra money to spend on... guess what? More clothes!

I love Minnesota. :)

If you ever make it out here to shop, let this gal know, I'd love to have a blate (blog date) at the Mall of America! Because it is so close to us, Scott and I go A LOT and pretty much have a consistent pattern and plan when we go, but I highly recommend just taking it all in and taking your time!

Happy Friday, friends!

Top 5 Boredom Busters

2011-10-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hey dolls- craaaazy busy week around here for me! Our play opens this week so we've had lots of late nights and loooong rehearsals to get ready for the show that debuts in TWO DAYS! On top of that, I have a monologue to perform for my acting class and a bunch of scenes to analyze for Directing. Therefore, in short, I simply do not have time for a beautiful post today. Instead, I will cater to those of you who are not as busy as myself and share my top five fave websites (outside of Blogger) to check out if you find yourself with spare time.

1) www.pinterest.com - If you are not on board with this craze yet, request an invite and get pinning. Recipes, crafts, outfit ideas, artwork... you name it. So inspiring and addicting!

2) www.parentsshouldnttext.com - If your parents are anything like mine and the ones featured on this website, you will get a kick out if.

3) www.fmylife.com - Despite its crude name, this website is hilarious and operates on the mantra, "There's always somebody out there who has it worse than you." Read these if you want to feel better- haha!

4) www.weardrobe.com - Where you can see millions of ladies just like you dressed up in fabulous outfits. So fun and beautiful!

5) www.crapatmyparentshouse.com - Do your relatives commit design crimes? If so, you will totally appreciate this website filled with a bunch of hilarious (and hideous) garbage people find in relative's homes. It's like Napoleon Dynamite's house in a virtual tour- haha!

You'll be having this much fun in no time!

Enjoy and have a happy Tuesday!

Makeup Monday: Maybelline Much??

2011-10-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and welcome to a new week! Mondays are rough and when you've had an uneventful weekend like me, it can be tough to think of something to share with your blog friends. Well, not today! Lately I've been receiving so many kind compliments and questions about my beauty regimen. When I heard that I had been called "so pretty, even without makeup", I was flattered and tickled... quite frankly, I don't post pictures where I'm not wearing makeup. Like, ever. However, I do strive for a barely-there look with my face sometimes, and a bit over-done look at others, and I thought today it might be fun to meet in the middle and show you a tutorial on my go-to face for most days. Let's be honest, I'm not exactly born with it, so let's talk Maybelline.

In this tutorial, you may find that my technique is too heavy for your liking, which is totally fine- it's definitely a bit high-maintenance for some, so I won't be offended. I just thought this might be a great way to share what products I use and love as my "transition makeup"; that is, what goes well from day to night. Hope this helps (and remember these are my first bare-faced photos like ever)!

1) Cover Up!

I use Maybelline SuperStay foundation as an all-over base. If you don't have freckles (like me) or blemishes you want to hide, feel free to skip this step, or use the foundation solely under your eyes to cover dark circles.

2) Stop Shine!

After the foundation is well-blended in (masks are not sexy, ladies), I apply a light dusting of the fabulous Maybelline Dream Matte Powder to stop shine and to keep my makeup in place all day long.

3) Get Your Tan On!

I have very fair skin, so I reach for my NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder to give myself a bit of color. Suck your cheeks in and dust along the hollow you create. Apply a bit to the nose and the forehead as well. To be extra sure my makeup doesn't look like a mask, I also apply a streak of bronzer to either side of the throat, down my neck, as well as right under my chin. Fool-proof, I swear, just don't use too much!

4) Look Healthy!

Pink cheeks are healthy cheeks! To get a rosy glow, I apply NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder to the apples of my cheeks, applying in an up-and-out motion. For good measure, I put a spot on my nose too. :)

5) Curls Rule!

Before applying any eye makeup, I curl my lashes, pinching the lash curler firmly, but not so tight it pulls, for about four seconds per eye.

6) Eye Painting!

Eyeshadow is the most fun and easy way to change up your makeup, but for this more natural, transitional look, we will be staying neutral. For my eyes, I use Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow in Urban Brown (#210). It's shimmery enough to look glamorous, but mute enough to not look like you're trying too hard. I start with a light application over the entire lid. Then, to create a more wide-eyed look, I draw two lines using much more shadow: the first is a diagonal line, drawn from the outer corner of the eye toward the outer edge of your eyebrow, stopping just above your eye's crease. The second line is drawn from the top of the first line, inward toward the bridge of your nose, staying just above your eye's crease. Stop just over halfway across the lid. It will look a bit blocky at first, so use your fingertip to blend the dark parts inward with the light.

7) Wing It!

I love the cat-eye look, in case you couldn't tell, so I use Maybelline EyeStudio gel liner in black to trace along my upper lash line and wing-tip it out at the end.

8) Va-Va-Va-Volume!

Mascara is something I go all over the board with. I have tried everything, from every brand and always end up coming back to the same thing: Loreal Paris Voluminous Original mascara. It's so smooth and you can apply as many coats as you like without it flaking. It's amaze. I apply a coat as usual, then I take the wand and apply it to the tops of my lashes as well (I don't like when you look down and can see people's bare lashes). After those coats begin to dry, I apply one more coat as usual to ensure full lashes that will stay upright and curled. I do not usually put mascara on my bottom lashes at all.

9) *Optional* Additional POP!

Now this may be plenty for most of you, but I like to do one more step to make my eyes pop. As I said, I don't put mascara on my bottom lashes... I find that that is the easiest way for makeup to run all over your face and it tends to make the top and bottom lashes stick together. However, I like the effect of dramatic bottom lashes, so I use Maybelline Waterproof Ultra Liner in brown (black looks too goth on me) to outline the bottom 3/4 of my eye. Works like a charm and doesn't run!

And voila! There you have it, ladies! Swoop on your lip gloss of choice and you're good to go!

And here's the end result that my husband loves!

Hope this tutorial has you all informed on what works for me. All products are my tested-and-true favorites that I'd swear by, if you're ever in the market for new stuff. May not be high-end department store stuff, but the results are fabulous and much easier on my credit card!

Keep looking lovely, ladies,

To Vroom or Not To Vroom...?

2011-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hello and happy Friday, my friends! I feel awful that this week is coming to a close and this is only my third post! The school play opens in less than a week, so I've been incredibly busy every day with practice and preparation. Once that all slows down, I will absolutely be back in blogging business, full-swing! On another school-related note, I have a bit of ~~not entirely unexpected, but still~~ super exciting news: I have been re-admitted to North Dakota State University!! I will be moving to Fargo in January (still not sure if Scott will be able to come with my first semester or not) and studying for my Bachelor's degree in Apparel Studies. With all the new and fun stuff I'll be learning, you can expect more fashion posts and probably more tales of my silly adventures in a North Dakota town. Thank you for all the encouragement when I announced my decision to go back, and I am proud to say it is now official and the plans are definitely in motion!!

And speaking of motion, today I have a slight predicament on my hands, ladies: vehicles. I have never really cared much about cars, except for the beautiful classic ones. I don't know anything about modern transportation and I'm hoping some of you out here in blog world do. When I was growing up, everyone in my family started out with a clunker car (as most teenagers do), but unlike most people, we never upgraded. Ever. When that clunker would die, we would go out and get a new clunker. And so we would continue to each buy an $800 car and drive it until it could go no more, rinse, and repeat (ha!). But really. It's a vicious cycle my family has always been caught in.

