Talk To Me – The World Of Skinny Jeans and Jeggings

I know, I Know. I want to talk about Jeggings….what happened to our Jennifer?!

No, this is not like me to talk about anything fashion related.  I am the person who doesn’t wear anything too trendy, hates changes in fashion, and likes my regular jeans and sweatshirts and that is about it.  

However, I am curious.....What are your thoughts on jeggings and skinny jeans?!  Do you like them, do you think they are ridiculous, do you own a pair, what do you wear them with, are they for everyone?

(That is totally my ass on the left)

Why do I ask, well because I have to admit….I am looking at buying a pair of tighter jeans.  *Insert GASP*

Now, I am by no means a small girl, so I am not sure jeggings are good for me because of just how tight they are  but I have these AWESOME boots (below) that I want to wear over jeans but I can’t because all my jeans have wider bottoms/legs and therefore they look stupid stuffed into boots.  I was never interested in skinny jeans or jeggings before, infact I thought they were stupid…mainly because I am too big to wear them. Also just the name is silly, jeggings…really?!  Come on.  They just sound stupid.

HOWEVER.  Now that I have these boots that I cannot show off properly with my current wardrobe, I have started searching the world of skinny jeans.  Yes, I will eat all that shit I talked about skinny jeans/jeggings later.

But before I go down what could be another one of my many fashion mistakes, I thought I would get the opinion of others.  Others who are a bit more fashion forward and haven’t been living in their yoga pants and tank tops since January.  People who would give HONEST advice about this fashion trend.  Or maybe who have suggestions on how I can show off my new boots in a way that is better suited for me.

So please share your thoughts on skinny jeans/jeggings.  Do you like either?  Have a preference on one over the other? What tops do you wear with them so you can even out your proportions….aka so some of us hippy people don’t look like giant upside down pears?!!

Please share your thoughts.  

And until them, I will just continue wearing them around in my house with my maternity leggings. HOTT STUFF coming through!!

My boots....LOVE.

What exactly are jeggings you ask? See HERE. 

My Original Piece of Art – Slightly Better Than a Five Year Old But Not as Good As Van Gogh

Over a year ago I decided I wanted to paint something to hang in this big white space next to our dining room.  I decided I wanted it to be a swirling pattern that flowed between 6 different canvases.

This is what I ended up with!  

 (Ignore the clutter of stuff below the pictures...we are rearranging for the holidays!  

Who am I kidding, we are just trying to fit 10lbs of shit in a 1lb house, or something like that!!)

I actually finished these in November of last year, but Terry just hung them up Monday night…we got sidetracked in January :)

The picture quality is horrible as they are camera phone pictures, but you get the idea.  There are three continuous lines that flow between all 6 canvases and start and end in the bottom right canvas. 

And to totally toot my own horn (dirty girl, not in public) I must say that even though these pictures do not do my amazing artwork justice, it turned out REALLY good! 

The colors are bronze, black and wine which go with our dining room that is painted in a wine color and has bronze accents.  The canvases stick out about 1 ½ inches and I glued black ribbon around the outside of the canvas.

I was surprised how long these took me to do; it wasn’t as simple as just painting a line….no, no I am too fussy meticulous for that.  I had 4 pencil drawings to figure out the perfect patterns so the painting didn’t look too cluttered and had a smooth flow and I wanted each line to be a certain width and to have a certain look.  Each line has different textures, which you would have to see in person.  (Yes, you can come visit me!)

Overall I am really excited by how these turned out and that after a year they are FINALLY up!  I really can’t believe what a difference it makes in the house.

(Ok, I am done tooting myself.)

Texting with My Son

There are so many reasons why it is great having Terry stay home with Henry.  They get to form a special relationship, we don’t have to pay for child care, I can text Terry as many times during the day as I want, I am 100% certain Henry is in good hands with his daddy…and the list goes on and on!

And one of those other reasons is when Terry sends me picture text messages throughout the day.  Nearly every day I get a picture message of Henry and a little message.  I look forward to these a lot! (Yes spelling mistakes are suppose to be there.)

Like this one:

Henry: “I'm sorry I pooped all over my sleepy time clothes... but I loves you bunches, mommy:)”

Or this one:

Henry: “I mets a new friend at scool today.  Cans he stays fer super?”

Me: "Awww, what a nice friend!  Of course he can stay for dinner, I love pig :)  Oh mommy is just kidding, we wouldn't eat your friend"  (heehee)

Henry: "Your silly! Tanks mummy!"

But yesterday’s texts may be the best so far!

Henry had a Dr. Appt yesterday and he got 3 shots.  So I sent Terry a text telling him to just bring a small bottle of milk incase he needed it, but that I would boob Henry after his shots as it comforts him.

