2009 Year In Review

On this next-to-last day of 2009, I'm having a bit of year-end nostalgia. This morning, I read the cutest post on facebook made by one of my friends that recounted all the good things that happened to her in 2009. And, admittedly, it was a big year for her (baby, engagement, a couple of nephews, etc...)! But I was struck by how she was grateful for all of the good things that happened to her in 2009. Instead of thinking about all of the things that DIDN'T happen in 2009 - or the bad things that did - I too would like to focus on the good things that happened to me in 2009.

Here are a few things that I have been blessed with this year: After 18 years moved back to Columbus. Bought a great house. Had an amazing Disney vacation with my BFF and her family. Got back in touch with several friends from High School, as well as lots of other people I went to school with. Got to spend time with friends from Miami that I hadn't seen in oh....at least 18 years! One of my dearest friends, Katie, had her first baby. On June 8th, my horoscope read "Today you will meet someone who will change your life". And, yep, I did! Besides the Disney trip, I was able to see my BFF several more times in 2009. In July she packed up her 4 kids (yes - all 4) and drove from North Carolina to spend a week with me. And in September, I went to North Carolina to celebrate their baby's first birthday! One of my best friends got engaged. My sister fell in love. And, finally, I spent the holidays surrounded by my friends and family.

Not a bad 2009 if I must say so myself! And I'm sure there's a lot I'm leaving out! I hope a review of your 2009 leaves you feeling as blessed as I do. Here's to a very happy 2010!

Look Who's Back From Blogcation!

Now that I have your attention.... I'm baaaccckkk! It's been a while since I've blogged. Well, more than a while. But....in my defense.... 1) I was sick pretty much the entire month of November and 2) I work in retail. So now the holiday season is complete. I survived another one. And I don't think it was so bad. And, was I really that grouchy? (Don't answer that!) I woke up this morning to the sounds of silence. This is literally the first day that workers haven't been framing houses in my neighborhood. Seriously - they even worked on Christmas morning! Christmas morning! And I was wicked tired and, admittedly, a little headachy from possibly too much wine from the night before.... So it was just lovely to hear all that banging at 7:30am! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the housing market is doing well, but come on! Christmas Day???

So hopefully you all had a very Merry Christmas! I know I did. It was so nice to relax with family and friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And I'm planning a long weeking in North Carolina in early January to see my BFF and her kids, which is always a good time! Mollie refused to pose for me in his reindeer ears, so I had to settle for him in his Christmas scarf. Isn't he a handsome little devil???



I think he looks a little chubby in this picture. Mollie and I have both been working on losing a bit of weight, but I think the holidays were tough on us!

If you read my blog last winter, you may remember that I complained about the snow in Erie constantly! Seriously - like every other day. But, I gotta admit, I miss the snow! I am so wishing for a little snow. Not 12"...but enough to cover the grass. That would be a good thing!

High Maintenance Eating

So the other day at Whole Foods I bought the most beautiful pomegranate. And, of course, at Whole Foods they make everything sound so fabulous and easy, right? So I chopped it open tonight. Seriously? Have you ever eaten a pomegranate??? How in the world do you eat that sucker? I had to google it. I guess you get the seeds out and eat the seeds. This, by the way, is NOT an easy process. It was good. In fact, it was great, but I doubt I'll ever buy a pomegranate just to eat for shits and giggles ever again. Pomegranates for me will forever go into that category of foods that are good but just not worth the trouble. And it's too bad, because they are good.

Call Me Crazy, But.....

I swear I'm not a 15 year old girl....but I can't FREAKIN' WAIT for "New Moon" to come out! Can't. Wait. There, I said it. Mock me if you must. But before you do, check out how buff Jacob is now!

Look Who's In Trouble

"Don't look at Mommy. Don't look at Mommy. I'm not supposed to be on the furniture. If I look at her she'll see me. So I'll just sit really really still and maybe she'll think I'm a pillow. I can't believe she caught me. I know I'm a bad kitty, but this sofa is so freakin' comfortable. Damn. Here she comes with the squirt bottle...gotta go!"

Perfect Sunday Morning

My idea of the perfect Sunday morning? Leisurely strolling around Target with a pumpkin spice latte (skim milk, thankyouverymuch....I'm trying to cut back)! Target on a Sunday morning is just lovely. It's been a while since I've worked for Target, so I no longer have the "OH MY IT'S SUNDAY AND WE HAVE A HUGE AD TO SET" panic attack when I walk in. Some of my happiest memories from the time I lived in Erie (and, trust me, there aren't very many happy memories from Erie), are the Sunday mornings my friend Jenna and I used to spend at the Erie Target. But I am getting off track.... I usually go to the Target off of Fishinger Rd., but for some reason today I ended up at the Target on Hilliard-Rome. I'd never been to this Target before and it was FABULOUS! 2 team members actually asked me if I needed help finding anything. Gasp! Although they're supposed to be asking every guest, this rarely happens to me. And by rarely I mean never.



As you may recall, I'm embracing my love of plaid this fall. So, when I saw these gloves, I knew they were for me. They're delightful.



I really wanted this plaid hat, but my head's too big for hats. Seriously. I have a huge noggin.

My only complaint? Target was out of brown sugar. And my project for the day is to make an apple crisp, which is difficult to do without brown sugar. Overall, though, a very successful morning!

Crazy Daisies

I got these gorgeous flowers at Whole Foods yesterday. Aren't they awesome? Fall is my favorite time of year by far, and I love love love the oranges, reds and browns of the season. And, even though these are daisies, they reminded me of fall.



