November 29, 2011

A very merry unbirthday, to me. To who? To you!

Today, my friends, is my second Blog-iversery!

(Please ignore the fact that it says Claudia haha)


I can't even believe it's been two years since I started blogging. It's been a long few years-broken heart, moving (a few times :-/), health issues- but man, oh man, time has flown by! And even with all the not so fun stuff, my life has been blessed in so many ways that I coudn't even have imagined two years ago. The people I have in my life are second to none, I love my job more and more everyday, I am in an apartment that feels like home.

And even beyond all that-

I'm happy.

That's not to say I wasn't happy when I started this blog, or I haven't been happy in the past two years, but the fact that I have continued to be happy and just how happy I am, really blows my mind. My heart is so full and it just amazes me. I didn't know it was possible for me to feel like this, and it just keeps.getting.better.

I'm so thankful for blogging. I've met some of the most amazing, supportive, sweet, funny, wonderful people. When I started this, I had no idea how much I would love it and how big a part of my life blogging would become, but now I can't imagine my life without it and without all you people.

So, thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.

November 27, 2011

I think I got the key. I guess I'll just try another if that's the key

Everyone has a junk drawer.

Hers was in the kitchen, the top left drawer in the island. It was filled to the brim with loose playing cards and empty lighters, books of matches and half burned birthday candles. A collection that had taken years and had become so extensive she barely knew what it contained.

She rummaged through the contents, looking for some super glue, when she found the key. A solitary key on a plain key ring. It had been buried for so long she had forgotten it was even there. She was lost in thought, fingering the ring, before the sound of a branch hitting the window outside, brought her back to the present.

Still distracted, she threw the key on top of the pile of junk and closed the drawer.

A few days later, he entered the room, the keyring dangling off his ring finger.

"What's this?" he asked. She did not answer him, and he didn't need her to.

"I thought you got rid of this," he continued. "Did you use it?"

Slowly, she shook her head no.

"Are you sure? Because it was just laying on top of all the other junk in that drawer. I didn't even know it still existed! Let alone to be on top!"

He began to pace, and threw his hands up in frustration. "It's like you wanted me to find it."

Pausing, he turned and stared at her, the veins in his neck and forehead bulging, framing his ever reddening face. "If there's something you need to tell me, I suggest you do it now."

"No, there's nothing."

He snatched the key and walked out of the room. She turned her back to the door and let out a sigh, surprised to find she had been holding her breath the entire time.

Maybe she had wanted him to find it, she wasn't entirely sure. But she knew one thing for certain-the key was her way out, and now it was that much farther out of her reach.

This post is in response to a prompt at The Lightning and the Lightning Bug-write about a key, literal or figurative, memory or fiction


November 26, 2011

It's realizing just how close you've come to death.

"You're going to kill yourself."

She could feel the older woman's eyes boring a hole in the top of her head, as it remained bowed, her eyes transfixed on the table in front of her.

When she was finished, the girl stood up and, for the first time, looked in the woman's direction. The girl's blank stare looked far beyond the woman standing in front of her, but the woman just smiled and nodded.

She left quickly and got in her car, trying to leave behind the gravity of what she had just heard.

"She has no idea what she's talking about," she said to herself, with an accompanying eye roll.

Lighting up a cigarette, she navigated the backroads back to her apartment.

There, a thick cloud of smoke greeted her, the haze hanging heavy at the top of the stairs. She sat down on the couch and inhaled deeply as the purple-grey smoke swirled around her.

She was seeking relief, but it was slow to come. She tried again, breathing fiercely, holding her breath until she was coughing.

She sat back, frustrated, and closed her eyes. Without welcome, the woman's face appeared in her minds eye. She heard her words vividly. This time she couldn't ignore it-the words repeated over and over in her head, bringing her back to reality with a jolt.

"I...I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette."

Her roommates just nodded as she made her way outside. But she didn't stop on the porch, she didn't even light a smoke. Without thinking she opened her car door, started the engine and began to drive away.

