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Thursday Ten: A Morning Sunrise Is A Morning Smile Edition

November 17, 2011 by sarah 2 Comments

1. I started this morning so distracted by the sunrise while getting my coffee that when I hit the road again, I pulled over and got out of the car (it was 30 degrees outside! Brrr!) to take some pictures. Considering that was the last time I saw the sun today, I’m glad I took a moment to appreciate it.

2. I got a shellac manicure two weeks ago and it’s so solid and protects my nails so much that they haven’t broken or chipped (yay!) but now my nails are too long to type comfortably (boo!). Who knew this would be a problem?

3. Competitive gymnastics season starts soon for The Princess. When I picked her up from practice the other night, she was doing roundoff back handsprings and it was amazing how much better she’s gotten since the season ended in May. I’m awestruck and so proud.

4. My copy of Lightroom has arrived! Now to open the box and take the plunge…

5. I have been craving sandwiches for days. DAYS, I SAY. Of course, I’m lazy when it comes to packing lunches and too lazy to go out for lunch. This presents a problem. I spend a good chunk of my days thinking about sandwiches.

6. MY FINGERNAILS ARE DRIVING ME NUTS.

7. Brrrr. Baby, it’s cold outside… and it’s only gonna get worse. Yuck. I hate winter. I hate Michigan.

8. Book club last night and our newest selection is… a book I’ve already read. (Don’t worry, I’m used to it). Not only is it a book I’ve read, it’s a book I’ve no desire to read again. Pfft.

9. So, everyone is an uproar about “they’re trying to call pizza a vegetable”. Well, they already do. They say the tomato paste counts as a veggie – so this isn’t new, it’s just the first you’ve heard of it. Does that make it right? Um, no. But none of us think school lunches are health food, do we? I mean, YES, they SHOULD BE healthier – Jamie Oliver showed that it COULD BE done… but government does some stupid stuff, and feeding people is not easy. Know a sure way to know that your kiddo is getting food that you know contains healthy ingredients? Pack his or her lunch. Maybe someday schools will get it together and do right by the kiddos – in the mean time, no one says your child has to eat hot lunch. [I’m not saying to give up fighting for healthier lunches for the kids – but stop acting surprised when you find out it’s garbage – it’s been garbage for a long time.]

10. Song for the day? Ingrid Michaelson’s “Ghost”.

Filed Under: Mom Shtuff, music, Thursday Ten

So I packed my car and headed east…

November 14, 2011 by sarah 1 Comment

…to see Mat Kearney in concert.

A few months ago, the awesome folks at One2One Network sent me a message asking if I’d like to go see Mat Kearney in concert. I think it took me thirty seconds to respond and say, “Um. Yeah. Absolutely.”

I’d seen Mat perform earlier this year in Nashville at Blissdom and loved his set then (including the cover of “Dancing in the Dark” he performed with Michelle Branch – even though I don’t like that song, otherwise).

I loved his set so much that way back when I was still taking guitar lessons (OH I MISS GUITAR LESSONS), I opted to learn “Nothing Left To Lose” one week (okay, like two weeks) because I really love the song.

AND THEN, I had the opportunity to review Mat’s album, Young Love, back in September and I enjoyed it. A lot. “Learning to Love Again” is still my favorite track from that album, by the way.

In addition to giving “Young Love” several rotations on my iPod (rotations? That’s probably not the right word in the digital age), I was familiar with Mat’s popular singles: “Breathe In Breathe Out” , “Closer To Love” and “Nothing Left To Lose” but not so familiar that I was in rabid-fan-singing-every-word mode (don’t get me wrong – I love rabid fan mode. There’s nothing more awesome that seeing a band you love performing live and singing every word and dancing your face off). It was a different experience for me – I usually only invest in concert tickets when I am a rabid fan, and since One2One gave me these tickets (disclaimer: You can give me free tickets, but my opinion is still my own) it was an entirely different concert experience: I love the artist but there were still many unknowns for me.

Mat Kearney is an energetic performer and he kicked off his set with a high energy song. The concert was at the St. Andrews in Detroit – and the standing room only environment meant that I was on a balcony (I thought a lot about my odds of falling through the railing, though clearly I’m an idiot who has issues with heights – and also, more obviously: I did not fall), and when the music started, that hall got LOUD!