Terry sent me this picture and text:

Henry: “Oh that’s would be nice, mommy :)  Tank you mommy! …whats is a shots?”

Then I got this picture and text right after that one:

Henry: “Daddy just told me….I don’t thinks I need them.  Really I’m strongs likes the Hulks (whoever the Hulks is)"

Me: “Don’t cry baby.  Yes you are big and strong but these will make you indestructible! *smooches*"

Henry: “Whats “dindistrctables”? Okay, I trustest you mummy!”

Come on, that is good stuff right there!!  I don’t think a child care place would humor me and carry on a conversation like this :)

And yes, Terry and I send text messages back and forth “talking” for Henry ALL THE TIME.  We do the same thing with our cats too.  We are a special kind of crazy :)

Is It Bad If We Turn Our Son Into Us?!

Since getting married and even more since getting pregnant I often have wondered what our kids would be like.  Would they look more like me, more like Terry, like the both of us or like neither of us?  Would they be funny, smart, athletic, or clumsy (my guess is clumsy as T.’s nickname as a kid was bumper and mine was grace because I wasn’t graceful).  Would they be into music like Terry or art like me or something completely different?

I also have wondered how will T & I influence any children we have.  You want your children to grow up and have their own sense of self; however you can’t help but place your own interests/likes on them from even an early age. 

“Yes baby Henry, you will listen to the Metallica and Pink Floyd Rockabye Baby CD’s….why, because WE like them!  You will also watch Dr. Who and other Sci-Fi programs with us and will most likely watch the History channel and cartoons with your father.  And don’t think for a moment your dad is not going to teach the importance of silver and coin collecting at a very early age and drag BOTH of us to the antique mall for a Saturday afternoon.  And as I am a lover of craft projects, you will have to endure your fair amount of homemade craft projects with me and even homemade Halloween costumes.  Sorry child, but that is just how it is going to be. Oh and P.S. my child….your parents are weird, so you will need to get use to that too.”

There is this fine line we will have to learn over time about what is natural for them to take from us and what is being pushy.  Where do we stop and they start in helping them to achieve their OWN identity and not feel like they have to take on ours or even others that they are around. And what role as parents should we play in encouraging this personal development.  (Yes, these are things I have been thinking about lately when I am sitting on the couch watching the Real Housewives of Orange County.) 

I am sure we will deal with that when the time comes but for now, since Baby Hank does not have a sense of self and can’t make his own decisions by using his big boy words, we are just going to have to help him along a bit!

So what does that mean for our little guy, besides obviously having to sit through the things I mentioned above?  It means we are going to decorate his room with things we love in hopes it will rub off on him a bit!  

So the first edition to his room will also be his first stuffed animal…

….12" Godzilla!  Terry LOVES Godzilla and watches Godzilla movies all the time.  He wanted Henry’s first toy to be a Godzilla doll.  So I am ordering that today for the babes. 

I also had the idea of taking old 45 record albums (you know those things made out of vinyl that play music on that large turntable thingy) and in the center of each I would create a label with the letters of his name.  So he would have 5 records hanging above his bed that spell out Henry and then one on either side ones with his foot prints and hand prints.  It also means, he will have his very own record player in his room as we have like 5.  

There will also be some crocheted items and drawings that I want to create for him....but still not sure exactly what I want to do.

And finally, it means there is a very good chance he will have a dalek nightlight/clock in his bedroom.  In particular, this one.

Yes, his room is going to be a hodge-podge of things WE like.

I am sure there are going to be many many other things that T & I LOVE that we will try to force pass down to our son.  Some day we will have to back off and let him decided on his own what he likes and doesn’t (though T & I are SO flipp'n cool, why wouldn't he want to be like us)….but that will not be happening anytime soon, so until it does you can pretty much count on us surrounding our son with things WE like in hopes that Henry will be a mini-version of his daddy with a hint of his mommy.  And I am SO ok with that!

I Have A Gift: A (Not So) Short Story About My So-Called "Gift"

So I have this amazing gift, being that I can almost instantly recognize people’s voice when they do voice over work in cartoons or commercials.

Ok, maybe it is not a “gift” per say, but it is a really impressive!  Ok maybe it isn’t even that impressive, but I think it is cool.

It is like a game to me (and only me).  I will hear just a quick snippet of someone in a cartoon or commercial and I will have to be the first to say who that person is.  Of course I think I win every time since no one else thinks this is a “game” but rather me just being annoying.  Tomato…uh, Tomato or do I spell it Tomahto?!?

Anyway...

My skills would be even more impressive if I always knew the person’s name instead of saying “you know that girl who is really tiny and a blonde with a bit of an accent and was in that Christmas movie with that guy who use to date Jennifer Aniston?! Uh, you mean Reese Witherspoon? Yeah…that is her voice!”  It is kind of my curse with this gift, I am really good at voices but I suck ass at remember people’s names.