He phone buzzed a few minutes later. He roommates noticed her absence.

"Dude whered u go?!?!?!?!?!"

The woman's face appeared again, and a hand that was anything but hers, shut the phone and continued the drive.



This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-The soundtrack of our words.
(In my head, this song plays as she drives away.)

November 24, 2011

Come on over, it's Thanksgiving Day




I really can't even put into words how thankful I am. I am blessed beyond belief.

I hope you all are having a lovely Thanksgiving.

November 23, 2011

'Cause it's turkey to eat. So good.

Seeing all the delicious pins on Pinterest lately has gotten me even more excited (if that's possible!) for Thanksgiving! I love seeing my family, but let's be honest, we're all looking forward to some yummy dinner, right? Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to chowing down on haha













Source: bhg.com via Debbi on Pinterest



HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Are you on Pinterest? If you need an invite-let me know and I'd be happy to send you one!
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Go check out The Vintage Apple to see all the great things people have pinned!

November 21, 2011

Ooooh riding Daphne.

Last week, my friend Katie and I made the last minute decision to go see Russel Brand do stand up...and I'm sooooo glad we did!


Tickets had been on sale for a while, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go, so when a Groupon for half off tickets showed up the day before the show-I finally made up my mind and got them!

He was performing at EMU's Convocation Center so we met up, got some dinner and went to see the show!

There was a few contests in the area to find comedians to open up for him, so two guys from U-M performed. They were decently funny, but sitting in front of us were some brothers from one of the guys fraternitys who ended up being almost as entertaining as Russell himself

He was seriously *so* funny! I loved him in Get Him to The Greek, but I've always been kind of on the fence about him because I can't stand his wife haha


His accent just made everything better and he actually seemed like a pretty decent guy-he even came down off the stage and into the crowd to meet people. He was raunchy and hilarious and disgusting and I just loved every minute of it! Plus, I didn't realize it, but he's pretty hot! lol

I'm so happy we went!

Unfortunately, the frat guys in front of us didn't feel the same way. The one in front of Katie fell asleep and kept almost hitting her knee as his head fell backwards-we seriously laughed for ten minutes at this poor kid.

Luckily, he didn't need to feel too bad, because his bro fell asleep too, so they could cuddle together haha

The best part was when the first kid woke up and the tried to make fun of the other one who was still sleeping...seriously, bro? haha

November 20, 2011

And I still miss you.

The top of the jewelry box was open, each piece on display. The collection of jewels and metals each catching and reflecting the light in their own way.

She had gotten lots of jewelry over the years-necklaces from ex-boyfriends, her mothers pearl necklace, a wedding ring that graced her finger from the love of her life.

But her favorite pieces were not on display for everyone to see. She kept them hidden in a small box, tucked away in her nightstand.

She rarely pulled them out, but today she was missing her.

Searching through the books, and pens and papers, she pulled out the small, flowered gift box. Removing the top revealed her grandmothers cameos- so many different sizes, shapes and pictures. All equally beautiful.

She took the one from the bottom, a dark metal frame, attached to a long chain. The picture showed the profile of a woman, her hair pulled back, looking lovingly at the flowers in her hand.

Fingering the raised image, she set the rest of the contents of the box down on her bed, and walked over to her desk. A pile of "Thank you" cards sat to her left, some needing to be written, some just needing a stamp.

I should be finishing those, she thought. But instead, she continued staring at the cameo.

Her mind wandered to all sorts of places-What did you wear this with? Where did you get this? Which was your favorite?

A glint of the diamond on her ring brought her back to reality. She looked again at the stack of cards next to her.

Would you have worn one to my wedding?

She fought the lump in her throat, put down the cameo and picked up a pen.

With a sigh, she began to work on her "Thank You" cards and tried to push the lingering questions out of her head.



This post is in response to a prompt at The Lightning and the Lightning Bug-photo prompt!


