Wordless Wednesday: London
circa 2004
Memories
Year in Review
Last year around this time, I wrote a year in review post full of random observations and comparisons about my life. What better time than a rainy, dreary Saturday to write the 2011 version? Plus, after 2 Jazzercise classes this morning – umm, Ballet Body is no joke! – and trying to make a substantial dent in my DVR, which is happily sitting at 92% full right now, I figure I could use a little mental and creative stimulation!
I now present 2010 vs. 2011 (thus far)…
- 2010: Cars with random sayings written on their back window should be taken off the road. Today’s quote? “Porno Country” written in white shoe polish.
2011: I’m sooo over drivers who drive slower than the posted speed. 10 in a 30 is not ok, but thanks for finally getting out of my way. - 2010: I dabbled in designing my own stationery this year. I had 5 clients.
2011: I’m obsessed with the gorgeous clipart from pugly pixel! You’ll find that a lot of them are used throughout my blog 🙂 - 2010: Watching Food Network in bed is the best way to unwind and head to dreamland.
2011: I received an iPad for Christmas (Thanks, Adam!). I now drift off into dreamland playing Mahjong. - 2010: Season 9 of American Idol was horribly over-hyped. Can we just go ahead and give Crystal Bowersox the title?
2011: What season is it this year? - 2010: Ellen DeGeneres is the newest American Idol judge. Watch out, she’s about to take over the World.
2011: Ellen never fails to make me laugh, then cry, then laugh again as I watch her talk show. - 2010: Using “tweet” as a verb is acceptable, so is using “tweep” as a noun.
2011: Umm, “OMG” was just added to the Oxford Dictionary. I feel like everything I learned in English class was a lie. - 2010: Watching crazy housewives act like high school mean girls [or mafia members] all season and then meet up for a reunion long after the filming has wrapped is good television.
2011: Does anyone else see something wrong with Jim and Alexis’ relationship or is it just me? So. Wrong. Give her a voice and get your own dang orange juice, puh-lease. - 2010: Long, late night phone calls/video chats with your boyfriend, who moved 8 hours away last May, are my favorite way to end a long day.
2011: Ditto, but in a little over 6.5 months we will be married! And living in the same zipcode – yet to be determined. - 2010: My iPhone is my single greatest investment ever. How did I survive without it? [see also: Words with Friends]
2011: The iPad is the single greatest invention ever. It’s practically attached to my hip when I’m at home. Is there anything it can’t do? - 2010: Despite hearing how cheesy it is or remembering the unfortunate neon leotards from the 80′s that many still [wrongly] associate with it, Jazzercise is the single best workout I’ve ever done, not to mention the only one I’ve stuck with for over 4 months without complaint. I? LOVE. IT!
2011: In case you haven’t noticed, I’m obsessed with Jazzercise so much that it’s been mentioned on my blog at least 7 times. I will stop you in the street and tell you about it, if you’ll let me. LOVE. IT! - 2010: Twitter is how I make it through my work day.
2011: Try as I might to not get sucked into the addiction that is Twitter, I’ve failed. And I sometimes clog my followers feeds with senseless live tweets for pageants, award shows and documentaries about ferrets. Truly sorry, y’all! - 2010: Since when did Facebook become the place for High School “spirit weeks”. I don’t care about the color of your underwear, your birthplace, or the celebrity you most resemble. What happened to original status updates??
2011: The Social Network was the best movie of the last year hands down. I wonder how many of the applications and games Zuckerberg uses on his profile and if he’s one of those every 5 minute updaters? - 2010: Cupcakes from Cupcakes on Kavanaugh are a delectable treat.
2011: Gelato for ZAZA makes me happy, especially Honey Yogurt. - 2010: Why have I not seen “This Is It”? <—- Still true, one year later.
2011: Why have I not seen “Gone with the Wind”? - 2010: Jazzercise is my new [and hopefully permanent] stress relief.
2011: A day without Jazzercise most often leads to a less perky version of myself. Need. It. - 2010: Girls’ nights, with friends you can be truly yourself around, are few and far between.
2011: Still true, but I’m basking in my solo life since it will soon be coming to an end. Then I get to annoy Adam every. single. day. with my perkiness, random thoughts, and Bravo reality shows!! I know he’s excited. - 2010: Despite how much of a mistake they were in the 90′s, Hammer Pants are back. Did we not learn anything?