That being said, my $500 clunker car died last fall (R.I.P. Cardashian) and Scott refused to let me buy another clunker. I was outraged. I needed a car so so bad and I knew the quickest way to make that happen was to go on Craigslist and buy the first drivable thing I could, in cash, and drive it for another few years or so until it, too, died. It was on my way to school on Monday morning that my little car bottomed out, so my loving parents let me use my brother's old clunker that was just sitting in their yard. I drove that car for three solid days until, on my way home from school on Friday, that, too, died for good on the same stretch of highway. YIKES. I was starting to see why Scott wanted something a bit more reliable...

So! For the first time ever, I went to a car dealership. It was horrifying. Suddenly we had to apply for loans and talk to strange dealers and test drive cars we didn't own. It freaked me out. And, truthfully, I hated it: all the cars looked the same to me and they were all too expensive. Until we met Ferbie. Ferbie is my Volkswagen Beetle and I love that car to pieces! He was a great deal and the cutest little car I'd seen, so we bought him on the spot and he's been a great part of our family ever since. However, we just bought him a year ago, so he obviously isn't paid off yet. That's where the problem comes in.

Ferbie's Twin

Scott has been driving the same vehicle now for about three years and it is killing. him. We've had to pay to have it fixed several times since we've been together. So I suppose it should have come as no surprise when he told me he wanted a new one...but now it's eating away at me. It's not just any old vehicle he wants: it's a sports car. Suddenly, I'm freaking out again. We went to multiple dealers and test drove several different cars, but more than anything, he wants a Mazda RX8. My concerns are many, but I'll limit myself to a few:

1) His current SUV is practical. It has lots of storage, 4-wheel drive, and can hold multiple passengers. His Mazda has none of that going on.

2) Money. While selling his current vehicle will help with the cost, I worry about taking out a second auto loan.

3) We currently live in Minnesota and are moving to Fargo... Yes, the same Fargo that was voted as the country's city with the worst weather, no joke. Last winter, my car got stuck multiple times when I needed it not to, and every time Scott would pull up in his SUV and rescue me. We won't have that anymore with his Mazda sports car.

Stock photo of the car he wants...

But it's his dream car. He wants it SO SO BAD!! And we don't have kids yet, so technically now would be the time to own something like this... we have the rest of our lives to be practical, but I don't know. So I have to ask: how far should I go to make my hubby happy?? What would you do??

Thanks for the advice,

Be a Lady

2011-10-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson stems from a trait that is fast becoming obsolete: femininity. Being a woman is awesome. Period. Minus the fact that we get those (ha!). Anyway, it really is a lovely thing, being a girl. We get to have babies and we get to wear outrageous outfits with ease and we are allowed to be as emotional as we darn well please! It's an amazing thing and I feel that it is fast becoming a thing of the past to flaunt that.

This lady runs the house!

Back in the 50s, the housewife was a token symbol of the times. She was flawless: always beautiful, hard-working, and poised. She loved her husband and showered him with comfort the moment he walked in the door. Some people say she was submissive; I say she was fabulous. Today, we have feminists on every corner; and I'm not talking about the "Yay, women!" feminists, I'm talking about the way-too-easily-offended "Women are superior to men" feminists. I'm here to take my stand again that mentality. Yes, I am all about women's rights. Yes, I would fully encourage a female Presidential candidate. And yes, I think that anything men can do, we can do too! That being said, no, I do not think that being a stay-at-home mom is any less important than a 40-hour work week. No, I do not think dressing up in cute little outfits is degrading yourself or relying on your body to get what you want. And no, I do not think that adoring my husband and telling him how great he is, is a sign of forfeiting my "power".

Dressing like a girly-girl doesn't make me anybody's play thing...

Today, almost in an effort to go against the old norm of the womanly woman, more and more ladies out there are shopping in the boys' department, belching in front of their boyfriends and husbands, and using the good ol' toilet humor. Now don't get me wrong, I'm guilty of being not-so-lady-like at times too (and those boy clothes are awesome for at-home lounging) and it is from this realization that I knew I needed to make a change and write this post. I am all about going against social norms, but not at the expense of being rude. You can absolutely be a tomboy and have a somewhat tainted sense of humor, if that's you. But remember, you ARE a woman and that is why your hubbies and boyfriends love you. If you were just another one of his guy friends, he wouldn't have married you or asked you out in the first place!

He's the fella, I'm the lady. As it should be.

Let's keep it together, ladies, and try and be respectable members of society. I'm not telling you to quit your day job and throw on a dress so you can cater to your man's every needs. I'm not saying you need a man at all! What I am asking is that we remember to add a touch of class and femininity to our everyday lives. The world needs women to keep men in line and run this place... and bring some beauty along with it! Let's rule, not with an iron fist, but with a badass scepter that's both stylish and practical. :) Let's remember: it's usually us that raise the children, the future generation, so let's set an example for them... use your manners and work this world like a runway.

Later ladies,

Back and Badder Than Ever!

2011-10-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, so that title is slightly misleading... I've never really been "bad" to begin with, but I am, in fact, back to blog world! Sorry I've been such a slacker lately... I had a fabulous weekend away and returned very sick, indeed (thank you, little brother, for sharing both your apartment and your germs with me)! So I've been resting up and staring longingly out the window at this GORGEOUS weather we've been having. It's been super warm all week.. definitely NOT sweater weather. But speaking of sweater weather, I should probably ring in the anticipated giveaway results from my fall fashion contest! My thanks to everyone who got excited about this. :)

The lovely lady with the most fabulous Fall fashion taste is....

Whitney, from The Land of Sunshine, for this to-die-for ensemble!!

When Whitney's entry first came in, I was in awe of how great this look that she chose is! As most of you know, I am incredibly partial toward Kardashian style- they have the most amazing taste and this outfit was no exception. Those boots, that jacket, those shades... so military-inspired, and yet so easy to pull off for us regular (that's non-celebrity) folks. The judges spoke their minds and this little ensemble takes it all! Whitney has great taste and a fun personality, so it's no surprise she took this- hop on over to her blog and check it out! Whitney, feel free to email me your information and claim your prize- Much love!

Also, while I was away, my dear friend, Taylor over at The Presutti's gave me the One Lovely Blog Award. It is such an honor to hear that someone so amazing would read and love my blog- I appreciate it so much!

So this weekend was definitely a fun one. I headed up to Fargo, North Dakota, early on Saturday morning to make it in time for the big homecoming parade. Football is a big deal at NDSU, and our team, the Bison, are very solid and good at what they do, so homecoming is done up pretty big. I met up with my little brother and we had a great time enjoying a gorgeous morning on the sidewalk as the floats went past.

After the parade, we headed on over to the school bookstore, where I was able to buy my first-ever NDSU shirt. I've never been big on school pride clothing, especially when gold is one of the colors, but I do love my school and I needed something with school spirit for the game if it got chilly. After lunch, it was game time, and what a game it was!! It felt so good to be back in the ol' Fargodome, cheering for the school my heart loves best and watching my favorite sport. Minus the drunk guy to my right, who kept bumping into me, and the 6' 6" foreign exchange student in front of me, who kept blocking my view, it was awesome! We won 20-10... no surprise.

I also forgot to mention that the weekend prior, NDSU came here to Minnesota to take on the Gopher's. Their rivalry has been one for the books and it is always an enormous turnout... probably one of the biggest games you can attend. So, naturally, seats were expensive and the game still managed to sell out. I wanted to go so bad, and finally, 45 minutes before the game, someone posted last-minute tickets to the game on Craigslist. I had been online all afternoon searching, calling, texting and emailing people about their ads for tickets, but they had all been sold. After hitting 'Refresh' for the thousandth time, this ad appeared and yours truly was ON. IT. I called Scott at work and told him to take off early; that we were going to the game!

We also managed to win that night, so the past two weekends have been great: filled with football, food, fun, and two consecutive wins for the Bison! What about all of you?? What's your favorite sport to watch?? Do you root for a particular school??