November 19, 2011

So I've come for my award, I've come for my award

If you guys haven't stopped by The Vapid Vixen, you are seriously missing out. She's hilarious and super sweet.

And because she's awesome, she gave me the wonderful Liebster Award!

So now, it's my turn to share the love and pass it on to five of my favorite bloggers!

So...without further adieu...
Five of my Faves!

1. Dana at the abundant life is one of the sweetest people I've ever come in contact with. She handles life with so much grace and gratitude-it's really inspiring.

2. Al at Traffic Jelly shares lots of stories and pictures from her life in Turkey-plus she's a fellow avocado addict so how can I not love her? haha

3. Katie at Chicken Noodle Gravy is such a talented writer-I just love reading her posts. Plus she is involved with The Lightning and the Lightning Bug, which is one of the most talented and supportive group of writers I've ever seen-check them both out, I highly recommend them.

4. Kelli at Narragansett No.7...if you read her blog, and don't laugh, there's probably something wrong with you. One of the funniest and most talented women I've seen.

5. Amanda at For the Love of a Cupcake is such a sweetheart! And with her Motivate Me Monday link up, she has me getting my butt back in gear with lots of tips and tricks for being healthy.

Thanks again to VV and go check out some super awesome blogs!

November 18, 2011

And we’re travelling on this road to somewhere, try to get this message home if your still there

She always assumed road trips happened like they did in the movies- a car load of friends, barreling down the highway as the wind blew their hair back. Loud music, lots of laughs, hanging our feet out of the passenger side window.

But that cliche was not her reality.

She was alone in the car, and had been for hours, with hours still to go. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and her legs were aching from sitting. With a deep breath, she willed herself to get though Chicago rush hour traffic, with the promise that on the other side, eventually, there would be rest.

She looked at her Ipod and noticed a tiny red mark on the battery-She had only moments left before it died. She searched the console for a cd, but nothing she found sounded like something she wanted to hear. The Ipod sputtered through the first half of a song, before the screen went black.

Silence it was.

Well, as silent as a major highway in one of the biggest cities in America during one of the busiest times of day can be.

The hum of thousands of cars lent its self well to daydreaming, which, as had been the case lately, led to more anxiety. More than once she cursed the traffic, not because it kept her from moving forward, but because it prevented her from turning around, abandoning the whole trip.

She was seeking closure, and she knew she must seek it alone. No one could force her to feel it, and she was the only one who knew where to find it. And so, when the traffic started to move, ever so slightly, she kept her hands on the wheel and continued forward, no matter how badly the urge to turn back called her.

This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-we’d like you to take us on an actual journey, specifically a road trip

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

November 17, 2011

The crow flies straight, a perfect line.

When I was in high school we used to play "Eff. Marry. Kill" so I was soooo excited when I saw The Vintage Apple was hosting a link up!

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Basically, you choose three male celebrities and then you have to decide which of the three you would...well, eff, marry or kill make disappear, it sounds less violent haha


Since I'm catching up on my DVR today and have three episodes of Sons of Anarchy to watch, I figured I'd pick three of those guys to play with...I just have a thing for boys on bikes ;-)


Eff...

Opie-Yea, he's a little crazy and pretty grungy, but I feel like those could add up to a fun night... Plus, his voice....yum.


Marry...Jax-no questions asked. He seems like he's got his head in the right place (for the most part), is genuine and, obviously, looks pretty good with his shirt off hehe

Kill...Clay-Now, it's not that find him to be terribly unattractive...but he's just been so horrible this season! So. away he goes!


So....
Who would you
Eff, Marry, Kill?

Go link up with The Vintage Apple and Blonde...Undercover Blonde to share yours!

November 16, 2011

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat And I can cap them all.

To say I can be a huge nerd is an understatement. I don't publicly geek out about many things, but one thing I just can't contain my love for his Harry Potter. I mean seriously, I even did my nails for the last movie premiere. I'm actually gearing up to reread the entire series again and some of the lovelies on Pinterest have been feeding my obsession with lots of awesome HP pins.