But either way, I managed to thoroughly impress Terry (which is really hard to do) a few weeks back when I recognized a voice that was from a computer video game my sister and I played back in the early 90’s! I know, I AM awesome!

So this is how it went down…. (Insert dramatization)

It was just a regular night at the H. household.  The cats were all curled up on their fleece blankets, there was a slight briskness in the air which meant I needed to wear multiple layers of non-matching clothes as well as my leg warmers while I perused the World Wide Web and while Terry was sitting in his comfy rocker (circa 1974) watching cartoons.  He was watching the classic cartoon known as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero from the 80’s.  I was tuning pretty much everything out when all of a sudden I heard it, a familiar voice from the past.  A voice that took me all the way back to 1993, sitting in the bedroom playing video games where I was just a goofy 13 year old and my 5 year old sister was better at video games than I was.

I flung around in my chair, tightly gripping the back of the folding chair and yelled in a voice that reeked of assertion… "I KNOW THAT VOICE.”  Terry, startled by the fact that I just yelled at him like we were at an Iron Maiden concert when he was only a mere 3 feet away from me paused the TV show, turned to me and said in a quiet, more refrained voice “would you mind repeating that but using your indoor voice.”  Anxiousness filled my body as I tried to control my excitement and more calmly and quietly say “I know that voice, the one that was just on whatever that cartoon is you are watching.”  Terry looked at me and said “first, THAT cartoon is G.I. Joe and he is a REAL American Hero; second who is this so-called person you recognize?”

And folks, that is where the curse sets in.  I don’t know his name.  Now granted this is from a long time ago, but chances are even if it was someone from today it would take me awhile to remember the name.  (I also suck at trivia as my brain is slow on the recall.)  So it begins, I try to explain to Terry who this guy is.  I am still excited from recognizing the voice and while I still grip the chair with one hand and the other flails around like there are bugs around me, I try to explain how I know his voice.

Me: “So there was this game Kristen & I played when we were younger, like in the early 90’s.  It was on the computer and you had this guy and you went around to different parts of a village and you could get magic spells and stuff and you had to save the princess!”

T: “No idea.  I didn’t play computer games in the early 90’s.  I was in college and doing cool stuff.”

Me: “Oh that is right, you are old. Either way you must have heard of it?  I think the game started with a K.  And this guy was the narrator.  And you fought people.”  This goes on for at least 3 more minutes of me attempting to explain the game.  I shall not bore you like I did Terry.

T: “Jenn, you are describing pretty much every game made around that time.  You need to be a little bit clearer.  How about you go to IMDB, look up G.I. Joe, and find the character Flint and see who did the voice.”

Me: “OK”

Now let it be said at this point Terry does not believe that I am correct in knowing this voice.  It was from so long ago that he really doubts my self-proclaimed gift is correct.  But even though I interrupted him in the middle of his cartoon and have been pestering him for about 10 minutes, curiosity gets the best of him when I tell him that I found the guy.  I click on the name Bill Ratner to see his IMDB page.  It is a good start for me as I see he is a professional voice over guy!  So Terry leans over my shoulder as I scroll down to see if I can find this alleged game starting with a K.

And there it was!!!  Everything clicked in my head and I knew it was the right game!  Bill Ratner was the voice of the narrator in King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow! So that must mean only one thing…..I WAS RIGHT! AHHHHHHHH!

“Terry!!  I was right!  I KNEW THE VOICE!  And it was from soooo long ago!  How cool is that, how cool am I?!”

Terry smiled, honestly impressed that I recognized the voice. (Or at least made me feel that he was impressed so he could get back to his program…..which I will still take!) “Yep, that is pretty cool.  Nice job!”

Of course I proceeded to talk about it for the next 30 minutes, which I am sure he thoroughly enjoyed.  And even though it was just 2 weeks ago I still talk about it: “remember that time I recognized that voice from that game I use to play as a kid?  Yeah, that was cool.”  Yeah, I still didn’t remember all the info.

So there it is.  No lessons learned or great morals to this story.  Just a story about a girl with a huge gift that she try's to share with the world….one cartoon voice at a time.

Our Version of Shopping

Oh hello there, sorry for my brief absence….I will now be catching up on posts and reading blogs!  As I mentioned, I had family in town for a nice long weekend and blogging was held to a minimum so I could spend time with the parental units!

So last year my mom, sister and I started a little mini-shopping weekend in early November to get all, or nearly all, of our shopping done for Christmas.  We have the weekend, as well as, Monday and Tuesday to do all of our shopping. It was such a hit last year, we continued it this year but made it with the entire family!  And for the record, I already have time off for next year as well.  It is fun to have a couple days off during the week to get our shopping done.

