Pinterest Inspiration

Pinterest has inspired me to make many crafty things on my own. It's a fantastic place to get ideas and this year I decided to home make gifts for teachers and our moms.

Teacher Gifts:

I must confess, I'm not an expert knitter. I'm just starting to get my feet wet on this whole new avenue, so I made these pretty simple. It's just a basic knit stitch over and over until it was long enough to fold over. Then I sewed the two sides together and slapped a button on them. For presentation, I got three empty coffee cups and taped a gift card to the coffee place on top!

Mother Gifts:

These are the yarn wreaths I made for my mom, mother-in-law, and step mom. They are thinner than your normal yarn wreath, but I'm happy with the way they turned out. I bought the wreath at the dollar store and then took three different colors of yarn and wrapped around until my arm was about to fall off. Then I followed a very easy tutorial on how to make felt flowers. I can't WAIT to give them to the moms!

I've been trying so many ideas from Pinterest and I hope to blog about all of them. Some have worked wonderfully while others have been disasters. Stay tuned!

Happy St. Nick!!

What a cultural change moving from Wisconsin to Minnesota! One would think since the states our neighbors, that they have a lot in common, but the heritages are very different. I grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin an area a large amount of German immigrants found attractive. Many of my friends and relatives celebrate St. Nick which is on the night of Dec. 5th he comes and fills your stockings with oranges, apples, peanuts, chocolate and little presents. Today, my Facebook page BLEW UP with friends back home describing how St. Nick went for them and their families. My friends in Minnesota are silent, today is just another day to them, and they're all turning their heads wondering what is up with this peculiar holiday.

Minnesota has a large Scandinavian population. So, color me surprised when I found out that next to no one here knows what St. Nick Day is all about and why we celebrate it. It was off to the trusty computer for research in order to gain knowledge on exactly what this day means.

Low and behold! I find out that it is actually a precursor to Santa Claus! In our house the two holidays and gift giving old men were very separate. I think it was my mum's Catholic roots and German influence that kept the holidays separte. St. Nick was just that a saint. He was Turkish and lived from 280-343. He went around putting coins in people's shoes when they weren't looking (hence treats in stockings). December 6th is known as St. Nicolas Day and so even though mainstream has combined the holidays, we keep it separate in our home, and we can explain the tradition to our Viking neighbors.

All I can say is that, "It's about time!" Occupy Wall Street

As I sit in the slowly decreasing temps of southeastern Minnesota, I'm wishing more than anything that I could be in NYC with the protesters on Wall Street. It's about time the voice of the 99% was heard! The 99% has woken up! These are not Hippie slackers with long hair, they are mothers, fathers, grandparents, college students, the old that support the young, the young that have the most to lose!

Ways you too can join in and stand with the 99%:
1. Spread the word. Everyone. Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, Flicker, etc. Don't stop!
2. Donate money to the cause here: Cultural Revolution is our business. Want to join?
3. If you're in NYC or can get to NYC go! Even for a day and join with the other protesters.

The time for change has come!

Word:
"Many tend to forget that Jesus was ordered to be executed because he was confronting both the state and the religious institutions. It was after his overturning of the money changer's tables that the rabbis and Pharisees went to the Roman governor."














Revolutions Invoke Change!

Stop and smell the flowers...

I feel like that is what I've been doing these last few months. Stopping to enjoy life as it comes which in turn takes me away from being sucked into the internet and all it holds. Okay, maybe not all it holds. My Pinterest and Twitter apps on the iPod make it pretty easy to surf while I'm chillin' on the couch.

I stopped in to edit my profile information, so I thought I would say, "Hello!"

Here are some pictures of life in the last month or so:

Seriously. Life has been so good and it has been what we've made it be. Peace and Love to you all!

Pintrest Inspiration!

If you haven't checked this website out yet: Pinterest GO CHECK IT OUT!! ---WAIT don't leave yet...check it out after my post or you may never come back!! The site is just that good.

I've been very inspired lately by the different crafts, fashion, recipes, etc I've found on this site. It's the best of the best in the internet world. Recently, I tried a rainbow cake recipe that someone had pinned. The original recipe can be found here: Omnomicon makes: how to make a rainbow cake!