2011: Did you hear? Fanny packs are coming back. Which reminds me of the neon green one I wore on family vacations in the early 90s. I think it had “Marlboro” or some other brand of cigarette written across the front. My dad was a grocer and I was the walking underage billboard for cigarettes. [No one in my family smokes] - 2010: Did I mention I’m going to my favorite beach this summer?!?!?!
2011: Did I mention I’m getting MARRIED in October?!?! CAN. NOT. WAIT!
Engagement Pictures
It’s been just over a week since Adam and I met with the fabulous Karen Segrave McCall, owner of KES Weddings, to shoot our engagement pictures. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about how the shoot would go down, because I really wanted the pictures to reflect our personalities without looking posed or fake.
Can I just tell you how lucky we got? Not only was Karen able to capture our personalities flawlessly in the pictures, but she also made sure that we had input on shots every step of the way! It was such fun traipsing about Little Rock with her for two and a half hours to find settings that “fit” with us.
The biggest surprise came to us Sunday morning, less than 24 hours later, when I checked my email and saw that she had already made our proofs available to look through. I immediately opened them up and started swooning. They were full of emotion, laughter, love and joy and we couldn’t be happier!
Karen has been so sweet to allow me to share some of my favorites with you. So, without further ado, I present our engagement pictures.
I can’t recommend Karen highly enough if you are in the market for a wedding photographer. I’m so excited to see what she captures for my bridal portraits and at our wedding!
all images via Karen Segrave McCall|KES Weddings
Our House
Lately I’ve found myself driving around town and making up stories about the inhabitants of random houses.
That craftsman house I pass almost daily: I bet the owners are close to retirement age. They have grown children and are soon expecting their first grandchild. Their home is cheerful, filled to the brim with memories of the life they’ve led. They host bridge once a week, playing around the same table where they helped their children with homework.
That small wood-frame home with a carport: A widow lives there. The same home she built with her husband while raising their children in the 60s. She spends most of her time in 1 room: the kitchen, because that’s where most of her memories took place. She remembers her son’s burnt batch of brownies and the crowded Thanksgiving dinners. She finds herself staring at the same refrigerator where her children’s grades were proudly displayed.
That friendly 2-story brick house in a sub-division I discovered on a random jaunt about town: I’m positive it’s home to a young family with 2 elementary aged children. The interior is modern yet inviting, the refrigerator covered in art projects and A+ homework assignments. The backyard filled with toys.
What I’ve realized in these daydreams is that every family I make up in my head is happy, loving, and supportive. They are warm and welcoming and exude Southern hospitality. Their homes are well-decorated, each piece of furniture placed lovingly in position and each photo on the wall capturing a moment in time that they treasure.
Maybe it’s because I’m newly engaged that I think about these things. Maybe it’s what happens when a bride-to-be starts to dream about her own house and new family. Whatever the reason, it’s given me focus.
Focus to create a home that is welcoming, warm and full of love. A home that is a reflection of the personalities which inhabit it. A family that cherishes memories, laughs together and plays games together.
A family who makes memories in the kitchen.
image via Orange Blossom Society
The ABCs of Meggie
Yesterday one of my favorite bloggers, Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers, posted the ABCs of PBF and it inspired me to write my own ABC post. I love learning about other blogger’s quirks and thought you probably do too! Otherwise, why would you waste your time reading my senseless southern ramblings? 🙂
- A. Age: 26
- B. Bed size: Queen
- C. Chore you hate: Cleaning every inch of the bathroom.
- D. Dogs: LOVE! I grew up with the best Cocker Spaniel ever, Sugar. Over the years my family’s dogs have also included Isabelle (a Basset) and Lucky and Mischief (Heinz 57s).
- E. Essential start to your day: iPod alarm clock. Even if I do snooze for a good 15 minutes after it first goes off. 🙂
- F. Favorite color: Razorback Red, duh!
- G. Gold or silver: Silver.
- H. Height: 6’2″ (and no, I didn’t play college basketball)
- I. Instruments you play: None anymore, but I can pound out some Christmas music on the piano once a year. I used to play Bb Clarinet and pit percussion in my school band.
- J. Job title: Training and Development Specialist.
- K. Kids: None right now, though I hope for a couple in the distant future.
- L. Live: Arkansas.
- M. Mom’s name: Karen.