I loved the numbers where Mat played the acoustic rather than electric guitar (what? Like you’re surprised?) and at times wished that last night’s set had been a little more stripped down, a la his performance in Nashville when I first saw him.

My favorite part of the set was when, mid-song, Mat wandered into the crowd, singing, giving hugs and high fives to his fans (Not me, though, I wasn’t on the floor. I was too busy clinging to the railing trying to not fall). I’ve only seen one other performer do this (Michael Franti, I’m lookin’ at you) and I really REALLY love when artists do this – it makes people feel connected to get to touch musician sweat and to not feel that there’s some unbridgeable distance. I wonder if it skeeves the singers out, random people touching ’em – but that’s for them to worry about, not me.

I LOVED when he went into the crowd – and they loved it too.

Mat Kearney is an awesome musician – I love his voice and I love his music. Was it the most exciting concert ever? Well… no. I prefer in concerts for the band to knock a new spin on the favorites we already know – when a song that you’ve committed to memory is performed in a completely new way during a live show, it’s an exhilarating experience (Counting Crows are great at this – I’ve never heard them do a song the same way twice, and I’ve seen them live several times now). I wish there had been a little more variation in this performance – a break from hearing the songs the way I’m used to – but, did it make me love him any less?

Nope.

If every building falls
If every star fades
We’ll still be singing this song
The one they can’t take away…

Filed Under: music, Review Tagged With: Mat Kearney

Diagnosis: Earworm

November 7, 2011 by sarah Leave a Comment

I love music, and think in musical terms, and for me to get a melody, lyric or random bit from a song stuck in my head is not an unusual thing. And today? Today I’ve had Avril Lavigne’s “Wish You Were Here” stuck in my head. ALL. DAY. You know that song? The chorus is basically “Damn, damn, damn…” Anyway – the song itself isn’t rotten – it’s catchy pop. There’s a place for catchy pop. Today, the place was my head.

Nothing could get it out of my head.

Not listening to “The Thong Song.”

Not rick-rolling myself.

I think this may have done the trick, though.

This is kinda viral-ish lately because of the big to-do of the stop-motion and the jelly bean thing. Another catchy melody. (Here’s the link to the “Making Of” video).

So now Kina is stuck in my head.

Are you prone to ear worms? Do you have a go-to method for getting a song out of your head once it’s stuck? Did I just give you two new ear worms? I did? Damn, damn, damn…

Filed Under: music Tagged With: Avril Lavigne, Kina Grannis

Thursday Ten: The Week Feels A Hundred Years Long Edition

September 22, 2011 by sarah 1 Comment

1. One of the most difficult things about working is that my Thursday ten post doesn’t get written until it’s late. I mean, it’s already FRIDAY in the UK. They’ve had to go the whole day without knowing what was going on in my world. A travesty. I’m so sorry.

2. Sometimes amidst the chaos, some good opportunities sneak through. I was asked to photograph an event and I’m very excited about the opportunity. A little nervous too, but mostly excited. And honored. SO HONORED to have been asked. And, yes, to be getting paid to shoot the event. All good.

3. In light of this upcoming job, I decided it was time to upgrade the camera. VERY. EXCITING. I have yet to use it, though – too bad new cameras don’t come with a fully charged battery for impatient photographers.

4. This was the type of week that can be called a “Venti” week. When a grande just won’t do.

5. I’m still listening to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on repeat. I love this video because it just looks like so much fun. And the guy is playing an ice bucket.

6. One of the ArtPrize exhibits I have been looking forward to is Ji Lee’s “Pieces of Peace” – which involves these little Buddhas lined up outside a building in Grand Rapids for people to take and to photograph elsewhere. Of course I took ~~one~~ four. I may need to start a new photoset on Flickr for my little buddha’s adventures.

7. This morning, as I was helping Pumpkin with her homework, one of the questions involved her having to draw stars. She had never drawn a star before. So I taught her the easy way to draw one, and when I got home from work, she had another sheet of paper she’d covered with stars. It’d have never occurred to me otherwise to teach her how to draw stars.