The author of the blog does a fantastic job detailing each step of the recipe. I followed her instructions step by step, only I didn't use the fat free version. I used the box recipe with oil and eggs.

Here's how mine turned out:

 Mix up the white cake mix (2 boxes) and separate into six different bowls...

Using the gel colors mix your colors until you got the desired brightness. This will take some time and your wrist may get sore. I found purple the hardest color to get right...

 Using the same instructions on the original post "blob" your colors in rainbow order...and bake according to box instructions.

 Take out and frost. I used "Rainbow Chip" frosting and folded in about 4oz of Cool Whip. It makes the frosting go further and is easier to spread...

TADA!! You're very own gnarly psychedelic rainbow cake!

Although, a bit labor intensive (mostly the dishes) this cake was a lot easier than what I thought it would be. I'd like to try it next with cupcakes!

Goal for August

Woah...life got busy there for a bit, but what's new??

I kind of went on a big summer vacation and fell into the comfortable sunny routine of ignoring the blog, housework and anything else that keeps me indoors and lounging at the pool with my younglings.

I have a goal for August: TO START BLOGGING MORE!!! There's this GBE 2 blogging challenge that I have been dancing around the edges of without really participating in. The plan is to start up with that and see how it goes. Stay tuned...

HBO's Game of Thrones

Episode 5 of "Game of Thrones" airs tonight on HBO! Make sure you are all caught up and didn't miss a thing in the past four episodes. Let me know what you think of the show so far and if you have any questions about the plot, characters, etc. There is A LOT of information to intake!

Check out my episode recaps here:
Recap of HBO's Game of Thrones: Episode 1 "Winter Is Coming"
Recap of HBO's Game of Thrones: Episode 2 "The Kingsroad"
Recap of HBO's Game of Thrones: Episode 3
Recap of HBO's Game of Thrones: Episode 4 "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"

Look for more recaps by me as the episodes air!

May the Fourth be with you all!

Happy May the Fourth!!

A holiday for all Star War fans around the world!

I first discovered Star Wars with my babysitter's sons who were in love with it. I was pretty young and just willing to go along since they said I could be the princess. :) It wasn't until years later when the digital remastered versions came out that I really fell in love with the series. For most of my junior high days (on the nights I wasn't watching Buffy) I would play through the series picking up where I left off the night before and then repeat. Yeah, Geek. I wear it proud!

Then the prequels came out and I was SO EXCITED BECAUSE OMG LUKE AND LEIA's MOM AND DAD...but then they kind of sucked and that was sad. What are your thoughts on Episodes I-III?

In college, I was into the books written on what happened after Episode VI. Luke's marriage and child, Han/Leia's three children, etc.

There's always that warm fuzzy feeling for Star Wars and Harry Potter. It's like going home after being away for a long time.

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Don't forget to tell everyone "May the Fourth be with you" today!

Zyzzyva

Z is for Zyzzyva

Zyzzyva a fun word to say yes? Zyzzyva was the name of the biannual literary magazine that my high school published each school year. It was one of my first exposores to reading materials other than books. In a time before internet, I was in grade school and had a cousin in high school as a babysiter. She came home one day with this large spiral bound book that contained a collection of poems and short stories written by her classmates. I was fascinated as I paged through from cover to cover. I vowed to myself that some day I would put a story or two in there.

Years later I was in the advanced creative writing class, one of my all time favorite classes, where part of the requirement was to submit a couple items to be published in Zyzzyva. I went on to submit items in three different publications of the literary magazine. I suppose you could say this is where I got my first exposure as a mass produced writer.

Confession: To this day, about ten years after I have graduated, I still use the Zyzzyva website. It has some very handy creative writing tools in the reference section. Although, I'm pretty sure it hasn't been updated in awhile.

I was planning on sharing a couple samples of my early work, as embarrassing as it may be, but I think my old copies are far away at my mum's.

