The Dancing Flower

 I came across this adorable little plastic flower at the Dollar Tree a few weeks ago. It’s a solar powered dancing flower that brings a smile to my face every time I walk into the kitchen and see it nestled in the corner of the window, happily bobbing side to side. It is such a simple little thing, but it reminds me to smile and soak up the sunshine every chance I get. God has really been teaching me the importance of living each day with joy – a cheerful disposition, an “I can do this” attitude, and gratitude that I am surrounded with so many blessings. It’s quite a lesson to learn from a little plastic flower!

Of course, as I mentioned, it’s solar powered, so there are days when there just isn’t enough sun to power the flower. Which is why, one day when Lover came home from work, I mentioned to him sadly,

“my flower didn’t dance today”

He just looked at me for a minute, a puzzled look on his face. I recognized the look as the one he’s sported quite a bit since I gave birth, something akin to “she’s having a bad day, and I am not sure what to do.” I was quick to assure him that this was not some obscure reference to my fragile emotional state, it was just a factual observation. There was no sun, so my flower did not dance.
So ladies, the next time you are feeling a bit hormonal, be sure to tell your husbands that your flower did not dance. And then have fun watching them try to decode that cryptic saying. You can tell them I made you do it. :-) 

Stuff White People Like: Renovations

Have you ever visited the site Stuff White People Like? It's quite hysterical, and uncomfortably on target. :-) We bought my brother a daily calendar last year for his birthday from this site, and one day he came over and gave us this poignantly correct entry that applied perfectly to us:

Renovations:

All white people are born with a singular mission in like in order to pass from regular whitehood into ultra-whitehood. Much like how Muslims have to visit Mecca, all white people must eventually renovate a house before they can be complete.

Of course, most people do not reach this goal until the are thirty-five or older. But the need to do it is as instinctual as walking. But it is important to note that white people have little or no interest in renovating a suburban home built after 1960(except in Southern California). All white people dream about buying an older property ("with character") in a city, and then renovating it so the insides look all modern, with a stainless steel fridge.

Please note that all white people went through a renovation when they were a kid. This is a good subject to bond over, perhaps a story about how you were embarrassed at a sleepover when a friend went to the bathroom and there was a contractor on the toilet. Embellish as necessary.

:-) And just for the record, we do not plan on installing a stainless steel fridge. :-)

Day 19 of 28

It's a random kind of day. Therefore, I will show you this picture that I took not too long ago.

Yes, that is a stuffed monkey in a tree. :-) No, I have no idea why it was there. But it definitely brightened my day!

He was really high up in the tree, I have no idea how or why someone would go to all that trouble to put him up there. Maybe it was just to make random people passing by on the street to laugh? :-)

I hope you have a perfectly wonderful random day! :-)

I Need a Dog...

I've recently stumbled upon something really interesting. I am constantly saving pictures of rooms that speak to me in my inspiration files, and I noticed that there is a certain combination that always looks great to me. Here's the equation:

Killer Room + Adorable Dog = Totally Awesome Room

Here's proof:

Aren't they awesome? I think the cute little dogs really add that "people live here" feel. :-) So what did I do? I dragged Lover down to the local animal shelter with me, and we scouted out the dogs there. And I fell in love with this beautiful Irish setter. Look;

But there was also this incredible white German shepherd there, with the biggest, softest eyes. And I thought he would look great in the guest room, so I brought him home too;

And then I just couldn't resist this mop of hair: he was so adorable, and I loved how you couldn't see his eyes for all the hair, and how he looked so disheveled and adorable at the same time. :-)

Doesn't he look cute on our front steps? ;-)

This picture makes me laugh

These are our pillows on our bed. I sleep on the right, Lover sleeps on the left. You can see that we obviously prefer different thicknesses of pillows at night. It reminds me of that nursery rhyme;

Jack Sprat could eat no fat.

His wife could eat no lean.

And so between them both, you see,

They licked the platter clean.

I'm glad we're different, we're both individuals. But I have to say, it makes decorating the bed quite a challenge. :-)

Friday Fav: Brian Regan

This week for Friday Fav I am promoting yet another comedian, that Lover and I just can't get enough of, Brian Regan. This guy is the master of funny, and his one liners have become a part of our daily speech, the way you quote Friends or your favorite movie. :-)

We've watched just about everything of his that we can get our hands on, but our favorite has got to be the "I Walked on the Moon/Me Monster" bit. He talks about that annoying person at a party that thinks it is all about them, and constantly cuts you off in order to one up you. And he fantasizes about being one of the twelve men to have walked on the moon, as the ultimate come-uppance. Here's the skit:



Take some time to browse through his videos on Youtube, the guy is seriously Funny with a capital F. :-) His DVD's make great gifts, especially if you have hard-to-buy-for brothers like I do! Here's his site: www.brianregan.com Now all that's left to do is make it to a live performance, which is definitely on our bucket list!

Friday Favs: Anjelah Johnson

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite ways to entertain myself is by watching good clean comedy. Lover and I have been traveling alot lately, and one of the perks of that is being able to watch Comedy Central and find some new comedians to follow. One of our new favorite comedians is Anjelah Johnson.



Anjelah is a former professional cheerleader who is now an up and coming comedian. Her jokes mainly revolve around ethnicities, and the impressions that she can do of them, which are spot on. By far her most popular skit currently is "The Nail Salon" in which she nails an impression of all of the Asian women you've encountered when getting a manicure.  She jokes about getting talked into upsales,  and arguing to get your nails done the right way, and... well, why don't you just watch it?



She's got a bunch more skits on her website, www.anjelahnicolejohnson.com as well as her tour schedule. Go check it out! Now that I've told you all about her, all that's left is to convince her to come up to New England!