Now when I say we have a long weekend of shopping I think I may need to clarify exactly what I mean by this as it may be slightly different than what you may think of for a long weekend of shopping.   See, we don’t really shop for more than a few hours total during those 3-4 days but we do manage to get everything accomplished and buy for nearly everyone during those hours.  We are some of the most efficient shoppers around and do not just casually walk around the stores to peruse.  No!  We have a mission, we get it done, and we save a lot of money while doing so.

See while we enjoy shopping together, we only enjoy OUR version of shopping.  We do not enjoy crowds of people…nah we loathe them.  We want to shop and get out.  There is no just looking around for hours, if we cannot find something quickly then we move on to the next item and worry about that item another day.  This kind of shopping works for us and is actually very fun.  Actually, no other kind of shopping IS fun to us.  This is just how we roll.

So exactly how do we shop?  Well here are some of our rules for shopping.

1. Have a plan of attack.  This may be the most important rule.  We knew all the places before this trip that we wanted to shop and we knew what we wanted to get from all of those stores.  We also knew what stores would be busier on certain days and at certain times….and avoided them during those specified “bad” times. We divided up the shopping so we were only really shopping a couple hours each day and we were shopping in certain areas of town and not running all around.  Even our driving path is efficient, including very little or no backtracking.  We also mix the shopping up with doing other stuff that is fun like eating….we need our strength.  For instance: Sunday after a movie we hit The Andersons to do a little shopping and then had dinner. DONE.  Monday after slowly getting around and making sure to have coffee & breakfast we did some shopping locally in BG, then went to an early dinner near Fallen Timbers, and went to Barnes and Noble. DONE.  Tuesday we got up earlier (though not too early) and had our coffee then hit the Perrysburg area and shopped at Kohls, Best Buy, and Bed Bath & Beyond.  We grabbed lunch and were home by 3:00. DONE.  All 3 days we were not bothered by people, stores were not busy so we got through them quickly, and we got everything we wanted to get done efficiently and without getting annoyed.  See, if you have a plan of attack you do not get annoyed with shopping!

2. Online shop as much as possible.  This is HUGE in our house.  We love the online shopping, especially this time of year when there are so many sweet deals that usually include free shipping. Hello Amazon.  My mom and dad found some great online sales on items this year.  It is crazy what my mom has managed to save on items that K & I wanted from certain stores.  I am talking, like saving way more than was spent!  I mean, the stores were practically paying my parents to shop with them ;)  Suh-weeeet. And this past weekend they managed to save even more on Christmas gifts via online shopping.  Plus, online shopping allows us to sit at home in our sweats eating cookies and watching TV, thus avoiding going out in public or interacting with people all-together. The best way to shop if you ask me!

3. Coupons, Discounts, & Sales – OH MY!  It is rare that we buy something without some sort of discount….even just 10% off or free shipping.  Chances are if it is not on sale, we will wait till it is.  All the places we shopped, both in the stores or online, had huge sales. Saving money is cool!  At Kohl’s mom and I both managed to save 40% on our total orders. HOLLA!  It is so fun seeing that you saved XX amount and only had to spend XX.  Granted, I am sure they bump up prices anyway so they have more room to discount…but whatever.  I was going to buy the item no matter what, so it is nice to think I got a big deal on it!  So we make sure we know what the sales are and have all our coupons in hand.  And if you think to buy something last minute while you are out and there is no coupon, do like I did and take your parents phone and check sales on the internet to see where the best deal is!

4.  No dilly-dallying.  Now I am not saying we run into a store and don’t look around a bit, but we keep the browsing to a minimum.  We pretty much know what we want to get people for Christmas, so there is no need to just look at everything in the store.  We are not shopping for ourselves, we are getting stuff for others and we have a list and a budget and shop with that in mind.  And don't really shop if we don't know what people want.  We do skim items and see if anything catches our eyes but if not then we move on….and quickly.  We got through Kohl’s, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond in just under 2 hours and had a bunch of bags and bought everything we wanted. Quick shopping = Good shopping.

So that is how we shop.  It may not be for everyone, but it works for us! And it is not that we don’t enjoy shopping, it is we just don’t browse much as we already know what we want or like. Get in, get out, and save....that is our motto!

How do you shop?  Are you like us? Do you like to spend all day shopping?  Somewhere in the middle?  Do you have your Christmas shopping done?!?!  

I love to get my done early....preferably before Thanksgiving.

Talk To Me – Shave and a Hair Cut......

(Anyone who finished that title in song then  I love you and will give you a hug when I see you.)

So let us talk haircuts and shaving, shall we?!