-We made it! Thank you so much to all have took the time to read my posts and comment. I've tried to make it to each of your blogs and return the favor with following. This was an awesome challenge and I've met some great people and discovered some really great blogs! I hope you continue to follow and check out my posts from time to time! Thanks again!

Yesterday

Y is for Yesterday

In our house "Yesterday" means any day that happened before the current day. On any given one my children, while having a memory flashback, can be heard saying, "Mama remember yesterday when we went on the train for a really long time to get to the mountains?" and then the next moment will be, "Mama remember yesterday when we were at our old house and we put all our boxes in that big big truck and moved to our new house?" and later that same day we'll here, "Mama remember yesterday when I helped you in the kitchen and we made chocolate chip cookies?"

WOW! We went to Montana on a train, moved to a new house, and baked cookies all in one day! I knew I was a good multitasker but this is pushing a bit far. ;)

Staying with our family theme of "Yesterday" as any day in the past here are a few pictures of things that happened yesterday...

Yesterday, when I matched my outfits to appliances

Yesterday, when my step-dad and I would make silly faces together

Yesterday, when we visited the new Brewer Stadium!

Yeterday, when I was in high school celebrating New Years with my two best friends

Yesterday, when I married the most wonderful man and love of my life. With flowers in my hair

Yesterday, when my BFF and I were both pregnant with our first children

Yesterday, when I was a new mom to a beautiful preemie filled with a little fear and a lot of excitement!

Yesterday, when I had my second beautiful preemie

Yesterday, The Fantastic Four smiled took a break from superhero duties to pose for a picture

Yesterday, when the three people I love the most hugged and smiled brightly <3

When I look back to Yesterday, I count my blessings and am so thankful for all the trials and triumphs. Life is beautiful and I'm so happy for the people I share it with. Have a great day!

X-Men

X for X-Men

I am the oldest of four children and the only girl. That means I grew up around superheros, ninja turtles, and comic books. To this day my brothers and I still refer to ourselves as "The Fantastic 4". Yeah, we're dorks. One of my favorite comics? X-Men! I love it because not only does the comic have a large amount of characters with a variety of powers but it is infused with the events of history and current political issues on top of the science and evolution of the human race dynamic.

I hope to update later today with some of my favorite characters, but for now enjoy the trailer for the latest X-Men movie. I think it looks promising and hopefully will redeem the franchise.

Wine

W is for Wine

After listening to kids whine during the day, it's nice to sometime curl up with a glass of wine. If I had to pick a favorite I would go with Merlot. I love the smooth rich flavor with a hint of cocoa. After years of wine tasting and building up my palette I came to the conclusion that I prefer dry and smooth flavors over sweet. I'm not a fan of any "blush" wines or sweet whites. I love visiting local wineries where you learn about how they create their flavors and can taste test them for cheep!

I've also had the benefit of being good friends with a liquor store owner who brings us different different (sometimes expensive) wines to try out. I've learned a lot from him on how to pick and taste wines. I love that now that he knows which flavors I prefer he can pick some really great ones for me. Now I just need to save up money so that I can actually afford them. One of my favorite blended wine is a red and runs about $35.00 a bottle!

Someday I hope to travel more and try out different wines from different parts of the world. I just saw a documentary recently (available on Netflix instant watch) called "Blood Into Wine" it's about the lead singer of the band Tool, Maynard James Keenan, who has fulfilled his dream in owning a vineyard and producing wine. He's located in Arizona which is not known for his wine so I'm really interested to try it out. Here is the homesite for his vineyard Caduceus

I have to admit when we first started drinking wine I was not a big fan nor was the hubby. We got some great advice: start out sampling the whites. Trying to find the flavors you prefer. Once you've built up your pallet go to the blushes and finally to the reds.

What are your favorite wines? Type and brand? Cheers!

Veronica Mars

V is for Veronica Mars

I arrived late to the party with this show. Thanks to our Netflix instant watch I was able to watch all three seasons back to back. If you like wit, sarcasm, and mystery you'll love this show!