My friend, Shannon, is always taking beautiful pictures of flowers and plants from her garden. (If you haven't seen her blog, you can access it from the link on the left of my blog!) Anyways, as I was admiring my flowers yesterday, I thought that Shannon would whip out her camera and take pictures of these beauties! So that's exactly what I did!




Okay, I'm not the best photographer in the world. In fact, I'm really not good at it at all. Pretty much everyone takes better pictures than me. But I get points for trying, don't I????

Vintage Map

Vintage Map. That's the color of my dining room. Isn't it lovely? The parentals came over this morning to help me paint my dining room. Ok, well to be honest, my mom really did most of the work. My mom had already been over this week while I was out of town to paint the ceiling, which is a slightly lighter shade than the walls. Isn't she the best. mom. ever? I'm obsessed with this color....it's pretty similar to what I had in my dining room in Erie. I definitely need something for the walls, but I haven't found what I'm looking for. Thanks, mom and dad! You guys rock!

Weekend Update

Whew! It's been a while since my last post....and I was on such a roll! It's been a crazy couple of weeks! I've been traveling a lot for work, which meant a lot of time in the car and what seemed like a million different hotels. I'm soooo glad to be home! Last weekend, I went to North Carolina to see my BFF and her family. It was a short visit but I had so much fun! Lori and I participated in an Ovarian Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday at her old high school, and then Saturday night Lori, Paul and I went out to dinner. (Thank you, Gagi, for babysitting!) It was so nice to get away and spend time with them. It's amazing what all we can talk about when there aren't 4 children monopolizing your time! Jacob, their youngest, turned 1 on Sunday, so I got to be there for the party. It was good to see Lori's parents and some of Paul's family .... and they have some really nice friends and neighbors. Here's are some pics of the birthday boy. The hat is courtesy of Auntie Erin. He looked so cute in it! What a smiley baby he is! Doesn't that grin just melt your heart? Of course, what visit to North Carolina would be complete without me sharing some comments from the girls?? Emma, 6, and Lily, 5, certainly keep me on my toes!

Lily: "Auntie, I can help you with your makeup. I'm allowed to wear makeup. Except for mascara. Mommy definitely hates me wearing mascara."

Emma: "Auntie, what about that man?? Do you want to marry him??" (Note - this was exclaimed LOUDLY at Barnes & Noble. She even climbed up on a step stool before she shouted it. And the man Emma was referring to WAS indeed a hottie.....)

Lily: "Auntie, I think your new lipstick is fantastic!" (What can I say, the girl has style!)

Emma: "Will you please find someone to marry so we can be in your wedding?"

Geesh! Tough crowd! Thank goodness that Julia is still somewhat quiet! Thanks, Lori and Paul, for a great visit!

Queen of Plaid

I've always been a fan of plaid. Plaid and his cousin, argyle. The love affair started early. When I was in elementary school I had a paid of long, purple corduroy shorts that I wore with an argyle sweater vest. It was a rockin' look. At least I thought it was. I still look back on that outfit fondly....

My sister used to call me the Queen of Plaid. She gave me this title after visiting me when I lived in Raleigh. At that time, I had decorative touches of plaid. Only small doses, mind you. A plaid pillow here, a plaid shower curtain there. Certainly not enough to deserve a heapin' helpin' of mockery. For years, I stayed away from plaid...afraid of being tormented by my sister. But I always longed for plaid.

Well, no longer will I be ashamed to decorate with or wear plaid. The truth of the matter is, I love me some plaid. And does plaid ever really go out of style? People (ok - well Scots) have been wearing plaid for hundreds of years? And Burberry? Is it ever NOT classy?

So, this fall, I'm determined to embrace plaid as much as I like. I love it. Love. Love. Love it. And I don't care what my sister thinks. So there.

Party in the USA

I can't get this Miley Cyrus song out of my head. And these guys crack me up! You'll be singing this all night now.... You're welcome!

My Life Is Whole Again

So I finally figured out why I've been in a funk for the past three weeks... And it hit me like a ton of bricks last night when I realized that "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are back on....AFTER A THREE WEEK BREAK! Seriously? Three weeks is waaaaayyyyy too long for me to go without Jon and Stephen. Their shows are pretty much the only ones that I dvr and watch religiously. I think they are sooooo funny. And I have such a crush on Jon Stewart! Admittedly, I'm a sucker for funny guys. Look how precious he is here, acting all serious. Smart and funny, which makes him even cuter. Yep - pretty much my dream. So glad you're back, Jon. And you too, Stephen. I've missed you boys!

Whatever, Martha!

After much deliberation, I've decided to remove Martha's blog from my "Favorite Blogs" list on my blog. (For those of you not in-the-know, I am referring to Martha Stewart.) I love reading blogs...but Martha's just makes me feel inferior. Her blog entry Monday was titled "More lavender and an amazing lunch in the South of France". Seriously? Okay, Martha, we know you lead the glamorous life, but don't rub our noses in it. How can I compete with that?

I bet she doesn't even really write the blog herself anyways.

Like It's My Job

The other day I was talking to one of my peers, Mike, about our upcoming store manager meeting. It seems like our boss has been all about us doing some kind of team building.... fun fun. I think we're going to Dave and Buster's. Now that's okay, but hasn't it already been done to death? I got this grand idea that we should all go roller skating. Not roller blading...roller skating. Like back in the day. See, most of us are "of a certain age" where we remember how cool it was to go to the skating rink back in the 80s. I told Mike, "Yeah - I used to roller skate like it was my job". Seriously. I loved it that much. In Forrest Gump fashion, if I was goin' somewhere, I was roller skatin'. True, I did break my arm roller skating in 3rd grade, but that's another post for another day.

