Wednesday, April 29, 2009

She is REAL!?!?!?!

As a little girl, it seems like I spent almost every weekend at my Mimi's house. My sister, all my cousins (all girls, mind you), and I would go over on Friday night. Make a mess of her house. Watch a movie. Play in her "lingerie" (which was really just silk nightgowns and robes), eventually fall asleep, and wake up on Saturday morning to Papa Sid singing some insane song about sunshine and good mornings. Then we'd have pancakes and receive our lecture on manners.

Mimi was always adamant that we be well-mannered little ladies. She always referred to Miss Manners. "Miss Manners says this..." or "Miss Manners says that...."

Tonight, after years of not thinking of that stuff, I was reminded.

Miss Manners really does exist. Wow.

Seriously, we thought she made that stuff up.

Southern Lady Southernness

I've been really wanting to do a post (or 10) about all that encompasses being southern. Tonight, I ran across this and simply could not put it better myself. :) I LOVE IT!

Southern Belle Etiquette--I have linked it (to give proper credit) but you are welcome to read it here. It kind of makes my heart smile.

Living in the South brings its own set of rules, especially to young girls and women. While these rules are not written, most southern belles learn them from their mothers and grandmothers. The rules involve entertaining, cooking, education and attitude.

A true southern belle has a charm that radiates whenever she enters the room. Her genuine smile and sweet southern drawl will turn anyone's head.

A true southern belle is always ready to help. She volunteers for organizations without a second thought. She is active in her community and also through her children's schools. She takes on projects that no one else will consider. This is her second nature.

A true southern belle does not care about the money. More than likely her family does not have much of it. Antiques and family traditions are more important. She would much rather have her mother's china or her grandmother's wedding band to hand down to her own family.

A true Southern belle knows her manners. She knows to put her napkin in her lap and to say "ma'am" and "sir". She says "excuse me" when she accidentally bumps into someone and "thank you" for gifts and compliments.

A true southern belle knows how to dress appropriately. She knows not to wear too revealing clothing in public.. However, she knows how to dress seductively in private.

A true southern belle knows how to entertain and cook. She always has a pitcher of iced tea prepared for her family as well as unexpected guests. She can cook fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. She has her mother's peach cobbler recipe tucked away in a safe place. Even if she can not cook biscuits, she knows how to buy them from the store and disguise them as her own.

A true southern belle knows the importance of education. She will finish high school, even if it is public education, and pursue further education at a public or private college or university. She will finish her college education and use the knowledge she has acquired in a career that brings personal satisfaction as well as honor to her family.

A true southern belle values her friends. She showers them with kindness and affection and expects nothing in return. She will do everything she can to ensure their happiness and well being. She leans on them for support and expects them to do the same with her.

Living in the South does not qualify every girl as a southern belle. A southern belle displays a grace that only few seem to show. It takes time, education, and perseverance to become a true southern belle.

More Friday Confessions....

bahaha. No pun intended.

  1. I am masochistic. Sunday I ate at McDonald's for lunch on the way to the Art Festival. Sunday night, we had McDonald's on the way home from the dessert fellowship. Monday night Ansleigh and I had McDonald's on the way to Anthony's softball game. I could feel my insides rotting. Ugh. I hate it when convenience wins.
  2. Monday I did a week's worth of one of my Bible studies in a day so I'd be prepared for the meeting Monday night. Then....I skipped the meeting to go to the softball games.
  3. Tuesday evening, I cooked dinner. I mean....really cooked. I made spaghetti (which I haven't made in a while) with whole wheat pasta (spaghetti for us, rotini for Bugs). I defrosted and cooked the organic lean ground beef. I chopped up fresh parsley that I'm growing. I put in diced organic tomatoes. Yummy cheese. The point is, I worked harder than I usually do. When it was over with, I seriously felt like I deserved an award. Not because it was sooooo sinfully good (which it was) but because I actually made an effort. Bad Mommy!
  4. Thursday I went to Bible study without my Bible or my study book.
  5. Idiot.
  6. I did remember all the snacks though :)
  7. My husband loves me sooooo very much that he let me talk him into reading something I wanted him to---you know, so I could talk to him about it. He is now currently experiencing the coma. My, how I love him so.
  8. Husband signed us up for a month free trial of Amazon Prime--you order and you get it two days later. You pay a yearly fee and as a result, don't pay a shipping cost. Because of this month free trial, I feel the need to order every book I've ever wanted for my child. Hmmm.
  9. Because of Prime, we've gotten three Yo Gabba Gabba books and a DVD, just this week.
  10. I've recently suckered several of my friends into my couponing madness. Finally, I'm not alone.
  11. I started working on this post early in the week so I wouldn't forget the good stuff I came up with. What a loser.
  12. Last weekend, Ansleigh got up earlier than usual and to keep my eyelids open, I did a general search on Etsy for hair bows. It turned up 994 pages of results.
  13. I looked at over 500 of them.
  14. I ended up buying three sets of hairbows.
  15. I no longer have a bath tub full of clean clothes. They are all put away, finally.
  16. Now I have both sides of the sink full of dirty dishes.
  17. I want some french toast. In a real bad way.
  18. Still.
  19. I wanted it for dinner last night but was too tired/sick to go get some.
  20. Kearsie--copying is the highest form of a compliment. :) Consider this a weekly compliment.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Realizations