Veronica is a teen with a foggy past that slowly comes into light. Her father runs his own private investigator business and she starts helping out with the odd side job here and there. Soon she is known around school for uncovering buried facts and solving mysteries. Each season has one "big" mystery that slowly unravels with each episode on top of a smaller mystery/case. She battles gangsters, criminals, cops and the like with an unique wit and charm that is all her own.

Veronica has fast become one of my favorite television females of all time. If you haven't done so yet, check her out!

Universe

U is for Universe

I've done a ton of writing for the day and I'm spent. Enjoy this relaxing song while I destress with a long bike ride. :)

For your viewing pleasure while you listen:

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Travel

T is for Travel

Traveling is a part of who I am. Before I was married and "settled" I would have been content traveling forever. Maybe a part of the Peace Corps or something where I could go and volunteer overseas. Love. I got prego three months after we said "I do" so traveling for us never happened, which is cool because we now have a whole new adventure that is the most important thing we will ever do. Yet, the wind calls and I look forward to a time when we can travel and site see the world together.

For now, we've done some local trip and have more planned in the future. I enjoy writing up travel guides and visit guides of places we've been. I'm hoping by the end of this summer to apply to write for Yahoo!Travel. Here are some of the pieces I've done so far:

Best Coffee Hot Spots in Red Wing, MN
Lost in a Good Book(store) in Red Wing, MN
Eagles, a Lake Monster, and Fantastic Food All in a One Day Trip to Lake City, MN
Travel Guide: Three Bears Lodge in Warrens, WI
Travel Guide: Three Bears Lodge in Warrens, WI: Indoor Water Park
Travel Guide: Three Bears Lodge in Warrens, WI: Restaurants

Do you have favorite places to travel? If you could pick just one place, where would you go?

Storms

S is for Storms.

Did I mention how much I love them? I love that energy right before the storm hits, like everything is on edge, calm but tense. I love watching the sky and clouds as they move and change rapidly. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a storm chaser. I remember in college I tried it out a few times and both were a total bust.

The first: I was after a funnel cloud that looked like it was going to touchdown. I went on a road that was blocked off (going around the barriers) and saw nothing. When I came to the end of the road there was firetruck and matching man along side it. He was not amused when I said I was "lost", opps.

The second: The sky was growing darker by minute. I somehow convinced my roommate to come with me and drive towards the darkest part of the sky. The wind had picked up and large things were blowing around, then all was calm. The sky was black. My roommate kept telling me to turn around and I was like, "why? This is what we came here for". A few minutes later she was near tears. I caved and turned back.

I've never seen a tornado and it's definitly on my bucket list. They're pretty fascinating, you know when they're not demolishing towns, sucking up cows and the like.

What time of "Storm" person are you? Would you rather be hiding in the basement or out on the front porch (with me) watching it all go down?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

R is for Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

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The three best "R" words around!

Reduce your waste with actions like composting!
Reuse items that you would normally throw away and make them into something useable and functional!
Recycle by following your cities' guidelines and getting rid of items that can be recycled in the correct manner!

Articles I've written on the topic:
Recycling Guidelines for Red Wing, MN
Five Earth Day Crafts for Children
Educating Your Children About the Three Rs

Have have you used the 3Rs today?

Quasimodo

Q is for Quasimodo

Not just a hunchback! Quasimodo is a word that has followed my husband and I around since we started dating seven years ago. I think it was more my hubby that liked to name things after the famous Notre Dame bell ringer.

1. Our first Halloween as a couple we carved our pumpkin and realizing in the end he was a bit lopsided, he was named "Quasimodo".

2. So, this is the semi-embarrassing part for me: My fourth toe on each foot does not lay flat. It curves inward and hides behind the middle toe. My husband thinks it's amusing to call it my "Quasimodo toe", lol. It's part of my genetics. My mom and both my daughters have the same toe. Well, at least we know we're all related an not switched at birth ;)

3. When we moved into our first home one of the first things we had to do was chop a tree down. Part of the stump that was left looks like a distorted old man's face. We've saved the stump and of course called him Quasimodo.