I was thinking this afternoon about other things I love to do or used to love to do so much that I could do them like they were my job. Here's my list:

1) Rollerskating - as explained above.
2) Reading. I love to read.
3) Taking bubble baths. And, as I posted last week, taking bubble baths can sometimes lead to tragic results.
4) Making mix tapes / cds / playlists. Seriously. I can make them for any occasion. I love love love it. My BFF asked me a while ago to make her a workout mix and I was all over it! My old high school friend and I are taking a road trip this weekend to see some friends we knew when we went to Miami and I am dead set on making the perfect mix tape that will bring us back to the fall of 1990. Mandy, if you're reading this, act surprised.
5) Eating cheese. I'm really, really good at this.
6) Making lists. I am a list freak. I wish the rest of my family would join in on the fun. Because making lists is fun, damn it.
7) Making deviled eggs. I'm not perfect at it yet, but I could probably do it all day. That's how excited I am about my new-ish deviled egg plate and about finding the perfect deviled egg recipe.
8) Playing Guitar Hero. Okay - so I'm not THAT good, but I do know how to rock. When I lived in Erie, I would close all the blinds before I busted out my guitar so that my neighbors couldn't see in. It's not that much of an issue now, because I have no neighbors (yet).

Hmmm....that's all I can come up with. Not a very impressive list, huh? Maybe I should stick with what I'm doing.

Yet Another Vacation

No, not for me.... for my dear parents. I have been recruited once again to dog sit while they go off for a little fun in the sun. They're going to Alabama and then Florida with their friends-that-they've-known-forever Ann and Bob. (Faithful readers may remember Ann. She is the one who drove across the country with mom this summer...) But back to my parents.... Hey, good for them. They're retired and they certainly deserve some R n R. But seriously....how many freakin' vacations do retired people need?? Isn't every day a vacation? This is the 5th time this year I've stayed at their house so that they can go away. They obviously can afford these vacations because they're not paying a crap load of moolah to have Lucy boarded.

So, in an attempt to remain the favorite daughter, I packed up Mollie and drove to the east side of town. Mo loves spending time at his Nana and Papa's house, anyways....so many birds to watch. And it is MUCH closer to work for me, so it will be nice to save on some drive time and some gas. Plus, I may get a good souvenir because Ann is a terrific shopper. And she may feel the need to convince Cheryl to bring me back something cool. (Ann, if you're reading....hint...hint...)

Bath-tastrophie!

Okay. Those of you who know me well know that I love me some bubble baths. Love them. And I especially love them in my new home, because my bathtub kicks ass. There's also a big window above the tub that allows for the sweetest little breeze. (Note - this window will come into play soon.) I also love the ritual of preparing the perfect bubble bath. Lighting my favorite candle (Tocca 007), selecting my favorite bubbles (currently loving Lollia), picking out a book, etc....

The other day was a particular grueling one at work. Primarily because I went in at 4am. And, seriously, that is ridiculous! I had worked 13 hours and literally every muscle ached by the time I reached home. A bubble bath was JUST what I needed. So I poured a big glass of wine and began my bath preparations. Once I was happily enveloped in bubbles....Mollie comes peaking into the bathroom. He looked at me...looked at the glass of wine and book perched on the ledge of the tub...and looked longingly at the window. Now, you all know how cats love windows. And Mo is truly no exception. I explained to Mollie that Mommy needed some alone time and now was not the time to jump into the window. Of course he paid no attention and hopped up anyways.

All was bliss for about 20 minutes. Then Mollie wanted to get down. I could tell he was thinking, "Oh shit, how do I get out of here now???" Just as I said, "Let Mommy help you down", he jumped for it. Jumped on the ledge of the tub, slipped into the tub, taking my still-pretty-full glass of wine with him. So now I have a pissed off cat in my bathtub along with a broken wine glass. Not a safe situation. I managed to get Mo out first, and he immediately retreated into a guest room to hide. Getting me out without getting my booty cut on glass was not so easy! What a bath-tastrophie! I tried to get a picture of Mollie all wet and angry, but he wouldn't let me get near him for a couple of hours. But - oh my - what a sight!

Don't worry, dear friends, I have learned a lesson from all of this. I know put my wine in a plastic cup! Cheeers!

Dear Weight Watchers

Dear Weight Watchers,

Does a grape popsicle count as a fruit? What about 4 of them? I hope so, because otherwise I'm out of points for the day.

Please advise,
Erin

Special Delivery

So I had a rough day today. Things are crazy at work....we're behind on some stuff... I ended up working until nearly 8pm to get the schedule finished...blah blah blah. I get home and I'm exhausted. But I go out to water my plants on the porch b/c my mom yells at me if she comes over and I have wilted plants. By the way, I don't know how she keeps everything looking so green and lush. I kill everything I put on my porch. But I digress.... So I'm tired and a little grouchy and all I want to do is take a bubble bath and go to bed. After plant watering I grab the mail. That's when I see a bright blue envelope poking out from all of the junk mail and bills.

Don't you just love real mail? It makes my day to get a letter or card from someone. I think letter writing is a lost art. But anyways, the envelope is from my BFF's oldest girl, Emma. I sent her a little care package last week.