- N. Nicknames: Meg Tay, Meggie, Meg, Megs.
- O. Overnight hospital stays: ICU after a supposed outpatient jaw surgery in high school. Good times.
- P. Pet peeve: Misusing “me” and “I”. People who wear socks with sandals.
- Q. Quote from a movie:
The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.
[Brownie Points if you can name the movie]
- R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
- S. Siblings: One younger sister, Madeline.
- T. Time you wake up: Between 6:45 and 7.
- U. Underwear: Full coverage.
- V. Vegetables you dislike: Mainly just one – Mushrooms.
- W. What makes you run late: I’m usually early, but every once in a while Twitter might be to blame.
- X. X-rays you’ve had: More than I care to count on my jaw.
- Y. Yummy food you make: Cookies! Muffins! Shrimp! Pasta! Cupcakes!
- Z. Zoo animal favorite: Baby elephants. (How’s that for specific?)
Wordless Wednesday
Gettin' the Europe itch again...
Came across one of my favorite film pictures I’ve ever taken and had to share.
Operation: No More Beyonce
Adam and I have been together for 3 years and for the last, oh, year and a half, I’ve taken to humming Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” in the car whenever we have a dull moment. In part because I love the song and its accompanying video, but also because it was about dang time for a ring to show up on MY finger. 🙂
I spent the week after Christmas in Austin with Adam where we shopped, ate at some of his local favorites, drove around looking for an open cupcakery, watched “Top Gear”, and chilled. Rarely do we have a full week together, but when we do I treasure the time we spend together. Long-distance relationships are hard, especially when said relationship has been long distance for a year and a half.
All week, Adam had mentioned going to the New Year’s Eve fireworks downtown, but after we spent the day downtown shopping and saw how bad the parking and traffic was already getting, we decided to scratch that idea. We got back to his apartment and freshened up a bit so we could go “out on the town” for the night. A bit after 5 Adam said, “Let’s go,” to which I replied, “It’s only 5. We aren’t grandparents.” Then he said he wanted to go catch the last sunset of 2010. Okay then.
The two of us loaded up in his car and he drove us to Mount Bonnell. Mount Bonnell has a gorgeous view of Lake Austin and the amazing houses surrounding it and a view of downtown Austin (complete with an unfortunate view of the Texas Tower), as well as a beautiful pavilion where lots of tourists snap pictures or hangout. After we parked the car we walked up the ridiculously steep stairs to the summit. Mind you, I’m wearing cute pointy-toe ballet flats – because that’s what all experienced hikers wear.
At the top, Adam takes me over to a smaller somewhat private overlook and I notice we arrived at just the perfect time, because the sun has just begun to set and cast a pink hue across the sky. It was breathtaking. We stand there for a good while chatting about how pretty the view was and which houses on the lake I wanted him to buy me.
Hey, a girl can dream right?
Next thing I know Adam is PROPOSING!! TO ME!!! I don’t even remember everything he said leading up to the “Will you marry me” part but I remember being a bit surprised. In a good way. Right then and there I went from girlfriend to fiancée and I was beaming.
He did a good job on the ring too – even if he had a little help from yours truly. 🙂
I ended 2010 as Adam’s fiancée and I’ve spent every day of 2011, thus far, with a huge smile on my face, because I get to MARRY the most amazing guy I know!! Ah!
And yes, in case you were wondering, Adam called this whole proposal preparation “Operation: No More Beyonce”. He’s a funny one 🙂
A Redneck Corkscrew…
…and other Christmas shenanigans.
I’m baaaaaack!! After a 2 week holiday blogging hiatus I’m back at it and ready to see what’s to come in 2011! Let’s start 2011 with a recap of my holidays, shall we?
Every year, I travel to my tiny hometown of 3606 people in Southwest Arkansas to spend Christmas in my childhood home. This year I spent 3 days having lots of cable and internet free family time around roaring fires. We baked, attended my church’s “candlight” service on Christmas Eve, and exchanged Snoop Dogg jokes while driving around looking at Christmas lights.
On Christmas morning we awoke to the sound of Ottie’s electronic bird noisemaker, which chirps constantly until unplugged. I found it soothing and nostalgic, my sister – on the other hand – described it as cruel and unusual punishment. In either case, I knew that Ottie was looking over us smiling. Eventually, we got out of our warm beds and bounded down the stairs to unwrap our gifts while wearing our traditional Christmas Eve gift of new pajamas. Once we finished unwrapping gifts, my sister asked for three gift bags. Why? So she could wrap our gifts from her – she’s always prepared.