In the last hour or so I've come to a few different realizations.

  1. I feel like a totally different person--more like myself--when I'm dressed cute and have my hair fixed and make up on.
  2. I was reading about "extravagant love." What does that make you think of? The first thing I thought of was, "Oh! The way Edward loves Bella! His love is so extravagant!" Then the realization came...God's love for me is sooooo much more extravagant than Edward's love could EVER be! God adores me. He wants to bless me abundantly! He wants to clothe me in garments of righteousness!
  3. How silly it is that the first thing I thought of was Twilight but how amazing my God is that he can use silly earthly things to help me understand the magnitude of His love for me!
  4. Going back to realization #1--I've been studying Esther and I was just blown away when I read that when she was first taken into the harem, she was given a year's worth of "beauty treatments." A year's worth of anything that would make her more beautiful! Can't you just imagine that!?!?! A year's worth of days at the salon having someone fix your hair for you, having your make up done professionally, tanning beds, massages, facials, manicures and pedicures---FOR A YEAR. Yes, please. This week in my Frazzled Female study, I was reading about how God has clothed us in royal attire and how the spiritual world sees us in that royal attire. Now you know as well as I do that when we are in our "royal" --best--attire, we carry ourselves differently. Our heads are held a little higher. There is more of a bounce in our step. We are more confident. Just think...God sees us dressed that way every single day! He wants to give us a lifetime of spiritual beauty treatments. How good that is for our souls! Just think about how good physical beauty treatments make us feel, then compare that to how our spiritual selves will feel after God gets a hold of us!
Now I know, some of you, when you read the title to this blog, were thinking this would be some kind of realizations about myself and how lame I am. Maybe you even thought you'd find a smidgey-smidge of humor here. Instead, you found a 1-2-punch. A blog about God. While that ultimately is the most important thing I could EVER blog about, just to keep things interesting, here are a few realizations that are probably more like what you expected to see.
  1. I must be either the lamest or the laziest person alive. I have now painted over my chipped toenail polish, not once, but twice. Lame.
  2. If you are spraying sunscreen, you should be more aware of where the wind is blowing. You see....if you spray yourself with sunscreen and the wind blows it away from your body, you won't actually get sunscreen on yourself. This leads to unsightly sunburn and lovely tan lines. I came to this realization yesterday. Idiot.
  3. I seem to be attracted to things that are addicting. I have found myself saying, "_______ is like crack. I love it." entirely too often these days. Twilight...I love it. It's like crack. Krispy Kreme donuts ....I love them. They are like crack. Couponing...I love it. Saving that much money is like crack. Ebay...I LOVE IT. It is like crack. Why must I be so addicted? And why do I compare it to crack? I have never had any experience with crack. Hmmm....
  4. I never seem to be super tight with people my own age. I'm always either really close to people younger than me, or more recently in life, with people that have seen more years than I have. Why is that? I must be a weirdo.

Okay--I'm done for the day. Peace out yo.