Source: wanelo.com via Amanda on Pinterest



Source: wbshop.com via Amanda on Pinterest






Do you guys have any secret (or not so secret) nerd obsessions?

Do you Pinterest?
Go link up with Michelle at the Vintage Apple and check out everyone's pins!
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Not on Pinterest? If you need an invite, let me know and I'll hook you up!

November 15, 2011

When you go would you even turn to say "I don't love you like I did yesterday"?

It started with a text.

"Can you come over around 6? We need to talk."

I leapt from my seat on the couch, rapidly pressing the "send" button on my cell phone. Every call ending with his voice-mail.

"Hello?", he asked timidly, as if he were unsure about who was on the other end.

"So that's it? We're breaking up? I'm not waiting till 6. If we're doing this, it's on my terms," I spat. "Oh, and make sure my stuff is packed."

"Fine."

I hung up and jumped in my car. My heart was pounding; I had so much adrenaline pumping, my hands were shaking. I raced across town, coming to a stop in front of his house. I let myself in and made my way upstairs.

"At least you listened," I snarled, as I entered his bedroom. We had been here before- last time I had arrived to find my things still strewn around the room. Seeing everything in a neat little box, collected from various spots in the house, made it real.

My eyes boring a hole through him, as he stared at the ground.

"Well?" I asked, tapping my toe impatiently, waiting for him to speak.

He tried, but I interrupted, "So you go away for three days and all of a sudden you're over me? It only takes three days of not speaking for you to forget about me?"

"I tried, Amanda," he began, "I really did. I just can't anymore."

He finally looked at me. In turn, I raised my eyebrow, daring him to continue.

"This isn't working for me. I just..."

"Just...?"

"...just don't love you," he flinched, as if threatened, his body recoiling from me.

I didn't move.

"What? You think I'm going to hit you?" letting out a small, sarcastic laugh.

He was silent.

A final eye roll and I grabbed the box; I was ready to leave, ready to be done.

This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-we’re writing about pivotal conversations. The goal was to focus on body language, word choices, and the pauses between the words to create meaningful, powerful dialogue

Write on Edge: RemembeRED

November 14, 2011

Heaven is whenever we can get together.

As soon as the holidays arr8ive, my life seems to get super boring. It happens every year-I mean, it makes sense considering in a few weeks I'll be too exhausted to do anything but work and sleep so I think I kind of psych myself up for a few weeks of nothing...but doing nothing early haha

But this week, I tried to get in some last minute fun before the Holidaze completely take over.

During the High Holidays, our temple always rolls out the new exciting things happening in the coming year, and this year there was one that caught my eye, so I joined a book club!

This past week was the first meeting, and even though I was by far the youngest one there, I really enjoyed it! We read a book about Heaven that was pretty interesting and even though I didn't speak much, I enjoyed just listening.

I'm really excited to read the next book and looking forward to going back!

After book club was done, I met up with a few friends to get some drinks-normally, not something I'd do, but I'm trying to cram some last minute fun in while I still have the energy!

We went to a few bars downtown and played pool. Before we started, I was talking about how when I used to be good, I was able to hustle pool, but as soon as we started I couldn't make any shot! Seriously, every. single.one. missed! But, of course, as soon as we decide we're done, and I start messing around, I hit everything perfectly! Guess karma was telling me I shouldn't brag lol

Wednesday, I attended a lecture at the local community college. I felt like a total nerd, but it was really interesting! A professor I'd had a few years ago was speaking about her sabbatical that she just returned from-she traveled to Egypt, Israel and Palestine. She was even in Tahrir Square during the uprising! She is an amazing woman and shared some really touching stories and photographs-I was really glad to be able to go! If you want to see some of her photos and stories, check out her blog-I just think it's fascinating!