8. The Princess’s finger seems to be getting a little better – though she’s still babying it quite a lot. We have another week until it gets re-xrayed. Here’s hoping it’s improved – I think she’s antsy to get back to gymnastics.

9. My gosh, is it even Thursday anywhere anymore? (Kidding. Kind of.)

10. Tomorrow I have the day off – you know how good that feels? I still have a lot to get done – but I get to wear jeans! And a ponytail if I want to! And go see art! And take my girlies out for donuts in the morning! And probably have another venti (Why not?)!

Filed Under: music, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: And School’s Back In Edition

September 8, 2011 by sarah 1 Comment

1. The first week of school for my kiddos is almost over and so far the transition for the kids seems mostly seamless. Not too much complaining about things – but the amount of paper in the house has quadrupled, it feels like. PAPER EVERYWHERE.

2. There are days when I drink far too much water. Those days – and today was one of those days – I spend hours alternately walking to the kitchen for more ice water, and walking to the restroom because you can’t drink all that water without really having to pee. I’m sorta known for “peecrastination” – getting so wrapped up in what I’m doing that I hold off going until I absolutely can’t stand it anymore. Not today. Why am I telling you all this about pee? I really don’t know. I’m so sorry.

3. Lately, I’ve seen Crazy Stupid Love and Friends With Benefits. Emma Stone was in both of those. She was also in The Help (Which I read and have no desire to see the movie). Why is she in everything? I’m not sure why it even matters to me, but it she’s everywhere these days.

4. The weather outside has cooled down (WHOOHOO!) but the air conditioning at work? Still cranked up. Wore a sweater today. Considered double-bagging myself and putting a sweater over my sweater. I wonder how much money places waste with hyperactive air conditioning?

5. This morning, I couldn’t muster the interest to throw together a lunch for myself, so I picked up lunch in the cafe near my office. Today’s special sounded gross, so I just got a burger. Which was also gross. So gross that I spent all afternoon queasy and kicking myself for eating it. Also, kicking myself for not realizing that I’d have been better off just grabbing Pop Tarts out of the vending machine.

6. ArtPrize in JUST UNDER TWO WEEKS!!! I’m not sure how many times I went out to see all the exhibits last year (A lot. I know that – A LOT), but I hope to get to spend as much time seeing as many of the exhibits as I can this year, also.

7. Yesterday, I bought Skittles at work and I threw out all the purple ones. Why? I don’t like the purple ones. When I tweeted that – several people seemed shocked – and a few people asked me to ship them the purple Skittles. Really, people? YOU LIKE THE PURPLE SKITTLES? I bet you even like the pink Starbursts, too.

8. Up until tonight, I hadn’t worked out in two days. I have no doubt that is part of the reason I have been such a gigantic cranky pants.

9. So, I guess football starts tonight?

10. And last but certainly not least. I received Mat Kearney’s YOUNG LOVE album to review, and like I said last week, at that point, I hadn’t had time to sit and really listen to it. Well, I listened on my drive to work the other day. And I listened last night while I was working. And I listened today during cardio. And in between all of those times, I have had various songs from this album stuck in my head and I have to say I mostly like this album I say mostly because there are a few songs that are total misses for me (and most albums have at least one, so it’s not like I’m hating on Mat). I like Mat Kearney’s music best when he’s mellower and the guitars are prominent and it’s almost like you’re hanging in a coffee shop listening to a guy who is too good to be playing in a coffee shop. I like Mat like that. Which is why I love the song “Rochester” (though, I’d love it more if it were about a minute shorter). Though, surprisingly, I love the hand-clappy poppiness of “Hey Mama”. But the song that keeps getting stuck in my head most of all is “Learning to Love Again.”