Next was Christmas breakfast, to which my parents thought mimosas would be a nice addition. Being the heavy drinkers they are, mom asked my sister and I to Google mimosas on our phones. Ha! A Google search? My sister and I could mix a mimosa in our sleep.
By the time dinner came around we had spent the day vegging on the couch reading, texting friends, and watching movies. But there was an unopened bottle of Riesling in the fridge that we (ok, my sister and I) wanted to open. Then we realized we had no corkscrew in the house. Being the scrappy folk we are, my dad picked through my mom’s craft cabinet for screws and pliers and my sister grabbed a knife and an ice pick.
We quickly realized that the ice pick wouldn’t work and resorted to screws and pliers for the most effective method of cork removal. The first try revealed that a longer screw would be needed, and after tightening the screw into the cork using a knife…
…my dad used the pliers to pull the cork out. Success!!
Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I guess it’s only fitting since we started the Christmas season drinking. 🙂
Deck the Halls
I love everything about the Holidays. The music, the food, and the family time. The decor.
Every year, my family begins decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.
We deck our old Victorian home’s halls with mistletoe balls.
We hang our needlepoint stockings on the mantle with care.
We set up the Christmas Village which my mom collected over several years.
We hang the tatted and crocheted snowflakes our Great-Aunt Lila and Great-Grandmother Ruth made for us for every birthday, anniversary, and holiday until they passed away.
We give the Baby Jesus his first sip of wine.
Oh wait, that’s so my sister and I can make it through decorating with our parents. [I kid, I kid.]
Every year, memories of decorating for Christmases past flood my mind. In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories is from this treasured time and involves the song, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams.
I was probably 2 or 3 and wearing a navy peacoat and saddle oxfords. My hair was probably in braided pigtails tied with red ribbon (courtesy of my mom), and we were decorating the house for Christmas just as we always have.
We keep the majority of our Christmas decorations in a closet under the stairs and my dad was in charge of getting out all of the boxes. Being Daddy’s Little Girl, I decided he needed help taking the decorations out of their boxes and putting them in their appropriate location.
God help him – my dad’s 6’8″ frame has had to contort to fit into a less than 3 ft tall space, in order to get all of our decorations out, for as long as I can remember. Well, until this year, when my sister took over this chore.
First was the box of Christmas lights for the front of our house. I pushed that big box down the hallway and out the door to the porch. Then came the garland box, which also got pushed outside. Next, was our stuffed animal head of Rudolph [I swear it’s not as brutal looking as it sounds] that we normally hang on the wall by the kitchen, but that year, I decided it should be displayed prominently on the front porch. The same went for the fabric Santa wall hanging, as it also got taken to the front porch.
Eventually, almost every item from every Christmas decor box and almost every item from that downstairs closet got taken to the front porch – including an old wooden tennis racket that was lying near the boxes by the closet door.
Apparently, I thought the Baby Jesus and Santa would enjoy playing tennis together.
The Advent Wreath
The season of Advent is upon us.
It’s the time of year when families around the globe, who observe the liturgical calendar, gather in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas.
A time where families gather in church fellowship halls to build their own Wreath, which they will place prominently in their homes and light as a family throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas.
A time for Joy, Peace, Love and Hope.
A time when parents are full of joy because their children are able to light the candles of the Wreath in an environment of love and peace. Or, in the case of my parents, hopeful that their daughters would light the candles in an environment of love and peace.
You see, one year my sister and I weren’t so, um, loving or peaceful during the lighting of the candles. In fact, we had a bit of a tiff over whose turn it was to read the devotional and whose turn it was to light the candles.
And this tiff?
Well, let’s just say that in ended in a – ahem – well lit Advent Wreath.
As in, we set our family’s Advent Wreath on fire.
image via Jer86 on Flickr
White Elephant
One of my old teams at work held a gift exchange at Christmas. The idea was that half of us would bring white elephant gifts and the other half would bring nice gifts – while staying within a budget of $20. I was tasked with bringing a white elephant gift and decided it would be best to look at local “junk stores” and flea markets to find the perfect gift. I spent hours looking before hitting the white elephant jackpot.