Interesting Fact: The hunchback is not the original meaning of the word. It derives from the name for the Sunday after Easter, known as Quasimodo Sunday. The name "Quasimodo" coming from the Latin phrase: "Quasi modo geniti infantes..." which translates into the first part of 1 Peter 2:2. Referring to the Sunday after Christ's resurrection. The hunchback was found on this day and bares its namesake. Source

Packers

P is for Packers

Let me explain something for those that don't know about people born in Wisconsin. We are born with the Packer fan gene. It's in our blood. There's no choice on whether or not you will support the team, baby we are born this way! Packer fans are some of the most die-hard and supportive fans around. We stick by the team if they are having a multitude of injuries and play like crap or when they are at the Superbowl for the first time since the 90s and WINNING!!!!! Ehem... ;)

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I get my love of football from my dad. For those that are new to my blog and haven't read why I titled it the way I did check this post out: Explaining Blog Title. My dad and I would talk a lot of "football talk" so you can imagine the season after losing him was a difficult one for me. I didn't pay much attention to how well the Packers were doing in the beginning, but slowly grew more interested as the season went on. It was so fun to watch how awesome they were playing and how well they worked together as a team. Every time they won, I thought, "Wow, my dad would have loved this season. This one's for you dad!"

By the time we got to the playoffs as a "Wildcard" team and worked our way up the bracket to the Superbowl, I started to feel down again because I knew how much he would have enjoyed this season, then I thought, "Well he's got the best seat in the house for the Superbowl AND he gets to watch it with two of the greatest Packers of all time. Vince Lombardi and Reggie White!"

It was a great season to be a Packer fan, but then again every season is a great season to be a Packer fan because we have the best team ever. Saying otherwise would go against my genetic makeup.

OMG Game of Thrones!!!

O is for OMG Game of Thrones!!!

Game of Thrones premeired last night on HBO and I have nothing left to blog about about how amazingly awesome it was. Here is my recap: Recap of HBO's Game of Thrones: Episode 1 "Winter Is Coming" Enjoy!

Did you watch? Did you love? Thoughts?

Nickelodeon Nostalgia

N is for Nickelodeon Nostalgia

We don't have cable anymore so I'd say I'm definitely out of touch with the shows Nickelodeon currently airs, but I can confidently say, nothing will ever be as cool as some of their first live action shows that paved the way for popular TV shows today. Here are some of my favorites...

Hey Dude
Featuring characters like a girl named Brad, a girly girl named Melody, and a rebellious Ted who worked at the Barn None Dude Ranch. Here's a video of the opening credits...


Salute Your Shorts
Was a television show that followed campers and all the drama they encountered at Camp Anawanna.


Clarissa Explains it All
This witty and sarcastic girl lets the world in on all the coming of age drama in her life. She often talks to the camera making the audience feel like they are really there. Clarissa was one of my heroes growing up. Here room, here clothes, her behavior, she was just so "Way Cool"!

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Alex Mac
A show about a girl that can glow and melt into a silvery puddle at will because of a chemical accident. When she's not hiding from "The Plant's" staff she's using her new powers to help people or solve mysterious events.

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You Can't Do That on Television

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(psst...don't tell my mom. I wasn't allowed to watch this show) You Can't Do That on Television was the first show I remember watching on Nick. It was a sketch comedy television show for teens. For whatever reason my mom was not a fan, but I was able to catch episodes here and their with my cousins or babysitters. I couldn't talk about this show if I didn't mention Alanis Morressette who got her start on the show. It was the original source for Nick's "green slime"...I think, but really...I don't know ;)


I'm sure I forgot a ton of great ones. There were so many when Nick was just getting on its feet. Share some of your favorites below!

Minerva

M is for Minerva

1. I've always been interested in mythology as it has many current applications today. Pay close attention to things like the names of our planets, marketing logos, uses in books and design, etc. So, if I had to pick a "favorite" goddess from mythology, Minerva would be it. Minerva was the Roman goddess equivalent to the Greek's Athena. The legend of her birth is the same as Greek Mythology, sprouting from Jupiter's (Zeus') head. She was not only the goddess of wisdom, but she is also credited as the inventor of music.  As goddess of both war and wisdom, she represents a strong and educated woman.