Happy Hump Day, friends,

The Stopping Starts Now

2011-09-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hey dolls- welcome to the (almost) weekend, at long last!! It has been a busy week and on top of it all, Scott has shared his lovely cold with me. Yay. Anyway, this weekend promises to be an exciting one for me- NDSU's Homecoming Game! So I will be driving four hours away to see this game, if that gives you any indication of just how much I love football and my team. Stay tuned for the results next week. While I'm away, be sure to submit your entries for my giveaway to pearlsofpink@msn.com. Got some great ideas so far and can't wait to see more! Also, if you just can't manage to get enough of me, you can catch yet another post from yours truly today over at my friend Taylor's lovely blog, The Presutti's. :)

Today, I want to talk about bullying. Growing up, I was ruthlessly bullied... I wasn't like the other kids and they hated me for it. I was the "freaky-smart tiny weird girl with the long hair" and because of that, I was tormented on the regular. I remember a day when a note with horrible things was written about me and passed around the entire class. While I was taking notes on science, snickering was going on behind me and I didn't know why. It wasn't until I found the crumpled up note on the floor after class that I figured it out... some girls thought it would be funny to make things up and use horrible words to tell a story about me, which lead to ignorant people who believed it starting it as a disgusting rumor to be spread around the locker bay.

It came to the point where I didn't know what to do at all, and things only got worse. After that first fiasco had gone down, I later started getting bullied more directly, to my face; mainly about my looks, but also about my choice in friends, my inability to play sports, and the clothes I wore. Even the people I thought liked me would hand me back-handed compliments. In one class I was bullied so bad that I would cry before I had to go, as well as after class. I didn't want to be seen. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. It didn't.

I know I was unusual. I know I was very quiet. And I know I was what you would call a "nerd". But I was kind to everybody. Truly. Everybody. It wasn't people that were standing up to me... I did not deserve it and nobody does. I managed to get the courage to go and talk to our school counselors and they did target my tormentors and have talks with them. They told me that they would keep an armed guard with me, if that's what it took for people to leave me alone. But I couldn't use that kind of protection. There weren't going to be guards on my school bus, at other kids' houses, or at school dances with me. And so it continued. Eventually, I grew up and turned into a much more socially-acceptable lady and acquired a stronger ability to find loyal friends, but not everybody gets that chance.

Not everybody thinks they are worth the trouble to talk to somebody about it. Not everybody can just cry it out at home after school. And not everybody can just tell themselves it will get better (but I swear, it always does). Bullying is a real problem that has advanced through the ages. The stereotypical "milk money" bully, as I like to call them, from decades ago, is nothing compared to today's bullies. Today, the bully spreads rumors, calls names, and threatens others online. They drive young teens to suicide. This is unacceptable and where I want to take a stand.

My friends, Jillian and Jessie have started this campaign to end bullying and I fully support it, because I think every kid should be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel and not everyone does. I had a loving family who was aware of the problem and a strong faith to rely on in these hard times, but not everybody does and I cannot reiterate that enough. Teach your kids kindness, compassion, and acceptance. Do not tolerate unkind words about anyone. Tell your kids that bullies need to be reported and let them know that it will pass. If you want to take a stand against the bullying epidemic, feel free to visit Jessie's page and take the button.

Enjoy the weekend, friends!

Could This Be Love?

2011-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday, friends! Thanks to everyone for all the blog love and the excitement about the giveaway. I had a couple of questions asked on if it would be possible to send in an Autumn outfit that they found on Pinterest and the answer is YES! Rather than sending a photo of a favorite fall outfit, you may absolutely send in one that you've found online. I only ask that you remember to add the URL at which the outfit came from originally. Thanks and sorry for the confusion. Hurry and send your entries now to pearlsofpink@msn.com!!

As I was mentioning in yesterday's post, before I met Scott, I never wanted to get married. I was having so much fun enjoying the single life without a worry or care. I was living for me and I loved it! In fact, after a few bad breakups, I was pretty jilted by relationships and, more importantly, marriage. I remember being so bitter on my brother's wedding day, because I wanted people to know what I thought about people locking themselves down with someone who could potentially hurt them, thus trapping them in a bad relationship for life (obviously, I had zero trust toward people after what I had been through... but that's for another day). I know I've shared this story for some of you before, but for my newbies, I feel it's a good one to share...

On their big day, with fear in my mind...

So on the day of my brother's wedding, I played along and smiled, but I was so worried for my brother and his beautiful bride-to-be... what if something went wrong and they were unhappy?? It was on this same day that one of my best friends (who I call my big sister), Danielle, asked me during the reception if I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding the following summer. I was thrilled and so honored, but again, marriage seemed scary, so I hoped for the best. I didn't understand all the wedding mania! Anyway, at one point during the reception, I found myself sitting alone, when my Pops came over and pulled up a chair next to me.

"How are you doing, P?" he asked.

"I don't know. I don't really believe in all this love and marriage stuff, so I'm struggling a little."

"I see." My wise old Pops nodded. And then he said something that I will never forget. Something that will always stand out in my mind; a true gem. "You know, Paula, you may be just one look across the room from falling head-over-heels in love."

I sighed and left the table to go dance, but obviously I didn't take what he said lightly, as I still remember it today, even when examining my foggy, bitter past. Anyway, two weeks later, I met Scott. And I swear to you it was just like my dad said: I had gone to see a play with my mom, and after the show, I was talking to my dear friend, and during our conversation, I glanced away for just a moment and I saw Scott. He was graciously thanking people for all the compliments, and then he looked up and caught my eye. It was so unusual. I remember our eyes locking for a good four or five seconds (definitely much longer than you ever want to maintain eye contact with a stranger) and it seriously felt like time slowed down. I know it sounds corny and dramatic, but in my mind, it really did. I knew I had to find a way to make him mine.

He instantly started making his way through the crowds of fans and started straight toward me! I had completely stopped listening to my friend at this point. I honestly didn't think he would feel the same, but apparently he did. After what seemed like five minutes, he had managed to elbow his way over to us. When he said, "Hi, I'm Scott" and stuck out his hand, I didn't want to shake his hand at all; I wanted to hug him and say something over-the-top and Fabio-esque, like "I know. You're the one my heart's been waiting to meet."

This is exactly how it played out in my mind, if it's hard to envision. Thanks, Youtube!

So anyway, to me, there wasn't a question in my mind. I had plenty of boyfriends and dates growing up, but it was never like this before. I went to that show bitter and on the car ride home, my mom said, "You wish you were still back there with Joseph (his character's name), don't you? That was something else. I've never seen anything like that." I hadn't said anything about Scott or my encounter with him and my mom just knew. After the first date, I came home just floating on air, and I distinctly remember my mom saying, "You're going to marry that boy, aren't you?" I said, "Yeah, I think I might." And the rest, they say, is history.

Moral of the story: I believe that this was love at first sight. My mom believes that when she met my dad it was love at first sight. However, I know that many of you out there felt anything BUT love at first sight: disinterest, disgust, annoyance, fear... So my question to you today is this: Do you believe in love at first sight? Or do you believe it's lust (or something else) at first sight and then it grows into love? I always relish in hearing others' opinions. Romeo and Juliette, Tony and Maria... some of our favorite fictional lovers- are they based on a real principle or is the whole idea a sham? Let me know your thoughts!

Don't stop believin',

Hump Day Giveaway and What's Your Name?