I think it's great when parents make their kids send thank you notes. Isn't this the cutest thing ever? In case you can't read it all, the important parts are "You Rock" and "You are the best". I'm guessing that the brown haired girl on the left with the big boobs is me. Thank you, Emma, for making me skinny. Don't tell the other kids, but that has secured your position as favorite.

The First Step Is Admiting You Have A Problem

I have a problem. I can't seem to stop turning the corners of pages over in books to mark my place. I've been doing it for years. I do it to library books, I do it to books I borrow, and to books I own. I even did it to this vintage copy of one of my favorite books in the world. (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.) There is no end to my madness. And I hate doing that! I love books. Love. Love. Love them. Always have, always will. But bookmarks annoy me because the come flying out of the book all the time.

Well, I think I have a solution. My friend Shannon gave me these super cute corner markers. I think maybe they are for scrap booking, because they also came with some cute little matching stickers. But look how wonderful they are for holding one's place in a book! AND....they don't fall off when I'm reading. Thank you, Shannon. I think you've cured me of my horrible habit!

So Over It

Okay I need to vent. I am so tired of the construction going on in my neighborhood. To be specific, I am so over the framing of the house and the roofing of the house. After that, it's not so bad. However...I'm in the new section of the neighborhood, and there is no end in sight. These guys work from 6:30am until 10pm most nights!! Isn't that crazy??? And just when I think one house is finished, they start another one. If I am working late or off, there is NOOOOO sleeping in because of the racket. So. Over. It.

But, at least I have a house, right? There are definitely worse things in life!

O.W.A.A. - Part Deux

So... I tried to call my mother today on my way home from work and her cell phone went right to voice mail. WTF???? Why isn't she answering? I was hoping for some tales of her OWAA trip so I could make fun of her. Did my normally responsible mother let her battery die?? I can't believe she would forget to pack her cell phone charger for her cross-country jaunt..... She's normally so prepared. And I mean that. My mother is a great packer for trips. She's almost as good as my BFF, Lori, who is probably the best getting-ready-for-vacation person I know. My mom would be the best, but she doesn't make lists. And, quite frankly, to-do lists are what separates us from monkeys.

But I digress.... What could she possibly be doing that she can't pick up her cell phone to speak to her favorite child? Maybe she and her college chums are just busy sitting outside a cafe drinking margaritas and oogling construction workers. Or maybe she ran off with a guy she met last night at the Blue Lotus Tattoo shop. So, just in case she decided to leave Curtie and not return to Columbus, I stopped by her house on the way home and inventoried her jewelry. My dad won't want it and she has some good stuff. Plus I can easily beat my sister to it since she has to drive all the way from Cincy.

I'm just sayin....


8:00pm UPDATE - I just received a phone call from Cheryl. Allegedly, the Wild Women of Wisconsin were at the Frank Lloyd Wright house & they had to turn off all cell phones while they were on the tour. Sure...I believe you, mom. Wink wink.

She also wanted me to know that these ladies attended grades K-12 together...so they've known each other practically their whole lives. I told her that I would print a retraction.

O.W.A.A.

So during my evening commute today I receive a photo message from my mom. That in itself is pretty good considering that she has just recently learned the fine art of texting. She sends me a pic of a sign for a tattoo shop....The Blue Lotus Tattoo shop to be specific. It's official. Cheryl has lost her mind.

Some background information: My mom has this friend....we'll call her Ann. (Ok - that really IS her name. I'm just too tired tonight to think of a good fake name.) They were BFFs in High School and they lived together at Ohio State. (I think that's how the story goes.....) Anyways, they've gotten close again recently now that they are both retired and crazy. Ann lives in Alabama and it seems like they are ALWAYS together. Cheryl will deny this, but for people who live states and states apart, they are often in the same state at the same time. But I'm okay with that, because Ann has good taste and they do some good shopping when they are together. And I have it all worked out that - God forbid - if something happens to Cheryl & Curtie, Ann is going to adopt me.

So ANYWHO.... Ann drove up from Alabama, spent the better part of last week in Ohio, and left with mom yesterday to drive to Wisconsin to visit another old college girlfriend. Are you kidding me??? That's a LOT of driving if you ask me! But, alas, no one did, so off they went. I told my mom that I was going to call them OWAA - Older Women Across America. I called mom right after I received the tattoo shop text and she just did a lot of giggling. I suggested she get something bad ass tattooed on her - like a quilt with flames coming out the sides - but she said they already have it all figured out. I think she may have been drunk.

I just hope she makes it back from her cross country shenanigans safe and sound. I think I may have to have her committed. And I could...I have medical power of attorney. So don't push me, Cheryl.

Back In The Day

Back in the day, I loved me some Michael Jackson. This was back before, as my BFF posted on her blog, "he got all white and crazy". (Seriously - she is one of the funniest people in the world. You must read her blog.) I've spent the better part of today watching MTV. One of the MTV channels (remember when MTV only had 1 channel...) is playing MJ videos non-stop. It's gotten me feeling all nostalgic-like for those middle school days. I remember memorizing the words to the songs on the Thiller album like it was my job! We made up dance routines to "P.Y.T". Remember when the "Thriller" video came out? It was a big deal. Big with a capital B. We knew the times it was playing (8:00pm, 10:00pm, etc...) and waited with anticipation. When is the last time a video premiere was that big of a deal? I hadn't seen any MJ videos in a looooong time, and watching them made me realize how much he has influenced the world of music. Can you watch a Michael Jackson video without seeing Usher or (my future husband) Justin Timberlake? Or even NKOTB? There are many words that people have been using to describe Michael Jackson these past few days. Crazy. Misunderstood. Evil. Genius. Groudbreaking. I prefer to think of the Michael Jackson from back in the day. Back in the day (I guess it would have been 1982) when he was ultra-cool and had just released an album that truly kicked ass!