2. JKR pulled from mythology to name her character Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter book series. She is one of my favorite supporting characters for her tough love, guidance, and bravery that she continually shows throughout the series.

3. Deftones titled a song "Minerva". Amidst rockin' yet soothing tunes there are some very beautiful and heartfelt lyrics about women coming into their own. One fan says it perfectly here at Song Meanings. chino69 says:
"To me the message is quite clear. So hopefully I am able to clear it up for all of you. I'll start with this. In an interview with Chino, he stated that he is so captivated with the beauty of women. Not young women, but older women who carry with them a true sense of beauty. "They can change shit" he says.

Now I myself have an affinity towards women. I think they are so incredibly beautiful, especially when involved with some form of art. My gf draws pictures and paints and to see her work just completely puts me in rapture.

"Such a strange numb
It could bring back peace to the earth"

The musical voice of a woman is capable of pacifying everyone, even while everyone stands with differing opinions and points of views, the beauty is what reminds us that we all have a heart and it can truly be interconnected.

"And God bless you all
For the song you saved us... "

He is thanking all of the women singers of the world. For the song and the sweetness in their voice has truly brought him back to that place of warmth and love.

Minerva is the goddess of handicrafts and arts, as well as war, in roman religion. Chino sees how powerfully eloquent a woman can be in the dawn of her maturity. It doesn't have to be an old women, just one who has truly developed herself in good ways."

I love this interpretation because it goes past this song just being a "thank you to fans" and touches on where the title fits in with the meaning of the song. So often girls and women struggle to be what society wants them to be, which is often times unrealistic and unobtainable. The message the song brings is that woman are beautiful when they are fully happy with themselves just the way they are and when they realize that they can bring power to whatever their "art" is and it becomes their song. It's a very encouraging message for women and coming of age women today.

Deftones: Minerva


For these three reasons, we've named our first kitty, Minerva. It's been interesting as I've had many comments on what an odd name it is, so it's been fun to explain to people why.

Literary Agents

L is for Literary Agents

From what I’ve gathered in the writing world the general consensus is that you need a literary agent to publish your book. I’ve read several guides that suggest finding a literary agent and pitching the idea before you write the novel. All enthusiastic writers know that you can’t sit on an idea once it’s crawling to get out. My novel is finished, forgetting small edits here and there. So, I’m now in the step of finding a literary agent.

Opinions. I need them! Are books like 2011 Guide To Literary Agents helpful? Or are they just a money-making scheme. :/

For those that are published:
1. Did you find a literary agent or did you self-publish?
2. How long did it take you to find a literary agent?
3. What made you decide to publish the way you did?
4. Helpful hints?

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment with opinions and advice. It is priceless! <3

(Also, my page might look a bit different. My app for the adsense program was finally accepted last night! Guys, it took for.ev.er. All is well now though)

Kaleidoscope

K is for Kaleidoscope

"Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility. Effective leaders are able to shake up their thinking as though their brains are kaleidoscopes, permitting an array of different patterns out of the same bits of reality." - Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Besides being a pretty gnarly word to spell, kaleidoscopes could keep me busy for hours. I love the different psychedelic patterns and movement. I've always felt that they've had a calming sense over me. It allows you to focus on one moving/changing item while the world around you fades into the background. Yeah, I'm a hippie. Sue me.

Need something on the internetz to entertain you for a few minutes? Check out: Kaleidoscope Painter.
or...
I could watch this forever! interactive psychedelic kaleidoscope

Don't blame me if time flies bye while you're painting beautiful patterns and you're late to pick up the kids from school.

[...]

Sorry, I was going to finish this post and I was distracted by the site above. Enjoy some of these pictures instead!

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Jabberwocky

J is for Jabberwocky

My favorite nonsensical poem from one of my favorite all time tales. I love how it opens the door to the mind, creating a whole new world, that slowly comes alive the more you read the poem. How ingenious a writer was Carroll, to take words and split them up only to put them back together again in a new way.The more I read this poem the more I love it. Enjoy!

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll found in Through the Looking-Glass

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought--

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

 

Find out more interesting facts by another blogger, Tim Brannan, who also posted on the Jabberwock

Ink

I is for Ink!