Friday Favs: Funniest YouTube Videos

For this Friday Fav I thought I would share some of my favorite YouTube videos. They're sure to make you laugh, each one makes me howl every time I see it. Also, I am in no way trying to pass myself off as the author of any of these videos. I just think they are really funny.Please don't disable my links.  So without further ado, here are my favs:

I always love a good impression, and this one where Matt Damon is making fun of Matthew McConaughey is stellar:



And of course who can forget Miss South Carolina?


You need to watch Jimmy Kimmel analyze her response. It's just as funny.

American Idol has become popular around the world,  apparently even in Bulgaria. I love this girl's rendition of Can't Live by Mariah Carey



I like to think I am a good driver, but I know plenty of women who fit the stereotype. Like these women:



if you like the Muppets, you'll enjoy this one:



and, my favorite of all time, guaranteed to make me laugh every.single.time:

Charlie Bit My Finger



So what did you think? Did I post one of your favorites? Did I leave yours out? Please share, I am always in the mood for funny stuff!

Construction Zone

When you are in the throes of a huge remodeling project, it is important to keep a sense of humor. If not, you will burn out almost immediately. :-) Not that I speak from experience.

With that advice in mind, we created this fun little sign to place at the bottom of our basement stairs, as you enter the crazy zone.



It says, "Construction Zone"  "Watch your step! And your head, your feet, and any other body part you care about."



It makes me smile every time I go down to the basement. :)

Things You Never Knew About Me

1. My red hair is completely natural, but I get asked if I color it on a semi-weekly basis. The first time I was asked this question I was nine years old. I was completely at a loss for words.

2. I have two foreign high school diplomas. Spanish high school end at 10th grade, and upon completion you receive your diploma. Then you may enroll in an optional baccalaureate program for two years, and if you finish this program, you receive another degree.

3. I walk a very thin line between the world of fantasy and reality. Sometimes I can be completely convinced that what I believe is true, even if, well, there is no such thing as a centaur.

4. I am the oldest of four, and Lover is the youngest of four. I exhibit many of the stereotypical firstborn qualities, while Lover exhibits almost none of the typical "baby" traits.

5. I eat ice cream year round, in upstate New York, even if I have to be under a blanket so as not to get too frozen. That's devotion, my friends.

6. I can read an average size novel in two hours. I will probably be able to tell you the whole story, in detail, but I will likely be unable to tell you the title of the book.

7. I can read a map with the best of them, but I've gotten lost on five different occasions going to church. (the one we are at two/three times a week. )

8. My comfort level ranges from 70° F to about 73° F. This means that I am either freezing cold or uncomfortably hot most of my life.

9. My arches on my feet are so high that I can never find comfortable shoes. They are either not supportive enough, or the straps, boot or other shoe part that fits around my foot is always too tight. Needless to say, this curbs my shoe addiction.

10. I have my own invented word that I use when I am upset. Fruggers. At least I thought I invented it, but apparently it is a German word. Now you also know that I don't speak German. :-)

What did you say?

Credit

Last night my brothers were over for dinner and I randomly decided I should light a candle. (It was a chilly night) There was a coffee scented one on the desk in the dining room, and a little one on the table called "Beach Walk." (Both by Yankee Candle) I turned to my younger brother and asked

"I want to light a candle, should I do coffee or a walk on the beach?"

He heard

"Do you want coffee or a walk on the beach?"

Which was funny enough.

But then he said

"What kind of a drink is Walk on the Beach? Is that like a non-alcoholic version of Sex on the Beach?"

Just a walk, folks, no funny business here!

Needless to say, we were all in stiches, and I completely forgot to light a candle. :-)

For a recipe for Sex on The Beach, go here.

When I said adventures in remodeling, I didn't sign up for this...

We're working on our basement (remember how it flooded a few months ago?) and the demolition is unreal. We have such a huge pile at the bottom of the stairs that I doubt we'll ever get it all out of there. This past weekend we were working on re-widening the stairs (the previous owners had brought the four foot wide stairwell down to about three feet, for some unknown reason) and we found some "treasures."

Two dirty publications and some unmarked VHS tapes. I'm not even going to guess what is on those tapes. Eww.

The best part, if you can say that, is that they were totally inaccessible unless you were doing what we were, tearing out the stairs. So,how did that line of reasoning go? "I'll get to enjoy these next time we remodel the stairs."??? Brilliant, if I do say so. My other theory? The wife found out about his secret stash and got even, placing them somewhere he'd never be able to get to them again. Can you imagine that conversation?

Husband: Wife, have you seen my, um, "reading" material?

Wife: Yes, dear, I have. They were in a terrible location though, so I moved them.

Husband: To where?

Wife: Under the builtin stairs. Thought that might be more convenient.

:-)

Friday Favs: icanhascheezburger.com

Have you every spent some time on this site? It's mostly cats, with some other animals thrown in, with hilarious captions. Seriously, if you're feeling blue, spend some time browsing this site. Your mood will improve instantly. Here are some of my recent favorites :-)

The Very Great and Wonderful Grammar

Did you read Winnie the Pooh as a kid? And I don't mean the Disney version, (although it is wonderful) I mean A.A. Milne's creative books that he wrote for his son Christopher Robin. I have them, all of them, and I love them. Should we ever have children, I will enjoy reading them to them almost as much as reading them to myself. ;-) 

But I think my favorite element of the books is how Milne writes. He capitalizes things that gramatically wouldn't be capitalized, and vice versa. I think it's genius and have decided to write in this Way from Now On. That way, when I tell you about My Very Awful and Horrible Day, you will remember it because I told you about the Scary Cashier, and the Really Terrible Weather. And you will also know that I do not like Mondays. And that I love Ice Cream. :o)

Another funny one.

Made me laugh