PS - Isn't "Man in the Mirror" an amazing song?

And Then There Were 6

So my bff, Lori, loaded up her 4 kids and came to visit me this week. Yep - that's right. 4 kids. Please note, all of them are under 6! And have I mentioned that they live in North Carolina? Is that woman a saint or what?? I was so excited to see them.... My house went from 1 (plus Mollie) to 6 for a few days and, let me tell you, it was utter chaos. But it was a good chaos because I was soooo happy that they were here! Lori's hubby was really busy at work this week, so unfortunately he couldn't join them, but we still had a wicked good time. We went to the Columbus Zoo, did a little shopping, and went to my parents' cottage for an afternoon. Admittedly our evenings weren't very exciting. For the most part they consisted of us drinking Mike's Hard Lemonade (Light, of course), playing our Nintendo DSs and watching last season's True Blood episodes. Ahhhh....adulthood. When did we get so lame? But honestly, I don't have to do much of anything to have fun w/ my bff. I was able to recover the house a little today, but I miss them! I'm sure Lori's glad to be home. I'm so thankful that they were able to come visit. The girls are sooooo funny! I don't know where they come up with some things. Here's a sample:

Emma: "Auntie, how many dates do you have to go on before you can kiss on the lips?"
Me: "Uhhhh. 100 at least."
Lily: "What do you do on a first date?"
Me: "You shake his hand and say 'Thank you for a very nice evening'."

You're welcome, Lori.

And then there was the moment at the zoo when Lily loudly announced that she had beer for breakfast. (She didn't, of course!) Maybe Auntie should do a better job of throwing away her beer caps.... And, for the record, I don't have beer for breakfast either.

My bff has been reading "Bright Lights, Big Ass" by Jen Lancaster recently. Since she has so heartily endorsed it on her blog, I thought I'd do some re-reading. I started it a while ago, but it my third Jen Lancaster book in a row and sometimes I get kinda tired of the same author....so I shelved it for a while. I had forgotten how. Freakin'. Funny. Jen Lancaster is! I just read the first 100 pages while lounging in a bubble bath. (Sorry for that mental picture, dear readers!) Soooo funny! She writes about all everyday things...like going to the "lady doctor" and shopping at Target. Her blog's really funny too. I have it bookmarked just over there to the right! If you haven't read her before, you need to immediately go to the library, bookstore, website, etc... and get one of her books. I've liked all of them, but I think "Bright Lights, Big Ass" is my favorite. "Bitter is the New Black" is my least fave. I just bought her new book, "Pretty in Plaid" a couple of weeks ago, but I loaned it to my sister. Because that's the kind of sister I am. She said, "Please, Einny, I promise I'll be finished by the time you come visit next weekend". Was she? No. But I'm still reading the other one...so she has a couple of days......

Sunday Afternoon Musings

When I saw the cover of this week's People, I had to get it. Bristol Palin and Jon & Kate news. Seriously, it is a good issue this week. There's an article about Ralph Macchio in it and .... brace yourself .... HE IS 47 FREAKIN' YEARS OLD! How can the Karate Kid be 47!?!? That's just impossible. I guess I never realized that he was 22 when he played Daniel. At any rate, you MUST read the article. There's a delicious picture that features his family sitting in a living room that is just wonderfully cheesy. It even has a statue.

And speaking of Jon & Kate, what is with them?? I was feelin' sorry for Jon, because clearly Kate is a bit of a bizatch. That was until those pictures of him bar hopping with another woman came out. And then I just lost all sympathy. As my bff says, "You made your choices, Jon. Now live with them!" At the end of the day, though, I do hope they work it out. I don't like to hear of anyone going through a divorce...but don't ya'll think they should hash it out in private?

Did you know that Wal-Mart has a surprisingly good selection of books? As a general rule, I hate Wal-Mart. I don't ever enjoy shopping there. Ever. But a dear friend of mine works there now and I think it's important to support your friends. So off to Wal-Mart I went. At any rate, I was surprised by their books. Almost (but not quite) as good as Target's. I did buy Elizabeth Edwards' book, "Resilience". She was on The Daily Show w/ John Stewart last week and I thought she was a pretty classy lady. And I think John Edwards is a major creep, so I'm supporting Elizabeth. I just started reading it, and it's actually pretty good!

Cute Kids in Front of a Boat

The title says it all! This was taken during our Baltimore trip. There are 2 things amazing about this picture:

1) That we managed to get all 4 children looking in the general direction of the camera.
2) That no one jumped into the water.

I know I'm going to get an email any second now from my bff wondering where her copies of these pics are! :-)

Ace of Cakes

So, I've always liked the show "Ace of Cakes"...but now I am totally obsessed with it! My bff and I went to Baltimore last month to visit an old friend, Jayna. (Note: By old I mean I've known her a long time, not that she's old. But, for the record, she is older than me!) Another friend of ours, Michelle, drove in from Philly and we had a nice girls' day out in downtown Baltimore. Our coolness factor was brought down a few notches by the fact that we were tooling around in a mini van with 4 children....but all the same, we had a great time.

