Mommed

One sunny Spring afternoon in January (yesterday to be exact) I was sitting at my internship desk sorting files, resizing images and organizing a pretty stinkin' gorgeous layout (if I do say so myself) when suddenly my phone started to buzz. The caller I.D. read: "Mama Mia". I smiled, flipped it open and answered quietly,

Me: "Hi, Mom."

Mom: "Hi, Lou. Uh...you know those earphone things you used to have?"

Me: "My earbuds? Yeah, I still have them."

Mom: "No...you used to have them."

Me: (pause)

Mom: "I accidentally ran over them with the vacuum and they're in pieces..."

Me: (pause)..."Hahahaha"

Hahaha. Still laughing.

I love my mom!

Sorry, Apple.

Dislike & Love - Part VII

Today I Dislike:

scrambled eggs that smell like fish,

stress-induced breakouts,

the rumbly in my tumbly

(Winnie the Pooh reference? Anyone?),

my pre-backbrace-&-violin-lessons-posture that's creeping back,

waking up at 5:30am,

being treated like "one of the guys",

the Linux operating system

(that's nerd-speak for "really lame computers"),

my daily (YEP! EVERY DAY!) headaches,

hitting the funny bone in my LEG (didn't know my leg had one of the those),

ex-people that insist upon rubbing their relationships in my face

(Because, frankly my dear I don’t give a darn),

. . .

Today I Love:

the fact that my bangs are almost long enough to tuck behind my ear

(WHOOP! WHOOP! The hair! It grows!),

young men that are understanding,

my spinner CTR ring - most entertaining piece of jewelry I've ever had

(it also doubles as a flirtation device - what my friends and I call "F.D.'s"),

the thought of getting off my shift in 7 minutes!,

that The Biggest Loser is on tonight,

living with the best parents on the planet

I get the feeling I'm going to miss seeing them 24/7...someday,

my BFF Travis,

the kind and talented folks at The Design Farm,

my leather aviator jacket,

that I got two of my sisters-in-law to read "Fifteen" by Beverly Cleary

potentially the cutest, most innocent love story on the planet,

Kid History on YouTube,

all y'all for stopping by and being my friends!

Ah. My Love List is longer than my Dislike List...just as it should be!

Guys, Good, & Going Green Garbage

*Apologies to my Facebook friends. Some of these random thoughts have been Facebooked about previously.

The good and bad of finding that your phone somehow made its way into the lining of the sofa while you were napping. Bad: You'll probably end up calling it at least 5 times before you find its general vicinity. Good: You get a complimentary massage for your patience if it's on vibrate.

- - -

Turns out boys don't appreciate you talking to them in any way, shape or form unless you're interested in them. This could get tricky.

- - -

I love people. People make life awesome. What would life be like without people? Probably something like the movie "I Am Legend" but I wouldn't know cause I still haven't seen it...and I'm happy to keep it that way.

- - -

If you have one of those macs with a really shiny screen and your wallpaper is black it tends to make a GREAT mirror if you by chance ran right out the door 5 minutes after waking up and didn't have time to fix your hair at the stoplights. That, in a nutshell, may or may not be the way this week is going for me.

- - -

If you want to increase your productivity and level of happiness every single day, the only sure way I have found is to diligently study THIS BOOK before jumping in to anything else. It sounds crazy, but if I do this before I even touch my homework, I'm much happier and seem to accomplish more than I'd otherwise be able to. Blessings, friends, that's what those are called.

- - -

Freshly dipped chocolate-covered cinnamon bears should be a regular part of everyone's diet. Mm-mm-mm!

I understand the whole "going green" environmental protection thing...but can we recycle everything BUT the things we put in our mouths? Cause frankly, I'm sick of eating with recyclable utensils on those days when I forget to bring my own plasticware for lunch. It's like they have the golden touch...accept that everything they touch tastes like garbage.

- - -

This morning when I woke up I had the word "unconscionable" stuck in my head. It would seem that I am sequentially accumulating intellective elements in my cerebrum whilst drifting in my nocturnal reverie. Yes. Quite.