Friday, April 24, 2009

I know that three blog posts in a little over 24 hours is a bit much, but I have something on my heart right now that I would really like to share.

Tonight Anthony and I watched Fireproof for the first time. Yes, I know we're a tad bit late on this but let's just move on. Let me preface this by saying that I know it is just a movie but it is a God-inspired movie. A tool.

Anthony and I have been together for a little over 7 years now. We've been through all kind of phases in our relationship from the point where we just couldn't get enough of each other, to what I like to think as real love and togetherness, to best friendship, and now...we're at something else. I mentioned in a previous post that Twilight didn't make me fall in love with Edward Cullen but in all actuality, it made me more aware of my love for my husband.

Tonight, I realized that God used Twilight--a book about vampires--as a tool to reach me. He had something he wanted to show me.....

my husband.

I love my husband. I LOVE him. I love him in the 1 Corinthians 13 sense, but I love him in the ewey-gooey love story sense too.

I had forgotten that.

Sometimes everyday life distracts me. I have gotten so used to him being a daddy and a provider and my friend that I somehow lost sight of my husband. It almost saddens me that it took a book to remind me of that.

Lately it seems like people are getting divorced left and right and even married people seem to be at each other's throats. I have a hard time understanding how it can get to that point because I've never been there. Thankfully, God got my attention before we could even get headed in that direction.

I love my husband. My heart still flutters when I look at him. His kisses still get me like they did when we first started dating....maybe even more. I find comfort and joy in holding his hand. I look forward to the time I get to spend with him, even if it is just watching tv. When he's gone to choir practice or a softball game, I miss him. I wish he was here with me.

Yall, I am in love with my husband. And frankly, not enough people are in love with their husbands.

So I guess what I am going to leave you with is this: GO FIND YOUR HUSBAND AND BE IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!!!!!! :)

Keyboard Confessions 2.0

Because I really loved doing the last one....

And because there are a few things I really should confess.

1. Wednesday morning I did something shameful. I had a glazed Krispy Kreme donut. Then...I had another one--covered in chocolate. I washed that down with a cherry coke. For breakfast. It was so good.

2. Last night while I was lying in bed, I came up with a big long list of these "confessions." Now I can only seem to remember the one.

3. Our bathtub is filled with clean clothes. Clean clothes that hang. Clean clothes that should be hanging in our closet, but I'm too lazy to hang them.

4. At the foot of our bed, we have two laundry baskets full of clean, folded clothes. Clean, folded clothes that should be put away. But I'm too lazy to do that either.

5. Because of this, hubs has to scrounge for clothes to wear each morning. I think he's becoming frustrated. He would never tell me this because he loves me too much...and also because I might suggest he put all those clothes up.

6. Saturday, we got Twilight (the movie) in the mail from Netflix. I watched it Saturday night. And Sunday night. Then all the extras. And then I watched it Tuesday night too. I have a problem.

7. I created a quiz on Facebook that people could take to see how well they know me.

8. I'm completely surprised at how many people have taken this quiz.

9. Also, apparently only my husband and my sister-in-law really know me well. My mom claims that is because the questions were trick questions. I disagree.

10. I must have been misleading people since almost everyone answered that I would rather bungee jump than eat at McDonald's. It is likely that I would bungee jump, given the opportunity. It is also true that I HATE McDonald's, however, I will never, ever, ever sing in front of other people...where they can hear me. .Ever. I do occasionally eat at McDonald's.

11. It seems I have earned the reputation of someone who eats healthy foods and preaches about buying organic....because I do. Then, when no one is looking (0r sometimes when my whole mom's group is looking) I inhale two donuts.

12. One time, a couple of years ago, we were visiting my in-laws and we were playing a game of Take 2 (similar to Scrabble) and I spelled the f-word. I couldn't make ANY other words. And it was a lot of points. A lot. Now....my brother-in-law and sister-in-law won't let me forget that I did it.

13. Yesterday, while at my weekly Beth Moore Bible study, I think God used Beth to encourage me to get my hair highlighted.

14. What really happened is that she made a joke about being blonder than she pays to be. I just interpreted that to be that God approves of me wasting entirely too much money to highlight my hair.

15. My child got up earlier than usual yesterday morning. To fill in some time before leaving the house, I straightened my hair. And left it down.