It was a gorgeous day in Baltimore - we really got lucky. There was a huge beach ball right in the middle of everything. And by huge, I mean it was officially the "World's Largest Beach Ball" according to the Guinness Book of World's Records! And, let me tell ya, it was huge! So we were standing there waiting for our turn to get our picture taken beside the beach ball when we were stopped b/c they were filming "Ace of Cakes"! How cool is that?? Duff was sooo close to us and he is absolutely adorable in person. I think I caught him checkin' me out. (Haha - I wish!) The cameraman got a ton of crowd shots. And we were with 4 of the cutest children in the world...so I'm thinkin' that maybe we MIGHT be on TV!

So now I'm obsessed with watching every "Ace of Cakes" episode to see if we're on it! If you happen to catch an episode with the world's largest beach ball, take time to watch it!

Queen of the Gnomes, Part 2

Here's a cute picture of mama Hilton with her birthday gnome. I'm not sure what that stick is.....

There's No Place Like Gnome

"Your blog sucks". This is the feedback I received from my mother last night at dinner. As if I didn't get her drift, she went on... "I liked your blog so much better when you lived in Erie. You kept it current then". I politely reminded her that I was unemployed and then in training for part of the time that I was in Erie, so I had much more time on my hands. Plus, if I wasn't at work, it was probably snowing 12" or more, so I was trapped inside my house with no entertainment save my computer. But let me stop before I get too sidetracked.....

So, mom, this one's for you.

My mother is crazy. Crazy for gnomes that is. Seriously, she loves loves loves gnomes. Personally, I think they're a little frightening. She's made an entire gnome garden. Dead serious. The left side of the house (outside, of course) is filled with the little things. She has an OSU gnome, a Santa gnome....and the list goes on. I'm not quite sure when Cheryl discovered her love for gnomes, but it has to be relatively recently, because she "only" has about a dozen. On her b-day, she received yet another one from my father. (Thanks, Curt, for feeding her insanity.) We decided it would be funny to gather up her gnomes all around her and take a picture so we could mock her forever. So here she is...the Gnome Queen in all her glory.

Author's Note: For more fascinating information on gnomes, consult wikipedia. Also, just for kicks, go to etsy.com and type in gnomes. There is an incredible amount of gnome shiz you can buy. There are some strange people out there.....

The Bunny Cake

So, for years .... basically as long as I can remember, my grandma has made a bunny cake for Easter dinner. And this year proved to be no exception! There was a little bit of a debate this year, because my mom had already planned dessert and my grandma still insisted on bringing "the cake". Little did Cheryl know, I had already written a letter to g'ma requesting it. Please note: My mother is not a heartless bitch who enjoys disappointing 88 year olds. She just didn't want my grandma to go to the trouble. And to be honest, no one really eats much of it anymore. But, gosh darn it, the bunny cake reminds me of my childhood. And I still want that cake as long as Helen Hilton is still alive and can hold a mixer! So here it is....the bunny cake. Isn't it cute??

Excuses, Excuses

I can't believe I haven't made a blog post since March 25th! Yikes! I feel sooo out of touch with everything lately! Since my Disney vacation, I feel like life's been a total blur! To begin with my allergies have been horrible. And I do mean horrible. With a capital H. Work's also been pretty busy lately. (Which ultimately is a good thing, because I'm happy to be employed!) And then I went to North Carolina and Baltimore for a week. Finally, for the past 5 days, I've been dog sitting my parents' one-eyed dog, Lucy. Sweet dog, but man am I glad to get back to my own home!

Honestly, I'm a little tired of all the facebooking and blogging and twittering. Does anyone else think it can be overwhelming?? Some of my friends are SOOOO good at keeping current with their postings. I'd say I don't have the time, but....truth is....I'm just too lazy! When I get home from work, most days I just want to relax.

A couple weeks after I got back from Disney, I made a quick trip to Cleveland to see my friends Katie & Reggie. Their baby, Reilley, is pictured above! Isn't she just the sweetest thing? They are so good with her, and I was glad that I FINALLY got to see her! Katie & I took her to Beechwood Mall, and she was a complete angel the whole time. Which is a good thing, because her mommy loves her some shopping!

I'm bound and determined to post a slide show of some Disney pictures this afternoon. I just have to hunt down my bff so she can walk me through the process, because I am no so savvy when it comes to computery stuff!

Texting God

While at Disney, my BFF's middle girl, Lily, decided that she liked staying in my cabin. The bedroom had a bed and a bunk bed in it and she totally made herself at home on the bunkbed. Here she is in the main room of the cabin. It was so cute...she'd come over every night in her nightgown and crocs, clutching a purse or satchel or some sort filled with her "treasures". We'd stay up (probably much later than her mommy would have liked) and watch tv. One night American Idol had Kelly Clarkson on tv. Here's the conversation that occured:

Lily: Auntie, where does Kelly Clarkson live?

Me: Hmmm...I don't know, Lily.

Lily: Yes you do. You know everything, Auntie! (pause) Just ask God. He'll answer you.

(I start texting my friend Andy to have him go Google it...)

Lily: Are you texting God?

Me: Ummm...yeah.

(We watch TV in silence for a few minutes. Then Andy comes through for me.)

Lily: Is that God? What did He say?

Me: Kelly Clarkson lives on a ranch in Texas.

Lily: (with a happy little smile on her face) See, Auntie. I told you God would help us.

Doesn't that just make your heart melt????

More to Follow....