“Cause that was the real you running through the fields of gold wide open
Standing in places no picture contains
That was the real you, windows down, we could smell the mint fields crying
Sing with the radio to song we can’t name…”

If I rated albums with stars – and I didn’t get all scientific-y with his one – I’d give Young Love about a 7. It’s not a huge departure from the Mat Kearney you already know from “Breathe In Breathe Out” – and that’s either a good thing to you, or you wanted to see him evolve more (or you’ve thought nothing of it). It’s catchy, for sure, and the melodies will likely get stuck in your noggin… *

(I received this album for review, but the opinions are my own and solely my own…)

Filed Under: music, Review, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: Getting all homemade up in this kitchen edition

June 23, 2011 by sarah 1 Comment

1. So, as some of you already know, my current favorite thing on the internet these days (Besides you, of course. Whoever you may be) is My Drunk Kitchen. And in the latest episode, she set out to make…ice cream. Well, I can do that. I think. So, the girls and I were on a mission today – and we made some. Here’s how. Our recipe didn’t involve actually steeping a vanilla bean. Anyway, you can watch how she made it…not happen… below. Please note, if you don’t like “language”, you perhaps probably won’t like it quite as much as I do. Anyway, it was delicious and my kids are happy and my hands are numb from holding a bag of ice.

2. I am entering the home stretch on my mission to read 250 books over 1,001 days (With a few months to spare even!). Keep an eye out, in the next few weeks for the list of 250 books read, as well as my opinions (you love my opinions, don’t you?) of which ones were the best of the bunch. Some of them were pretty awful. And no, I didn’t count the books that were so awful that I couldn’t get past the first chapter.

3. Summer is making me craaaaazy. Even with fun activities like…MAKING ICE CREAM IN A PLASTIC BAG… nothing quite eases the pain of listening to two bickering siblings who are sick of being around each other. Whee!

4. On the bright side, however, it’s not 90 degrees. Win.

5. I needed some new music to listen to – ended up picking up some stuff from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and a new Matt Nathanson song that I haven’t posted a video to because when I tried to find one on YouTube, all I could find was a YouTube concert clip where whoever was filming was basically filming his…lap region.

6. Back to books. If you decide the next book you want to read is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, you maybe don’t want to open up the book and start reading it for the first time over lunch. Just…uh… FYI. I’m not easily grossed out, but I got a few pages in and a few bites in and started thinking, “You know, I’ll just finish this veggie burger thingy later.”

7. I have a second interview coming up! The interview process is pretty much as I remember it (terrifying slash kind of a rush). See, the thing is, ten years ago when I last interviewed – I was still pretty fresh in the whole professional world. I had some experience, but not a whole lot to back up my resume. Now? I think I’ve done a good job of honing my skills, getting a varied amount of experience and being able to support that and back it up. If I could get over my resistance to toot my own horn. It’s a difficult thing if you’re not a braggy sort, to interview.

8. I miss guitar lessons. A lot. I haven’t picked up my guitar in a month. Sad face.

9. I somehow managed to mangle my ankle and without a clear cut reason for how come it hurts so horribly, all I can think of is this: You know, Sarah, you’re just not as young as you used to be. You’re old and your joints are rebelling from all this cardio and stuff you’re doing to them. Maybe you should just tape your ankles (knees, elbows, whole self) up with some duct tape before putting on your sneakers for a workout.

10. The movie “Hangover 2”? Just…awful. Really, really awful. (File under: The more you know)

Filed Under: Books and Stuff, Eats, Mom Shtuff, music, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: Summer’s Nearly Here Edition

June 9, 2011 by sarah Leave a Comment

1. Okay, weather aside, you know it’s almost summer when you send your kindergartner off for her LAST DAY OF SCHOOL and your third grader is off for her last two half days. Yep, as of tomorrow at noon – SCHOOL’S OUT. Until sometime in September (stupid Michigan tourism law) – we’ll have to find ways to fill our days and get things done and not go crazy. I’m not good with coming up with activities – there’s only so many watercolors you can do or trips to the park you can take (to me, there’s a limit on park trips – especially when it’s hot outside) – so, here we go.

2. Sometimes I cannot even explain my ear worms. Today? For some strange reason, I’ve had the Gin Blossoms “The Cajun Song” stuck in my head. Nothing says 1993 to me like the Gin Blossoms.