Are you "inked"?

My love of tattoos started early in life around the time my mom's brothers were really into getting new tattoos and I was fascinated by the outcome. My uncle had once had a rose and wanted to cover it up with his seaplane and a sunset. I remember looking closely to see the hint of rose petals in the setting sun and then promising myself that I would someday get a tattoo.

My tattoos:

1. In HS my two best friends and I thought it would be a cool idea to give ourselves tattoos. So, sitting in my upstairs bathroom my BFF proceeded to "tattoo" us with a needle and art ink. Since then, we have all covered them up, but mine was a tiny Christian fish on my left ankle.

2. My first "real" ink was a very colorful butterfly on my lower right back. At that time everyone and their moms were getting butterflies so it may not seem that original. However, I had been "into" butterflies since junior high and for my first tattoo when I was 18 it symbolized me going starting my own life and spreading my wings.

3. My third tattoo was a cover up of the fish. I got a tiny pink butterfly flying sideways.The cover-up worked well, but I can't say I'm in love with the butterfly...another cover-up may be in the works someday...

4. Number four is a korean symbol on my left hip. It's supposed to mean extraordinary. My roommate and BFF at the time got the same symbol together. We got it off the internet so who knows what it really means, lol. I like it, but have recently been thinking of things that I could cover it up with.

5. I got my fifth tattoo on my wedding ring finger. It says my husbands name and he has the same on his with my name. We're rock stars. I know. :p (My hubby also has a footprint for each daughter and their name on each of the underside of his forearms, so he is always carrying them with him.)

6. The last tattoo I got is a big wicked old gnarly tree on my foot. I love twisted old oak trees and I wanted to convey the strength and perseverance they represent. I got it soon after we moved into our house and it also represents being rooted and growing in life.

Growing up I always had a difficult time with the idea that I would have to settle in one place for the rest of my life. I wanted to move where the wind carried me and never stay in one place too long. That all changed when I started "nesting" with my second child. We were living in a very dangerous area of the Twin Cities and I was getting a strong feeling to start growing roots in a smaller hometown area. When we finally accomplished this goal, getting the tree on my foot was one of the first things I did.

Not the best picture, but here she is! It is original artwork done by our family tattoo artist (yes, we have a family tattoo artist he has inked me, my husband, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law)

Future Ink Ideas:
1. I have a plan to get two birds (one for each girl) on the inside of my wrists. I want them to be tiny and flying. I've done a little research to see if there is a "birth month" bird for each them and have found just a few sources. Which makes me think I might just a pick a bird that represents each of them best and go with that.

2. I have three brothers and together we make the points of a cross. We were thinking of all getting the same tattoo of a cross, with each limb being a branch of our birth month tree. The branches would interlock in the center and form the letter "S" which stands for my maiden name.

See! Look how long I can talk about the topic of Ink! That is another reason why I love tattoos. Each of them has a story to tell and it is a way of people displaying their soul on the outside. I love talking to people and hearing their stories about why the got the tattoo. I find that a lot of them are very personal stories and a good way to get to know a person better. Share yours if you have any!!

My mom is not a fan of tattoos. At all. I told her this once, "You see naked beautiful skin and I see an empty canvas."

Hypatia

H is for Hypatia

I've always wondered how fascinating it would be to live in a time at the beginning of science and discovery. The time when we had our great thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. To be immersed in their schools of thought. How cool it would be to study humans, society, the heavens, and form some of the very first opinions on their meanings. To always be on a quest for knowledge and understanding. We don't hear about many women being in these first great thinking roles. However, we do have Hypatia.

Hypatia, was a Greek woman living in Alexandria Egypt. Her dates of birth and death are a bit of an estimate, but they range from 350 AD and 415 AD. She taught in the Great Library of Alexandria (Can you imagine! A woman at this point in history!). She is known as one of the first females of Mathematics. She was an atheist or more an advocate of science, at the time when Christianity was gaining it's foothold in the Roman Empire. Some think this is what ultimately lead to her brutal slaying. Others say it was more of political turmoil. Either, way her contributions to science and mathematics live on in infamy.