- - -

Yesterday I had my first Intermediate Pilates class. It should almost count as an Anatomy credit, too, because I'm pretty sure I never knew how many muscles I had in my legs until now. Ouchy.

- - -

I think all mornings should start somewhere between 7:30 and 9:30am. I swear I sleep at night, but the way I feel at 5:30am doesn't reflect a single second of that. Lame.

- - -

You know you spend way too much time on your laptop when you lift the lid of the toilet to clean it and expect to hear the start up sound of your computer.

- - -

I think a vacation from my regularly scheduled life would be fabulous right about now. Bahamas anyone? And perhaps a detour through Europe?

- - -

I've been thinking about inventing a new interactive dancing/belting game for the Kinect that allows you to partay it up while dealing with break-ups and weight loss all in one! I think I'll call it "You, Me and Beyonce!" I have high hopes.

- - -

I think I crave carbalicious breakfast foods more than anyone I know... Like right now for instance. Anyone got a pancake they're not using? ;)

...I think it's safe to say that having an empty stomach greatly influences the content of my "random" thoughts.

Have a good day, everybody!

The Art of Failing

Today in my Design Process class (first day of last semester, whoop whoop!) my teacher was talking about one of his heroes, Pablo Picasso, and his childlike ability to experiment and do things outside of the "norm."

That really got me thinking and I think I've come up with an appropriate definition of "grown-up"

grown-up [grohn-uhp] noun

One who shuns failure.

Ok... So what?

Consider a child playing with building blocks. They build and build, concentrating on getting the right sizes and colors for their creation, then what do they do once their tower is complete? They knock it down and watch the blocks crash and tumble. Why? So they can build a new one.

Do you see what I'm getting at? Children have mastered, what I like to call, The Art of Failing. They don't see a broken tower as a set-back, but an opportunity to build something new, something better.

For what it's worth, I've failed PLENTY of times in my life and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't reluctant to gather up the scattered blocks and start all over again. But I'd also be lying if I didn't mention the depth of appreciation I've realized while building each new tower. I'm no master architect or what have you, but I believe each broken tower has gotten me to where I am today. And you know what? I'm SO excited about the blocks that I have in my hands and the thought of placing them where they're meant to be makes me giddy. Giddy I tell you!

So, keep failing, folks.

And keep building beautiful things :)

Heartstrings of the Week: Sing Me To Heaven

My grandpa sent this to my mom today and I watched it over her shoulder and cried at how beautiful and powerful her voice is. This is Rhema Marvanne, she's a 7 year-old gospel singer. Her mom was a gospel singer as well, but passed away 2 years ago from a bout with cancer. I think that thought made this video particularly touching. What a sweet gift from God! I bought this song on iTunes, because cello it's amazing, but watching her perform it makes it 10 times more enjoyable...just as is the case with everything else musical. Enjoy!

Wow!

That's All

Alright, I'm going to bed after this one. I'm feeling very "night owl" tonight for some reason...Lucky you! ;) jk

1. Put your iPod or any music player on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Copy and paste, then send this to all the friends you think might enjoy it!

What is your motto? Lonestar

Aw…dang it.

What do your friends think of you? More Than Words

How sweet!

What do you think about very often? Stormy Weather

Haha, true. I can’t help but love it.

What does math mean to you? The First To Let Go

That says it all!

What do you think of the person you like? Return To London

Hm, I usually like Brits.

What do your parents think of you? New Words

The ULTIMATE parent song. How fitting.

What will you dance to at your wedding? We Kiss In A Shadow

Tee hee!

What will they play at your funeral? For Good

Aw. I wouldn’t mind that.

What is your hobby/interest? Who Will Love Me As I Am?

Yes, unfortunately that thought does interest me quite a bit.

What is your biggest secret? Solitaire

Not the biggest, but it is an obsession.

What do you think of your friends? What I’ve Been Looking For

True dat.