3. I am trying a new to-do list app on my phone – Teux Deux (I hate cutesy spellings). I am a pen and paper to-do list kind of girl, so this is a big step for me. I love the UI though, and I’m hoping that having my to-do list with me all the time (because face it, I go nowhere without my phone) will help me ensure I don’t forget things as often (LIKE I DID YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO PICK UP MY MOM’S BIRTHDAY GIFT).

4. Speaking of my mom’s birthday (like that segue there?), I got an idea in my head that I was going to make cheesecake on a stick for her birthday party and after a trial run the other day, I have to say… dang, I’m good. It was good. It’s going to be AHHHHHHHHH-MAZE-ING. Yeah. I’ll post pictures of my “Sarah is such a rockstar she put cheesecake on a stick and made it better than it already was” cheesecake on a stick.

5. If you haven’t been following, this month Love Drop is helping a metro-Detroit area family who is grieving the loss of their husband/father. The goal is to pay the family’s rent for the next three months – to ease their worry of losing their home and giving them the time to just focus on healing. You can join Love Drop for as little as a buck a month and make a huge difference – or you can click the red button on the Love Drop home page to make a one time donation to the family. Have I mentioned I love the idea of micro-giving – love that if a bunch of people give just a dollar, it adds up to really help people out in a big way.

6. On Sunday, I ventured to Chicago to see my Avon Walk team cross the finish for their two day walk. I opted out of Chicago’s event this year because I’ll be walking with them in San Francisco. I was glad to be there with them as they finished two days of intense walking… and now? I’m REALLY looking forward to the SF walk. Can’t wait!

7. I have a lot of bruschetta to make for my mom’s birthday celebration. A LOT. It’s the only thing I can really “cook” – and it doesn’t really involve much cooking. I’m kind of known for it in my family – which is funny because I got the recipe from someone on Twitter, and I just managed to not mangle it too horribly.

8. What is the one household chore you most procrastinate? Me? FOLDING LAUNDRY. I hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

9. I was already given the school supply list for The Princess for fourth grade in the fall. I appreciate that there really is no way teachers can buy all of this stuff for the classrooms and school budgets are looking pretty sad, but this is a pretty hefty list. And I will probably ignore it until the end of August. Hell, I’ll probably have lost it by then.

10. I have a huge stack of books from the library – it’s rare that they have so many of the new books I want to read on the shelves. I just cracked open Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture – and I’ll probably pick up something else to read at the same time. According to Good Reads, I’ve already got 3 books going right now – including one that I have had stuffed under my nightstand for over a month (Thousand Splendid Suns, I’m talkin’ to you). This isn’t uncommon. I usually read more than one book at once. Are you reading anything good?

Filed Under: Books and Stuff, Mom Shtuff, music, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: Are You Ready for Some DONUTS? edition

June 2, 2011 by sarah 1 Comment

1. Every Friday, I take my girls out for donuts on the way to school. It is a tradition we started over a year ago – it’s not our healthiest tradition, but, I find that I don’t even mind fueling their day with sugar one day a week. Sometimes in life we need those certainties, and once a week it’s FINE. BUT, tomorrow, Donut Day is even MORE official – tomorrow, June 3 is National Donut Day. Yes. So, you should virtually join us in celebrating by kick-starting your day tomorrow with a donut (The ONLY kind of donut I like is a glazed sour cream donut – in general, I find donuts to be kind of icky).

2. I’mma talk about the weather again. WHOOHOO for some spring weather today. It’s breezy – I’m wearing jeans and a long sleeve t and it is absolutely perfect. Y’all know, I’m not one for weather extremes. I give a big two thumbs DOWN to snow and to sweltering 90+ degree temps. When I can turn off the heat, the air conditioning and just open up a window and breathe in fresh air? Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Perfect. (Also, much much cheaper for the utility bill.)

3. Yesterday, I went to my neighbor’s house to chat – Pumpkin wanted to go say hi and frankly we needed to get out of the house. We stood in her driveway chatting for awhile before going into her garage. Her garage is amazing – filled with doodads, knicknacks and whoosywhatsits — she saves everything. I’m particularly in love with these jars.

4. Last night’s book club meeting resulted in me not really able to explain why I hadn’t enjoyed last month’t book (“The Postmistress” by Sarah Blake). I described it as tedious, but I think the story is one that could have been interesting… had it been told by a better writer. This month we’ll be reading Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, er, or…the other ladies will be. I read it not too long ago, and while I really enjoyed the book, it’s just too soon to re-read.