16. When hubs came home, he was surprised to see that I was all gussied up, and not what he usually finds....someone still in her pj's.

17. I noticed at Bible study that several of the ladies looked at me like I was a new girl. They weren't quite sure of who I was. Can fixing your hair instead of putting it into a ponytail really make that big of a difference?

18. I kept my cute clothes on and my hairs all did throughout the day in hopes that hubs would want to go out to eat for dinner. It worked. Except that me being dressed really had nothing to do with it. I just like to think that it did.

19. Last night I had a party. A Wii bowling pity party. No one else was invited. I'm NEVER going to reach pro status. Grrr.

20. Wednesday while washing dishes, I somehow managed to dump ALL the water from the sink all down the front of my clothes. Instead of changing clothes, I left my wet knit dress on...all day. That's about how long it took for it to dry too. All day. What a loser.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I Don't Shop at Walmart

Wednesday morning I "taught" (I use that term very loosely) a session on couponing at my mom's group.

Some questions came up about Walmart and I answered them as best I could and then for some reason I mentioned, "I don't shop at Walmart." I was then attacked by a tidal wave of why not's.

Uh....

Er.....

Because I don't.

Seriously. I usually do not shop at Walmart. Even before I started couponing, I didn't shop at Walmart unless I HAD to.

Walmart is crowded. Walmart is stressful. Plus, I have a love affair with Publix and with Target. Because of this love affair, I have no need to go to Walmart unless I need something from the craft department or unless it is the middle of the night.

I know that generally speaking, Walmart is cheaper, but somehow, I find a way around that and still come out saving money. Somehow.

By the way, I should mention that as I write this post, Hubs is gone to Walmart to buy ice cream.
Ah...the irony.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Keyboard Confessions

Periodically, my friend (I call her that although we've never met) Kearsie does Keyboard Confessions on her blog and I absolutely love the randomness. It makes me giggle. Today she posted another one and in celebration of her, I'm doing one too.

1. I somehow got WAAAAY behind on my Beth Moore Bible study and so this Wednesday night (the night prior to the study meeting) I did two weeks of the study in one sitting. I was so proud of myself until I got to study and realized I was still a week behind. Humph.

2. I refuse to let my child watch Lazy Town or The Wiggles. They creep me out.

3. I rather entusiastically let my child watch Yo Gabba Gabba....twice a day. I'm such a contradiction.

4. I tried watching American Idol with my momma last week and it still bores me to tears. I literally cannot stand to watch it. I'm a fool for Dancing With the Stars though. Again...a contradiction.

5. This morning, I took a nap from 9-12 while my little one was napping. She is now napping again and I'm trying my best to hold my eyelids open to resist taking another nap. What a loser I am. Or--I have some kind of deficiency.

6. Tonight we are going to dinner with some friends and as far as I know, the plan is to go to a slightly pricey Italian place. I'm excited about going to dinner with other humans but at the same time, I'd prefer to go somewhere cheaper. I hate to think we'll be spending $40 + on dinner.

7. I don't want to spend money on an amazing dinner, but I do want to spend twice the amount to get my hair highlighted. Makes sense to me. :)

8. My friend had a minor outpatient surgery this morning and I was a nervous wreck all morning. Which is strange for me because usually things like that don't phase me at all. Does that make me generally heartless or just really in lurve with my friend?

9. I had a slightly strange dream this morning (during my nap) about my sister-in-law and her cutting my hair. It was weird but I'm wondering if that dream was God's way of telling me to get a haircut...and maybe some highlights while I am there.

10. Today I learned not to take a 16-month-old to Target and let her down....to walk....on her own. I chased said child all over the store. She had a blast. I almost had a panic attack.

11. I thought I was finished with this...then I looked at my inspiration. Turns out I'm doing 15 instead of 10.

12. I secretly like *some* country music. Please don't tell anyone.

13. All my life I've been the beauty pageant kid....I'm okay with that. I actually kind of like it. Then I saw a picture of someone's child (age 4-ish) with a crown 7 times the size of her head. SHE IS A PAGEANT KID.