Okay - I'm back from Disney. It was a wonderful vacation.... I was so lucky to spend time with my bff and her family. Work's been nutso this week, but I'll have pics posted by the end of the weekend! I'll also try to think of something witty to write about by then as well!

Having a "Magical Evening"

I love it when you call the Disney reservation line and, at the end of your conversation, they tell you to have a magical evening. Love. It.

Dear Weight Watchers

I have a few questions about the program:

1) Last night, I ran downstairs to grab some Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies out of the freezer. The tile in the kitchen was really, really cold, so I moved pretty fast. Does that count towards activity points? (By the way, I put the GS cookies in the freezer so I wouldn't be as tempted to eat them. Bad move. Freezing them only makes them more delicious!)

2) I ate a Snickers bar for lunch today. But it was a limited edition Snickers and had coconut. Can I count that as a fruit? (Hey - I only ate 5/6 of the bar!)

Please get back to me. But not tonight because I'm off for a walk around the neighborhood to try to work off that Snickers bar....

What I Learned Today

1) Ice goes in first, then the water.
2) There is absolutely no reason why I would ever buy an Elmo Live. None. Not even if my BFF's super-cute-so-cute-I-just-can't-say-no-to-them-ever kids called me and asked for one. Not. Gonna. Doit. I hate Elmo.
3) I get really grouchy when I've used up all of my points for the day and I'm still hungry. Really grouchy. But damnit, I'm freakin' hungry. Not gonna cave, though. So I probably need to go to bed so I can stop thinking about food.....

Ahhh Choo!

So I've never been a multiple sneezer. Meaning, for the past 30 (or so!) years, I've only sneezed once. And then stopped. However, for the past 3 months, every time I sneeze I sneeze twice in a row! How in the world does that happen??? To all of a sudden, out of the blue, switch to a 2-sneezer? It baffles me.

That's what I've been wondering about today. That and "What in the world happened to Paula Abdul and Emilo Estevez?" They were such a cute couple!

Total Waste of Time

www.icanhasacheeseburger.com

Warning! Don't go to the above mentioned site unless you have at least 30 minutes to waste. You will end up thinking, "I can't believe I just spent 30 minutes looking at this crap"! But seriously, this one made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself.

Ladies Love Cool James

Yep. I'm one of those ladies. Is it weird that I love LL Cool J so much? After all these years, I just love him more and more. So much that I spent a good 30 minutes watching his videos on You Tube this morning.

My BFF's oldest daughter, Emma (who's 5), and I were watching American Idol in Florida last spring when David Archuleta came on. After his performance, Emma looked at me and said, "Auntie, I just get him". Seriously. She's 5. How stinkin' cute. Well, Emma, that's exactly how I feel about LL. I just get him.

Happy Valentine's Day!

From me to you. Happy freakin' Valentine's Day.

Flip Flop Heaven

Thanks to my BFF, I made sure to make a stop by the shoe department during my visit to Target this morning. They have reset part of shoes and the entire back wall was flip flop heaven! Now Lori loves her some flip flops, which would explain the excitement in her voice last night when she told me all about them. These little beauties were calling my name. Aren't they cute? My mother will give me some grief, I'm sure, because they are in "her" signature color. True, it's a little early for ff, but I couldn't resist! And, since I bought these, I put back the $49.99 purse that I was going to get. So really I saved $40. I was so pleased with my thriftiness that I marched right up to Starbucks and ordered a venti shaken tea. Yum.

Something Smells

Isn't it funny how a certain smell can make memories flood back? The smell of powdered sugar, for example, always reminds me of my Grandma Starner. Every time we spent the night at her house, she made us icing out of powdered sugar for our graham crackers. We thought that was soooo cool! And, ask any female my age, and they will tell you about a boy from HS that they think of when they smell Polo or Drakkar. At any rate, I was driving home from work the other night when I leaned my head in my mittens and the whiff of the suede reminded me of something..... Somehow, the gloves reminded me of Christmas, my first "grown-up" pair of gloves, and - of all things - a microscope. It took me a while to make the connection. I remembered the gloves right away because I thought they were so adult! When I got home that evening, I spent a while pouring over my scrapbooks for an old Christmas picture that would spark and memory when I found the picture above. Yep - that's me posing with my super cool Barbie camper. You will notice that this is the year that I also got a microscope! Oh how I loved that thing! And, check it out.....those are the fancy gloves!

Other observations: 1) Isn't it funny how kids always pose with their toys? 2) Why doesn't my hair look that good first thing in the morning now?

Holly Hobbie on Crack

As I was flipping through my scrapbooks looking for a picture, I stumbled across this. Check out the dress my sister's wearing! I can't even look at it without breaking out into hysterical laughter. So freakin' funny! I knew in an instant I just had to share it with the world.

This was taken on Christmas Eve....1981 I believe. We're checking out my newborn cousin, Wes. He came home from the hospital in time for Christmas and we were so excited.

I think I'm looking pretty stylish in my winter white cords, navy sweater and Lil' Drummer Boy pin. At least I hope those are winter white...because I know I wouldn't have picked white pants to wear on Christmas Eve....

Cutest. Kitty. Ever.

Okay. I know I am on the verge of turning into a crazy cat woman. HOWEVER, check out this picture of Mollie. How adorable is that little smile? He must be dreaming of chipmunks.....

Happy Birthday. My Kitchen Rocks.