5. A week from today, Pumpkin will be done with school. A week from tomorrow, The Princess will be. The summer looms large and empty in front of us. What will we do? Admittedly, this is the first summer I haven’t had been totally tied to my computer (seeing as how I’m still unemployed and all), but, also, I am without that paycheck (minor details). I think of the adventures we could go on, and then remember, huh, yeah. Um. Maybe we should try to do things a little bit more frugal-like (there go my dreams of water parks everyday).

6. Speaking of summer – do you travel? Do you actually take a summer vacation? This is the first year in a long time that we’ll actually venture outward – going to California for the first time in FAR TOO LONG. I don’t really know how to vacation. I hate that about myself.

7. I am about to venture into the world of diabetic baking – my mom, a recently diagnosed diabetic, needs a birthday cake. I found a recipe for an angel food cake that subs Splenda for regular ol’ granulated sugar. Now, I don’t have a problem with food with Splenda in it – though I know some people do, but I’m a little iffy on baking with it. Have you tried it? What do I need to know? Is this cake going to be gross?

8. My favorite app these days is the free Nike Training Club app – I know I’ve mentioned it before. When you don’t have a gym membership and you’ve got kids in the house, it’s nice to be able to do a full body workout with just a few pieces of equipment. Yesterday, I did a strength workout that had me doing squats and dead lifts. Today? I am FEELING IT. Muscle fatigue is the best. Really. Yes, I mean it.

9. I hate lunch. I have long ago decided that lunch is stupid because the last thing I feel like doing in the middle of the day (or, okay…pretty much EVER) is cook yet ANOTHER meal. While I’m a fan of REAL FOOD and not eating overly processed stuff, I picked up some vegetarian black bean burger things the other day. I’m not sure why – I’m not a vegetarian, I don’t even really eat burgers, and frankly? When I have made black bean burgers, they are WAY better than this. But…these are okay. I haven’t looked at the ingredient list (because surely I can’t pronounce half of the things on the list), but… I don’t care. A girl needs lunch, apparently. And a girl who doesn’t like to cook sometimes has fake lunch.

10. Another week of not buying much new music. I did pick up a few songs from the soundtrack to the musical Wicked. Not sure why, and I haven’t listened to them yet.

Filed Under: Books and Stuff, Eats, Mom Shtuff, music, Photography, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: Sitting on the sofa eating bonbons edition

May 26, 2011 by sarah Leave a Comment

1. Um. No, not really – but nearly through my first week of work I have established some contract work with my former employer (Yes, I kind of anticipated that would happen – it’s a short term opportunity, but that’s okay), and I am in the process of designing some flyers for the whole “girl who takes pictures” thing – because with upcoming senior pictures and family pictures that hit in the summer – it’s prime time for my favorite kind of photography… PEOPLE!

2. Today is my last guitar lesson for the next few months – I’m so sad! I’ll miss it – it’s funny how 30 minutes a week can be such a huge part of my week. One of the most joyful and FUN things I do, and I’ll miss it.

3. The end of the school year activities? Gettin’ INSANE. Field day, field trips, permission slips, five dollars here and there, pack a sack lunch, wear appropriate shoes, bring sunscreen, don’t bring glass, award programs, singing programs, make playdough, send in Michigan memorabilia – la la la. I can’t even begin to keep all of this straight and I have it written down in a few places. Today is field day and none of those little pieces of paper say WHAT TIME THE DARN THING STARTS.

4. We knew at the beginning of the year that there were peanut allergies in The Princess’s classroom so that we’d be unable to bake birthday cupcakes this year. Even if I make them completely nut free, there’s no guarantee that they weren’t cross contaminated by peanuts or peanut butter in my kitchen. Fine, I get that. So now I have to do store bought treats (Here kids! Have some lovely high fructose corn syrup! Happy day!). This morning, The Princess tells me, “Let’s buy those cupcakes at the store – those ones are okay – and so and so has a dairy allergy. We need to buy him a pack of Skittles.”