So first I would like to know how often do you get a haircut?  Please include whether your hair is long or short, as this does make a difference in the length of time between cuts.

I will start…I have long hair and I get my hair cut twice a year.  

GASP!   WHAT?!  You are suppose to get a haircut every 6 WEEKS not every 6 MONTHS.  

Oops. My bad.

It is not like I plan that twice a year I will shamefully walk into the salon, horrible split ends and all, to get my hairs cut.  It just kinda happens that way.  I honestly do NOT think about getting my hair cut most of the year, oh yeah and I don’t want to spend $30-$40 each time either.  I wear my hair pulled back 95% of the time so I really do not THINK…hey, you may need to cut those hairs.  It isn’t until my hair has noticeably bad split ends, I have absolutely NO shape or style to my hair whatsoever, or there is a specific reason I want to get my hair cut that I actually think about getting it done. 

So Jenn, do you have specific times during the year for your two cuts? 

Good question and yes.  Like I said, though I do not plan it, I usually want to get my hair cut around my birthday in April (I am sure you already knew my birth date) and in the fall before the holidays. I want to look even better than I already do around those times (it is hard, but possible).  And the good thing is that it just so happens to work out because that would put my haircuts about 6 months apart! Perfect.

This past April when I got my hairs cut I tried to explain to my concerned hairdresser why I didn’t think it was that bad that I waited 6 months (sometimes longer) in-between haircuts.  I explained that I only wash my hair twice a week, I use a soy leave-in conditioner after I wash my hair, I hardly use additional products in my hair, and I hardly ever dry my hair with a hair dryer or put heat to it.  I felt she would understand and agree that I was doing the right thing.  Instead she adamantly disagreed with my logic.  Though I still find my logic to be very sound.

I know for healthier hair I should probably go more frequently to get a haircut, like 3 times a year, however I just don’t.  I think until I find a style that needs maintained or I have shorter hair, I will not even think about getting a haircut….unless of course someone can give me a good reason like your hair will all fall out if you don’t get it cut more often!  Until then, it is twice a year.

And as my title suggested, let’s have a quick conversation about shaving.

I HATE TO SHAVE.

There. Done.

Ok, not really…

I do not shave my legs every day and IF I shave them once a week, then it is a productive week. 

I love the feeling of smooth legs but strongly dislike that stubble feeling a day or two after shaving.  So my choice is either don’t shave very often to avoid stubble or shave every day for smooth.  And as I hate taking time EVERY SINGLE DAY to shave, I just don’t.  Plus, in the winter it is annoying because literally 10 seconds after getting out of the shower that stubble appears on my legs because of the cold…not worth it.

Twopretzels wrote a blog awhile back about how there is just SO much we do to maintain our appearance that it can be too much sometimes.  And I agree.  Not like I do too much already, but adding one more daily task just seems ridiculous. Something has to give, and sometimes that something is smooth legs.  And really, who am I trying to impress….definitely not Terry.

So am I just being lazy by not shaving my legs everyday? Yes, I sort of am. But I also feel it is just A LOT to do on a daily basis.

So in summation…I only get my hair cut twice a year and I don’t shave my legs. Dude, I am SUCH a CATCH! 

So how often do you get your hair cut and how often do you think you should you get your hair cut?  And how often do you shave and do you feel the need to shave every day? 

Please discuss.

I am ALL About the Give-A-Ways!!!

So we all know our great friend Wendy over at A Couple More Hours, right?! You are missing out BIG time if you don’t, I'm just say'n. Well she is a very talented and crafty person and she happens to be having a fun give-a-way over at her blog that I very much want to win!!


You can gain entry into the give-a-way by visiting her blog HERE.

Ooooooops, did I send you to the wrong site, my bad…..I would never  try to detour any of you from registering for this give-a-way to increase my chances of winning. That would just be evil and we all know I am anything but evil! Mwah ahahahaha.

Now, I think there are multiple ways to enter, but you don’t need to worry yourself with those details. All you need to do is stay away from go over to her blog (there is a link somewhere on my blog) and comment ONE time on her post. But just once, I don’t think she wants her comments section all filled up with your remarks….so please be mindful of that.

I really want to win and am sharing this with you all because I want 3 more entries she is a good friend who is crazy talented and I want people to see the cool stuff she makes before it ends up at my house.

So visit this crafty chica’s blog in 2 days or so! Oh, and if you want, feel free to leave your entry comment here on MY blog and I will make sure that W. gets them before 8pm on Friday. What, it is over Wednesday….oh that is my bad again.



Seriously though....GO TO HER WEBSITE!  She rocks.

Shameless Plug or Fun Invitation?! Tastefully Simple is in the House!!

Beer Bread and Mixes and Desserts....OH MY!!!