Here are some pics of the new crib! For those of you who also follow my facebook page....I apologize for the double pictures! I love, love, love my kitchen! I have never had all new appliances before, so I feel very lucky to have them here! Plus I have a gas stove. Yahoo! Call me crazy, but I just think a gas stove cooks better. I also have a ton of cabinet space. I am somewhat limited on wall space, though, so I couldn't fit my baker's rack in the kitchen. (Okay - well....my mom's loaned-to-me backer's rack.) This posed a problem b/c this is where I have always kept my collection of cookbooks. And I do use my cookbooks on a pretty regular basis, so it doesn't make any sense to keep them anywhere BUT the kitchen. At any rate, I solved this dilemma by stashing them in a cabinet above a prep counter! Genius, huh?

I also want to give a shout out to my cousin, Sarah, who turned 18 today! Yahoo! I hope your day has been wonderful! We are blessed to have you in our lives.

Moving Update

Today is day 3 of the move. My sprits remain high even though the temperatures are abnormally low and I'm really, really tired. It's not easy for a type A personality to deal with clutter, but I think I've been pretty chill. My mom may disagree with me, though.... The downstairs is pretty much finished except for hanging some pictures. Today I tackle my bedroom and (hopefully) finish the loft and bonus room. Tonight will be the first night at my house! You won't see any posts from me until Wednesday, because the cable guy doesn't come until them. So don't worry that I'm trapped under a mound of cardboard ... at least until Wednesday!

My Sister Rocks!

So my sister ran in the Walt Disney World marathon on Sunday. Yes, that's right. 26.2 miles. I am sooo proud of her! I have a whole new respect for people who can run marathons! It was her first full marathon and she did a great job. Mom & Dad went to Florida to cheer her on in person and dad got some really great pics, thanks for the "sports mode" on his camera! What makes it even better is that she ran for my cousin, Sarah, who has leukemia. (Amanda was a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.) My sister is amazing. With a capital A. Seriously. I'm in awe of her!!

A funny side story.... When I talked to the fam after A finished her marathon, my mom complained because her hands were bruised from all the clapping and it was really hot in Florida. Ha ha. Seriously? That mother of mine is a hoot!

Superstar Barbie!!

So guess what I saw when I walked into work this afternoon? Yep! Superstar Barbie! The very same one that I blogged about yesterday! So weird! Apparently Mattel is re-releasing several "vintage" Barbies from the 70s. How am I old enough to have had toys that are now "vintage"??? Seriously. It just makes me sad. At any rate, she looks ALMOST the same as I remember her except for the pink boa. I thought the boa was feathery. Now it's made out of some kind of tulle material. It probably was and Mattel had to change it so it wouldn't be a choking hazard or something. But I don't like it. I think it makes Superstar Barbie look a little trashy.....

Public Service Announcement

People, when making a purchase....either for yourself or for a gift.....keep the following in mind:
1) Keep your receipt.
2) Give a gift receipt.
3) Keep your receipt.

If you don't do #1 or #2:
1) Accept the fact that you may not be able to return said item.
2) Look at this as a great opportunity to regift or donate.

I remember that I received 3 Superstar Barbies one year. Did my mom take any of them back? No! They were gifts. So I kept them. And, damnit, I was still a happy kid!

This message has been brought to you by the Grumpy Retailers Association. :-)

Resolutions Schmesolutions

Ah 2009. The new year stretches out in front of us so full of promise! Every year we make silly resolutions that we seldom keep. Except for my oh-so-disciplined mother, who pointed out to me this morning that she does indeed keep her resolutions. Well, mom, that's great. But I'm a little more flawed. So I've decided to make some resolutions that I will actually keep. Here goes:

1) Eat more cheese. I love cheese. When the fam was out to dinner a few nights ago, I overheard someone say, "I can't imagine a world without cheese!" I feel exactly. the same. way. One of the best parts of working in the grocery industry was that I got to attend 2 weeks of classes to become a "certified cheesemonger"! So much fun! I try to get a new cheese every time I go to the grocery store. So not only do I want to eat more cheese in 2009, I want to make sure I keep track of them all in my "Cheese Lover's Journal". (Yes, one exists, and I actually bought it!) By the way, if you need me to help you make up a cheese plate, I can do that!

2) Spend more time with my family and friends. I don't want to not do something because I have to work the next day. I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with friends who live far away.

3) Stop rolling my eyes at my mother. I've already broken that resolution, but from this moment on I vow to be better. Promise!

4) Take more bubble baths. I love bubble baths. Almost as much as I love cheese. I lived in my house in Erie for 13 months and didn't take a bubble bath once. Something about sitting in a 70 year old tub that so many other butts have sat in just gave me the willies. But I'm moving into a brand new house in 14 days! Brand new! The first booty to rest in that tub will be mine...and I plan to take advantage of it!

5) Read more books. I read every single day. Even if it's only for 10 minutes before I go to bed. I love love love books. Love bookstores. Love the library. In 2009 I want to go to the library more often. And maybe not buy quite soooo many books.

6) Not feel guilty of sleeping in. I swear I have one of the best beds in the world! Crisp cotton sheets, a fluffy down comforter, lots of pillows! There is nothing like a nap in the middle of the day. So decadent!

Of course, if I'm going to eat all that cheese, I probably DO need to balance it with some real resolutions, like eating lots of fruits & veggies and exercising more often. Someone told me that the Hilliard YMCA is pretty close to my new house, so I'll probably join. But I'm not going to go into specifics, because then it will be in print and I may be held to my comments! At any rate, I definitely want to be healthier in 2009. Now where did I put that cheese knife?.....

Happy New Year!