While I don't agree with all of her personal beliefs, I think it is awesome that women can date their intelligence and contributions to a time when the world was still trying to figure out if it was flat. That she had such a strong voice and was so respected for her time. That she stood up for what she believe in and was ultimately martyred for it.

I'm always interested in finding out what other people find inspiring so: What women in history or currently inspire you?

Green Living

G is for Green Living

If there is one thing that I am really passionate for in life, aside from faith and family, it is Green Living. I'm constantly looking for new ways to improve our lives and the earth around us by living more sustainably. It's instinct really. We as humans didn't start out by driving our SUVs to the local super store and stock piling weeks worth of food. I still do this on a monthly basis, but I'm talking about learning how to slowly cut that process out by becoming more sustainable and green. If you're looking to start the path of green living here are some great starter steps: Five Easy Ways to Save Money While "Going Green"

Buying locally grown fruits and veggies or growing our own, has been my recent challenge. My city has a fantastic Farmer's Market and now that the weather is getting warming, I'm just itching for it to reopen. Last year, when we first moved into our home, the challenge was learning how to compost and following through with it. We've been able to reduce our waste by a bag or more of garbage each week! Then came learning how to clean more greenly and I'm not talking about those pricey "green" cleaners you can buy in stores. Here are some of my favorites: Natural Cleaning Agents I Can't Live Without. Soon after moving into our house we discovered that it was not energy efficient. At all. We had a weatherizing audit and were able to take several steps to make our home more efficient. I wrote about them here: Weatherize Your Home for Winter.

I'm continually trying to instill earth friendly habits in my children as well. Here are two articles I've written on how to get your children more involved in the recycling process: Educating Your Children About Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling and Five Earth Day Crafts for Children.

So, a lot of shameless promotion of my work today. I know. This is something I'm just so passionate about and since I already wrote on many of these topics it seems redundant to repeat it here. Hope you enjoy some or all of my articles and I hope it inspires you!

If you have any tips or similar articles please share below. I love the free flow of information that blogs can offer! Have a great day!

Fairy Houses

 F is for Fairy House

I remember when I was little and still very uninfluenced by the world. My surroundings were magical. Myths from movies and books intertwined with real life in a beautiful way. I could be walking down a path in the woods and hear a sound off in the distance...Was it a fairy? A handsome prince? Woodland creatures? I could sit and imagine for hours about amusing adventures we would have. 

This is the feeling that I love to foster in my girls. The belief that anything is possible. Building Your Own Fairy House is one of the most spectacular ways I've found to do this. Directions on how we have built ours are in the link, but you can follow whatever path your imagination takes you. It's an activity fun for all ages and changes as your child grows.

Here is ours when we first created it last year. It has changed with the seasons as you can find different nature items at different times of the year.

Eat!!!

WARNING!! This post will make you hungry...

E is for Eat

We as homeo sapians all need to eat at some point in time and in some way, shape or form. So, let's talk about food. What is your favorite thing to eat? What won't you touch with a 10ft pole?

I've realized as I grow older that I'm more curious to try new foods. When I was younger I was one of the pickiest eaters ever. There are still some things that I'm not crazy about, like broccoli, but I'm more open to trying new things. I'm also more of a snacker. Instead of eating three full meals a day, I'd rather snack on bits of food here and there. I used to have some very unhealthy eating habits in my past that I still struggle with them at times to get over.

After I had my daughters I became fully aware that I was in charge of nurturing these beautiful little beings. They looked to me to make good choices for them. Gone were the days of eating popcorn for dinner and Ramen noodles for breakfast. Almost two years ago we removed things like pop and sugary juices from our house. We also switched all our starches over to whole grains. I've added a lot more "greens" into our diet and while the tiny humans don't always eat them, they're offered nonetheless. I'm passionate about buying organic and locally grow food as well. It's a slow process, though. Once we accomplish one step towards eating healthier another area is brought to our attention.

I really enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes. Here's one of my favorites: Pesto French Bread Pizza

Mouth.Watering.Now....Off to eat!