2011-09-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well, friends, the day is finally upon us and it is now officially giveaway time! Thank you so much to all of my new followers (as well as you trusty old followers) for taking the time to stop by my blog and make me feel so special. I love me some blog friends! If I'm not following you back yet, please feel free to pop in with a hello so I can visit you in return. :)

So, what's the deal with this giveaway? Well, as you know (or some of you don't know yet, but soon will), I am a lover of fashion and all things fashion-related. *Fashion major here!* And as you also may have noticed, I am a lover of Autumn and all things Autumn-esque. Therefore, for this giveaway, I will have you e-mail me a photo of you in your favorite Autumn outfit!!

Just an example from an old outfit post

Not many rules to this, but I will ask that you only enter one outfit for this contest. All entries should be sent to pearlsofpink@msn.com by next Wednesday, October 5th. My impartial judges will then determine "best in show" and a fabulous gift will be sent to my fabulous reader!!

Today, I wanted to talk about something that I never thought would be an issue until a couple years ago... something I'm hoping some of you can relate to (If not, maybe I'm just a selfish wifey). Growing up, I knew lots of girls that would dream about their wedding day. They would rip pages out of their moms' magazines, play wedding dress-up, have their Barbies marry their Kens, and, most of all, doodle their name with their dream boy's last name.

For example, I would be "Mrs. Paula Taylor Thomas" (I didn't realize growing up 'Taylor' was his middle name)... you know what I mean. The most common example during this time was "Mrs. So-And-So DiCaprio", naturally.

What's that, JTT? You brought me flowers?! You dreamboat...

8-year-old Paula loved him. 22-year-old Paula still does.

That being said, I didn't join in on this coming-of-age tradition. I never, in my wildest imagination, until I met Scott, thought I would ever get married. I had absolutely no desire to ever settle down. I wasn't going to let a man hold me back in life, and I certainly wasn't going to take his name! I liked my name, thank you very much. Loosely translated, my name meant "Little Princess" and that was exactly how I wanted to stay.

So when Scott and I got engaged, the subject naturally came up of me becoming "Mrs. Stoneking" and instantly, I shot the idea down. I hated that name with a passion and didn't want to lose my name that I had been given by blood. Scott and I got into a couple of pretty heated arguments over the subject, and every one of them ended in me refusing to change my name. Looking back, I can understand why Scott felt like he did. Having the same name makes you seem more like a family and presents fewer conflicts should children ever come into the picture (so far, I've been great about standing my ground on that issue). Time and time again, I would cry over the thought of having to take on a name that I hated so strongly.

It was a lose-lose issue and neither of us were too happy.

Finally, the hot summer day came along for us to apply for our marriage license. I walked in that office, cool as a cucumber, determined to walk out of there knowing my name was saved and I could go on saying "here" with confidence when a teacher called my name during role call. But just as I got there, my mom called me and pleaded with me. She knew how upset Scott was about me not wanting to be a Stoneking; it hurt him a lot. But she also knew how much I resented the idea. In our conversation, she reminded me that Scott's name was a part of who he is and if I didn't love that too, I wasn't really accepting all of him. She explained how much easier it would be on joint paperwork and mail and answering machines (okay, that last one was me, but you get the idea).

I stared at that box that read "Legal name after marriage" for about ten minutes straight. All the while, Scott was watching me, waiting with hope in his eyes and his fingers crossed under the table. I picked up the pen and began to write...

St... "Oh God, what am I doing??"

one... "Is it too late to get a new form to fill out??"

kin... "There's not even a ring to it! It's just two random words slapped together!"

...g!!! "What the blazes did I just do?"

If you could have seen the look on Scott's face when he saw my last-minute change of heart, you would've handed the form in, too. I know I made him happy. The legal process of changing my name... oh, pretty much everywhere, sucked. I hated waiting in long lines, getting a new social security card, emailing all my teachers, contacting all my old schools, getting a new driver's license photo, changing my magazine subscriptions, and yes, changing my voicemail. But it's over now and I'm still, over a year later, trying to get used to it. I still don't like the name at all and saying it out loud feels awkward and clumsy, but I know I did the right thing.

And if nothing else, it sure looks nice on Christmas cards.

What about you?? Did you struggle with the idea of changing your name??

I'll be looking for your emails,

Accent Much??

2011-09-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and new followers and happy Tuesday to you all! Yesterday, I was talking to my hubby about how excited I am to move to Fargo and to get away from Minnesota for awhile. Scott was excited to see if leaving my home state will make me lose my Minnesota accent...

Accent? Me?? I don't have one of those! ...Do I?

I have lived in Minnesota my whole life and they say that whatever you are exposed to the most is what becomes the norm. Well, I must have been exposed to lots of elongated o's and very harsh a's, because I apparently have acquired a bit of what they call a Minnesotan accent. Mine definitely isn't as bad as some are out there, and until I met Scott and his family, I had never been told that I had an accent at all! Granted, they let me off with saying it's not there all the time, but they have noticed that when I get nervous or become very excited, it comes out A LOT. Now it's become a running joke in his family; me, the little Minnesotan girl with the big Minnesotan accent. I don't hear it...

They all think I talk funny...

Anyway! That being said, I recently received a Facebook message from a peer of mine, asking if I had been a part of a wedding video recently. "No??" I thought, "We didn't record our wedding..." And then it hit me: about a year and a half ago, Scott, my mom, and I attended a wedding show. It was a lot of fun and just as we finished sampling some (more) cake, a camera crew stopped us and asked us to talk about our time at the show. I never thought that interview would be used or pop up again, much less for professional use, but apparently it did and now my hubby, mom, and I are all featured on the company's advertisement- haha! You can check out our video for yourself (and maybe you'll hear a little Minnesota accent)- it's always kind of fun to finally found out what your bloggy friends sound like, isn't it? *Disclaimer: Does anybody really like seeing/hearing themselves on camera? Not me!*

We're the second ones interviewed- I come in at around 0:40

Also, it was recently called to my attention that a photo of me is prominently displayed as a showcase photo on my wedding photographer's website. Once again, more publicity that I thought would never actually be released. Either way, it's very flattering and always kind of shocking to discover.

This little gem made the website...

Soooo... that's my claim to fame today! What about you?? Do you have an accent that everybody seems to hear but you?? Have you been recognized as "that girl" from some advertisement?? Anyway, I'll be going full-force today at school and play practice, but I'll be sure to try and visit with you all in the very near future here, I hope! Also, one more follower to go before my giveaway! Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading/watching today,

Guest Post: Blog Outside the Box

2011-09-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hey, dolls! Here we are at the start of another week, and while normally I detest Mondays, I was actually pretty excited about this one because of the link-up with Mrs. T, Naturally called Blog Outside the Box. The challenge was to have somebody close to you write about what it's like to live with you, be with you, all that good stuff, open to interpretation. I, naturally, wanted my hubby to write one for me. He obliged and the result was even sweeter than I expected (thanks for keeping my dirt swept under the rug, Scott). So, without further ado, my first guest post from the hubby...

Scott, my star of the day...

Paula couldn't have come into my life at a better time. I had just gotten out of a horrible relationship, and had completely lost who I really was during that time. She was, and still is the only person that I can truly be myself around. I know that she will always love me for who I am, no matter how weird or strange I may be sometimes. When we met, it was instantly love at first sight. The moment I saw her talking to my friend across the room from me, it was like the world around us slowed down and nothing else mattered. I couldn't stop thinking about her after I saw her, and I wanted nothing more than to find out more about her and go out with her! I never knew that I could fall for somebody that fast and that there was somebody that could love me as much as she does.

Paula is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is my soul-mate, my best friend, and she completes me in ways that I never knew were possible. I will love her for all my life and I am so blessed to have her as my wife! Thanks for asking me to post on your page P! Love you lots baby!