14. More times than not, when I take a drink of something, I miss my mouth and soak my shirt. This occasionally happens with my food too. Especially when there is marinara sauce involved. I've often been tempted to lick the marinara sauce off the shirt.

15. I love that my husband lets me put up a front that I'm well-mannered and lady-like and a good housewife. Because frankly, I'm not, but I want people to think I am. Shhh....don't tell.

Happy Friday!!! :)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A Fan?!?! Really???


Vanessa has shocked me and bestowed upon me this honor. I am kind of amazed. Now at least I know one person is my fan :) And also...I'm avoiding hanging up/putting up clothes.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

  1. The Mommy retreat in May---I'm almost giddy about it
  2. My date with hubs this weekend to watch the movie Twilight
  3. Our visit from Chad, Rachel, T, & AC in May
  4. Finding out if Baby St. John is pink or blue!!!
  5. Starting my new cheerleading program at Heritage High
  6. Having another sweet baby (NOT SOON and for sure not the pregnancy part)
  7. Nap time...so I can have a nap
  8. Heaven (stealing this from Nessa because I can't come up with anything else and this is in fact true)

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

  1. Sew...well
  2. Be a part-time English teacher
  3. See my friends/family that live far away more often
  4. Get my hair highlighted....dude. I know I can. But it cost money.
  5. Remove my "hula hoop" around my waist so lovingly donated to me by Ansleigh. Even if this involved Lipo. Seriously.
  6. Get a pet.
  7. Get a new wardrobe
  8. Sell children's clothing for a living.

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

  1. Took a much longer nap than I should have.
  2. Did two weeks of my Beth Moore study in one night.
  3. Washed dishes.
  4. Put away clean dishes.
  5. Cooked dinner.
  6. Unpacked.
  7. Browsed Ebay
  8. Talked to a friend

8 Shows I Watch:

  1. Chuck
  2. Dancing With The Stars
  3. Ugly Betty
  4. Grey's Anatomy
  5. The Office
  6. CSI: NY
  7. Heroes
  8. House

I am a fan of:

Winn

Sounds Like Tomatoes

Malerie

and 7,000 other people. :) But they are the ones who get the love today.


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

CAN'T. GET. ENOUGH.

I know I haven't posted in a while. I gave you my excuse. :)

I haven't really posted anything about couponing or my savings because I haven't needed to go to the store. Kind of weird and also awesome all at the same time. We've been stocked up on stuff and traveling so there wasn't a need. I did have to run to Target while we were in Anniston to buy more diapers (and bought a few more things) and saved $7 and some change. Yesterday I made my Publix trip to fill our empty fridge and saved $32 and some change. I probably could have done better on savings but I really rushed myself while planning.

Anyway, on to better things.





I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF TWILIGHT!!!! It is ridiculous. Seriously. In the past two weeks I've read all four books....TWICE. It's like crack. Seriously.

I find myself consumed with it.

Not in that "Oh Edward Cullen, he's so hot, I want to marry him" kind of way, but more that it is just such a good book. It is well written and a quick read. It is intriguing. I find myself relating to the characters. It's like a good movie. Speaking of movies, no, I haven't seen it yet. I will. Give me a chance.

There are several ideas/questions I keep coming up with that I'd like to run past some people, but at the same time, if I put it here, will it spoil it for those who haven't read it yet?

One thing I will say....

I know a lot of people are super obsessed with Edward Cullen and it kind of makes them "hate" on their own fella. Edward Cullen is a gentleman. He's a nice guy. But let me tell you...he is no Anthony Friday. :)

What I mean is that reading the story makes me appreciate my husband for how awesome he is. It reminds me of the days of our new love. Back when I literally could not bear to see him leave. When I got chills from holding his hand or even from a simple kiss. I find myself striving to get some of that new love back. So in my case, reading this FICTIONAL book has had a positive influence on me.

I'm not sorry I read the book. I'm not sorry I've wasted two weeks of my life (and probably more to come) doing not much other than reading. I like these books.

So there.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Dear (insert name here),

Please excuse Carrie from her recent extended absence. She was severely affected by the coma caused from reading Twlight...and also a smidge of traveling. Carrie will return to blogging as soon as the second round of the coma has passed.

In the meantime....

I don't know.