Unfortunately, I didn't really get a day off this week, because my one day off was full of meetings and my second day off, I spent doing my new internship! I'm seriously enjoying it so much! The environment is so great and the people are too-I'm just loving it and feel so blessed that everything worked out so I'm able to do it!

November 12, 2011

How dare you call this love.

"What are you doing here?" her eyes so narrow it was amazing she could see through the slits at all.

He writhed uncomfortable, mumbling. "Well, I was just...uh...driving by and..." He didn't even attempt to meet her gaze.

The icy glare said it all. Her arms crossed defensively across her chest and every time he made a move toward her, her body mirrored his action-he reached out with his left hand, her left shoulder recoiled, he took a step towards her, her whole body moved backwards.

"I just wanted to apologize. I was stupid and I realize that. But I miss you so much and I..." he rubbed his hands together, trying to generate warmth as the snow begin to lightly fall on the porch stoop. "Can I just come in? Just to talk?"

She raised one eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She didn't need to, he knew exactly what that look meant. She had said it often when they were together "You must be out-chya mind!" Usually, it was said amidst laughter. Not this time.

"Just give me five minutes to explain, please," he pleaded, but it did not make a difference. She stood firm, her face like stone and her eyes seeing through him.

After what seemed like hours of silence she spoke, "You could've picked anyone. Literally, anyone! Yet, you chose her. And not only did you choose her, but you chose a place where everyone would notice you! You knew exactly what you were doing."

She snarled the last line, like a snake hissing at its next victim.

When she finished, she resumed her gaze, giving him time to recover and respond. He stood opposite her, mouth gaping open, unsure of what to say next.

But she didn't feel like waiting. Instead, she just shook her head and with a quick turn, shut the door.


This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-Write a conversation-Using surroundings, body language, visual cues and blocking, in addition to the spoken words, show us who they are and what their relationship is without coming out and telling us!


Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood

November 9, 2011

I feel the life, Oh I feel love.

I haven't linked up with Jaime at this kind of love for a few weeks so I thought I'd show ya'll What I'm Loving today!


I'm Loving Yogi Tea! Seriously, I've been addicted to the ginger tea for like 3 weeks and I just bought a box of the caramel bedtime tea that is delicious! Yum!
Plus they have cute little sayings on the tags that I just love lol

I'm Loving Jalepeno Cheetos. I rarely eat them but when I do...oh man...watch out. My mom and I ate an entire bag in the time it took us to drive home from Target (hence no picture lol)

I'm Loving that it was my turn to fill the candy box at work! My mom told me no one would like the candy I bought, but I liked it so I bought it anyway, because that means more for me! Althought maybe that's not a good thing...


Case in point: There used to be some Dots in here...but I ate them all

I'm Loving Shea Moisture curling products. I've been using the same hair products for *years* but recently read a review of this stuff and decided to give it a try-I'm still getting used to it, but so far I really like it! Plus it smells good and leaves my hair sooooo soft!

What are ya'll loving today?
Go link up with Jaime and see what everyone else is loving!

November 8, 2011

If there's one thing I can't take, it's the sound that a woman makes about five seconds after her heart begins to break.

He had just gotten out of a long relationship, still reeling from the fiance who had left him a few years earlier; a serial monogamist at it's finest.

I was in the midst of being single for the longest period of my adult life. Still not quite sure what being an adult in an adult relationship was all about and holding on to the last of my insecurities with all my might.

It was doomed from the beginning.

Our first date culminated in our first kiss, which brought me to my knees and left me unable to be anywhere but his side for as long we were together.

There was no dating, no courting-we had a date, then we were official and, soon thereafter, deeply, terrifyingly in love.

We broke up for the first time and I begged for another chance. Not sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

It worked. And as we both cried and hugged and made up, he kissed me.

"Surely, you can feel I love you when we kiss," he prompted.

I nodded, but it was a lie. Whatever passion I had previously felt had vanished-we had an expiration date, and we both knew it.