So my wonderful cousin who lives in my hometown has decided to become a Tastefully Simple consultant. Now as my cousin is gracious enough to drive 3 hours and I have been considering becoming a consultant up here, cannot turn down a party, and can definitely NOT turn down a party all about FOOD I am going to be hosting a party of my own on Saturday, September 25 at 2:00p.m.!


I am sending out an open invitation (so you can get an invitation) to anyone who would like to come over to my house for a few delightful Tastefully Simple treats or would like to order something in anticipation of the Fall and Winter months!

Just so you know, the new Fall-Winter Catalog will be out very soon and since I saw a sneak peek I can say it is jammed packed with all of your old favorites as well as SOOOO many tasty treats specifically for the colder months! Plus there are over 25 NEW products available! Not to be bias, but the Fall catalog is my favorite…as it is hard to go wrong with Oh My! Chia, Pumpkin Patch Bread Mix, and Creamy Potato Soup! *drool*

So if you are looking for some delicious and easy items to help you through the holidays, gift ideas for friends/family, or just want to try some delectable food please let me know!

Please feel free to comment on the blog and leave your email or email me at jennperko@hotmail.com if you are interested in receiving an invitation to the party so you can hang out with me and eat some fun food or if you would like a link so you can purchase stuff online!! I have a list already started, but just so I do not forget anyone please let me know by Sunday as I will be sending out invitations then!!

"Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -- it's delicious!"

(Anyone guess what famous TV show that quote is from? Mickey D. I know will get it!)


So I went to the movie theater a couple weekends ago and I was flabbergasted…yes flabbergasted to see there were NO Junior Mints being sold at the concession stand. (Pause for audible gasp from readers) Now I prefer salty foods over sweet foods, but do enjoy the occasional sweet treat…..especially at the movie theater. So when I go to a big chain theater where I pay $8 to get in during the day and see a piss poor selection of candy I feel it is my responsibility, nah, duty to my fellow Americans to point out this travesty.

In my opinion there are 5 candies that I feel are true movie theater candies and should be available at every theater AT ALL TIMES…no questions asked and Junior Mints are most definitely one of those candies. Now I do not necessarily like all these candies, but if I had* to pick just five, then in my mind these are the candies. (*Who said I had to pick just five? Me. I like lists. Preferably Top 5 lists. See High Fidelity….you will understand.)

The Top 5 Candies That Should Be Required BY LAW To Be At EVERY Movie Theater In The World.

1. Junior Mints
2. Sno-Caps
3. Reese’s Pieces
4. Gummi Worms or Bears
5. Sour Patch Kids

Now as we live in a country where it seems even our options have options I feel it should be good to also have on hand all or any of the following: Twizzlers, Sweet-Tarts, Skittles, Sweedish Fish, M&M’s, & Whoppers as they too are wonderful movie theater candy. There can be a sub-law for these candies.

The theater I went to had a few of these candies, but not all. No instead my options were some Wonka Bars…which are very delicious but NOT a movie theater candy; Cookie Dough bites…WTF are those?!; Some fancy chocolates which I will not even acknowledge as movie theater candy; and a few other jank-ass candies I have never seen before because I most likely choose to overlook them on the basis that they suck. I mean REALLY, these are the candies you are going with? I was very underwhelmed.

If I am going to pay $4 a bag for $1.50 worth of candy I don’t want any of this new age candy crap, I want the classics. Now true, I could sneak my candy in like many people but I have to say that in the off chance I do want candy there is just something childlike and nostalgic about peering into the glass windows where the candy is so beautifully displayed that makes me want to get my candy there instead of just pulling half melted candy out of my purse. However, peering into a glass cabinet seeing nothing more than some random product placement candy put there by the higher ups within this theater’s corporate juggernaut marketing department who know not a thing about what great candy is because they are too busy sipping on their wheatgrass and kissing each others arses does nothing more than make me annoyed and unwilling to compromise on my candy morals (not to be confused with candy morsels).

Overall I was very disappointed that Junior Mints were not even an option (also not an option Reese’s Pieces, Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers, Sweedish Fish, & Whoppers), especially at a place that serves multiple flavors of ice cream, iced coffee, pizza, chili cheese fries, and a variety of other junk foods that while good are not conducive to the movie watching experience. I mean seriously – popcorn, candy and pop should be more than enough! I think that their priorities are just not right.

Sigh

So what are your favorite movie theater candies?

Gettin Crafty With It

So awhile back I decided I wanted to try some new craft projects. I have a bit of craft ADD and love to try new projects, even if I am not done with the 16 other projects I have started.


One of my friends had mentioned she wanted a board to put on her desk to display a few pictures but didn’t want to pay the $20+ it cost for some of the pre-made boards she found. I told her that I could make her one, even though I had never done one before. I did not have any instructions and just went based on what I had seen in the stores. I soon realized these were super easy to make, took very little time, and even better cost less than $13 to make (even less if you had many of the supplies already or made multiple ones).