High on a shelf hidden amongst lots’o’junk, I saw it. The PERFECT white elephant gift. A HUGE figurine of a carousel horse, I’m talking at least 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It was painted in pastel shades of pink and purple, had fake pearls stuck all over, glitter accents, tulle wrapped around the base and neck, and a fantastically shiny gold pole going up the middle, along with a gold horn on its head.
It. Was. Ugly.
And, because it was so huge, finding a way to wrap it that made it look like a nice gift proved difficult, I had to creatively tape boxes together before gingerly wrapping it up and topping it with the prettiest bow I could make.
The next day, I hauled it to the party, and placed it in the gift pile. I was beside myself with excitement to see who would be the lucky recipient. We drew numbers to see in what order we would pick (or steal) our gifts and the fun began. About mid-way through, someone finally picked my gift, opened it carefully, and looked shell-shocked when they realized what they had just received.
It. Was. Classic.
Then they wanted to know who in tarnation brought the gift and why.
I explained, through fits of giggles, that I spent hours at all the various junk stores and flea markets in town looking for the perfect white elephant gift, and when I saw the unicorn I had to have it – because it was just so ugly and no one would possibly want it. Just as I finish my explanation another co-worker excitedly pipes up and says, “My sister loves unicorns. She collects those figurines!! She’ll love it!” Inevitably she steals the white elephant gift to regift to her sister.
And me? 2 years later, I’m still working on pulling my foot out of my mouth…
Give Thanks!
Turkey-induced comas.
Seconds [and thirds] of a bubbling hashbrown casserole.
Buttery rolls.
Pumpkin Pie.
Pecan Pie.
Apple Pie.
Thanksgiving is upon us and I can’t be happier. Surprising as it may sound, it’s not the food that I look forward to most about Thanksgiving, it’s the time spent with family and friends. The time after the paper plates are put in the trashcan (Don’t judge, we have about half as many dishes to wash compared to you because of this), when everyone is recovering from a meal filled with boisterous laughter and staring in silence at a table covered in shellacked decorative vegetables.
It’s this time when everyone is quiet and together that I value the most. Even though our quiet time together may not last long and there’s still games to be played, it’s at this moment every year when I realize just how lucky I am. I have a family who loves and supports me and friends who laugh with [and at] me. I have a belly full of good home cooking and a smile on my face. I wish we could all be so lucky.
There’s a tradition in my family every Thanksgiving, and I’m sure it’s common among other families, where we go around the table and say what we are thankful for. What great perspective it gives us every year, to remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives and just give thanks. It’s magical.
One year [though no one else in my family remembers this, so who knows if it actually happened or if I had a random dream that I confused with reality] someone went above and beyond the typical “I’m thankful for_____” after dinner spiel.
We received a thank you card in the mail. This wasn’t just your run of the mill “Thank you for ____ gift/gesture” card; it was a card thanking us for everything we had done in the last year that had impacted this person. From a smile or hug to a gift and everything in between. Everything they could think of to give thanks that year involving us was meticulously written in the card. I don’t even remember if they sent this card at Thanksgiving or some other time during the year, but it left a lasting impression on a middle school-aged me.
Imagine what the world would be like if we all had time to send a “Thank You” card to our nearest and dearest thanking them for everything they did for us in the last year.
True Life: Procrastinating Grad Student
I came across a post I wrote several years ago for a short-lived collaborative blog with some friends. I’m now in my fourth semester of grad school (I took a break after my first semester to figure out what degree I really wanted) and while now it’s more DVR and needlework distractions than construction projects, apparently I’ll never learn NOT to procrastinate…
{Comments in brackets are my additional thoughts, 3 years later}
As most of you know, I began graduate school this semester and I’ve noticed some things about me and school have not changed. I still thoroughly enjoy procrastinating and the [seemingly] free time it affords me. Here’s a glimpse into one such night:
Monday night, 6pm: Opening the door to my apartment trying to remember what TV shows premiere that night. Oh yes, Chuck…AND The Bachelor…AND Dancing With the Stars. Awesome! I can get my reading done for class tomorrow during the commercial breaks and still enjoy the shows.
{I have no idea how I managed without a DVR back then. PS: I only watched Dancing With The Stars that season because I had recently purchased the show’s first workout DVD and was a bit smitten with Maks}
8pm: Chuck ends, first episode was really good…I might have to add this to my weekly lineup.