Incredibly sweet, right?! He was nervous because he doesn't really like writing like I do and was afraid it wouldn't be very good. But it's awesome- Can I get an "Amen"?? But seriously though, this was a great link-up... one that I encourage you all to get in on so I can hear what your loved ones have to say about you. Almost to 75 followers, so spread the word and keep your eyes peeled- should be a fun week here at LLL!

Start the week out with a smile,

The Facebook Conundrum

2011-09-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends, in case you haven't noticed, Facebook changed. Again. And it sucks. Suddenly I'm getting overwhelmed with information and updates on people I didn't even remember I was friends with. That being noted, why am I "friends" with so many people? I find myself home alone on more Friday nights than I care to admit, so surely I don't have 200 people to hang out with..? I haven't seen over half my "friends" since high school, so surely it's not that I want to KIT (that's Keep in Touch) with these individuals? In fact, if being friends with all these people online has been anything, it's been negative. I find that more and more of my "friends" have become friends with my old tormentors anyway, and seeing friendly conversations between them only upsets me; it doesn't make me feel socially accepted or loved. And the creeping epidemic has gotten out of control! Granted, I am putting my personal life on an online forum for all of you lovelies around the world to read, but it's not nearly as simple to stalk on here. The difference between Blogger and Facebook. And a much better one, at that.

via

So that being said, I am considering leaving Facebook. I find that I only benefit from the photo storage anyway. Being from a town where many of its residents never leave, I run into a dozen people I know on any given trip into town... and that's plenty. I don't need to see them online every time I sign on, too.

Then I considered keeping my Facebook, but only keeping my best friends on there, but that never works (does it?). There's always a request that comes in from somebody you were friends with awhile ago and don't have the heart to deny.

So what's a girl to do? What is your Facebook situation at present? Do you think I should keep it or maintain my real-life friendships the good old-fashioned way, Facebook free? Let me know! I want to be socially prudent and would love your thoughts on how!

Many happy, oblivious years ago, when my friends were real and Facebook didn't suck.

Also, I missed my link-up with Neely and Amber at A Complete Waste of Makeup yesterday and today's topic felt a bit redundant for me, so let's pick up where I left off!

Fall Decorating

via

And this is why it's the most beautiful season of all! And just a last-minute plug here: I was so busy around the time I scored 50 fabulous followers, that by the time I was free again, I was almost to 70, so as soon as I hit 75 followers, there will be another giveaway! So tell your friends and stay tuned!

Have a wonderful Autumn weekend,

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-09-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's hump day and it definitely feels like just that: a major hump I need to overcome to make it to this weekend. I will be stage managing alone this week, which makes practices go by twice as slow, while keeping me twice as busy. Nice. Anyway, my friends, I wanted to share a few of the things I am loving (and recommending) to all of you on this fabulous first day of Autumn. Check them out!!

Colbie Caillat's new CD, All of You

As always, Colbie Caillat delivers in her latest album, All of You. If you're looking for feel-good tunes, please do not hesitate to sample it on iTunes (and then buy it). My personal favorite track is "Think Good Thoughts"; the lyrics are actually really motivational and almost spiritual. Don't miss out!

Clean and Clear Advantage Moisturizer

I have always been blessed with clear skin, and I do not take that lightly, but here is a moisturizer that is great, even if you don't have acne-prone skin. If I find myself with a blemish, I use this as a spot treatment and overnight, it disappears! I've never tried it as an all-over moisturizer, simply because sensitive skin requires something gentler, but give this stuff a shot if you want to give a new drugstore find a try!

The Big Bang Theory on DVD

I was not new to The Big Bang Theory, but my hubby was, so when he watched an episode or two that my brother had, he went crazy! We blazed through the first season, which then, of course, meant Scott felt he had to go buy the next three seasons, all at once, so we didn't have to wait until Christmas to find out what happened next haha. If your sense of humor is a little outside the box, like mine, you will adore this series.

Kardashian Kollection

This dress is fabulous, is it not?? It's also mine. Yup, I own it. I used to work at Sears, but since leaving, I don't often go back to shop... until now. As you may or may not know, I'm a Kardashian fanatic and when rumors started rumbling about a new, affordable line from the family appearing at Sears, I had to investigate. So glad I did. Their line is full of unique, glamorous, fun and sexy pieces, ranging from lingerie to formal wear. Stop by your local Sears and take a look or just pop on over here!

Sunbelt Granola Bars

This brand is the best brand of granola out there. It's cheap and you can find it anywhere. Delicious. I personally love the fudge-dipped coconut bars.

Crunchy leaves

Last night, I stepped on my first leaf that went CRRRUNCH and it made my day. It's almost time, friends, so get stompin'!!

Also, today I am linking up with Neely and Amber at A Complete Waste of Makeup for Day 3 of their fall challenge to share a Halloween memory...

If you live in Minnesota, you may remember the Halloween blizzard of 1991. On that night, there were no trick-or-treaters, no visible decorations; nothing. Everyone was snowed in inside their homes. As scary as that was, as children, my siblings and I weren't upset about all the snow; we were upset because we couldn't go trick-or-treating. Well, my mom had a solution for that! She placed a different costume in each room of the house and me and my brothers went from room to room of our house, knocking on each door and yelling "Trick or Treat!" and my mom would emerge from behind the door, in a new costume each time, and she filled our trick-or-treat bags. We got a big haul because my mom had actually bought enough for the whole neighborhood. It was amazing. Afterward, we still had Halloween-themed snacks and movies and my mom had little Halloween prizes leftover from a party that we each got to choose from. It was amazing and I will never forget or feel like I missed out that Halloween. It will always stand out as the best in my mind. :)

How about you? What are you loving today? Want to share a Halloween memory? Link up, ladies!

Toodles for now,

Fall Has Fallen!!

2011-09-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody- awesome feedback on yesterday's post; thank you! So it's Tuesday and that means it's a very busy day for me, but I will do my best to catch up with all of you lovelies at some point in the next 24 hours or so! First of all, I just wanted to give a shout-out and big thank you to both Laynah and Taylor for mentioning me in your blogs yesterday- your support means so much to me! Laynah gifted me The Versatile Blogger Award and I am thrilled to accept it. :)

Today is yet another day that feels like Autumn, which is just fine, considering tomorrow is the first "real" day of Fall. I think I may have mentioned it once (or ten times) before, but I am absolutely crazy over this season- it's my number one favorite time of year. Today, I decided to link up with Neely and Amber at A Complete Waste of Makeup for their first fall challenge. There will be more, so feel free to get on board with it and share!

Yesterday was Day 1 (behind the times) and the topic is FALL TRADITIONS

Apple Cider

I make a mean apple cider and have a secret recipe that is fail-proof and delicious. Want to know what it is? Perhaps it may appear in a future post... ;)

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch

Them pumpkins is HEAVY!! But we always have an awesome time choosing the perfect one.

Dressing Up for Halloween

Yes, I'm one of those crazy people that dresses their dog and forces their hubby to play along. Still deciding on this year's costume...

Carving Pumpkins

Notice anything odd here? My pumpkins are the spider and the owl. Scott's are the haunted house with the wolf and the... haunted house with the...oh wait. Poor Scott didn't remember when carving his pumpkin that he had done almost the identical carving the year before- bahaha!!

The Haunted Ship in Duluth, MN

Standing in front of the ship last year... this was scary. Word for the wise: beware if you're a young female. The male ghosts apparently still think you're flirt-worthy and will follow you around the more than anybody.

Autumn Picnics

Our picnic in the park last year... we both packed our favorite Pringles- cute, right?! ;p

Going to an Apple Orchard

Yum. Enough said.

So those are some of my favorite Fall activities! How about you? Head on over and link up! And speaking of Fall, I would like to take this chance to mention a fun Autumn giveaway Steph, over at Living the Young Life, is doing! If you're not following her, please do and support her by following and entering to win!