This is what I made! I love it and have since made about 7 others as gifts for friends and family.

So I thought I would share how you can make them too. (or maybe I will start selling them....hehe!)

What you need:

- 11x17 Cork board (no trim) $4.99 at Hobby Lobby. (You can go bigger if you want)

- ¼ - ½ a yard of your favorite fabric. I paid $1.45 at Hobby Lobby

- A regular roll of matching ribbon about a 1/2” or so wide depending on your preference. $0.99 at Hobby Lobby

- A large staple gun and staples. Already had. (If you do not have a staple gun you can try a hot glue gun)

- 1 can of spray adhesive. We had this but it is $2.99 at H.L. (Note: You don’t have to use this, but I like it because it gives a little extra support and helps keep the fabric from wrinkling or bunching up. Plus the spray will last awhile if you do more of these.)

- 1 box of Extra large thumb tacks. I paid $1.99 for 65. But you only need 5 per project so if you do multiple ones these will last you for a long time.

- 1 pair of scissors.

Start up cost for the first one: $12.41. Each additional board: $7.43 ...seriously what a deal!  These are about $20-$30 in the stores.



How to:


Start with your cork board. Measure & cut out the amount of fabric you need, leaving a couple inches extra on each side to fold over.

Go outside and lightly spray the top of the cork board and the back of your fabric and stick together, smoothing and pressing down for a minute or so. (make sure you have something to cover your face or stay away from the adhesive fumes, I didn’t do that the first time…oops!  And keep away from pets - see picture below! Belle always wants to help.)

Pull tightly and cover the fabric on the board, making sure to smooth out any bunched up material on the front. Fold over the extra material on the back and spray a little adhesive to make sure it sticks.

Using your staple gun, make sure the material is securely stapled all the way around on the back. I may have went a little crazy with the stapling, but I wanted to make sure it was secure!

Your board should now look like this and be secure.

Now take the ribbon (Don’t cut the ribbon until you measure first) and starting at the top left go to the bottom right. Staple the ribbon on the back. Now take another piece of ribbon and go from the top right to the bottom left and staple on the back. You should have a giant X.

                                   

Take some ribbon and start in the center left and go to the center top (follow green X's and trace the blue lines). Staple. Then center top to center right. Staple. Center right to center bottom. Staple. And finally center bottom to center left. And staple. It should look like the picture. (Basically a giant X with a Giant diamond on the inside.....sorry if it doesn't make since, but do you like my amazing paint shop work!)

                                    

Close up of the ribbon.

Take your extra large tacks and place in the center of where the ribbon meets on the board.

Like this.

And you are done. BEAUTIFUL!

These are a couple others I made.

So there you go!  Hang on a wall or put on your desk with a few of your favorite pictures. Ok, so have fun if you want to make these!  Or, if you want me to make you one I would love too!!!

WHAT?!?!

All the Adam Lambert tickets are sold out for his appearance June 8th in Toledo?! They just went on sale Saturday, how can this be?!?! I really needed to get my fill of pop/rock glam music, fake leather, fingerless gloves, sequins, platform boots, gel & aquanet, fishnets, and blue eye shadow.


Sigh

I am truly sad now.



(YES this is no joke, I really wanted to go to this concert…..I am cool like that.)

It is Concert Season Again!!

If you know me, it is absolutely no surprise that I LOVES me some concerts!! If there is a band performing in the area that we love then we are there!



So last weekend Kristen and I and some of her friends went and saw MUSE in concert at the Palace in Detroit. Can I just say their show was flipp’n AWESOME! Seriously, one of the best concerts I have ever gone to! I have heard their shows are pretty great as they use a lot of lights, lasers, and giant screens but being there and seeing them and hearing them in person was just amazing. They had an awesome light show, had three moving elevator platforms for each of them to be on during different parts of the performance, they had giant video screens on and above those platforms that constantly played something that visually fit with the songs, and they had giant balloon eyeballs that popped and sprinkled confetti on parts of the audience! (really does it get better than giant confetti filled balloon eyeballs?! No.) Muse was amazing and they sounded even BETTER then they sound on their CD…which is always a fear sometimes when you see people in concert, that they sound horrible live.  But that was not even close to the case with these lovely gentleman. They managed to give a true rock concert performance and I seriously was in awe.

CLICK HERE for video footage from this tour. It is suh-WEET.