{Chuck didn’t stay in my lineup for long}
[hand drops highlighter, picks up remote, and clicks over to ABC for the end of Dancing With the Stars] Since I haven’t fully entered the 21st century yet I have to watch the shows live, gasp, I have no DVR. So sue me. I pick up my computer off my coffee cubes [not to be confused with coffee table] and begin to surf the internet. I needed a study break anyway.
{Still have the coffee cubes, still use the computer, now a MacBook, while I’m watching TV}
8:15 pm: What was it that I told Mom I needed this weekend? Oh yes, that’s right a black bookshelf, preferably one of those nifty little leaning ladder ones, to put in my bedroom. [fingers type walmart.com in FireFox] YES!!!! Wal-Mart has one for $39.99, perfect!!!! [fingers type bank’s URL to check balance] YES!!!!! I have money, I can go buy the bookshelf. [Body proceeds to get up off the couch and walk toward the door, purse and keys in hand]
{Now, it’s been 2 years, at least, since I’ve shopped in a Wal-Mart}
8:25 pm: I pull into Wal-Mart’s parking lot and head towards the furniture, pushing my buggy as I go. Dang! That bookshelf isn’t at this Wal-Mart. Determined to find something I like I press on.
8:40 pm: Find another bookshelf on sale for $20. [SALE = music to my ears] I embark on hoisting the 75 lb box into my cart by myself. Phew. Now I just have to get it into my car.
8:50 pm: Pull into my Apartment Complex and begin to pull 75 lb box towards my apartment door.
8:51 pm: [after getting 3 feet closer to my apt from my car] pant, pant, pant. Why did I think this was a good idea?
8:55 pm: Sigh. How in the Samhill am I gonna get this 75 lb box upstairs to my apartment by myself?
8:57 pm: Nice neighbor boy sees me struggling from his balcony and offers to help. Thank you Lord.
9:00 pm: Bookshelf is finally in my apartment. Construction commences!
9:20 pm: I’ve unloaded all pieces on top of my bed and begin to hammer and screw away until this monstrosity is complete.
9:25 pm: Why?!!?!?!!??!?!?!!?
9:40 pm: Bottom half is completed. Top half is gonna be a booger.
9:50 pm: Why?!!?!?!!??!?!?!!?
10:25 pm: Top half is attached to bottom half and now I have to turn the bookshelf over and attach the back.
10:27 pm: The pieces aren’t even…they don’t match up…argh. Maybe if I flip them around a bit…no…ARGH!!!!!!
{This reminds me of a similar construction project I embarked on with my friend Mandy. It involved a coffee table from IKEA and, 3 months later, it still has no drawers}
10:30 pm: Why do I have to put the back pieces on crooked? I hope this doesn’t look tacky when I’m done.
10:40 pm: 40 long minutes, a crooked back, and a small section of damaged drywall later the bookshelf is in place!
10:45 pm: Is this bookshelf crooked?!?!? DANG! I’m not taking it apart, it’s gonna have to do.
11:00 pm: OH CRAP!!!!! I had 50 pages left to read for class tomorrow….
{Back then, I actually had classes in a classroom. Now, thanks to the wonders of technology, I take all my classes online. It’s a sweet deal}
Tuesday Morning, 12:05 AM: Screw this [no pun intended], I’ve got to get up for work in 6 hours, I’m so done with reading. [arm reaches to turn off light] I’m sound asleep in 10 minutes.
So I ask you, why did I think that at 8:30 buying and constructing a bookshelf sounded like a good idea?
Oh, yeah! Because it was better than reading my graduate school articles.
Happy Halloween
Confession: I’m not really a big Halloween fan. Mainly because I absolutely despise scary movies. Take for example the fact that Scream and Scary Movie (the movie that parodies scary movies) scare me. The whole obsession with horrifying ghouls and goblins and paranormal activity and haunted houses is lost on me. So yeah, I’m a wuss.
Since I am a past costume winner at the First United Methodist Church in my hometown [I dressed as a rockstar, complete with metallic Tina Turner-esque hair], I do enjoy the idea of dressing up as someone else. I just prefer that costumes involve cheerleaders, raggedy Anns, clowns, and ballerina princesses – not blood, ghosts, guts, or masks.
