6.24.2009

Suddenly [randomly] obsessed with LOL Cats

Pictures of the Day (I dare you not to laugh!):









[pics from thelolcats.com]

Quote of the Day:
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.
Albert Einstein

Fact of the Day:

A flea can jump 30,000 times without stopping.

6.23.2009

Um, yes, please!

Coolest Slurpees EVER!!!
[well, besides the Simpsons Squishees]


Gotta try the Bumblebee Blast Slurpee!


"Transformers: More than meets the eyes!"

[film quote: "There's more than meets the eye...when it comes to you."
I LOVE Shia :) :) :) ]

6.19.2009

My favorites are "Charade" and "Wait Until Dark"

Picture of the Day:


Quote(s) of the Day {special Audrey Hepburn edition}:

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

“Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge, or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.”

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”

“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.” [as a future teacher, naturally, I had to include this one XD ]

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.”


Fact of the Day:

The number of Japanese living past 100 has more than doubled in the last six years, reaching a record high of 36,000 people in 2008. The country's centenarian ranks are dominated by women, who make up 86 percent of the total.


{could she be any more lovely?}

6.17.2009

What's holding us back?

[image courtesy of Kurt Halsey]

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to
their needs,
that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

*******

Let's be good to each other,
let's be kind,
let's be fun,
let's be laughter,
let's be beauty,
let's be song & lyrics,
let's be forgiveness,
let's
be
l o v e.

6.16.2009

Last Week in Numbers

{Happy Birthday, Chloe Darling!}

6.07.09 - 6.13.09

1 - book I finished reading (Impulse)
2 - pitchers of Shock Top for James at Beer Bellies
3 - paintings for Chloe's Birthday
4 - weeks until our lease is up
5 - days of my new summer course "Grammar for Teachers"
6 - times loading/unloading the dishwasher
7 - hours spent training my replacement as store manager
8 - episodes of DVRed "Jeopardy!" watched
9 - bags of frozen grapes
10 - seconds spent not worrying

(I DEFINITELY need to work on #10!)

[blog topic inspired by Naturally Nina]

6.11.2009

"I gotta feeling..."

Picture of the Day:


*oh how i ADORE Kurt Halsey*

Quote of the Day:

Phoebe: Pheobe. That's, P, as in Phoebe, H, as in heobe, O as in oebe, E, as in ebe, B, as in bebe, and E as in... Ello there mate.

(source = IMDB)

Fact of the Day:

The average smell weighs 760 nanograms.

Song of the Day (and week and probably month...):

"I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

6.10.2009

The Office


Quote of the Day:

Michael Scott: Last week I would've given a kidney to anyone in this office. I would've reached right into my stomach and pulled it out for them. But now, no. I don't have the relationship with these people that I thought I did. I hope they ask, so they can hear me say, "Uh, no, I only give my organs to my real friends. Go get yourself a monkey kidney."

Fact of the Day:
Many of the famous insert shots from the original series such
as the water cooler and copier machine are not used in the show. (source = IMDB)

Picture of the Day:

:)

6.09.2009

Delicious

Picture of the Day:

i say, the more color, the better.

Quote of the Day:

Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.
Albert Einstein

Fact of the Day:

Lizards communicate by doing push-ups.

6.08.2009

In love with Thoreau...

Picture of the Day:


{muy caliente}

Quote of the Day:

Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it comes to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh.
Henry David Thoreau

Fact of the Day:

Mosquitoes are attracted to people who just ate bananas.

6.05.2009

Do Be Do Be Do...

Picture of the Day:

hmm...i'm thinking it's time for a new tattoo...

Quote of the Day:
A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.
Henry David Thoreau

Fact of the Day:
The first Ferris wheel was built in Atlantic City in 1869.

6.04.2009

Picture, Quote, & Fact of the Day

Picture of the Day:


Quote of the Day:
"Can we change the world? No, but hell, we can all try."
Rupert Murdoch

Fact of the Day:
Florentine artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) took his favorite painting, the "Mona Lisa" (1503-1506, Louvre, Paris), everywhere with him. One of the most celebrated portraits ever painted, it is also known as "La Gioconda," after the presumed name of the woman's husband. Although there have been many theories about the origin of the inexplicable smile on the woman's face, it was probably just the result of Leonardo's interest in natural "chiaroscuro" (the effect of light and shadow on the subject).

6.02.2009

L.O.V.E

i LOVE this "impromptu gallery"


one of my next projects: updating/decorating an old locket


i can't wait to have kids JUST so i can play games with them and make them fun, yummy meals like this one


i have a new obsession with mobiles


isn't this a SWEET double desk set? i LOVE it! :)

*******
what do YOU love today?

5.28.2009

Simplify

[this family put candles in a banana to show that even the simplest of activities are to be savored and celebrated]

What will or won't you do to save money?

[blog topic inspired by Remodeling This Life]

I don't mind that my fiance & I never go out to eat.

I like being resourceful; instead of buying new clothes, I look at what I have and make new outfit combinations.

I love DIY projects & crafts.

I like printing out pictures from my computer.

I have fun making my own artwork.

I like buying gifts for people I love...

...but I like making gifts for them even more.

I don't mind taking the time to research an item to find the best possible price.

I don't buy designer clothing.

I buy journals & books constantly.

I miss going to the movie theater...

...but downloading movies is quite convenient, too.

*******

On a similar note, I want to simplify my life--that means living more fully, having (and wanting!) less material possessions, and spending more time with people rather than with things.