It was cyclical-we fought, we made up, we argued, we worked things out. I was usually the one who backed down, he won the fights and I nodded in agreement, holding back for the sake of the relationship, no matter how doomed it was. Yet still, every fight we had killed me-rendering me a useless mass on my couch.

But out last fight was different. I stuck up for myself-I knew it was the end and it going to be on my terms. I drove across town, my top heavy Jeep swerving precariously in and out of traffic, heart racing, palms sweaty.

We tried to make up one last time-dinner and movie were our band-aid for a relationship broken beyond repair. It didn't work and I stormed out of his house for the last time.

Even though I knew it was coming, even though I knew it was doomed from the beginning, my heart ached. I laid on my mothers couch for days, willing my heart to catch up to the feelings my mind had known for far too long.

This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-Doomed Relationships.

Write on Edge: RemembeRED

November 7, 2011

Everyday is like a blank canvas. You know you can paint it anyway you want it.

I've been meaning to put this up but I'm lame and forgot haha

A few weeks ago I won an awesome giveaway from Ashley at Illuminated He{art}. She's a super talented writer and artist, mama to the cutest little girl and just pretty much awesome.

I won one of her beautiful canvases and was so excited to be able to show it off in my new place!


The picture doesn't really do it justice- it's mixed media and I'm just in love with it!
Close up

If you're in the market for some art, or just want to check out a really sweet blog (and her adorable daughter) go say hi to Ashley!

November 6, 2011

Now I don't claim to be an "A" student, but I'm trying to be.

The hum of her laptop fan on her lap was almost enough to put her to sleep. She had been sitting in her over sized, brown plush chair for what seemed like days-laptop perched on her knees, papers and textbooks spread on the table and floor surrounding her. Piles of notes, notebooks band more pens and three ring binders than anyone should own in a lifetime added to the clutter, making the already small room increasingly claustrophobic.

The beginning of November always brought the worst of the semester. She was far enough into it that it had lost the novelty and excitement of the beginning, but not close enough to being done to be able to see the end. The parties many use to ring in the start of a new semester have subsided, and the street in the tiny student neighborhood she lives on is quiet. Even the least studious among them is holed up in a similar position to what she currently finds herself in.

She rereads the assignment. A rebuttal. 2500 to 3000 words. Any topic. It should be easy-2500 words is barely anything. It was the openness of "any topic" that was tripping her up. Her brain was too tired from the other tests, papers and projects she was either working on or just finished to even see straight, let alone pick a topic from the seemingly infinite possibilities.

Opening up her browser, she pulled up Google, which she had formed quite an attachment to this semester.

How did people even do homework with it? She often wondered.

She typed in "rebuttal essay paper ideas" and within seconds was provided with close to 500,000 links. She breathed a sigh of relief and clicked the first one. The page began to load and in bright red, bold letting across the top, the headline read "ANY PAPER, ANY TOPIC! Just $9.99!" It blinked enticingly, the long list of papers for sale organized by topic and word count waiting patiently underneath.

For a second she considered browsing, just to see what they had. She may be broke, but $9.99 seemed a small price to pay to have this paper off her mind. And would her teacher really know? She's probably grading hundreds...thousands even...

But her conscious kicked in and she went back to the previous screen.

She opened a word document and stared at the blank, white, simulated piece of paper, willing a topic to reveal itself and for 2500 words to come pouring out of her fingertips.

Unfortunately, it doesn't happen and the paper remains blank, save for the tiny black cursor, blinking rhythmically, tauntingly.

She gets up and walks over to the hanging wall calender. Every box is filled with something- birthdays, assignment due dates, the occasional social gathering.

Today is November 4th, definitely not the first Friday night she's spent in front of the computer and, she's sure, not the last.

She counts the days by number of assignments until she gets some time off. Three papers, 4 tests, 4 quizzes, one project.

Then... it's Thanksgiving. A glorious week long break from the stress of school-they only thing she will have to concern herself with will be the amount of turkey she can eat before the tryptophan catches up with her.