Happy Fall, Doll!

Living and Working Apart

2011-09-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

When it comes to dating, long-distance relationships are the worst. Not only do they take more work to maintain, but they eat away at your heart like termites and throw your focus right out the window. Especially when it's a new relationship. I moved into my apartment in Fargo, North Dakota two weeks after meeting Scott. Life never seemed so unfair... I had just found the man of my dreams and then I had to move two states away from him?! It was heart-breaking to say the least. I found myself unable to concentrate in school and the exciting appeal of having my own place for the first time ever was actually just a constant reminder of how alone I was, without my boyfriend around. As soon as the semester ended, I moved back home to get engaged to my now-hubby. Those four months apart were a nightmare, but it was only that: four months. A blip on the radar of my life. But what about couples that can't just throw away their lives and move to be with their loved one? What about those people who need to stay put to stay financially above water?

It's tough to stay away from this guy!

We now live in a world that makes it incredibly difficult to survive in a marriage on one person's income alone. But jobs are scarce and money talks, which is what has launched this new trend I like to call "Long Distance Marriages". When I first began reading about several of you fabulous bloggy couples out there, who leave town every couple of weeks to work, or live apart while the other searches for a job, I thought, "Wow, what an odd arrangement!" And then I realized: I come from a family living under those same circumstances.

My dad is an incredibly hard-working man, and over the years it earned him multiple promotions and special recognition at his job. So when he was selected above many other employees to be sent to work on a very important project with an oil company in Alaska, it was quite the honor. We all had to make adjustments, but my mom was the main person affected by it (obviously). She grew up in a large family and then, until my baby brother turned 18, raised four children and watched them go off to college. The empty nest was made emptier by one absent hubby. Their arrangement is that my dad flies to Alaska for work for a few weeks and then returns home for a few weeks before his next "shift" on the Alaskan slope.

My parents: Living apart and still going after over 30 years!

Scott's dad is a pilot and growing up, Scott and his family moved A LOT. But despite everyone moving together so that they could stay near one another, there were still week-long trips and many overnights that forced my in-laws to live apart much of the time. My brother and his wife were not even married a year, when my sister-in-law had to move far south for a few months to find a job that could pay the bills... what a way to spend your first year of marriage, eh? And even Scott and I struggled to accept that if he was not able to graduate this winter, that I would have to move ahead to Fargo without him, until he could graduate and move back in with me. We had to talk about living arrangements, what we would do with Gizmo, and how we would plan visits to see one another.

Scott's parents: Love keeps these two together.

So this is not a unique situation my loved ones live in, and for you ladies out there who have to leave your hubby to earn some Benjamins for awhile, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This lifestyle is necessary for a lot of couples out there, especially in these tough economic times, and my utmost admiration is extended to those who are able to do it. This kind of relationship takes a lot of extra work (on top of the work that is keeping them apart in the first place), and communication, faith, trust, and LOTS of love are the keys to making it run. If you are fortunate enough to have found a job that allows your family to stay together, do NOT take it for granted. If you are one of the lucky people who gets by on one income, say a thank you to the Lord. Because we are incredibly blessed. I struggle to spend even one night away from my husband, so I love the daylights out of all you women living independently, for being so strong, dedicated, responsible, and hard-working that you are able to live like that for the practical good of your family. God bless you!

How about any of you guys? Do you live and work apart from your spouse? Does somebody you know do that? Do you think this trend will linger on for the rest of our lives or become less frequent as time passes on and the economy changes? I love getting your thoughts!

Happy Monday,

Fabulous Friday: SHOES!

2011-09-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everybody! I am so excited that the weekend is upon us again! The weather here in Minnesota is finally turning cool and every day feels more like Autumn. I am absolutely thrilled!! Now, I mentioned to you all before that I am fashion crazy. I am an Apparel Studies major, read all the fashion mags, and watch drama-filled shows like The Hills, just to see LC's fabulous jobs (well...okay, and because I do looove the drama). That being said, my favorite fashion finds are shoes. I can always spot a winning or losing pair, without fail. I own more pairs of shoes than any poor college girl should... but that's for another post, my friends.

Today, I came across some hilariously unique and inspiring shoes. Looking at them, I think, "Why didn't I think of that?!" These amazing confections I am about to share with you all are created by Kobi Levi, an Israeli shoe designer... IMO, the Tim Burton of shoe designers. Check 'em out!

You won't slip on THESE banana peels!

These are shoes for cool cats only!

"Oh, my aching dogs..."

Perhaps for a CAGE dancer??

All hail to the plaid!

Gettin' leggy with it...

Well, these look comfy... :p

Slingshot shoes for all you Zelda fans out there!

Check out the tongues on THESE shoes!

In case you have a mini-me you want to pay homage to...

Two for the Price of One...?

Birds of a feather...

Mallard shoes!

For all you swans amongst ducks out there.

Oops! He did it again! *HILARIOUS!*

Hopefully you won't SLIDE around too much!!

And MY personal favorites:

Uh... you got a little something on your shoe...

Which one amazed you the most?? Have a great weekend, dolls!!

It's a Crafter's Life for Me

2011-09-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hello, one and all and happy Thursday! Hope you're all hanging in there this week- it's sure been a long one. So to explain my lack of chatting this week, I wanted to get you all up to speed that to fill the void of working (and to earn a necessary credit), I have decided to help out with the school play. I ~~foolishly~~ boldly volunteered myself to do stage management... something I have never done before (and can already tell you, will never do again). Despite the fact that I am not in the show, I am required to attend every rehearsal, so that takes up a lot of that glorious free time I was basking in. Anyway! To celebrate my final day of freedom last week, I decided to try my hand at something else new: painting.

Folks, I am no artist. Not by any means. My last successful art project involved a paper plate and leftover macaroni noodles... and even my own mother didn't want that hanging on the fridge. So when my friend Becky invited me to join her in trying something new and scary, like painting (on a canvas and everything!), I absolutely had my doubts. What would I paint? What if I messed up? Do I actually have to show this to Scott?! So, to ease my troubles, I did what any girl would do: I turned to Pinterest. And found some inspiration there, combining several different projects' ideas and making them into one that was my own. Today, I bring you... My Tutorial on Seasonal Art! *Results may vary*

What you will need: Four (4) equal-sized canvases- ours came in a 2-pack for $6/each from WalMart; as well as one (1) can of spray paint; acrylic paints- for this, I recommend black, white, brown, blue, green, yellow, and red; round sponges on a stick- available in a variety pack for $3 at WalMart, and one paint brush.

I began by spray-painting all of my canvases with my base color paint. This part is tricky, so if you lack spray-painting skills, like me, be prepared to do multiple coats to disguise flaws. I used fast-drying paint, so after 10 minutes, I was ready to get to work!

I began by freehand painting the trunk of a tree (that was the easy part). From there, I added long, swooping branches that lead off in various directions. When done, I recommend standing back to get the full effect and see if you need more branches.

After that, I got out a paint palette, and mixed varying shades of blue (by using my blue paint and adding various levels of black or white paint to each quadrant of my palette and mixing with the end of my paintbrush). From there, I designated one sponge to each shade... some were bigger sponges, some were smaller. Then, one by one, I sponge-painted my circles around the branches of one canvas to create the effect of leaves.

This completed my winter tree.

I continued rinsing out my palette and sponges after each quadrant, and continued sponging from left to right. For spring, I used lots of greens and added a few more leaves; for summer, I used yellows; and for fall, I used reds, oranges, and browns (but if you lack orange, you can do without).