How will I do this? My goals are to:

  1. De-clutter. I am a huge pack rat so giving and throwing material possessions away is hard for me. My solution? To take pictures of the things that have sentimental value and then either give them away or throw them away. For things without sentimental value, I must really determine if they are worth my time or if I even spend any time using them.
  2. Stop buying so much stuff! My new rule: if I buy something, I must get rid of something else; that way, I'm not adding to my collection of "stuff" but rather replacing and exchanging it. My other strategy, which always works pretty well for me, is to carry the item with me throughout the rest of my journey through the store; I almost always decide against buying the item once I've been holding on to it for a while.
  3. Keep the tv off more often. I generally cannot just sit and watch a tv show or a movie--I have to be doing something else at the same time, whether that's blogging or sketching or painting or looking through a magazine or eating or whatever. I miss most of the tv show anyway, and I don't think either activity--the tv-watching or the other activity--gets my full attention. Instead of having the tv on to fill the silence in the background, I'll make new mixed CDs and download more music onto my MP3 player so that I can listen to music I really like instead of listening to the same old stuff on the radio.
  4. Slow down and savor. This goes for everything in my life, from eating to spending time with my family and fiance to playing with my puppy to relaxing. I think we, as Americans, try to rush through everything--and end up missing the magic of our experiences. I want to try to just slow down and take in each experience, to indulge in every feeling and touch and sound and kiss and sight...
  5. Create experiences. I'm typically not a very social person; I rarely get bored because my mind is full of ideas that I use to create with and write about and entertain myself with. But there is so much that I am missing by not getting outside of my comfort zone and meeting new people. My fiance and I just recently started hanging out with his co-workers--they're so different from me in so many ways but they have such wonderful stories to tell! I work at a tiny little candy shop and my day is made when I really connect with a customer and we have a wonderful, meaningful conversation. I've also started spending more time with my family, all of which live about an hour away; I miss them so much and I've realized that instead of missing them, I should visit them more and make memories with them. These are the kinds of experiences you remember.
*******

What can't YOU live without?
And, more importantly, what can you GIVE UP?

how to be


dimly enchanted
and
utterly rare

nothing gives her life
like
having burdens to bear

something inside
her
screams for release

the whirring of her mind
and
the drumming of her heart
will tire and cease
yet
live on through her deeds

5.22.2009

My Mother Baked the Whole World for Me


My mother baked the whole world for me
In sweet cakes.
My beloved filled my window
With raisins of stars.
And my yearnings closed inside me
Like bubbles in a loaf of bread.
On the outside, I am smooth and quiet and brown.
The world loves me.
But my hair is sad as reeds in a drying swamp--
All the rare birds with beautiful plumage
Flee from me.

Yehuda Amichai

Lions, Tigers, & Stingrays! Oh my!

Last Sunday, James & I took advantage of Lowry Park Zoo's $5 admission day.
[His co-workers at Spencer's thought it was pretty funny that he asked for the day off to go to the Zoo. :) ]

Happy Feet!

:: Flamingos Flamenco ::


This tiger was so cute; apparently, tigers like to play with cantaloupes 'cause they're fleshy and stuff.

I FED THE STINGRAYS...

...AND IT WAS MY FAVORITE PART! This is me EXTREMELY HAPPY because it was so cool! :)

5.12.2009

if i could do anything right now, i would...


[post inspired by Naturally Nina]

1. get some energy--then go outside and play!

2. see "Star Trek" again--and I'm not even a Trekkie or ST fan by ANY means!
3. lie in bed with my two loves (fiance & puppy), listening to the rain
4. recreate my own version of a super cute bracelet I saw at the store the other day
5. get--and play!--the new EA Sports Active game for the Wii
6. buy some Razzles
7. read Crank (a recommendation from my sister)
8. find some fresh new tunes
9. write!
10. sketch

5.11.2009

Destroying the shackles...

"Until everyone is free,
no one
is."

5.09.2009

Pictures, please!



I was terribly sad to learn that not only are Polaroid instant cameras not being produced anymore, but they and their film are extremely expensive! That's why I love Poladroid, which I found online last night! I LOVE it! :)






5.08.2009

Today I love...


...being good to my love, James.
...shrinky dinks.
...abs made stronger by crunches.
...a new episode of "The Office".
...a low-key day at work.
...texting my sister & best friend.
...wearing shorts.
...happy customers.
...ambitions.
...creativity.
...polaroids.


{what do YOU love today?}

5.06.2009

Sipahhhhh!

I'm dedicating this blog to straws, wonderful straws [because I use them everyday, for every drink, and love them so!]:



Double functionality: drinking glasses!



Go green with straw furniture!

Crazy straws with logos; who doesn't love to customize?





Build your own unique straw creations!



Do you like this bright idea?





Enjoy this Bart straw with a Squishee!

5.05.2009

Agradecimiento ("gratitude", anyone?)


  • James' willingness to drive me to Universal Studios & Ikea today (he never complains)
  • At the Men in Black ride, the guy let James & I ride together--even though we got in the "Single Rider" line
  • I actually had a decent score on the MIB ride (167,000 because I got the bonus at the end!) :) I am very proud of this because I STINK at video games usually!
  • There was hardly anyone at the parks = I walked right on to the Hulk, Dueling Dragons, & Spider-Man
  • I overcame the urge to spend over 3 bucks on one tiny bucket of cotton candy
  • The Simpson's Ride--those jokes NEVER get old!
  • Drink refills for 79 cents
  • Spending the day with my love
  • Craft time at home!
  • No work today
  • Getting stuff done (like phone calls & bills)
  • Looking forward to "Fringe" later on tonight...
**What are YOU grateful for today??? :)