5. Speaking of The Princess – she ROCKED her gymnastics meet last weekend – two blue ribbons, two red. I’m very proud of her. Am amazed every time I see her compete – the confidence she radiates blows me away. Where did that come from? The amount she has progressed in the past year has been truly TRULY exciting to watch.

6. The other day, Pumpkin told me, “Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a paleontologist. And I want to own a wig store and call it Things For Your Head.” Never EVER a dull moment with that one.

7. Just over a month until the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in San Francisco! 39.3 miles over two days. I did a ten mile practice walk the other day – am I ready for San Francisco’s hills? Uh, that’d be a resounding NO. But I’ll do my best, as always. Not a whole lot of hilly terrain for practice around here! {Just $230 from my fundraising goal if you’d like to donate!}

8. I have thrown away several socks over the past few weeks. ALL of my socks are deciding to get a lil bit holey lately. Makes sense, when you figure I bought them all at the same time and YES I AM BLOGGING ABOUT SOCKS. Shush.

9. I bought new gerbera daisies today. I keep one on my desk, one on the window sill in the kitchen – I keep them in glass frappuccino bottles with the labels removed. It’s the right size for a bud vase. I think the next step of the project will be to find a way to collage these “vases” with some fun ribbon. [Give me a job, I’m contemplating doing arts & crafts]

10. No new music this week, but I still cannot recommend The Civil Wars “Barton Hollow” album enough. I love it so so muchly.

Filed Under: Do Good Feel Good, Mom Shtuff, music, Thursday Ten

Thursday Ten: The Pink Elephant Edition*

May 19, 2011 by sarah 2 Comments

1. The Nutella cake I referenced in last night’s post? Here’s the recipe. I think it should be served with vanilla ice cream. Trust me, I know these things.

2. I have not bought any new music this week – which is just not quite right and I need to remedy that promptly. What’s your favorite song these days?

3. I turned on American Idol for a few minutes last night. And then muted it. And then stopped paying attention. I think I am over it.

4. I spent the earlier part of the week reading a book so tense and awful that when it was done, I put it down and promptly picked up the biggest fluffiest book in my to-read pile to give my brain a break from people doing meth and killing people. What an awful book that last one was. I’m not sure why I finished reading it – you hit a point in a book sometimes where you’ve invested so much time, that to give up seems like a waste. I have GOT to learn to be able to just GIVE UP on bad books.

5. “What do you want to learn today?” my guitar teacher asked me. I shrugged. We just wrapped up Ryan Adam’s Desire (Oh how I love that song), and I hadn’t really thought ahead for anything else that I might want to learn. “Surprise me,” I replied.

6. As we wrap up our first year of competitive gymnastics, The Princess was very bummed that she is not yet being promoted to the next level. Skillwise she is just SO CLOSE that I hope that maybe if she can completely master her handspring, they’ll move her up. If not, they don’t. Sometimes it’s nice to be the big fish in the small pond.

7. I stopped by my favorite flower place today and almost bought myself a pot of gerbera daisies and then realized that attempting to grow something would be futile because the soil here is full of clay and because the puppy would dig anything pretty out of the ground within days. So I bought a bouquet of tulips. They’re gorgeous and it’s okay that in a few days they’ll wilt and die. I’ll buy new ones after that.

8. Went to see Bridesmaids on Sunday (along with everyone else in the universe, I think). And yeah, I thought it was funny. It also reminded me why weddings are such an unbelievable pain in the hind end. ALL THOSE WEDDING SHOWERS. And PEOPLE. Then again, my last wedding experience was my sister’s, and the massive amounts of dealing with her in-laws-to-be made for some…interesting times.

9. I have a new shampoo and it is eucalyptus-y. It smells good and makes my head feel happy. Speaking of – the other day, I mentioned on Twitter how one of my favorite parts about getting a hair cut is having my hair washed at the salon before hand. I guess I’m not the only one! A lot of agreement there… it’s the best, right?

10. One of the best parts about summer approaching is that it’s nearly county fair season. I actually don’t love county fairs – but do you know what I DO love? Elephant ears! Can’t wait.

*Nope, not talking about it. Again.