When I was finished, I wanted to add just a touch more texture into the mix, so I opted to outline and detail the tree trunk just a little in black. If you are going for the surreal, simplistic look, you can skip this step. However, if you choose to implement it, I would recommend doing this step before adding your leaves at all (See? We learn from our mistakes!). In the end, my tree turned out like so:

Now, I know it's nothing glamorous and I'll probably never hang it on my wall, but it was the idea of the project that made it so sweet. Scott was so excited to see something that I made (I'm usually too scared to show him my artist inablilities.), and it was a great opportunity to boldly go where I had never gone before and dip my hand in the artist's pool for a day. For all you talented painters out there, I'm sure you could turn this idea into your own and make it something much lovelier, but for a newbie, I think I did alright!

Hope you enjoyed my little tutorial this morning and I'm urging you all to step out of your comfort zone and give something like this a try! You may not be great, but you won't get better until you try! Best of luck!

Keep your paintbrush gliding,

Who I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-09-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody- Today instead of an installment of "What I'm Loving Wednesday", I decided to do a "Who I'm Loving Wednesday". Now, my hubby is always my number one, but for argument's sake, let's take him out of the equation for today. I will be posting my Top 5 Celebrity Crushes... so feel free to chime in, swoon, or debate!! And here they are!!

Number 5: Chace Crawford

While Chace isn't nearly as well-known as he should be and his "hit" show, Gossip Girl is way too pre-teen for my tastes, there is no denying that this is one incredibly gorgeous man! Those eyes and that just-shaggy-enough hair could turn any girl to butter!

Number 4: Zac Efron

Now, I don't condone jumping on the teeny-bopper band-wagon and gushing over Zac... in fact, there are times I think he looks a bit odd. But after his HSM days, beginning with his role in Hairspray, I fell overboard for this guy's looks. He looks sweet and innocent, with just a hint of mischief. It's endearing enough to earn him a slot on my blog this morning.

Number 3: George Clooney

Yes. Just... YES. Clooney is like a Chanel suit: he'll never go out of style. He gets more and more attractive with every year that passes. I, personally, looove gray hair on men, and he takes that look to a whole new level. Plus, that perfect skin, chocolate eyes, and incredibly sexy voice don't hurt to mention either.

Number 2: Michael Bublé

What can't I say about Michael Bublé?! He's funny, talented, always classy and looks so darn good in a suit it can't be right! I love him for his boyish-yet-sexy looks and adore how down-to-Earth and REAL he is. If you find anybody more dapper and old-world than him, give me a jingle.

Number 1: Johnny Depp

Amaze. Simply just beautiful. I own almost every single one of Johnny's movies. Do I like them all? Absolutely not... in fact, he does the strangest variety of roles I've seen. But I could stare at him for hours, no matter HOW painted up he may be. His Cherokee bone structure and skin tone, that voice, those eyes. He's simply always meant to be Number 1 in my (celeb) book. I adore his face.

So there you have it, ladies! These are my top 5 dreamboat picks. Who are your favorites?? And, yes, I'm sticking to my guns that Scott is my REAL Number 1 (Sorry, Johnny)!

UPDATE: Wanted to give special shout-outs to my runners up: Rob Kardashian, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Shia LeBeouf... you sexy men, you!!

Much love,

Monday Mumblings: Paaartaaay!

2011-09-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Good morning and welcome to the start of yet another week! First of all, I wanted to say thank you on behalf of both myself and Scott for all the sweet birthday wishes that were extended toward him. He thought it was so great that complete strangers (to him, at least) would send warm thoughts his way, so THANK YOU! This weekend was a blast and full of delicious food and fun: parties both days- woo hoo!!

On Saturday, for Scott's birthday, we went to I-HOP for breakfast, where we loaded up on sugary confections that were too good for words!

After that, we hit the mall for a shopping spree and got Scott two new pairs of shoes and sunglasses- to guys that's a lot! But I will sheepishly admit, the trip turned more into a shopping spree for me... as it usually does. Oops. :/ But we did have a great time regardless and it was a good way to stay cool- it was around 90 degrees for whatever reason! The rest of the day was dedicated to relaxation and Scott getting to play his beloved video games, which he played online with my brother, so that was basically a gift in itself. :p

For dinner we went to Texas Roadhouse, and let me tell you, if you've never been there: DON'T GO HUNGRY! You will be forced to wait, at the very least, an hour on any given night, and you will become very agitated very quickly. In my mind, no restaurant is worth waiting an hour and a half just to be seated, but in Scott's it is, so we waited and waited and waited... and, I'll admit, it was delicious, as always. We like to split a steak and the sides and always leave full. Because it was Scott's birthday, our server came by our table and made Scott sit on the birthday saddle, while the restaurant gave out a big "YEE-HAW!". That cracked me up. He also got free birthday ice cream and a new set of sheets from me (what an adult gift, right?).

Back at home, there were presents and spice cake waiting. From my parents, he got a gamer-themed gift: snacks and a body pillow that you use when playing all those games... not to mention, some good old-fashioned cash. His family loaded him up with some money, gift cards, and The Big Bang Theory on DVD (great show- check it out if you haven't yet). His final gift was from me: a black, wool coat that he set his eyes on back when we were in Fargo... little did he know that his wifey had managed to buy it and stow it away that same day. ;) He was very surprised and had to do a little happy dance (see below).

On Sunday, my mom threw a wedding shower for her best friend's upcoming nuptials. We worked together to set it up, and I think we did a lovely job, even if the turn-out wasn't quite what we expected. There were desserts, games, and prizes, which totally made it that much better!

And last night, my mom and I went out to dinner, just the two of us, and it was simply sublime. I love spending time with my mom and am not ashamed to label her as one of my best friends. We always have great times, so I was grateful to get to have a day with her yesterday. Now how about all of you?? Any exciting happenings over the weekend?? Looking forward to FINALLY catching up with all of your blogs!

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!!

2011-09-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today, Saturday, September 10, 2011 marks the 27th birthday of my fabulous and always-loving husband!! I met Scott when he was 24 years old and in that time, he has changed so much! We have had many wonderful memories together, so today, I wanted to celebrate by putting up just a few of my favorite photos and memories we've had together. True, some you've seen, but I love them for a reason- they really show who we are as a couple. Happy Birthday, Scott!!

Love you, Scott!

DIY: From Drab to Fab

2011-09-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, lovelies and welcome to another Thursday morning! Today, as promised, I will be showing you a simple, yet fabulous DIY project that my bestie, Jessie, and I created earlier in the week: an adorable coat rack/shelf for your foyer! When we set out to start our DIY Date Day, we were not expecting to find these ugly little things...

But upon closer inspection, Jessie saw some great potential in them, so we picked them up from our local Goodwill for only $2.00. That's pretty hard to beat. Now, there's nothing wrong with rustic, but we were definitely looking to make these a little less... strong, so we began with a coat of paint.

Now, as lovely as our mountain and patriotic scenes were on these shelves, we were more than ready to cover them up. So as the paint dried, we ran to the craft store and picked up two sheets of craft paper, each. You could also use fabric, but we both found gorgeous paper that suited us just fine, thank you very much.

Our next step was to remove the back of the shelf to attach our paper securely.

Once the backs were removed, we were able to lay our paper down and attach it securely with industrial-strength glue. Normally, this is where you would use an exact-o-knife to cut the paper to size, but by some stroke of incredible luck, ours fit perfectly (good eye estimation, Jess!).

We then re-attached the shelves and added craft store gems to the tops of the pegs. Ours were actually decorative brads, that we removed the heads from and used, so whatever you'd like to use.

And voila! Our shelves turned out glamorous!

So, dear friends, the moral of the story is, you can take something with great bones from a thrift store, the curb, or family members, and turn it into something lovely and personal!