But for now, she must get back to work.

She stares back at the laptop, taking her place in the middle of the large chair. She tries to take a step towards it, but her feet keep her rooted.

First, she thinks with a yawn, I'll just take a nap.

This post is in response to a prompt at The Lightning and the Lightning Bug-Flicker of Inspiration #23- Time of the Season


November 5, 2011

Cause tonight, you know it's not forever

The sun is barely peaking in the window, but it is just enough to catch my attention. In my fog, I sit up and survey the room.

My clothes lay in a pile at the end of the bed-a sequin top and mini skirt crumpled to the point of being unrecognizable, my stilettos lying pitifully next to them. The sequins pick up the few stray rays of light bouncing around and at once, turn the room into a glittering, headache inducing disco ball.

My hand reaches to cover my eyes and wipe the hair from in front of my face. My perfectly coiffed mane from the night before is now thrown on top of my head in a knot. A sweatshirt from a college I’ve never heard of has replaced the sultry outfit I had on not even twelve hours ago.

On the other side of the bed an alarm clock blinks “8:00”. The boy next to me starts to stir, bringing me back to reality. I jump out of bed and grab my clothes in one hand and heels in the other.

“Hey…” I hear him coming to, but by now my hand is on the front door. “Hey… Wait… You’ve got my sweatshirt!”

This post is in response to a prompt at Write on Edge-8 -am or pm, fiction or creative non-fiction- but 8:00. In 200 words or less.




November 4, 2011

November 2, 2011

I finally found the words that mean enough to me.

One of my favorite things about Pinterest is all the sweet quotes they have. I would love to just hang them up all over my apartment! Here's a few of my favorites-





Source: wanelo.com via Amanda on Pinterest









Aren't those great!

Go link up with The Vintage Apple to share your pins and see what everyone else is pinning!
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Not on Pinterest? If you need an invite, let me know and I'll hook you up!

November 1, 2011

I never got over that sweet taste...

Growing up, my grandparents lived about two hours from us and we visited as often as possible. We would pack up after school on Friday afternoons and arrive just before dinner that evening. We would sit down as a family, a full spread laid out before us-pasta with homemade meat sauce, salad, rolls, vegetables, sometimes steaks right off the grill.

After dinner, we would take our places in the living room, the television tuned to whatever sporting event was on that night while my mom and grandmother chatted and my brother and I alternated telling our stories and showing off our toys to our grandparents.

As my dad and grandfather talked sports, my mom and grandmother would make their way back to the kitchen table, pulling the cribbage board and cards out from the desk drawer. My brother and I would follow, knowing what came with the nightly card game.

Even though we were full from dinner, the game meant that there would be more to eat-or drink, more accurately.

"Go get the ice cream from the freezer," my grandmother would say and within seconds, my brother and I would take off down the stairs, yanking open the deep freezer kept in the basement. The large five gallon tub of ice cream would often require teamwork to carry it back up, but she kept it on the bottom shelf so we could easily reach it.

By the time we would return to the kitchen, the blender would have been brought out from the back of the cabinet, plugged in and placed in the middle of the counter top.

My brother and I would push chairs to the edge of the counter and climb atop so we could reach. Taking her ice cream scoop, my grandmother would roll big scoops of vanilla ice cream and drop them into the blender. A few splashes of milk were next, followed by my brother or I squeezing the bottle of Hershey's on top of everything until either my mom or grandmother decided that was enough.

My brother and I would press all of the buttons on the blender, not knowing the difference between "pulse" and "blend". When it was thoroughly mixed, my grandmother would pull down the tall glasses from the top shelf and evenly disperse the contents of the blender. We would grab straws and sit down to enjoy our desert.

The slurping of the straws was intertwined with calls of "fifteen-two, fifteen-four" until the mix of carbs and the long car ride became too much for us, and we gave in to a sweet, sugar induced slumber.




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