What is one thing you regret? Beautiful Disaster

…deep.

How will you die? The Bare Necessities

All I can think of is that Animal Planet show “I Shouldn’t Be Alive”

What's your biggest secret? The Broken Road

…deep again.

What makes you laugh? Sorcery and Sudden Vengeance

Haha, this one is my favorite! It’s from the Prince Caspian soundtrack, fyi

What makes you cry? West Side Story End Credits

And how!

Will you ever get married? I Weep You No More Sad Fountains

L That makes me nervous.

What scares you the most? A Kiss To Build A Dream On

No comment.

Does anyone like you? What A Wonderful World

Smiles

If you could go back in time, what would you change? Listen

I would listen more? Yep.

What hurts right now? Dreams

Must we rub it in?

What will you put as the title? That’s All

Fitting.

My niece just did this on her blog and I laughed pretty hard. She had a hilarious list. My favorites on her list were:

What does math mean to you? Late

What do you think of the person you like? Regrets

What will they play at your funeral? She Will Be Loved

What do you think of your friends? Mean

How will you die? Burnin' up

What makes you laugh? Pants on the Ground

Will you ever get married? Waiting All My Life

Does anyone like you? Still Fighting It

If you could go back in time what would you change? Fired

What hurts right now? The Hardest Part

Haha! Good times!

Good weekend to ye all!

Show Me Some Love

I'm goin' weekending now,

Which basically means I'm going to get stuff done that doesn't involve the computer...

I hope, I hope. No offense, but my eyes need a breather. And my brain.

...and my readers, no?

But no break for you. Not yet anyway. Know why? Cause you guys should comment! Now I know that it's not humanly possible for anyone to be on the computer as much as or more than me...because unfortunately my job, my schooling, my calling and the like are computer-based-ish. Mwer mwer. But would it hurt to at least say, "Hi, girl! I was here! My name's such-and-such!" I'll return the favor, mmmk? Deal?

Oooh, question!

Have y'all noticed my new little comment button in the sidebar -->

Now WHY oh WHY would I put that there? Hmmm....

I love y'all, you know I do, but what's the point of having a public blog if my public (psst, that's my bold way of saying "you guys") are privately reading? I mostly just love to hear what you have to say, mmk? Share the love.

Thanks to all those who do already! I'm basking in the love of it!

Have the BEST weekend of your ENTIRE lives, mmk?

Love y'all.

xoxoxo

P.S. Will I have some NEWS for YOU tomorrow!!! That is not a question. Stay tuned.

Bad Day?

I'm no doctor...but I suggest a healthy dose of laughter:

Truly this could go on forever.

If these don't make you baby hungry,

I don't know what will. Haha!

You feeling better now?

Me too!

Mr. Shia LaBeouf

Pronunciation: SHY-uh luh-BUHF

I have a confession to make. I've had a crush on Shia LaBeouf since I was like 11. It all started with the best show that has ever aired on the Disney Channel:

EVEN STEVENS

This is one of many episodes I found in my searchings on YouTube last night. Other favorites include: Influenza: The Musical and the one where Twitty and Louis jump in a dumpster full of recycled foam after school...oh, and the one where Louis is home schooled and performs Romeo & Juliet for his mom.

My goodness, he's hilarious.

And he's not too hard on the eyes either ;)

Feather-Brained

Wemembo my ado-abo witto featho'd fwends?

(Translation: Remember my adorable little feathered friends?)

These sweet yellow ones that look like Tweedy Bird are called Gold Finches and they hang out all day long right outside our kitchen window. Our other visitors include families of quail, house sparrows, house finches, bluejays, a hawk, and a couple of birds with black heads whose name I can't remember right now.

Yep, I'm a bird nerd,

But I love it.

I honestly think that taking a moment each day to appreciate some of Heavenly Father's most beautiful creations is one of the things that brings the most happiness and perspective to my life. Thank you, birdies! :)

They're cute, huh?

More about my birdies HERE