I like the Halloween innocence of bobbing for apples and participating in cake walks. I also enjoy pranks, as long as they aren’t played on me or, if they are played on me, don’t prey on my phobia of snakes or give me nightmares.
When you’re raised in a large 100-year old Victorian home it just seems to make Halloween easier to celebrate. The large front porch, the windows that sometimes rattled in the wind, occasional creaks when a door was opened…I’m sure it’s a Halloween enthusiast’s dream. I remember years of my dad putting on scary masks [somehow, when he put them on it wasn’t much different than his normal appearance. I kid. I kid.] and handing out treats while my mom had a spooky Halloween cassette tape playing for added effect. Later, they got even more into it, with jack-o-lanterns on the steps and spider webs stretched over the door frame. But, I think my favorite Halloween memory is the year my dad rigged up a ghost, which my mom had made from a white sheet and newspaper, with fishing line to mysteriously raise up in front of trick-or-treaters when my masked 6’8″ dad opened the spider webbed door.
That year? One kid was so scared he bolted off the front porch, through the yard, and back to his parents’ car. Without getting any candy.
Don’t Worry. Be Happy!
There are constants in life that everyone, in one way or another, can say make them happy. Family. Significant Other. Friends. Co-Workers. Home. Those are the normal day to day things that always make me happy, but what about the not-so-normal things? The things that you take for granted or further explain why you are the way you are? Here’s 10 things that make me happy:
iPhone
It connects me with the world, specifically friends and family, on a daily basis. Shopping alone and need advice about whether to buy something? Send a text to a friend. Miss your long-distance boyfriend? Call him. Visiting home where your parents have disabled the Internet? Thank God for the connectivity. In short, my iPhone keeps me sane and keeps me happy.
Sara Lee Pound Cake
Growing up, I remember occasionally finding this delicious food in my parents’ freezer and feeling like I had hit the jackpot. Something about the slices of moist, buttery goodness, straight from the freezer gives me comfort. And don’t even get me started on scraping the foil pan once all the cake is gone… It’s a rare treat, but one I’m happy to indulge in once or twice a year.
Sweet Tea
I’m a southern girl through and through. What’s more southern that a tall glass of Sweet Tea? Nothing. Now, if only I had a porch swing…
The Cuddler
My dad is like any other dad, his gifts are always practical. I’ve received financial self-help/guidance books, eye glass cleaning kits, and illustrated stock market guides over my 26 years, but the gift that I love the most from him is this fleece blanket. It’s pre-Snuggie construction, providing a pocket for your feet, is long enough for 6’2″ me to stretch out on the couch and STILL be covered shoulder to feet in its warmth.
Jazzercise
I never imagined I’d become one of those people that would NEED exercise or miss it when they couldn’t attend. But in the last year, I have and it’s all because of Jazzercise. It’s provided me with stress relief, laughter, and, above all, strength.
Needlepoint
Needlepoint connects me to my past, reminds me of childhood weekends spent watching The Sound of Music at Ottie’s house while she made needlepoint stockings for new grandchildren. It calms me, clears my head, and gives me control for a brief moment in time. Simply put, it centers me.
My Apron
It hangs prominently in my kitchen and as soon as I put it on I feel like an Anthropologie wearing Julia Child. It’s been worn through countless batches of Crack Cookies, Peanut Butter Oreo Pie, and Creme de Menthe Brownies. Through Bruschetta, Chili, and Israeli Spice Chicken. And sometimes, I forget I’m in my apartment in Central Arkansas and pretend I have my own show on Food Network.
Wait, I probably shouldn’t have said that last part. Forget I ever told you.
Music
6524 songs. That’s my collection. Each song put there for a reason, even if the reason escapes me when the song plays for the first time in several years. Music makes me smile, distracts me when I’m working on busy graduate school work, and gives me a beat to which I can bop my head.
Not that I would EVER bop my head.
DVR
My DVR is one of the only things, human or otherwise, I have been able to count on consistently. When I turn it on I know it will answer and won’t ignore me, no matter the time of day. It is always available to me, even in the worst of times. It is programmed to know what I want and desire, and knowing those wants and desires are only a click away makes me happy.
Pictures
They give me a glimpse into my past, support that spark of recollection I have about a certain experience. They tell MY story. Knowing that story is available to me whenever I feel nostalgic makes me so incredibly happy.
meggieslife.com 