I have hope you enjoyed today's little tutorial; I know I have. I had so much fun with this that I can hardly wait for the next project I work on. I'll be sure to share it with all of you!

Have a great Thursday,

Oops! We did it again!

2011-09-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody and welcome back after a long weekend! I hope you all had a lovely Labor Day, with very little labor involved. I spent my day working on a fabulous DIY project with my bestie, Jessie, so stay tuned for a post on that! Also, a sincere thank you is in order to all of you who left me sweet comments and encouragement about leaving my job. It's not an easy thing, by any means, but you all have made me feel so much better and I appreciate it so much. Now on to something silly...

A quick sneak-peek at our DIY. Hint: It had something to do with these ugly old things...

One year ago today, I started school at the University of Wisconsin- Stout. I was less than thrilled to begin there and my mind must have convinced my body of that because I ended up over-sleeping on the first day. The school was an hour's drive away, so you can imagine my anger/shock/sick-to-my-stomach feeling when I realized I had overslept by more than half an hour. I jumped out of bed and tried to slap on some makeup (without success) and put together a half-decent outfit: another fail. Ultimately, I ended up with jeans and and a sweater from my giveaway pile and had to toss on a hat to hide the fact that I had neither washed, nor styled, my hair. I was halfway out the door before realizing I was still wearing slippers, so I had to run back and correct that. And finally I was on my way and speeding down the highway toward school. When I realized my car was on 'E' and had to stop for gas. So I pulled up to the campus, 3 minutes before class started and found it surprisingly simple to find a parking spot. Thinking it was God's way of taking pity on me, I raced up the stairs and arrived at the classroom door, huffing and puffing. I went to throw open the door, only to find out it was LOCKED.

I called Scott to ask him to double-check my schedule online. He said I was still enrolled and the class had not been canceled. And that's when I realized: school started the next day. I wasn't late at all; in fact, I was a whole day early! I almost screamed, I almost cried (what a waste of my gas money!), but ultimately, I ended up laughing and used my car ride home to sing my diva jams at the top of my lungs, all the way home.

Real-life action shot of me dramatically singing in the car.

(I wish I were kidding.)

And now, one year later, on the mark, Scott did the exact same thing. Hahaha! Guess we really are over-achieving students. ;p

Also, one month ago today, was our one-year wedding anniversary. And as I wrote about all the great things we did and the sweet gifts my mom gave us, I rudely omitted our other amazing gift: a wedding album my amazing sister-in-law spent hours creating for us, going through literally thousands of photos, and arranged them into this perfect collection. She ordered it for us and mailed it to us as a fabulous anniversary gift. I just adore Aubrey and Javier! If you're interested in taking a look at the inside, you can search through the album HERE! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

That's all for today, folks!

Mixed Emotions

2011-09-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

"This is a period that's bittersweet. There's a lot of positives that will take place this year, but there will be lots of challenges, too."

-Warren Jenson

Hello everybody and welcome back to the new week! If you came here from Denise's blog, welcome! Today, I am writing with very mixed emotions. This past week has been filled with some very big highs, followed by some pretty rotten lows as well. The main downer was that I finally left my job at Sassy Di's Salon. I have been there for over a year and was taking my role managing very seriously, but sometimes your best just isn't enough. I mentioned a few weeks back that I chose to step down from my management position and return to doing mainly receptionist work. Upon my decision being put into effect, a new manager was hired. This was where the turmoil began. She immediately started with degrading comments and unnecessary attitude, followed by a new schedule that only allowed me one shift for the entire month of September. I can't live on five hours of work a month and she was unwilling to change her mind, so I had to place my two weeks' notice. I was sad to leave the salon that I had helped run and had developed great skills and friendships at, but sometimes you just have to stick up for yourself and refuse to let others treat you poorly.

I'll miss you, salon ladies!!

So now I have a sense of relief and concern at the same time, but I won't let it keep me down. If nothing else, I have decided to use this time to put all those great Pinterest DIY ideas to use! By the way, if you have a Pinterest account, feel free to follow me and hit me up with your URL too!! If you're anything like me, you've already got hundreds of pins just waiting to be shared. :)

Adorable button tree art

My other fabulous news today is that I have finally reached 50 followers!! Thank you to all my incredible readers who have made me feel oh-so special!

Perhaps another giveaway is in order..? Stay tuned!

And in other happy news, my dear friend Denise over at That Girl Denise featured me in a guest post over at her amazing blog! I would love you all even more if you did me a solid and popped over to read it... especially if you're looking for relationship advice.

My muse for the post.

Thanks again for all your support, everyone! You all make me want to continue writing and reading for many posts to come!

Meet Foxy

2011-09-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."

-George Eliot

This is Foxy. She doesn't bark. She's a lady.

It's not that she can't bark, but being that she is the most mellow dog ever, she doesn't often feel the need. Foxy is my mom's Pomeranian and she has had quite the journey in her day. She is full of character, love, and fur. It's hard to believe that a few years back, her life was almost taken from her.

Growing up, we weren't a dog family. We gave it a try a few times, but it never worked out for us. My mom, especially, was not a huge dog fan. She liked them just fine, but didn't need one sleeping in her bed at night, thank you very much. So you can imagine my surprise when, one week after I went off to college, my mom called me and said, "I got a dog."

Foxy has had a pretty good life, from what we can gather. She grew up in the home of an elderly woman, who we just know she followed around like a shadow. Foxy is very loyal. But one day, Foxy's companion got sick and acquired a form of dimentia. It became so bad that the old woman had to go into assisted living. Well, the dimentia must have caused her to forget she had a dog, because she up and moved out, leaving Foxy alone in the house they once shared together.

It wasn't until days later that Foxy was found alone in the house; hungry, scared, and confused. She was taken to a local animal shelter and given 72 hours to live, unless someone came to save her. My mother, who was NOT looking for a dog at this time (or any time, for that matter), saw the ad and it struck a chord within her. Without thinking twice or talking to my dad (who was away at work), my mom and little brother hopped in the car and drove up north, almost four hours, in a snow storm, to meet this little lady. As they pulled up to meet the man who would be handing her over, they saw Foxy's little face pop up in the truck window and my mom thought, "I'm in trouble." She never intended to keep Foxy; rather, she wanted to buy her more time and help her find a loving home. But we all knew from Day One, this was no foster dog.

Foxy became an immediate part of our family, and easily settled into our hearts... and into our home. She became instantly attached to my mom and has become the most loyal and reliable canine companion we could imagine. And it goes without saying that the idea of a dog living inside the house no longer bothered us. Foxy is the best. She is so sweet to everyone she meets, so chill, and above all, patient (which is not a quality you usually see in dogs). She makes me laugh every single day and I love her to pieces. It is incredible to think that this dog, who is definitely no puppy, could have been euthanized several years ago now, having her life cut short, simply because she didn't have a roof over her head. Without my mom's rescue, we never would have taught her how to dance, cuddled with her at night, taken her on walks, or dressed her in silly clothes. But she is safe now and we will continue to treat her like she deserves until her actual time has come.

Saving an animal from euthanasia is one of the most win-win situations you can put yourself in. The animals in shelters deserve a chance to live; they need a second chance at a family and love. Be that chance at any time you can. Show your support for no-kill shelters and never over-rule the others. Search high and low for the right opportunity and the right pet. It's so easy to want to adopt a puppy or shell out hundreds and thousands for a purebred (and there's nothing wrong with that- they need love too), but if you can find it in your heart to save an old gal, like Foxy, I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Even the older pets can amaze you with their love and intelligence. See the potential in all of God's creatures and open your heart and home to them, whenever you can. It truly is a blessing.

Love you, Foxy!!

Keep your tails wagging (figuratively speaking),