We actually had perfect seats too, second level but first row. (Good job with that K.) We had a perfect view of the stage and the light show and we had no one in front of us which was great because I could just sit there and chill and take it all in. (Yes I said sit, I might be a bit prudish at times.) Muse sounded perfect and really knows how to put on a visually entertaining show. This is a MUST SEE show. They managed to greatly exceed any and every expectation I had. THAT is why I love music the way I do and LOVE going to concerts, I truly enjoy seeing these artists perform and express themselves in the biggest way they can… LOVE IT!



AND, if seeing this concert wasn’t excitement enough for the year the day before we found out that Iron Maiden…that’s right F'N IRON MAIDEN, is touring again and will be around in July! If you remember, their concert was the BEST concert I have ever seen. You can bet your ass that I will be trying to get tickets....which go on sale this weekend!!


Anyone else seeing any concerts this year?!
(I may want to tagalong!!)

Iron Maiden….July 15 at Blossom!!!!

I Believe.....

I have written a few (teehee, just a few…..riiiiiight) things, some more serious than others, that I believe in. FYI, it may be long but it reads quick :)



I believe if you make a product like tissue or toilet paper and it has “Soft” or “Fluffy” in the name or description it should in fact BE soft or fluffy.

I believe springing ahead and losing an hour of sleep is just mean but worth it for that extra bit of day light in the evenings.

I believe that Taco Bell will always be the perfect food after a night of drinking.

I believe that gay couples should be allowed to get married and should have every right as a heterosexual couple has under law. If a gay couple gets married it has NO EFFECT on me or anyone else, but not allowing them to get married makes a huge difference to them. If a church chooses to not marry a couple (any couple for that matter) that is one thing, but the Government should NOT be allowed to choose whether couples of legal age can marry.

I believe women should have the right to choose. But I also believe life is a very valuable and precious gift.

I believe that food brings people together and that it is very important to cook together and eat dinner together as a family.

I believe the seasons should be Fall, Fall, Spring, Fall.

I believe that the bullshit between the political parties needs to calm down. I am TIRED of people not passing or even making an effort to pass items in Congress just because they are trying to move their party’s agendas forward. It is about the people…NOT you.

I believe that a day should not go by without laughter.

I believe that a child’s laugh is the best sound in the world.

I believe that if you so choose you should have days where you eat whatever you want, stay in bed as long as you want, and/or do absolutely nothing around the house that is considered a chore.....and not feel one ounce of guilt about doing so. We all deserve a break.

I believe every stereotype has an ounce of truth.

I believe some people’s fear of God & religion molds their opinions and not in a positive way. I don’t fear God, but rather I fear people who fear God (knowingly or unknowingly) and make judgments/opinions on others based on those fears.

I believe that crying for no reason can be a form of therapy and is ok but if you are always crying you should look for help.

I believe it is ok to ask for help when you need it and to also not be afraid to take help when offered.

I believe that having Faith, praying, and being a respectful person who wants to help others is far more important than just going to Church every week solely because you feel you should.

I believe that the song "Fireflies" by Owl City should be banned from all radio stations…that includes my Yahoo Radio Station that plays it at least 5 times a day. I want to punch myself in the face repeatedly when I hear it.

I believe violence isn’t the answer.

I believe Dr. Seuss is the best author of all time. His books really speak to me….and in a rather lovely rhythmic style.

I believe I made the right choice by voting for President Obama and that he has given me no reason to think I made a wrong decision.

I believe that the Girl Scout Carmel deLites or “Samoas” came from heaven and are truly a gift from God and that is why they can only be sold once a year. Too much of a good thing is bad. (I think that is a commandment or something.)

I believe most of the people in the media are full of crap and do nothing more than release misleading or in some cases straight up wrong information to create fear to get people to watch their news. It is about ratings not reporting.

I believe in National Public Radio.

I believe cats are a wonderful pet and get a bad rap…good thing I have cute kitties and no one thinks that of mine.

I believe there are a lot of things we should NOT be entitled to and that our Government should not provide….Health Care should not be included on that list. I believe some form of universal, government funded health care should be available to those who need it/want it and it is very necessary in our country.

I believe one day, when the time is right, we will have a child.

I believe that Terry going to Cincinnati for a year is going to be incredibly difficult but I believe he is making the right decision and it will be worth it.

I believe that even though we are actually very different, Terry is the perfect match for me and I feel lucky that we found each other.

I believe it is important to listen to others, though you don’t always have to agree with them.

I believe blogging has allowed me to open up more and not be such an introvert.

I believe I love not just blogging but the people I have met through it.

I believe Sunkist is the best carbonated beverage ever.

I believe the newest version of “We Are The World” is stupid.

I believe kindness should be one of the simplest gestures to show towards others but seems to be the hardest gesture for people to demonstrate.

I believe everyone should respect other people’s beliefs, even if they are not your own.

I believe I have typed the word BELIEVE far too many times in one blog post and should stop.

What do YOU believe......